GAO Report: 200,000 Missing AK-47s In Iraq
The Skinny is Jennifer Hoar's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.
The phrase "missing weapons" was so 2003.
Until now.
According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, the Pentagon has "lost track" of nearly 200,000 AK-47's it had given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, the Washington Post reports. The inconvenience of this truth (pardon the Al Gore allusion there) is two-pronged. One, the Pentagon agrees that, indeed, these weapons are missing. Two, they also think that the erstwhile weapon contributions are also "probably are being used against U.S. forces." Hello gift horse, let me see your mouth.
Hold The Phone (And the Gmail)!
On Sunday, President Bush signed legislation that "broadly expanded the government's authority to eavesdrop" on Americans' international calls and e-mails, the New York Times reports. Oh, and warrants need not apply.
A White House spokesperson said that the goal of the law is not to "go after Americans," but to give the government more "flexibility in focusing on foreign suspects overseas." However, some people familiar with this new law say that it goes beyond "small fixes" the Bush Administration said it needed to monitor terrorists overseas.
Bottom line: That clicking noise on your line to London may not be call-waiting.
They Can Do It; He Can Help
Completely switching gears, Chrysler is getting a new CEO. Robert Nardelli, the former chief of Home Depot, is the second auto industry outsider to take the reins of one of the Big Three makers, the Wall Street Journal says. Last year, Ford hired Alan Mulally from Boeing. In reporting on Nardelli's hiring, both the WSJ and the New York Times use the phrase (or some permutation of it): "no more business as usual" in Detroit. Doubt they'll be having fun and games, though.
Tuck In Your Elbows
If you were wondering why you felt like someone was sitting on your lap every time you flew on an airplane in July, USA Today has an answer.
The seven major air carriers reported "record percentages of filled seats" last month. While over-crowding was bad news for air travelers, the glut of business was welcomed by the airlines, who have to deal with higher costs for things like fuel. As executives count their cash, someone in row 23D is still waiting for his free pretzels.
Better Finish Your Bacon Now
The following is invariably something you've never heard before and never thought you'd hear: Norway is "at the forefront of a Europe-wide debate over piglet castration," the Wall Street Journal reveals.
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