Why is it that I consistently find the best coverage of events in foreign news sources? Oh, I know! Because the American news really sucks. Take for example, item number 1.

1. The US is withdrawing from Iraq having not completed what we promised. Insurgents are killing an average of 250 people per day; projects to fix the electricity and sewage treatment facilities have been left undone; one-quarter of the population lives below the poverty level; and the elected officials are now at 165 days without managing to create a government. But we killed Saddam Hussein. Gooo team!
2. The United States pledged an additional $60 million Thursday to the U.N. flood relief effort. Secretary of State Clinton announced this on Pakistan’s Dawn TV. That brings our total up to $130 million. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to donate!
3. As I’ve noted before, the oil spill is not getting much coverage these days since the oil is not spewing out. There is currently much contention about the NOAA report that claimed that 75% of the oil had “dissipated.” NOAA never gave me a cent, so I am not inclined to cut them any slack. Today, a group at Woods Hole reported evidence of large underwater oil plume in the Gulf. But maybe people are just focusing on the bad aspects of the oil spill; the following video presents the good side.

4. It is not surprising that 20% of the nation believes that Obama is a Muslim. (Sorry but Faux actually has the best coverage of this—for obvious reasons.) Nor is it surprising that there is strong correlation between ignorance about Obama’s religious beliefs and his nationality, and dissatisfaction with his performance. What is surprising is that this number was just over 10% a year ago. The Washington Post blames the Internet. I blame the Republican Hate Machine (including Faux News) who are forever bring up these issues without explicitly endorsing them.
5. Obama made four recess appointments today. Good for him. I don’t have a lot to say except that the Republicans behavior in this matter every bit as bad as it is in just about everything else they do.