American Research Group

Bush Job Approval Rating

Overall

Approve 38%
Disapprove 55%
Undecided 7%


Economy

Approve 34%
Disapprove 59%
Undecided 7%


George W. Bush's Job Approval Ratings Remain Unchanged As
Nearly Two-Thirds of Americans Say National Economy is Getting Worse
George W. Bush's overall job approval ratings remain unchanged from a month ago as nearly two-thirds of Americans say that the national economy is getting worse according to the latest survey from the American Research Group. Among all Americans, 38% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 55% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 34% approve and 59% disapprove.
Among Americans registered to vote, 39% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 55% disapprove. When it comes to the way Bush is handling the economy, 35% of registered voters approve of the way Bush is handling the economy and 59% disapprove.
A total of 65% of Americans say the national economy is getting worse, which is up from 53% in September. When asked about the national economy a year from now, 51% say it will be worse.

http://americanresearchgroup.com/economy/


San Francisco Chronicle

Iraq's factions urge a schedule for troop pullout
100 Sunni, Shiite, Kurdish leaders reach agreement at end of Arab League meeting
Hassan M. Fattah, New York Times
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Cairo -- For the first time, Iraq's political factions collectively called for a timetable for withdrawal of foreign forces Monday as the Bush administration battled pressure at home to commit to a pullout schedule.
The announcement, at the conclusion of a reconciliation conference here backed by the Arab League, was a public reaching-out by Shiites, who now dominate Iraq's government, to Sunni Arabs on the eve of parliamentary elections that have been put on shaky ground by weeks of sectarian violence.
In Washington, Vice President Dick Cheney sought to damp down what has become a bitter and personal fight in Washington over the Iraq war, offering praise for a senior House Democrat who has called for the full withdrawal of troops and saying that an "energetic debate" over the war was part of a healthy society.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/22/MNGQ0FSCCP1.DTL


'Dirty Bomb' Suspect Padilla Indicted
By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
(11-22) 08:04 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --
Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for three years as an "enemy combatant" suspected of plotting a "dirty bomb" attack in this country, has been indicted on charges that he conspired to "murder, kidnap and maim" people overseas.
A federal grand jury in Miami returned the indictment against Padilla and four others. While the charges allege Padilla was part of a terrorism conspiracy, they do not include the government's earlier allegations that he planned to carry out attacks in the United States.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was expected to discuss the indictment at a news conference in Washington.
Padilla, a Brooklyn-born Muslim convert, has been held as an "enemy combatant" in Defense Department custody for more than three years. The Bush administration had resisted calls to charge and try him in civilian courts.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/11/22/national/w071342S29.DTL


WORLD VIEWS: Bush offends China; French riots catalyze the Right; Pinochet 'forgets' the past
Edward M. Gomez, special to SF Gate
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Politically, economically and, increasingly, militarily, China is huge news. It's the world's manufacturing plant and a potentially vast market for other countries' goods. Still, for all the Bush team's usual made-for-the-cameras moments -- Bush cycling with Chinese athletes, Bush attending a church service in Beijing -- the president came home from his eight-day East Asia tour with no breakthroughs to boast of.
In fact, he may even have alienated his hosts. In a speech delivered in Kyoto, Japan, just before arriving in China, Bush said: "We encourage China to continue down the road of reform and openness. ... By meeting the legitimate demands of its citizens for freedom and openness, China's leaders can help their country grow into a modern, prosperous, and confident nation." The American leader then lauded Taiwan -- which Beijing regards as a renegade province of mainland China -- for "embracing freedom at all levels," delivering "prosperity to its people" and creating "a free and democratic Chinese society." (China Post, Taiwan)

http://sfgate.com/columnists/worldviews/


Pastor Falls to His Death at Nat'l Park
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
(11-22) 05:13 PST Sequoia National Park, Calif. (AP) --
A minister accused of sexually abusing two teenage parishioners fell 400 feet to his death at Sequoia National Park, officials said.
The Rev. Santos Teixeira's death Sunday was under "uncertain circumstances," requiring the National Park Service to notify the FBI of its investigation, Alexandra Picavet, a Sequoia National Park spokeswoman, said Monday.
Picavet said park investigators have yet to determine the manner of death and cautioned it was standard procedure to notify the FBI about the case, which happened on federal land.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/11/22/national/a051310S43.DTL


Rates of HIV infection drop in a few nations
U.N. counts over 40.3 million cases around the world
Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical Writer
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
A United Nations count of HIV infections around the world topped 40.3 million this year, but there are signs that rates may be starting to decline in a few hard-hit regions -- a small, hopeful sign in the 25-year battle against the disease.
On Monday, for the first time in a decade, the U.N. affiliate that tracks the epidemic reported continuous reductions in the number of people living with the virus in a handful of countries in the Caribbean and Africa.
"We are encouraged by the gains that have been made in some countries and by the fact that sustained HIV prevention programs have played a key part in bringing down infections,'' said Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/22/MNGQ0FSCCN1.DTL


The war at home
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
REP. John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran known for his hawkishness and expertise on military matters, did not start this rising wave of discontent with the U.S. occupation of Iraq. But his scathing assessment of the war last week -- along with his demand for a near-term withdrawal of troops -- appears to be a turning point on Capitol Hill.
The Bush administration knew what it meant to lose John Murtha as an ally on a foreign war. Its first instinct was to strike back with ferocity. A White House spokesman accused the 73-year-old western Pennsylvania Democrat of assuming the "policy positions of (film director) Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party."
House Republicans thought they could outmaneuver Murtha and other war critics by condensing and twisting his position into a resolution they knew would get shot down: It called for an immediate U.S. withdrawal of troops. Democrats wisely failed to take the bait -- the overwhelming majority opposed the resolution, which failed on a 403-3 vote.
The tensions over Iraq were laid bare in the vitriolic House debate. Newly elected Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, relayed what she claimed was a message to Murtha from a Marine constituent of hers that "cowards cut and run -- Marines never do."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/11/22/EDGB2FQVL91.DTL


People Daily

Saudi Arabia and China pledged on Sunday in Riyadh to make efforts to boost energy cooperation in various fields.
During talks between Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi and Zhang Guobao,Chinese vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, both sides fully affirmed the positive results yielded by Sino-Saudi joint ventures, such as oil, petrochemical and natural gas projects.
They also discussed some mining and refining projects involving Chinese firms in the Arab kingdom.
Zhang, who heads a Chinese energy delegation on a three-day working visit to Saudi Arabia, arrived in Riyadh on Friday.

http://english.people.com.cn/200511/21/eng20051121_222886.html


Chinese naval fleet arrives in Pakistani port
A Pakistani military band and a folk art troupe perform to welcome the arrival of a Chinese naval fleet at the military port of Karachi in south Pakistan Nov. 21, 2005. The Chinese fleet composed of the "Shenzhen" missile destroyer and the "Weishanhu" ocean supplier arrived in Karachi Nov. 21 for a three-day visit to Pakistan. It will also visit India and Thailand.

http://english.people.com.cn/200511/22/eng20051122_223040.html


China Daily

China gears up for high-speed rail plan
(CNN/China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-22 15:22
Six Japanese companies led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries are in the final stages of talks to supply China with 60 high-speed trains, according to Japanese media reports.
China may choose Japan's Shinkansen bullet train for part of its high-speed rail expansion plans. [AFP]
To improve its railway network, China is planning to spend more than $80 billion for a high-speed system covering about 12,000 km (7,500 miles), Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported.
Germany's Siemens has already won an order for 60 eight-car trains from China, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday.
It said a contract worth 669 million euros ($785 million) was signed in Berlin during a state visit to Germany by China's President Hu Jintao a week ago.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/22/content_496989.htm


Water stoppage in Harbin sparks panic buying
By Li Fangchao (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-22 06:05
HARBIN: An unexpected stoppage of water supply sparked rumours of a contaminated river and led to a run on city supermarkets storing bottled water yesterday.
Bottled water is sold out in almost all supermarkets and shops as Harbin citizens rushed to stock up following the government announcement about a cut in water supply. [China Daily]
Starting from noon today, the city's water supply will be cut off for four days due to water main maintenance and repair, said a statement issued by the municipal government of the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
It is the first time that water supply will be cut off citywide for so long.
Harbin, the province's economic, cultural and political center, has a population of about 4 million (excluding the suburban areas), according to Harbin statistical information network.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/22/content_496761.htm


China tightens bird-flu measures further
(AP/China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-22 07:17
China ordered already strict anti-bird flu measures tightened on Monday following two new outbreaks in poultry, while Romania said it would destroy 2,000 farm birds after finding the virus in hens and North Korea tightened border controls.
"There is a growing threat to human health," Yin Chengjie, a deputy Chinese agriculture minister, said at a news conference.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/22/content_496818.htm


'Snakeheads' more cunning, say officials
By Jiang Zhuqing (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-22 06:10
More than 4,000 people who tried to illegally exit or enter China were arrested in the first half of this year, prompting authorities to signal their concern about human smugglers, called "snakeheads", who are becoming more and more cunning.
During the first half of 2005, statistics indicated that the exit and entry administration departments arrested 4,174 people in illegal attempts to enter or exit the country, and nabbed 95 suspects who organized, transported and helped illegal emigrants.
The figure for 2005 is expected to be higher than that of the previous year, which witnessed the seizure of 5,975 suspects in total.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/22/content_496864.htm


Nation to become No.2 trading country
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-22 16:52
Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng forecast that China will overtake Germany to become the world's second largest trading country in 2008 if foreign trade could maintain a 15 percent annual growth.
In a speech at Beijing University on Monday, he even predicted that China will likely replace the United States to become the world's top trading country sometime between 2015 and 2020,
So far, Gao said China's output of 172 sorts of commodities ranks first in the world, with the output of tractors and containers accounting for above 80 percent of the world's total, and that of watches and radio cassettes, 60 percent.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/22/content_497002.htm


Three risks to shape Chinese economy in 2006
(People's Daily Online )
Updated: 2005-11-22 17:08
At the special forum of "Forecast on the Future Development of World Economy" opened on Nov. 21, Frank Gong, chief China economist with JPMorgan Chase in Hong Kong noted that uncertainties in global economy, RMB reform as well as banking system will become three major risk factors to shape China's economy next year.
Gong said that the future development of US' economy will determine the risks of global economy, especially whether the US could bear the duel pressures of oil price hike and soaring interests rates. If high oil price and high interests rate go on for next year, the environment of global market economy will undergo massive changes. "US Federal Reserve will definitely raise the interests rates, however, current oil price is undergoing a relatively long period of climbing. By taking that kind of situation into consideration, it is an inevitable tendency the price of oil and commodity will continue to rise," further added Gong.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/22/content_497010.htm


The Boston Globe

Report: Ocean noise harms dolphins, whales
By Paul Chavez, Associated Press Writer November 22, 2005
LOS ANGELES --Increasing levels of ocean noise generated by military sonar, shipping, and oil and gas exploration are threatening dolphins and whales that rely on sound for mating, finding food and avoiding predators, according to a new report.
The report released Monday by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that the affects of ocean noise on marine life range from long-term behavioral change to hearing loss to death.
The report, a follow-up to a 1999 study, included details from necropsies performed on beached whales suspected of being exposed to Navy sonar.
Scientists who examined more than a dozen whales that beached in the Canary Islands in September 2002 found bleeding around the brain and ears and lesions in the animals' livers and kidneys.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2005/11/22/report_ocean_noise_harms_dolphins_whales/


Researchers: Usinc acid caused elk deaths
November 21, 2005
RAWLINS, Wyo. --Wyoming wildlife biologists and federal researchers have identified the chemical responsible for the death of hundreds of elk in southern Wyoming last year.
They say usinc acid, a substance found in lichen the elk ate, is responsible for the deaths of perhaps as many as 600 elk in a die-off that began in February 2004.
"It started with a couple of coyote hunters finding an elk that was alive but couldn't get up," said Terry Kreeger, supervisor of veterinary services at the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish. "Our people went out and found other elk down. They've look at you, but they couldn't move. You could pat them on the head."
Wildlife workers eventually found 327 dead elk on the prairie, Game and Fish biologist Greg Hiatt said. About 80 percent of them here cow elk.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2005/11/21/researchers_usinc_acid_caused_elk_deaths/


U.N. claims breast feeding saves 6M babies
November 21, 2005
GENEVA --Breast feeding is saving the lives of 6 million babies a year, but more than twice that could be saved if more mothers would use the time-honored method, the U.N. children's agency said Tuesday.
Thirty-nine percent of infants in developing countries are exclusively breast fed, UNICEF said, blaming "lack of awareness amongst mothers, and lack of support from health workers and communities."
A total of 1.3 million lives could be saved each year if mothers followed its recommendation of exclusive breast feeding up until six months, then complementary feeding for at least two years, Miriam Labbok of UNICEF said in a statement. UNICEF said breast milk gives a baby ideal nourishment and disease immunity.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2005/11/21/un_claims_breast_feeding_saves_6m_babies/


British man diagnosed with mad cow disease
November 22, 2005
HOUSTON --A man from Great Britain has been diagnosed with the human form of mad cow disease, the second documented U.S. case of the illness, the federal Centers for Disease Control said Monday.
The man in all likelihood contracted variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom. But because his symptoms began while he was living in Houston, he will be listed as a U.S. case, as is customary.
"Almost certainly, this case represents a continuation of the outbreak that is going on in the United Kingdom," said Lawrence B. Schonberger, a CDC medical epidemiologist.
Earlier this year, the man returned to Great Britain, where he is receiving medical treatment for the fatal illness. He lived in Houston four years.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2005/11/22/british_man_diagnosed_with_mad_cow_disease/


U.S. seeks details on Canada bird flu case
By Libby Quaid, AP Food And Farm Writer November 22, 2005
WASHINGTON --U.S. officials need details on a Canadian case of bird flu to decide whether to continue a ban on poultry from British Columbia.
Canadian officials said the case of flu, confirmed Sunday, wasn't the virulent form in Southeast Asia blamed for more than 60 human deaths. Still, the U.S. on Monday banned imports of poultry from mainland British Columbia to prevent the spread of the virus to U.S. flocks.
Canadian officials plan to report to the U.S. within 24 hours, according to Canada's chief veterinary officer, Dr. Brian Evans.
Depending on the results, the U.S. could restrict imports from a smaller, regional area, U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman Jim Rogers said.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2005/11/22/us_bans_poultry_from_british_columbia/


China reports 3 new bird flu outbreaks
A cook prepares ducks for one of the most famous Chinese dish "Peking Duck" Tuesday Nov. 22, 2005 in Shanghai, China. China will step up measures to combat its "serious epidemic" of bird flu but has no plan to shut its borders to contain the disease, said a foreign ministry official Tuesday. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
November 22, 2005
BEIJING --China's Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday announced three new outbreaks of bird flu, two in the west and one in the south, resulting in the killing of nearly 175,000 birds, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
An outbreak in Urumqi, the capital of the far western region of Xinjiang, killed 38 birds on Nov. 16, prompting the culling of 8,388 birds, Xinhua said. Another in Ningxia province's Yinchuan city on Nov. 17 killed 230 poultry, with 66,800 culled.
On the same day in the southern province of Yunnan, 2,500 birds died in the city of Chuxiong, and authorities later put 99,400 birds to death, Xinhua said.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2005/11/22/china_reports_3_new_bird_flu_outbreaks/


Skills shortage plagues manufacturers
November 22, 2005
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 80 percent of U.S. manufacturers say they cannot find enough qualified workers to meet customer demands, according to an industry study released on Tuesday.
While some 3.4 million factory jobs have been lost since 1998, the National Association of Manufacturers said employers are now struggling to find enough high-skilled machinists, technicians and engineers to keep production lines humming.
Of more than 800 manufacturers surveyed, 13 percent reported a severe shortage of qualified workers, while 68 percent experienced a moderate shortage.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2005/11/22/skills_shortage_plagues_manufacturers/


Univ. of Kansas takes up creation debate
November 22, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. --Creationism and intelligent design are going to be studied at the University of Kansas, but not in the way advocated by opponents of the theory of evolution.
A course being offered next semester by the university religious studies department is titled "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies."
"The KU faculty has had enough," said Paul Mirecki, department chairman.
"Creationism is mythology," Mirecki said. "Intelligent design is mythology. It's not science. They try to make it sound like science. It clearly is not."

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2005/11/22/univ_of_kansas_takes_up_creation_debate/


Report: Bush talked of bombing Al-Jazeera
President Bush steps off Air Force One after returning from Ulan Bator, Mongolia Monday, Nov. 21, 2005 at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. Bush wrapped up an eight day, four country tour of Asia which took him to Japan, South Korea, China, and Mongolia. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
By Robert Barr, Associated Press Writer November 22, 2005
LONDON --A civil servant has been charged under Britain's Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking a government memo that a newspaper said Tuesday suggested that Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded President Bush not to bomb the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera.
The Daily Mirror reported that Bush spoke of targeting Al-Jazeera's headquarters in Doha, Qatar, when he met Blair at the White House on April 16, 2004. The Bush administration has regularly accused Al-Jazeera of being nothing more than a mouthpiece for anti-American sentiments.
The Daily Mirror attributed its information to unidentified sources. One source, said to be in the government, was quoted as saying that the alleged threat was "humorous, not serious," but the newspaper quoted another source as saying that "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair."
Blair's office declined to comment on the report, stressing it never discusses leaked documents.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/11/22/report_bush_talked_of_bombing_al_jazeera/


October jobless rate rises to 4 percent
November 22, 2005
MONTPELIER, Vt. --Vermont's unemployment rose for the fourth consecutive month in October to 4 percent.
Last month's jobless rate was an increase of three-tenths of a percentage point from September.
"An influx of people in the labor force the last two months has contributed to the modest increase in unemployment," Patricia A. McDonald, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor, said Tuesday. "Job growth has been modest recently, making it difficult for some workers to find employment opportunities."
The total number of jobs dropped by 200 in October. The leisure and the hospitality industry added 300 jobs but the retail trade lost a similar amount. Retail jobs increased by less than usual last month, officials said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2005/11/22/october_jobless_rate_rises_to_4_percent/


Marlboro wants entire town to join evacuation
November 22, 2005
MARLBORO, Vt. --The entire town of Marlboro wants to be included in emergency planning in the case of a disaster at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
Only a small part of Marlboro now lies within the 10-mile radius of the plant's emergency planning area, which has an evacuation and notification procedure in place in case of an emergency.
Barbara Farr of the Vermont Emergency Management division told Marlboro officials during a meeting Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Nuclear Regulatory Commission must approve Marlboro's inclusion in the plan.
She said she expects to hear their decision soon.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2005/11/22/marlboro_wants_entire_town_to_join_evacuation/

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