Many states facing big ‘03 deficits

Declining tax revenue and the falling stock market are creating massive deficits in quite a few states, including the biggest ones. Huge spending cuts and tax increases seem the only way out.

While last June’s state budget battles proved politically charged and fiscally painful, economists and policy analysts say the upcoming sessions will be worse because lawmakers used up all the relatively easy one-time maneuvers to find revenue.

“It will be bloody and the sessions will be hugely contentious,” said Nicholas Johnson, director of state fiscal research at the Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Here in California the expected 2003 deficit is 20 billion. Yes, that’s a “b”, not an “m”. Los Angeles and New York City are also facing major deficits.

And no one really has a clue what to do.

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Scotland Yard thwart Al-Qaeda attack on London underground

A plot to release cyanide gas on London underground rail system has been foiled by Scotland Yard following the recent arrest of six North African men believed to have links to Osama Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network.

UPDATE Brits deny poison gas story

And here I thought I was being too cynical when I was privately skeptical of the story…

 The British government played down reports Sunday of a planned cyanide gas attack on London’s Underground rail system after three men were arrested under anti-terror legislation.

But Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said there was no evidence that bombs or poison gas were involved.

“It’s excited the press. I’ll leave them to sell their newspapers,” he told BBC Television. “It doesn’t appear that there’s any evidence whatsoever there was going to be a gas attack or indeed use of bombs regarding the three people who’ve been arrested.”

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Iranian scholars protest reformist death sentence.

This protest just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Many universities are on strike and now faculty are resigning in protest. A major upheaval, to be sure. Hope it ends peacefully.

TEHRAN, Nov. 16 (Agence France-Presse) — Twenty university department chiefs have resigned in protest after a pro-reform colleague was sentenced to death for blasphemy, the student news agency ISNA said today.

Iran to Review Blasphemy Case Voice of America
Grandson of Khomeini joins protest San Francisco Chronicle

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