Starting in May 2008, the U.S. Treasury Dept. will begin sending Economic Stimulus Payments to more than 130 million individuals. The stimulus payments will go out through the late spring and summer. The IRS has created a web site to provide info on how the program will work. Please note especially the warning on E-Mail and Telephone "Advance Payment" Scams using the IRS name. Let's be careful out there!

Beginning today, travelers crossing into the United States via land will be required to show identification documentation. Also effective January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizen children ages 18 and under will be expected to present a birth certificate issued by a federal, state, provincial, county or municipal authority. The Dept. of Homeland Security website includes an FAQ for travelers.

Daniel Schorr, an institution at CBS for decades and a twenty-year mainstay of NPR joined Diane Rehm 12-13-07 on her radio show to talk about his life in journalism and the state of politics in America today and his recently released book "Come to Think of It: Notes on the Turn of the Millennium"

A few weeks ago I spent a morning handing out flyers for the Kerrytown BookFest at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market. I stood alongside the usual political demonstrators, with their pins and t-shirts, among them a group with a rather unconventional premise: convince former vice president Al Gore to run for president in 2008. The group’s affable volunteers persevered despite mixed responses from the market-goers; some pushed past their table, eager to reach the caffeine and pastries at Sweetwaters. Others scrunched up their faces and made rude remarks. A decent number of shoppers, however, seemed pleased to see the group, and many of them signed their petition.

So, this afternoon while perusing the most-emailed articles on the New York Times, I was not at all surprised to see the group mentioned in an article detailing the national phenomenon of support for Gore sans Gore.

…what do you think? Should Al give it a go? Thoughts on candidacy without a candidate? Discuss!

In the days of yore, libraries waited months, years and sometimes forever for newsworthy documents to arrive from federal and state governments. Now, the Internet has made access almost instantaneous. Late last night, the Bush Administration released thousand of additional pages of emails regarding the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. By 9:00 a.m.today, most of those are available for public review at the U.S. House Judiciary web site. For real-time government in action, watch committee hearings and speeches live on C-Span web site.

Coming in at #7 this week on the New York Times hardcover bestsellers list is Elizabeth Edwards' memoir, Saving Graces. Edwards, the wife of former vice presidential candidate John Edwards, has written a fascinating account of her life in law and politics, and an uplifting account of how she has survived both the tragic loss of her son Wade and her recent fight against breast cancer. You might also want to check out John Edwards' account of his legal career and family life in Four Trials, or take a look on-line at the Wade Edwards Foundation, which provides computer labs and other learning resources for schoolchildren.

If you're planning a trip outside the U.S. after January 7, 2007 that includes re-entry through an airport or seaport, remember that U.S. citizens will need a passport for travel to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. This new rule could mean a 6 – 12 week processing wait so start your preparation now.

AADL Select Sites : World

The recent resignation of CIA Director Porter Goss has followed a string of a high-profile personnel changes in the Bush administration. Other changes include replacing the Press Secretary Scott McClellan with Fox News and radio pundit Tony Snow and Joshua Bolten stepping in as Chief of Staff, a position previously held by Andrew Card.

With all these changes, it can be dificult to keep the people in power straight here in the U.S., to say nothing of what's occuring worldwide. That's where Rulers.org, one of our handy AADL Select Sites, steps in. This website details how leadership has changed in countries over their histories. For instance, you can see the powerful people in France throughout history, including its kings, emperor, and presidents.

Rulers.org also tracks recent changes in country officials and royalty. May 2006 has seen not only Goss's resignation, but also new cabinets in Israel and Afghanistan and a reshuffling of the British cabinet. Simply click the the month and year in which you're interested from the Rulers.org homepage.