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On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that the benchmark for success on energy for the Biden administration is “really a stable oil market, but really, a move to clean energy.” Host Chris Hayes asked, “What’s the benchmark for success here? I mean, again, I think that — to go back to the sort of SPR release — the Strategic Petroleum Reserve…there’s always this worry about firing that bullet in the gun and it not working. So, what is your benchmark over these next six months?”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average took a run at another milestone, the first close over 14000. It fell short, but finished at yet another record high. Although the Dow rose 43.73 points, or 0.31%, to 13950.98, most stocks on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market declined. So did most major stock indexes.

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2007 – Iraqis are showing good progress toward meeting eight of 18 benchmarks set by Congress and mixed progress toward two other benchmarks, President Bush said today as he summarized findings of a new White House report. The Initial Benchmark Assessment Report, released today, offers a preliminary review of security, political and economic progress in Iraq. Congress set a July 15 deadline for the report as part of the emergency war-spending supplemental measure. The final report is due in September. Bush said the September report is expected to be far more telling because it will reflect...

It’s Worse Than You Think By The Editors The immigration bill, according to its critics, hands out amnesty to illegal immigrants as soon as some ineffectual steps toward enforcement are taken. Don’t believe it. The bill provides amnesty as soon as it is enacted. The Bush administration wants to divert attention from this fact by talking about “Z visas,” and some of the critics have fallen into this trap. But the government will start issuing those visas only after it meets its enforcement benchmarks — if that ever happens. Illegal immigrants are eligible for “probationary” legal status, on the other...

Immigration activists plan to mass in front of the Capitol today, renewing their appeal for legislative reform as Congress reconvenes after a recess in which many members experienced a backlash against illegal immigration back home. The turnout at today's rally may provide a barometer of the vitality of the immigrant rights movement, which sent millions to the streets this spring but has generated less public attention in recent months. Local organizers said they expect hundreds of thousands of demonstrators from the East Coast, but protests this week in Phoenix and Chicago drew disappointing crowds. (snip) Immigrant activists are seeking legal...

While I object to censorship clauses in EULAs on general principle, not to mention this thing called the First Amendment, there are those who feel it?s only fair that software vendors at least be allowed to restrict what their competitors can say about their products. That?s why it?s a bit of a surprise to discover that Microsoft seems to be taking the opposite approach. It appears that other software vendors no longer are bound to get Microsoft?s permission to publish benchmark results, but Microsoft still expects its customers to do so. In my "Getting the Facts on Microsoft Benchmarks" story...

France disallows the British proposal for five "conditions" France disallows the proposals of Great Britain to enumerate five "conditions" to which Iraq should satisfy to avoid a war, declared Thursday the Foreign Minister, Domenica de Villepin."Elles do not answer the questions put by the international community: it is not a question to grant a few additional days to Iraq before engaging in the recourse to the force, but to advance resolutely in the way of peaceful disarmament traced by the inspections which are a credible alternative to the war ", declared Mr. de Villepin in a communiqué.La Great Britain...