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Teacher Group Sues Over School Funding By Chris Schutz The Oklahoman Oklahoma's public schools are underfunded by about $1 billion a year and have about $3 billion of infrastructure needs the state should pay for, the state's largest teacher union charged in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Oklahoma County District Court. The lawsuit by the Oklahoma Education Association names the state of Oklahoma, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and House Speaker Todd Hiett as defendants. Joining the OEA as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Western Heights, Jenks and Foyil school districts. The lawsuit was filed "on behalf of...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The October budget deficit was a smaller-than-expected $47.2 billion, down from $57.3 billion in October 2004, due to strong receipts, a Treasury Department report showed Thursday. Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting a $55 billion budget gap. The Congressional Budget Office last week estimated the deficit at about $50 billion. October receipts were $149 billion, the highest since $157 billion in October 2001, the Treasury Department said in its monthly statement. Outlays were $197 billion, the highest since $205 billion in the same month in 2003. The budget deficit for all of fiscal 2005 came in at...

The other day an official with a British teachers' union proposed that the concept of "failing" exams should be abolished. Instead of being given a "failing" grade, she said, the pupil would instead be given a "deferred success." Oh, sure, you can scoff. But evidently the system's already being test-piloted in Howard Dean's Democratic Party. That's why the Dems' Congressional Campaign Committee hailed their electoral failure in last week's Ohio special election as a triumphant "deferred success." As their press release put it: "In nearly the biggest political upset in recent history, Democrat Paul Hackett came within just a few...

WASHINGTON - A top aide to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told a congressional panel Thursday that a transformation of the United Nations is under way, but denied the U.N. is an out-of-control bureaucracy. "For me, the United Nations is not oversized, over-resourced or under-supervised by its member states," Malloch Brown said in a written statement to the House International Relations Committee. The panel is drafting legislation calling for major changes in the U.N.'s administration. The proposals could tie U.S. funding for the United Nations to reform efforts. U.S. congressional criticism of the United Nations has increased in light of a...

Updated: 03:24 AM EST Sen. Edward M. Kennedy got hefty tax breaks on his $4.5 million Washington, D.C., mansion for at least two years - even though he never met the basic residency requirement for the deductions. While Kennedy resides in Massachusetts, he received property tax credits in 2003 and 2004 on his home in a tony Washington neighborhood that were meant only for homeowners who call D.C. their principal residence. Of 22 senators who took the deduction, Kennedy stood to save the most money in the coming tax year - about $7,700 off the tax bill for his $4.5...

The Ridiculous Food Pyramid  New Food Guide Unveiled (posted 4/23/05)4/19/05 Washington Post Concerned about steadily expanding waistlines... Stop! The first sentence of this story already rubs me the wrong way. Since when was it the responsibility of government to worry about how fat you or I are? One would think the citizens of this country would be more 'Concerned about the steadily expanding waistlines' of bloated and nonsensical government programs funded with their looted taxpayer dollars than the government would be 'Concerned about the steadily expanding waistlines' of its citizens.     I mean, who is the government?!? Who are these people that...

On Tuesday, October 26, over 500 supporters of President Bush gathered outside the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Field House to protest an appearance by Michael Moore. Moore, who was paid for by IUP student activities fees, was visiting IUP as part of his national "Slackers Uprising Tour". Rhonda Goodrich, Courtney Adams, the IUP College Republicans, and the Indiana County Young Conservatives organized the event, and were extremely pleased with the turnout. The counter protest to Michael Moore was so effective that even Moore himself had to mention the crowd outside. "I have never seen anything like this," Moore told the...

So where is Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army now? After taking serious losses against American and Iraqi forces and cynically hiding behind Shiite Islam’s most holy shrine in Najaf, these cowards have melted back into Iraqi society. Or have they? There are many questions to be answered regarding al-Sadr’s future, as he most certainly will oppose the growth of democracy in Iraq. Will al-Sadr and his thugs be held accountable for the violent crimes they committed in Najaf? During their reign of terror, they apparently held a kangaroo court. After Iraq’s top Shiite, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, pressured al-Sadr to...

From Mike Wilson, Director: Wow... it's really good. I am absolutely blown away by how well “Michael Moore Hates America” has turned out. We're finishing our third pass right now. It's funny, heartfelt and moving… and better than I expected. Chris, Carr, Maura, Curt, Brian, Greg, Levi, Bob and I have created something that is meaningful, and I'm so excited for you to see it. We're coming down to the end of this journey, and every single person who worked on the film, who donated their hard-earned cash to help us move forward or sent an email telling me not...

Albertson's Johnston Gets a Hefty Pay Package: Graef Crystal May 26 (Bloomberg) -- While he's trying to cut the pay of his supermarket clerks and other workers, Lawrence Johnston, the chief executive officer of Albertson's Inc., the third-biggest U.S. grocer, seems to have forgotten to trim some other costs -- most notably his own bloated pay package and those of his top subordinates. There's some irony here, because the criticism of a number of large institutional investors has been aimed, not at the Boise, Idaho-based Albertson's, but, rather, at Safeway Inc., the second-biggest U.S. food retailer in net sales. Last...

From time to time some kind readers suggest that I run for public office, including President of the United States. No need for those on the left to panic. It is not going to happen. Such suggestions, however, cause me to imagine what my platform would be if I were in politics. Once you see what that platform would be, you can understand why it will never happen. Since politicians like to have campaign slogans, instead of "Bring it On!" my slogan might be "Get rid of it!" to describe all the laws, policies, and government agencies that I would...

As long as these Neanderthals keep coming before the Senate, the drunken killer lifeguard will turn them down. MIDI - ALLEY OOP Neander-er-thals...they're Neander-er-er-thals There are judges that I will never be confirming They're Neander-er-er-thals My lard butt sits here and without squirming They're Neander-er-er-thals While standing upright they've a funny walk They're Neander-er-er-thals They babble when they're trying to talk They're Neander-er-er-thals And I have noticed muscles they have are good for hunting They're Neander-er-er-thals They're something like two hundred thousand years behind the times They're Neander-er-er-thals They do not know that a dollar's the same as ten...

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. Enter your height and weight using English measures. Click on the "Calculate BMI" button, and your BMI will appear. BMI Categories, according to the National Institutes of Health: Click on the link, the results will surprise you. Underweight = Less than 18.5 Normal weight = 18.5 - 24.9 Overweight = 25 - 29.9 Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater