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Mass. bill endangers OpenDocument decision By Martin LaMonica Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: November 3, 2005, 7:54 AM PST The Massachusetts Senate has introduced a provision to an economic stimulus bill that endangers a state decision to standardize on the OpenDocument format. An amendment to Senate bill 2256, published on Wednesday, proposes the creation of a four-person information technology task force to approve technical standards in the state. The Senate is scheduled on Thursday to discuss the bill, known as the Commonwealth Investment Act. The introduction of the amendment follows a hearing on Monday during which the chair of a...

The warnings not heeded in New Orleans must teach other cities about the need to prepare for the worst New Orleans is about to be flooded by recriminations. No levee is strong enough to hold back the wave of blame for the neglect of the city's protective barriers, the failed disaster plan and the slow, haphazard rescue effort. You can already see it coming, just as experts long warned that a Category 4 hurricane like Katrina could breach the earthen levees around New Orleans and flood much of the city. The challenge now is to channel the anger and frustration...