DiscussionDIVAS

Beyond Anna Nicole and Britney

The courtroom drama surrounding Anna Nicole Smith and news that Britney Spears shaved her head may have captured headlines this week, but there was plenty of other interesting news. Here are a few examples, complete with conversation zingers to get you through any social event this weekend.

NEWS ABOUT WOMEN
In the same week that Wimbledon announced it will pay women and men equal amounts in prize money for the first time this summer, a women’s research group found it could take women close to 50 years to equal the number of men holding corporate officer titles at Fortune 500 companies.

Conversation zinger: Currently, women represent just 15.6% of the executive positions at Fortune 500 companies (CEO, COO, CFO, etc.), according to the report.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Meanwhile, Iran disregarded an important United Nations deadline to stop its nuclear proliferation efforts, opening the door for more sanctions. In December the U.N. barred countries from buying or selling materials with Iran that could support its nuclear agenda, and gave it 60 days to comply with demands to halt the program. The deadline passed this week and a new report from a U.N. group says Iran is expanding its program and being uncooperative in providing details about it.

Iran contends its plans are to generate nuclear energy only, not weapons, and calls the U.N.’s demands “unacceptable.” The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet next week to discuss next steps.

Conversation zinger: The U.N. may impose more sanctions on Iran, but will it matter? Given that that Iran is home to about 10% of the world’s oil reserves, oil prices near $60 a barrel aren’t hurting its economy.

GAY MARRIAGE NEWS
The Rhode Island attorney general proposed that the state recognize gay marriages performed in neighboring state Massachusetts. The attorney general was responding to a handful of workers at Rhode Island public colleges who asked their employer to recognize their marriage status in their personnel files. The employees were all married in Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal.

Conversation zinger: Gay marriage is legal in six countries: Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel, South Africa and Spain.

Who's the decider?

Just as the House and Senate are set to vote on non-binding resolutions denouncing a troop increase in Iraq, U.S. officials and President Bush ramped up the rhetoric about Iran this week, claiming Iran is supplying weapons to Shiite militias in Iraq.

What’s happening?
Five weeks after the proposal to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, a vote expressing disagreement with the President’s decision is expected in the House on Friday and in the Senate on Saturday. Of course these are nonbinding resolutions that merely express disagreement but won’t stop the troops from heading to Iraq or block funding for them.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials and President Bush offered evidence this week that Iran is supplying weapons to Shiite militias in Iraq, though U.S. General Peter Pace seemed doubtful. Officials also reported that Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the most powerful Shiite militia in Iraq, has fled to Iran. That prompted several lawmakers to comment that the administration cannot move forward with military action against Iran without Congress’ approval.

But how much power does Congress really have?

Congressional powers
Article I of the Constitution establishes the legislative branch, Congress, and gives it the power to declare war, and the purse strings to fund it.

Article II establishes executive power and makes the President the Commander in Chief of U.S. armed forces.

So, the Constitution allows a president to commit troops but not declare war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 attempts to curtail the president’s power by requiring Congress to approve military action ahead of time or end it after 60 days.

In October 2002, well ahead of the January 2003 strike, Congress approved President Bush’s request to attack Iraq. Now Congress is only symbolically voting against the troop increase, as the troops are arriving, but not halting funding.

The big picture
Remember that the Constitution allows for a checks and balances system—each branch has some power over the other. Congress technically could nix the troop increase but doesn’t want to appear unsupportive of the troops. When it comes to Iran, Bush seemingly has the power to send troops without the support of Congress, but cannot “declare war” or keep them there for more than 60 days.

The final frontier is already crowded

Just as concern over the future of the planet is heating up, so is concern for the growing amount of junk in space. In both cases, experts blame humans.

Last week scientists issued an important report calling global warming “unequivocal,” or without doubt, warning of rising seas and climbing temperatures. This week space experts worried that there’s too much floating debris in space.

What debris?
For years there has been concern that junk—about 10,000 visible pieces of scrap like old satellites, metal nuts and bolts, even a Hasselblad camera lost by astronaut Michael Collins while on the Gemini 10 mission in 1966—would eventually crash into other junk, creating a domino effect of more debris. And that’s scary because individual pieces, visible ones measure four inches or more, can wield damage enough, some traveling over 17,000 miles per hour.

Concern hit a new high this week as space experts confirmed that a Chinese missile launched in January that intentionally blew an old weather satellite to smithereens yielded about 900 new pieces of floating debris.

The big fear is that debris, which isn’t yet removable, could interfere with functioning spacecraft or satellites in orbit, as well as the International Space Station. There are about 800 satellites in space, half of which belong to the United States. Almost 70 percent are used for communications purposes.

The big picture
China is not the only country to flex its military muscle by target practicing with objects in space. The United States and the former Soviet Union have as well. But it does raise eyebrows in the international community over China’s growing military force. And Congress has asked for funds to better protect satellites, damage to which could impact “our economy and security.” Oddly enough, China has been proactive in protecting space from debris and will host an international meeting addressing the issue in April.

A showdown bigger than Sunday's

The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears may be preparing for a showdown this Sunday at the Super Bowl XLI, but a far more serious showdown is percolating, one between Iran and the United States.

The news
Tensions between the two countries have been brewing for some time. Here’s a play by play of this week’s heated events:

Monday: A front-page New York Times story quotes an Iranian official saying Iran seeks to extend its military and financial role in Iraq. President Bush warns that the United Stateswill “respond firmly” if Iran ups its military support in Iraq. (U.S.officials believe Iran is providing Iraq militias with money and weapons.)
 

Tuesday: U.S senators from both parties caution against war with Iran just as the Pentagon investigates Iranfor its possible role in a January attack in Karbala. Five U.S. soldiers were killed in what was perhaps a retaliation strike against the U.S. for its arrest of five Iranians in northern Iraq.

Wednesday: The Associated Press reports analysts and U.S. military officials worry tensions are so high that a minor incident could trigger war.

Thursday: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tells reporters the country is quickly “becoming a super power.”

Roots of conflict
What’s behind the back and forth? U.S. officials and some European leaders want Iran to stop its nuclear program. Ahmadinejad wants to enrich uranium, a key component in nuclear weapons, which Iran says would only be used to generate nuclear energy. After pressing Iran to no avail for months to curb the program, the United Nations imposed sanctions in December.

The big picture
In almost sounds like a case of the telephone game—or a “he said, she said” of sorts—as the United States refuses to engage in direct talks with Iran unless it halts the nuclear program. Perhaps that’s why Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is concerned the two countries are using Iraq as a battleground for their own dispute. Tensions are likely to escalate as a looming sanctions deadline nears. Interestingly, leaders of both countries are under increasing criticism at home.