The Week
Into the Blue Yonder
The Shuttle Discovery last week took off on a beautiful day in what at first blush appeared to be a seamless shot into space. Alas, NASA would soon discover that just two minutes after liftoff, a fat chunk of foam broke from Discovery's external fuel tank. As the astronauts orbited and docked with the international space station, engineers back on Earth analyzed photos to determine if the shuttle's fragile protective tiles had sustained damage that might create danger during the astronauts' return. The mission, while stunning, had failed to provide the boost the space agency so desperately needed: Just a day after the launch, NASA suspended all future shuttle flights until it figures out and fixes the flaws.
A Change of Heart On Stem Cells
In a stunning reversal, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist last week broke with the White House to support a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell research. "The limitations put in place in 2001 will, over time, slow our ability to bring potential new treatments for certain diseases," said Frist, a heart surgeon. "Therefore, I believe the president's policy should be modified." Scientists believe that research on human-embryo cells, which can morph into different types of body tissue, could lead to cures for ailments such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and juvenile diabetes. But the issue is politically touchy, because embryos must be destroyed to extract the cells. President Bush in August 2001 said the government would pay for research only on already established stem cell colonies. It was believed that 78 lines would be eligible, but only 22 qualify. A House-passed bill would allow research on stem cells from frozen embryos left over from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded.
"Cure today may be just a theory, a hope, a dream," Frist said, insisting that his view is consistent with his strong antiaborton beliefs. "But the promise is powerful enough that I believe this research deserves our increased energy and focus. Embryonic-stem-cell research must be supported."
Closing the Net In London Town
An intense manhunt paid off big-time last week when police captured three of the four men suspected of trying to bomb the city's subways and buses on July 21. The fourth was nabbed in Italy. The botched attack, which came exactly two weeks after four deadly suicide bombs killed 56 people, had sparked fears that these four suspects--and perhaps other unknown cells--might try to pull off more bombings. The arrests helped reassure jittery Londoners and provided a major boost for beleaguered London security forces, which have been criticized for intelligence lapses and for shooting and killing an innocent Brazilian man entering a subway car. A suspected ringleader, Haroon Rashid Aswat, was also apparently arrested by authorities in Zambia, underscoring the likelihood that this latest attack was directed by terrorists from abroad.
In Egypt, police were trying to track down the culprits in three massive explosions that ripped apart a hotel and a market in the popular resort of Sharm al-Sheikh. Authorities believe Egyptian militants were behind the attack that killed at least 64 people.
From the IRA, A Farewell to Arms
As Britain scoured the globe for those responsible for the deadly London transit attacks, there was a flicker of hope for peace with another enemy. The Irish Republican Army last week ordered its followers to lay down their arms after a bloody 36-year drive to end British rule in Northern Ireland. "The leadership has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign," the outlawed group said. "All volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means." British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the move but said the group needs to back up its words with actions.
"This may be the day when, finally," Blair said, "after all the false dawns and dashed hope, peace replaces war, politics replaces terror."
Congress Passes A New Energy Bill
As early as this week, President Bush is set to sign into law a massive new energy package that supporters say will promote new, cleaner energy sources but critics warn is a boon for energy companies and will do nothing to reduce high pump prices and dependence on foreign oil. Among provisions: some $14.5 billion in tax breaks, including $2.6 billion for the gas and oil industries; loan guarantees and other subsidies for clean energy technologies and new nuclear reactors; and $1.3 billion in tax breaks for conservation and efficiency programs, including credits for buying hybrid gas-electric cars. The legislation also extends daylight saving time by a month. Lawmakers nixed a plan to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.
But much to enviros' chagrin, GOP leaders say they'll revisit the hot-button issue.
Unions: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
Is the labor movement crumbling? Not exactly, although employer groups were cautiously optimistic its political clout might dip after two of the AFL-CIO's biggest members--the 1.8 million-member Service Employees International and 1.4 million-strong Teamsters unions--quit last week. The dissidents say declining union membership, from 20 percent in 1983 to 12.5 percent of the workforce today, and the loss of labor-backed candidates in recent elections show that the AFL-CIO's strategies aren't working.
They hope to beef up membership with a splashy PR-style campaign designed to shame employers into OK'ing union contracts.
Auctioning a Little Patch of History
Now here's a real must-have item: an eye patch worn by the late Israeli military and political leader Moshe Dayan. That's right: If you hustle, you might still have a shot at snapping up the black swatch Dayan began sporting after losing an eye during World War II. The patch, reportedly given to Dayan's bodyguard after he died in 1981, is being put up for bid on--yep, you guessed it--eBay. "To us, Dayan is like Admiral Nelson is to the British," Moti Sender of Pasarel, the Israeli art dealer selling the patch, told BBC News website. "It's as if we were selling Nelson's hat."
So what on earth are you waiting for?
This story appears in the August 8, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.