Working Overtime to Get New Overtime Rules in Place

Overtime Threat. President Bush promises to veto a budget bill if Democrats try to block new overtime rules supported by business and the Bush administration. The rules would eliminate overtime pay for up to 6-million Americans. (FOX News)

Flip Flop. In a sharp reversal from his earlier position, President Bush now wants budgetary powers for a new Intelligence Czar who’d oversee all US intel efforts. It’s what the 9/11 Commission wanted. The President had opposed the idea until yesterday. (NYT)

Weapons Ban Shot Down. Congress won’t vote on renewing the assault weapons ban. It expires Monday. It bans 19 specific types of compact, fast firing weapons the law defines as “assault weapons.“ Gun makers already had marketing plans up and running in anticipation that the ban would not be renewed. The NRA has held up endorsements -- including that of President Bush -- until they were certain the ban would expire. Republican leadership in both houses decided to let it lapse. (MSNBC)

Bomb Factory Illness. The factory that builds the military’s bombs has stopped all production on the 2,000 pound “Bunker Buster.” Workers on the big bomb developed anemia. The plant’s looking for the link. This is the first time in 60 years of bomb production that this kind of health problem came up. (Reuters)

What’s Cookin’? The Books? The Congressional Budget Office reports that the actual federal debt is closer to $8 trillion than to the publicly reported $4 trillion. Washington cooks it’s books -- kinda like Enron. (NRO)

Secret Law. Do you have to show your ID to board a plane? A lawyer is challenging that, saying it’s a violation of privacy rights. Washington has answered saying that the law is secret--that if they admit one way or the other on whether you have to show ID, it would give away vital national security information. (Wired.com)

One for my Baby, and 23 for the Road. A new study suggests that college kids may down two-dozen drinks in a row when they party. The report is coming out this week in the latest edition of the scientific journal, “In Case You’ve Been in a Coma All Your Life and Didn‘t Have a Clue.” (Reuters)