Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. nuclear forces, including the units responsible for care of the weapons, have been reduced in size, there have been no modernization programs, and responsibility for nuclear forces has been dispersed throughout the Pentagon; there is no one command with overall authority over the weapons.

These factors helped to underpin the “Broken Arrow” episode of August 30, 2007, in which the Air Force essentially lost control of a handful of nuclear-armed cruise missiles, with a B-52 flying them across the country under the mistaken belief that the warheads were disarmed or carried conventional explosives.

This is frightening stuff. And doubly frightening because there is no quick fix.

A region that once produced much of American's food and sent its surpluses to feed the world's hungry is now producing grain for automotive fuel — the beneficiary of earmarks from the Capitol Hill friends of prairie farmers.

"Nearly $93 billion in subsidies will flow to ethanol and biodiesel producers by 2012," says Tom Tanton, a fellow in environment studies at San Francisco's Pacific Research Institute. The subsidies will cover about 50% to 65% of ethanol's market value alone — sticking taxpayers for a tab they will have to pay again at the gas station pump.

The latest incident has clarified issues regarding Islamic aggressiveness in intimidating people into silence. CNN notes that the arrests have made it clear to Europeans that Islamists intend on suppressing speech in order to keep criticism of their actions to a minimum.

Unfortunately, American newspapers and media outlets do not appear interested in expressing the same solidarity.

Retroactive application of these new lower guidelines will pose significant public safety risks. Many of these offenders are among the most serious and violent offenders in the federal system and their early release, without the benefit of appropriate re-entry programs, at a time when violent crime has increased in some communities will produce tragic, but predictable results. Moreover, retroactive application of these penalties will be difficult for the legal system to administer given the large number of cases eligible for resentencing, now estimated at upwards of 20,000, and uncertainties as to certain key legal issues remain unresolved.

If Clemens indeed took performance-enhancing drugs, why is he risking a federal perjury charge by denying his use under oath?

Call it a hunch, and here's where the jokes take a temporary respite, but I believe Clemens is less concerned about the court of public opinion, about getting into the Hall of Fame, about the sanctity of his 354 victories and 4,672 strikeouts than he is about the faces at his dinner table.He has four reasons to fight for his good name and pray McNamee or anyone else lacks proof that he took steroids, four reasons to take his denials into reckless territory, risking a conviction and jail time. Koby Aaron, Kory Allen, Kacy Austin and Kody Alec. They are Roger and Debbie Clemens' sons. They are ballplayers.