Weekend reading

* According to the Boston Globe, Dubya reached into his bag of tricks again by issuing another "signing statement" following the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act earlier this month. It'd be nice for someone to call Dear Leader on this habit, which essentially elevates him to the level of king.

* New scientific research suggests that global sea levels could rise by 20 feet by 2100. The study is published in a special report for Science.

* Who Is Killing New Orleans? asks Mike Davis. The answer: a whole lot of people, including think tankers, local politicians, GOP reps, contractors, and developers. There's a number of people trying to save New Orleans, too, but their efforts are going largely ignored in the media.

* American media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains as bankrupt as ever, claims Remi Kanazi.

* American bases in Iraq are finally getting some media attention. See Jim Lobe's analysis, along with an article from the LA Times and a blog entry by William Arkin.