WASHINGTON -- Michigan Sen. Carl Levin said Sunday the top executives of Detroit's Big Three automakers should consider resigning if necessary to convince Congress to quickly pass up to $25 billion in emergency loans for the struggling companies. "If it was the difference between getting this kind of support or not, obviously the management should consider resigning," Levin told NBC's "Meet the Press."

The Detroit Democrat said the government "should have more than a say" in management through an oversight board that would oversee the $25 billion in loans if they are part of the broader $700 billion Wall Street bailout, the source Democrats pushing for the aid prefer.

"I'd be happy to tell (GM CEO) Rick Wagoner that he ought to consider resigning if that is the difference between getting this kind of support and not," Levin said.

Levin: Big 3 CEOs should resign if necessary to get federal aid

] SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Every year, U.S. managers spend
] hours writing up employee evaluations, and workers spend
] a similar amount of time hoping a raise or bonus will
] result -- or at least that they'll glean insights about
] how to do their job better.
]
] But much of that is wasted time, with evaluations
] yielding little benefit to many, according to a survey of
] employees released Monday by Watson Wyatt, the
] human-resources consulting firm.
]
] Only 30 percent of workers say their company's evaluation
] process helps them improve their performance, and less
] than 40 percent say the process provides clear goals or
] feedback, according to the survey of 1,190 workers from a
] variety of industries.

Employer evaluations offer little insight, workers say

] A television industry source said negotiations are under
] way between executive producer Michael Davies -- who rose
] to fame after "Millionaire" became a hit on the ABC TV
] network -- and the WB network to bring a two-hour live
] special to the network this fall, with the top prize
] being $1 billion. The source said the deal is expected to
] close shortly.

Who wants to be a billionaire?

] "The Bush administration approved a modest increase
] Thursday in fuel economy for sport utility vehicles and
] small trucks, beginning with the 2005 model year,
] administration sources said. "

Doubt that will do any good.

Administration requires increase in fuel economy of SUVs

"Astronomers have fashioned an Earth-sized virtual radio telescope that can distinguish celestial features 3,000 times smaller than the those observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The device, which uses atomic clocks and a custom supercomputer to link together radio dishes on three continents, is the most powerful radio observatory ever, according to scientists.
"The resolution achieved by this telescope is the equivalent of sitting in New York and being able to see the dimples on a golf ball in Los Angeles," astronomer Sheperd Doeleman said this week. "

CNN.com - New telescope as big as Earth itself - Oct. 2, 2002

Most of the blackouts that plagued California during its 2000-2001 energy crisis would have been avoided if power wholesalers had operated at capacity, according to a report released Tuesday by state power regulators.

The analysis by the California Public Utilities Commission ( news - web sites) and Portland-based McCullough Research found that all four Southern California blackouts and four of the seven Northern California blackouts occurred because power-plant operators produced less than they could have.

Commission President Loretta Lynch said the five largest non-utility electricity generators were not operating at maximum capacity on all but two of the 32 days during which the state saw either blackouts or cuts in service to customers that had agreed to give up power during electricity crises.

Calif.: Blackouts Weren't Necessary

"A Chicago company says it has developed a process for turning cremated human remains into diamonds that can be worn as jewelry. "

Yahoo - Diamonds are forever, and you could be too

The new public awareness of “blood” diamonds has pushed U.S. lawmakers into action too: “The symbol of love and happiness in America should not be paid for with the blood of Africans,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) as he proposed the “Clean Diamonds Act” on Capitol Hill earlier this summer. If passed, the bi-partisan bill would — like the latest EU proposals — back up the Kimberly Process by banning the import and sale of “dirty” diamonds across the United States. “Our legislation says ‘if you can’t prove to U.S. Customs agents that your diamonds are legitimate, take your business and your diamonds elsewhere,’” Durbin said.
According to the diamond industry, Americans buy more than 65 percent of the world’s diamonds in the form of engagement rings and other jewelry, so the proposed law could have a considerable impact on the illicit trade.

Getting a step closer to getting rid of 'blood' diamonds