Week of February 1, 2005

State of the Union address - President Bush pushes for sweeping changes in the

nation’s Social Security system including individual investment accounts for

younger workers.

The senate votes 60 to 36 to confirm the nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales as

attorney general.

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on her first visit

to the Middle East as the top U.S. diplomat, urges

Israeli leaders to make the “hard decisions” needed to

promote a democratic Palestinian state and put the

peace process back on track.

Leaders of a predominantly Shiite Muslim list of

candidates say their state had won more than 50% of

the votes cast for Iraq’s transitional national

assembly, but say they will refrain from using their

power to install clerics in the new government.

The Federal Reserve raises key interest rate to 2.5%

President Bush proposes a 2006 budget will call for billions

of dollars in cuts that will touch people on food stamps and

farmers on price supports.

Staff scientists at the National institutes of Health will be

banned from accepting any consulting fees or other income

from drug companies and the employees must also divest

industry stock holdings.

Sgt. Javal Davis, who admitted abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in

late 2003, is sentenced to six months in a military prison and given a bad-

conduct discharge.

Transcripts detail how Enron traders conspired to shut down a healthy power

plant as blackouts rolled across California in 2001. The utility was the source of

an earlier set of Enron tapes that proved embarrassing to Enron, which filed for

bankruptcy in December 2001.

Week of February 1, 2005

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton faints while giving a speech in Buffalo, NY. Her

office said it was due to a stomach virus she may have contacted over the

weekend.

AT&T agrees to be acquired by regional telephone company SBC

Communications.

Technology -

Google says that profit soared nearly eightfold to nearly $204 million on $1 billion

in revenue in the fourth quarter.

Sports - The New England Patriots get their third

NFL title in four years, beating the Philadelphia Eagles

24-21 in SuperBowl XXXIX. Patriot receiver Delon

Branch got the game MVP.

Entertainment news -

Passing - Actor Ozzie Davis. He was 87.

Passing - actor John Vernon (72), best-known as the sinister dean Wormer in

“Animal House.’

Music news - The Hit Factory - the legendary 54 th street New York recording

studio which opened in 1968, will close by the end of this month.

Jay-Z answers R. Kelly’s $75 million lawsuit over their

aborted joint tour last fall. He claims the tour came

unraveled because of R. Kelly’s financial woes,

insecurities and unsafe and unpredictable behavior.”

A celebrity makeup artist files a $25 million lawsuit

against Snoop Dogg alleging he and several men in his

entourage drugged and raped her tow years ago. She

also claims that one of Dogg’s associates beat her after

a taping of the Jimmy Kimmel Live” show, which the

rapper guest-hosted in January 2003.

U2’s “Vertigo 2005 tour, originally slated to begin march 1 in Miami, now is

scheduled to start March 28 in San Diego. It was delayed due to an illness in the

family of “The Edge” - the group’s lead guitarist.

Maroon 5 performs on Conan O’Brien’s Late Night show on NBC this week.

Week of February 1, 2005

Television news - After 18 years, there will be no new episodes of “Star Trek.”

Plagued by bad ratings and high production costs, UPN and Paramount Network

Television announce that this will be the final season of “Star Trek: Enterprise” -

the prequel to the original Star Trek that starred William Shatner. If you’re taking

notice here’s how they stack up:

“Star Trek” - 1966-1969

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) Starring Patrick Stewart

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” - (1993-1999)

“Star Trek Voyager” (1995-2001)

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

Martha Stewart - fresh out of prison, will star in a

spinoff of “The Apprentice.” Donald Trump will

executive produce.

HBO says it will sell 78 Sopranos episodes to A&E,

but the show will have to be edited.

Sunday night television -

CBS - 60 Minutes, Child Prodigies, NCIS, Cold

Case, Without a Trace

NBC - Dateline NBC, Law & Order: Criminal Intent,

Law & Order, Law & Order

America’s Funniest Home Videos, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Extreme

Makeover, Desperate Housewives

Fox - American Dad, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Malcolm in the Middle, the

Simpsons

WB - Summerland, Summerland, Summerland

PBS - nature, Masterpiece Theatre

E! - 101 Makeovers, The Entertainer

Desperate Housewives - Edie organizes

a neighborhood search for Mrs. Huber.