Wednesday's Daily Brief

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 Rebels, Gaddafi Forces Battle Over Libyan Oil Port Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi battled government opponents for control of a key oil installation and airstrip on the Mediterranean coast in a counteroffensive Wednesday against the rebel-held eastern half of the country. The fighting at the Brega oil port appeared to be the first significant attempt by Gadhafi's regime to push back against the large swath of territory seized by the opposition - almost the entire eastern half of the country. For the past week, pro-Gadhafi forces have been focusing on securing his stronghold in the capital Tripoli and trying to take back nearby rebel-held cities in the west, with only mixed success. In the capital, Gadhafi vowed, "We will fight until the last man and woman" and he warned that thousands of Libyans will die if U.S. and NATO forces intervene in the conflict. POLITICS Birther Bills Pop Up In Numerous States Ahead Of 2012 SPORTS Players Score Major Victory Over NFL BUSINESS Libya's Billions Invested In U.S. Private Equity, Big Banks ENTERTAINMENT Charlie Sheen Reveals Sleeping Arrangement With His Goddesses GREEN Heavy Snowfalls Linked To Climate Change BLOG POSTS Lincoln Mitchell: Back to the Nineties With Newt Gingrich's chance to become president, to some extent, rests upon finding a potent if offbeat idea through which he can capture the imagination of his party's base. Laurie David: Today's Food System: All Drugged Up There's something seriously wrong with a food system that requires 80 percent of the country's antibiotics just to maintain itself. This food isn't healthy, and it's making -- and keeping -- us sick. Robert Scheer: Boeing Boondoggle: Pork Can Fly "The gift that keeps on giving" should have been the headline on the Pentagon's decision to award the Boeing Co. a $35 billion defense contract. Defense of the nation, of course, had nothing to do with it. David Wild: "Winning": A Playlist for Charlie Sheen, "Rock Star From Mars" I've met Charlie Sheen a few times over the years, yet I've never found him more interesting than during these past few days on what seems like a wildly misguided, self-deluded Manic Mystery Tour. Andrew Brandt: The (CBA) End Is Near for the NFL It has now come down to this week in the two-year attempt to extend NFL players' Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires Thursday at midnight.

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