Some miscellaneous Shuttle items:
* I think a May launch is becoming a real possibility: NASA still aiming for May shuttle launch - New Scientist - Feb.03.06

* If astronauts spot serious tile damage on a Shuttle after they reach orbit, they will stay on the ISS until they can be rescued. According to this report - Orbiters may save themselves - NasaSpaceFlight.com - Feb.3.06 - an attempt may still be made to land a damaged Shuttle using an automated system.

* Florida Today points out that "In the past three years, Congress has given the [Shuttle] program $13 billion, and all that money has resulted in just two flights". Sword of Damocles: NASA must safely launch the space shuttles this year, or the program won't survive - Florida Today - Feb.5.06.

To put that into perspective:
* Elon Musk has spent about $100M so far on developing the line of SpaceX Falcon launchers. The first Falcon 9 launch is scheduled for 2007. He hasn't said how much more money it will take to reach that launch but I doubt it could be more than another $100M.
* Kistler says it needs a few hundred million dollars to finish its fully reusable two stage K-1 vehicle.
* T/Space said it can build a CEV system capable of taking crews and cargo to the ISS for around $500M.
* LockMart once promised to build the VentureStar for $6B. If they had a 100% overrun that would still be less than $13B.