The News Crawler

Minority Cops Say Greenwich Discriminates Eight minority police officers from Greenwich are in federal court this week, claiming the town has discriminated against them for years.

Connecticut: Dodd Announces $1.2M Second-Quarter Haul Sen. Chris Dodd (D) raised more than $1.2 million from April through June for what is expected to be the toughest re-election campaign of his career.

Mosquito Guy Says West Nile’s Coming West Nile Virus, the mosquito-borne disease that can kill humans, will be in Connecticut by the end of the week or Dr. Ted Andreadis will be "very surprised."

Cash-poor Connecticut may sell land, buildings

After Complaint, DCF Removes Web Links To Churches That Welcome Gays The state Department of Children and Families has removed from its website links to "open and affirming" churches after a group opposed to gay marriage threatened legal action.

Media

Obama Birth Certificate Conspiracy Aided By Fox News Report....Centcom: Yes, the President Is an American Citizen

5 fraud probes you haven't heard of Bernard Madoff may have made headlines as the biggest Ponzi schemer in history, but there are plenty of other cases to share the limelight

Civil Rights

US Church drops gay bishops ban The US Episcopal Church votes to overturn a three-year ban on the election of gay bishops, a move that could lead to its eventual exit from the worldwide Anglican Communion.

NAACP Uses Technology to Fight Race Bias System for Reporting Police Misconduct by Cell Phone Launched at Group's Centennial Conference

Hispanic Groups Plan U.S. Census Boycott

Drug War

Pot no longer focus of anti-drug efforts CBS News Examination Finds Prescription Drugs Are Seen as Bigger Threat Than Marijuana by Government, Non-Profit Groups

DEA weighs new limits on drug eyed in Jackson case Federal authorities are considering making the potent anesthetic propofol - one of the drugs found in Michael Jackson's home - a controlled substance, which would put new limits on its distribution.

Calif. tax officials: Legal pot would bring $1.4B

Environment

EPA rule on who pays for cleanups targets mining first The Environmental Protection Agency, complying with a court order, will develop a rule to guarantee companies that mine everything from copper to uranium will pay for needed environmental cleanups, not taxpayers.

Wal-Mart to create eco-ratings for products

Jumbo squid invade San Diego shores, spook divers Thousands of jumbo flying squid -- aggressive 5-foot-long sea monsters with razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles -- have invaded the shallow waters off San Diego, spooking scuba divers and washing up dead on tourist-packed beaches.

American and China Pledge to Study Energy-Efficient Building Practices The United States secretaries of energy and commerce concluded a visit to Beijing Thursday with a joint agreement seen as another incremental step to address China’s contribution to climate change.

Two Decades After His Rejection from Federal Bench for Racial Bias, Sen. Jeff Sessions Leads GOP Opposition to Sotomayor Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is leading the charge against Sotomayor becoming the nation’s first Latina Supreme Court justice. Twenty-three years ago, the Senate rejected Sessions’ confirmation to the federal bench, in part because he called the NAACP and the ACLU “un-American” and “Communist-inspired.” [includes rush transcript] Major newspapers disappear Sessions' alleged history of racial insensitivity

Sotomayor: Steel Seizure Case Should Be Considered in Challenges to Executive Power Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), for example, asked her whether it was strange that the OLC memos, in concluding that the president need not comply with the anti-torture statute, never mentioned the landmark controlling case, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, in which the court struck down President Truman’s decision to ignore controlling law and seize private private steel mills in support of the war effort.“

Sen. Bernie Sanders Demands a Crackdown on Bank Bonuses Any big bank that received a taxpayer bailout should be subject to strict limits on compensation and should not be rewarding bonuses to senior executives. The American people deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are not going to enrich executives on Wall Street.”read more

Barbara Boxer Accused Of Being 'Racial' And 'God Awful' So, here's the story of how Senator Barbara Boxer got called a racist or whatever during today's climate change hearing So, okay! Alford and Boxer are going to take a trip to Fresno, to look at windmills or something! But then Boxer dared to reference a report that favored climate change legislation that was authored by the NAACP, and that's when everything suddenly got pre-post-racial!" Madam chair, that is condescending to me," Alford said. "I'm the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and you're trying to put up some other black group to pit against me."

So … What Constitutional Rights Are Defendants Entitled to in Military Commissions? One of the donut holes in last week’s testimony from Justice and Defense Department officials about the Obama administration’s planning for military commissions came in identifying the constitutional protections the administration thinks defendants before the military commissions are entitled to receive. David Kris, the Justice Department’s national security chief, made the issue more about due process requirements than substantive rights in a colloquy with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Government to auction offshore oil leases despite legal uncertainty A federal court threw out the leasing plan, developed by the Bush administration, this year on environmental grounds. But it's not clear if the ruling applies to tracts in the Gulf of Mexico. The Obama administration will auction off a new batch of oil-drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico next month in spite of a court ruling that threw out the nation's offshore leasing plan this year.

Plan would give SEC oversight of hedge funds

SEC charges 11 people with insider trading The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday said it charged 11 people in connection with separate insider trading schemes related to acquisition deals at two different companies

Iraqis to U.S. military: Stay on your base

Iraq city hit by suicide bombing A suicide bomb attack in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi kills at least six people and injures 17 others, local police say.

Iraq blast targets security forces Suicide attack on police checkpoint in western province kills seven people.

Saddam Hussain: We Destroyed Weapons Shortly after his arrest in December 2003, former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain was interrogated by the FBI.

Conflict looms in Kurdistan | Jonathan Steele Overshadowed by the war in Afghanistan, a new cauldron of potential violence is threatening to destabilise Barack Obama's foreign policy. Tension between Iraq's Kurds and Arabs has mounted to the point where normally non-alarmist thinktanks like the International Crisis Group have raised the prospect of clashes between the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga forces.

Al Sadr agrees to reengage in Coalition Sayyed Moqtada Al Sadr visited head of the Supreme Islamic Council Abdul Aziz Al Hakim in the hospital in Tehran, informed sources told Al Hayat Newspaper. Al Sadr showed willingness to reengage his parliamentary bloc in Iraq’s Coalition in order to carry out elections.

Kurdish Security Chief Acknowledges Violations In recent years international organizations have issued a number of reports condemning human rights abuses allegedly committed by the Kurdish Asayish [security/intelligence] agencies. Niqash met Hakem Qader Hamah Jean,

Tuesday: 1 US Soldier, 10 Iraqis Killed; 13 Iraqis Wounded

Iraqi Former Police Chief Arrested for Qaeda Links

Iraq Participates in the Conference of the Non- Aligned Countries

Wednesday: 9 Iraqis Killed, 25 Wounded

Spanish court drops charges against US soldiers A Spanish court on Tuesday threw out charges against three U.S. soldiers in the death of a Spanish journalist in Iraq six years ago and recommended the case be closed.

Iraq Veterans' Memorabilia Trashed

Thursday: 2 Iraqis Killed, 21 Wounded

Iraq attacks kill 11, wound 34 At least 11 people were killed and around 34 were wounded in two separate attacks in Iraq. The first occurred as a suicide bomber targeted Al Ramadi Police while the other was due to a bomb explosion targeting a funeral in Al Sadr City.

Gates considers army expansion in Iraq Defense Secretary Robert Gates is considering a possible temporary expansion of the US army to ease the strain from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gates was discussing the idea, backed by Senator Joseph Lieberman, with senior officers to add 30,000 troops to the active-duty army

Water Disputes Could Lead to Tribal Wars in Southern Iraq

Bomb in Iraq's Sadr City Kills 5, Wounds 28

Suicide Bomber Kills 6 in Iraq's Anbar Province

Rights group says 34 killed in Tehran protests

After month-long lull, Qassam strikes Negev After a month-long lull in Israel's southern towns, militants in the Gaza Strip fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev Thursday evening. The rocket struck an open area near Sdot Negev at around 8 P.M. No one was hurt

Insurgents’ Use of Homemade Bombs Grows in Afghanistan

Gates: More US troops could head to Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert Gates says more U.S. troops than first planned could go to Afghanistan by year's end.

Taliban: Halt Offensive or We Kill Captured U.S. Soldier

Court orders arrest of 4 police in Kashmir murders

Video of Mumbai Attacker’s ‘Confession’ Video has come to light showing an apparent confession by the sole surviving gunman of the attacks in Mumbai last November

6 Taliban surrender in Mohmand

Is China spying on Uighurs abroad? Sweden arrested Uighur exile Babur Mehsut last month on charges of 'refugee espionage.'

Toy Factory Melee Set Off Western China Violence How a four-hour clash in a walkway between factory dormitories unleashed national bloodshed.

North Korea hit with new U.N. sanctions

Aide: Ousted Honduran President on Route Back Home

Sri Lanka cancels $200 mln China, Pakistan weapons buy

Turkmenistan to create desert sea Turkmenistan starts work on the latest phase of its massive project to create a vast artificial sea in the desert.

Indian politician jailed for rape remark A female politician in India who suggested that a rival leader be raped so she can understand the plight of rape victims has been ordered jailed for 14 days

Test of Russian ballistic missile fails Russia's latest test of its advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile Bulava has failed, with the missile self-destructing, the Defense Ministry said Thursday -- another setback for the nation's efforts to upgrade its aging arsenal.

Greece to allow CCTV, DNA database Greece's parliament has approved measures allowing police to use surveillance camera footage and create a DNA database, angering opposition parties that say the new powers will trample on people's privacy

French hostage handed to al Qaeda-linked Somali group Somali Islamist group has handed one of two French hostages over to al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants, and captors have begun negotiating for a ransom, senior officials and rebels said on Thursday.

Click here Updates from Honduras as of July 17

Dumped bodies were Mexico police Mexican officials say 12 bodies found in Michoacan state were federal police officers, murdered by a drugs cartel.

Mexico aid should be withheld, Human Rights Watch says It calls on the Obama administration to not release tens of millions of dollars under the Merida Initiative unless Mexico allows soldiers accused of drug war abuses to be tried in civilian courts.

US Lobbyists with Clinton Ties Hired to Defend Honduran Coup Regime Supporters of the coup in Honduras have begun hiring advisers and lobbyists with close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an attempt to strengthen support in Washington for the coup. A Honduran business group has hired lobbyist Lanny Davis, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton. The coup government has also hired Bennet Ratcliff, a public relations specialist with ties to former President Bill Clinton. [includes rush transcript]

U.S. Close to Deal With Colombia on Base Access Senior Colombian military and civilian officials said the goal was to make Colombia a regional hub for Pentagon operations.

A newspaper in British Columbia received a second letter Wednesday that appears to be from someone connected to a series of bombings targeting EnCana's natural gas operations.

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World Headlines
'Everyone is your enemy,' Israeli soldiers in Gaza told Israeli combat soldiers have acknowledged that they forced Palestinian civilians to serve as human shields, needlessly killed unarmed Gazans and improperly used white phosphorus shells to burn down buildings as part of Israel's three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter. IDF soldiers give testimonies to counter Gaza war crimes claims A newly released collection of anonymous accusations of alleged human rights abuses by Israeli soldiers in Gaza has prompted reservists who served there to deliver signed, on-camera counter-testimonies about Palestinian terrorists' use of Gazans as human shields Ex-Honduran pres. calls for insurrection Deposed Zelaya seeks return to power after military removed him at gunpoint. US Lobbyists with Clinton Ties Hired to Defend Honduran Coup Regime Supporters of the coup in Honduras have begun hiring advisers and lobbyists with close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an attempt to strengthen support in Washington for the coup. A Honduran business group has hired lobbyist Lanny Davis, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton. The coup government has also hired Bennet Ratcliff, a public relations specialist with ties to former President Bill Clinton. [includes rush transcript] Indian politician jailed for rape remark A female politician in India who suggested that a rival leader be raped so she can understand the plight of rape victims has been ordered jailed for 14 days	Anti-Zionist Jews meet with Hamas leader in Gaza Representatives of the anti-Zionist, ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta sect paid a brief visit on Thursday to militantly anti-Israel Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip. . Insurgents’ Use of Homemade Bombs Grows in Afghanistan Gates: More US troops could head to Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert Gates says more U.S. troops than first planned could go to Afghanistan by year's en French hostage handed to al Qaeda-linked Somali group Somali Islamist group has handed one of two French hostages over to al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants, and captors have begun negotiating for a ransom, senior officials and rebels said on Thursday. Turkmenistan to create desert sea Turkmenistan starts work on the latest phase of its massive project to create a vast artificial sea in the desert. China's economy SOARS thanks to MASSIVE government spending on INFRASTRUTURE! Conflict looms in Kurdistan \| Jonathan Steele Overshadowed by the war in Afghanistan, a new cauldron of potential violence is threatening to destabilise Barack Obama's foreign policy. Tension between Iraq's Kurds and Arabs has mounted to the point where normally non-alarmist thinktanks like the International Crisis Group have raised the prospect of clashes between the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga forces.
US Headlines
Birther Soldier Fired From His Civilian Defense Contracting Job According to Orly Taitz, the attorney for Maj. Stefan F. Cook, the reservist who has asked not to be sent to Afghanistan unless President Barack Obama provides more proof of his American citizenship has been fired from his job Jumbo squid invade San Diego shores, spook divers Thousands of jumbo flying squid -- aggressive 5-foot-long sea monsters with razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles -- have invaded the shallow waters off San Diego, spooking scuba divers and washing up dead on tourist-packed beaches. Two Decades After His Rejection from Federal Bench for Racial Bias, Sen. Jeff Sessions Leads GOP Opposition to Sotomayor Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is leading the charge against Sotomayor becoming the nation’s first Latina Supreme Court justice. Twenty-three years ago, the Senate rejected Sessions’ confirmation to the federal bench, in part because he called the NAACP and the ACLU “un-American” and “Communist-inspired.” [includes rush transcript] Major newspapers disappear Sessions' alleged history of racial insensitivity Obama: Unemployment likely to keep ticking up "They Dump the Sick to Satisfy Investors": Insurance Exec Turned Whistleblower Wendell Potter Speaks Out Against Healthcare Industry Paulson Admits Pressuring Bank of America Sen. Bernie Sanders Demands a Crackdown on Bank Bonuses Any big bank that received a taxpayer bailout should be subject to strict limits on compensation and should not be rewarding bonuses to senior executives. The American people deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are not going to enrich executives on Wall Street.”read more CIA Official: I Used Fire Ants On Detainee	Bush officials refuse to testify in probe In an effort to thwart a federal investigation of the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program, five former senior Bush administration officials refused to cooperate with investigators, among them former Bush chief of staff Andrew Card and Attorney General John Ashcroft.But while their refusals to testify might have stymied in large part the Justice Department’s efforts, the defiance by the officials has only led powerful members of Congress to renew calls to have a bipartisan commission conduct their own inquiries CIA's secret program: Paramilitary teams targeting Al Qaeda The agency had a plan after Sept. 11 for paramilitary forces to take out Al Qaeda figures overseas. Congress was never told. The secret CIA program halted last month by Director Leon E. Panetta involved establishing elite paramilitary teams that could be inserted into Pakistan or other locations to capture or kill top leaders of the Al Qaeda terrorist network, according to former U.S. intelligence officials. CIA Was On Verge Of Training Hit Squads When Panetta Ended Program It's Wasn't Only Cheney Who Had Assassination Programs: Clinton Did It, and Obama Does It, Too Ex-Powell aide: Assassinations may have occurred Report: ‘No geographical limitations’ on CIA assassination program AIG and Goldman Get Bailouts and Second Chances, But If You're Poor You're on Your Own 'Blowout Profits' for Goldman Sachs? Capitalism Ain't Supposed to Be Like This House Plans to Tax Millionaires to Fund U.S. Health-Care Plan
Connecticut
New Haven Cop Promotion List Excluding Hispanics New Haven's Civil Service Commission, a focus of the Supreme Court reverse discrimination ruling for firefighters, has approved a police promotion list that does not include any Hispanics. Blumenthal defends need for federal consumer protection agency Draft legislation for a new consumer financial protection agency needs work but would provide federal authority in dealing with abusive lending practices, Connecticut's attorney general told a Congressional panel today. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal defended the bill as he testified on a panel of industry experts before the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee chaired by U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd in Washington, D.C. The hearing was telecast live on the Internet this morning. Minority Cops Say Greenwich Discriminates Eight minority police officers from Greenwich are in federal court this week, claiming the town has discriminated against them for years.	Connecticut: Dodd Announces $1.2M Second-Quarter Haul Sen. Chris Dodd (D) raised more than $1.2 million from April through June for what is expected to be the toughest re-election campaign of his career. Mosquito Guy Says West Nile’s Coming West Nile Virus, the mosquito-borne disease that can kill humans, will be in Connecticut by the end of the week or Dr. Ted Andreadis will be "very surprised." Cash-poor Connecticut may sell land, buildings After Complaint, DCF Removes Web Links To Churches That Welcome Gays The state Department of Children and Families has removed from its website links to "open and affirming" churches after a group opposed to gay marriage threatened legal action.
United States
Security Issues Chinese-born engineer guilty of spying A Chinese-born engineer was convicted Thursday of stealing trade secrets critical to the U.S. space program in the nation's first economic espionage trial. Troop mental care failing 'scandal'....Army suicides down; new study counts vet disorders Arlington National Cemetery Scandal: Some Headstones Don't Match Records For Bodies Birther Soldier Fired From His Civilian Defense Contracting Job According to Orly Taitz, the attorney for Maj. Stefan F. Cook, the reservist who has asked not to be sent to Afghanistan unless President Barack Obama provides more proof of his American citizenship has been fired from his job A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies. Israel to test Arrow system off US coast Pentagon won't ban war-zone smoking, despite study Police: 'Fight Club' inspired NYC Starbucks blast A 17-year-old mimicking Brad Pitt's "Fight Club" character, who plans attacks on corporate America, was arrested for masterminding a pre-dawn blast outside a Starbucks Coffee shop on Memorial Day, police said Wednesday. 'Device' found at Jewish center Tulsa evacuates center after threat; Police find 'ticking device.' Cop killer had 100 bombs, Nazi drawings At least 100 explosive devices were found in a southeast Texas mobile home where a deputy was shot and killed, a sheriff said Tuesday. Courts New arguments ordered in 9/11 conspirator's case A federal appeals court ordered new arguments Tuesday in the case of Sept. 11 conspirator Zacharias Moussaoui, the only person to stand trial for the terrorist attacks in a U.S. court. US lawyer faces investigation after battling corporations on workers' behalf Hollywood could have made the cigar-chomping attorney into a Latino Erin Brokovich who delivered justice to field labourers left sterilised by dangerous chemicals. Except for one problem: Dominguez has been accused of orchestrating an audacious international fraud and cover-up. A US judge has ordered the California state bar association to investigate the lawyer for recruiting fake witnesses and falsifying medical evidence. The scandal threatens to unravel hundreds of related cases involving more than 10,000 banana workers in central America. Media Obama Birth Certificate Conspiracy Aided By Fox News Report....Centcom: Yes, the President Is an American Citizen	Greed NY trustee sues offshore hedge fund in Madoff case The trustee overseeing the liquidation of Bernard Madoff's assets has sued a hedge fund based in the Cayman Islands, claiming it should return $587 million it earned with Madoff to investors wiped out by the disgraced financier's colossal fraud. 5 fraud probes you haven't heard of Bernard Madoff may have made headlines as the biggest Ponzi schemer in history, but there are plenty of other cases to share the limelight Civil Rights US Church drops gay bishops ban The US Episcopal Church votes to overturn a three-year ban on the election of gay bishops, a move that could lead to its eventual exit from the worldwide Anglican Communion. NAACP Uses Technology to Fight Race Bias System for Reporting Police Misconduct by Cell Phone Launched at Group's Centennial Conference Hispanic Groups Plan U.S. Census Boycott Drug War Pot no longer focus of anti-drug efforts CBS News Examination Finds Prescription Drugs Are Seen as Bigger Threat Than Marijuana by Government, Non-Profit Groups DEA weighs new limits on drug eyed in Jackson case Federal authorities are considering making the potent anesthetic propofol - one of the drugs found in Michael Jackson's home - a controlled substance, which would put new limits on its distribution. Calif. tax officials: Legal pot would bring $1.4B Environment EPA rule on who pays for cleanups targets mining first The Environmental Protection Agency, complying with a court order, will develop a rule to guarantee companies that mine everything from copper to uranium will pay for needed environmental cleanups, not taxpayers. Wal-Mart to create eco-ratings for products Jumbo squid invade San Diego shores, spook divers Thousands of jumbo flying squid -- aggressive 5-foot-long sea monsters with razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles -- have invaded the shallow waters off San Diego, spooking scuba divers and washing up dead on tourist-packed beaches. American and China Pledge to Study Energy-Efficient Building Practices The United States secretaries of energy and commerce concluded a visit to Beijing Thursday with a joint agreement seen as another incremental step to address China’s contribution to climate change.

Science
New element named 'copernicium' Cats control humans with meows Cats mimic human baby cries when they need to be fed, a new study suggests. Bill Gates Wants to Control the Weather, Too Bill Gates already controls your computers. Now he wants to control the weather. Cue the Dr. Evil references! Brain Stimulation: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation No surgery required—magnetic pulses treat symptoms of depression and other conditions.	Fetuses found to have memories They weigh less than 3 pounds, usually, and are perhaps 15 inches long. But they can remember. The unborn have memories, according to medical researchers who used sound and vibration stimulation, combined with sonography, to reveal that the human fetus displays short-term memory from at least 30 weeks gestation - or about two months before they are born. "In addition, results indicated that 34-week-old fetuses are able to store information and retrieve it four weeks later," said the research, which was released Wednesday. Scientists from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maastricht University Medical Centre and the University Medical .
Politics
Candidates Can't Spend Campaign Money On Clothes: FEC Senate Sotomayor on Gov't Seizure of Private Property (Interrupted by Protester) Graham Decried Personality-Based Attacks When Alito Was With Nominee GOP Sen. Imitates Ricky Ricardo While Speaking To Sotomayor: "You'll Have Lots Of Splainin' To Do" Two Decades After His Rejection from Federal Bench for Racial Bias, Sen. Jeff Sessions Leads GOP Opposition to Sotomayor Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is leading the charge against Sotomayor becoming the nation’s first Latina Supreme Court justice. Twenty-three years ago, the Senate rejected Sessions’ confirmation to the federal bench, in part because he called the NAACP and the ACLU “un-American” and “Communist-inspired.” [includes rush transcript] Major newspapers disappear Sessions' alleged history of racial insensitivity Sotomayor: Steel Seizure Case Should Be Considered in Challenges to Executive Power Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), for example, asked her whether it was strange that the OLC memos, in concluding that the president need not comply with the anti-torture statute, never mentioned the landmark controlling case, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, in which the court struck down President Truman’s decision to ignore controlling law and seize private private steel mills in support of the war effort.“ Sen. Bernie Sanders Demands a Crackdown on Bank Bonuses Any big bank that received a taxpayer bailout should be subject to strict limits on compensation and should not be rewarding bonuses to senior executives. The American people deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are not going to enrich executives on Wall Street.”read more Barbara Boxer Accused Of Being 'Racial' And 'God Awful' So, here's the story of how Senator Barbara Boxer got called a racist or whatever during today's climate change hearing So, okay! Alford and Boxer are going to take a trip to Fresno, to look at windmills or something! But then Boxer dared to reference a report that favored climate change legislation that was authored by the NAACP, and that's when everything suddenly got pre-post-racial!" Madam chair, that is condescending to me," Alford said. "I'm the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and you're trying to put up some other black group to pit against me." House House 'Birther Bill' Up to Nine Co-Sponsors AMA endorses House Democrats' health care bill House Democrats are picking up a big endorsement for their health care bill from the American Medical Association. House digging into canceled CIA program The House intelligence committee has asked the CIA to provide documents about a now-canceled program aimed at killing al Qaeda leaders, congressional officials said Tuesday. The agency spent at least $1 million on the eight-year program before it was terminated last month, one congressional official said. Intelligence officials say the operation never progressed beyond a planning stage. House Plans to Tax Millionaires to Fund U.S. Health-Care Plan Charities Lament 'Cash For Clunkers' Program When Congress passed a new law to give people up to $4,500 to junk their old cars and buy new, more efficient ones, the auto industry cheered. But some charities say they'll be the unintended victims of this program, and so will the low-income people they try to help. Health Insurance "They Dump the Sick to Satisfy Investors": Insurance Exec Turned Whistleblower Wendell Potter Speaks Out Against Healthcare Industry	GITMO/Abu Ghraib/Bahgram CIA Official: I Used Fire Ants On Detainee Lawmakers want investigation into Uighurs at Gitmo Lawmakers on Thursday called for an investigation into why the Bush administration allowed Chinese agents to interrogate 22 Muslim Uighurs at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in 2002. So … What Constitutional Rights Are Defendants Entitled to in Military Commissions? One of the donut holes in last week’s testimony from Justice and Defense Department officials about the Obama administration’s planning for military commissions came in identifying the constitutional protections the administration thinks defendants before the military commissions are entitled to receive. David Kris, the Justice Department’s national security chief, made the issue more about due process requirements than substantive rights in a colloquy with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) 9/11 defendants no shows at Guantanamo hearing A pretrial hearing in the Sept. 11 war crimes trial was delayed Thursday when none of the five defendants agreed to attend.The defendants were apparently protesting a judge’s ruling that the accused mastermind of the terrorist attacks and two other men would not be able to speak at the session, which was to focus on preparations for a hearing on whether two of the men are mentally competent to stand trial Government censor cuts court audio during war crimes hearing A reference to harsh treatment at CIA prisons brought out Guantanamo's censors Thursday as an official of the war crimes court abruptly cut the sound to prevent spectators from hearing classified information. Illegal Bush Activities It's Wasn't Only Cheney Who Had Assassination Programs: Clinton Did It, and Obama Does It, Too Ex-Powell aide: Assassinations may have occurred Report: ‘No geographical limitations’ on CIA assassination program Bush Justice Department Blacklisted LGBT Groups Bush officials refuse to testify in probe In an effort to thwart a federal investigation of the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program, five former senior Bush administration officials refused to cooperate with investigators, among them former Bush chief of staff Andrew Card and Attorney General John Ashcroft.But while their refusals to testify might have stymied in large part the Justice Department’s efforts, the defiance by the officials has only led powerful members of Congress to renew calls to have a bipartisan commission conduct their own inquiries CIA's secret program: Paramilitary teams targeting Al Qaeda The agency had a plan after Sept. 11 for paramilitary forces to take out Al Qaeda figures overseas. Congress was never told. The secret CIA program halted last month by Director Leon E. Panetta involved establishing elite paramilitary teams that could be inserted into Pakistan or other locations to capture or kill top leaders of the Al Qaeda terrorist network, according to former U.S. intelligence officials. CIA Was On Verge Of Training Hit Squads When Panetta Ended Program Federal Reserve/Bailouts Paulson Admits Pressuring Bank of America AIG and Goldman Get Bailouts and Second Chances, But If You're Poor You're on Your Own 'Blowout Profits' for Goldman Sachs? Capitalism Ain't Supposed to Be Like This BofA Operating Under Secret Regulatory Sanction: Report Bank of America Corp BAC.N is operating under a secret U.S. regulatory sanction that requires it to overhaul its board and address perceived problems with risk and liquidity management
Obama
Obama Administration Approves Logging In Largest U.S. Rain Forest U.S. studies allowing defaulted owners rent homes The Obama administration is looking at ways for homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages to remain in their homes as renters, senior administration officials said on Thursday.	Government to auction offshore oil leases despite legal uncertainty A federal court threw out the leasing plan, developed by the Bush administration, this year on environmental grounds. But it's not clear if the ruling applies to tracts in the Gulf of Mexico. The Obama administration will auction off a new batch of oil-drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico next month in spite of a court ruling that threw out the nation's offshore leasing plan this year.
Economy	NEW Click for Economic Statistics
Obama: Unemployment likely to keep ticking up US retail sales up again in June Oil slips as demand worries linger Foreign investors sell $22.5B U.S. debt China's economy SOARS thanks to MASSIVE government spending on INFRASTRUTURE!	Plan would give SEC oversight of hedge funds SEC charges 11 people with insider trading The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday said it charged 11 people in connection with separate insider trading schemes related to acquisition deals at two different companies

Iraq	Map of Iraq
Iraqis to U.S. military: Stay on your base Iraq city hit by suicide bombing A suicide bomb attack in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi kills at least six people and injures 17 others, local police say. Iraq blast targets security forces Suicide attack on police checkpoint in western province kills seven people. Saddam Hussain: We Destroyed Weapons Shortly after his arrest in December 2003, former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain was interrogated by the FBI. Conflict looms in Kurdistan \| Jonathan Steele Overshadowed by the war in Afghanistan, a new cauldron of potential violence is threatening to destabilise Barack Obama's foreign policy. Tension between Iraq's Kurds and Arabs has mounted to the point where normally non-alarmist thinktanks like the International Crisis Group have raised the prospect of clashes between the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga forces. Al Sadr agrees to reengage in Coalition Sayyed Moqtada Al Sadr visited head of the Supreme Islamic Council Abdul Aziz Al Hakim in the hospital in Tehran, informed sources told Al Hayat Newspaper. Al Sadr showed willingness to reengage his parliamentary bloc in Iraq’s Coalition in order to carry out elections. Kurdish Security Chief Acknowledges Violations In recent years international organizations have issued a number of reports condemning human rights abuses allegedly committed by the Kurdish Asayish [security/intelligence] agencies. Niqash met Hakem Qader Hamah Jean,	Tuesday: 1 US Soldier, 10 Iraqis Killed; 13 Iraqis Wounded Iraqi Former Police Chief Arrested for Qaeda Links Iraq Participates in the Conference of the Non- Aligned Countries Wednesday: 9 Iraqis Killed, 25 Wounded Spanish court drops charges against US soldiers A Spanish court on Tuesday threw out charges against three U.S. soldiers in the death of a Spanish journalist in Iraq six years ago and recommended the case be closed. Iraq Veterans' Memorabilia Trashed Thursday: 2 Iraqis Killed, 21 Wounded Iraq attacks kill 11, wound 34 At least 11 people were killed and around 34 were wounded in two separate attacks in Iraq. The first occurred as a suicide bomber targeted Al Ramadi Police while the other was due to a bomb explosion targeting a funeral in Al Sadr City. Gates considers army expansion in Iraq Defense Secretary Robert Gates is considering a possible temporary expansion of the US army to ease the strain from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gates was discussing the idea, backed by Senator Joseph Lieberman, with senior officers to add 30,000 troops to the active-duty army Water Disputes Could Lead to Tribal Wars in Southern Iraq Bomb in Iraq's Sadr City Kills 5, Wounds 28 Suicide Bomber Kills 6 in Iraq's Anbar Province
Middle East
Click here Updates from Iran as of July 17 Iron Dome system successful in tests Israeli-developed missile defense system intercepts rockets mimicking Kassam, Grad-model Katyushas Anti-Zionist Jews meet with Hamas leader in Gaza Representatives of the anti-Zionist, ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta sect paid a brief visit on Thursday to militantly anti-Israel Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip. .. Man indicted for spying on Hizbullah Lebanese prosecutor demands life in prison for local car dealer who allegedly collaborated with Israel. IDF: Hizbullah hiding rockets in homes Israel: Syria and Iran still giving arms to Hezbollah IDF soldiers give testimonies to counter Gaza war crimes claims A newly released collection of anonymous accusations of alleged human rights abuses by Israeli soldiers in Gaza has prompted reservists who served there to deliver signed, on-camera counter-testimonies about Palestinian terrorists' use of Gazans as human shields Rights group says 34 killed in Tehran protests After month-long lull, Qassam strikes Negev After a month-long lull in Israel's southern towns, militants in the Gaza Strip fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev Thursday evening. The rocket struck an open area near Sdot Negev at around 8 P.M. No one was hurt	'Hezbollah arms cache' blows up Israel troops speak out on Gaza war Some soldiers tell activist group they were ordered to "shoot first and worry later". PA closes Al Jazeera bureau Al Jazeera describes the move as a repression of the freedom of media. Palestinians ban Al-Jazeera for airing Arafat conspiracy allegations Critics Say Saudi Textbooks Still Encourage Violence 'Al-Quds Al-Arabi' Israeli Warships In Suez Canal – Under Secret Israeli-Egyptian Agreement 'Everyone is your enemy,' Israeli soldiers in Gaza told Israeli combat soldiers have acknowledged that they forced Palestinian civilians to serve as human shields, needlessly killed unarmed Gazans and improperly used white phosphorus shells to burn down buildings as part of Israel's three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter. PLO official stands by Abbas claim Farouk Kaddoumi tells Al Jazeera that documents indicate plot to kill Arafat. Saudi Arabia bans the opening of public cinemas
Afghanistan	Map of Afghanistan
Insurgents’ Use of Homemade Bombs Grows in Afghanistan Gates: More US troops could head to Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert Gates says more U.S. troops than first planned could go to Afghanistan by year's end. Taliban: Halt Offensive or We Kill Captured U.S. Soldier	Marines killed in opium-rich Afghan area Bagram detainees stage protest against US treatment Prisoners at airbase in Afghanistan refuse family visits and recreation time to highlight denial of legal rights. Hundreds of prisoners at the main American detention centre in Afghanistan are refusing privileges such as recreation time and family visits in protest at their lack of legal rights.
Pakistan	Map of Pakistan
Court orders arrest of 4 police in Kashmir murders Video of Mumbai Attacker’s ‘Confession’ Video has come to light showing an apparent confession by the sole surviving gunman of the attacks in Mumbai last November 6 Taliban surrender in Mohmand	Bin Laden deputy warns Pakistan the US wants to seize its nuclear arsenal 'Pak building bunkers on border' The BSF says Pakistan is strengthening its defence structures along the international border in the R S Pura sector after the Mumbai terror attack. It's making a bund that could also be used for offensive operations
Asia
Is China spying on Uighurs abroad? Sweden arrested Uighur exile Babur Mehsut last month on charges of 'refugee espionage.' Toy Factory Melee Set Off Western China Violence How a four-hour clash in a walkway between factory dormitories unleashed national bloodshed. North Korea hit with new U.N. sanctions Aide: Ousted Honduran President on Route Back Home	Sri Lanka cancels $200 mln China, Pakistan weapons buy Turkmenistan to create desert sea Turkmenistan starts work on the latest phase of its massive project to create a vast artificial sea in the desert. Indian politician jailed for rape remark A female politician in India who suggested that a rival leader be raped so she can understand the plight of rape victims has been ordered jailed for 14 days
Europe
Switzerland offers legal assisted suicide Russia not to withdraw from naval base in Ukraine Iceland's parliament votes to join EU Mourners of Chechen Rights Activist Dispersed by Police Natalya Estemirova’s funeral procession made it perhaps 200 yards through the streets of Grozny before police officers broke up the crowd for marching without a permit.Russian activist abducted in Chechnya found slain	Test of Russian ballistic missile fails Russia's latest test of its advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile Bulava has failed, with the missile self-destructing, the Defense Ministry said Thursday -- another setback for the nation's efforts to upgrade its aging arsenal. Greece to allow CCTV, DNA database Greece's parliament has approved measures allowing police to use surveillance camera footage and create a DNA database, angering opposition parties that say the new powers will trample on people's privacy
Africa
Somali fighters seize two Frenchmen Liberia's Taylor Displayed Skulls at Roadblocks	French hostage handed to al Qaeda-linked Somali group Somali Islamist group has handed one of two French hostages over to al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants, and captors have begun negotiating for a ransom, senior officials and rebels said on Thursday.
The Americas
Click here Updates from Honduras as of July 17 Dumped bodies were Mexico police Mexican officials say 12 bodies found in Michoacan state were federal police officers, murdered by a drugs cartel. Mexico aid should be withheld, Human Rights Watch says It calls on the Obama administration to not release tens of millions of dollars under the Merida Initiative unless Mexico allows soldiers accused of drug war abuses to be tried in civilian courts. US Lobbyists with Clinton Ties Hired to Defend Honduran Coup Regime Supporters of the coup in Honduras have begun hiring advisers and lobbyists with close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an attempt to strengthen support in Washington for the coup. A Honduran business group has hired lobbyist Lanny Davis, who served as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton. The coup government has also hired Bennet Ratcliff, a public relations specialist with ties to former President Bill Clinton. [includes rush transcript] U.S. Close to Deal With Colombia on Base Access Senior Colombian military and civilian officials said the goal was to make Colombia a regional hub for Pentagon operations.	Fujimori Admits Illegal Payment to Spy Chief Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) admitted that he paid 15 million dollars to his former security chief Vladimiro Montesinos on Sept. 22, 2000, just a few hours before the adviser fled to Panama. Mexican governor asks brother to turn himself in The governor of the western Mexican state of Michoacan is asking his half brother to turn himself in to authorities investigating him for alleged links to drug traffickers. Haitian drug trafficker's sentence cut A big-time cocaine smuggler who gave the U.S. government an inside view of drug trafficking in the administration of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide saw his nearly 20-year sentence cut in half Wednesday. Letter sent linked to Canadian pipeline bombings A newspaper in British Columbia received a second letter Wednesday that appears to be from someone connected to a series of bombings targeting EnCana's natural gas operations. Haitians mark exiled Jean-Bertrand Aristide's birthday with protest