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Last Update: Saturday, September 19, 2009 |
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Spanish judges press AG Holder
Want details on Bush
torture lawyers for probes -- will Holder oblige? Call for caps on bankers' bonuses Britain, France and Germany to demand curbs on bankers' bonuses, EU at odds whether the downturn is over Dioxin levels high in Vietnam near US base US firm in China solar mega-deal US energy group First Solar has signed a preliminary deal to build the world's biggest solar power plant in China. Chinese Solar Plant Could Be World's Biggest Child, forced labor behind many products: study Children and forced laborers are mining gold, sewing clothing and harvesting cocoa around the world, and India is the source for the biggest number of products made by these workers, a U.S. government report said on Thursday. Rashid Rauf: missing 'mastermind' of the airline bomb plot Pakistani officials say Rauf escaped and was later killed, but reports of appalling torture leave relatives sceptical about his fate Iran Set To Allow First Transsexual Marriage Iran anoints anti-Jewish bomb suspect as defence secretary The Iranian parliament is expected to approve today the nomination for defence secretary of a man wanted in connection with the murder of 85 people at a Jewish centre in Argentina. Iran's Khamenei warns opposition in sermon Iran's supreme leader says those who "confront the principles of the Islamic system" will be punished. US rejects Iran nuclear proposals Israel retaliates, shells Lebanon after rocket fire High Court orders demolition of illegal Palestinian houses After first-time decision, right-wing movement vows to file more petitions over "illegal construction and Palestinian outposts in Judea and Samaria." Netanyahu mystery trip sets off flap in Israel Benjamin Netanyahu dropped out of sight for most of a day this week, a mysterious absence that has set off feverish speculation about what the Israeli leader was up to -- and accusations he lied to cover up a clandestine trip to Moscow. Yemen denies truce ever made President says Zaidi fighters never accepted conditions for halting government offensive Kurds Criticize Census Postponement Kurdish politicians have accused the central government of postponing a nationwide census in order to avoid acknowledging the numerical supremacy of Kurds in disputed territories. Bloodshed at Iranian camp tests US-Iraq transition The women formed a human chain while the men chanted, confronting Iraqi troops moving into their compound. Gunfire rang out, and the soldiers waded in with batons, wooden bats and automatic weapons |
The Oily Road to 9/11
As it turns out, the US
war plan was in the works months before the 9/11 attacks. And, like
the two Gulf Wars, the rationale was also, if not mainly, rooted in
a struggle over access to oil and gas, in this case huge finds in
the Caspian Sea Basin. What looked at the time like justified
retaliation was, in essence, the first resource war of the 21st
century. Is Afghan Gov't Coming to Aid of Bombers? 3 Arrested in Bombing That Killed Soldier, Wounded CBS Reporter But Suspect May Have Ties to Afghan Defense Ministry U.S. arms dealer pleads guilty in Afghan weapons case A U.S. arms dealer who illegally supplied Chinese-made ammunition to Afghanistan under a Pentagon contract pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge and the U.S. government dropped 84 other counts, court documents said. U.S. leads world in foreign weapons sales: report U.S. helicopter accidentally dumps Afghan ballot boxes A U.S. military helicopter carrying ballot boxes packed with votes from last week's Afghan election accidentally dumped some of them somewhere over the rugged mountains of Nuristan, officials said on Wednesday. Accused of Drug Ties, Afghan Official Worries U.S. The challenges posed by corruption in Afghanistan are revealed in President Hamid Karzai’s running mate. Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Prosecutor Looking Into War Crimes In Afghanistan Luis Moreno Ocampo said he is collecting information for the International Criminal Court in The Hague about alleged crimes by both the Taliban and NATO forces. Taliban fighters have been accused of many brutal killings. U.S. forces have been accused of using excessive force and torturing prisoners. Texas Couple Gave $16,000 To GOP While Defrauding Afghanistan Reconstruction Taliban Has Returned To Most Of Afghanistan: Think Tank Pentagon to OK more troops for Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to approve sending thousands of additional forces to Afghanistan to deal with the growing threat from roadside bombs, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Friday. Security walls return to Baghdad after series of bombings How Islamist gangs use internet to track, torture and kill Iraq's gaysPat Tillman Thought Iraq "Was A Mistake... Was Going To Be A Disaster" Tillman shared his feelings in a journal entry dated March 13, 2003. "If Kevin and I are part of a situation where we must fight, every bit of my soul knows we will fight as hard as anyone ever has," he wrote. "We will not question the reasons for our being here or allow any personal beliefs to interfere with our job. My hope is that decisions are being made with the same good faith that Kevin and I aim to display. ... I hope [this war is about] more than oil, money & power. ... I doubt that it is." |
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US Headlines |
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9/11 lawyers ask civilian court to stop war court With the fate
of the Guantanamo war court still uncertain, U.S. military defense
lawyers Thursday asked a civilian court to halt Pentagon plans to
hold a week-long sanity hearing for an accused 9/11 conspirator
later this month at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba.
CIA Report Leaves Much To The Imagination While the report offers up the largest public disclosure of CIA methods and tactics since the Iran-Contra hearings, some 36 pages were partially redacted and another 30 were completely blacked out. That leads some people to ask whether the missing sections could be covering up abuses the public hasn't even heard about yet.
Subprime
Lenders at the Head of the Line for Federal Subsidies As the
government spends heavily to fight home foreclosures, some of the
biggest beneficiaries will be banks that created the subprime
mortgages Big Business's Hidden Hand in the Smear Job on Van Jones If you thought the targeting of Van Jones for vilification by the right was about his race, his youthful flirtation with socialism, or a petition he signed about the 9/11 attacks, you'd only be a little bit right. And if you think it was about the Color of Change campaign against Glenn Beck's show on FOX NewsChannel, you'd really miss the mark. Obama's FULL Health Care Address...Obama Speech Draws Laughter and Boos...Kucinich Responds To Obama's Address To Congress
McCain Denies Giving O.K. to a CIA Torture Tactic Senator
McCain's spokesperson disputes a report that McCain raised no
objection when told of the CIA's use of sleep deprivation in
questioning suspected terrorists New Charles Darwin film is 'too controversial' for religious... A new British film about Charles Darwin has failed to land a distribution deal in the States Ex-Judges Indicted in Kids-for-Cash Scheme 2 Pa. Judges Accused of Taking Millions to Place Juveniles in Privately Owned Detention Centers ACLU Appeals Ruling That FBI Agents Who Attacked Journalists Can't Be Held Responsible The American Civil Liberties Union today filed an appeal of a federal court ruling that found that, even though there was enough evidence to prove that FBI agents violated the Fourth Amendment rights of journalists by attacking them unprovoked, the agents who committed the attack could not be held responsible for their actions. U.S. Gets Ds on Infrastructure Report Card "The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today" Bailed Out Banks Are Betting Big--Again Timeline: A Year Of Financial Crisis U.S. no longer most competitive economy The United States has lost its place as the world's most competitive economy, mainly because of the financial crisis and accumulated fiscal deficits, according to a survey. Americans are getting poorer, and it's going to get worse The early impact of the worst recession since the 1930s pushed median incomes down, forced millions more people into poverty and left more Americans without health care in 2008, according to new annual survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 11-year high US ex-bank chief warns of new crash Former US central bank chief Alan Greenspan tells the BBC the global economy will experience another crash in the future. |
US to soon start buying 'toxic
assets'
Program will be smaller due to 'improved health
of financial institutions.'
Gary Bauer: Obama’s Speech to Children Is an ‘Unprecedented’ Abuse of Power Gary Bauer, the religious conservative leader who was undersecretary of Education under President Reagan, and who now runs American Values, tells supporters in his daily email that the president’s Sept. 8 speech to schoolchildren is an example of the White House “using its power in unprecedented ways.” Parents, writes Bauer, should “sit in” on their children’s classes to keep watch on the president. Teabaggers can't handle a little dissent A brave man walks through the teabagger protest on the National Mall in Washington, DC, with a large sign that reads "Public Option Now". If not for the cops that escorted him through the crowd, they probably would have eaten him alive. Texas school district apologizes for snubbing Obama speech Arlington, Texas, Schools Superintendent Jerry McCullough issued the apology on Friday, acknowledging that his decision not to show Obama's live speech to school children on Tuesday was particularly controversial because the district plans to bus 500 fifth-graders to a stadium later this month to listen to former President George W. Bush.Blackwater Operative Infiltrated Ron Paul and Mike Gravel Presidential Campaigns EPA delays 79 permits for Appalachian surface mines The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that 79 applications for surface coal-mine permits in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee might violate the nation's Clean Water Act and require closer scrutiny AMERICA'S TOXIC TAP WATER Could Cause Cancer, Rashes, Or Rot Your Teeth Pentagon Keeps Wary Watch as Troops Blog Pentagon asks for joint military maneuvers with Honduran coup regime Group: New 9/11 probe ballot initiative has enough signatures Brian Carranza, 21, Ralph Nicoletti, 19, Michael Contreras, 19, and Bryan Garaventa, 18, set out to beat up black people in Staten Island on the night of November 4, 2008, because they believed the victims had voted for the president, federal prosecutors said. ABC: FBI Agents Missed Chance To Stop 9/11 Ringleader Atta Bankruptcy filings up 22% in August vs. last year Dems To Formally Admonish Rep. Joe Wilson For Heckling Wilson Voted To Provide Taxpayer Money For Illegal Immigrants' Health Care
John McCain calls on Rep. Joe Wilson to apologize
immediatly.....Congressman
who shouted 'you lie' |
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Connecticut |
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Two Hartford Men Sentenced For Dealing Heroin Two Hartford men
have been sentenced to long prison terms for their roles in what
authorities claim was the state's largest heroin ring, an
organization that put enough of the drug on the street each week for
50,000 users.
Huge Drug Factory Uprooted in New Haven A New Haven man is behind bars after cops say he grew more than $500,000 worth of marijuana in his apartment. Lobster population decline prompts stricter protections Lieberman: Without public option, health reform would pass Homeless Sex Offender: There's No Address to Register A convicted sex offender says he can't register his address with the state because he doesn't have one. He's homeless. Despite the State Department’s insistence that staffers for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) on the Senate government affairs committee didn’t turn over information about its buck-wild contractor ArmorGroup from whistleblower John Gorman, Lieberman’s staff isn’t backing off the claim. “The Senator’s staff verbally conveyed the information it received from Mr. Gorman to the State Department Inspector’s General staff,” reiterates Leslie Philips, the committee’s communications director. State Department Spokesman Reacts to ArmorGroup Lawsuit, Loses Grasp on Reality P.J. Crowley, the State Department’s assistant secretary for public affairs, said in today’s press briefing that he wouldn’t speak to any specific allegation in the new ArmorGroup whistleblower lawsuit. But he did say, repeatedly, that the department has exercised rigorous oversight over the company that it’s paying $189 million to guard the embassy in Kabul. For instance: Search For Yale Student Turns To Landfill |
Southern student has swine flu
AT&T tells union to hang up T-shirts Members of Hamden’s Communications Workers of America Local 1298 who wore black and white T-shirts bearing the slogan “Prisoner of AT$T” — with a dollar sign inserted into the company’s name — were given the choice of changing into another shirt or going home for the day, said Walt Sharp, a company spokesman. Blumenthal Says Rell Can't Exercise Line-Item Veto Without Signing Budget In a high-profile reversal, Gov. M. Jodi Rell will now allow the state budget to take effect without line-item vetoes that would have cut $8.3 million in spending. MISSING YALE STUDENT: CRIME SCENE FOUND IN BUILDING Blumenthal urges Mashantuckets to note tribal tax on retail receipts
Attorney General
Richard
Blumenthal today
urged the
Mashantucket
Pequot Tribal
Nation to
clearly identify
its 1-percent
“tribal” tax on
retail
merchandise
separately and
distinctly from
the state sales
tax on customer
receipts. The
tribe imposed
the tax Sept. 1,
adding it to the
6 percent state
sales tax for
retail
purchases.
Dodd says defense bill could save Conn. jobs Sen. Christopher Dodd says $2.5 billion in new funding moving through Congress could help save as many as 3,000 defense-related jobs in Connecticut. State job losses could hit 100,000 by next year Exclusive recording of East Haven Mayor A recorded call of the East Haven Mayor railing about an officer, from her town's police force, could have criminal implications. |
| United States | |
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"The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America
Today" Census Bureau Severs Ties With ACORN Fear revisits U.S. Muslims every Sept. 11 US citizens in rush for offshore tax advice US citizens around the world are scrambling for tax advice ahead of a filing deadline, fearful that they may face prosecution after the US government’s crackdown on undeclared offshore assetsGroup: New 9/11 probe ballot initiative has enough signatures Brian Carranza, 21, Ralph Nicoletti, 19, Michael Contreras, 19, and Bryan Garaventa, 18, set out to beat up black people in Staten Island on the night of November 4, 2008, because they believed the victims had voted for the president, federal prosecutors said.NYC initiative for new 9/11 investigation gets legal opening Security Issues Abortion protester, another man shot to death Texas Governor Sends Rangers To Mexico Border ABC: FBI Agents Missed Chance To Stop 9/11 Ringleader Atta Marines take deadly risks with 'trust' game The game played by Marines aims to strengthen bonds: Point a gun at a comrade’s head and ask, “Do you trust me?” Now one Marine faces eight years in a brig and another’s family is devastated. Pentagon asks for joint military maneuvers with Honduran coup regime Pentagon Keeps Wary Watch as Troops Blog Nuclear plant guards may get machine guns U.S. Gets Ds on Infrastructure Report Card Courts 4 plead not guilty to digging up bodies Four former cemetery workers pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges accusing them of digging up bodies at a historic suburban Chicago graveyard in order to resell the burial plots. Nonprofit law group sues US in Cuban 5 spy case A nonprofit law group on Wednesday sued the U.S. government, demanding more information about contracts the government had with journalists it paid while they were reporting on the prosecution of five Cuban intelligence agents in Miami. Appeals court dismisses Abu Ghraib lawsuit A federal appeals court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit claiming contractors for defense firm CACI International Inc. abused detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
ACLU Appeals Ruling That FBI Agents Who
Attacked Journalists Can't Be Held
Responsible The American Civil
Liberties Union today filed an appeal of a
federal court ruling that found that, even
though there was enough evidence to prove
that FBI agents violated the Fourth
Amendment rights of journalists by attacking
them unprovoked, the agents who committed
the attack could not be held responsible for
their actions.
Major Cigarette Makers Sue Over New Tobacco Law R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and others say a law that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration new authority over tobacco violates their right to free speech. The lawsuit doesn't challenge the decision to give the FDA more authority, but its restrictions on marketing. Schwarzenegger to take prison fight to U.S. Supreme Court California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court a federal court's order that the state reduce its prison population by 40,000 inmates, a spokesman said on Tuesday. Drug War
Hard times boost
pot economy
A
surge in
marijuana
farming this
year may be due
to unemployment
as well as
growing demand
for the drug.
Complaint about
Peruvian spy no
longer 'secret'
A CIA
whistle-blower
complained in
2001 that the
agency may have
broken U.S. laws
by failing to
pursue
allegations that
Peruvian spy
master Vladimiro
Montesinos
trafficked in
drugs and
laundered money,
according to the
complaint.
Drug kingpin
pleads guilty to
trafficking
A Colombian drug
kingpin, reputed
to be one of the
largest cocaine
traffickers in
the world, has
forfeited more
than $15 million
in assets and
pleaded guilty
to trafficking
charges,
according to a
plea agreement. |
Greed The Madoff Tape: How Bernie Coached Others to Fool the SEC Brooklyn Man Accused of Running $40 Million Ponzi Scheme Jailed Madoff gets $13,800 tax back The disgraced financier Bernie Madoff has received a $13,800 (£8,500) tax rebate, angering clients who lost billions in the biggest Ponzi scheme in Wall Street history. Media Editor: Student newspaper censored by school (for revealing vendor's 'mission' to 'serve God') Beck's new conspiracy: ACORN, Van Jones to blame on Katrina CNN Blasted For Erroneous Coast Guard 'Shots Fired' Report
Google offers to open digital library to
rivals Google is proposing access to its
massive database of digital books, as it
renews efforts to counter a wave of
opposition stirred up by its landmark legal
settlement with the publishing industry
Copyright Office Assails Google’s Settlement on Digital Books In testimony before a House panel, Marybeth Peters, the Register of Copyrights, said the deal circumvented copyright law and could harm authors. AT&T launches an online video site like Hulu Support builds for reporter 'shield' law A long-debated federal "shield" law to protect journalists who won't reveal their confidential sources is poised to move a little closer to reality
Police/Prison
Four sentened in election night bashing Ex-Judges Indicted in Kids-for-Cash Scheme 2 Pa. Judges Accused of Taking Millions to Place Juveniles in Privately Owned Detention Centers Civil Rights U.S. city blanketed with security cameras A new camera surveillance system in Lancaster, Pa., that will be bigger than those in cities such as Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boston, is raising privacy concerns. Ban on hymn at graduation is upheld Barring a Christian hymn at a school graduation did not violate students' First Amendment rights and was within the superintendent's discretion, a divided federal appeals panel ruled Atlanta police raid gay bar, arrest 8 Texas May Have Executed Innocent Man ACLU Responds to Mandatory E-Verify The announcement that all government contractors starting today must use the controversial E-Verify system to check employee work eligibility is, not surprisingly, disappointing critics who’ve pointed out that the system is not reliable. Inquiry opened into New Black Panther case The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility has begun an official inquiry into the dismissal in May of a civil complaint against the New Black Panther Party and two of its members who disrupted a Philadelphia polling place during the November general elections. Same-Sex Census to Stir Debate Environment EPA delays 79 permits for Appalachian surface mines The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that 79 applications for surface coal-mine permits in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee might violate the nation's Clean Water Act and require closer scrutiny Rare whales' safety pits U.S. Navy against environmentalists AMERICA'S TOXIC TAP WATER Could Cause Cancer, Rashes, Or Rot Your Teeth Education
The Economics
Behind
Misbehaving In
School
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| Science | History Resources |
| 1 Dose Of Swine Flu Vaccine Works, Studies Show...Kids Will Still Need 2 H1N1 Swine Flu Shots | New Charles Darwin film is 'too controversial' for religious... A new British film about Charles Darwin has failed to land a distribution deal in the States |
| Politics | Political Resources |
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91
ex-attorneys general back Siegelman appeal
WATCH: The Best Political Brawls From Around The World Sources: Key Blagojevich Adviser Confirmed Dead Cheney is heckled at his alma mater Blackwater Operative Infiltrated Ron Paul and Mike Gravel Presidential Campaigns Ex-Bush whistleblower pans Dems Bunny Greenhouse, the Army contract director lionized by Democrats for exposing corruption during the George W. Bush administration, is now complaining that her efforts to win more protections for federal whistleblowers are being undermined by the Obama White House and Democrats in the Senate. Senate McCain Calls Out Chief Justice Roberts Over Campaign Finance Case Specter wants Wilson censured Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.), who's looked at POTUS from both sides now, was just on the Bill Press radio show suggesting the South Carolina firebrand Joe Wilson be censured for his heckle heard round the world Bill aims to strengthen biological attack defense Heeding warnings from a congressionally mandated commission, two U.S. senators introduced a wide-ranging bill Tuesday to address the threat of a biological attack on the U.S. homeland. Senate urged to raise $12T debt cap Six major trade associations urge Senate leaders to quickly to raise the $12.1 trillion cap on the national debt. Sen. Lincoln Reverses Position on Public Option Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), still facing the prospect of a tough re-election in 2010, has reversed her position on the public insurance option, saying Tuesday she will oppose the measure as a part of health care reform after previously expressing support for the policy, the Arkansas News reported.
McCain Denies Giving O.K. to a CIA Torture
Tactic Senator McCain's spokesperson
disputes a report that McCain raised no
objection when told of the CIA's use of
sleep deprivation in questioning suspected
terrorists
House Congress must extend unemployment benefits: Pelosi Congress must extend unemployment benefits before they expire for the 1.5 million Americans who risk exhausting them, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday. Rangel Underreported Assets in 2007 Financial Disclosure Form House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has filed an amended financial disclosure form for 2007 showing he initially failed to disclose more than $600,000 in assets as well as tens of thousands of dollars in income. Obama Obama's FULL Health Care Address...Obama Speech Draws Laughter and Boos Kucinich Responds To Obama's Address To Congress Obama Imposes New Tariffs On Chinese Tires...Infuriating Beijing President Barack Obama's decision to impose trade penalties on Chinese tires has infuriated Beijing at a time when the U.S. badly needs Chinese help on climate change, nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea and the global economy. Obama 'Green Jobs' Adviser Quits Amid Controversy...Van Jones and who's next Rep. Donna Edwards says Van Jones should have been defended Big Business's Hidden Hand in the Smear Job on Van Jones If you thought the targeting of Van Jones for vilification by the right was about his race, his youthful flirtation with socialism, or a petition he signed about the 9/11 attacks, you'd only be a little bit right. And if you think it was about the Color of Change campaign against Glenn Beck's show on FOX NewsChannel, you'd really miss the mark. Climate Change Skeptics Oust Jones With ‘Green Socialist’ Attacks Yosi Sergant, Obama Aide, Asked To Resign Bush CIA insider key to Obama plan Obama chooses John Brennan, who was at the heart of Bush's intel effort, to play a key role.
Obama Taps Another $2.7 Billion for Swine
Flu President Barack Obama is tapping
another $2.7 billion in emergency H1N1 flu
funding to buy vaccines, antiviral drugs and
to make other preparations for an
immunization campaign in the fall.
FACT CHECK: Obama uses iffy math on deficit pledge Obama Promises Tort Reform “I don’t believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I’ve talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs,” said Obama. Obama picks GOP Senate aide for CFTC commission President Barack Obama has chosen a Republican Senate aide for a seat on the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Obama nominee omitted ties to biotech President Obama's nominee at the Department of Homeland Security overseeing bioterrorism defense has served as a key adviser for a lobbying group funded by the pharmaceutical industry that has asked the government to spend more money for anthrax vaccines and biodefense research. Baraknaphobia Man With Gun Arrested Near Capitol During Obama Speech Texas school district apologizes for snubbing Obama speech Arlington, Texas, Schools Superintendent Jerry McCullough issued the apology on Friday, acknowledging that his decision not to show Obama's live speech to school children on Tuesday was particularly controversial because the district plans to bus 500 fifth-graders to a stadium later this month to listen to former President George W. Bush. Tea Party Express fizzles The Tea Party Express went out with a fizzle, as a smaller than anticipated crowd gathered In Washington DC. The motley crew of marchers attending the event reflected a small misinformed minority feeling fear and anger over the more liberal direction Protester "We Think The Muslims Are Moving In And Taking Over" Teabaggers can't handle a little dissent A brave man walks through the teabagger protest on the National Mall in Washington, DC, with a large sign that reads "Public Option Now". If not for the cops that escorted him through the crowd, they probably would have eaten him alive. ABC fights back against tea party protest size falsehoods The network says that, at some point during the protest, FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe -- the head of the organization that organized the demonstration -- stood before the crowd and announced that ABC News had said the crowd at the protest was between one million and 1.5 million people. ABC said no such thing. As Josh Marshall reported at TalkingPointsMemo, the fire department estimated the crowd at 60,000 to 70,000 p Gary Bauer: Obama’s Speech to Children Is an ‘Unprecedented’ Abuse of Power Gary Bauer, the religious conservative leader who was undersecretary of Education under President Reagan, and who now runs American Values, tells supporters in his daily email that the president’s Sept. 8 speech to schoolchildren is an example of the White House “using its power in unprecedented ways.” Parents, writes Bauer, should “sit in” on their children’s classes to keep watch on the president. |
Health Insurance
John McCain calls on Rep. Joe Wilson to apologize immediatly.....Congressman
who shouted 'you lie' Wilson Voted To Provide Taxpayer Money For Illegal Immigrants' Health Care Dems To Formally Admonish Rep. Joe Wilson For Heckling Dem Sen. Max Baucus Caves To "You Lie!" Congressman On Health Care Bill PolitiFact: Wilson's Attack On Obama "False" Dem Leaders Renew Push For Wilson Censure... Poll: Should Congress Punish Him? MORE: GOP Rep. John Shimkus Walked Out Of Obama's Speech California's Real Death Panels" - Data Reveals California's Private Insurers Deny 21% of Claims Was Wilson Right About Illegal Immigrants? Analysts Say 'No' Waxman Takes on Drug Makers Over Medicare A congressman’s plan to save Medicare billions could cost the drug industry. Canada health care _ a brief history Healthcare Bill Would Reduce Abortion Defense Spending New Contractor Revelations: Fraud, Schemes, Prostitution Senate panel OKs $128 billion for wars CIA Works to Limit Number of Contractors Government contractors are key (and controversial) players inside the world of intelligence. GITMO/Bahgram/CIA-Blacksites Attorney General Holder Decides Not To Charge Former Bush Justice Department Official Attorney General Eric Holder has decided not to bring any criminal charges against a former Bush administration official who lawmakers said lied to them in sworn testimony. An inspector general's report found that Bradley Schlozman, the former head of the civil rights division, misled lawmakers about whether he politicized hiring decisions. 'MI5 agent left me alone with gun', says Guantánamo terror detainee Spanish judges press AG Holder Want details on Bush torture lawyers for probes -- will Holder oblige? Judge chides CIA in secrets case A federal judge says the CIA is hiding behind dubious national security arguments to shield itself from a potentially embarrassing lawsuit.... First Guantánamo Uighurs agree to go to Palau 9/11 lawyers ask civilian court to stop war court With the fate of the Guantanamo war court still uncertain, U.S. military defense lawyers Thursday asked a civilian court to halt Pentagon plans to hold a week-long sanity hearing for an accused 9/11 conspirator later this month at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba. CIA Report Leaves Much To The Imagination While the report offers up the largest public disclosure of CIA methods and tactics since the Iran-Contra hearings, some 36 pages were partially redacted and another 30 were completely blacked out. That leads some people to ask whether the missing sections could be covering up abuses the public hasn't even heard about yet. CIA in human experimentation row Medical ethics group says physicians monitored 'enhanced interrogation techniques' and studied their effectiveness US'S AFGHAN INMATES get new rights.
Did the Defense Department
Stop Reporting Deaths of Detainees in U.S.
Custody?
Lobbying
Appeals Court Rules Again NAM in
Disclosure Lawsuit The National
Association of Manufacturers is
considering its next step after a
three-judge appeals court panel
upheld a provision Tuesday in the
lobbying law that requires trade
associations to disclose members who
contribute to its federal lobbying
activities.\NAM
to Launch Ad Campaign Against
Employee Free Choice Act
Groups Call for Congressional
Hearing on Forged Cap-and-Trade
Letters
Stimulus US stimulus 'creates 1.1m jobs' Panel Sees U.S. Losing Billions On Auto Bailout Taxpayers face losses on a significant portion of the $81 billion in government aid provided to the auto industry, says the Congressional Oversight Panel. Most of the $23 billion initially provided to General Motors and Chrysler late last year is unlikely to be repaid, the panel says. NYS Misuses Stimulus Funds Unplugged Exclusive:" Sharyl Attkisson spoke with Monroe Co. Commissioner of Human Services Kelly Reed about widespread problems with New York's stimulus program. U.S. government nervous about stimulus fraud, scams Treasury/Federal Reserve/Bailouts/SEC/IRS U.S. probes AIG executives-law enforcement source (for securities fraud) US to soon start buying 'toxic assets' Program will be smaller due to 'improved health of financial institutions.'
Billions After Bad" - One Year After Wall Street Bailout, Pulitzer
Winners Barlett and Steele Investigate Where All the Money Went
Bank Of America Seeks To Repay Some
Of Its Bailout
Administration's Mortgage Relief
Program Growing The Treasury
Department has begun releasing a
monthly foreclosure report card for
the nation's major banks. It tracks
how they're implementing President
Obama's "Making Home Affordable"
plan. The latest report card shows
that lenders have lowered loan
payments for more than 360,000
people.
Subprime Lenders at the Head of the
Line for Federal Subsidies As
the government spends heavily to
fight home foreclosures, some of the
biggest beneficiaries will be banks
that created the subprime mortgages |
| Economy | Click for Economic Statistics |
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Bankruptcy filings up 22% in August vs. last year Labor Day and the low-wage future Pre-crisis forecast from Dept. of Labor shows a US economy structurally inclined toward low wages US ex-bank chief warns of new crash Former US central bank chief Alan Greenspan tells the BBC the global economy will experience another crash in the future. U.S. may ban imports of Samsung LCDs Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea, the world's largest maker of liquid-crystal display televisions, may be barred from selling TVs and computer monitors in the U.S. after losing a patent case filed by Japanese rival Sharp Corp. Trade deficit jumps to highest level in 6 months U.S. no longer most competitive economy The United States has lost its place as the world's most competitive economy, mainly because of the financial crisis and accumulated fiscal deficits, according to a survey. 'E-Verify' Screening Rules Kick In For Contractors Beginning Tuesday, federal contractors will be required to use an online security system to check whether employees are eligible to work in the U.S. Proponents of E-Verify say it's faster and more accurate than older methods, while critics say it costs time and money — and stolen identities can slip through the cracks. The Card Game: Overspending on Debit Cards Is a Boon for Banks Banks pitched debit cards as a convenience, and a growing number allowed consumers to exceed their balances — for a price. Signs of an Upswing in Merger Activity Economist: U.S. won't tolerate a 'Lost Decade'
The
long-simmering problems that boiled
over into a global financial crisis
last September require a strong
government hand in the workings of
the U.S. economy and financial
system, according to economist and
author James K. Galbraith.
Volunteering Waning in Recession, Report Says Child, forced labor behind many products: study Children and forced laborers are mining gold, sewing clothing and harvesting cocoa around the world, and India is the source for the biggest number of products made by these workers, a U.S. government report said on Thursday.
Living Through a Recession Can Have
Lasting Impact on the Young A
new study finds that young people
emerge from deep recessions with
changed views on government and a
shaken work ethic |
Poor in US at
39 million
US consumer debt in record fall US consumers slash their borrowing by a record amount as uncertainty about an economic recovery hits home. Oil price up before Opec meeting Oil shoots above $71 a barrel on weak dollar Finally, Americans are saving. For retailers, that's disaster Americans are getting poorer, and it's going to get worse The early impact of the worst recession since the 1930s pushed median incomes down, forced millions more people into poverty and left more Americans without health care in 2008, according to new annual survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 11-year high GM to offer money-back guaranteeUnemployment Rises Everywhere. El Centro, Calif., Hits 30.2 Percent Timeline: A Year Of Financial Crisis Many Low-Wage Workers Denied Pay A new report on low-wage workers found that more than two-thirds were paid less than what they were legally owed for the work they did. The report, from the National Employment Law Project, is based on a survey of more than 4,000 workers in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. A.I.G. Selling Asset Management Unit for $500 Million American International Group said Saturday it reached a deal to sell a portion of the unit to a Hong Kong-based investment firm. Toyota to cut capacity to match sales: source Bailed Out Banks Are Betting Big--Again China to Probe Alleged ‘Dumping’ of U.S. Products China announced a probe into the alleged dumping of American auto and chicken products, two days after U.S. President Barack Obama imposed tariffs on imports of tires from the Asian nation Stiglitz Says Banking Problems Are Now Bigger Than Pre-Lehman Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize- winning economist, said the U.S. has failed to fix the underlying problems of its banking system after the credit crunch and the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc |
| Iraq | Map of Iraq |
|
Bomb kills 20, flattens houses in Iraqi Kurdish village....Ten
police officers killed in northern Iraq bombing Tuesday: 4 US Soldiers, 17 Iraqis Killed, 46 Iraqis Wounded....Wednesday: 44 Iraqis Killed, 61 Wounded US troops killed in Iraq bombings Pat Tillman Thought Iraq "Was A Mistake... Was Going To Be A Disaster" Tillman shared his feelings in a journal entry dated March 13, 2003. "If Kevin and I are part of a situation where we must fight, every bit of my soul knows we will fight as hard as anyone ever has," he wrote. "We will not question the reasons for our being here or allow any personal beliefs to interfere with our job. My hope is that decisions are being made with the same good faith that Kevin and I aim to display. ... I hope [this war is about] more than oil, money & power. ... I doubt that it is." 2 Iraqis slain in Baghdad raid by U.S.-backed security forces The U.S. military says the Iraqi unit came under fire and shot back in self-defense. Relatives and other witnesses say troops forced their way into a home and killed innocent civilians. |
Federal Prosecutors
Say Blackwater
‘Specifically
Intended to Kill’
Civilians
Iraqi Intelligence arrests 18 terrorist nets
Saadiya District Chief Survives Assassination Attempt The director of al-Saadiya district escaped an attempt on his life while heading for his work on Thursday, according to a source from the Diala police department.
Kurds Criticize
Census Postponement
Kurdish politicians
have accused the
central government
of postponing a
nationwide census in
order to avoid
acknowledging the
numerical supremacy
of Kurds in disputed
territories.
Security walls
return to Baghdad
after series of
bombings
|
| Middle East | Map of the Middle East |
|
Yemen Yemen denies truce ever made President says Zaidi fighters never accepted conditions for halting government offensive. Yemen launches fresh assault on Shiite rebels Yemeni tribes kidnap Russian doctor Yemeni 12-year-old dies in labor A 12-year-old Yemeni child-bride died after struggling for three days in labor to give birth, a local human rights organization said Saturday. Isreal Israeli Government Ads Warn Against Marrying Non-Jews Israel has launched an advertising campaign urging Israelis to inform on Jewish friends and relatives abroad who may be in danger of marrying non-Jews. Netanyahu mystery trip sets off flap in Israel Benjamin Netanyahu dropped out of sight for most of a day this week, a mysterious absence that has set off feverish speculation about what the Israeli leader was up to -- and accusations he lied to cover up a clandestine trip to Moscow. Plot thickens over Israeli PM's secret trip The plot thickened over a secret trip by Israel's PM, as his office admitted it had misled about his whereabouts but stopped short of denying reports he had stolen away to Russia. Israel retaliates, shells Lebanon after rocket fire UN caught in Gaza dispute over study of Holocaust Gaza students won't learn about the Holocaust this year. Angry protests by Palestinians have disrupted tentative plans to introduce information about the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews into the curriculum in U.N. schools. High Court orders demolition of illegal Palestinian houses After first-time decision, right-wing movement vows to file more petitions over "illegal construction and Palestinian outposts in Judea and Samaria." 2 Arabs shot by Jewish gunman in Jerusalem Iran condemns "massacre of civilians" in Afghanistan by NATO forces Spain supports Palestinian statehood on 1967 borders Israel Timeline: The Long Way Home Turkey 29 years after Sept. 12, Turkey still mired in post-coup atmosphereDespite the passing of 29 years since the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) took power in a coup d'état, Turkey has yet to shake the post-coup atmosphere and its negative effects. Security officials say PKK plans terrorist acts against democratic initiative Turkish security officials have stated that the urban arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is planning to carry out various acts of terrorism until their jailed leader's proposal on a structural solution to the long-standing Kurdish question is revealed. |
Iran
Iran Judiciary authority closes down Karoubi office Tehran general prosecutor ordered closed down the office of defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi. Judiciary officials entered Karoubi's office in northern Tehran and told him and others inside to leave, Esmail Gerami-Moghaddam, a spokesman for Karoubi's party said adding that documents Iran's Khamenei warns opposition in sermon Iran's supreme leader says those who "confront the principles of the Islamic system" will be punished. US rejects Iran nuclear proposals Iran Panel Says Charges of Prisoner Rape Are False 'Show' Trials Not Playing Well With Iranian Public? Purge of Iranian Universities Is Feared Recent speeches by Iranian leaders have stoked fears that the government will purge universities of professors and curriculums deemed “un-Islamic.” TV drama gains Islamic approval as 'Lost-mania' grips Iran Its melodramatic, twisting plot and apocalyptic overtones were tailor-made for western audiences. Now Lost, the US television series about plane crash survivors stuck on a remote island, is to be put on commercial release in Iran following soaring sales of pirated black-market DVDs. US to Accept Iran's Proposal to Hold Face-to-Face Talks Iran Set To Allow First Transsexual Marriage Son of Iran candidate ally died after beating: report Putin: Russia opposes force, sanctions on Iran
First Iranian
film shot in US
since 1979 gets
under way
Iran anoints
anti-Jewish bomb
suspect as
defence
secretary
The Iranian
parliament is
expected to
approve today
the nomination
for defence
secretary of a
man wanted in
connection with
the murder of 85
people at a
Jewish centre in
Argentina. Lebanon Lebanese PM-designate bows out of forming govt Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri says he is abandoning efforts to form a new government after the Hezbollah-led parliament minority rejected his list for a national unity Cabinet. Hezbollah denies bankruptcy link Lebanon's Hezbollah movement denies any role in the bankruptcy of a prominent businessman from the same sect |
| Afghanistan | Map of Afghanistan |
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No More Booze at Afghan War Headquarters Taliban Has Returned To Most Of Afghanistan: Think Tank Pentagon to OK more troops for Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to approve sending thousands of additional forces to Afghanistan to deal with the growing threat from roadside bombs, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Friday. ArmorGroup Security Firm Cut Corners At U.S. Embassy In Afghanistan US Forces Raid Afghan Drug Compound With Ties to Taliban Senator Calls for More Afghan Forces, Not US Troops 5 US troops among 50 killed in Afghan violence The Oily Road to 9/11 As it turns out, the US war plan was in the works months before the 9/11 attacks. And, like the two Gulf Wars, the rationale was also, if not mainly, rooted in a struggle over access to oil and gas, in this case huge finds in the Caspian Sea Basin. What looked at the time like justified retaliation was, in essence, the first resource war of the 21st century. McChrystal: No Major Al-Qaeda Signs In Afghanistan
Gun Prices Soar After Afghanistan's Election
NATO air strike a "major error": Afghan president A NATO air strike believed to have killed scores of Afghan civilians was a major "error of judgment" by German forces, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview published on Monday. Abdullah: Afghan vote "state-engineered" fraud The top challenger to President Hamid Karzai told The Associated Press on Thursday that the scale of cheating in Afghanistan's Aug. 20 election is only now becoming clear, and that he expects enough fraudulent Karzai votes to be thrown out to trigger a runoff. Is Afghan Gov't Coming to Aid of Bombers? 3 Arrested in Bombing That Killed Soldier, Wounded CBS Reporter But Suspect May Have Ties to Afghan Defense Ministry |
Texas Couple Gave $16,000 To GOP While Defrauding Afghanistan
Reconstruction US monitors: Afghan turnout numbers too high 5 U.S. troops killed in Afghan violence Prosecutor Looking Into War Crimes In Afghanistan Luis Moreno Ocampo said he is collecting information for the International Criminal Court in The Hague about alleged crimes by both the Taliban and NATO forces. Taliban fighters have been accused of many brutal killings. U.S. forces have been accused of using excessive force and torturing prisoners. Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Company Kept Kabul Security Contract Despite Record A review of documents reveals that the State Department had long known of complaints about ArmorGroup, the contractor chosen to protect its embassy in Kabul. Accused of Drug Ties, Afghan Official Worries U.S. The challenges posed by corruption in Afghanistan are revealed in President Hamid Karzai’s running mate. U.S. helicopter accidentally dumps Afghan ballot boxes A U.S. military helicopter carrying ballot boxes packed with votes from last week's Afghan election accidentally dumped some of them somewhere over the rugged mountains of Nuristan, officials said on Wednesday. U.S. arms dealer pleads guilty in Afghan weapons case A U.S. arms dealer who illegally supplied Chinese-made ammunition to Afghanistan under a Pentagon contract pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge and the U.S. government dropped 84 other counts, court documents said. U.S. leads world in foreign weapons sales: report Dozens of Taliban killed after 3 U.S. deaths |
| Pakistan | Map of Pakistan |
|
Top Taliban arrested in
Pakistan
Pakistani Taliban attack
Shiite children
Officials say the Sunni
militants have attacked
the minority sect as
part of their strategy.
Four children were
targeted as they headed
to school.
Pakistani forces arrest
7 militants linked to
Al-Qaeda, extremist
groups
Three Indian 'spies'
released from Pakistan
jails seek compensation
Sharif calls for
Musharraf's trial
Pakistan opposition
party chief Sharif
Monday reiterated to
struggle for trial of
former president Pervez
Musharraf, local TV
channel reported.
Al-Qaida: Tales from Bin
Laden's volunteers
Eight years after the
attack on New York,
intelligence reports
from captured western
recruits suggest the
terror network is
weakening |
5 senior Taliban leaders arrested Swede held in Pakistan with possible terror links We’re not obliged to arrest Saeed: Pak Pakistan has said it is "not obliged" to immediately arrest Lashker-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed even if an Interpol Red Corner notice has been issued against him and claimed that evidence provided by India in three dossiers were "not sufficient" to link him to the 26/11 attacks. Taliban announces surrender in Swat Valley after leader Maulana Fazlullah 'arrested' Rashid Rauf: missing 'mastermind' of the airline bomb plot Pakistani officials say Rauf escaped and was later killed, but reports of appalling torture leave relatives sceptical about his fate |
| North&South Asia | Map of Asia |
|
US firm in China solar mega-deal US energy group First Solar has signed a preliminary deal to build the world's biggest solar power plant in China.
Chinese Solar Plant Could Be World's Biggest
Agent Orange talks begin in Hanoi Vietnamese and US officials discuss ways to help those affected by deadly herbicide. Kyrgyz leader Bakiyev praises regional role of US air base Australian police investigate 1975 East Timor killings Australia has opened a war crimes investigation into the 1975 killing of five Australian-based journalists during an attack by Indonesian forces in East Timor. |
Gas firms 'prop up Burma's junta' The
energy giants Total and Chevron are accused
of propping up Burma's regime through their
gas projects.
Kashmir activist discovered dead Three killed in Kashmir fighting Dioxin levels high in Vietnam near US base |
| Europe | Map of Europe |
|
Call for caps on bankers' bonuses Britain, France and
Germany to demand curbs on bankers' bonuses, EU at odds whether the
downturn is over Putin may reclaim Russian presidency Hints he may take job back in 2012 when Medvedev's term ends. N. Ireland's last armed militias to give up weapons France to introduce carbon tax in 2010 budget The Muslims Who Saved The Jews Host Liane Hansen speaks with photographer Norman Gershman about his book Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews in World War II, which is also the subject of a documentary called God's House. Greshman spent five years collecting stories of Albanian Muslims who harbored Jewish refugees during World War II. Judge Says Trial of Bosnian Serb Leader Must Start in October Pot for locals only: Dutch aim to end drug tourism TV channel plans UK's first live election debate Prime Minister Gordon Brown is weighing an invitation to debate with his two main rivals on live television - a first for Britain where leaders have resisted the sort of debates that can make or break election campaigns in countries like the U.S. and Australia. |
Five Armenian soldiers are shot dead in a ceasefire violation near the
disputed Nagorno Karabakh region, Azeri
media say.
Muslim woman presses French panel for burqa ban Chavez recognises Georgian breakaway regions Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has officially recognised the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent, during a visit to Russia. Georgia has dismissed the declaration as irrelevant.
U.K.
Official Says Oil
Was Part Of
Lockerbie Talks
Trade and oil
considerations
played a major role
in the decision to
include the
Lockerbie bomber in
a prisoner transfer
agreement between
Britain and Libya, a
senior British
official said in an
interview published
Saturday.
REVEALED: BRITISH SAS TRAINING LIBYAN TROOPS Chechen forces kill Moscow-bound suicide bomber suspects Police find huge bomb on Irish border Berlusconi admits suspected pimp brought women to his home Europe fears winter energy crisis as Russia tightens grip on oil supplies |
| Map of Africa | |
|
Firms reap Somali piracy profits Companies
providing maritime security "earning millions" from
business it generates.
South African Sprinter Has Both Male And Female Organs, Tests Reveal Liberia arrests 6 Pakistanis at airport Liberia's defense minister says police have arrested six Pakistani men who tried to enter Liberia on fake U.S. passports with possible intent to carry out terrorism. |
African MPs Cheer Lockerbie Bomber
Pirate-plagued Somalia trains 500 navy recruits Somali pirates demand $20 mln for Turkish ship European 'mercenaries' face Congo death penalty Verdict expected this week in case of two Norwegians accused of murder and spying in Democratic Republic of Congo |
| The Americas | Map of North America and South America |
|
Uruguay allows
same-sex adoption
Uruguay becomes the
first Latin American
country to allow
same sex couples to
adopt children as a
controversial bill
passes.
Retired gen. detained in Colombia massacre probe CHILE’S SEPT. 11 COUP ANNIVERSARY CONTINUES TO INCITE VIOLENCE, PROTESTS More Seizures, but Decertification by US Seizures of illegal drugs in transit through Venezuela are on the rise, and the country maintains "working cooperation" with the United States in the fight against trafficking. But for all its pains, it has been decertified by the U.S., which refuses to sell it equipment for military and police forces, complains Néstor Reverol, the head of the National Anti-Drug Office (ONA). Under Pressure, Ecuadorean Judge Steps Aside in Suit Against Chevron The judge, Juan Núñez, whose name was mentioned in recordings as a possible recipient in the bribery scheme, said he had handed the case over to his surrogate judge. Colombian "donkey bombs" kill drug crop eradicators Colombian leftist guerrillas exploded bombs strapped to two donkeys, killing two workers who were clearing illicit drug crops and wounding six soldiers, police said on Friday. Mexico police find over $5 million cash in cargo Mexican authorities say they have found at least $5 million hidden in a shipment of ammonium sulfate at a Pacific coast port, and are still counting the cash. Latin Americans ditch 'war on drugs' Latin Americans ditch 'war on drugs' Hugo Chávez accuses Israel of genocide Israelis 'openly exterminated' Palestinians in Gaza offensive, says Venezuelan president |
When Cocaine and Monsanto's Pesticide Collide, the War on Drugs Becomes a Genetically-Modified War on Science Monsanto and the U.S. government are dealing with unanticipated hazards of the pesticide Roundup in the South American drug war. Chavez announces purchase of Russian missiles Food crisis at emergency level in Guatemala Report: Guatemalan Army stole children Gov't report says 333 children stolen, sold overseas for adoption.
US stops Honduran leader's visa
Body with severed arms in Mexico ID'd as Texas man
7 convicted of killing Grenada leader released Seven men
convicted of killing Grenada's leader in the 1983 coup that
triggered a U.S. invasion strode out of prison on Saturday - the
last of 17 who had been sentenced for the crime
El Salvador finds boat with Bangladeshi migrants |