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Sunday, November 30, 2008
India's home minister resigns
AP – In this July 27, 2008 file photo, Indian Home Minister Shivraj
Patil poses for photographs
AP - With corpses still being pulled from a once-besieged hotel, India's top security official resigned Sunday as the government struggled under growing accusations of security failures following terror attacks that killed 174 people.
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I wonder, did he resign or was he forced out?
NO CHILD LEFT UNRECRUITED
Certainly, George Bush has left the Obama Administration much clean-up work to do. The notorious No Child Left Behind Act is such an example, and is currently up for renewal. I suspect this may likely be one of the first projects undertaken by the Obama Administration.
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Have you ever questioned how military recruiters get your address and phone number? As part of Bush’s plan to enhance America’s educational system through the No Child Left Behind Act, military recruiters now have unfettered access to students’ high school records.
This is ludicrious! The No Child Left Behind Act, certainly didn't help my
son with learning and behavioral labels that it's suppose to help. School choice
is useless when the school system won't pay for the transportation of your child
to the school of your choice! Now we find out that it not only fails children but it's a recruitment list?! I find it incomprehensible that Bush and Cheney are getting away with killing our children and Iraqi children! I feel they should be brought up on charges by a war crimes tribunal of countries all over the world. Let them stand by their decisions in a world court! I bet they won't be such staunch supporters of the Iraq war then!
Transition! The President-Elect Musical
A note to Broadway fans: Our apologies for taking liberties with the Broadway classic, "Fiddler on the Roof.")
A president in waiting...sounds crazy, no? But here in our little country of America, you might say every one of us is in waiting, looking to the future and change, hoping not to collapse into debt.
A president in waiting...sounds crazy, no? But here in our little country of America, you might say every one of us is in waiting, looking to the future and change, hoping not to collapse into debt.
Transition
What chief of staff must manage the agenda,
What chief of staff must manage the agenda,
Put a staff together, run interference,
And who has to serve master of the White House
Who has the final word of all?
The Rahmbo, the Rahmbo! Transition!
The Rahmbo, the Rahmbo! Transition!
The Rahmbo, the Rahmbo! Transition!
Who must know the way to make a secure home,
Who must know the way to make a secure home,
A border safe, a FEMA work?
Who must keep the citizens from any harm
Obama's guard against emergencies.
Janet Napolitano! Transition!
Janet Napolitano! Transition!
Janet Napolitano! Transition!
'93, she was a first lady, and then was senator.
'93, she was a first lady, and then was senator.
Clinton! Clinton! Transition!
And who does press outreach, to mend and tend and spin
And who does press outreach, to mend and tend and spin
Delivering the message, and take it on the chin?
Robert Gibbs! Robert Gibbs! Transition!
Robert Gibbs! Robert Gibbs! Transition!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Do Europeans Hate Hillary Clinton?
The debate rages as to whether or not Hillary Clinton would make a good Secretary of State for Barack Obama. Hillary's supporters tell us that part of what makes her a good fit is that the rest of the world loves her and respects her, but here's a bit of anecdotal evidence to suggest something different.
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read more | digg story
Hostages Found Dead In Mumbai Jewish Center
The number of dead from a spate of militant attacks across India's financial capital rose to 150 on Friday, after commandos who stormed the headquarters of a Jewish sect discovered the bodies of five hostages inside.
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Top 10 Ways to Make Your Black Friday A Little Less Black
By Andrea Grimes - Used to, you could sit at home with a hangover on Friday morning and look down upon the up-and-at-em family members struggling home from Target with bags in hand. Consumerists! Materialistic drones! Contributing to the oppression of the capitalist machine! Somebody hand me a Marlboro ... and a matchstick of irony.
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India sees 'external link' in Mumbai rampage
Troops battle militants after coordinated attacks kill more than 100 MUMBAI, India - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday that the attacks in Mumbai which killed more than 100 people were probably plotted by a group based in a neighboring country.
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Poverty spreading in suburbs: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Poverty in the United States is spreading from rural and inner-city areas to the suburbs, according to a study, a situation that can worsen as the economy confronts what may be a protracted recession. The study by the Federal...
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Poll: Less than half say US has liberty and justice for all
A new poll from Rasmussen Reports indicates that although Americans strongly support the saying of the Pledge of Allegience, less than half of them believe that "the United States is truly the land of liberty and justice for all." Just 46% said they would agree with that statement, while 42% disagreed.
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DA reveals evidence against Cheney, says 'don't let it die'
Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra spoke to two Texas television stations Wednesday night regarding his investigation of injustice within the prison systems which led to the indictment by a Texas grand jury of Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, along with other officials.
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FULL KRGV REPORT AT THIS LINK
FULL COPIES OF THE CHENEY INDICTMENTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT THIS LINK
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FULL KRGV REPORT AT THIS LINK
FULL COPIES OF THE CHENEY INDICTMENTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT THIS LINK
AP/NPR: Taliban could clear $500M from 2008 drug trade
The UN reports that the Taliban could clear $500M in 2008 from the opium drug trade.
The Taliban and other warlords could clear almost half a billion dollars from Afghanistan's opium trade this year — money that will help finance insurgent attacks, the U.N.'s drug czar said.
Antonio Maria Costa, head of the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime, said the Taliban also appears to be stockpiling the drug to manipulate its price, after several years in which production surpassed world demand.
Afghanistan produces over 90 percent of the world's opium, the raw ingredient for making heroin."By year end, warlords, drug lords and insurgents will have extracted almost half a billion dollars of tax revenue from drug farming, production and trafficking," Costa said in a summary of the U.N.'s annual Afghanistan opium survey, published Thursday.
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The Taliban and other warlords could clear almost half a billion dollars from Afghanistan's opium trade this year — money that will help finance insurgent attacks, the U.N.'s drug czar said.
Antonio Maria Costa, head of the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime, said the Taliban also appears to be stockpiling the drug to manipulate its price, after several years in which production surpassed world demand.
Afghanistan produces over 90 percent of the world's opium, the raw ingredient for making heroin."By year end, warlords, drug lords and insurgents will have extracted almost half a billion dollars of tax revenue from drug farming, production and trafficking," Costa said in a summary of the U.N.'s annual Afghanistan opium survey, published Thursday.
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Economy Meltdown-Paul Krugman:" Lest we forget".
Paul Krugman was at a meeting with other economists a while back, and one of them asked: " Why didn't we see this coming?" ( talking about the financial meltdown). Well Paul Krugman saw it coming a long time ago...and this why.
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Thousands of Iraqis Protest U.S. Security Pact
By Wisam Mohammed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 12 people in an Iraqi mosque on Friday while thousands of followers of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr demonstrated in Baghdad after parliament passed a pact allowing U.S....
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Long Islanders Fatally Stampede Over Walmart Worker
A worker died after being trampled and a woman miscarried when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island Wal-Mart Friday morning, witnesses said.
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2,700-year-old marijuana found in Chinese tomb
OTTAWA – Researchers say they have located the world's oldest stash of marijuana, in a tomb in a remote part of China. The cache of cannabis is about 2,700 years old and was clearly ``cultivated for psychoactive purposes," rather than as fibre for clothing or as food, says a research paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.
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Thursday, November 27, 2008
Obama's torture dilemma | PRI
Another issue facing the incoming Obama Administration is what to do about Bush Administration interrogation policies and whether to investigate alleged abuses. One option is a truth commission. The World's Jeb Sharp reports.
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Jesuits use Suffering & Fear to Grow Ecumenicalism in India
An article which exposes False Christianity, Ecumenical Catholic Pagan Infiltrating Systems which are using Fear and Suffering in India to further their cause for a One World Catholic Ecumenical Church disguised as Protestantism, Pure Christianity.
NEW DELHI (UCAN) -- The violence and suffering the Indian Church
underwent recently did not discourage it, and in fact has only strengthened it,
says the newly elected head of the Church of North India (CNI).On Oct. 20, the CNI synod, the supreme decision-making body of
the Protestant Church, elected 59-year-old Bishop Purely Lyngdoh of North East
India as its moderator, or top official, for a three-year term. His diocese
covers seven states. The united Church was formed in 1970 through the merger of
six independent Protestant Churches and denominations.
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AP/NPR- Raul Castro to Sean Penn: He'd Meet Obama at Gitmo
Raul Castro told actor Sean Penn that he would be willing to meet President-elect Obama at Guantanamo.
HAVANA November 27, 2008, 02:49 am ET · Cuban President Raul Castro said in an interview released Wednesday that he would like to meet President-elect Barack Obama on "neutral ground" — and he suggested the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
The Cuban leader's offer came in a rare interview in Havana with actor-director Sean Penn, who wrote about it for the Dec. 15 edition of The Nation magazine. The article was released on the magazine's Web site Wednesday.
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HAVANA November 27, 2008, 02:49 am ET · Cuban President Raul Castro said in an interview released Wednesday that he would like to meet President-elect Barack Obama on "neutral ground" — and he suggested the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
The Cuban leader's offer came in a rare interview in Havana with actor-director Sean Penn, who wrote about it for the Dec. 15 edition of The Nation magazine. The article was released on the magazine's Web site Wednesday.
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Russia and Venezuala Sign Nuclear Deal in Show of Defiance.
Russia's president Medvedev and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez just signed a nuclear development deal to help Venezuela set up a civilian nuclear energy program.
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Iraq Approves U.S. Security Pact
The Iraqi parliament passes a security pact that allows American troops to stay in the region for an additional three years. The accord was endorsed after the ruling coalition reached an understanding on a separate measure with opposition lawmakers.
Cleric Al-Sadr is opposed to the pact, what will be Al-Sadr reaction remain a big question.
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Cleric Al-Sadr is opposed to the pact, what will be Al-Sadr reaction remain a big question.
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Mumbai Attack: India's Singh Blames Pakistan as Battle Rages
By Charlotte Cooper, MUMBAI (Reuters) - Elite Indian commandos fought room-to-room battles with Islamist militants inside two luxury hotels to save scores of people trapped or taken hostage, as the country's prime minister blamed neighboring...
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Most Amazing Snow Sculptures (PICS)
Some people make a snowman while others make real pieces of art from the same material.
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The 5 Most Insane Versions of Thanksgiving Around the World
We'll stick to eating turkey and napping, thanks...
We all know and love Thanksgiving, our happy way to celebrate the subjugation and destruction of a race of indigenous peoples via eating turkey and mashed potatoes. But underneath all the stories, Thanksgiving is just America's own brand of weird brand of harvest holiday.
And, just in case you thought we were the only peoples world wide who enjoyed such things, behold the other, much more awesome harvest fests that our international friends enjoy, like...
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We all know and love Thanksgiving, our happy way to celebrate the subjugation and destruction of a race of indigenous peoples via eating turkey and mashed potatoes. But underneath all the stories, Thanksgiving is just America's own brand of weird brand of harvest holiday.
And, just in case you thought we were the only peoples world wide who enjoyed such things, behold the other, much more awesome harvest fests that our international friends enjoy, like...
read more digg story
10 Memorable Thanksgiving Snapshots Of U.S. Presidents
On every Thanksgiving, the U.S. President pardons a turkey that is to be selected as the National Thanksgiving Turkey. This tradition roots back to the days of Honest Abe Lincoln.
The tradition supposedly started when Abe Lincoln’s son became friends with a turkey that was supposed to be dinner. Lincoln’s son convinced him to spare it.
My personal favorite;
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Authorities Warn of Terror Plotting Against New York
Federal authorities warned law enforcement personnel of a possible terror plot against the New York City subway and train systems during the holiday season.
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Dozens of People Killed in Mumbai Attacks
More than 75 people were killed in attacks in Mumbai, and gunmen were believed to have taken hostages in two of the area's most popular hotels for business travelers and tourists.
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AP/NPR:Official- Obama Asks Gates to Stay at the Pentagon.
Obama asks Gates to stay at Pentagon. This poor decision will alienate Obama's core supporters: The progressives and Liberal Democrats.
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Obama, Ask the Kremlin about Gates
Nearly 16 years ago, during the last transition from a President Bush to a Democrat, Moscow made an extraordinary gesture to Washington: The Kremlin supplied a summary of its intelligence information about secret U.S.-Iranian contacts in the 1980s.In Moscow’s files as part of a task force investigation into whether the Reagan-Bush campaign in 1980 had interfered with President Jimmy Carter’s bid to free 52 American hostages then held in Iran.
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Left Out of the Bailout: The Poor
Signs of the recession's impact on America's impoverished are increasingly apparent, Greenstein said, pointing to a dramatic rise in food stamp caseloads in recent months. The number of people using food stamps has risen 9.6%, or roughly 2.6 million people, between August 2007 and August 2008, the last period for which data are available.
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Americans' Food Stamp Use Nears All-Time High
Fueled by rising unemployment and food prices, the number of Americans on food stamps is poised to exceed 30 million for the first time this month, surpassing the historic high set in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina
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Leading Russian Analyst Predicts DECLINE & BREAKUP of USA
A leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for collapse, and will divide into six separate parts. The Pacific coast, the South, Texas, the Atlantic coast, the Central states, and the North.
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Asked why he expected the U.S. to break up into separate parts, he said: "A
whole range of reasons.
Firstly, the financial problems in the U.S. will get worse. Millions of
citizens there have lost their savings. Prices and unemployment are on the rise.
General Motors and Ford are on the verge of collapse, and this means that whole
cities will be left without work. Governors are already insistently demanding
money from the federal center. Dissatisfaction is growing, and at the moment it
is only being held back by the elections and the hope that Obama can work
miracles. But by spring, it will be clear that there are no miracles." He also
cited the "vulnerable political setup", "lack of unified national laws", and
"divisions among the elite, which have become clear in these crisis conditions."
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IRONY: Ann Coulter's Mouth Wired Shut
Although we didn't think it would be possible to silence Ann Coulter, the leggy reactionary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut
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Saturday, November 22, 2008
Poll: Public's Loathing of the GOP Hits All Time High
In the latest Gallup poll, Americans' antipathy for the GOP has increased yet again, with only 34% saying they view the GOP favorably and 61% saying they view the GOP unfavorably, "the highest Gallup has recorded for that party since the measure was established in 1992."
Maddow Fails to Question Huckabee On His Anti-Gay Remarks
by Ali Frick, Think Progress
When contacted by ThinkProgress, Rachel Maddow explained her reasons for avoiding the subject of gay rights with Huckabee.
Since Prop. 8's passage in California, which revoked same-sex couples' right to marry, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has been a powerful outspoken advocate of the rights of gay citizens. "The amendment does not just prohibit gay rights. It takes away rights previously enjoyed," she said. She has also called the vote a "rebuke to the incumbent rights of gay couples." Watch a mashup:
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When contacted by ThinkProgress, Rachel Maddow explained her reasons for avoiding the subject of gay rights with Huckabee.
Since Prop. 8's passage in California, which revoked same-sex couples' right to marry, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has been a powerful outspoken advocate of the rights of gay citizens. "The amendment does not just prohibit gay rights. It takes away rights previously enjoyed," she said. She has also called the vote a "rebuke to the incumbent rights of gay couples." Watch a mashup:
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The Debate about the Iraq-U.S. Security Pact.
Public Radio International reports on the deal. The agreement ( approved by the Iraqi Cabinet) makes the US invasion legal until 2011. It would put American troops and US contractors under Iraqi laws, and the US couldn't attack Syria or Iran from Iraq. Bush is secretive,with Congress, about the deal. More importantly,Al-Sadr do not want the pact.
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Friday, November 21, 2008
Say No to Robert Gates for Defense Secretary
According to the pundits, President-elect Obama is seriously considering keeping Robert Gates as Defense Secretary. 
Dear Activist, 
RAYMONDVILLE, Texas — A Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a federal detention center.
Cheney, Gonzales and the others will not be arrested, and do not need to appear in person..
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Pamela Anderson wants marijuana to be legalised.
The former 'Baywatch' star has written an open letter to US President-elect Barack Obama, outlining ways to make the country better.
Pamela believes cultivating the illegal substance would "save children" and help the environment.
She wrote on her official blog: "I think we should legalise marijuana, tax and monitor - farm hemp etc. This would make our borders less corrupt and then I think eventually this will be a more secure option and save children in the long run - we should be able to farm hemp in America - it's just silly. It would create jobs and be good for the environment."
Pamela also controversially suggests anyone found guilty of molesting children or possessing child pornography, should be castrated for their crimes.
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Pictures that will move your heart. Click on the "read more" link to see the rest.
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With a recession in sight, the case for legalizing marijuana and taxing it for government revenue seems more practical than ever.
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(CNN) -- A United Nations aid agency whose supply lines have been cut off couldn't help Gaza residents seeking humanitarian assistance Saturday, U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness said.
Because of rocket attacks and other clashes, Israel sealed its border with Gaza on November 5, rendering the U.N. Relief and Works Agency unable to replenish storage facilities. They ran out on Friday.
"We have run out of food. Our warehouses are empty," UNRWA Director John Ging told CNN on Friday.
It was not immediately clear how many people were turned away Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the Israeli government considers the rocket attacks from Gaza "a fundamental and blunt violation of the understandings that led to the calm," according to a written statement on Friday.
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Secretary Gates advocates an open-ended engagement in Iraq, contrary to Obama's plan to bring our troops home in 16 months. Secretary Gates also advocates a new generation of nuclear weapons, even though Congress has repeatedly cut funds for these programs.
Bob Fertik
The Obama transition team is thinking of letting Bush's Defense Secretary keep his job. Click here to tell them that you oppose this plan. |
What will change really look like?
We'll know when we see those faces around the table at that first cabinet meeting.
I'm sure you've heard the rumor mills churning: There are exciting names being floated alongside some downright disturbing rumors. Bush's Defense Secretary Robert Gates, an Iraq war loyalist and a hawk on nuclear weapons, is being talked about as a possible Obama Defense Secretary. In the last two weeks, this rumor has morphed from a trial balloon to something more likely.
The peace movement helped elect Obama president, and we need your help now to see this chance for change through. Tell Obama's transition team that it's too risky to put Obama's Iraq withdrawal plan in Gates's hands by clicking here.
During the campaign, Obama drove home that this era's signature test of foreign policy judgment was whether or not you supported the invasion of Iraq. Gates failed that test. Gates has also been vocally opposed to Obama's withdrawal plan. It takes a vivid imagination to picture Gates implementing and successfully defending a timeline for troop withdrawal.
I'm also very concerned about Gates' positions on arms control – especially nuclear weapons. At a time when people like Henry Kissinger and George Shultz are calling for steps towards a nuclear weapons free world, Gates has been calling for a new generation of nuclear weapons.
We can be sure the Obama team is under pressure to dial back plans to withdraw from Iraq. That is why your voice, right now, is so important. The best time for you and I to impact the appointments process is now, not after the President-elect makes his nominations public, so please send the Obama team your message right now.
I am truly hopeful about the potential for change that a new president embodies. And at Peace Action West we will do our part to make sure the momentum for a better, wiser and more just foreign policy keeps going. So I'm asking you to join us in celebrating the country's current sprit of hope through continuing to speak out for change. Please send a message today to the President-elect's transition team, and remind them that voters want fresh leadership at the Pentagon here.
Thank you,
The list of the Governments that have persecuted journalists
by Glenn Greenwald - The Washington Post hails those reporters who face grave danger from the Taliban and the Governments of Cuba, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and the U.S.
The Washington Post Editorial Page today hails the courage of six journalists who have faced down persecution and grave danger in their line of work and who, consequently, are this week receiving the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists:
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The Washington Post Editorial Page today hails the courage of six journalists who have faced down persecution and grave danger in their line of work and who, consequently, are this week receiving the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists:
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Is it OK to be liberal again, instead of progressive?
I'm so glad Michael Lind wrote this. I feel exactly the same way. Everyone was walking around hating on me for being a "bleeding heart liberal". My response to their ignorance and stupidity was typically a shrug of the shoulders, *sigh*, and then I would respond with something like, "I don't understand what is wrong with caring about people!"
Lately (since Nov.4th) several of my middle of the road friends have started proclaiming their new found liberalness. I just sit back and smile. I love it.
Lately (since Nov.4th) several of my middle of the road friends have started proclaiming their new found liberalness. I just sit back and smile. I love it.
"Come out of the closet, liberals. Stop using the fashionable euphemism "progressive" and relaunch the old, tarnished L-word."
By Michael Lind @ Salon.com - Nov. 21, 2008
By Michael Lind @ Salon.com - Nov. 21, 2008
If the conservative era is over, can liberals come out of their defensive crouch and call themselves liberals again, instead of progressives?
In the last two decades, Democratic politicians, including Barack Obama, have abandoned the term "liberal" for "progressive." The theory was that Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush -- and Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Pat Buchanan -- had succeeded in equating "liberal" in the public mind with weakness on defense, softness on crime, and "redistribution" of Joe the Plumber's hard-earned money to the collective bogey evoked by a former Texas rock band's clever name: Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers on Dope.
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In the last two decades, Democratic politicians, including Barack Obama, have abandoned the term "liberal" for "progressive." The theory was that Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush -- and Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Pat Buchanan -- had succeeded in equating "liberal" in the public mind with weakness on defense, softness on crime, and "redistribution" of Joe the Plumber's hard-earned money to the collective bogey evoked by a former Texas rock band's clever name: Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers on Dope.
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Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon
Experts said that the milestone was mostly symbolic, and that Iran was not likely to risk a “nuclear breakout” yet.
Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors. The figures detailing Iran’s progress were contained in a routine update on Wednesday from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been conducting inspections of the country’s main nuclear plant at Natanz. The report concluded that as of early this month, Iran had made 630 kilograms, or about 1,390 pounds, of low-enriched uranium.
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Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors. The figures detailing Iran’s progress were contained in a routine update on Wednesday from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been conducting inspections of the country’s main nuclear plant at Natanz. The report concluded that as of early this month, Iran had made 630 kilograms, or about 1,390 pounds, of low-enriched uranium.
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Judge Orders Five Detainees Freed From Guantánamo
In an important test of the Bush administration’s detention policies, a federal judge ruled that five Guantánamo Bay prisoners are not being lawfully held.
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Auto bailout is for the workers, not the corporate fatcats
Congressional Democrats just announced that they want auto-industry leaders to present them with a plan before they proceed with any vote on an auto-industry bailout bill.
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Would-be appointees quizzed on guns - Jonathan Martin
President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team is asking potential appointees detailed questions about gun ownership, and firearms advocates aren’t happy about it. The National Rifle Association has denounced the move, which has already led one Republican senator to consider legislation aimed at ensuring a president can’t use an applicant’s gun
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Putting the Constitution Back Together Again
By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From the Cartoonist Group.
Putting the Constitution Back Together Again
Technorati Tags: Mike Luckovich,Cartoonist Group,editorial cartoons,political cartoons,political satire,satire
Doesn't Matter Who Your Parents are...
Cool graphic showing that it doesn't matter who your parents are, it just matters that they love you!
Pakistan summons US ambassador over drone attacks.
The attacks ordered by the Bush administration using drone aircrafts are almost a daily event since the last 8 weeks. It is not only counterproductive, but also in clear violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. Pakistan will not tolerate it for much longer.
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Coleman's Lead Over Franken Shrinks To 174 Votes
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: The Great Minnesota Recount kicked off Wednesday with masses of volunteers for Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken moving into a fresh phase of the struggle: eyeballing the first of 2.9 million ballots, ready to pounce on anything that looked questionable.
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Gay Marriage Legalized in Nepal
The Nepalese Supreme Court on Monday delivered full judgment regarding a ground-breaking verdict it had announced last year, recognising sexual minorities, who were among the most oppressed in conservative, patriarchal Nepali society, as being born such and entitled to all the rights and remedies all other Nepali citizens enjoyed.
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World Leaders Don't Shake Bush's Hand At G20 Summit (VIDEO)
Whether the President is being rejected by the world leaders or he is rejecting them, CNN's Rick Sanchez aptly says that Bush looks like "the most unpopular kid in high school that nobody liked."
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Cheney, Gonzales Arraignment Set For Friday
RAYMONDVILLE, Texas — A Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a federal detention center.
Cheney, Gonzales and the others will not be arrested, and do not need to appear in person..
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You Don't Know Dick - Indictments
November 19, 2008
You Don't Know Dick - Indictments
From The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Guess which prison-related business Dick Cheney is getting indicted for.
You Don't Know Dick - Indictments
From The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Guess which prison-related business Dick Cheney is getting indicted for.
A document saved from the Army's shredder
A soldier who was ordered to shred documents about two soldiers killed in an apparent friendly fire incident rescued some of the paperwork and provided it to Salon.
From Salon - Editor's note: On Oct. 14, 2008, Salon published an article about the deaths of Army Pfc. Albert Nelson and Pfc. Roger Suarez. The Army attributed their deaths in Iraq in 2006 to enemy action; Salon's investigation, which included graphic battle video and eyewitness testimony, indicated that their deaths were likely due to friendly fire. On the night of Oct. 14, 2008, after the publication of Salon's article, soldiers at Fort Carson, Colo., were ordered to shred documents related to both Nelson and Suarez. As proof that they were ordered to destroy the paperwork, a soldier saved some examples and provided them to Salon. The documents reproduced here are from the file of Albert Nelson. Some personal details have been redacted.
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From Salon - Editor's note: On Oct. 14, 2008, Salon published an article about the deaths of Army Pfc. Albert Nelson and Pfc. Roger Suarez. The Army attributed their deaths in Iraq in 2006 to enemy action; Salon's investigation, which included graphic battle video and eyewitness testimony, indicated that their deaths were likely due to friendly fire. On the night of Oct. 14, 2008, after the publication of Salon's article, soldiers at Fort Carson, Colo., were ordered to shred documents related to both Nelson and Suarez. As proof that they were ordered to destroy the paperwork, a soldier saved some examples and provided them to Salon. The documents reproduced here are from the file of Albert Nelson. Some personal details have been redacted.
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New friendly fire coverup: Army shreds files on dead soldiers
On Oct. 14, 2008, Salon published an article about the deaths of Army Pfc. Albert Nelson and Pfc. Roger Suarez. The Army attributed their deaths in Iraq in 2006 to enemy action. That same night, after the publication of Salon's article, soldiers at Fort Carson were ordered to shred documents related to both men.
Helmet-cam footage from Ramadi, Iraq (12-min. edited version)
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Helmet-cam footage from Ramadi, Iraq (12-min. edited version)
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Pamela Anderson Wants Obama to Check Out Her Huge Ideas
Pamela Anderson wants marijuana to be legalised.
The former 'Baywatch' star has written an open letter to US President-elect Barack Obama, outlining ways to make the country better.
Pamela believes cultivating the illegal substance would "save children" and help the environment.
She wrote on her official blog: "I think we should legalise marijuana, tax and monitor - farm hemp etc. This would make our borders less corrupt and then I think eventually this will be a more secure option and save children in the long run - we should be able to farm hemp in America - it's just silly. It would create jobs and be good for the environment."
Pamela also controversially suggests anyone found guilty of molesting children or possessing child pornography, should be castrated for their crimes.
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Poverty Facts: 10 Detestable Statistics In Pictures
Pictures that will move your heart. Click on the "read more" link to see the rest.
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Let's Put the Economic Blame Where it Belongs: On Ourselves
As the American economy continues its impressive and chaotic downward spiral, there seems to be an increasing sentiment throughout the nation that the government and Wall Street executives are to blame for all this, and the average American consumer is just another hapless victim
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Social Media Goes Mainstream, Newspaper Circulation Drops
As technology improves and new mediums for sharing information come about, news audiences will continue to fragment. For the foreseeable future, social media will continue to gain market share.
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'The religious right is killing the Republican party'...
Conservative writer Kathleen Parker says the religious right is killing the Republican party.
A real tour de force here. You may recall that Parker was one of the first, and only, conservatives to come out an admit that Sarah Palin was an embarrassment. Here she takes on quite possible the GOP's biggest sacred cow, the religious right.
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A real tour de force here. You may recall that Parker was one of the first, and only, conservatives to come out an admit that Sarah Palin was an embarrassment. Here she takes on quite possible the GOP's biggest sacred cow, the religious right.
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Dick Cheney indicted by Texas grand jury - The Real News Network
A grand jury in Texas indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
The Real News Network - Dick Cheney indicted by Texas grand jury
Avoid the Flu Shot, says Doctor
A cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington recommends avoiding the flu shot and taking vitamin D instead. A systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo.
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The Buzz: Hillary now a no-go?
Secretary of State Buzz continued Tuesday about the possibility that Hillary Rodham Clinton will be Barack Obama’s secretary of state — though Clinton insiders also told Politico that the New York senator might reject the job.
There are also concerns about the idea in some precincts of Obamaland. From his supporters in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party to campaign aides of the soon-to-be president, there’s a sense of ambivalence about giving a political plum to a woman they spent 18 months hammering as the compromised standard-bearer of an era that deserves to be forgotten.
“These are people who believe in this stuff more than Barack himself does,” said a Democrat close to Obama’s campaign. “These guys didn’t put together a campaign in order to turn the government over to the Clintons.”
— Ben Smith
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There are also concerns about the idea in some precincts of Obamaland. From his supporters in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party to campaign aides of the soon-to-be president, there’s a sense of ambivalence about giving a political plum to a woman they spent 18 months hammering as the compromised standard-bearer of an era that deserves to be forgotten.
“These are people who believe in this stuff more than Barack himself does,” said a Democrat close to Obama’s campaign. “These guys didn’t put together a campaign in order to turn the government over to the Clintons.”
— Ben Smith
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Obama, Reid and the first compromise
The Joe Lieberman soap opera is finally over — replaced on Tuesday by a new two-man show starring Barack Obama and Harry Reid.
In the first episode — “What to Do About Joe” — a Senate majority leader who’s worked hard to win over the left-wing blogosphere and a president-elect who’s become everything to everyone are forced to make the pivot from campaign rhetoric to something close to governing.
The climax: Reid swallows his tough talk to keep Lieberman — and his vote — in the Democrats’ camp.
The epilogue: Daily Kos’ disgusted Markos Moulitsas declares, “I’m done with Reid as Senate leader.”
Senate Democrats’ decision to punish Lieberman for his campaign-trail transgressions with a slap on the wrist — he loses his spot on the Environment and Public Works Committee but keeps his chairmanship of Homeland Security and Government Affairs — may represent a productive start to the relationship between Reid and Obama.
But it underscores the challenges Reid and Obama face as they move from “If I were in charge” to “I am in charge.” They can’t please everyone who helped put them in power.
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In the first episode — “What to Do About Joe” — a Senate majority leader who’s worked hard to win over the left-wing blogosphere and a president-elect who’s become everything to everyone are forced to make the pivot from campaign rhetoric to something close to governing.
The climax: Reid swallows his tough talk to keep Lieberman — and his vote — in the Democrats’ camp.
The epilogue: Daily Kos’ disgusted Markos Moulitsas declares, “I’m done with Reid as Senate leader.”
Senate Democrats’ decision to punish Lieberman for his campaign-trail transgressions with a slap on the wrist — he loses his spot on the Environment and Public Works Committee but keeps his chairmanship of Homeland Security and Government Affairs — may represent a productive start to the relationship between Reid and Obama.
But it underscores the challenges Reid and Obama face as they move from “If I were in charge” to “I am in charge.” They can’t please everyone who helped put them in power.
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The Golden State, not so golden
Less dramatic than the wildfires is
the foreclosure tidal wave that's
overtaking California.
* Over 700 families lose their home EVERY DAY
* "Nice" neighborhoods where every other house
is vacant
* Families walking away from their homes
leaving all the furnishing.
It's mind boggling...
Here's what Ground Zero of the credit
collapse looks like:
After the Fall
Contrary to anti-social, right wing propaganda, "sub-prime" loans were not made to help poor people get their first homes.
They were created to help new home builders, especially in states like California, Nevada, and Florida, sell out their new home inventory at super-inflated prices.
Home buyers were told by the Fed chairman...by the President...by Fox News...by every idiot financial reporter on TV...that the loans they were taking out were a "good deal."
The loans were very simple:
Very little down, very low payments and then, a few years out - when theoretically the property would be worth much more - the monthly payments would rise dramatically.
The idea was that long before then the home buyer would have sold out at a handsome profit and moved onto their next home.
Free enterprise at work.
It's easy to call these people foolish, but what they really are are the victims of a scam.
The home builders got paid lavish premiums for their inventory...real estate companies and loan brokers got rich from these sales...the Wall Street banks that packaged these scam loans and sold them throughout the world made hundreds of billions of dollars...and the psychopathic Bush administration got to fund its wars without raising taxes based on the illusion that the economy was good and could afford it.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
This is EXACTLY the same scam that Bush Sr. ran in the 1980s using the Savings and Loans real estate fraud bubble to pay for the Contra war and God only knows how many billions he and his fellow crooks siphoned off on the side.
Bush Sr. even had the same Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan running the central bank.
The only difference is this disaster is 100 (1000x) larger.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Era of Magical Thinking: Smokescreens & Presidential Power
"The pace and size of the bruited "withdrawal" will remain, as ever, "conditions-based," say Pentagon and White House officials -- a position long echoed by the "anti-war" president-elect. And as we all know, "conditions" in a war zone are always subject to radical, unexpected change."
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Moms Must Choose Which Kids Eat, Which Die
Some mothers choose what their children will eat. Others choose which children will eat and which will die. Those mothers forced to make the grim life-or-death choices are the impoverished women Patricia Wolff, executive director of Meds & Food for Kids, encounters during her frequent trips to Haiti.
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Fire official ‘on notice’ for e-mailing racial Obama Joke
This is pretty pathetic. I think the ignorant bastard should be fired.
Thomas Reddy, was reprimanded by Ossining officials for violating an anti-harassment policy when he forwarded the e-mail using his personal Yahoo e-mail address identifying him as a fire chief. The slideshow features a knock-knock joke that ends with a door opening to reveal a caricature of Obama and the words "Eyes Yo New Prezident."
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Thomas Reddy, was reprimanded by Ossining officials for violating an anti-harassment policy when he forwarded the e-mail using his personal Yahoo e-mail address identifying him as a fire chief. The slideshow features a knock-knock joke that ends with a door opening to reveal a caricature of Obama and the words "Eyes Yo New Prezident."
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Gaza, Stripped
“The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger,” said Dov Weisglass, Ariel Sharon’s closest advisor. After 41 years of military occupation, Israel is slowly choking Gaza, a desolate remnant of the former Mandate of Palestine. It is bringing a civilian population to the brink of starvation...
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Global Piracy Map -- where are those pirates anyway???
With all the news about Piracy, check out this very cool map that was a featured link next to some stories from PRI regarding piracy trends.
For more on the stories see...
http://www.theworld.org/taxonomy_by_date/1/20081118
The map shows all the piracy and armed robbery incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre during 2008.
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For more on the stories see...
http://www.theworld.org/taxonomy_by_date/1/20081118
The map shows all the piracy and armed robbery incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre during 2008.
read more digg story
The Rising Tide of Hunger
New USDA Report Shows Growing Food Insecurity.
Low-income households have faced shrinking governmental supports and paid more than wealthier households for the very same food items long before the spike in food prices. What may seem like a relatively small increase in the cost of food expenditures can significantly affect a low-income family's ability to meet energy, housing, and health care costs, as well as to provide food for their families.
The current economic downturn is only boosting the number of people struggling to make ends meet and afford nutritious food. The USDA report's findings should increase pressure on Congress to act urgently to bolster the hunger safety net, and provide the resources needed to help food aid catch up with the rising costs of food and pressure of the economic downturn. There are economic stimulus proposals in Congress to help do just that. The report also underlines the importance of longer-term action from President-elect Obama as part of his commitment to end childhood hunger by 2015.
The persistence and growth of hunger and food insecurity is one part of the broader need to reduce poverty in the United States. President-elect Obama has also committed to a measurable poverty-cutting goal, similar that of the the Center for American Progress' Poverty Task Force and Half in Ten campaign goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years. Acting on this goal would also significantly reduce the risk of hunger for millions of families nationwide.
read more digg story
Low-income households have faced shrinking governmental supports and paid more than wealthier households for the very same food items long before the spike in food prices. What may seem like a relatively small increase in the cost of food expenditures can significantly affect a low-income family's ability to meet energy, housing, and health care costs, as well as to provide food for their families.
The current economic downturn is only boosting the number of people struggling to make ends meet and afford nutritious food. The USDA report's findings should increase pressure on Congress to act urgently to bolster the hunger safety net, and provide the resources needed to help food aid catch up with the rising costs of food and pressure of the economic downturn. There are economic stimulus proposals in Congress to help do just that. The report also underlines the importance of longer-term action from President-elect Obama as part of his commitment to end childhood hunger by 2015.
The persistence and growth of hunger and food insecurity is one part of the broader need to reduce poverty in the United States. President-elect Obama has also committed to a measurable poverty-cutting goal, similar that of the the Center for American Progress' Poverty Task Force and Half in Ten campaign goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years. Acting on this goal would also significantly reduce the risk of hunger for millions of families nationwide.
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Editorial Cartoon: Bedroom Freedoms
Found at Slate Magazine, created by Steve Benson
Click here to get Steve Benson by e-mail 
Slate Magazine - Editorial and Political Cartoons, Comic Strips
Mother sues daughter over bestselling 'abuse' memoir
A British lawyer who wrote a popular book recounting a childhood of alleged emotional and physical abuse is being sued for libel by her mother, who says the claims are fantasy.
Constance Briscoe defends the veracity of her book, "Ugly" -- the nickname she says her mother threw at her as a child. Her lawyer told London's High Court on Tuesday that the book contained some errors but was "quite properly put in the biography section of the bookshop, not the fiction section."
With its harrowing, inspirational and ostensibly true story, "Ugly" has sold more than half a million copies in Britain since it was published in 2006. It was followed by a sequel, "Beyond Ugly."
The child of Jamaican immigrants, Briscoe, 51, grew up in a poor part of London but went on to become a lawyer and one of the first black women in Britain to be appointed a recorder, or part-time judge.
In "Ugly," Briscoe alleges that her mother regularly beat and starved her before abandoning her when she was 13.
The book claims Briscoe's stepfather once stubbed a cigarette out on her hand, and says that as a teenager Briscoe needed surgery on her breasts because of trauma caused by her mother's assaults.
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Constance Briscoe defends the veracity of her book, "Ugly" -- the nickname she says her mother threw at her as a child. Her lawyer told London's High Court on Tuesday that the book contained some errors but was "quite properly put in the biography section of the bookshop, not the fiction section."
With its harrowing, inspirational and ostensibly true story, "Ugly" has sold more than half a million copies in Britain since it was published in 2006. It was followed by a sequel, "Beyond Ugly."
The child of Jamaican immigrants, Briscoe, 51, grew up in a poor part of London but went on to become a lawyer and one of the first black women in Britain to be appointed a recorder, or part-time judge.
In "Ugly," Briscoe alleges that her mother regularly beat and starved her before abandoning her when she was 13.
The book claims Briscoe's stepfather once stubbed a cigarette out on her hand, and says that as a teenager Briscoe needed surgery on her breasts because of trauma caused by her mother's assaults.
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Paulson: Don't Use Bailout Money for Automakers
WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told Congress on Tuesday that the administration remains firmly opposed to dipping into the government's $700 billion financial bailout fund for a $25 billion rescue package for Detroit's Big Three automakers, no matter how badly they need the help."There are other ways" to help them, Paulson told...
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Wanda Sykes Rallies Against H8: 'I'm Proud to Be Gay'
From the Las Vegas Prop 8 protest.
"I am very proud. I am proud to be a woman, I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay. And I love you all. Now let's go get our damn equal rights!"—Wanda Sykes, coming out at the Las Vegas Prop 8 protest and announcing she and her wife were married in California in October.
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"I am very proud. I am proud to be a woman, I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay. And I love you all. Now let's go get our damn equal rights!"—Wanda Sykes, coming out at the Las Vegas Prop 8 protest and announcing she and her wife were married in California in October.
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Vancouver's Radical Approach to Drugs: Let Junkies Be Junkie
Welcome to North America's only officially sanctioned "supervised injection site." The facility sits in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown East Side, 10 square blocks that compose one of the poorest neighborhoods in all of Canada. The area is home to an estimated 4,700 intravenous drug users and thousands of crack addicts. For years, it's been a world-class health disaster, not to mention a public relations nightmare for a town that is famous for its beautiful mountains and beaches (and is gearing up to host the 2010 Winter Olympics). Nearly a third of the Downtown East Side's inhabitants are estimated to be HIV-positive, according to the United Nations Population Fund, a rate on par with Botswana's. Twice that number have hepatitis C. Dozens die of drug overdoses every year.
Largely in response to this nightmare neighborhood, Canada's third-largest city has embarked on a radical experiment: Over the last several years, it has overhauled its police and social services practices to re-frame drug use as primarily a public health issue, not a criminal one. In the process, it has become by far the continent's most drug-tolerant city, launching an experiment dramatically at odds with the U.S. War on Drugs.
Smoking weed has been effectively decriminalized. The famous "B.C. bud," rivaled in potency only by California's finest, is puffed so widely and openly that the city has earned the nickname "Vansterdam." A single block in the Downtown East Side hosts several pot seed wholesalers, the headquarters of the British Columbia Marijuana Party and the toking-allowed New Amsterdam Caf.
But that's nothing next to the city's approach to drugs like heroin and crack. Impelled by the horror show of the Downtown East Side, prodded by activists and convinced by reams of academic studies, the police and city government have agreed to provide hard drug users with their paraphernalia, a place to use it and even, for a few, the drugs themselves.
More than 2 million syringes are handed out free every year. Clean mouthpieces for crack pipes are provided at taxpayers' expense. Around 4,000 opiate addicts get prescription methadone. Thousands come to the injection site every year.
On top of that, health officials just wrapped up a pilot program in which addicts were given prescription heroin. And it doesn't stop there. The mayor is pushing for a "stimulant maintenance" program to provide prescription a lternatives for cocaine and methamphetamine addicts. Emboldened advocates for drug users are even calling for a "supervised inhalation site" for crack smokers.
read more digg story
Largely in response to this nightmare neighborhood, Canada's third-largest city has embarked on a radical experiment: Over the last several years, it has overhauled its police and social services practices to re-frame drug use as primarily a public health issue, not a criminal one. In the process, it has become by far the continent's most drug-tolerant city, launching an experiment dramatically at odds with the U.S. War on Drugs.
Smoking weed has been effectively decriminalized. The famous "B.C. bud," rivaled in potency only by California's finest, is puffed so widely and openly that the city has earned the nickname "Vansterdam." A single block in the Downtown East Side hosts several pot seed wholesalers, the headquarters of the British Columbia Marijuana Party and the toking-allowed New Amsterdam Caf.
But that's nothing next to the city's approach to drugs like heroin and crack. Impelled by the horror show of the Downtown East Side, prodded by activists and convinced by reams of academic studies, the police and city government have agreed to provide hard drug users with their paraphernalia, a place to use it and even, for a few, the drugs themselves.
More than 2 million syringes are handed out free every year. Clean mouthpieces for crack pipes are provided at taxpayers' expense. Around 4,000 opiate addicts get prescription methadone. Thousands come to the injection site every year.
On top of that, health officials just wrapped up a pilot program in which addicts were given prescription heroin. And it doesn't stop there. The mayor is pushing for a "stimulant maintenance" program to provide prescription a lternatives for cocaine and methamphetamine addicts. Emboldened advocates for drug users are even calling for a "supervised inhalation site" for crack smokers.
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Naomi Klein: The Borderline Illegal Deals Behind the $700 Billion Bailout
We've been had. The bailout is all a lie...
By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. Posted November 18, 2008...
The bailout is a parting gift to the people that George Bush once referred to jokingly as "my base."
Amy Goodman: World leaders from nearly two dozen countries met in Washington over the weekend to discuss plans to increase regulation of international financial activity. They acknowledged that a failure of market oversight in countries like the United States had precipitated the financial crisis.
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By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. Posted November 18, 2008...
The bailout is a parting gift to the people that George Bush once referred to jokingly as "my base."
Amy Goodman: World leaders from nearly two dozen countries met in Washington over the weekend to discuss plans to increase regulation of international financial activity. They acknowledged that a failure of market oversight in countries like the United States had precipitated the financial crisis.
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First Lady Got Back By Erin Aubry Kaplan
-- I'm a black woman who never thought I'd see a powerful, beautiful female with a body like mine in the White House. Then I saw Michelle Obama -- and her booty!
But what really thrills me, what really feels liberating in a very personal way,
is the official new prominence of Michelle Obama. Barack's better half not only
has stature but is statuesque. She has corruscating intelligence, beauty, style
and -- drumroll, please -- a butt. (Yes, you read that right: I'm going to talk
about the first lady's butt.)
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Obama and McCain Meet in Chicago
'President-elect Barack Obama and Senator John McCain agreed on Monday, in their first meeting since the election, to work together on some of the nation’s most pressing challenges, from the financial crisis to national security problems.'
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Toxic Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Illness
WaPo: MONDAY, Nov. 17 -- Gulf War illness, dismissed by some as a psychosomatic disorder, is a very real illness that affects at least 25 percent of the 700,000 U.S. veterans who took part in the 1991 Gulf War.
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More American kids went hungry last year
USDA: Number jumped 50 percent in 2007 — that's nearly 700,000 children!
WASHINGTON - Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year’s sharp economic downturn, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.
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Marijuana is Safer than Aspirin
When Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, cannabis was America’s number one painkiller. Until marijuana prohibition began in 1937, the US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100 diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of medical...
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A Smarter Way to Deal with Pot Than Arresting 20 Million People
If lawmakers really wanted to address marijuana use, they would regulate and tax pot like they do tobacco.
According to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control, fewer Americans are smoking cigarettes than at any time in modern history. "The number of U.S. adults who smoke has dropped below 20 percent for the first time on record," Reuters reported. This is less than half the percentage (42 percent) of Americans who smoked cigarettes during the 1960s.
Imagine that. In the past 40 years, tens of millions of Americans have voluntarily quit smoking a legal, yet highly addictive intoxicant. Many others have refused to initiate the habit. And they've all made this decision without ever once being threatened with criminal prosecution and arrest, imprisonment, probation, and drug testing.
By contrast, during this same period of time, state and local police have arrested some 20 million Americans for pot law violations -- primarily for violations no greater than simple possession. And yet marijuana use among the public has skyrocketed.
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According to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control, fewer Americans are smoking cigarettes than at any time in modern history. "The number of U.S. adults who smoke has dropped below 20 percent for the first time on record," Reuters reported. This is less than half the percentage (42 percent) of Americans who smoked cigarettes during the 1960s.
Imagine that. In the past 40 years, tens of millions of Americans have voluntarily quit smoking a legal, yet highly addictive intoxicant. Many others have refused to initiate the habit. And they've all made this decision without ever once being threatened with criminal prosecution and arrest, imprisonment, probation, and drug testing.
By contrast, during this same period of time, state and local police have arrested some 20 million Americans for pot law violations -- primarily for violations no greater than simple possession. And yet marijuana use among the public has skyrocketed.
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How Did We Ever Let This Guy Get Away with Being a War President?
Only a fool like Bush could pick an anti-American Arab country, add an invading army, and expect a nice fluffy democracy soufflé.
What George W. Bush loved best about his job was being a war president. Playing war, that is, as opposed to making war like a grown-up. Remember him strutting onto that carrier in his little flight jacket? You never saw Eisenhower, a real general, playing out his martial fantasies this way. You can take the drink out of the drunk, but you can't take the swagger out of a fool.
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What George W. Bush loved best about his job was being a war president. Playing war, that is, as opposed to making war like a grown-up. Remember him strutting onto that carrier in his little flight jacket? You never saw Eisenhower, a real general, playing out his martial fantasies this way. You can take the drink out of the drunk, but you can't take the swagger out of a fool.
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Legalize It
With a recession in sight, the case for legalizing marijuana and taxing it for government revenue seems more practical than ever.
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The U.S. is in a Recession;Jobless to peak at 7.5 %.
By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy is in recession and will contract at a faster pace in the fourth quarter, extending the decline into early 2009 as high unemployment crimps consumer spending, a survey showed. The National...
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Commentary: Can McCain be Obama's friend in Congress?
PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain will meet for the first time on Monday since the election.
The meeting comes at an important time for McCain, who must decide what to do with remainder of his career in the Senate.
With his reputation severely harmed as a result of the campaign -- some Republicans furious at him for having lost the White House with a poor campaign and some Democrats furious with the negative tone that his campaign embraced in September and October -- he will have an interest in building a positive legacy.
McCain's best bet would be to form a bipartisan alliance with Obama on as many issues as possible -- perhaps with an economic stimulus bill, immigration reform, exiting Iraq and new regulations on Wall Street.
Doing so would help the president secure bipartisan support while McCain would go down in the record books for helping the nation, through legislation, in a time of grave crisis.
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The meeting comes at an important time for McCain, who must decide what to do with remainder of his career in the Senate.
With his reputation severely harmed as a result of the campaign -- some Republicans furious at him for having lost the White House with a poor campaign and some Democrats furious with the negative tone that his campaign embraced in September and October -- he will have an interest in building a positive legacy.
McCain's best bet would be to form a bipartisan alliance with Obama on as many issues as possible -- perhaps with an economic stimulus bill, immigration reform, exiting Iraq and new regulations on Wall Street.
Doing so would help the president secure bipartisan support while McCain would go down in the record books for helping the nation, through legislation, in a time of grave crisis.
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Sunday, November 16, 2008
Obama backs global response to crisis.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama supports a coordinated response to the global financial crisis and is ready to work with Group of 20 countries on improving the financial system when he takes office.
"The president-elect believes that the G20 summit of leaders from the world's largest economies is an important opportunity to seek a coordinated response to the global financial crisis," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former congressman Jim Leach said in a statement.
Albright and Leach were designated by Obama to meet with visiting dignitaries on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Neither they nor Obama attended.
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"The president-elect believes that the G20 summit of leaders from the world's largest economies is an important opportunity to seek a coordinated response to the global financial crisis," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former congressman Jim Leach said in a statement.
Albright and Leach were designated by Obama to meet with visiting dignitaries on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Neither they nor Obama attended.
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Reuters:Iraq's cabinet approves troops pact with U.S.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet approved a pact on Sunday that will let U.S. troops stay in the country until 2011, setting a final date to end a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion that toppled.
The Iraqi Congress has to approve the pact, and the US has to pledge not to attack Syria or Iran from within Iraq's borders.
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The Iraqi Congress has to approve the pact, and the US has to pledge not to attack Syria or Iran from within Iraq's borders.
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NPR Reports:Violence Rises In Iraq.
There's been a recent upsurge of bombing attacks on police patrols and civilians. But it's difficult to gauge how serious the upsurge may be, because U.S. and Iraqi sources give widely differing reports of the casualties. It is likely to be linked to the pact between the US & Iraq.The pact was just approved today by Iraq's Cabinet.
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The Brilliant Brain Trust
Here's a radical suggestion: Barack Obama should pick the smartest people he can find for his cabinet. Brilliance has sometimes been a criterion in presidential appointments, of course, but seldom the major one. It usually takes a back seat to rewarding supporters, playing congressional politics, seeking diversity and appeasing interest groups.
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Obama Urges Congress To Move On Economic Plan (VIDEO)
President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday urged Congress to get moving next week on an economic rescue plan that would extend jobless benefits among other actions.
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George W Bush could pardon spies involved in torture
George W Bush is considering issuing pardons for US spies embroiled in allegations of torture just before he leaves the White House.
Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president to look after the men and women who could face charges for following his orders in the war on terrorism.
Many fear that Barack Obama, who has pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and put an end to the policy of extraordinary rendition, could launch a legal witch hunt against those who oversaw the policies after he is sworn in on Jan 20.
Most vulnerable are US intelligence officers who took part in intensive interrogations against terrorist suspects, using techniques including water boarding, which many believe crossed the line into torture.
A former CIA officer familiar with the backstage lobbying for pardons, said: "These are the people President Bush asked to fight the war on terror for him. He gave them the green light to fight tough. The view of many in the intelligence community is that he should not leave them vulnerable to legal censure when he leaves."
An effort is under way to get pre-emptive pardons. The White House has indicated that the matter is under consideration."
In addition to frontline CIA and military officers, others at risk could include David Addington, Dick Cheney's former counsel, and William Haynes, the former Pentagon general counsel who helped draw up the regulations governing enhanced interrogations.
Many in the Democratic party and human rights groups are calling on President-Elect Obama to tear up Mr Bush's executive orders licensing intensive interrogations on his first day in the Oval Office. They also want an immediate end to rendition, whereby suspects are flown to countries that practise torture
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Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president to look after the men and women who could face charges for following his orders in the war on terrorism.
Many fear that Barack Obama, who has pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and put an end to the policy of extraordinary rendition, could launch a legal witch hunt against those who oversaw the policies after he is sworn in on Jan 20.
Most vulnerable are US intelligence officers who took part in intensive interrogations against terrorist suspects, using techniques including water boarding, which many believe crossed the line into torture.
A former CIA officer familiar with the backstage lobbying for pardons, said: "These are the people President Bush asked to fight the war on terror for him. He gave them the green light to fight tough. The view of many in the intelligence community is that he should not leave them vulnerable to legal censure when he leaves."
An effort is under way to get pre-emptive pardons. The White House has indicated that the matter is under consideration."
In addition to frontline CIA and military officers, others at risk could include David Addington, Dick Cheney's former counsel, and William Haynes, the former Pentagon general counsel who helped draw up the regulations governing enhanced interrogations.
Many in the Democratic party and human rights groups are calling on President-Elect Obama to tear up Mr Bush's executive orders licensing intensive interrogations on his first day in the Oval Office. They also want an immediate end to rendition, whereby suspects are flown to countries that practise torture
read more digg story
The Quote Kashkari Will Never Live Down!
Kucinich Shreds Kashkari today on C-SPAN 11-14-08 The last 20 seconds of this verbal beat down is the quote Dennis Kucinich says Neel Kashkari will be hearing about for the rest of his life. Let's make it happen.
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The CIA's involvement with US film-making
The CIA is often credited with 'advice' on Hollywood films, but no one is truly sure about the extent of its shadowy involvement. In fact, the story of the CIA's involvement in Hollywood is a tale of deception and subversion that would seem improbable if it were put on screen...
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How fast can Obama fix US environment policy?
For eight years the US has been seen as a global outlier on climate issues. Now, with just 12 months to go until the world decides on a new Kyoto protocol, it is catch-up time for president-elect Barack Obama. What can he reasonably achieve in that time?
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U.N. agency in Gaza runs out of food
(CNN) -- A United Nations aid agency whose supply lines have been cut off couldn't help Gaza residents seeking humanitarian assistance Saturday, U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness said.
Because of rocket attacks and other clashes, Israel sealed its border with Gaza on November 5, rendering the U.N. Relief and Works Agency unable to replenish storage facilities. They ran out on Friday.
"We have run out of food. Our warehouses are empty," UNRWA Director John Ging told CNN on Friday.
It was not immediately clear how many people were turned away Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the Israeli government considers the rocket attacks from Gaza "a fundamental and blunt violation of the understandings that led to the calm," according to a written statement on Friday.
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First-time voters look to Obama to restore American dream
Like many voters on Election Day, Nurul Aman and his family dutifully rose before sunrise and headed to the polls in Andover, Massachusetts, to cast their votes. Nurul, Nilufur and Samuel Aman voted as a family for Barack Obama in their first presidential election this year.
But this election was especially significant for Aman, wife Nilufur and son Samuel, who were all voting for the first time."
As the first-time voter, it was emotionally remarkable to perform my civic duty," said Aman, a Bangladeshi native who became a U.S. citizen in 2005. "I felt great taking the ownership of this voting process that created a historic moment for the nation and the world."
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But this election was especially significant for Aman, wife Nilufur and son Samuel, who were all voting for the first time."
As the first-time voter, it was emotionally remarkable to perform my civic duty," said Aman, a Bangladeshi native who became a U.S. citizen in 2005. "I felt great taking the ownership of this voting process that created a historic moment for the nation and the world."
read more digg story
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