Cronkite's Last Broadcast

CBS Evening News, March 6th 1981.

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Media: Whatever Happened To Non-Biased Reporting?

Between 1962 to 1981, most Americans were getting their daily TV news from the " Most trusted man in America": Walter Cronkite. Our news are now completely fragmented, and some journalists do not even qualify as such.They are entertainers & pundits voicing their own opinion. Fox News is the worst example, but let's be honest they are not alone....

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Media: Whatever Happened To Non-Biased Reporting?

Photograph by Gilbert Mercier.
All rights reserved.

Some of us remember the "good old days ".
In France we had 3 TV Channels and a couple of Public Radio Stations.
In America, the options were limited as well, most Americans were getting their daily news from Walter Cronkite. He was called " The most trusted man in America", and he anchored CBS evening news from 1962 to 1981. Cronkite's nightly sign off was " And that's the way it is". What made this quality reporting possible was a strict separation of the news divisions from the purely business divisions of the respective broadcasters.

The media landscape, needless to say, is drastically different today. It is fragmented, partisan and not necessarily anchored in reality. Real reporting has become hard to find in all the media outlets. Let's explore this by categories.

Major national newspapers.
The written press is shrinking very quickly, partially because of a decrease in readership, but also a substantial slide in advertising revenue. Even the very big & most reputable newspapers such as The New-York Times, the Washington Post and the LA Times are feeling the pinch.

Some ( such as the LA Times or the Wall Street Journal) were bought by conglomerates.This is not helping in having a press independent from corporate or advertising pressures and it doesn't seem to be a workable business model either.

As far as objectivity in the most "reputable" newspapers some alarming trends have been emerging in the last two decades. We all remember that during the build up to the war in Iraq, many journalists, even at the New-York Times were beating the drums of war to make American public opinion favorable to the invasion. The New-York Times has also a long tradition of bias in favor of Israel whenever they cover the Middle-East. More recently, some serious allegations were made into a collusion between some journalists of the Washington Post and their sources at the CIA.

Cable news.

Most Americans following the news closely watch cable news. This is where the partisanship, and lack of objectivity is the most blatant.

Of course, the worst example is Fox News. But to be "fair & balanced " strong political bias affects CNN & MSNBC as well.

The big stars of cable news are not journalists, they are entertainers and are mainly concerned in influencing & feeding their respective audience the type of "red meat " they want to get for their "news" regimen.
To some extent, this is the case from all across the political spectrum. From Glen Beck, Bill O'Reilly on the right to Keith Olbermann on the left, and even Lou Dobbs somewhere in "minute man anti-immigration land"; it is all the same.
All those media personalities have a very specific political agenda, and they do their very best to make the reality of their choice fit a preconceived opinion.

Let's take the example of CNN. What is striking with the network is when you watch it overseas ( CNN International) the quality of the broadcast is much better than the one in the US.

NPR & PBS.

NPR & PBS are the exception in this, otherwise, increasingly bleak news reporting landscape. They do not shove down the throats of their respective audience an opinion, instead they do their very best to report the facts. The audience can then process the information & come to their own conclusions. In the grim US news landscape NPR & PBS are islands of reason & sanity.

He is way too modest to say so, but when Jim Leher sign off after his news hour, it would not be inappropriate for him to say like Walter Cronkite did "And that's the way it is". Because, even if it is not, it is probably as close to it as you can get on American TV.

U.S. House Acts to Protect Credit Card Users

By John Poirier WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted on Thursday in favor of legislation to protect credit card users from hidden fees, sudden interest rate hikes and questionable billing practices.....

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Pew Poll:The Religious Dimensions of the Torture Debate.

This poll looks at how Americans view torture in a religious context. In a poll, of the general US population( taken on 4/23/09) Pew found that Americans were split on the issue.Half said the use of torture dealing with suspected terrorist is often(15%) or sometime( 34%) justified. 22% said the use of torture is rarely justified, 25% said never.

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Senate Report Links Prisoner Deaths to Bush's Torture Policy

The Senate Armed Service Committee report released last week officially concluded that the murder of two prisoners held at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan in December 2002 were a direct result of the Bush administration’s “advanced interrogation” policies. In other words, the prisoners were tortured to death.

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The Nation:Grading Obama's First 100 Days

New Yorker Editor and Staff Writer Hendrik Hertzberg, novelist Walter Mosley, Faye Wattleton and Miles Rappaport on Obama's first 100 days and the next 900. This is a grading of Obama's "performance" from a progressive point of view....

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CNN-Africa:Kenyan Women Ban Sex Over Political Reform.

The fight for political reform in Kenya has moved into an unlikely venue -- the nation's bedrooms.....

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100 Days:Obama Emphasizes Sharp Departures From Bush Policie

One hundred days into his term, President Obama used a pair of public events Wednesday to chart how far he has steered the country from the course set by the Bush administration, saying, 'We are off to a good start, but it is just a start.'

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Spanish & EU Courts To Investigate Bush's "Torture Team".

A book about the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay has led to an investigation by the Spanish court. In Torture Team.The author, Philippe Sands, alleges that high-ranking members of the Bush administration were responsible for instituting harsh interrogation tactics.Other investigations are in the work in the UK & Germany.

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Iraq: 2 Bombs/ 41 Killed: Is The Surge Working?

By Sattar Rahim BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 41 people were killed and 68 wounded on Wednesday when two car bombs ripped through a busy market in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, mowing down families as they crowded around a popular ice cream parlor,...

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4/29/1992-LA Riots: Are we Getting Along Better?

Exactly 17 years ago, LA erupted in riots after the trial of the cops responsible for the beating of Rodney King.Chaos reigns in LA as looters lay waste to their own community.The National Guard was called in.It seems that we have come a long way since 1992,but a lot of social issues of poverty & inequality remain the same.Could it happen again?

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GOP's Snowe:GOP Has Become a Hard Crust of Extremist Freaks.

This is Jane Hamsher's take on Snowe's comments in the New-York Times following yesterday's defection of Sen. Specter. Snowe said:" The Republican party has now boiled down to a hard crust of extremist freaks, and now that they've run Chaffee & Specter out they will be coming after me"...

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Obama's First 100 Days:Mixed Message On Human Rights.

Amnesty International describes Obama's policies on counter terrorism as "promises for change with only limited action". On Guantanamo they note that only one detainee was released. Amnesty Int. welcomes the publication of the torture memos, but say that "accountability for torture is still needed "....

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NPR:Specter's Exit Punctuates Grim 100 Days For GOP

The 100th day of the Obama presidency is also a milestone for the Republican Party. It marks 100 days in an unfamiliar exile — controlling neither the House nor the Senate nor the executive branch. And on Day 99, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) announced he's switching sides.

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Ask Obama a Tough Question on Torture

On his 100th day in office, President Obama will hold his 3rd prime time press conference. He will be asked roughly 25 questions. We have to make sure at least one of them is about torture.

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New York City-Sized Ice Collapses Off Antarctica

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent TROMSOE, Norway (Reuters) - An area of an Antarctic ice shelf almost the size of New York City has broken into icebergs this month after the collapse of an ice bridge widely blamed on global warming.....

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Conyers Formally Asks DOJ For Torture Special Prosecutor

Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congressman John Conyers and their Judiciary colleagues wrote to Eric Holder requesting the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute torture committed against detainees during the Bush administration.

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World Health Organization: The Facts on The Swine Influenza.

Yesterday, the WHO released an update. They are assessing that we are at stage 4. This is not a pandemic it is an epidemic. None of us should succumbs to the much more contagious disease of fear & paranoia. You will find, on this site all you need to know in terms of the real data...

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Amnesty International:Call for Demonstration & March/DC 4/30

On 4/30/09 human rights defenders, from around the country, will gather at the Capitol & march to the White House to demonstrate that abuses of power must never occur again. Participants will be wearing orange jump suits to symbolize the abuses at Guantanamo.

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FBI E-Mail Says Bush Authorized Abuse, Torture of Iraqis

Senior FBI agents stationed in Iraq in 2004 alleged in an e-mail that President George W. Bush signed an executive order approving the use of dogs, sleep deprivation and other tactics to intimidate Iraqi detainees. The FBI e-mail -- dated May 22, 2004 -- followed disclosures about abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison.

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Fox Will Limit Obama Event to Cable.

Fox said an on-screen graphic during its broadcast channel’s drama, “Lie to Me,” would alert viewers to coverage of Wednesday’s news conference on the Fox News Channel.....

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Treasury Has a New $50 Billion Mortgage Incentives:Official.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department will on Tuesday tap a $50 billion housing rescue fund to pay off mortgage investors and reduce monthly payments for millions of borrowers, said a senior administration official....

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Bush Flashback: “War Crimes Will Be Prosecuted"

Just before launching his invasion of Iraq, President Bush went on national television to issue an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, urging him to leave his country within 48 hrs. Bush also had this message for “all Iraqi military and civilian personnel”: War crimes will be prosecuted... and it will be no defense to say, “I was just following orders."

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Vienna Named City With World's Best Quality of Living

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Vienna has beaten Zurich to be crowned the place with the best quality of living in an annual survey in which European cities dominated the top 10. Management consultancy Mercer said Vienna scored the highest for...

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Budget Resolution 'A Major Accomplishment,' Negotiators Say

House and Senate Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a budget resolution for 2010, which includes key spending priorities for the Obama administration.....

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Holocaust Denier Jailed for 5 Years in Austria

VIENNA (Reuters) - An Austrian court jailed an ultra-rightist author for five years on Monday for propagating Nazi ideas and Holocaust denial. Gerd Honsik's three-day trial was marked by theatrical outbursts by the defendant.....

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Italy-Organized Crime:The Mafia is Recession Proof.

Italian mafia has seen an alarming resurgence in Italy since the start of the economic crisis, especially in construction....

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One date, Guantanamo Bay: A short story not mine to tell.

The events in the following quasi-fictional account are based on experiences of several different attorneys, members of the Guantanamo Bay Bar Association, as recounted at a symposium hosted by the only Boston-area law school worth a squeeze. This is a mash-up, not intended to represent any single attorney, or any single prisoner.

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UPI:Foreign press favorable to Obama.

UPI article on how Obama is viewed by the foreign press.

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NPR:Obama Aims To Change World Perceptions Of U.S.

Since taking office, President Obama has attempted to present a more conciliatory, multilateral approach to foreign policy. But, as one analyst puts it, the "hard stuff is still to come," such as how Obama handles Iraq and Afghanistan. Does President Obama's actions match his rhetoric in dealing with complex world's challenges?

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Intelligence Chief: Harman Wiretap Not NSA

U.S. Intelligence Director Dennis Blair says Rep. Jane Harman, a California Democrat, was monitored by a government wiretap but that the surveillance was not directed by the National Security Agency.....

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Facebook: Another Win For The Geeks

Last week, Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, the founders of MySpace, stepped down from the helm of their popular site. This week, former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta names his team and takes over as CEO of MySpace. Commentator Julia Angwin, senior technology editor at WSJ.com, gives us her take on this...

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Glenn Beck: A Savvy Fraud

The faux right-wing pundit is laughing and crying in the backseat of his stretch limo, all the way to the bank.

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'Major Emitters' Meet To Tackle Climate Change

Just 16 nations are responsible for a whopping 80 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. These 'major emitters' are convening Monday and Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to develop a plan to deal with climate change. Representatives from these nations are hopeful that they'll have the political force needed to reduce emissions.

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CIA and the Washington Post: Joined at the Hip

As part of the campaign to prevent a rigorous examination of torture and abuse the Washington Post has been particularly protective of the CIA. The Post is doing so because they rely heavily on anonymous CIA clandestine sources, which is neither good reporting nor professional journalism. These “anonymous sources” are George Tenet, John McLaughlin.

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Exceptions to Iraq Deadline For US Troops Pull Out in Talks.

Talks will focus on allowing Mosul to be an exception to the June 30 deadline for the withdrawal of American combat troops.....

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CNN:Sen. Leahy Wants to Probe 'Chain of Command' on Torture.

An independent commission is needed to determine who authorized the use of abusive interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists, a leading advocate of such a panel said Sunday....

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Money for Nothing

It’s necessary to rescue Wall Street to protect the economy, but financial firms should be acting like public utilities, not returning to the practices and paychecks of 2007.

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Legal-UN: United States Must Prosecute Torture Lawyers.

Manfred Nowak,who serves as a UN special rapporteur in Geneva,said Washington is obligated under the UN Convention against Torture to prosecute US DOJ officials who wrote the torture memos.Nowak said:"That's exactly what I call complicity or participation.At that time every reasonable person would know that waterboarding,for instance, is torture".

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Dalai Lama Urges Compassion in Times of Turmoil.

The Dalai Lama was in Berkeley. His words of wisdom couldn't come at a better time. We should all meditate on this, after all in the bigger picture we are all in this together...

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NPR's Coverage:Benchmarking Obama's First 100 Days in Office

This Wednesday will mark the 100th day President Barack Obama has been in office, a time to assess the new administration's progress. The president is taking on his job at a tough time in history — the economy is in a recession and the country is involved in two wars. And yet, he remains popular. This week, NPR will be airing stories each day...

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Reuters:Pakistan Launches Offensive Against The Taliban.

By Zeeshan Haider ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan called on Taliban fighters to lay down their arms after security forces launched an offensive Sunday to stop their advance in a troubled northwestern region. ''These extremists have no other option...

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Torture:Bush Administration Geneva Hypocrisy.

Jason Leopold exposes the incredible hypocrisy of the Bush administration in regard to the Geneva Convention.For example on 3/23/2003 Bush said:" If there is somebody captured, I expect those people to be treated humanely. If not the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminal "....

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Geneva Conventions:Core of International Humanitarian Law.

You will find here the complete documents of the Geneva Conventions, as well as many historical perspectives....

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Is Waterboarding Torture?

On a legal standpoint it is, at least according to article 32 & article 147 of the Geneva Convention.In 2005,the CIA destroyed 92 tapes after a report determined depiction of "Cruel,inhuman and degrading treatments as defined by the International Convention against torture". Not prosecuting the perpetrators and the instigators is not an option.

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An History of the CIA: " Legacy Of Ashes".

Even the agency’s successes have turned out to be failures, says Tim Weiner, the author of "Legacy of Ashes". This is one of the most detailed & well researched book about the agency's failures & short coming. At a time when the CIA is on trial, at least in the public opinion, for the " harsh interrogation techniques" this book is a must read.

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Former CIA Baer: " How Bush's War Got Started".

Former CIA operative Bob Baer tells how Bush's war got started. This interview is from 2007. Baer had a 21 years career at the CIA, mainly in the Middle-East. He gives us here an insider's perpective....

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'Action Memo' For Obama: Proposals For Dealing With Torture

I'm a former CIA analyst. President Obama must deal decisively with the Bush administration’s use of torture, secret prisons, and extraordinary renditions. Obama has given senior CIA officials too much say with respect to limiting both congressional inquiry. Senior CIA officials, past and present, are making a case that is patently false.

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Former CIA Bob Baer On Bill Maher:" Torture Doesn't Work "

This interview of Bob Baer on Bill Maher, last night, is one of the best argument against torture. First and foremost, it is a crime as defined by the Geneva Convention. Second it doesn't bring any accurate information.Baer says that when you are submitted to it,you end up saying whatever your torturer wants to hear.So it is wrong & ineffective.

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The Economist: US Economic Forecast- 2009 to 2010.

This report was published by The Economist on 4/17/2009. It was put together by The Economist " intelligence unit ".....

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Clinton, in Iraq, Blames ‘Rejectionists’ for Violence.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived Saturday morning for a one-day visit, a show of support for Iraq visit as it battles a sudden eruption of violence. In the last two days more than 140 were killed in 4 suicide bombings.She said: " I believe, as a whole, is on the right track ", despite the eruption of violence....

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Neoconservative Kaplan Makes His Mea Culpa on Iraq, in 2008.

This interview of Lawrence Kaplan ( one of the neocon's top "brains") for Der Speigel was conducted in 2008. Kaplan was one of the key promoter of the Iraq war, before the 2003 invasion.In this interview, he made his mea culpa stating: " I don't see anything good that has come from this war".

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NPR-Tweet Using Your Brain, No Hands Necessary.

Adam Wilson, a biomedical engineering graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has figured out how to "tweet" using the power of his brain. A cap with electrodes scans the brain, while a person concentrates on one letter at a time to create a message on a computer.....

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Inside the Secret Cellblocks of Abu Ghraib (Video)

A soldier-narrated tour of the detainee camp during its final days.

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Pentagon to Release Photos of Detainee Abuse Next Month

The Pentagon, in response to a lawsuit, will make public by May 28 a 'substantial number' of photos showing the abuse of detainees in prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan by U.S. personnel, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

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Torture:Pentagon Agrees to Release Detainee Photos.

The photos, which will be made available by May 28, depict abuse by American military personnel of captives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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CNN-Analysis: Pakistan, Taliban and Nuclear Arms

Taliban militants made their deepest incursion into Pakistan this week, seizing control of areas that are a short drive from the capital city....

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Ex-CIA Official: Agency Brass Lied to Congress About Torture

Former CIA official Mary O. McCarthy had accused senior agency officials of lying to members of Congress during an intelligence briefing in 2005 when they said the agency did not violate treaties that bar, cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of detainees during interrogations. In April 2006, 10 days before she was to retire, McCarthy was fired.

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AP/NPR-Iraq:Double Bombing Hits Outside Baghdad Shrine.

Back-to-back suicide bombings killed at least 60 people Friday outside the most important Shiite shrine in Baghdad, police officials said. The attack came a day after two suicide bombings that marked the deadliest day in Iraq in more than a year. Is Iraq on the brink of civil war?

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Reclaiming America’s Soul

The only way for the nation to regain its moral compass is to investigate how the government’s interrogation abuses happened, and, if necessary, to prosecute those responsible.

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Torture:EU Nations Eye Prosecution of Bush Officials.

EU officials & lawyers seek to criminalize former US officials over torture charges amid the reluctance of Obama to do so. EU authorities have expressed dissatisfaction with Obama's failure to press charges. The torture cases fall under a universal jurisdiction code...

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Bank of America Chief "Told to Buy Merrill or Face Sack".

The bank boss claims that US Treasury ( Henry Paulson at the time) told him to seal the $50 Billion deal and keep quiet about Merrill Lynch huge losses. This took place in December 2008....

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AG Holder Will Enforce Law in CIA Interrogations Case.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Thursday he will not allow criminalization of policy differences over CIA interrogations, but will pursue any wrongdoing.....

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Wells Fargo Accused of Securities Fraud by State Lawsuit.

California AG Brown says customers were misled, and is suing Wells Fargo for security fraud. An amount of 1.5 Billion worth of risky securities were sold to customers " As being as safe as cash"...

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Torture Memos:Liberal Groups Demand Independent Prosecutor.

A coalition of Liberal groups plan to present petitions with 250,000 signatures to AG Holder demanding the appointment of an independent special prosecutor to investigate the torture memos case. Among them: The ACLU, MoveOn.org, Democrats.com & Firedoglake.com.The pressure on the Obama administration is growing & catching a great deal of momentum.

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Congress: Who's Accountable For Torture Memos?

On Capitol Hill, unanswered questions abound regarding harsh interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects. Congress is trying to answer some of them. The first being: Who's accountable?

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AFP-Iraq:At least 73 Killed in Two Separate Suicide Blasts.

The Iraqi military said today that they have captured the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq....

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Clinton Says Pakistan Is Abdicating to the Taliban

By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan's government has abdicated to the Taliban in agreeing to impose Islamic law in the Swat valley and the country now poses a ''mortal threat'' to the world, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said...

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The Missing Mea Culpa

The Republican Party seems to be coming to its senses after the insanity of the Bush years. This moment in history is like one of those mornings when you wake up on a couch somewhere, with a throbbing head and a powder dry mouth, unsteady on your feet, the world reeling around you, with no idea where you are and certain that something terrible happ

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DOJ Had Prosecuted Texas Sheriff For Waterboarding Prisoners

In 1983, the Justice Department prosecuted a Texas sheriff and three of his deputies for waterboarding prisoners to get them to confess to crimes. The deputies were sentenced to four years in prison and the sheriff got a 10-year sentence. Yet that case is not cited in the “torture” memos DOJ released that authorized the CIA to waterboard detainees

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Obama Triggers Firestorm in CIA Torture Case.

By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama came under strong criticism from Republicans on Wednesday for leaving the door open to the prosecution of former Bush officials who authorized severe interrogations by the CIA.....

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HR 875- Set to Criminalize Organic Faming!!

Main backer and lobbyist is Monsanto - chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation (and Cargill, ADM, and about 35 other related agri-giants). This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to “make sure there is no danger to the public food supply”. with video

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DOJ: CIA Tortured Detainee Before Bybee Wrote Torture Memo

In April 2002, four months before the Justice Department issued its first “torture” memo, an FBI special agent who participated in the interrogation of the first “high-value” detainee captured after 9/11 reported that his treatment by the CIA amounted to “borderline torture,” according to a long forgotten report issued by the Department of Justice

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Fuel - The Movie:"Change Your Fuel, Change The World".

It took 11 years for director Josh Tichell to make "Fuel". Since 1997 he drove all across America in his vegetable oil-powered "Veggie Van" promoting the use of bio-fuel. This is a remarkable documentary. This is the web site of "Fuel", you can watch the trailer and get info for screening in an area near you....

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Inside Bush's Troubled Psyche: " The Bush Tragedy".

Jacob Weisberg has a few things to say about the presidency of George W.Bush. He's assembled his thoughts in a book called The Bush Tragedy.Time magazine political columnist Joe Klein calls it a "scorching, powerful and entirely plausible account".Weisberg explores some of the causes of the deeply rooted psychological & emotional problems of Bush...

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None Dare Call It Sadism

Oh, dear Peggy and fellow-traveling moral failures; it's not the documents that are the problem - it's the torture.

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Restoring Democracy; The Progressive Agenda.

Bush went hunting for the connection between al Qaida and Hussein AFTER the invasion and used the DoJ to rewrite the interpretation of torture in order to assist intelligence officials on their mission to satisfy the Executive Branch’s post-invasion agenda. We used to have 3 arms of government, which operated separately but together formed the ch

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Secretary Clinton Says Cheney Not a ''Reliable Source''.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took aim on Wednesday at former Vice President Dick Cheney, telling lawmakers she did not view him as a ''particularly reliable source'' on issues of torture.......

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South Africa Elections:Zuma's Precarious Alliance.

South Africa votes today.The elections will have a high turn out (80%), and the man positioned to win is ANC's Jacob Zuma. The charismatic and often controversial Zuma claims to be the "champion of the poor ". Can Zuma handle the great challenges facing South Africa or will he fall into the corruption and cronyism that have plagued his predecessor?

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'The Soloist':Living With Mental Illness On Skid Row.

The Soloist tells the story of Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless cellist who has schizophrenia. There are thousands of Nathaniel Ayers out there, says Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who wrote the columns that led to the film. There are also many trying to help.....

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U.S. Credit Card Bill Tests Democrats' Political Will

By John Poirier WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Congressional panel is expected to approve legislation on Wednesday that would curb high credit card fees and penalties assessed by many banks that have benefited from the federal government's financial...

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DOJ May Act On Idea to Expand Scope of Torture Tape Probe

Justice Department officials are reviewing a proposal contained in a voluminous report prepared by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers that calls for allowing a special prosecutor who was appointed last year to probe the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes to expand his probe into the Bush administration’s torture program.

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Report :"Harsh Interrogation" Approval From Top of Bush Adm.

A Senate report, just released today, offered detailed evidence that the military’s harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects were approved at high levels of the Bush administration.....

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U.N.'s World Digital Library Goes Online

PARIS, April 20 -- A globe-spanning U.N. digital library seeking to display and explain the relics of all human cultures has gone into operation on the Internet for the first time, serving up mankind's accumulated knowledge in seven languages for students around the world.....

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NPR's Interview:Harman "Outraged" Over Alleged Wiretapping.

News organizations have reported this week that Rep. Jane Harman was recorded agreeing to seek lenient treatment for two men accused of espionage in exchange for political help. Harman tells NPR she's "outraged" that she may have been wiretapped and calls for the release of transcripts of any calls recorded.....

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AP-Torture Memos:Obama Open to Prosecution, Probe of Torture

President Obama stated today that he is open to a Congress probe of " harsh interrogations " inflicted by CIA agents on detainees....

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Geithner Says Hard to Set Prices on Toxic Assets.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday said difficulty in setting a value on banks' toxic assets was a continuing hindrance to their ability to lend and borrow. Testifying before the Congressional Oversight Panel...

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Global Financial Crisis: The IMF Financial Stability Report.

In its global financial stability report(see full file PDF link on this page),released today, the IMF warned that the challenges to restoring financial stability remain significant. The credit deterioration is taking an increasing toll on banks balance sheets as the issue of " toxic assets" remains largely unresolved....

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Tensions Rise Between United States, Pakistan

In public, the United States and Pakistan are allies with a parallel interest in eradicating Islamist extremism. But behind the scenes, it's a complicated relationship — one that Pakistani and American analysts say is increasingly fraught with resentment, miscommunication and mistrust.....

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American Jewish Groups Must Speak Up Over Gaza

It is a sensitive subject but the movement for Gaza accountability needs a full involvement from the Jewish community.....

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The New-York Times Dominates 2009 Pulitzer Prize Contest.

By Robert MacMillan NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Times dominated the Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five of the coveted awards for investigative, breaking news and international reporting, feature photography and criticism.....

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Cheney: " Harsh Interrogation Techniques Were a Success".

In an interview with Fox, today, Dick Cheney not only defended the torture authorized by the controversial memos, but even asked that the results of the interrogations files be released to prove his point....

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Reuters:Ahmadinejad Prompts Walkout From U.N. Racism Summit.

By Laura MacInnis GENEVA (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prompted a walkout from his speech to a U.N. racism summit on Monday when he accused Israel of establishing a ''cruel and repressive racist regime'' over the Palestinians.....

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CIA Watchdog Report Says Detainees Died During Interrogation

CIA Inspector General John Helgerson said in a 2004 top-secret report his office prepared that the interrogation of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed “appeared to constitute cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, as defined by the International Convention Against Torture." But the most explosive finding is that detainees were killed during interrogations.

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Amnesty International to Issue Assessment of Obama's100 Days

On April 29, Amnesty International will issue an official assessment of President Obama first 100 days in office, in regards to human rights. Amnesty International has denounced the so called "war on terror", and is promoting to fight terrorism with justice instead....

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American Empire Foreclosed?

President Obama may be able to reverse some of the diplomatic damage of the Bush years, but his administration faces problems of its own. Global force projection requires not only a huge amount of political capital; at a most fundamental level it demands financial treasure.

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Los Angeles: Homeless Capital of America.

Skid Row, the area on the fringe of downtown Los Angeles, has always catered to the down and out. Today, the homeless, the business community and a growing population of permanent residents are learning to coexist.....

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U.S. Mulls Striking Somali Terror Training Camps

The Obama administration is watching more than just pirates in Somalia. Officials have been tracking a Somali terrorist group and are weighing whether to strike some of its training camps. The fear is that the group, al-Shabab, could join forces with al-Qaida and target the U.S.

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Islamic Extremist Tide Rises in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 19 -- A potentially troubling era dawned Sunday in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where a top Islamist militant leader, emboldened by a peace agreement with the federal government, laid out an ambitious plan to bring a "Complete Islamic system" to the surrounding northwest region...

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CIA & Torture:Planner of 9/11 Attacks Waterboarded 183 Times

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - CIA interrogators used the waterboarding technique on Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the admitted planner of the Sept. 11 attacks, 183 times and 83 times on another al Qaeda suspect.......

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Iraq: Is Sunnis & Shiites Reconciliation Possible?

Iraqi leaders are calling for reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites, and U.S. forces are trying to help. While some in Iraq may want to live together, many say they are unwilling and unable to forget the bloody past......

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Wiretap Recorded Rep Harman Promising to Intervene For AIPAC

Rep. Jane Harman , the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee.

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Torture-Obama's Decision:"Worse Than a Crime,It's a Mistake"

No matter how hard Obama and his surrogates are trying to spin the decision of not prosecuting the CIA agents for torture, it is unlikely to work.1st: It will be easy to challenge legally ( the ACLU is already working on it).2nd:Both the left & the right are up in arms over this decision.3rd: it is sending the wrong message to the world community.

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Obama's Decision:" Worse Than a Crime, It's a Mistake"

This 200 years old French political saying was 1st used in the case of the Duc D'Enghien. The Duc was plotting to assassinate Napoleon, he was caught and executed on Napoleon's orders. The execution had the effect to energize Napoleon's opposition within the French aristocracy.


The case of President Obama refusing to prosecute the CIA agents for torture is drastically different in appearance but has, as a matter of fact, quite a lot of political similarities.

There is a lack of logic to it from a legal stand point, and further it is a political disaster in the making.

First, if you are not going to prosecute the CIA agents arguing that they were just following orders issued by the upper echelon of the Bush administration; then you have to go after the legal architects of the memos, and even further up the Bush administration's "food chain" to whomever gave the instructions to draft the documents in question. This lack of legal logic is troubling from someone as smart as Obama; especially considering that he has a background in constitutional law.


Second, it is a huge political mistake. The intelligence hard liners are up in arms that the memos were released by the Obama administration. On the left, the liberals & libertarians are even more critical over Obama's decision not to prosecute either the CIA operatives or the Bush administration itself. When the torture memos were released last week Obama said:"We have been through a dark and painful chapter of our history". This is completely accurate, but what doesn't make any sense is to basically sweep everything under the rug of history just for the sake of moving on. Today, Rahm Emmanuel was spinning Obama's decision on Sunday's political talk shows circuit by explaining again that we need to turn the page. We need to do the complete opposite to prevent anything like that to ever happen again under any circumstances.


Third, it is a big International " faux pas". The obama administration was making a lot of progress in their handling of foreign relations. Not prosecuting the CIA agents was strongly criticized by a top UN official. He has charged that " Obama violated international law with his decision not to prosecute CIA agents who tortured detainees". It is sending the wrong message all across the world, as if America is above international laws.

Obama Torture Policies Slammed by Critics on Both Sides

Obama's decision not to prosecute CIA agents for torture is being strongly criticized by human rights advocates. A top UN official has charged that Obama violated international law with his decision not to prosecute CIA agents who tortured detainees. Obama's decision not to prosecute is not pleasing anyone and could be a huge political mistake....

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Financial Crisis: Nationalize The Banks.

Some private banks( Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs) are posting a large "profit" for the 1st quarter.Is it just an illusion?The institutions were redeemed with taxpayers' money, and are now returned to their share holders. In short we put their houses back in order and then gave it back to the same people who looted it. Does it make sense?

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Can Bush Really Be Prosecuted?

Great effort by good people explaining what would have to happen, and what needs to be done to carry out the law that applies to all of us.

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AP:Tattoos from Auschwitz Horror Reunite Lost Inmates

April 19 is the day Israel commemorates the 6 million Jews killed during the holocaust.....

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Justice Dept. Memos' Careful Legalese Obscured Harsh Reality

The four Justice Department memos to the CIA's top lawyer that were released last week reflect an effort by Bush administration appointees to create finely tuned justifications for torture, all under a blanket of secrecy covering the agency's prisons and the questioning....

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Financial Crisis: Geithner Sees No New Banking Crisis.

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner does not see a second wave of banking collapses and the government is ready to support capital-raising when needed, a Japanese newspaper said on Sunday......

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Grisly slayings brings Mexican drug war to US

A type of crime, and criminal, once foreign to this landscape of blooming dogwoods had arrived in Shelby County. Sheriff Chris Curry felt it even before he laid eyes on the grisly scene. He called the state. The FBI. The DEA. Anyone he could think of."I don't know what I've got," he warned them. "But I'm gonna need help."

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US Boycotts UN Racism Conference

Washington has confirmed it will boycott a UN forum on racism in Geneva next week, because of differences over Israel and the right to free speech....

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Bush's Torture Program: Were Democrats Complicit?

One day after the Obama administration released four gruesome Bush-era torture memos, a majority of Democrats have remained collectively silent on whether the disclosures warrant a full-scale criminal investigation. That begs the question: were Democrats aware of the torture program and are simply remaining silent because they approved it?

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Torture & the CIA: Sould Prosecutions for Torture Follow?

On4/16/, after the 4 torture memos were released, President Obama stated:"We have been through a dark and painful chapter of our history".Dark and painful is an understatement, it will be hard to get out of it if legal actions are not taken against the Bush administration. Obama is not inclined to do so for now. This is the take of The Economist...

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Torture:C.I.A. Memos Could Bring More Disclosures.

After revealing details about interrogation methods, President Obama now faces a challenge to make good on his promise to protect operatives from legal jeopardy.....

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Spanish Prosecutors Formalize Objections to Torture Indictme

Spanish prosecutors formally recommended throwing out a criminal complaint on Friday that was lodged against six former Bush administration officials.....

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Guidelines for Broader Stem Cell Research Unveiled

The Obama administration released a draft of guidelines for federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research Friday.....

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Clinton Scores Points by Admitting Past U.S. Errors.

For a senior American official (someone who almost became president )to declare that the United States had erred, makes a major impact on foreign audiences.....

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Mitchell: Arab Peace Plan as Part of Palestinian State Push.

By Mohammed Assadi RAMALLAH (Reuters) - U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell said on Friday that an Arab peace initiative should be part of a planned U.S. drive to create a Palestinian state. In three separate violent incidents in the West Bank...

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George Will's Jihad on Jeans

First George Will denies climate change, now he hates on jeans? Really George? But the free market says jeans are what people want!!! A short history of George Will's jean hating from 1876 ahem, I mean, 1976.

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Stiglitz Says Ties to Wall Street Doom Bank Rescue

April 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration’s bank- rescue efforts will probably fail because the programs have been designed to help Wall Street rather than create a viable financial system, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said.The people who designed the plans are “either in the pocket of the banks or they’re incompetent.”

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Bush's Torture Memos-ACLU:Demand Accountability for Torture.

The ACLU is urging us to sign a National petition addressed to AG Eric Holder, demanding that an independent prosecutor be assigned to investigate the 4 Bush's torture memos released yesterday by the Obama administration. Without the ACLU, it is unlikely that the 4 memos would have being released.Join the ACLU in their fight for the rule of Law.

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Film Business: SAG, Producers Reach Tentative Agreement.

After nearly a year ( since last June) of sometimes acrimonious negotiations, a tentative agreement has been reached between the Screen Actors Guild and the Producers. This is very good news for the film business. SAG members will be voting on it this week-end....

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04/17/2009: EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public

This is the official announcement from the EPA concerning the danger of 6 gases including carbon dioxide.

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Report: EPA To Declare 6 Gases A Public Health Risk

The agency's declaration, if it is made Friday as expected, is the first step toward regulating the greenhouse gases as pollution linked to climate change. The 6 gases in question include carbon dioxide....

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U.S.-Israel Divide Emerges On Palestinian Peace Talks

JERUSALEM, April 16 -- Stark differences between U.S. and Israeli policy toward peace talks with the Palestinians emerged clearly Thursday in the first meetings between President Obama's Middle East envoy and top leaders of the new Israeli government....

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Thai ''Yellow Shirt'' Leader Sondhi Shot

By Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK (Reuters) - The founder of Thailand's ''yellow shirt'' protest movement, which was behind the week-long occupation of Bangkok's main airports last year, was shot and wounded early on Friday, a spokesman for his movement...

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Bush's Deceptive Memo on NSA: " Myth Versus Reality"-1/27/06

It is a master piece in deception. What the memo calls myth is reality, and what it calls reality is fictional. One example:"Myth:The NSA program is a domestic eavesdropping program used to spy on innocent Americans"(the truth)."Reality:The NSA program is narrowly focused on international calls.Safeguard are in place to protect civil liberties..."

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CIA Officials Won't Face Charges For Waterboarding

The Obama administration told CIA officials Thursday that they will not be prosecuted for waterboarding terrorism suspects during the Bush administration. The message came as the administration released four Bush-era memos from 2002 and 2005 authorizing the harsh interrogation techniques.

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Torture:No Charges Against CIA Officials for Waterboarding.

This decision is not sending the right message to the international community as far as holding accountable CIA's agents that committed torture.They should be duly prosecuted for their crimes....

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AP:GOP Hopes to Build Momentum Behind 'Tea Parties'.

Anti-tax protesters turned out for dreaded April 15. Some signs said " America is not broken, fix Congress". Can the GOP rides on the growing populist anger in this time of economic hardship or was the event largely manufactured by Fox News?

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DHS Secretary Napolitano Defends Report on Extremism

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano responded yesterday to widespread criticism of a leaked domestic intelligence report warning local law enforcement agencies to be on guard for right-wing extremist groups seeking new recruits amid the nation's economic troubles....

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Pentagon Closes Office Accused of Propaganda Under Bush.

Critics said the office overstepped its mandate by trying to organize information operations that violated Pentagon guidelines for accuracy and transparency....

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U.S. Phone & E-Mail NSA's Intercepts Go Beyond Legal Limits

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Security Agency intercepted Americans' e-mails and phone calls in recent months on a scale that went beyond limits set by the U.S. Congress last year.....

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The Earl Grey Post Game Show – TEABAGGIN’ 09 Fails to Impres

Yes, there was the expected amount of crazy, but the truth is, I'm bored. It's too easy, like fishing with dynamite.

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Abu Ghraib Victims Can Sue Interrogators

In a ruling that could have widespread implications for government contractors overseas, a federal court has concluded that four former Abu Ghraib detainees, who were tortured and later released without charge, can sue the U.S. military contractor who was involved in conducting prisoner interrogations for the Pentagon in Iraq.

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The Obama's Federal Tax Returns.

President Obama & VP Biden posted their respective tax returns today on the White House web site. Obama reported an income of 2,736,107.

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The peasant mentality lives on in America

when the excesses of business interests and their political proteges in Washington leave the regular guy broke and screwed, the response is always for the lower and middle classes to split down the middle and find reasons to get pissed off not at their greedy bosses but at each other.

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Rove's Tea:Is a " Revolution " Brewing for The " Tea Party"?

Wonkette's title was " Get Ready for sexy Teabag parties round the clock". She is obviously exited about the event. The " event " is a classic Faux News fake movement; tapping into anger, anxiety and populism. So what tea would you like today, Earl Grey, English Breakfast or the new Fox's flavor "Turd Blossom"?

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Obama Set to Name ''Border Czar'': Report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will name former Justice Department official Alan Bersin to oversee its policy on illegal immigration and drug-related violence along the U.S. border with Mexico........

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Why Protest Big Government With Tea On Tax Day?

Conservatives are planning tea parties across the U.S. on Wednesday to protest the use of taxpayer money for bank bailouts and other government spending. But some historians and beverage makers say it doesn't make sense for java-loving Americans to rally around tea...

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U.S. May Soon Release Bank Stress Tests - CBS News

The Obama administration wants to reassure Americans about the health of the financial system....

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Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich hoping to appear on reality show

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich couldn't survive an impeachment trial, but perhaps he'll fare better in a Costa Rican jungle where scheming is more than allowed, it's encouraged.This might be a reality show,but it is mainly unreal.......

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Right-Wing Extremism May Be on Rise, Report from DHS Says

Right-wing extremist groups may be using the recession and the election of the nation's first African-American president to recruit members, a Department of Homeland Security report contends.

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Dept. of Homeland Security Report on Right Wing Extremism.

This is the 10 pages report dated 4/07/09. The title: "Right Wing Extremism:Current Economic & Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization & Recruitment ".

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Ku Klux Klan:Increased & Strengthened Since Obama's Election

Photographer Anthony Karen spent over 2 years to get access to the KKK.His photos show that the 140 years old white supremacist group is still going strong. And even more so since Obama's election. This is his part of his disturbing photo essay and comments....

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Iran Complains to UN About Israeli Threats.

Iran demands U.N. respond to Israeli "threats", after Israeli officials hinted that Israel could attack Iran's nuclear sites.......

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Rep.Payne Calls Somalia Shooting 'Act Of Desperation'

As Rep. Donald Payne left Mogadishu on Monday, his plane was fired on by mortar shells. Payne tells NPR that the Islamist group al-Shabab was trying to send a message to U.S. officials to stay away. He says the Somali officials he met with want to see an end to piracy.

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DOJ Files Charges UBS Clients Who Hid Money in Swiss Accts

The Justice Department has started to file criminal charges against U.S. citizens who were clients of Swiss banking giant UBS, claiming they concealed tens of millions of dollars in assets from the IRS in secret Swiss accounts the bank set up. The bank, which paid a $780 million fine, agreed to turn over it's secret client list to U.S. authorities.

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Iraq:US Troops Could stay in Mosul Past June 30

When they were supposed to leave, Mosul is considered to have still a large Al Quaeda presence.Will Iraq become the never ending war, despite Obama's statement during his visit?

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AP-Joint Chiefs Head: "Violence to Rise in Afghanistan".

US had unrealistic goals in Afghanistan, and still does....

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Obama's Speech Transcript:"Economy Not Out of the Woods".

President Obama said in a speech at Georgetown University in Washington that while other recent economic signs have been hopeful, problems persist and a true recovery will take more time.This is the full speech....

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Reuters:North Korea Quits Nuclear Talks.

By Jon Herskovitz SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it would quit international nuclear disarmament talks and restart a plant that makes bomb-grade plutonium after the United Nations chastised it for launching a long-range rocket. The...

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Time To Break Up Goldman Sachs

Mike "Mish" Shedlock - It's time to breakup Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and for that matter any bank or holding company deemed too big to fail. It's not just the "too big to fail" hazard that is troubling, it's also the power these corporations have and the potential to abuse that power that is also troubling.

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Economic Crisis:Retail Sales Show Recession Far From Bottom.

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in March after two months of increases, a government report showed on Tuesday, dimming hopes the recession was close to hitting bottom. However, Federal Reserve...

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In Georgetown Speech, Obama to Offer Cautious Optimism

President Obama today will offer an optimistic assessment of efforts to revive the economy but warn that tough times are still ahead as the nation rebuilds its financial system, according to excerpts of a speech released by the White House this morning.....

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NPR:Pakistan Approves Strict Law In Swat Valley.

In what looks like a concession to the Taliban, Pakistan's president has signed a controversial measure that makes Islamic law the official legal system in the restive Swat Valley....

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AP:Undeterred Somali Pirates Hijack 4 More Ships.

US warship arrives as pirates' options dwindle. The pirates vowed to retaliate after the operations conducted by France & the US against their "colleagues"....

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Someone Always Complains ...

Of course there are complaints, but those sheep with LED vests are adorable I say.

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Insurgents Make Inroads in Key Pakistan Province

The Taliban is teaming up with local militant groups in Punjab, reinvigorating an alliance that poses a serious risk to the stability of Pakistan.

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Iran:U.S. May Drop Key Condition for Iran Nuclear Talks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration and its European allies are considering dropping a long-standing U.S. demand that Iran immediately shut down its nuclear facilities if it enters talks over its atomic program.....

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Tea Bag Parties: Corporate Astroturfing to Derail Obama

The Tax Day Tea Parties coming up on the 15th of April are being organized and coordinated by Freedomworks and Progress for America, the same groups that supported the failed economic policies of Bush and the Republicans. Those showing up are being used as pawns in a scheme to derail Obama's movement for change. Here is the proof.

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Somalia:Radical Islamic Rebels Support Pirates.

Islamic rebel leaders have hailed the pirates attacks in Somalia, one of them stated:" Foreign powers want to divide the country(Somalia), and the pirates are protecting the coast against the enemies of Allah".

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'Unquiet Mind' Reveals Bipolar Disorder's Complexity

Author Melody Moezzi says Kay Redfield Jamison's memoir, An Unquiet Mind, is the most brilliant and brutally honest book she's ever read about bipolar disorder.....

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NPR Report:Somali Pirates Threaten Revenge.

After the U.S. Navy killed three pirates while rescuing an American sea captain, the pirates threatened to take revenge on aid workers. How much worse can things get in the most dangerous country on Earth?

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Democracy Now! | Noam Chomsky on the Global Economic Crisis,

Part II of our conversation with MIT professor and author Noam Chomsky on the global economic crisis, healthcare, the media, US foreign policy, the expanding wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, resistance to American empire, and more.

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Obama Recruiting Lawyers to Defend Some Gitmo Detentions

Barack Obama has ordered the Navy’s prison at Guantanamo closed by next January. He suspended Military Commission trials, assigned Attorney General Eric Holder to determine which of the 241 detainees should be prosecuted, released or sent to other countries. Yet the Obama Administration is still trying to recruit lawyers to defend its detentions.

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TARP Oversight: Bailed-Out Banks Face Probe Over Fee Hikes.

Banking institutions bolstered by capital infusions from the government face intensified scrutiny from TARP's oversight committee following a rash of complaints about higher interest rates and fees to consumers. They got money from tax payers & are lending it back to US consumers at, sometime, predatory rates....

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Political Analysis:Right’s Rage at Overbearing Obama.

A UK perspective on the explosiveness of America's current political scene. Some GOP personalities are pushing the envelope to the extreme and are fueling populist anger....

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India Rejects Calls For Emission Cuts

NEW DELHI -- Days after the Obama administration unveiled a push to combat climate change, Indian officials said it was unlikely to prompt them to agree to binding emission cuts, a position among emerging economies that many say derails effective action.

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Thai Troops Crack Down on Protest.

Al Jazeera's coverage on the violent crack down in Thailand by the military....

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CIA Interrogation Tapes Predated Torture Memo

The CIA began videotaping interrogations of two alleged “high value” terrorist detainees in April 2002, four months before Bush administration attorneys issued a memo clearing the way for CIA interrogators to use “enhanced interrogation techniques,” the Justice Department disclosed in court documents.

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Reuters-Q&A:Who Are the Somali Pirates?

By Andrew Cawthorne NAIROBI, April 12 (Reuters) - It took the capture and rescue five days later of an American hostage to draw world attention back to the long-running phenomenon of Somali piracy. This Q & A will help you understand the piracy problem....

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Obama Reiterates Call for International Cooperation.

President Obama, speaking days after returning from his first overseas trip since taking office, said the most critical problems confronting the nation and the world can be solved only through international cooperation...

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Coast of Somalia: French Commandos Storming a Boat.

The photographs of the French commandos storming the boat hijacked by Somalians pirates were just released...

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Candidate for Change Becomes President of More of The Same.

I belong to what George W. Bush calls the " Radical-angry Left". I supported Obama last year with dedication and spirit, hoping for the best. After almost 100 days of the new administration, it is time for me to recap. Quite frankly, I am not impressed. As far as I am concerned the honeymoon is over.This is why...

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Video:Gore Vidal on Bill Maher 4/10/09.

Gore Vidal & Bill Maher talk about the decline & fall of Rome compared to the one of the current Empire: America.Gore Vidal was one of the very first American intellectual denouncing America's empire building. Gore Vidal is a genius with a wicked sense of humor...

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Sunnis Arrested:Is Iraq on the Brink of Civil War Again?

Sunni Awakening Council members are besieged from all sides: attacked by bombers, arrested by the government and, some feel, abandoned by the Americans who recruited them.....

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Cost of Iraq War Will Surpass Vietnam's by Year's End.

And it is far from over yet....

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Legal Framework in Place for Martial Law

@Liberals and Conservatives and everyone in between--this is a non-partisan article. This is not tin-foil. Let us stop fighting and start thinking. Let us look at this objectively for once.

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Afghanistan-UK Army Chief:"War on Taleban cannot be won."

This is what Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, Britain most senior commander in Afghanistan, was saying in October 2008. Since then, the situation has deteriorated. Carleton-Smith also mentioned that the mission was "doomed to fail " unless negotiations were started with some Taleban.

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Freedom of the Press: VA Seizes Reporter's Tape.

Last Tuesday night, [public radio reporter David Schultz] was covering a public event at the Veteran Administration, conducting an interview with veterans.....

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Spitzer: Bank Regulators Lacked Will, Not Power

Before he quit public life in disgrace, Eliot Spitzer made his name by cracking down on Wall Street malfeasance. Now, the former New York governor writes about the financial crisis for Slate, and he says regulators could've stopped wrongdoing if they'd really wanted to....

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"America Makes a Determined New Stand in Afghanistan."

This cartoon from The Economist, tells the likely outcome of Obama's new strategy in Afghanistan better than long article....

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France Frees Yacht Off Somalia, 1 Hostage Killed.

By Crispian Balmer PARIS (Reuters) - A French hostage was killed and four others were freed on Friday when French forces attacked pirates who had seized their yacht off Somalia, officials said. Two pirates were shot dead during the military assault...

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IRAQ:Suicide Attack Kills 5 G.I.’s.

The bombing of a Mosul police headquarters on Friday was the deadliest attack against American soldiers in 13 months........

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Somali Pirates Vow to Take on US Military Might if Attacked.

The 4 Somali pirates, armed only with AK47, are still defiant of the might of the US Navy....

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AP-Lawsuit: Firms Sold Poison Gas Ingredients to Iraq

Three American companies sold poison gas ingredients to Iraq during the 1980's. The poison gas was used by Saddam Hussein in Kurdistan....

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Obama's military budget - The Biggest Ever

While media plays up program cuts, total defense budget surpasses Bush by $20 Billion.

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Zeitgeist: Addendum the Movie

This 2 hour video discusses the institutionalized practice of money creation as utilized by the Federal Reserve and web of global banks. In our financial system money is debt, and debt is money. Our system of "money" is one of the most socially paralyzing structures humanity has ever endured. Only 3% of the money in existence is in circulation!

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Iraq: The Three Trillion Dollar War.

In their book, " The Three Trillion Dollar War", economist Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz & Linda Bilmes demonstrates that the real cost of the war in Iraq is 3 Trillion. This is their web site....

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Reuters:CIA Says Shuttering Detention ''Black Sites''.

By Randall Mikkelsen WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The CIA will decommission the infamous ''black sites'' where terrorism suspects were interrogated with harsh techniques that included waterboarding, agency director Leon Panetta said on Thursday.....

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Wells Fargo:Doing Well, But Putting the Squeeze on Credit.

The markets were up today,mainly on the news that Wells Fargo will post higher profits than expected for the first quarter. However, they are reviewing retroactively all lines of credit above $6,000 by asking some very intrusive questions such as tax returns & proof of any/all assets, even for customers with impeccable track records.....

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U.S. Markets Surge on Wells Fargo's Projected Record Profit

Stocks soared in early trading today after Wells Fargo projected that its first-quarter net income would come in well above analysts' expectations.However, Wells Fargo is putting the squeeze on their customers with a personal line of credit. They are currently reviewing all accounts with a balance above $6,000 with some very intrusive questions...

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Pakistani Official: The Drones Attacks Are Counterproductive

Talat Masood, who served as a former lieutenant general in Pakistan's army, says that aspects of the Obama administration's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan are welcome. Still, he says, serious differences remain....

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Wells Fargo pays $371.5M to "Taxpayers"? Who's Really Paid?

TARP made Wells Fargo & other Top Anointed Banks even bigger "too big to fail" banks. Fargo says taxpayers now reap A Dividend for "their" $25 billion investment: But Who really benefits from the Bait & Switch TARP TRAP? Who owns AIG? THE FED owns AIG, NOT the gov't or Taxpayers. THE FED prints "money" & owns/controlls the US Treasury & DC Whores!

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Kim Jong Il Unanimously Re-Elected as Supreme Leader - Times

A couple of days after the rocket launch.....

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Justice Department & Ethics:Holder Replaces Ethics Watchdog.

WASHINGTON — Atty. Gen. Eric Holder on Wednesday, replaced the Justice Department's top ethics watchdog, one day after a federal judge criticized the agency for moving too slowly in probing alleged government misconduct in the prosecution of former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.

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CIA Tortured More Prisoners and Hid Them From Red Cross

The Bush administration may have abused or tortured many more detainees at secret CIA prisons than the 14 “high-value” terror suspects already known and hid their whereabouts and concealed their treatment from International Committee of the Red Cross representatives who monitors the treatment of prisoners of war, the agency said in a report.

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Politics & Money:Obama's Wealthy West Wing.

Most of the " President's men " are millionaires. This article tells you what assets do they have. In Washington political leverage and money go hand in hand....

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NPR:Examining Obama's European Trip For Results.

President Obama's trip to Europe was a personal triumph. He was greeted with enthusiasm by European leaders and was popular with ordinary people. But can he turn his popularity into real leverage with U.S. allies on issues like Iran and troops for Afghanistan?

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TARP Inspector Gears Up To Oversee Bailout

The $700 billion TARP program comes with its own internal police force tasked with ensuring that taxpayer money to bail out Wall Street is spent properly. Neil Barofsky, a former federal prosecutor, heads the new office, which is up and running, but undergoing some growing pains.

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The Red Cross Full Report on Torture by the CIA.

This is the full 41 pages secret report from the Red Cross in PDF file.

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Filling the Skies with Robot Assassins:The Drone Wars Have.

The Drones operate in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or anywhere else for that matter. They don't require a pilot, and are usually operated thousands of miles away from the target like a deadly video game.The drones seem to come right out the 1984's flick "Terminator".The future of remote warfare is here now, and even scarier than the old fashion one.

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Fidel Castro Hails ''Magnificent'' Talk with US Congressmen.

HAVANA (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Wednesday he and three U.S. Congress members had a ''magnificent meeting'', but he reiterated doubts about the possibility of big changes in U.S.-Cuba relations. In a column published in...

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Senate Conserva-Dems Guarding the Family Fortune

A new big tax cut for multimillionaires would enrich the heirs of America’s biggest fortunes. It would not jump-start job creation on Main Street.

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AFP- U.S. Military Spending Review Exposes Sharp Divisions.

US Congress is reviewing the Pentagon's budget plan for 2010 proposed by Robert Gates. The budget plan was praised by John McCain, of all people....

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