TruthOut.Orgt r u t h o u t
Support TO, a Little Goes a Long Way
With just minimal support from our readers we do so much. We represent a serious challenge to news organizations many times larger with far greater budgets. Your help matters. The donation process is quick and easy. Take a moment and check in. Thanks to all our active donors, and to all our new donors. 
Richard Heinberg | Oil and Politics
Truthout contributor Richard Heinberg writes: "On Tuesday, Senate Democrats introduced legislation that would halt a US arms sale to Saudi Arabia worth $1.4 billion. The implication is clear: no more war toys for the Saudis unless they agree to up their oil output."  Some Detainees Are Drugged for Deportation
The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein and Dana Priest report: "The US government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged." 
NARAL Pro-Choice Backs Obama
Beth Fouhy of The Associated Press says, "Democrat Barack Obama has won the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a leading abortion rights advocacy organization that has supported rival Hillary Rodham Clinton throughout her political career." 
Bill Moyers Journal | A Democratic House Divided
"Bill Moyers interviews Berkeley law professors Christopher Edley Jr. and Maria Echaveste - he's for Obama and she's for Clinton. They met working in the Clinton administration and now, having been married for nine years, Edley and Echaveste are both advising their respective candidates." 
Hope Shand | Corporations Grab Climate Genes
Writing for Foreign Policy in Focus, Hope Shand says, "First the biotech industry promised that its genetically engineered seeds would clean up the environment. Then they told us biotech crops would feed the world. Neither came to pass. Soon we'll hear that genetically engineered climate-hardy seeds are the essential adaptation strategy for crops to withstand drought, heat, cold, saline soils and more." 
Amazon Defender Quits Brazil Environment Post
Raymond Colitt of Reuters reports: "Brazil's environment minister, hailed as a champion of the green movement but scorned by powerful farming groups, resigned on Tuesday after losing key battles in her efforts to protect the Amazon rain forest." 
Mysterious Arctic Whale Under Threat From Changing Habitat
The Guardian UK's Edward Helmore writes: "Polar bears may get more attention - and later this week a court-ordered decision by the US government will almost certainly see them listed as a threatened species - but new research suggests the narwhal, the mysterious whale with a long spiral tusk, may be more at risk from climatic change. Researchers fear that the narwhal is so attuned to its environment, so narrow in its range of habitat and specific in diet, that it may be one of the least able of Arctic mammals to adapt to rapid warming in the high north." 
Democrats' Colorado Dilemmas
Stephanie Simon, The Wall Street Journal, says that "A labor union campaign in Colorado to tighten restrictions on layoffs and crack down on corporate fraud could put Democrats in an awkward position as they gather here in August for their presidential convention." 
Nonprofit Teach for America Sees Big Growth
According to Nancy Zuckerbrod of The Associated Press, "Backpacking in Europe? Nah, the dollar's too weak - and for some, the needs closer to home are too great. More than ever, graduating college seniors are signing up to spend two years in America's poorest communities as part of Teach for America, the nonprofit organization that recruits and trains top college students for teaching jobs." 
Sheila Gibbons | Marketing to Women Seems Unable to Keep Up
Writing for Women's eNews, Sheila Gibbons says, "As a journalist who writes about issues of interest to women, I receive a steady stream of pitches from public relations and marketing agencies." 
Premature Death Tied to Lower Education
The Washington Post's David Brown reports: "The difference in death rates between highly educated and poorly educated people in the United States is very wide and growing wider, according to new research." 
Rove Refuses to Testify on Siegelman Issue
Ben Evans reports for The Associated Press: "A House Judiciary Committee deadline passed Monday with former White House adviser Karl Rove standing by his refusal to testify about allegations that he pushed the Justice Department to prosecute former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman." 
China Quake Toll Nears 15,000
For The Los Angeles Times, Mark Magnier and Barbara Demick report: "As rescue workers plowed deeper into the wreckage left from Monday's earthquake, uncovering more victims trapped in the most remote mountain villages near the epicenter in Sichuan Province, the death toll soared to nearly 15,000. The new figure was announced by Chinese state news services as night fell Wednesday in China. Now more than 48 hours after the quake, the hope for surviving is dimming and some officials said they expect the death toll to climb to 20,000." 
Conservative Democrats Fight GI Bill Benefits
Mike Lillis, for the Washington Independent, writes on the state of the GI Bill. As Iraq veterans struggle to pay post-combat tuition, both the GOP and Blue Dog Democrats are blocking legislation to up their education benefits. 
EU Condemns US Resumption of Executions
Reuters reports: "The European Union on Wednesday condemned the resumption of judicial executions in the United States and said abolishing capital punishment was fundamental to protecting human dignity and furthering human rights." 
Judge Counters Army, Approves Conscientious Objector Status
For the Anchorage Daily News, George Bryson writes: "The Army should grant conscientious objector status to Pfc. Michael Barnes, a Fort Richardson-based paratrooper who had his request for that designation denied last year, U.S. Magistrate John D. Roberts concluded Tuesday. In a 26-page recommendation to the U.S. District Court, Roberts noted that the Army failed to show 'any basis in fact' to support its decision to deny Barnes' petition to be honorably discharged due to his religious beliefs." 
Lebanon Conflict Damages Bush's Credibility in Mideast
Alistair Lyon writes for Reuters: "Hezbollah's humbling of Lebanon's U.S.-backed government has dealt a further blow to American credibility in the region less than a year after Hamas Islamists seized Gaza from Palestinian leaders supported by Washington. The Shi'ite Islamist group's easy military triumph over pro-government gunmen preceded this week's visit to the region by U.S. President George W. Bush, who had cast Lebanon as a success for his declared drive for democracy in the Arab world." 
Christophe Beaudufe | The AFP Is Not a Blog
Writing for Le Monde, the president of Agence France-Presse's Society of Journalists, Christophe Beaudufe, excoriates the French government for attempting to exert political influence on the 50-year-old agency which, by law, is independent of all political and economic powers. 
Danny Schechter | Is Who Becomes the Next President All That Matters?
For AlterNet, Danny Schechter writes: "I know. I know. How this is the most important election in history, and why the next occupant of the White House will not only be answering the red phone at 3 a.m. but possibly be saving these not always United States from the decline that even Time magazine has announced the country is facing. Yet, as I travel outside the country, I can't help but feel, or is it fear, that this logic leaves out some rather important considerations." 
Clinton Beats Obama Handily in West Virginia
Patrick Healy, of The New York Times: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton won a lopsided victory on Tuesday over Senator Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary, where racial considerations emerged as an unusually salient factor. Mrs. Clinton drew strong support from white, working-class voters, who have spurned Mr. Obama in recent contests. The number of white Democratic voters who said race had influenced their choices on Tuesday was among the highest recorded in voter surveys in the nomination fight. Two in 10 white West Virginia voters said race was an important factor in their votes. More than 8 in 10 who said it factored in their votes backed Mrs. Clinton, according to exit polls." 
Democrats Pick Up Mississippi House Seat
Aaron Blake, of The Hill: "Democrat Travis Childers won Tuesday's Mississippi special election runoff for Sen. Roger Wicker's (R) former House seat, handing Democrats the biggest of their three special election takeovers this cycle and sending a listless GOP further into a state of disarray. Childers led GOP candidate Greg Davis 53-47 with more than 90 percent of precincts reporting. Turnout increased substantially over the 67,000 voters who cast ballots in the April 22 open special election, with more than 100,000 voting in the runoff." 
Low Hopes for Bush Mideast Trip
Peter Grier, of The Christian Science Monitor: "The pageantry of President Bush's trip to the Middle East this week is sure to be impressive. On May 15, he'll tour the ancient fortress of Masada, then commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel with an address to the Knesset. The next day he'll travel to Saudi Arabia to help mark the 75th anniversary of formal US-Saudi relations. He'll meet with Saudi King Abdallah at the king's farm. The substance of the journey, however, is unlikely to live up to the White House's once-high expectations." 
Burma Police Block Aid Workers, Food Piles Up
The Associated Press: "Police barred foreign aid workers from reaching cyclone survivors in hard-hit areas Tuesday, while emergency food shipments backed up at the main airport for Myanmar's biggest city. Relief workers reported some storm survivors were being given spoiled or poor-quality food rather than nutrition-rich biscuits sent by international donors, adding to fears that the ruling military junta in the Southeast Asian country could be misappropriating assistance." 
What's McCain Have Against Education Benefits for Veterans?
David Lightman, of McClatchy Newspapers: "The 'Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act' sounds like the kind of rally-round-the-flag plan that John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton all could embrace. Instead, it's become one of the starkest dividing lines between McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, and his likely Democratic opponent. The bill, which the House of Representatives is expected to debate as soon as Thursday and the Senate could take up next week, would increase education aid to all military members who've served on active duty since the Sept. 11, 2001." 
Harriett Miers Says Her Clash With Congress Will Outlast Bush
Max B. Baker, of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers predicted that her constitutional clash with Congress over executive privilege and the separation of powers doctrine may not be settled until after President Bush leaves office next year. Miers, a former US Supreme Court nominee, was sued and cited for contempt by the Democratic-controlled Congress earlier this year for declining to talk about her role in the firings of US attorneys while serving the Bush administration. 'It wouldn't surprise me if it extended beyond this administration,' Miers said." 
Saudis Sends Sharp Warning to Iran Over Lebanon
Sam F. Ghattas, of The Associated Press: "Saudi Arabia sent Iran a sharp warning over Lebanon Tuesday, saying Tehran's support for Hezbollah will damage its relations with other Muslim and Arab countries. More soldiers fanned out through Beirut, with orders to use force to restore security to a nation shaken by nearly a week of sectarian clashes. Lebanese buried more of their dead and tried to resume life in a capital dissected by roadblocks." 
Political WavesPolitical Waves Google Group
TW3 ... and the GOP
Wed, 14 May 2008 20:57:23 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as ... sad business, cyclone and all -- Cyclone Daffodil, no less. If giving it such a name was designed to appease the Wind Gods ... it didn't work. The snip of info on how the junta is handling this will piss you off. But then, we lived through Katrina -- we're already pissed off.
Imperfect vessel
Tue, 13 May 2008 18:52:15 UT
Tornado's on the ground in Missouri today, wildfires in Florida -- China and Myanmar statistics worsen by the hour. The purge is on.* Light and Peace to us all.* We'll look at the candidates again today -- some of the emerging wrinkles that are coming into view; fascinating stuff. I approach life with the
Ditching the moral compass
Mon, 12 May 2008 16:16:41 UT
As always, what's going on behind the curtain of government is ever more pressing than what's in front of it -- add the Hand of Fate and we can't even rescue ourselves anymore. Digging around in the news bits is required to unearth the machinations behind the scenes. Take the Myanmar tragedy, with the
Happy Mother's Day
Sun, 11 May 2008 16:18:43 UT
Here's a fun collection to share. John, Hillary and Barack ... one is a mother, two had one ... these are fun. GREAT pic's, so open the links. Then Garrison Keilor, Cindy Sheehan and other interesting reads about what motherhood was and is ... the heartbeat that keeps it all going. *Happy Mother's Day!*
The jokers in the deck
Fri, 09 May 2008 18:28:54 UT
[*Note:* because I think alerts are important, here is a Must Read link< [link]>; I'm posting the article in its entirety at the end of this collection of weekend reads. Curious or worrisome; either and *both*.] < [link]>
Turn, turn, turn
Thu, 08 May 2008 18:34:25 UT
You may be wondering how the cogs are continuing to turn ... if the Congress has sniffed the wind to realize the public has it's back yet [and, in fact, a hand firmly pressed against it to push them forward] ... how the Republic is doing with the shenanigans that continue to plague us on the Hill. Well -- the cogs ARE still continuing to crush whatever gets beneath it,
TW3 -- and the Monumental's
Wed, 07 May 2008 21:36:00 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as -- damned odd, as reported, and full of *Believe It Or Not* overtones [but I did make mental note that if McCain wins in November, we should all consider relocating to Ecuador.] In other ... *monumental* ... news, it appears that the cyclone may have taken as many as 100,000
Sorrow in the Shadows
Tue, 06 May 2008 18:53:08 UT
I'm a Dean Koontz < [link]> fan and he quotes, in each of his novels, little snippits of prose/poetry from Th*e Book of Counted Sorrows* [for years, his readers hunted this book; turns out it is still in his head, awaiting completion.] Well, I'm counting sorrows today ... and I had to dig around to find them, since chaos in general has
The Forest and the Tree's
Mon, 05 May 2008 19:28:48 UT
It was another tedious and bombastic political weekend with the Republican talking points ringing in our ears -- if you want to know what went wrong in this country, listen to them carefully; they drive the dialogue, color our every thought, titillate our every fear and obliterate [yes, I said it] every hope that we can rise above our rabble-consciousness to grab a larger
Yes, we can ... no matter what
Fri, 02 May 2008 16:40:40 UT
I grew up in a multi-generational household; I've lived in one, off and on, most of my life. My folks were Depression babies, teens of the 40's, young adults of the 50's -- the stories and influence of the lean years came to me not from my upwardly-mobile parents, but the Grands and Great-Grands. In
Welcome to Tomorrow
Thu, 01 May 2008 19:29:31 UT
Adding greatly to our foundation-shaking, angst-ridden and white-knuckled concerns in daily life is how to afford enough gas to do what's necessary to keep the ball rolling, day by day -- kids to school ... us to work ... groceries [fewer bags for larger cost] secured at the one-stop shopping event that's being combined with other essential trips so no gas frittering
TW3 -- an alert and a list of Pfffft's!
Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:28:20 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as ... sound and fury laced with a serious amount of delusion. For instance, the plans to build an amusement park in Baghdad [???] gives me pause -- perhaps they'd consider moving right into our gazillion dollar embassy; I understand we're having trouble finding anyone willing to work
Iran -- the reads
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:22:32 UT
Keep Light on this little project, dearhearts! Jude *U.S. Weighing Readiness for Military Action Against Iran *Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post Saturday, April 26, 2008 [link] The nation's top military officer said yesterday that the Pentagon is
America does not pour!
Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:37:57 UT
Israel took out a Syrian position in September, claiming nuclear capacity -- the facts are wobbly< [link]>and the North Koreans are implicated, all of this causing Uncle Dick to salivate like a pound puppy at the dinner bell. The Syrians and Koreans are
Spa Day and Codpiece Dreams
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:40:35 UT
Well, Pennsylvania's behind us and here's where we are now [s*igh*]: *Hil needs a spa day* -- she needs someone speaking to her soothingly, and gently pushing the bangs off her brow. She needs to be reminded she's a daughter, a wife and a mother as well as just one of the [Kevlar] guys; that she doesn't need to spit nails, pretend she has gonads and lie her ass off
CommonDreams.Org
Common Dreams | News & Views
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:05 -0500
National Security Experts Grim on Terror War
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
National Security Experts Grim on Terror War
Study: Prison Population on the Rise
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Study: Prison Population on the Rise
Lebanon Slides Towards Civil War as Anniversary of Hariri's Murder Looms
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Lebanon Slides Towards Civil War as Anniversary of Hariri's Murder Looms
Britain and US: Worst of Wealthy Nations for Children
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Britain and US: Worst of Wealthy Nations for Children
US Briefing on Iran Discredits the Official Line
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
US Briefing on Iran Discredits the Official Line
Doubts Raised on Linking of Iran to US Deaths in Iraq
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Doubts Raised on Linking of Iran to US Deaths in Iraq
Korea Deal Marks Big Victory for Realists
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Korea Deal Marks Big Victory for Realists
Greenpeace Try Eating Whale to Stop Whaling
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Greenpeace Try Eating Whale to Stop Whaling
After a Decade, Booker Winner Roy Plans New Novel
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
After a Decade, Booker Winner Roy Plans New Novel
The OnionThe Onion
I Would Say 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Captured The Most Interesting Part Of Our Lives
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:53 -0400
As I get older and reflect on my life, my mind always drifts back to the time I defended handyman Tom Robinson against those trumped-up, racially... 
I Can't Believe I'm Being Forced To Sit On This Couch While Jay Leno Interviews Josh Hartnett
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:47 -0400
Don't get me wrong: It's great being on the show. Love Jay, love the audience, really. And this Josh…Hartnett, is it? He seems like a good... 
Everything Falling Apart, Reports Institute For Somehow Managing To Hold It All Together
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:27 -0400
WASHINGTON—"Though we're working to fix things, the situation has become OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE—I just spilled coffee on myself," said the institute's chairman. 
Clinton Questions Obama's Ability To Greet World Leaders
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:27 -0400
CHARLESTON, WV—Hillary Clinton once again attacked Barack Obama on the issue of experience Tuesday, this time questioning the Illinois... 
"Law Order" Actor Arrested
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:22 -0400
Former Law & Order star Dennis Farina was arrested and charged with a felony after he took a loaded, unregistered handgun to an airport.... 
[audio] Obama Voicemail Message Not That Inspiring
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:00:15 -0400
Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland 
Jenna Bush Married
Tue, 13 May 2008 15:56:17 -0400
First daughter Jenna Bush was married to Henry Chase Hager on her father's ranch in Crawford, TX. What do you think? 
[audio] Bear Searches For Food Inside Backpacker
Tue, 13 May 2008 01:00:34 -0400
Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland 
Toddler Makes Convincing Case For Being Afraid Of Horse
Tue, 13 May 2008 01:00:30 -0400
ACHILLE, OK—Despite only recently gaining the ability to form complete sentences, 2-year-old Trevor Cornett was able to present a clearheaded... 
Nation's Slicked-Back-Hair Men Rally Against Negative Hollywood Portrayal
Mon, 12 May 2008 03:00:00 -0400
LOS ANGELES—Even though men with this hairstyle comprise just 3 percent of the US populace, activists argue, they make up 80 percent of TV villains and assholes. 
[audio] Rubik's Cube Solved With Hammer
Mon, 12 May 2008 01:00:36 -0400
Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland 
Optimism Can't Beat Cancer
Mon, 12 May 2008 01:00:33 -0400
A recent medical study suggests that your chances of surviving head and neck cancer are the same if you have a positive outlook or a negative... 
Undercover Fireman Infiltrates Three-Alarm Blaze
Mon, 12 May 2008 01:00:03 -0400
CHICAGO—Plainclothes firefighter Rick Dodd, 32, was commended Tuesday for his successful monthlong operation to infiltrate and eventually... 
Michel Gondry Entertained For Days By New Cardboard Box
Sat, 10 May 2008 01:00:52 -0400
NEW YORK—Gondry greeted members of the press by placing the box over his head and declaring that he was a lonely building without a skyline to call home. 
Local Bar Comes Out As Gay
Fri, 09 May 2008 01:00:16 -0400
SEATTLE—"Once I saw two guys kissing in the bathroom, but I thought they were just drunk. Now it makes perfect sense, though," resident Frank Klein said. 
Nationals Book It After Foul Ball Accidentally Smashes Capitol Rotunda
Thu, 08 May 2008 01:00:17 -0400
WASHINGTON, DC—An 8,976-foot foul ball off the bat of Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman crashed through the U.S. Capitol Building rotunda Sunday afternoon, prompting both the Nationals and the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates to gasp, turn... 
Pope Returns To Vatican With Comprehensive Plan To Blow Up United States
Wed, 07 May 2008 01:00:10 -0400
WASHINGTON—In what many believed to be a related incident, a blueprint of New York's proposed Freedom Tower was reported missing the day after the Pope's visit. 
Health & Healing
homeopathy OR naturopathy OR herbal OR meditation OR healing OR "alternative medicine" OR "complementary medicine" -"(press release)" - Google News
Thu, 15 May 2008 04:31:57 GMT
Healing the medical systemCanada.com, Canada - 57 minutes agoThen there is the question of how to make better use of a large population of international medical graduates who are currently trying to gain accreditation ... |
Where racial healing happensChristian Science Monitor, MA - 10 hours agoHealing conversation is already under way. In hundreds of local efforts across the US, diverse groups of citizens are bridging the traditional boundaries of ... |
Healing the medical systemOttawa Citizen, Canada - 21 hours agoAs one of the leaders of Canada's largest medical school, Dr. Sarita Verma is frustrated by the idea that increasing the number of physician graduates will ... |
Healing Place to break ground on new buildingBizjournals.com, NC - May 13, 2008The Healing Place will break ground Thursday morning on a 72800-square-foot building that will serve homeless and addicted women and their children. ... |
Healing Garden open house set for ThursdayNews-Leader.com, MO - 4 hours agoThe public is invited to an open house for the CoxHealth Healing Garden from 4 to 6:30 pm Thursday on the second floor of Hulston Cancer Center, ... |
| Astrologyastrology OR astrologer - Google News
Thu, 15 May 2008 04:31:58 GMT
Free Will Astrology: May 14 through 20Village Voice, NY - 13 May 2008by Rob Brezsny by Rob Brezsny by Sean Gardiner by Maro by J. Hoberman by Nat Hentoff ARIES [March 21–April 19] I hope you've been trying to bolster your ... |
For Bill Meridian, it's all in the starsMarketWatch - 1 hour agoMeridian is a financial astrologer. Most of his letter is devoted to a close analysis of market cycles, which are accepted on Wall Street, although the ... |
Looking aheadUSA Today - 3 hours agoPrediction: In Denver, the world's largest gathering of professional astrologers looks to the future at the United Astrology Conference. ... |
|
