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View older articles: Page 1 of 178 pages  1 2 3 >  Last »

Jamie Leigh Jones
abcnews.com

 * NEW! * Halliburton Now Facing Rape Lawsuit Trial

For some time, it looked like former Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones, who claims she was gang-raped by co-workers over two years ago in Baghdad’s Green Zone, would be forced by KBR into private arbitration proceedings (read: no public record, corporation often has upper hand). 

Posted on May 11, 2008 1 COMMENT


Ickes and Clinton
msek.com/pollchicksonline.com

 * NEW! * Team Clinton Hints at Party Unity Effort, Denies VP Talk

After seemingly endless months of campaign-trail tension, Hillary Clinton gave indications Saturday that lines of communication were open between her camp and Barack Obama’s about how to unify the Democratic Party once the nomination question is finally settled—but, as she reminded Clinton-supporting superdelegates during a conference call, it ain’t over yet.

Posted on May 10, 2008 13 COMMENTS


 * NEW! * More Tornadoes Hit the Heartland

Yet another round of ferocious weather pounded parts of Missouri, Oklahoma and nearby states Saturday, with tornadoes that reportedly killed at least 18 people just a week after deadly storms hit Arkansas.

Posted on May 10, 2008 1 COMMENT


Blackwater helicopter
flickr.com

 * NEW! * Blackwater Bounces Back

Over the last year, Blackwater Worldwide has been under fire from critics at home and abroad, but that hasn’t stopped the private security firm. In fact, the State Department has just re-upped Blackwater’s Iraq contract, thanks in part to the magic of lobbying. Also, State Department officials don’t seem to think they have much choice.

Posted on May 10, 2008 7 COMMENTS


Clinton buttons
AP photo / Bob Bird

Clinton Supporters Press On in W.Va.

Despite the doomsday tones that some in the blogosphere and in more traditional media circles took in their assessment of Hillary Clinton’s chances of nabbing the Democratic nomination after last Tuesday’s primaries, supporters have flocked to West Virginia. They are working hard there to keep their favorite candidate in the running, even if it means dealing with heckling from some locals who don’t share their mission.

Posted on May 10, 2008 9 COMMENTS


Tsvangirai
flickr.com/photos/opendemocracy

Mugabe Rival Ready for Round Two

Whatever else might be said about Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change, it’s definitely fair to say that the man is tenacious. After weeks of confusion following his bid to oust longtime leader Robert Mugabe from the presidency, Tsvangirai says he’s now gearing up for an electoral rematch.

Posted on May 10, 2008 1 COMMENT


Barker ranch
AP photo / Gary Kazanjian

Search Is On for More Manson Victims

When a Southern California TV station recently ran a story about the possibility of authorities finding more victims of Charles Manson and his followers in Death Valley, it seemed like just another unseemly attempt to trump up a slow news night. Perhaps it was, but the story has now gotten a boost from the BBC, which reports that excavations aimed at finding bodies at Barker Ranch will start in 10 days.

Posted on May 10, 2008 11 COMMENTS


Obama on Capitol Hill
AP photo / Susan Walsh

Obama Pulls Ahead in Superdelegate Count

The aftereffects of Tuesday’s Democratic primaries in North Carolina and Indiana are registering in the ongoing contest for superdelegate supporters: By late Friday, Barack Obama’s “super” group was just 166 short of the 2,025 delegates he needs to win the nomination.

Posted on May 9, 2008 19 COMMENTS


Ryan Maseth
post-gazette.com

Warning Fails to Prevent Electrocution of U.S. Soldiers

More than a dozen American soldiers have died or received severe electrical shocks in Iraq, reportedly as a result of faulty electrical work often done by ill-trained Iraqis and Afghans under the supervision of Houston-based contractor KBR.

Posted on May 9, 2008 12 COMMENTS


Burma Cyclone Aftermath
Agence France-Presse

U.N. to Resume Burma Aid

The U.N. has announced it will resume aid to Burma after conflicts over how food and equipment were to be distributed grounded relief flights. Cyclone Nargis has killed at least 22,000 Burmese, and the ruling junta has been categorically criticized for its ineptitude in dealing with the disaster.

Posted on May 9, 2008 9 COMMENTS


Morales y Garcia Linera
AP photo / Joao Padua

Opposition Calls for Referendum on Bolivia’s Morales

Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, will face a confidence vote in the next 90 days as opposition groups continue their push to remove him from power. The vote comes on the tail of last week’s unofficial and meaningless referendum for autonomy in which the wealthy state of Santa Cruz voted for greater independence from the federal government.

Posted on May 9, 2008 1 COMMENT


11 Million Reasons to Stay in the Race

Hillary Clinton is under immense pressure to exit the campaign, but thanks in part to one of her rivals, she would be saying goodbye to more than the presidency. Because of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, Clinton has until the convention in August to recoup her loans. After that, she could be out more than $11 million.

Posted on May 8, 2008 14 COMMENTS


Pat Tillman
terrorism.inreview.com

Pat and Mary Tillman Are Saluted in N.Y. Times

Four years after Pat Tillman’s death by friendly fire in Afghanistan, his mother, Mary Tillman, is still asking questions—primarily about the U.S. government’s initial cover-up of the details of Pat’s death and about how far up the chain of command the deception extended.  Here, New York Times sports writer George Vecsey praises Mary Tillman and her new memoir, “Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman.”

Posted on May 8, 2008 3 COMMENTS


Clinton
Flickr / marcn

Clinton: Whites Prefer Me

Hillary Clinton will surely stir controversy with racially charged comments that appeared Thursday in USA Today. The candidate noted an article “that found how Sen. Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.” “There’s a pattern emerging here,” she added. Audio update.

Posted on May 8, 2008 71 COMMENTS



time.com

Showing Hillary the Door

Everyone from Tim Russert to Time magazine seems to have decided that there’s absolutely no way Hillary Clinton can get the nomination. What happened? Sure, her chances of winning enough pledged delegates are nearly impossible, but wasn’t that true after Pennsylvania? Wasn’t it true before Pennsylvania?

Posted on May 8, 2008 24 COMMENTS


ENTER_ALT_TEXT
Flickr / openDemocracy

Putin Sticks Around

A day after giving up Russia’s presidency (as required by that pesky constitution), Vladimir Putin assumed the role of prime minister. Anyone want to bet that doesn’t suddenly become the most powerful job in Russia?

Posted on May 8, 2008 1 COMMENT


Israel flag
AP photo / Lefteris Pitarakis

Israel Turns 60

Israelis have begun celebrating their nation’s diamond anniversary with fireworks and public cheer. The Jewish state was founded shortly after World War II and has known almost constant conflict as well as remarkable growth in the decades since. Many Palestinians, who refer to the country’s founding as “the Catastrophe,” are preparing to mark the occasion with something less than delight.

Posted on May 8, 2008 43 COMMENTS


C$inton
observer.com

Clinton Gave Own Campaign $6.4 Million

Between April 11th and Tuesday’s primaries, Hillary Clinton was forced to dig deeply into her personal coffers, giving her own campaign an additional $6.4 million in order to stay in the race for the Democratic nomination. Her campaign says she may “invest” more, though critics have more or less discounted Clinton’s chances to win.

Posted on May 7, 2008 27 COMMENTS


Woman Fleeing With Child
nytimes.com / Michael Kamber

Preparations Made for Sadr City Assault

After a seven week surge in violent street clashes and an estimated 1,000 civilian deaths in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad alone, U.S. and Iraqi forces are now preparing an overwhelming military offensive they hope will completely annihilate active Shia resistance movements and pacify the area, making it safe for occupation.

Posted on May 7, 2008 10 COMMENTS


London Tube
flickr.com

Last Call for Tube Tippling

In the first policy announcement of his mayoral term, London’s newly elected Boris Johnson has banned the consumption of alcohol on all public transport —including buses and trains—in the capital city beginning June 1. The ordinance is criticized by many transport unions, which foresee serious problems in its enforcement.

Posted on May 7, 2008 8 COMMENTS


Truthdig Wins a Maggie

Truthdig’s weekly book review, edited by Steve Wasserman, has won a Maggie award. Bill Boyarsky’s outstanding political reporting was also nominated, and we were up for best Web magazine overall. We’re proud to win recognition for our book review, which has featured important work at a time when newspapers around the country are cutting back on their book coverage.

Posted on May 6, 2008 3 COMMENTS


supreme court justices
Supreme Court / Steve Petteway

Another Reason Not to Vote for McCain

The Democrats have been worried about unifying their party, so it’s odd that John McCain would pick this moment to give them another reason to band together. If elected, McCain said Tuesday, he would think of conservative Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito “as the model for my own nominees” to the Supreme Court.

Posted on May 6, 2008 8 COMMENTS


Clinton Indiana party
AP photo / Elise Amendola

Obama Takes N.C., Clinton Squeaks By in Ind.

Judging by exit polls, two groups made the difference for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Tuesday night. A strong showing from African-American voters and gains elsewhere helped Obama to a big win in North Carolina. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, could thank older voters for what turned out to be a nail-biter of a victory in Indiana.

Posted on May 6, 2008 37 COMMENTS


cyclone aftermath
AP photo

Crisis Deepens in Burma as Cyclone Toll Passes 22,000

As more details of the devastation left by Cyclone Nargis in Burma emerge, it’s becoming clear that the storm is one of the worst disasters in years. The Burmese government is being criticized for responding inadequately and too slowly to the crisis, and President Bush, himself no stranger to this kind of criticism, is calling on Burma’s “military junta ... [to] allow our disaster assessment teams into the country” in order to help.

Posted on May 6, 2008 3 COMMENTS


U.S. Soldier Accidentally Dials Mother During Battle

Here’s a sobering moment that could happen only with the aid of today’s technology: Sandie and Jeff Petee of Otis, Ore., were recently given a scary dose of reality in the form of a brief message on their answering machine when Sandie’s soldier son, Stephen Phillips, accidentally dialed their number during a battle in Afghanistan.

Posted on May 6, 2008 1 COMMENT


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