Race

Suspect May Argue White House OK’d Phone-Jamming

Staff / Truthdig Jul 8, 2006 The guy indicted in the jamming of Democratic phone lines on election day in 2002 is set to argue that his scheme had the approval of both the Republican National Committee and the White House. If true, this would be huge: a White House-led attempt to sabotage a Senate election in favor of a Republican. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Military Checking Journos’ ‘Slant’ Before Granting Access

Staff / Truthdig Jul 6, 2006 Newsweek's former Baghdad bureau chief says that U military personnel in Iraq have started reviewing journalists' previous work and their "slant," or point of view, before granting the reporters the right to embed with units He said some reporters have been "blacklisted" for writing pieces unfriendly to the military . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pentagon Monitored Student Groups’ E-mail

Staff / Truthdig Jul 6, 2006 The Department of Defense monitored e-mails from college students who were planning protests against the Iraq war and against the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The Pentagon apparently started digging after receiving tips through a website used for soliciting anti-terror tips from civilians and military personnel. (Link - reg req'd) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Did Bush & Co. ‘Floridize’ Mexico’s Voter Rolls?

Staff / Truthdig Jul 6, 2006 The FBI obtained Mexico's voter lists via the same contractor that Florida Gov Jeb Bush used to scrub alleged felons from the voter rolls The FBI supposedly obtained the lists as part of counter-terror operations, but there's reason to suspect those lists will end up helping President Bush's favored candidate into office in Mexico (more) . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Waving the American Flag

Staff / Truthdig Jul 4, 2006 Phew! What a past few years it has been for the American flag embraced throughout the world after the Sept 11 attacks; denounced throughout the world not long after; subject to a Republican attempt to make it fireproof during the last two national election cycles So with flags waving high during this Fourth of July, Truthdig invites its readers to reflect in the comments box on the nature of patriotism and nationalism Here are some primers from E Dionne, Howard Zinn and John Kerry (more). Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Marie Cocco: King George, Dethroned

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Jul 3, 2006 As we celebrate our Independence Day, let us thank the Supreme Court for granting us deliverance from the tyranny of a president who tried to fashion himself king. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Report: NSA Sought Phone Records Before 9/11

Staff / Truthdig Jul 3, 2006 The NSA asked AT&T to help it set up a domestic call monitoring site seven months before the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, allege lawyers filing a lawsuit on behalf of telephone company customers This is huge because, according to a lawyer on the case, "The Bush Administration asserted this became necessary after 9/11 This undermines that assertion''. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Georgia Courthouses Can Display 10 Commandments

Staff / Truthdig Jul 3, 2006 Any municipality in the state apparently can post the commandments as long as they're displayed alongside other historic documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Mayflower Compact. Didn't the Supreme Court have something to say about this recently? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Department of Defense Funds $450K Blog Research Project

Staff / Truthdig Jul 2, 2006 The Air Force Office of Scientific Research will fund a three-year research project shepherded by Versatile Information Systems Inc. that will seek out "relevant and credible" information pertaining to terrorist activity on blogs. (via boingboing.net) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Government Using ‘Brain Scans’ on Terrorists?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 30, 2006 The ACLU has filed Freedom of Information Act requests to get details on the possible use of "brain scanning" technology during terrorist interrogations by the U.S. government. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

USA Today Backs Off Phone Records Story

Staff / Truthdig Jun 30, 2006 The newspaper originally reported that AT&T, BellSouth and Verizon have been providing phone call data to the NSA. But now USA Today says it can't confirm that either BellSouth or Verizon provided the data. (AT&T definitely appears to have done so.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Court Ruling: Gitmo Brass Shrugs, Bush Lawyer Shudders

Staff / Truthdig Jun 30, 2006 The admiral in charge of the Guantanamo military detention center said he doubts Thursday's Supreme Court ruling on presidential authority will have any effect on his operations. But a Bush administration lawyer wasn't as sanguine, saying about the decision, "It's very broad, it's very significant, and it's a slam." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )