Cleared Detainees Stuck in Gitmo Limbo

Staff / Truthdig Apr 29, 2007 Imagine enduring five years of imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay, finally winning your release and then learning you had no place to go Eighty-two detainees have been cleared for release by the US, but remain at the facility, either because their home countries refuse to take them or they would face torture if repatriated What's worse, the U, Europe and other allies have all but washed their hands of the situation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Sharpton Primary

Staff / Truthdig Apr 19, 2007 Democratic presidential candidates are falling all over themselves to secure the support of Al Sharpton, whose own 2004 campaign and his role in the recent Don Imus controversy have elevated his profile as a national civil rights leader. John Edwards, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will all attend the reverend's annual National Action Network convention this week. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Judge OK’s Student Gay Rights Club

Staff / Truthdig Apr 7, 2007 A federal judge has ruled that Florida's Okeechobee High School must grant the same privileges to the Gay-Straight Alliance that it grants to other student clubs. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Super Union’ Merger in the Works

Staff / Truthdig Apr 6, 2007 Britain's biggest union will meet with the United Steel Workers, a North American organization, to discuss the possibility of a merger. The resulting international mega-union would be one of the largest in the world. The head of the British group has previously expressed a desire to form "a single global trade union movement capable of challenging the might of multinationals." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Judge Rules for Web Freedom

Staff / Truthdig Mar 23, 2007 Yet another court has ruled against the 1994 Child Online Protection Act, a major victory for civil rights advocates. The law has been a mess from the start. With the stated goal of protecting kids from pornography, it would punish offending websites with $50,000 fines and jail time for exposing children to "harmful" material, whether intentionally or not. Innocent sites like Salon and BoingBoing could've been targeted under the legislation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Spy on the Government

Staff / Truthdig Mar 19, 2007 The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law by Lyndon Johnson in 1966, and has proved to be an indispensable tool for our democracy, but negotiating the bureaucracy can be intimidating. Luckily, the Bad Guys blog has collected a helpful assortment of FOIA resources. Check it out and find out what your government is up to. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

When They Came for the Homosexuals…

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Mar 12, 2007 Gays are the first target of the Christian right's campaign against human rights, but they won't be the last. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Obama, Clinton Cross Paths in Selma

Staff / Truthdig Mar 5, 2007 Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton went to Selma, Ala., on Sunday to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the historic march there. With news outlets buzzing over their "intense rivalry," they managed to applaud one another and honor a momentous struggle above and beyond their own campaigns. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Women’s Rights Protesters Arrested in Iran

Staff / Truthdig Mar 5, 2007 More than 32 Iranian women were arrested Sunday for picketing near a Tehran courthouse in which five female activists were on trial for planning a women's rights demonstration last June. The unfortunate irony of this situation became more pronounced when protesters suggested that police were using intimidation to discourage rallies on March 8, International Women's Day. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Genealogists Uncover Al Sharpton-Strom Thurmond Connection

Staff / Truthdig Feb 26, 2007 The Rev. Al Sharpton is descended from a slave once owned by Strom Thurmond's family, according to genealogists working on behalf of The New York Daily News. Sharpton called the revelation "probably the most shocking thing in my life." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Podcast: Outsports on Gay Athletes, Hardaway’s Homophobia and More

Staff / Truthdig Feb 20, 2007 Truthdig contributors James Harris and Joshua Scheer are joined by special guest Cyd Zeigler Jr. of outsports.com. Zeigler sounds off on athletes in the closet, the myth that keeps them there and why the homophobic tirade of Tim Hardaway (right) was a good thing. At left is John Amaechi, whose disclosure prompted Hardaway's remark. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

One State at a Time

Staff / Truthdig Feb 20, 2007 New Jersey's civil union law has now taken effect, allowing same-sex couples many of the rights afforded by marriage. California, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and to some extent Maine offer similar protections. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )