Important Headlines for 2-11-2009

While there are a lot of important things happening, these are some recent developments that are pretty important to be aware of and a few interesting things.

First of all, the current Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated that Iran is ready for dialogue with the USA as long as it is based on mutual respect. Here are some excerpts of the speech:

"If you really want to fight terrorism, come and cooperate with the Iranian nation, which is the biggest victim of terrorism so that terrorism is eliminated. ... If you want to confront nuclear weapons ... you need to stand beside Iran so it can introduce a correct path to you," he said.

Ahmadinejad said the world was at a "crossroads" because it had been proven that military power has not been successful — a reference to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But now, he said, "the world is entering an era of dialogue and intellect."

"The new U.S. government has announced that it wants to bring changes and follow the path of dialogue. It is very clear that changes have to be fundamental and not tactical. It is clear that the Iranian nation welcomes true changes," Ahmadinejad told the crowds at the rally in Freedom Square.

This is crucial as Iran could support the United States in being a stabilizing factor for the crises in Afghanistan and Iraq. Additionally, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the USA is very determined to pursue a dialogue with Iran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is up for election this year and former President Khatami is one of the challengers. For more information, please click here.

A second extremely important development is in the area of health care, specifically in regard to the prevention of HIV being transmitted. Some preliminary trials have found that a microbicide produced by a Massachusetts pharmaceutical company Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc. slightly reduced HIV infection rates among its trial subjects, where approximately 3,100 women from four different countries participated. Scientists discovered a 30% lower rate of infection among women who used the Indevus-produced gel, however it is important to note that this difference is not statistically significant and that the results could have occurred by change or been the result of other contributing factors. The study has been expanded to include more women from more countries. For more information on this key development in combating HIV/AIDS, please click here.

In important domestic news, a panel of federal judges found that the overcrowding of state prisons violates the inmates' right to adequate health care. State prisons are currently operating at twice their intended capacity and measures to reduce the amount of new prisoners being compelled are being explored so that state prisons would not have to release large numbers of prisoners at once. This decision by the judges is significant as the United States currently imprisons the largest percent of its population than any other country in the world (click here). Land of the free, right? For more information about the judges' decision, please click here.

And yet another instance after the BART subway shooting where California police have shot an innocent person. Daniel Balandran was shot and killed by police gunfire in a shootout at a Papa John's Pizza in Chino, California. Police say Balandran was caught in the crossfire; his lawyer states that he was targeted. For more information, please click here.

Finally, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates annouced a review of the ban on photographing fallen soldiers' coffins, a ban that he himself asked for a few years ago. For more information, please click here.

Headlines 1-29-2009

Here are some recent headlines worth checking out, compiled here for your convenience.

When Muntadhar al-Zeidi hurled his shoes narrowly missing George W. Bush at a press conference last December in Baghdad, he gained instant notoriety. Although he was arrested by the Iraqi officials, a sculpter has erected a statue commemorating his action. The statue of a shoe on a stand carved to look like a white sheet is located in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown approximately 80 miles north of Baghdad. For more information, please click here.

In other Iraq news, US Army officials announced that the suidice rate among soldiers has reached an all-time high. "Officials calculate the deaths at a rate of roughly 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers — which is higher than the adjusted civilian rate for the first time since the Vietnam War, officials told a Pentagon news conference," reports Pauline Jelinek of the Associated Press. For the rest of the article, please click here.

Blackwater Worldwide, a private security company, was officially booted out of Iraq today at the demand of the Iraqi government. Blackwater has been under harsh scrutiny for their lack of oversight and regulation, especially since September of 2007 when Blackwater employees allegedly killed 17 Iraqi civilians. For more, please click here.

Additionally, Reza Aslan, a renowned scholar on Islam and columnist recently published an article for The Daily Beast entitled "Obama's Nuclear Problem." In the column, Aslan stated that Barack Obama must clearly and publicly declare that a policy of regime change is no longer on the table. Aslan also writes that I.R. Iran may not actually want nuclear weapons for several reasons, but "only by convincing Iran that it has nothing to fear, either from Israel or from the US, or from the growing chorus of Arab states lined up against it, can we convince it to reign in its nuclear ambitions." For the full article, please click here.


In important domestic news, President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law today. The act effectively nullifys a 2007 Supreme Court decision on Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. that stated that an individual has a period of six months after the first instance of discrimination to file a pay-inequality lawsuit. Lily Ledbetter was employed by Goodyear Tires for 19 years and did not learn of the pay discrimination against her until the end of her career. About the signing, President Obama stated that "Equal pay is by no means just a women's issue, it's a family issue. And in this economy, when so many folks are already working harder for less and struggling to get by, the last thing they can afford is losing part of each month's paycheck to simple and plain discrimination." For the full article, please click here.

Headlines 1-26-2009

Here are some important headlines at your disposal.

First, Bolivia is in the process of ratifying a new Constitution. This constitution is supposed to empower Bolivia's Indians. Preliminary vote counts estimate 60% of voters have approved the new Constitution. While the Constitution nationalizes much of Bolivia's natural gas resources and officially recognizes 36 indigenous groups, it is unclear exactly how the implementation of the law will work or how the new Constitution will affect Bolivia, facing a recent economic downturn. Xavier Albó, a Jesuit scholar and linguist, stated that "the new Constitution may be the equivalent of Spain’s Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors in 1492. But instead of the blood spilled in that process, Mr. Albó said, Bolivia is 'advancing in a democratic process that does not exclude or subjugate anyone."' For more information, please click here.

Secondly, Sri Lanken forces state that they have captured the last major base of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers), a group well known for the use of suicide bombings and its own air force. A Sri Lanken military spokesman stated that there were no LTTE leaders captured in the operation while the LTTE has not yet commented on the report. The Sri Lanken military states that they have isolated the LTTE into an area of 155 square miles (about 400 sq. km.) and that the LTTE has approximately 1,000 fighters left after the group's political headquarters were captured on January 2. The leader of LTTE is thought to have fled to Malaysia. For the rest of the article, please click here.

Additionally, Esteghlal, one of Iran's top soccer clubs, held a soccer match between the club's female team and its youth male team. However, as the Associated Press reports, "the first mixed soccer game—females vs. males—since the 1979 Islamic revolution led to swift punishment... as an Iranian soccer club said it had suspended three officials involved and handed out fines of up to $5,000." While a coach and two managers initially denied that the match had taken place, video footage from cell phones was used as evidence against them. In 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that women should and would be allowed to attend soccer games. However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (the final voice on all matters in Iran) disagreed, forcing Ahmadinejad to revoke his previous statement. For more information, please click here.

In domestic news, the FDA has approved a Californian biotechnology company, Geron, to begin the first-ever human clinical trials with embryonic stem cells. The participants will be patients who have recently suffered severe spinal cord injuries. Researchers are planning to inject the stem cells into the patients' spines and monitor carefully if the procedure is working. For more information, please click here.

In state-wide news, a gunman opened fire on an under-21 nightclub in Portland, Oregon, killing two and injuring several others. Police speculate that it was a random shooting. Among those injured were students, five from other countries. One victim is currently in critical condition, four others hospitalized but expected to live, and two were treated and sent home. The gunman is hospitalized in critical condition. For the article, please click here.

Headlines, 9-25-08

"Obama calls on McCain to keep Friday Debate Date," LA Times.

Either McCain has the worst campaign manager ever or he is afraid to debate Barack Obama or he truly wants to lose the election. Or, all of the above.

"NYPD investigates two officers in Taser death of naked Brooklyn man," Daily News.

The NYPD lieutenant who ordered the second officer to Taser Inman Morelas was stripped of his badge and gun and assigned to desk duty. Yet another example of persistant problems with NYPD officers' aggression towards minorities.

"Energy Drinks can cause caffine intoxication," LA Times.

Lay off the caffine. From the LA Times, "Caffeine intoxication is a recognized clinical syndrome. It is described as nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heartbeat, restlessness and pacing. In rare cases, caffeine intoxication can cause death."

"Judge Orders Mistrial in P2P Piracy Case," PCMag.com.

From PCMAg.com, "Jammie Thomas, who was ordered to pay $222,000 to a group of music labels for allegedly pirating songs using the Kazaa peer-to-peer service, has been granted a new trial...The key word and definition was 'distribution,' which both the labels and Thomas' lawyers disputed. Both sides agreed that the only copying of files in the case was by MediaSentry, a firm hired by the labels to seek out pirates. The lawyers for Thomas had argued that a copyright holder or its agent, MediaSentry, can not infringe its own copyright."

"Johnny Depp Signs on to bring back Captain Jack in 'Pirates 4,'" MTV.

Oh, please. Give it a rest. The man is 45 years old and his most famous role is a pirate with make-up and the movie is based off of a roller coaster. Time to move on.

Headlines: 11 August 2008

• Open to Debate: Why Obama should accept McCain's invitation to a series of town hall forums.
• Russia Presses Into Second Front in Georgia: Russia's militarism indicates it's interested in more than Abkhaz and Ossetian self-determination.
• Olympic Medal Count:

  Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
  1	China	9	3	2	14
  2	USA	3	4	5	12
  3	South Korea	4	4	0	8
  4	Italy	3	3	2	8

Headlines: 8 August 2008

• Former bin Laden driver gets light sentence: After five years at Gitmo and a Supreme Court case, Salim Hamdan will be eligible for release in five months.
• A Glossary of Iraq Euphemisms: George Orwell is rolling over in his grave.
• Musharraf Won't Resign, Allies Say: The Pakistani Parliament is moving to impeach.
• Tibetan exiles in India protest Beijing Olympics naturally.
• Arrests as Burma marks uprising: Twenty years ago today, the Burmese started a six-week uprising against the junta.
• Mbeki set for new Zimbabwe talks: Mugabe and Tsvangirai are approaching a power-sharing deal.
• Detroit mayor charged with two felony assault counts: Michigan AG Mike Cox filed those two charges stemming from an incident involving Kilpatrick and an officer trying to deliver a subpoena on a Kilpatrick ally.
• A Whole New McCain: No more Mr. Nice Guy.
• Large Hadron Collider operations scheduled: Zwoom!

Headlines: 7 August 2008

• Karadzic protected by US until he broke 'deal': Supposedly, we promised he would never be brought to trial if he completely removed himself from politics.
• French sailors seized in Nigeria: What's up in the Niger Delta
• Detroit Mayor Ordered Jailed: No trips to Canada for Kwame

Conn Carroll was referring to this:

and this. (I got 6 out of 9 right by the way.)

Headlines: 1 August 2008

• Source: British Territory Used for US Terrorism Interrogation: Extraordinary rendition through Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean.
• To Provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dress Up Navy Seals As Iranians And Shoot At Them: Luckily, there was one voice of reason at that meeting. But probably only one.
• Top Fatah officials held in Gaza: Six die in a bomb blast in Gaza, Fatah detains Hamas officials in the West Bank, Hamas detains Fatah officials in the Gaza Strip.
• US anthrax 'suspect' found dead: Dr. Bruce Ivins apparently committed suicide before he could be indicted for the 2001 anthrax attacks.
• Economic models predict clear Obama win in November: As the economy worsens, an Obama victory becomes more certain.

Headlines: 31 July 2008

• Sexuality bias seen at Justice Department: Margaret Chiara, the U.S. Attorney in Grand Rapids, MI, was fired because of rumors that she was a lesbian.
• A Shiite Militia in Baghdad Sees Its Power Wane*: The Mahdi Army, led by Moqtada al-Sadr, has lost significant influence as PM Nouri al-Maliki asserts his legitimacy.
• The Kirkuk Impasse: Recent attacks in Kirkuk have exposed an underlying tension between the Kurds, Turks, and Arabs.
• Olmert to Quit After Elections in September*: The Israeli PM is resigning over corruption charges, but where does this leave negotiations with the Palestinians and Syria?
• China Angered by Lobbying on Rights*: China doesn't like the U.S. House of Representatives passing a resolution urging them to uphold their pledge to improve human rights before the Olympics. Maybe they should have thought about that before they broke it.
• Judge Rules White House Aides Can Be Subpoenaed*: Shocking.
• Sleazy Campaign Tactic of the Day: The head of the Virginia RNC is worried you might register to vote.
• The Recession Election: The pendulum swings left?

*Note: The New York Times may be changing their website, and you may have to register/login to see these articles.

Headlines: 24 July 2008

• Guns ruling spawns legal challenges by felons: What? You don't like that you lost your right to bear arms after being convicted of a felony? What about losing your right to vote? You don't care? Hmm, lemme think...NO.
• Is Afghanistan a Narco-State?: POPPIES! The Taliban has been using the opium/heroin trade to finance their insurgency, but President Hamid Karzai has avoided eradicating poppies in the south for his own short-term political gains.
• Turkey makes 'coup plot' arrests: Worrying.
• Congress Revisits Military's Policy on Gays: 75% of Americans think gays should be able to serve openly in the military.
• How Sudan Was Brought to Court: Sudanese leaders are being charged with genocide after three years of diplomatic filibustering.
• Iraqi teams banned from Beijing Olympic games for accusations of political interference.
• Poll: Latinos favor Obama by big margin: "'Hispanics seem to have seamlessly shifted from Clinton to Obama,' said Susan Minushkin."

Headlines: 21 July 2008

• Bomb blasts hit Spanish resorts: ETA detonates five bombs in northern Spain. No deaths.
• 2 Die in Blasts on Chinese Buses: As China tightens security before the Olympics, public protests pick up, and China may be using the threat of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) to crack down in the west.
• Zimbabwe Rivals Sign Agreement: Talks between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai begin. Can they reach a power-sharing arrangement?
• Another Species in Danger: The wolverine should be added to the Endangered Species List.

Headlines: 15 July 2008

• Army Secretary Asks for Probe of Firing: Gina Grey was fired from her posts as public affairs director of Arlington National Cemetery after she opposed imposing new restrictions on the media's coverage of funerals, even when the families had consented.
• A war that nobody wants but everybody needs: "[War with Iran] may become inevitable due to the fear of peace. After eight years of Bush-Cheney, such is the state of our world." Three lame ducks want one last quack. Apparently they think it won't echo.
• Nozzle Rage!
  

Headlines: 26-29 June 2008

• 6/26: Afghans See Pakistani Role in Karzai Plot: Members of Pakistan's intelligence service seem to have played a role in the attempted assassination of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
• 6/27: Feds raid Blackwater's armory in firearms probe: Everybody's least favorite military contractor gets a visit from ATF.
• 6/28: Oil Hits New High as Dow Flirts with Bear Territory: Amid high oil prices and mortgage worries, the Dow entered then retreated from bear territory (defined as less than 80% of the value of its all-time peak) on Friday.
• 6/29: Hersh: U.S. escalating covert ops against Iran: Operations originally intended to investigate Iran's nuclear development and destabilize hard-line elements of the regime "have now been significantly expanded."

Headlines: 23 June 2008

• Obama Camp Closely Linked with Ethanol: I'm going to have to disagree with Obama on this one. Subsidizing corn-based ethanol does little for the environment/sustainability/energy independence (Ethanol still causes pollution and the fertilizers used to grow corn are largely petroleum-based.) and raises food prices.
• Mugabe Rival Quits Zimbabwe Runoff, Citing Attacks: It's now entirely up to the international community to act.
• Is Israel Preparing to Bomb Iran?: It looks that way, but they shouldn't. Because when you engage in diplomacy instead of militarism, you get results like...
• ...North Korea invites media to nuclear plant blast: The six-party talks have resulted in the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor.
• How George Carlin Changed Comedy: The irreverent stand-up comic is dead at 71.
• Getting to Know Jim Webb: Joe Klein says that veep "speculation is usually a waste of time. It is what political reporters do instead of reporting during the dead weeks after the primaries." What? My last two weeks of work isn't real journalism?
• The Warrior-Poets celebrate their 100th post:

Headlines: 12 June 2008

• No renewal for renewables: Two bills failed to achieve cloture in the Senate on Tuesday, the Consumer First Energy Act and Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. The former would have taxed oil companies' windfall profits and used the taxes to invest in renewable energy. Oil companies could avoid the tax by investing in the energies themselves. The latter bill would have extended tax breaks for renewable energies and would have funded it by closing loopholes in the tax code. Key quote from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: "Republicans are determined to lower gas prices the only way we can: increasing supply." What about decreasing demand? Even if you don't believe in global warming, we don't have an infinite supply of oil. Sir, you and your colleagues have the farsightedness of Mr. Magoo.
• Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts: "What? Due process? Argh! Justice Kennedy, you have killed us all!" said Justice Antonin Scalia. This would be funny if he didn't actually say that the ruling "will almost certainly cause more Americans to get killed."
• Zimbabwe Detains Opposition Leaders: MDC's secretary general was detained almost immediately after his return from South Africa.

Headlines: 20 May 2008 (and Older)

• 'W,' Oliver Stone's Bush Biopic
  

  A little crass.
  

• Klein on Obama:
  

  A general-election campaign between John McCain and Barack Obama doesn't need any hype. It won't be boring. The question is whether we, politicians and press alike, will grant this election — and electorate — the respect that it deserves.
  

• Make wearing a flag pin the 28th Amendment
  

  And the award for Best Use of Sarcasm goes to...
  

• The Fall of Conservatism
  

  The pendulum swings left? Long, but interesting.
  

• Obama and
  Ahma-gonna-kill-myself-if-the-primary-season-doesn't-end-soon-ijad
  

  Obama said that he would meet with the leadership of Iran, but he never said he'd meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. So why does McCain and everyone on the Right say he did? And when is that McCain-Obama foreign policy debate going to be?
  

• Underplayed Story of the Day
  

  Remember when the EPA denied the state of California to legislate its own fuel-efficiency standards? Well, it turns out that, like everything else in the Bush Administration, the decision was based on sound science, and not politics.
  

• Obama Is Expected to Hit a Milestone in Today's Votes
  

  After primaries in Kentucky & Oregon, Obama will have the majority of pledged delegates, which will hopefully trigger a superdelegate-slide in his direction.

Headlines: Cinco de Mayo 2008

• Baghdad Disneyland contractor: Violence in Baghdad is like 'drive-bys' in L.A.
  

  No, Disney is not building a theme park in Iraq.
  

• Two die in Somali currency riot
  

  Due to inflation caused by counterfeiting, vendors are only accepting American dollars, which the people don't have.
  

• Up to 10,000 feared dead in Burma cyclone
  

  The official count is at 3,934 dead, but yesterday's count was 350. This trishaw driver has it right:
  

  "Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?"

Headlines: Flowers & Showers

30 April 2008:

• Cage Match
  

  McCain is worried about what Jim Webb's (D-VA) "21^st Century G.I. Bill of Rights" will do to the Armed Forces' retention rates.
  

• Federal Money in Health Care Plan from McCain
  

  "Let's take away the tax credit we give to companies to provide insurance and give $5000 to every family in America to pay for an insurance policy that costs, on average, $12,106. Don't worry; the forces of the free market will drive the price down 59%!"
  

• Obama Repudiates Wright:
  

  I'm the one in the back applauding arrhythmically.
  

1 May 2008:

• Belarus Expels 10 U.S. Diplomats
  

  Apparently, somebody is a little authoritarian.
  

• Another Move to Obama
  

  Former DNC chair Joe Andrew switches from Hillary to Obama. Funny thing: he was appointed to head the DNC by Bill Clinton.

Headlines: 29 April 2008

• Democrats Divided Over Gas Tax Break
  

  Clinton wants to suspend the gas tax for the summer driving season. Obama argues that lifting the tax would remove the disincentive to pollute, take away money from maintaining highways, and save consumers little—about $30 over three months. Gonna side with Obama on this one.
  

• Cheney Lawyer Claims "Congress Lacks Constitutional Power" to Investigate VP's Role in Torture Approval
  

  Luckily, Cheney lacks the constitutional power to stay in office past January.
  

• Iranian President's Visit Tests India
  

  Singh welcomes Ahmadinejad to get oil and to prove his independence from the U.S. Not sure how I feel about this.
  

• Georgia "plans war in Abkhazia"
  

  Georgia and Russia point fingers at each other over a tiny breakaway republic no one has ever heard of.
  

• Obama's Wright Response
  

  Obama should clearly repudiate Rev. Wright after his crazy media tour:
  

Headlines: 27 April 2008

• Oil refinery strikers hold rally
  

  A strike forces BP to close a pipeline that supplies Britain with 30% of its oil. Gas shortages have started to affect Scotland, ironically not because there isn't enough oil, but because people fearing a gas shortage are stocking up.
  

• Clinton Challenges Obama to Debate
  

  Clinton wants a moderator-less, Lincoln-Douglas-style debate. Nobody's told her that Douglas was the experience candidate.
  

• Bush pokes fun at his successors
  

  I'd tell him not to quit his day job, but he hasn't done so well at that either.
  

• Karzai unhurt after parade attack
  

  At least four dead and nine injured after Taliban militants fire into the grandstand.