|
|
|
Last Updated: Jun 27th, 2008 - 11:02:50 |
Obama VP Adviser Resigns Following Scrutiny
The head of Senator Barack Obama’s vice-presidential search committee has resigned following intense criticism of his business ties. James Johnson had drawn scrutiny for receiving apparently favorable mortgage terms from the Countrywide Financial Corporation, which has been linked to the subprime mortgage crisis. Johnson was also criticized for his role in awarding large compensation packages to corporate executives while sitting on company boards.
Canada Apologizes to Natives for Forced Removals, Abuse
In Canada, the Canadian government has formally apologized for forcing hundreds of thousands of Native children into residential schools. For several decades, continuing well into the 1900s, Native children were seized from their homes and forced into church-run schools, where they faced abuse and disease. On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper read a lengthy apology before parliament.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper: “You have been working on recovering from this experience for a long time, and in a very real sense we are now joining you on this journey. The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly.”
A formal truth and reconciliation commission on the schools began work this month.
Supreme Court Rules Gitmo Prisoners Can Challenge Detention
In a major rebuke of the Bush administration, the Supreme Court has ruled Guantanamo Bay prisoners have the constitutional right to challenge their detention in civilian court. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 had stripped the prisoners of their habeas corpus rights. The five-to-four ruling marked the third time in four years the Supreme Court has ruled against the Bush administration concerning the rights of Guantanamo prisoners. Speaking in Italy, President Bush said he opposed the decision.
President Bush: “First of all, it’s a Supreme Court decision. We’ll abide by the Court’s decision. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. It’s a deeply divided court, and I strongly agree with those who dissented and that their dissent was based on serious concerns about US national security.”
The White House has suggested it may turn to Congress to pass legislation to curb the prisoners’ new rights. Jameel Jaffer of the American Civil Liberties Union praised the Supreme Court decision.
Jameel Jaffer: “It is the first time that this court has said clearly that prisoners held at Guantanamo have the right to challenge their detention in court under the Constitution, and that’s important. And it’s especially important because the Bush administration in late 2001 and early 2002 made the decision to hold prisoners at Guantanamo precisely because they thought that they could deny prisoners held there the right to challenge their detention. So this is something—this decision is something that just pulls the rug out of the administration’s central reason for opening up this prison in the first place.”
Justices Reject US Citizens’ Effort to Challenge Foreign Transfer
As the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Guantanamo prisoners, it dealt a new setback for American citizens being held in Iraq. In a unanimous ruling, justices ruled two Americans cannot use the US court system to challenge their transfer into Iraqi military custody. The Americans, Shawqi Ahmad Omar and Mohammad Munaf, are being held at Camp Cropper near the Baghdad airport. An Iraqi court has convicted Munaf of kidnapping Romanian journalists in a case widely seen as a sham. Munaf’s lawyers say the judge had been prepared to dismiss the trial until two US military officials intervened and told him to order the death penalty. Munaf’s death sentence was recently overturned, but he could face more charges. Omar, meanwhile, was detained by US forces at his Baghdad home. He’s been accused of harboring insurgents.
Home Foreclosures Up 50% Over 2007
In economic news, new figures show home foreclosures are up nearly 50 percent over the same period last year. The foreclosure listing company RealtyTrac says more than 260,000 homes received a foreclosure filing in May, up from 176,000 in the same month in 2007.
Currency Chief: Banks, Firms Misleading on Mortgage Crisis
The news comes as the nation’s top banking regulator is accusing banks and mortgage firms of providing misleading information on loans and foreclosures stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis. John Dugan, the Comptroller of the Currency, says the financial industry has failed to provide accurate information on who they are helping and the rates of foreclosure. Dugan says the information is crucial to determining the severity of the housing crisis and the effectiveness of the response.
House Extends Unemployment Benefits
On Capitol Hill, the House has approved a measure to expand jobless benefits for unemployed Americans for an additional three months. Democrats got an exact two-thirds majority in passing the vote, enough to withstand a threatened White House veto.
Jobless Claims See Biggest Rise in Two Decades
The vote came as Labor Department figures showed the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased by 25,000 last week. The unemployment rate rose half a percentage point last month to 5.5 percent, the biggest gain in more than two decades.
Salmonella Outbreak Leads to Farm Bill Criticism
And a nationwide salmonella outbreak in tomatoes is highlighting what consumer advocates call gaping holes in the proposed congressional farm bill. Nearly 170 people in seventeen states have fallen ill from salmonella poising in the last two months. The Food and Drug Administration is warning against eating raw red plum, Roma or red tomatoes. Consumer advocates have criticized lawmakers and the Bush administration for removing several high-profile food safety proposals, including creating a new food safety commission and returning agricultural inspectors to the Agricultural Department instead of working under the Department for Homeland Security.
Kucinich Vows to Press Bush Impeachment
On Capitol Hill, Democratic Congressmember Dennis Kucinich is vowing to continue his impeachment effort against President Bush despite attempts to bury it in committee. On Wednesday, Congress members voted to send Kucinich’s bill to the House Judiciary Committee, where it’s unlikely to be considered before Bush leaves office. Kucinich’s thirty-five articles of impeachment against President Bush accuse him of war crimes and deceiving the public in the run-up to the Iraq invasion. Kucinich also lists the imprisonment of foreign nationals and US citizens without charge in the so-called “war on terror”; Bush’s policies on global warming, voting rights, Medicare; and the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Iraqi PM: Talks With US at “Dead End”
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is claiming talks on a long-term agreement with the US have reached what he calls “a dead end.” US demands have included maintaining fifty-eight permanent military bases in Iraq, immunity for American troops and contractors, a free hand to conduct military operations without Iraqi approval, and control of Iraqi airspace. Speaking in Jordan, Maliki said, “We have reached an impasse, because when we opened these negotiations we did not realize that the US demands would so deeply affect Iraqi sovereignty, and this is something we can never accept.” The Independent of London reported last week the US is leveraging tens of billions of dollars in seized Iraqi assets to push through its demands. The Bush administration has angered Iraqi officials by refusing to lift support for Iraq’s UN designation as a threat to international security. The New York Times reports Iraqi officials will ask the UN Security Council today to expend its protection of Iraq against compensation claims.
U.S. Accused of Killing Two Iraqi Civilians
Meanwhile, in Iraq, the US is being accused of killing two civilians in a raid in Hillah earlier today. The US says it killed five suspected Shiite fighters.
Cuba Lifts Wage Restrictions
In Cuba, the Cuban government has announced plans to remove limits on annual wages. For decades, Cuban salaries have been separated by incremental amounts for a wide range of jobs. It’s the latest in a series of economic reforms enacted in Cuba since Raul Castro succeeded his brother Fidel Castro.
Paul Ends GOP Presidential Bid
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has ended his bid for the White House. Paul says he won’t endorse presumptive nominee Senator John McCain and plans to hold his own parallel convention when Republicans meet in September.
Read and search hundreds of news stories on SeeingBlack.com's 411 Channel.
Click here to view all our blogs and discussion groups, where you can comment on any news stories or post your own news.
© Copyright 2006 SeeingBlack.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
