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Last Updated: May 19th, 2009 - 09:38:27 |
Raising Alert Level, WHO Says Swine Flu Outbreak Nears Pandemic
The World Health Organization is warning the swine flu
outbreak is at the imminent stages of becoming a global pandemic. On Tuesday, the WHO raised its alert level to five, the agency’s second-highest position. There are now at least ninety-one known cases in the United States, including six new states: Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Arizona, Indiana and Nevada. In Texas, where a toddler became the first US resident to die from swine flu, Governor Rick Perry has declared a statewide disaster and closed several schools, including here in Fort Worth. Testifying on Capitol Hill, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the Obama administration is handling the outbreak as if it’s a full pandemic.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano: “There is a lot we don’t yet know about this outbreak, but we have been preparing as if we are facing a true pandemic, even though we don’t know the ultimate scope of what will occur. We also have been preparing with the understanding that this will be a marathon and not a sprint. We are going to be at this for a while.”
Chrysler Files for Bankruptcy Protection
The auto giant Chrysler has filed for federal bankruptcy protection under a government-brokered deal. Chrysler hopes to form a new company that would be owned by the US government, the Italian auto giant Fiat, and the company’s workers. On Thursday, President Obama said the bankruptcy filing would ensure Chrysler’s continued operation.
President Obama: “No one should be confused about what a bankruptcy process means. This is not a sign of weakness, but rather one more step on a clearly charted path to Chrysler’s revival. Because of the fact that the UAW and many of the banks, the biggest stakeholders in this whole process, have already aligned, have already agreed, this process will be quick.”
Obama also criticized the role of some hedge funds, who he said pushed Chrysler into bankruptcy.
Justice Souter to Retire from Supreme Court
Justice David Souter is reportedly planning on retiring at the end of the Supreme Court’s term in June. Souter’s departure would grant President Obama his first opportunity to appoint a new justice to the Supreme Court bench. Souter was appointed by President George H.W. Bush but ended up regularly voting with the court’s liberal members.
Senate Defeats Measure to Aid Homeowners
On Capitol Hill, the Senate has defeated a proposal that would have rescued hundreds of thousands of homeowners from foreclosure. A dozen Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the measure, which would have allowed bankruptcy judges to reduce mortgage payments for debt-strapped homeowners. President Obama had publicly supported the proposal but refused to actively lobby for its approval.
US May Hold Informal Talks with Cuba
The New York Times reports informal meetings are being planned between State Department and Cuban diplomats in the United States in order to determine whether the two governments could open formal talks on a variety of issues. The Obama administration is also reportedly looking for ways to open channels for more cultural and academic exchanges between Cuba and the United States.
Rice, Ashcroft Approved Torture in July 2002
More details have been revealed on high-level Bush administration involvement in authorizing torture. According to a timeline in the newly declassified Senate Intelligence Committee report, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Attorney General John Ashcroft and other top White House officials approved torture methods, including waterboarding, as early as 2002. Attorney General Eric Holder has described waterboarding as illegal, while President Obama now says he won’t rule out prosecuting top Bush officials who approved illegal acts. Rice’s backing came in July 2002, when she gave a green light for the interrogation of suspected al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah. One year later, the list of officials voicing approval grew to Vice President Dick Cheney, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and National Security Council legal adviser John Bellinger.
Obama Backs Lowering Mandatory Minimums in Crack Sentences
The Obama administration is backing calls to lower the mandatory minimum prison sentence for dealing crack cocaine to match the punishment for dealing powder cocaine. Under current law, possession of five grams of crack cocaine triggers the same mandatory minimum sentence as possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine. The disparity has disproportionately punished African American drug offenders, who account for more than 80 percent of crack cocaine cases. Wednesday’s announcement marked the first time the White House has backed calls to lower minimum drug sentences.
Supreme Court Limits Warrantless Car Searches
The Supreme Court has issued a ruling make it more difficult for police to conduct warrantless car searches. On Tuesday, justices ruled five-to-four police must seek a warrant to search a vehicle if the suspect has been removed from the vehicle and poses no threat to others.
Somali Pirate to Be Tried as Adult
The lone surviving Somali pirate involved in the kidnapping of an American cargo captain earlier this month was charged last week in a New York courtroom. The pirate, Abduhl Wal-i-Musi, surrendered before US Navy snipers shot his three accomplices aboard their boat. Musi will be tried as an adult, even though his family claims he is only fifteen years old. He appeared to weep during his arraignment. Defense attorney Deirdre von Dornum called Musi “young and terrified.”
Deirdre von Dornum: “Judge Peck may have found for today that he is of the age of majority, but as you could tell, he is extremely young, injured and terrified. We’re pleased that he will have the protection of the United States Constitution and that the government chose to bring him to an open court and not to a secret prison or any other form of non-public proceeding.”
UN Racism Conference Passes Declaration
In Geneva, delegates at the UN Conference on Racism adopted a final declaration last week without the support of the United States. The US and several other Western nations have boycotted the conference over concerns it would include criticism of the Israeli government. The conference president, Amos Wako, criticized the boycott.
Amos Wako: “What we have decided shows the outcome when you remain engaged in the process. It shows that boycotts do not assist. It shows that one can remain constructively engaged and reach a consensus.”
Bowing to US-Israeli concerns, the declaration avoids any references to Zionism. Instead, it reaffirms a conference text from 2001 that recognizes the Palestinian right to self-determination and calls for a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The text also urges signatories to fight all forms of racism, in particular naming anti-Semitism, anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia.
Economy Contracted 6.1% in 1st Quarter
New figures show the US economy has suffered its largest contraction in fifty years. The Commerce Department reported recently that gross domestic product saw a first quarter drop of 6.1 percent. It was the first time GDP has fallen three straight quarters since 1975.
Study: 60% of Americans Subjected to Polluted Air
And a new study says 60 percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of pollution. In a report released today, the American Lung Association says air pollution has reached worrying levels in every major city, affecting some 186 million people
Media: Baltimore Sun Fires 60 Newsroom Staffers, Portfolio Mag to Close, Newspaper Subscriptions Drop
In media news, the Baltimore Sun has announced nearly sixty newsroom layoffs. The Sun’s owner, Tribune Corporation, is currently operating under bankruptcy protection. In New York, Conde Nast has decided to close the two-year-old magazine Portfolio. Meanwhile, newly released statistics show paid weekday newspaper circulation has fallen seven percent over the past six months.
Time Warner Scraps Pricing Model to Charge for Bandwidth
Time Warner Cable has announced it will stop testing a new pricing model where customers were being charged for how much internet bandwidth they used. Time Warner had proposed charging as much as $150 per month for unlimited web downloads.
Report: CIA Prisoners Still Missing
The Obama administration has claimed it has closed Bush-era secret prisons. But the investigative website ProPublica is reporting more than three dozen CIA prisoners are still missing. Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch said, “The Obama administration needs to reveal the fate and whereabouts of every person who was held in CIA custody. If these men are now rotting in some Egyptian dungeon, the administration can’t pretend it’s closed the door on the CIA program.”
Iraqi Tally: 87,000 Dead Since 2005
A newly disclosed Iraqi government tally, meanwhile, shows at least 87,000 Iraqis have been killed in violent attacks since 2005. An Iraqi government official provided the figure to the Associated Press. Studies have estimated anywhere between 500,000 to one million Iraqis have died as a result of the US invasion in 2003.
Trial Begins for Alleged Ringleader in Iraq Rape, Murder Case
The trial of a former soldier accused in the 2006 rape and murder of an Iraqi teenager and the killing of her family has begun. Steven Green is accused of being the ringleader in raping and killing fourteen-year-old Abeer Kassem Hamza al-Janabi and killing her parents and five-year-old sister. Green is being tried in a Kentucky civilian court. Three soldiers have already been sentenced to life in prison in the case.
Al-Maliki Threatens to Prosecute US Troops Involved in Deadly House Raid
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is threatening to prosecute US troops involved in a pre-dawn house raid on Sunday that killed two Iraqis in the town of Kut. The incident marks the first time Iraq’s government has called for the prosecution of US soldiers. Under the new US-Iraqi security pact, US troops in Iraq are no longer allowed to conduct military operations without Iraqi approval and coordination. The wife of one of the Iraqis killed denounced the US raid.
Wife of Iraqi Man Killed: “His brain was scattered on the ground, and I tried to collect it. The woman killed in the raid was still alive, and I tried to help her, but they killed her. They did not call a doctor to treat her. They killed her.”
Majority of Americans Favor Probe of Bush Administration over Torture
A new ABC/Washington Post poll has found 51 percent of Americans support an investigation of whether Bush administration officials broke the law. But on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs suggested President Obama opposes the formation of an independent commission to investigate the Bush administration’s use of torture.
Robert Gibbs: “Well, I think the President had great fears that the debate that you’ve seen happen in this town on each side of this issue, at the extremes, has—that’s taken place, would be what would envelop any commission that looked backward. That’s why his focus, David, the whole time is how we look forward in this country.”
Five Members of Congress Arrested at Sudanese Embassy
Five members of Congress were arrested Monday outside the Sudanese embassy during a demonstration condemning Sudan’s decision to expel sixteen aid agencies from Darfur.
The arrested included Democrats John Lewis of Georgia, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Lynn Woolsey of California, Donna Edwards of Maryland, and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. They were charged with crossing a police line, a misdemeanor, and released.
NY Resident Gets Nearly 6-Year Sentence for Airing Hezbollah Channel
A Pakistani American has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for broadcasting the Lebanese group Hezbollah’s television station in the United States. Javed Iqbal pleaded guilty in the case last year. He was accused of providing aid to a terrorist organization by using a satellite dish in his home to let customers receive free broadcasts of Al Manar. Iqbal has lived in the US for twenty years and is the father of five children.
Report: Obama Wants Aid to Go to PA Even If Hamas Joins Gov’t
The Los Angeles Times is reporting the Obama administration has asked Congress for minor changes in US law that would permit aid to continue flowing to Palestinians in the event Hamas-backed officials become part of a unified Palestinian government. Under the existing law, any US aid would require that the Palestinian government meet three longstanding criteria: recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and agreeing to follow past Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
Iranian Arms Ship Bound for Gaza Reportedly Destroyed Off Sudan
The Egyptian newspaper El-Aosboa is reporting an Iranian vessel laden with weapons bound for the Gaza Strip was torpedoed off the coast of Sudan last week, allegedly by Israeli or American forces operating in the area. Anonymous sources in Khartoum told the newspaper that an unidentified warship bombed the Iranian vessel as it prepared to dock in Sudan.
Afghanistan Vet Says War Is “Big Mistake”; Warns Against Troop Surge
A former Marine corporal who fought in Afghanistan testified last week on Capitol Hill and urged lawmakers to oppose President Obama’s escalation of the war in Afghanistan. Rick Reyes said the war has turned into a “big mistake.”
Rick Reyes: “In some respects, this entire occupation has become counterproductive. As a Marine, I was willing to give my life for my country and still am. But invading and occupying Afghanistan, sending more troops to solve what is a political problem, is not the answer. I urge these senators to rethink Afghanistan, while there is still time. I can almost guarantee that sending more troops will mean more civilian and US troop casualties, not for war, but for occupation. Sending more troops will not make the US safer; it will only build more opposition against us. I urge you on behalf of truth and patriotism to consider carefully and rethink Afghanistan. More troops, more occupation is not the answer.”
Former Marine Corporal Rick Reyes also said the US occupation has unjustly targeted innocent Afghan civilians.
Rick Reyes: “Because our mission was to capture suspected Taliban and had no successful way of being able to distinguish them, we had no other choice but to suspect the entire civilian population, innocent or not. One day we stopped at gunpoint, detained and beating and nearly killing an innocent man only to find out he was just traveling down the road to deliver milk to his children. Because of that day, those kids went without a father. There were hundreds of incidents like this one. Almost 100 percent of the time, we would find that suspected terrorists turned out to be innocent civilians. It began to feel we were chasing ghosts.”
At the same hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Retired US Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich said an escalation of troops will worsen the situation in Afghanistan.
Andrew Bacevich: “We may not believe that we are invading and occupying countries, but the people on the other end viewed, view themselves as being invaded and occupied. So, to some degree, to some measurable degree, in places like Afghanistan, increasing the US presence actually increases the dimensions of the problem.”
Obama Hosts 100th-Day News Conference
President Obama marked his 100th day in office Wednesday with a prime-time news conference from the White House. Obama said the Bush administration’s use of waterboarding is torture and that he is gravely concerned about internal unrest in Pakistan. Obama also said he has been confronted with a series of atypical challenges.
President Obama: “I didn’t anticipate the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. And so, you know, the typical president, I think, has two or three big problems. We’ve got seven or eight big problems.”
Google Faces Antitrust Investigation for Agreement to Digitize Millions of Books Online
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether Google is violating antitrust laws by reaching an agreement with authors and publishers to digitizing millions of printed books and posting the contents online.
Over the past five years, Google has partnered with some of the world’s most famous research libraries to scan over seven million books. In 2005, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers filed lawsuits against Google challenging the company’s right to scan copyrighted material and making it searchable online. A $125 million settlement was reached last year, but it’s still awaiting court approval.
Google has defended its project, saying its goal is to improve access to books and to give the public access to millions of out-of-print books. But critics warn the settlement could result in Google having a monopoly of access to information and giving Google an exclusive license to profit from millions of books.
Specter Leaves GOP, Joins Dems
Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has announced he’s leaving the Republican Party to join the Democratic caucus on Capitol Hill. The move could have a major effect on the balance of power in Washington. If Minnesota Senate winner Al Franken prevails in his legal battle with former Senator Norm Coleman, he and Specter would give the Democrats sixty seats, enough to overcome a Republican filibuster. On Tuesday, Specter said he is making the switch on ideological grounds.
Sen. Arlen Specter: “As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more aligned with the philosophy of the Democratic Party. This is a painful decision. I know that I am disappointing many of my friends and colleagues. Frankly, I’ve been disappointed by some of the responses, so the disappointment runs in both directions.”
By joining the Democrats, Specter will avoid a tough challenge in the Republican primary ahead of the 2010 midterm elections. Despite switching sides, Specter says he’ll maintain his “independence.” On Tuesday, Specter vowed continued opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, which would remove obstacles for workers to join unions. Democratic leaders say they will retool the measure to gain Specter’s support.
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