December 2002 Archives, Page Two

Iraq: UN finds no banned weapons Iraq says that after a month of "intrusive, extensive and sometimes aggressive" inspections, the United Nations has found no evidence that Baghdad has weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq to give inspectors list of weapons scientists Iraq will hand over to the United Nations in the next few days a list of hundreds of Iraqi scientists who have worked on nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs, a senior Iraqi general said Thursday.

Iraq Stockpiles Food for War Iraq said on Thursday it had boosted food rations to let citizens stock up before a possible war with the United States, and accused U.S. and British planes of bombing civilian targets, including a mosque.

Censorship is a given in war, reporters say American viewers will never get the full and true picture of a U.S. war with Iraq. That at least is the assessment of former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw.

Church leaders launch unified attack on plans for war on Iraq Tony Blair and George Bush came under sustained attack from the leaders of the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches yesterday over their growing threats to take military action against Iraq.

Blair Slammed Over Iraq By His Own Priest Tony Blair was yesterday accused of "moral surrender" over war in Iraq - by his own priest.

Top Talent Lining the War Path --H'w'd zaps U.S.' Iraqi battle plans (Variety) Sean Penn's visit to Baghdad earlier this month probably wasn't what the Bush mis-ministration had in mind when it reached out to Hollywood for help with the war against terrorism. Officially, the State Dept. was mum on its opinion of Penn's antiwar trek, just as it has tried to ignore a growing chorus of Hollywood celebs opposed to an American invasion of Iraq.

Protesting May Be Good for Your Health Taking part in protests and demonstrations can be good for your physical and mental health, a new British study suggests.

Antiwar signs removed from yards in Duluth (MN) Some Duluth residents who oppose war with Iraq are having a difficult time getting their message out. Several "Say No to War with Iraq'' signs have been taken from front lawns, some within hours from when they were put up.

CIA Interrogations Said Verging on Inhumane CIA interrogators have been using "stress and duress" techniques on captured enemies in Afghanistan that blur the line between legal and inhumane, the Washington Post reported Thursday. [Oh, I am sure they kissed "on the verge" good-bye a long time ago, and have crossed over to Waffen-SS techniques. --Lori Price]

U.S. Decries Abuse but Defends Interrogations Deep inside the forbidden zone at the U.S.-occupied Bagram air base in Afghanistan, around the corner from the detention center and beyond the segregated clandestine military units, sits a cluster of metal shipping containers protected by a triple layer of concertina wire. The containers hold captured al Qaeda operatives and Taliban commanders. [People are being held by the United States government in *shipping containers!!* Hello! Anyone home?!?]

Troops in Afghanistan Report Several Incidents American soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division on a routine patrol in Afghanistan Dec. 26 reported finding a site previously used to fire rockets at a U.S. base near Khost, Defense Department officials said.

S. Koreans Shrug Off Nuclear Threat Many believe the U.S. poses a bigger danger than the communist North. --The young tend to view the crisis as a White House creation. When Lee Jin Ju pauses to think about the nuclear crisis brewing over the Korean peninsula, she knows exactly whom she fears. "George Bush," replies the 22-year-old accounting student without missing a beat. "He's a war maniac."

N Korea nuclear moves alarm UN The UN nuclear watchdog says North Korea has moved 1,000 nuclear fuel rods to a reactor that could produce weapons-grade plutonium - a situation it describes as "very worrying".

Pyongyang may have A-bomb in 30 days Restarting its nuclear reactor could enable North Korea to produce nuclear weapons in as little as 30 days, according to one of Britain’s leading nuclear experts.

Sen. Lugar Urges Caution on North Korea Any U.S. military reprisal against North Korea for attempting to restart an atomic weapons program would be "very inadvisable," the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Thursday.

Nixon ordered nuke alert in 1969 Former US president Richard Nixon ordered a worldwide secret nuclear alert in October 1969, calling his wartime tactic a "madman strategy" aimed at scaring the Soviets into forcing concessions from North Vietnam, declassified documents show.

The Gist --by Michelangelo Signorile "...Call it my wild imagination again, but it seems like the modern airport, more and more, is John Ashcroft’s wet dream for how the entire society should become, everywhere: identification checks, massive security, machine-gun toting military guys, x-ray machines, surveillance cameras and, now, controlled media."

DOJ Hits Sentencing Panel's Post-Enron Plan The Justice Department has slammed proposals from the U.S. Sentencing Commission meant to carry out orders from Congress to stiffen penalties for corporate crime after a year of Wall Street scandals.

Growth in Sales for Holiday Period Weakest in Years After examining sales figures from the last frenzied hours before Christmas, experts yesterday declared this year's holiday season the worst in many years.

Hungry States Eye Internet Sales Tax As states across the country struggle with budget deficits in the billions [thanks to Bush], many officials are beginning to eye sales taxes on online shopping.

As Patents on Popular Drugs End, Costs for Generics Surge Prices of generic drugs are rising almost twice as rapidly as prices of brand-name drugs, even as many insurers and the Bush mis-ministration are pressing Americans to switch in the name of saving money.

FBI asks colleges to hand over files on all foreigners The FBI has asked colleges across America to pass on personal information about foreign students and staff to help prevent terrorist attacks, infuriating civil liberties activists and liberal politicians who believe the request is illegal.

Many Tools of Big Brother Are Up and Running In the Pentagon research effort to detect terrorism by electronically monitoring the civilian population, the most remarkable detail may be this: Most of the pieces of the system are already in place.

Sanders works to repeal provisions of Patriot Act (VT) Congressman Bernard Sanders said Friday he will introduce legislation to exempt libraries and bookstores from parts of the sweeping [Fascist] USA Patriot Act.

Personal Information Taken From Military Thieves who broke into a government contractor's office snatched computer hard drives containing Social Security numbers, addresses and other records of about 500,000 members of the military and their families.

Expecting a Vacancy, Bush Aides Weigh Supreme Court Contenders [Yikes!] White House officials are so convinced that there will be at least one Supreme Court vacancy by the end of the current term in early summer that Dictator Bush's senior aides have been quietly conducting serious internal discussions about possible nominees.

Frist's new Senate role could bring help for Lilly The majority leader, a doctor, wrote bill that shields vaccine makers from preservative suits. Sen. Bill Frist's official ascension Monday as Senate majority leader could end up helping pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co.

Mystery surrounds secret 1991 vaccines (UK) The range of vaccines was kept secret, even from the troops. Each individual was given up to 12 vaccines.

Co-pilot’s mom sure he wasn’t flying plane Marie Guess said she is convinced her son was not flying the plane carrying Sen. Paul Wellstone when it crashed near Eveleth in October, killing Michael Guess, the senator and six others.

Poland Upgrades Air Force With U.S. F-16s Poland announced Friday it will buy 48 U.S.-made F-16 jet fighters to upgrade its air force to NATO standards, turning down two rival European bids in a quest to strengthen its position in the alliance.

U.S. Navy to Renew Vieques Bombings The U.S. Navy informed Puerto Rico's government Friday that a new round of bombing exercises could start as soon as Jan. 13 on the outlying island of Vieques.

US prepares further military exercises in the Philippines Last month President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ignored opposition protests and signed the long-mooted Military Logistics and Support Agreement (MLSA) that allows the US to use Philippines facilities as a supply centre for its military operations in the region.

Britain: More than half all London children living in poverty A report published last month has exposed the deepening gulf between rich and poor in Britain’s capital.

Canada’s Supreme Court sanctions dismantling of welfare Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that the state has no legal obligation to assist the poor—even if they have been rendered homeless and hungry.

Two senators discuss the 9/11 report examining the failure of intelligence agencies to prevent the terrorist attacks. --Sen. Bob Graham: "I think there is very compelling evidence that at least some of the terrorists were assisted not just in financing -- although that was part of it -- by a sovereign foreign government and that we have been derelict in our duty to track that down, make the further case, or find the evidence that would indicate that that is not true and we can look for other reasons why the terrorists were able to function so effectively in the United States."

FEMA Head Becomes Latest Bush Team Departure (Dec. 16, 2002) Joe Allbaugh, one of the "Iron Triangle" of aides who helped George W. Bush steal the presidency in 2000, has resigned as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a White House spokesman said on Monday.

Co-pilot’s mom sure he wasn’t flying plane Marie Guess said she is convinced her son was not flying the plane carrying Sen. Paul Wellstone when it crashed near Eveleth in October, killing Michael Guess, the senator and six others.

Poland Upgrades Air Force With U.S. F-16s Poland announced Friday it will buy 48 U.S.-made F-16 jet fighters to upgrade its air force to NATO standards, turning down two rival European bids in a quest to strengthen its position in the alliance.

U.S. Navy to Renew Vieques Bombings The U.S. Navy informed Puerto Rico's government Friday that a new round of bombing exercises could start as soon as Jan. 13 on the outlying island of Vieques.

US prepares further military exercises in the Philippines Last month President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ignored opposition protests and signed the long-mooted Military Logistics and Support Agreement (MLSA) that allows the US to use Philippines facilities as a supply centre for its military operations in the region.

Britain: More than half all London children living in poverty A report published last month has exposed the deepening gulf between rich and poor in Britain’s capital.

Mass Layoff Statistics Program Is Discontinued This is the final news release for the Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program. Since 1994, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration has funded the program.

US: State governments enacting budget cuts and tax hikes State governments in the US are facing budget crises without precedent since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Jobs issue urgent as benefits run out As many as 13,500 Minnesotans will stop collecting unemployment checks tomorrow unless Congress votes to extend jobless benefits to more than 780,000 Americans who've been looking for work over the past nine months. Another 1 million exhausted benefits earlier in the year. [The Bush Depression. Only Halliburton, HMOs and the Carlyle group benefit from this regime. --Lori Price]

Bush Family Members On Cruise to Bahamas Former president George H.W. Bush, his son Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and other family members embarked today on a three-night holiday cruise aboard the Disney Wonder.

Lumps of Coal --by Paul Krugman "Merry Christmas? No no no. Retailers found lumps of coal in their stockings this Christmas; the holiday shopping season was disappointing. So where's the economy heading?"

Give America a payroll tax cut --by John F. Kerry "In the last two years, nearly 2 million jobs have been lost, retirements have been postponed, and personal debt has increased. Long-term unemployment has doubled, the stock market has plunged more than 30 percent, we have seen the weakest level of economic growth and business investment in 50 years, and holiday retail sales are down 5.5 percent from last year." [But, HMO profits have skyrocketed, so no worries for the Bush mis-ministration.]

Expenses trickle down --by Bob Baird "...two decades and a George Bush later, it looks like something is trickling down from the federal government to the state government and right on down to the local level. Unfortunately, it's the expense rather than the savings, that seems to be subject to the laws of gravity."

U.S. Revises Sex Information, and a Fight Goes On The National Cancer Institute, which used to say on its Web site that the best studies showed "no association between abortion and breast cancer," now says the evidence is inconclusive.

Bush aims to replace wetlands The Bush mis-ministration adopted a new plan and guidelines Thursday for replacing swamps and bogs that have been filled or drained to make way for highways, housing or other projects.

Visiting Priest Held On Sex Assault Charges (CT) A priest visiting Sacred Heart Church from Poland was arraigned today on charges of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl whom he was counseling for a previous sexual assault.

US-led group triggered N-crisis, says Moscow The latest row started when 'Kedo, the US-led consortium, did not keep its 1994 promise on energy for North Korea' --Russia has accused the US-led consortium in charge of energy projects in North Korea of triggering a crisis over nuclear inspections there by breaking an agreement on energy supplies for Pyongyang.

U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave North Korea U.N. nuclear inspectors will leave North Korea by Tuesday, the U.N. nuclear agency said, denouncing the communist state as "a country in defiance of its international obligations."

Iraq turns over list of weapons scientists Iraq delivered a list to United Nations officials Saturday naming over 500 scientists who have worked on nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs, a U.N. official said.

Americans to man Israeli defences Bush assures Sharon that Washington will give better protection against Iraqi attack than it did in 1991 --The United States has sent the first of what is expected to be a 1,000-strong force to Israel to bolster defences against missile attacks ahead of a possible war in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia Said to Assure U.S. on Use of Bases Saudi Arabia has told American military officials that the kingdom would make its airspace, air bases and an important operations center available to the United States in the event of war with Iraq, senior military officials say.

Prince Charles not welcome, says US Prince Charles has dropped plans to visit the United States because the White House, apparently unhappy with his views on Iraq, has signalled that he would not be welcome, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.

Anti-war activists plan mass civil disobedience if U.S. attacks Iraq While the Pentagon has spent the past year training troops, building facilities and stockpiling weapons to launch a war against Iraq, the peace movement has been using the buildup time to coordinate "emergency response plans" to disrupt domestic military activity, tie up commerce and get out their antiwar message.

Naked Men, Men of Peace On December 21, 2002, near Gainesville, Florida, 22 men posed naked to send a stunning peace message to the American people and the W-ar mis-ministration.

An attack on us all Saddam is simply the latest focus for the west's racist abuse of Arabs --by Ghada Karmi "The preparations for a war on Iraq are moving inexorably forward, despite UN intervention, formal and popular opposition, and Iraqi ingenuity and compliance. The real motives for this projected attack, despite a plethora of public pronouncements, remain confusing and mysterious."

GOP Plans New Caps on Court Awards Piecemeal, Republicans Have Limited Lawsuits Against Some Businesses --Republicans, backed by many corporate executives, are making significant if little-noticed progress in their campaign to strike back at trial lawyers and shield U.S. companies from multimillion-dollar liability lawsuits.

2003 Will Be Big Year for Supreme Court An injury to the chief justice, an emotional discussion of racism and a rare tie vote provided some drama at the Whore Court before its winter break, but the real action comes next year. [I think the Whore Court's "big year" was the 2000 Coup d'etat, wherein they installed the Idiot Usurping Lying Weasel. Although, total eradication of the Bill of Rights could signify a whopper of a year for the Whores, as well. --Lori Price]

Toxic The Lead Industry Gets Its Turn. --One of Tommy Thompson's panel nominees had repeatedly stated that the current standard was too strict. Another had stated that children could tolerate lead levels seven times the current standard without suffering cognitive harm. Even more disturbing, at least two of the new appointees had direct financial ties to the lead industry.

White House budget office thwarts EPA warning on asbestos-laced insulation The Environmental Protection Agency was on the verge of warning millions of Americans that their attics and walls might contain asbestos-contaminated insulation. But, at the last minute, the White House intervened, and the warning has never been issued.

Clinton Urges Jobless Benefits Extension Time has run out for nearly 800,000 Americans relying on federal unemployment benefits. But Congress can start off the new year right by passing an extension that would cover all people who still cannot find work, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said Saturday.

800,000 Jobless Americans to Lose Aid Already facing a sputtering economy and slow hiring, nearly 800,000 unemployed Americans face a new woe Saturday when their federal unemployment benefits end.

Tulsa's Desperate Times and Measures City budgets are being squeezed by the poor economy. Floundering businesses and extensive layoffs, combined with a precarious stock market, are causing local tax revenue to plunge, creating more crippling deficits. Here and in cities from Spokane, Wash., to New York, the impact is seen immediately and felt the hardest.

Foreclosures closing in on cash-strapped families (MN) The economy may be showing signs of recovery, but these are times of quiet financial desperation for a growing number of people in the crescent of suburbs that surround the Twin Cities.

Mass. notes increase in homeless students Some suburban school districts have seen a sharp increase in number of homeless students as the state moves homeless families into motels because of the lack of affordable housing.

United pilots set to take 29% pay cut The union representing United Airlines' 9,000 pilots said Saturday its members are ready to take a 29 percent pay cut come Jan. 1 to help the beleaguered carrier reorganize in bankruptcy court. [Where's Bush's pay cut??? Heck, no one employed him in the first place. --Lori Price]

'Class warfare' / Who's victim, who's aggressor? (Star Tribune) "'Waging class warfare' is an accusation often and easily thrown at people who object to federal tax and spending policies that favor the wealthy... Consider these recent developments and then decide: Who is waging class warfare on whom?"

Bush's economic strategy has no gain, only more pain --by Ralph Martire "...since Bush took office [that would be, literally, *took* office], the large federal surplus that he inherited has transformed into a large deficit, pushing the bills for today's spending off to our children. That is both morally and fiscally irresponsible. The president[sic]'s ill-informed and poorly targeted tax policy will not only put a damper on the New Year, it may cast a deficit cloud over the entire next decade."

What trickles down today: underpaid, no-benefits jobs --by Richard Reeves "So, the way it works is this: Lower taxes on the rich free up the money to hire the poor to run their errands and tone their bodies, and the marginal classes have second and third serving-job opportunities."

US jails 'work shy' foreign students At least six Middle Eastern students in Colorado have been detained in the past 10 days for failing to take as many classes as stipulated by their visas.

Saudi Arabian Prince Gives $500,000 To Bush Scholarships The latest move in the Saudi Arabian public relations effort in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks is a half-million dollar donation by a Saudi prince to the President George Herbert Walker Bush Scholarship Fund at Phillips Academy, Andover.

Feds Must Justify Snooping Tactics Federal investigators may soon have to tell how they've been using their expanded surveillance powers since the terrorist attacks. A federal judge has set a January 15 deadline for the Justice Department to answer a Freedom of Information Act request seeking such disclosure.

Unmanned drones will guard U.S. coastlines Aerial drones have had starring roles in the "war on terrorism", but a new generation of the flying robots is going to be deployed to patrol the U.S. coastline.

RUBBISH! Portland's top brass said it was OK to swipe your garbage--so we grabbed theirs.--by Chris Lydgate and Nick Budnick

Mayor Katz assails search of recycling (OR) Mayor Vera Katz said Wednesday that she is considering her legal options against Willamette Week, charging the newspaper's reporters with trespassing on her property to pick through her trash and recycling.

Kroeker says Willamette Week snooping through his trash (OR) Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker issued a statement Tuesday explaining that he had discovered that someone from a local weekly newspaper has been sifting through his trash.

Travelers Brace for New Airport Measures Holiday travelers who left before Christmas may have a different airport experience if they fly home after New Year's Day. Travelers may be randomly selected for a second, and even a third, search...

Texas leads U.S. in number of executions, study shows Texas executed 33 people this year, the most of any state in the nation and almost double the number put to death in the state last year, a study showed.

In an Upside-Down World, Sunshine Is Shunned For the last decade the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has been forming earlier in the Southern Hemisphere spring and growing larger. The 125,000 residents of the southernmost city on the planet, here on the Strait of Magellan, have reluctantly learned to adapt.

Cruise ship arrives to protests, departs (HI) The first visit by a luxury cruise ship to a rural Hawaiian island was met with demonstrators who gathered to protest its arrival. Protesters argued cruise ships will damage Molokai's coral reefs, pollute the waters and spoil the island's rural charm.

The "Persons Of The Year" Cop-Out --by Steve Young "If Time had the guts and journalistic principles foremost instead of profit and sales, their selection would have been, nay, should have been, The Pretzel That Almost Took Down A President [sic]... It was on that date that President [sic] George Bush choked on a pretzel and briefly lost consciousness while watching a professional football game alone at the White House."

Navy Activates Hospital Ship, in Flurry of War Preparations In one more major sign of preparations for a possible war against Iraq, the Navy has activated one of its two 1,000-bed hospital ships, the Comfort, to be sent for possible duty in the Persian Gulf, Navy officials said today.

'Significant' U.S. Forces Ordered to Persian Gulf Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has signed a deployment order to send "significant" ground forces, combat aircraft and logistics support to the Persian Gulf, a move that marks the beginning of a final buildup for a possible war against Iraq, senior defense officials said yesterday.

U.S. Orders Thousands of Troops to Gulf The Pentagon has ordered a major military force to the Persian Gulf in preparation for a possible war with Iraq.

U.S. Navy told to prepare for possible action in Iraq The Pentagon has ordered the Navy to prepare two aircraft carriers and two amphibious assault vessels for possible action in Iraq, defense officials said Friday.

Military units around state called to duty (FL) More than 1,350 Florida Army National Guard and U.S. Army reservists, including 150 from a military police unit based in Fort Lauderdale, were called to active duty this week in the "war against terrorism" [?!? They were called to fight the Bush-Cheney occupation?] -- the largest call-up since World War II for the state guard units.

Bush Steps Up Post-War Iraq Planning Preparing for an Iraq without President Saddam Hussein, the Bush dictatorship is drawing up plans to secure key cities, reopen schools and hospitals and use Iraqi oil revenues for reconstruction after a possible U.S.-led invasion, officials said on Friday.

Ferndale council takes antiwar stand (MI) During a week when Christmas traditions have twinkling lights, liturgies and more than a little lip service given to promoting peace, the City Council of Ferndale went a step further. Unanimously, council members voted for peace.

About 1,000 march in French port to protest passage of U.S. battle group With chants of "no blood for oil," about 1,000 people marched through this southern French port city on Thursday, protesting the passage of a U.S. Navy battle group and the prospect of an American-led war against Iraq.

Bush Urged to Limit Weapons in Iraq Humanitarian organizations are petitioning Dictator Bush not to use antipersonnel land mines or deadly cluster bombs in a military campaign against Iraq, arguing that the danger to civilians and allied soldiers during and after a war outweighs the benefits.

Bush Aides Back Effort for U.N. Denunciation of North Korea Dictator Bush's top national security advisers decided today to back an effort by the International Atomic Energy Agency to have the Security Council declare that North Korea is violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and other agreements to keep nuclear weapons out of the Korean peninsula, senior mis-ministration officials said today.

North Korea to Expel Inspectors, Drawing White House Criticism North Korea said today that it was expelling United Nations nuclear inspectors, and the White House reacted quickly by saying that the United States would not be pressured into negotiating with the Pyongyang government.

A secret CIA assassination policy for citizens --by Jonathan Turley "After a post-Sept. 11 windfall of expanded budgets, personnel and power, it was inevitable that CIA officials would return to the one item that they have most coveted: the discretionary use of assassination."

Immigrant Roundup From Brooklyn to L.A., Muslim Detainees Protest Mass Arrests --In a little-noticed showdown in Brooklyn Federal Court last Thursday, the Justice Department laid out a vigorous defense of its treatment of Muslim immigrants since September 11. The feds' central claim: noncitizens are not entitled to the basic rights of liberty and equal treatment that Americans count on.

U.S. threatens to fine man who posted Cuba news (WA) Retired Seattle plumber and World War II veteran Tom Warner, 77, is supported developing a "sister-city relationship" between King County and Cuba's Granma Province. Treasury Department officials, saying that Warner lacked a "specific license" to promote the conference, are threatening to fine him up to $55,000 if he doesn't tell them everything he knows about the conference and the organizations involved. [Holy McCarthyism, Batman!]

A Citizen Shorn of All Rights A Case Vital to Future Americans, Too --by Nat Hentoff "...what happens to him [Yaser Esam Hamdi] in our system of justice will signal how far the courts—eventually the Supreme Court—will allow George W. Bush, John Ashcroft, and Donald Rumsfeld to create what Charles Lane, the Washington Post's Supreme Court reporter, accurately calls 'a parallel legal system in which terrorism suspects—U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike—may be investigated, jailed, interrogated, held and punished without legal protections guaranteed by the ordinary system.'"

Afghan pipeline deal inked Pakistan and Turkmenistan signed an ambitious agreement with the Afghan president Friday to build a gas pipeline through war-ravaged Afghanistan. [Once again, it was all about the oil... -Lori Price]

Cornhuskers Wooed Taliban for Unocal (post by KOYAANISQATSI) The Chicago Tribune reported Oct. 21 [2001] on a program at the University of Nebraska's Omaha campus, the Center for Afghanistan Studies, which served "a back door" to the Taliban for US policy and intelligence intrigues.

White House Aides Push for 50% Cut in Dividend Taxes White House officials are urging Dictator Bush to propose cutting taxes on corporate dividends for shareholders by about half, according to mis-ministration officials and Republicans close to the White House. The tax benefits would overwhelmingly flow to the nation's very wealthiest taxpayers.

Governors forced to look at tax hikes they never imagined Governors across the nation who never thought they would find themselves advocating tax increases are now facing budget holes they say leave them with little choice.

Millionaires make up nearly 50 percent of incoming Congressmen The congressional Class of 2002, which has more than two-dozen millionaires, will face votes on issues that could affect their financial holdings.

Treasury Says U.S. Will Reach Debt Limit in Late Feb. (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. will reach the limit of its authority to borrow in late February, as lower tax revenue brought on by a slow economy, and increased government spending for the war on terrorism force the government deeper into debt, the Treasury Department said.

Treasury Seeks to Heighten Debt Ceiling The Treasury Department appealed to the House speaker on Tuesday to increase the government's ability to borrow money so it could avoid hitting the $6.4 trillion debt ceiling and defaulting on its loans.

A Change in Traditional Pensions (The New York Times) "...The Treasury Department has proposed new rules on how companies can convert traditional pension plans — which benefit those who stay at one company all their working lives — into more portable ones. It's a good idea, but as now written, the rules could dramatically cut older employees' retirement income.

City Feels Early Effects of Plant Closing in 2004 (IL) When Maytag announced this fall that it was closing the area's largest factory, a refrigerator plant with 1,600 employees, the news hit Galesburg like a bomb.

Retailers Face Worst Holiday in 30 Years U.S. retailers, reeling from a lackluster holiday season that is forecast to be the weakest in more than 30 years, may ring in the new year with steep markdowns on clothing, accessories -- and profit forecasts.

Law Requiring Lower Drug Prices Is Struck Down State efforts to provide prescription drugs to low-income people suffered a setback today as the United States Court of Appeals here struck down a pioneering program established by the State of Maine. [We desperately need a regime change here, in the United States. President Saddam Hussein does not effect me; Dictator George W. Bush does. See related article, below -regarding surging profits for HMOs. --Lori Price]

HMO Profits Surged in Early 2002 America's HMOs demonstrated remarkable gains in financial strength in the first quarter of 2002, with profits spiking 162% for the three-month period, according to data released on Tuesday.

Intervention by U.S. Health Department Official Is Questioned Responding to a plea from a friend who represented two medical societies, Janet Rehnquist, the Health and Human Services Department's inspector general, intervened in a legal battle between the societies and Medicare regulators, interviews show. [Janet Rehnquist is the daughter of the Whore Court's Chief inJustice, William H. Rehnquist. --Lori Price]

Physician Criticized by Women's Groups Named to FDA Panel A physician who has been criticized for his views on birth control was named to a Food and Drug Administration panel on women's health policy.

Drug Makers Battle Plan to Curb Rewards for Doctors Drug companies and doctors are fighting a Bush mis-ministration plan to restrict gifts and other rewards that pharmaceutical manufacturers give doctors and insurers to encourage the prescribing of particular drugs.

In U.S., Terrorism's Peril Undiminished "The United States may have to declare martial law someday," retired Army Gen. Wayne A. Downing, who was Dictator Bush's deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism, "in the case of a devastating attack with weapons of mass destruction causing tens of thousands of casualties.

Democrats Fault U.S. Terror Defense Democratic contenders for president are beginning to challenge Dictator Bush's record on terrorism, arguing that Bush has failed to do enough to prevent another fatal attack on American soil and that the nation is barely safer than it was before Sept. 11, 2001.

Details of U.S. victory are a little premature --by Eric Margolis "American troops are operating from the old Soviet bases at Bagram and Shindand, retaliating, like the Soviets, against mujahedin attacks on U.S. forces by heavily bombing nearby villages. The CIA is trying to assassinate Afghan nationalist leaders opposed to the Karzai regime in Kabul, in particular my old acquaintance Gulbadin Hekmatyar."

FBI Seeks Data on Foreign Students The FBI is asking colleges and universities around the country to provide the government with personal information about all foreign students and faculty, prompting objections from some schools and higher education groups that view the request as illegal.

Arab, Muslim Groups Sue INS, Ashcroft Over Detentions Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and the Immigration and Naturalization Service were sued today by a coalition of Arab and Muslim groups over the mass detentions of immigrants from Muslim countries who came forward to register under new anti-terrorism rules.

Lawsuit against Ashcroft, INS Several Muslims civil liberties groups Monday filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Immigration and Naturalization Service for what they say is the unlawful arrest of hundreds of Muslims.

Welcome to America! You've won jail time --by Jon Carroll "We're marching at a faster pace, look out, here comes the Master Race. Oops, that's 'Springtime for Hitler.' Such a catchy tune; it's been going through my head all day. 'Springtime for Hitler and Germany means that soon we'll be going, we've got to be going, you know we'll be going to war!' Seems to fit right in." [a must read]

FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh Resigns: Skeletons Here, There, and Everywhere......Literally --by Mary Louise "The list grows longer of high level bureaucrats who have recently resigned, with Joe Allbaugh following on the heels of O'Neil, Lindsey, Kissinger, and Mitchell... For some reason this story is being kept very low profile, so low in fact, it is practically non-existent."

Marines' Chemical-Biological Unit Will Guard State of the Union Speech The U.S. Capitol Police have requested help from the Marine Corps’ Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) at next month’s State of the Union address.

The Leak-Proof Presidency [sic] of George Bush --by Richard Reeves "Is it possible that they are preventing leaks by not talking to each other at all? Could be... Outsiders, including the American people, are being cut out of whatever debate is going on behind the locked gates. In sealing all leaks, the Bush administration is drowning freedom of speech."

Fuzzy Strands Fill Skies Over Texas City Mysterious, Spider Web-Like Strands Fill Skies Over Galveston, Texas --Galveston residents are still trying to figure out what caused the skies over their coastal city to literally be filled on Friday with floating strands of wads that looked like spider webs.

A Christmas Truce On Christmas Day, 1914, in the first year of World War I, German, British and French soldiers disobeyed their superiors and fraternized with "the enemy" along two-thirds of the Western Front...

Poindexter Is Watching Your A*s --by Judy Klass, sung to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

Orwellian Christmas carols

Off to War (UK) The Royal Marines will set sail for the Gulf on January 16, ready for war with Iraq. The 600-strong 40 Commando on board the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean will be the first British troops to leave home shores for the region ahead of a new conflict to topple Saddam Hussein. [Remember: regime change should begin at home. --Lori Price]

1,000 U.S. troops to join Israelis for training Around 1,000 American troops are expected to arrive in Israel this week equipped with Patriot missiles, which were used in the 1991 Gulf War to try to down Iraqi Scuds fired at this country.

U.S. ready to unleash weapons The Army plans to quickly deploy its new Shadow 200 spy plane if the United States goes to war against Iraq.

Iraqi Militia Holds Defensive Exercises The Iraqi army said Thursday that militias have been holding exercises in central Iraq aimed at countering an American attack, another sign that Saddam Hussein's government may believe war is inevitable.

U.S. Public Is Unconvinced on Need to Wage War Against Iraq, Says Council on Foreign Relations President Les Gelb Les Gelb, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, says that he is surprised by the degree of opposition in the United States to an invasion of Iraq.

Activists Braced for War Peace groups have battle plans ready

Antiwar voices rapidly becoming a chorus (MN) A growing number of Twin Citians are echoing the "No War" slogan.

Aux Etats-Unis, les défenseurs des libertés défient George W. Bush (le monde.fr) Dans plusieurs villes, les élus municipaux ont voté des résolutions demandant le respect des droits fondamentaux. [Translation: To the United States, defenders of liberties challenge George W. Bush --In several cities, the elected municipal voted resolutions requesting the respect of the basic rights.]

N. Korea: U.S. Is Risking Nuclear War North Korea ratcheted up its standoff with Washington on Tuesday, starting repairs at a long-frozen nuclear reactor and warning that U.S. policy is leading to an "uncontrollable catastrophe" and the "brink of nuclear war."

North Korea Warns the U.S. to Negotiate or Risk 'Catastrophe' North Korea warned today of an "uncontrollable catastrophe'' unless the United States agreed to a negotiated solution to a standoff over its nuclear energy and weapons programs.

2 Western Cities Join Suit to Fight Global Warming In a novel legal action, the City Councils of Oakland, Calif., and Boulder, Colo., have voted to join Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace in a lawsuit charging two federal agencies with failing to conduct environmental reviews before financing projects that the cities say contribute to global warming.

Ethics Probe Ordered of 6 U.S. Lawyers in Indian Trust Suit In a stinging 20-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth also blocked the Interior and Justice departments from continuing to send mass mailings to the Indian plaintiffs that include a provision that would terminate the Indians' rights to claim damages, even as the lawsuit continues.

IMF Strong-Arms Debtors Despite New Lending Guidelines The International Monetary Fund (IMF) flexed its muscles over two of the world's poorest countries and imposed conditions that critics predict will be disastrous for the poor in those nations -- and that signified business as usual for the Washington-based institution.

Michigan to Drop Minimum Sentence Rules for Drug Crimes Michigan is one of several states revising mandatory minimum sentences.

Pregnant doll pulled off shelves at Wal-Mart She's Barbie's oldest friend, happily married and visibly pregnant — which, some parents complain, makes her unfit for children. [Instead of worrying about pregnant dolls, why doesn't Wal-Mart worry about breaking the law by not paying their employees legal wages? -Lori Price]

N Korea threatens to 'destroy world' Desperate efforts began yesterday to head off the growing Korean crisis as Pyongyang and Washington continued to talk up the tension.

North Korea Is Reopening Plant for Nuclear Weapons Material North Korea started to reopen a sealed plutonium reprocessing plant today, the most provocative and technically important step it has taken in recent days to revive a nuclear program that experts said could produce weapons within months.

Rumsfeld to N. Korea: U.S. Could Win on Two Fronts Secretary of Defense [and rightwing nutcase] Donald Rumsfeld warned North Korea on Monday against seizing on Iraq to press a nuclear weapons program and said Washington could fight and win two wars at once.

Rumsfeld says U.S. could fight three-front war With a nuclear crisis deepening in North Korea, Defense Secretary [and rightwing nutcase] Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday the United States could fight the war on terror, a war in Iraq and possible conflict with Pyongyang simultaneously. [Any calls for a four-front war? Anyone?? LOL! BTW, the *three-front war* should do *wonders* for the stock market, not to mention our civil liberties, in times of "wars." --Lori Price]

Nuclear War: Ignoring the Real Danger --by Toby Sackton "We are like sleepwalkers, descending into a trap. The result will be the use of nuclear weapons by the U.S. against some unfortunate country, and a world outcry that will rival the horror as German concentration camps were 'discovered' by the media at the end of World War II."

3 on Security Council unconvinced on attacking Iraq Three key members of the UN Security Council - Russia, France, and China - say they are not yet convinced that an Iraqi declaration this month failed to fully disclose any weapons of mass destruction, an indication that the United States might face an uphill battle building the case for war against Baghdad.

Iraq Pours Scorn on 'Little Bush' Iraqi forces shot down an unmanned U.S. spy plane on Monday and Baghdad poured scorn on what it called the mad campaign of "little Bush" [that's a pretty good assessment, actually!] as both sides toughened their positions ahead of a possible war.

Iraqi Plane Shoots Down American Predator Unmanned Aircraft An American Predator unmanned [missile-carrying?] aerial vehicle was "assumed lost" today over southern Iraq, U.S. Central Command officials said. A CENTCOM news release says the reconnaissance drone was reported missing after being fired upon by Iraqi military aircraft.

National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of Dec. 24, 2002 This week, the Army, Navy and Air Force each announce a decrease of reservists on active duty in support of the partial mobilization.

Broadcasters prepare for war coverage (UK) Broadcasters are scrambling to block-book space on BT satellites so they can bounce video footage in the event of war in the Middle East.

Turkish PM says Iraq situation at "serious point" Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday events in neighbouring Iraq had reached a "serious point" and Turkey could not remain indifferent.

Australian government prepares military for Iraq war The Australian government has refused to deny a newspaper report that its defence forces are being readied for the US-led war against Iraq early next year.

Activists planning mass civil disobedience if U.S. attacks Iraq While the Pentagon has spent the past year training troops, building facilities and stockpiling weapons to launch a war against Iraq, the peace movement has been using the buildup time to coordinate "emergency response plans" to disrupt domestic military activity, tie up commerce and get out their anti-war message.

Sen. Graham says he may run for president Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., outgoing chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said Monday that he might run for president in the 2004 campaign.

C-SPAN to Broadcast Entire Clinton Course The C-SPAN public affairs cable network will broadcast every class of "The Clinton Presidency," a new course at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock that will examine Bill Clinton's years as president.

US Senate leader Trent Lott resigns Hypocrisy and posturing attend a reshuffling of reactionaries --by Patrick Martin "The corporate-controlled press was careful to place their criticism of Lott within the framework of overall support for the Bush administration, portraying Bush as a longtime racial moderate who was genuinely outraged by Lott’s comments."

The Other Trent Lotts --by Bob Herbert "Having thrown Trent Lott overboard, Republican leaders seem to think they are now absolved of any further responsibility for the racism and ethnic insensitivity that have tainted their party... Republican leaders haven't rid themselves of the habit of playing to the closet racists and the Confederate flag-waving yahoos who mean so much to the G.O.P."

FBI is tracking Hatfill Fifteen months after a series of anthrax-laced letters killed five Americans, the FBI again intensified its acknowledged interest in bio-war expert Stephen Hatfill, conducting a search of a Maryland state park and openly tracking him around Washington streets, despite emerging concern over their methods.

Chef Cheney: His cuisine will make you sick --by Wayne Madsen "The U.S. military has never been known for the quality of its meals but Dick Cheney's old company, Houston-based Brown & Root (a subsidiary of Halliburton), has given new meaning to the term 'military cuisine.' "

US immigration authorities detain hundreds of Middle Eastern men in Los Angeles As many as 700 Iranian, Syrian, Sudanese, Libyan and Iraqi men were arrested in Los Angeles during the week of December 9-16.

Smallpox Plan May Force Other Health Cuts The Bush dictatorship's plan to vaccinate as many as 10.5 million medical personnel and emergency responders against smallpox will cost between $600 million and $1 billion and is likely to siphon money from other bioterrorism and public health efforts, local and state officials warn.

Santa Claus reined in by U.S. border police Not even Santa Claus can sneak past the heightened border security of the United States, as a red-suited -- and red-faced -- John Fulton found out yesterday to his peril.

Federal Judge Rules Los Angeles Violates Clean Water Laws A federal judge found Los Angeles in violation of the Clean Water Act today, holding it liable for 297 sewage spills from January 2001 to July 2002.

Boston Archdiocese Asks for Dismissal of All Suits The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston asked a judge yesterday to dismiss all the sexual abuse lawsuits against it on religious freedom [?!?] grounds.

Democrats press Hillary Clinton to stand in 2004 Pressure was growing on Hillary Clinton yesterday to challenge dictator George W. Bush for the American presidency in 2004 after the latest in a series of polls made her the runaway favourite among Democrats to be their party’s nominee.

Poll: Hillary Clinton top Democratic 2004 choice With Al Gore now out of the race, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the top choice of Democrats for the 2004 presidential nomination if she chooses to run, according to a new CNN/Time magazine poll.

UN chief issues secret orders for war in Iraq The United Nations is making secret contingency plans for a war that would halt all Iraqi oil production, "seriously degrade" the country’s electricity system, provoke civil unrest and create 900,000 refugees, The Times has learnt.

Iraq invites CIA to join arms teams Saddam Hussein’s science adviser on Sunday invited the CIA to send agents to Iraq to show U.N. weapons inspectors any weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is hiding.

Diplomatic Strain on Iraq: Allies See U.S. as Hasty After the weapons inspectors' briefing on Thursday, Russia argued that the Bush mis-ministration was out of line in unilaterally saying that there had been a "material breach."

U.S. Testing Missiles and Spy Planes in Its Gulf Buildup Pilotless Predator aircraft are flying surveillance missions over the no-flight zone in southern Iraq. The Air Force has also quietly test-fired Stinger missiles from some of the Predators.

Royal Marines will spearhead invasion of Iraq (UK) The Royal Navy is planning its biggest amphibious landing operation since the Falklands as Britain’s main contribution to toppling Saddam Hussein in the new year, it was claimed last night.

200 rally against war with Iraq (FL) Nearly 200 antiwar protesters converged on Young Circle Park in Hollywood Saturday night, briefly stopping traffic along Hollywood Boulevard during their demonstration.

Peace rally decries possible war with Iraq (OH) With peaceful images of Christmas surrounding them on Public Square yesterday, a coalition of peace groups rallied against going to war with Iraq.

Minnesota Vikings Game Infiltrated by Anti-War Demonstrators (Indymedia) "...a student group at the University of Minnesota, decided to try and make our voices heard to an audience that probably doesn’t get to see our protests downtown or on campus: attendees of the December 21st football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins."

Hundreds rally outside Qatari embassy to protest US defense pact Hundreds of people chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans demonstrated outside the Qatari embassy here Saturday to protest a new military agreement between the emirate and the United States.

Ecumenical Council against war in Iraq (AZ) A group of Arizona religious leaders, most of them based in Phoenix, is asking that the United States step away from the brink of war with Iraq.

UK sells chemical weapons to the world Britain is supplying chemical warfare technology to 26 countries including Libya, Syria, Israel and Iran. Libya, Syria, and Iran have been labelled as part of the 'axis of evil' by the United States.

Grieving Canadians stunned U.S. pilots took drugs The family of a Canadian soldier killed in a U.S. bomb attack is dumbfounded by reports that American commanders let their pilots fly warplanes while on drugs.

Dozens detained in Guantanamo may be innocent Even U.S. personnel upset by lack of appeal for at least 59 men --some farmers, cabbies, cobblers, labourers and Taliban conscripts.

Pentagon seeks to detect people by odor The Pentagon wants to sniff out fugitives — literally. The federal agency that created the Internet now challenges scientists to create a detector that could identify people by their unique, genetically determined odor. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said this week that it's offering $3.2 million next year to find out if it's even possible. [LOL! This is the current sick and sorry state of the United States of Amerika, under the Bush dictatorship. -Lori Price]

Cities Urge Restraint in Fight Against Terror Nearly two dozen cities around the country have passed resolutions urging federal authorities to respect the civil rights of local citizens when fighting terrorism. Efforts to pass similar measures are under way in more than 60 other places.

Muslims say detentions could hurt INS effort (CA) At least five men still being held in San Diego --Fears raised by the detention of hundreds of foreigners last week could discourage future turnout for a registration process designed to detect potential terrorists, Muslim leaders and immigration lawyers are warning.

If your name gets on the wrong list, you're in trouble --by Robyn E. Blumner "The presidential election in 2000, which gave George Bush Florida's 25 electors by a margin of 537 ballots, might have come out differently had it not been for a really bad list... Then there is the 'no-fly' list, utilized by the Transportation Security Administration, constructed with intelligence from a variety of national security agencies."

Frustrated veterans accuse Bush of breaking promise The leaders of America's most prominent veterans organizations say that Dictator Bush is failing to honor past commitments to military men and women even as he prepares to send a new generation of soldiers and sailors into combat.

Meds as Stocking Stuffers? --by Frederick R. Lynch "As a result of Congress' failure to compromise on competing bills authorizing Medicare prescription drug coverage, Dear Abby is recommending pharmacy gift certificates as stocking stuffers for the elderly."

G.O.P. Senators See No Need for Altered Stance on Race A day before they will elect Bill Frist of Tennessee their new leader, several Republican senators said today that despite the furor over Trent Lott's racially tinged remarks, they saw little need for their party to change its agenda on some specific issues of interest to African-Americans.

Advisors Put Under a Microscope When psychologist William R. Miller was asked to join a panel that advises the National Institute on Drug Abuse, he thought he had been selected for his expertise in addiction. Then a Bush mis-ministration staff member called with some unexpected questions...

Loose Lips Zipped It certainly seems, from a veritable gusher of leaks, that the White House helped sink Trent Lott's boat.

Cancer Hospital To Keep Vaccinated Workers 6' From Patients From Patricia Doyle, Ph.D. "The Anderson [MD Anderson Cancer Hospital] concern for contact within 6 FEET tells me that the risk of transmission IS via aerosol, even limited, so that even coming within 5 feet of a newly-vaccinated health worker is of serious concern.

Proof Smallpox Bifurcated Needles May Be Reused --From Patricia Doyle, Ph.D. "I am sure that the Bush administration and CDC, etc. will not like me pointing out risks that they would like kept quiet, such as the blatant risk of transmitting CJD, HIV and HCV from reusing bifurcated needles in Bush's smallpox vaccine program. Also, the bovine sera and other animal content in the vaccine, [Yikes!] itself poses a big risk for infection with mad cow disease aka nvCJD."

List Of Toxic Materials (Including BSE?) In Vaccines Toxic Materials Put Into the Body With Vaccines --From Patricia Doyle, Ph.D.

Boston Archdiocese Seeks Suits' Dismissal The Boston Archdiocese asked a judge on Monday to dismiss all priest sexual abuse lawsuits against on First Amendment grounds, saying the motion could speed settlements with clergy sex abuse victims.

Homophobia Claimed in Oklahoma Execution Jay Wesley Neill was executed by the state of Oklahoma on Thursday, December 12. Activists say his death sentence was tainted by bias and homophobia.

D.C. Mayor Under Fire For Supporting Salvation Army GLBT groups in Washington have chastised mayor Anthony A. Williams for taking part in a ceremonial bell-ringing event on behalf of the Salvation Army.

America tore out 8000 pages of Iraq dossier The United States edited out more than 8000 crucial pages of Iraq's 11,800-page dossier on weapons, before passing on a sanitised version to the 10 non-permanent members of the United Nations security council.

Iraq claims U.S. lacks evidence of banned arms An influential Iraqi newspaper on Sunday expressed skepticism the United States and Britain have information that could lead U.N. experts here to caches of illegal arms.

Iraq Slams US-British 'Lies,' UN Experts Hunt Arms U.N. experts pursued their hunt for banned arms on Sunday as Iraqi newspapers decried "savage interference" in their work by the United States and Britain.

Bush won't rely on polls for war Recent conflicts had just tepid support ahead of time. Casualties are an issue once war starts. [Of course, why would Dictator George W. Bush care about polls?]

US covers up killings of its troops in Kuwait Attacks on American forces in Kuwait are being covered up and played down because of concerns that further disclosures will destabilise military preparations for war against Iraq.

U.S. Urges U.N. to Authorize War in Iraq The Bush dictatorship, concluding that Saddam Hussein is not serious about disarmament, turned Friday to convincing the U.N. Security Council that it should declare Iraq in violation of world demands and authorize war.

Casualties of an 'Undeclared War' Civilians Killed and Injured as U.S. Airstrikes Escalate in Southern Iraq --While U.S. troops flow into the Persian Gulf region in preparation for a possible invasion of Iraq, U.S. and British warplanes fire regularly on what the Pentagon describes as military targets.

Defiant N.Korea Removes UN Nuclear Monitoring Gear North Korea said on Sunday it had begun removing U.N. monitoring equipment from a nuclear reactor at the center of the communist state's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Many Held at Guantanamo Not Likely Terrorists The United States is holding dozens of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay who have no meaningful connection to Al Qaeda or the Taliban, and were sent to the maximum-security facility over the objections of intelligence officers in Afghanistan who had recommended them for release, according to military sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

Hospitals Refuse Call to Vaccinate Workers Two prominent teaching hospitals are refusing to vaccinate their employees against smallpox, rejecting Dictator Bush's call for mass inoculation.

Hunting Terrorists, INS Bags Taxpayer (CA) Kourosh Reyhanyfar's wife, a registered nurse in pediatric intensive care at Northridge Hospital, became hysterical when he called from downtown L.A. to tell her he was in handcuffs. What happened? she demanded. The short answer is that homeland security is in the hands of buffoons. [Yes, that would be the long answer, as well. --Lori Price]

Noncitizen licenses won't work Law is discriminatory, counterproductive, and a burden to those who must enforce it. --by Judith Bernstein-Baker and Valentine Brown "Pennsylvania has recently joined the melee with the enactment of HB152, legislation that will permit the Department of Motor Vehicles to brand the licenses of foreign nationals with a statement indicating that the license holder is a noncitizen."

Coffee, Tea, or Should We Feel Your Pregnant Wife’s Breasts Before Throwing You in a Cell at the Airport and Then Lying About Why We Put You There? --by Nicholas Monahan "... as soon as I demanded to know what the federal employee had done to make her cry, I was swarmed by Portland police officers. Instantly. Three of them, cinching my arms, locking me in handcuffs, and telling me I was under arrest."

Patriot Act Called Threat to Democracy Muslim American Leaders Say Law Violates Civil Liberties --The USA Patriot Act passed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is the biggest threat to democracy in the United States, Muslim leaders and activists said today. [Actually, the Bush dictatorship is the biggest threat to democracy in the United States.]

Federal database spy site fading away As controversy grows over the Defense Department's shadowy Total Information Awareness (TIA) project, the project's virtual presence is steadily decreasing.

Crossing Swords With General Ashcroft Where Is Our Bill of Rights Defense Committee? --by Nat Hentoff "What can town and city councils across the country actually do to rein in the FBI, the CIA, and all the other intelligence agencies now interconnected through the homeland security act?"

FBI performs a nasty little sequel to whistle-blower saga --by Doug Grow "A nasty political sequel is being played out before our eyes. 'The Bureaucracy Strikes Back' is the story flowing from the courageous saga of Minneapolis FBI agent Coleen Rowley, who blew the whistle on higher-ups in the FBI's bureaucracy."

Time Persons of the Year Women who took huge risks to blow the whistle on what went wrong at Worldcom, Enron and the FBI

Ruling Leaves Most Players Exposed to Suits on Enron In a decision that broke new legal ground, a federal judge in Houston ruled yesterday that banks, law firms and investment houses that helped construct Enron's off-the-books partnerships could be sued by investors seeking to regain billions of dollars they lost when the company collapsed.

White House Confirms, Then Denies, That a Presidential Wreath Was Sent to Confederate Monument (July 20, 2001) The White House Military Office confirmed in two different telephone inquiries that a presidential memorial wreath was sent to Arlington National Cemetery and placed at the Confederate Monument in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.

Gore swipes at Bush over hate crimes legislation, Confederate battle flag (May 9, 2000) On the same day that Arizona Sen. John McCain endorsed his former GOP rival George W. Bush, Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore criticized Bush for failing to speak out against the Confederate battle flag during their primary rivalry, and said that wide difference still separate the two Republicans.

Ashcroft's Connections Questioned When he was a U.S. senator from Missouri, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft praised Rebel leaders of the Civil War in the pro-Confederate Southern Partisan magazine, accepted a diploma from the racially discriminatory Bob Jones University and met with a leader of the white-supremacist Council of Concerned Citizens.

It's Not Just Lott A number of the Republicans who sat in judgment of Trent Lott last week, and a few Democrats as well, have publicly made similar comments in recent years.

Bill Frist: Rounded Up Stray Cats to Dissect Them Frist is a self-described animal lover who "adopted" stray cats from animal shelters in Boston while he was a student at Harvard Medical School. Then he dissected the cats in medical experiments. Later, he confessed this "heinous and dishonest thing" in an autobiography.

HCA cuts deal to end fraud probe HCA, the nation's largest for-profit hospital chain founded by Bill Frist's family, announced a $631 million settlement Wednesday with Justice Department attorneys that would end the government's nine-year investigation of health care fraud allegations against the company.

Jesse's soldiers Helms is leaving Washington, but his imprint on politics will live on as his former aides rise through the ranks to advance the conservative agenda

Wealthy few helped GOP's state sweep (TX) Just 48 wealthy Texas families paid more than half the cost of the key campaigns that convinced 2.6 million voters to solidify the Republican hold on state government in last month's elections.

Bush seeks sweeping overhaul of federal rules Health regulations, environmental protections among hundreds of targets The review could affect everyday life for millions of Americans by changing such requirements as energy efficiency standards for washing machines and the labeling of genetically modified foods.

Conservationists Warn Bush Will Dismantle Safeguards Conservation and environmental groups are bracing themselves for what they say will be an unprecedented assault on environmental laws in the new Congress and throughout the next two years of the Bush dictatorship.

Labor Dept. Seeking to Expand Disclosure Rules for Unions' Finances Labor Department officials said yesterday that they would propose tougher reporting and disclosure requirements for the nation's labor unions on Monday, a move some union officials say is intended to punish labor.

Mercury From China Rains Down on California Industrial emissions in Asia are a major source of mercury in rainwater that falls along the California coast, a new study suggests.

So Much for the Plan to Scrap Old Weapons Weapons systems that had been on the chopping block have been saved, and others that many critics say should be consigned to the dustbin of history are about to receive millions, and in some cases billions, of taxpayers' dollars.

Airport expansion chief admits to taking huge bribes (FL) Miami International Airport's one-time construction chief on Friday admitted selling contracts for cash and cheating the IRS, the biggest conviction netted to date in an ongoing probe of an airport undergoing the costliest public works project in county history.

Odigo says workers were warned of attack Odigo, the instant messaging service, says that two of its workers received messages two hours before the Twin Towers attack on September 11 predicting the attack would happen, and the company has been cooperating with Israeli and American law enforcement, including the FBI, in trying to find the original sender of the message predicting the attack. [Does George Bush use instant messaging??? I am sure he likes the abbreviated spellings.]

FBI Called off Terror Investigations Two veteran FBI investigators say they were ordered to stop investigations into a suspected terror cell linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bush to propose requiring ISPs to monitor Net The Bush dictatorship is planning to propose requiring Internet service providers to help build a centralized system to enable broad monitoring of the Internet and, potentially, surveillance of its users. [Yikes!]

Online Sweep Raises Entrapment Questions ACLU: 'Thought Police' On Patrol --The government may be watching even when you are not expecting it. In an exclusive report by the News2Houston Investigators, we learned that what the government found could lead to a raid at your home<