Warren, Sanders Ready to Face Down Obama over Social Security, Medicare Cuts
By Though the ‘deficit scold dream’ of a so-called ‘Grand Bargain’ may be diminished on Capitol Hill, a mini-version—circulating among some as the ‘Small Deal’ version of a 2014 austerity budget—is still on the table as congressional budget negotiations are set to resume Wednesday. With austerity proposals again taking the lead in the latest budget battle, […]
0 Comment
Under US Occupation, Afghan Opium Industry Surges to Record Levels
The cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan—a nation under the military control of US and NATO forces for more than twelve years—has risen to an all-time high, according to the 2013 Afghanistan Opium Survey released Wednesday by the United Nations. According to the report, cultivation of poppy across the war-torn nation rose 36 per cent […]
0 Comment
Colorado electors sue state in effort to block Trump
Two Democratic electors from Colorado filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, challenging a state law that requires they vote for the winner of the state’s popular vote, the Denver Post reports. ADVERTISEMENT Polly Baca and Robert Nemanich had pledged to support Democrat Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election […]
0 Comment
Typhoon Haiyan Exposes Flaws in US Food Aid
WASHINGTON – Even as Washington has mounted a strikingly robust response to the humanitarian crisis in the Philippines, the ongoing effort is highlighting important gaps in the United States’ emergency relief capability – gaps that could start to be addressed through legislative reforms currently under debate in the U.S. Congress. Shortly after the Nov. 8 […]
0 Comment
Lawmakers Vote to Keep Drone War Deaths Secret
The House Intelligence Committee on Thursday rejected 15 to 5 what supporters call a “modest” proposal to require that the Obama administration publicly report those killed by U.S. drone strikes overseas. “By blocking transparency the House [committee] denies accountability for the slaughter committed against innocent lives in drone strikes,” said Suraia Sahar of Afghans United […]
0 Comment
Defying Ban on Protests, Hundreds of Thousands Spill Into Ukraine's Streets, Call for 'Revolution'
Clashes erupted in Ukraine’s capital of Kiev on Sunday when over 100,000 people defied a government ban on protests and filled Independence Square, furious over the president’s refusal to sign an agreement that would lead to EU integration. Protests were held in other cities throughout Ukraine as well, bringing roughly 300,000 to the streets. For […]
0 Comment
Defeated at the Polls, Frackers Attack Democracy in Colorado
Following major Election Day victories for anti-fracking campaigners in Colorado last month when four cities voted to ban the controversial oil and gas drilling technique, fossil fuel industry players have refused to accept defeat and are initiating legal battles that could potentially see those voter-approved referendums overturned. As Al Jazeera-America reports, the Colorado Oil and […]
0 Comment
Secret Court to NSA: Keep Up the Spying
The NSA can continue its bulk collection of telephone metadata—a program a federal judge slammed as “almost Orwellian”—the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court said on Friday. The decision allowing for a three-month continuation marks the 36th time the court has authorized this surveillance program. In a statement issued Friday, the office of Director of National […]
0 Comment
Experts: Japan 'Incapable' of Solo Decommissioning Effort
Japan is “incapable” of safely decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant says a panel of experts who are calling for an international effort for the dangerous process, the Associated Press reported Sunday. Unlike a number of other nations including the U.S., Japan has never undergone a decommissioning process and currently has no experts at […]
0 Comment
54 Civil Liberties and Public Interest Organizations Oppose the FISA Improvements Act
Fifty-four civil liberties and public interest groups sent a letter to Congressional leadership Wednesday opposing S. 1631, the FISA Improvements Act. The bill, promoted by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), seeks to legalize and extend NSA mass surveillance programs, including the classified phone records surveillance program confirmed by documents released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden […]
0 Comment
Recent Comments