-
Major Trade Legislation Expected
Dow Jones reports: “The Senate Finance committee plans Thursday to make another attempt to start informal debate on proposed trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, after Republicans on the panel boycotted last week’s meeting.” ARTHUR STAMOULIS, arthur at citizenstrade.org Executive director of the Citizens Trade Campaign, Stamoulis said today: “Nobody outside Washington is being fooled by this debate over Trade Adjustment Assistance. Poll after poll shows that Americans of all political persuasions oppose more NAFTA-style trade agreements. Job retraining programs for displaced workers should be extended, but not in exchange for more job-killing pacts. Supporting these deals is…
-
Nader Blasts Obama Bypassing Warren for Consumer Post
AP reports: “Reigniting a partisan fight over banking regulations, President Barack Obama intends to nominate former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to lead a consumer protection bureau that was a central feature of a law overhauling the rules that govern the financial sector. “Obama plans to announce the nomination formally on Monday, the White House said Sunday. Republicans immediately threatened to block Cordray’s Senate confirmation. In choosing Cordray, Obama bypassed Elizabeth Warren, a favorite of consumer groups… “But consumer advocate and one-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader called bypassing Warren ‘an act of political cowardliness by President Obama.’ “‘Elizabeth Warren apparently…
-
Is U.S. “Counter-Terrorism” Pushing Pakistan to Brink?
AP reports “Gen. David Petraeus, the out…
-
Murdoch’s Scandals
CBS News reports: “A U.S. senator has urged an investigation into whether Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. newspapers, in the spotlight of a phone hacking and bribery scandal, had violated U.S. law. “Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., called for the investigation after a report surfaced Monday that 9/11 victims may have been targeted by one of Murdoch’s papers, The Sun tabloid. The Mirror, a British competitor of The Sun, first reported the story.” In the U.S., Murdoch properties include Fox television networks, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
-
Senators Push to Tighten Tax Loopholes
The New York Times reports: “Saying that…
-
Is Debt Ceiling Being Used as “Opportunity” to Cut Social Security?
In a letter to the president sent this Saturday, nine Senators wrote: “The inclusion of Social Security in the debt renegotiations is extremely troubling. Social Security has contributed nothing to the debt and yet seniors face potential cuts to their earned benefits. … Our bedrock social safety net programs should not be adjusted as part of some deal — any changes to improve the solvency of these programs should stand on their own merits and be considered separately.” JANE HAMSHER, firedoglake at gmail.com Hamsher, founder of the blog FireDogLake, noted that Obama said there was an “opportunity” to deal with…
-
Iraq: Green Zone Attacked as Panetta Visits; Is U.S. Trying to Extend Stay?
AFP reports “Rockets Hit Baghdad Green Zone as Panetta Visits.” Aswat Al Iraq reports: “U.S. Defense Secretary’s visit aims to keep U.S. forces in Iraq, MP says.” RAED JARRAR, jarrar.raed at gmail.com An Iraqi-American blogger and political analyst based in Washington, D.C. and currently in Iraq, Jarrar said today: “According the U.S.-Iraqi Security Agreement, all the U.S. forces must leave Iraq in 174 days — by December 31st 2011. Today’s visit by the U.S. Secretary of Defense is seen by Iraqis as an attempt to prolong the U.S. military occupation. This has negative consequences for both countries: In Iraq, it…
-
* Protests in Tahrir Square * Israel Blocks Activists from Reaching West Bank
* The Washington Post reports: “Tens of thousands of Egyptians gathered Friday in Tahrir Square, the symbol of the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak this year, to protest what they perceive as an unwillingness to prosecute Mubarak-era officials and police responsible for the killing of nearly 900 protesters. “The demonstration, dubbed the ‘Friday of determination,’ was the largest since the revolt in January and February that changed Egypt and inspired other Arab countries to rise up against their autocratic leaders. Egyptians in the square said they had no plans to leave.”
-
“Horrific” June Jobs Report
CNBC reports: “June’s miserable jobs report has put the fear of a double dip recession back into the markets. The U.S. economy added a paltry 18,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate climbed to 9.2 percent from 9.1 percent as laid off government workers continued to join the ranks of the unemployed. There were also 44,000 fewer jobs created than previously reported for April and May. “‘Even the hours worked slipped. It’s just a horrific report. Unemployment going up is not good,’ said Marc Chandler, Brown Brothers Harriman chief currency strategist.”
-
Budget Cuts Hit Women Disproportionately Hard
The New York Times reported yesterday: “President Obama stepped up pressure on Congressional Republicans on Tuesday to agree to a broad deficit-cutting deal, pledging to put popular entitlement programs like Medicare on the table in return for Republican acquiescence to some higher taxes.” TERRY O’NEIL, via Latoya Veal, press at now.org O’Neil is president of the National Organization for Women, which has released a series of statements regarding budget cuts’ disproportionate effects on women. O’Neil said: “Under the guise of reducing the deficit, conservatives in Congress have set their sights on cutting programs that disproportionately employ and serve women. Who…
Blog
“With a tiny staff, it has managed to place on the air and in newspapers, points of view otherwise excluded from the national debate.”
Howard Zinn