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  • Election Reforms: Falling short

    WASHINGTON — Proponents of progressive election reform gave cautious approval to the recent report issued by a commission assigned to investigate the improvement of federal elections. Many critics, however, point to several obstacles that remain in the way of free and fair elections throughout the United States. The report, issued by the National Commission on Federal Election Reform headed by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, was presented to President Bush. Among its recommendations are provisions regarding increases in equipment standards and stepped-up federal funding for the administration of elections.

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  • Son of Star Wars: Another arms race?

    WASHINGTON — Reports emerging from the Pentagon about plans to test a “Space Bomber” are drawing accusations that the U.S. government is attempting to engage in another arms race. The bomber, a spacecraft reportedly capable of destroying targets on the other side of the globe within 30 minutes, is a key component of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s plan to modernize U.S. weaponry. The satellite is currently under production by NASA and Lockheed Martin, a leading military contractor. Pentagon claims that the bomber can cause greater and deeper ground damage from a virtually unassailable height have many critics questioning it as…

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  • ExxonMobil: Facing a boycott

    ExxonMobil, one of the biggest corporations on the planet, is now facing a boycott spearheaded by activist groups protesting the company’s policies at home and abroad. The boycott was launched by PressurePoint, a grassroots organization looking to “take real action on climate change and corporate influence,” according to Chris Doran, campaigns director for the group. “The U.S. government’s climate change policy is the ExxonMobil policy,” Doran says. “What sort of democracy do we have when one company can buy off our political process for its own gains?” ExxonMobil is a charter member of the Global Climate Coalition, an influential industry…

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  • Beyond the Ford-Firestone Uproar: Critics blast lack of regulation, accountability in SUV safety

    WASHINGTON – Recent congressional hearings probed the accountability of Ford and Firestone in many incidents where car or tire malfunctioned, causing injury or death. The hearings also questioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal government’s chief regulator of automobile safety, and its role in providing the public with adequate information. While the blame-placing among corporate executives and congressional subcommittees occurred on Capitol Hill, several analysts decried the lack of accountability being demanded of the corporations involved. Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, pointed to a lack of regulation of sport utility vehicles and rollover standards.

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  • NEWS BRIEFING WITH LAWRENCE SUMMERS, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY RAYMOND OFFENHEISER, PRESIDENT, OXFAM

    Questions from IPA appear below in bold HEADLINE: NEWS BRIEFING WITH LAWRENCE SUMMERS, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY RAYMOND OFFENHEISER, PRESIDENT, OXFAM DEBT RELIEF TO POOR COUNTRIES AND OXFAM EDUCATION NOW AWARD INTRODUCTION: MARTA ARIAS LOCATION: NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, WASHINGTON D.C. BODY:

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  • Ten Real Reasons To Impeach Clinton

    We all seem to have lost our sense of proportion. Why are the political leaders of the United States and the major media talking of impeaching Bill Clinton for lies about sex, surely not the most important sins of his administration? If Clinton is to be impeached, why do it for frivolous reasons? I can think of at least ten reasons to impeach him, for acts far more serious than his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky or his lies to Kenneth Starr. I am speaking of matters of life and death for large numbers of people. 1. Clinton approved, very early…

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  • Autopsy Of A Disaster: The U.S. Sanctions Policy On Iraq

    For a shorter version of this timeline, click here. Myth: The Sanctions Will be Lifted When Iraq Complies with the U.N. Inspections April 3, 1991: U.N. Security Council passes Resolution 687 which states that upon “the completion by Iraq of all actions contemplated in” specific paragraphs of the resolution, “the prohibitions against financial transactions … shall have no further force or effect.” The paragraphs cited have to do with weapons inspections. Other paragraphs in the resolution have to do with “return of all Kuwaiti property seized by Iraq” and Iraqi liability for losses and damage resulting from Iraq’s occupation of…

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  • * Romney’s War Cabinet * Israel’s Record in Gaza and Nukes * How the World Sees the Debates

    Elik Elhanan, Yonatan Shapira and Reut Mor, co-founders of Combatants for Peace, were among the passengers on a boat to Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli military on Friday. A former paratrooper in the Israeli military, Elhanan was just released from prison and is currently under house arrest in Israel. He said today: “We…

  • Where’s the Foreign Policy Debate? * Kuwait * Drones * Libya

    A scholar in Middle East politics at Durham University, Christopher Davidson is author of the new book After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies. He said today: “The pro-loyalist groups are not serious about reform. While riot police were attacking peaceful protesters, the Emir was meeting with other members of the ruling…

  • * Syria * Pakistani Malala Yousafzai’s Shooting

    Sonali Kolhatkar is co-author of Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence and is co-director of the Afghan Women’s Mission. She said today: “The U.S. has been waging an undeclared drone war in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan, including in the Swat valley where Malala Yousufzai was attacked. What is not…

  • How Romney and Vulture Funds Milked the Auto Bailout

    Investigative reporter Greg Palast wrote the just-published piece “Mitt Romney’s Bailout Bonanza: How Mitt and Ann made millions — and Mitt’s hedge fund donors made billions — from the auto-industry rescue that he condemned.” The piece states: “Mitt Romney’s opposition to the auto bailout has haunted him on the campaign trail, especially in Rust Belt…

  • Why the Silence on Global Warming?

    Daphne Wysham is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and is the co-director of the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network. She said today: “The Arctic is melting to record lows, extreme weather is increasing, grain reserves are at record lows threatening millions with hunger should there be another bad grain harvest next year,…

  • Empowering Voter Choice: * Killing the Congressional Gerrymander * Instant Runoff Voting

    Rob Richie is executive director of FairVote, which has just released a pair of reports on “the roots of lack of competition in congressional races and a roadmap for reform.”

  • * Wal-Mart Strikes * Nobel in Economics

    Nelson Lichtenstein recently wrote the piece “A New Era for Wal-Mart Workers?” which states: “During this week and the last, perhaps a couple of hundred of Wal-Mart workers have walked out of their stores in at least a dozen cities across America. They have formed picket lines, spoken to the press, and demonstrated that it…

  • “Koch Sends Pro-Romney Mailing to Employees While Stifling Workplace Political Speech”

    Mike Elk just wrote the piece “Koch Sends Pro-Romney Mailing to 45,000 Employees While Stifling Workplace Political Speech” for In These Times where he is a staff writer and regular contributor to the magazines’ “Working” blog. The new piece states: “In a voter information packet obtained by In These Times, the Koch Industries corporate leadership…

  • * Iran Sanctions * Biden Antiwar? * Phony Nobel?

    Muhammad Sahimi is a professor at the University of Southern California and lead political columnist for the website PBS/Frontline/Tehran Bureau. While both Biden and Ryan touted the sanctions on Iran in last night’s debate, Sahimi said: “The sanctions were supposed to be ‘smart’ and ‘targeted,’ but they have turned to be anything but. They have…

  • Debate Disinformation on Social Security and Medicare

    Eric Kingson is co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security Campaign. He said today: “In her opening question on Social Security to Mr. Ryan, Martha Raddatz drew on and reinforced a common myth — that Social Security ‘is going broke’ and that dramatic change is needed for it ‘to survive.’ Her assumptions were wrong. Social Security…

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