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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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  • Interviews Available on Bush in the Mideast

    SAMIH FARSOUN Author of Palestine and the Palestinians and professor of sociology at American University, Farsoun is available for interviews about Bush’s trip to the Mideast, as well as the region’s political and economic development. SIMONA SHARONI Sharoni is professor of peace and conflict studies and Middle East politics at Evergreen State College and executive…

  • Bush’s G8 Trip

    SALIH BOOKER Booker, the executive director of Africa Action, said today: “In the G8 Summit, Africa will come up once more to be used for purposes of spin — to make the claim that rich Western countries are compassionate and caring. Unfortunately, the track record suggests this is unlikely to be anything more than a…

  • Interviews Available: FCC’s Big Grab?

    JANINE JACKSON Jackson is program director of the media watch group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting), which has objected to the FCC’s proposed rule changes, scheduled to be voted on June 2. The FCC proposals would allow further media consolidation, including cross-ownership between newspapers and TV stations in the same market. More Information ROBERT…

  • Agenda-Building on Iran

    ROSS POURZAL A Washington-based political analyst who is active with the Alliance of Progressive Iranians, Pourzal said today: “A reduction in Iran’s adventurism, evidenced by closer ties to the European Union, has met with increased U.S. extremism, driven by the Pentagon. This is persuading Iran that it needs a nuclear deterrent. The White House is…

  • Interviews Available: Ending Iraq Sanctions

    JAMES PAUL Executive director of the Global Policy Forum, which monitors policy-making at the United Nations, Paul is author of the report “Oil in Iraq: The Heart of the Crisis.” Paul said today: “The United States has bullied support from an unhappy and reluctant Security Council. The resolution … gives legitimacy to the occupation authorities,…

  • Interviews on Human Rights: Indonesia and Israel

    KURT BIDDLE Coordinator of the Indonesia Human Rights Network, Biddle said today: “The Indonesian military has declared martial law in the region of Aceh and just launched a full-scale military offensive…. Top-ranking Indonesian military officials have boasted that they will ‘crush’ the rebel Free Aceh Movement in six months. But the civilian population will be…

  • 40 Days After Fall of Saddam Statue: Iraq * Democracy? * U.S. Role * Depleted Uranium

    NADA ELIA Elia is U.N. representative for the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association. She said today: “The New York Times reports that the U.S. and Britain have ‘indefinitely put off their plan to allow Iraqi opposition forces to form a national assembly’ and plan to ‘remain in charge of Iraq for an indefinite period.’ This is…

  • * Jobs * Trade Deficit * FCC

    HOLLY SKLAR Co-author of the book Raise The Floor: Wages and Policies That Work For All Of Us, Sklar said today: “If you want to stimulate unemployment, deficits and inequality, keep cutting taxes. More than 2 million jobs have been lost on President Bush’s watch. Like the 2001 tax swindle, the 2003 tax cuts will…

  • Saudi Bombing

    BEAU GROSSCUP Author of The Newest Explosions of Terrorism and professor of international relations at California State University in Chico, Grosscup said on an Institute for Public Accuracy news release on April 3, 2003: “The U.S. invasion of Iraq increases the likelihood of attacks against the U.S.” He said today: “It would seem that this…

  • Interviews Available: Lifting Sanctions; Controlling Oil; A New Mideast

    Today’s lead story in the Washington Post about the U.S. proposal to lift the economic sanctions on Iraq — headlined “U.S. to Propose Broad Control of Iraqi Oil, Funds” — notes that “the proposal would give the United States far greater authority over Iraq’s lucrative oil industry than administration officials have previously acknowledged.” Also today,…

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