News Items

  • 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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  • Pentagon Protests

    On Thursday, McGovern spoke at and moderated the event “Press Briefing: Imminent Threat — or Ruse? Intel on Iran a Flashback to Iraq?“ organized by the Eisenhower Media Network at the National Press Club. He was a top CIA analyst for decades and a founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. Thursday evening, he went…

  • Subimperial” BRICS: “Talk Left, Walk Right”

    “Subimperial BRICS bloc is the rabies-addled ‘dog that didn’t bark,’ when confronted by even Trump’s excesses of imperialism and Netanyahu’s genocide. But occasionally when some in the pack do bark left, we should not be distracted or surprised when – as any Palestinian knows — they simultaneously bite right.”

  • Did Iran Attack Diego Garcia?

    “The mysteries surrounding the alleged missile attack on Diego Garcia could be clarified if the U.S. government provides evidence about the missiles involved, their trajectories, and thus their potential firing range. Until government or independent evidence emerges, observers should avoid repeating unverified claims and drawing conclusions based on statements from governments that stand to benefit…

  • President Jared Kushner?

    “On March 9th, 2026, Donald Trump told reporters that his decision to strike Iran was informed by Jared Kushner. Kushner had warned the president that Iran was about to attack the United States. The Pentagon briefed congressional staff the exact opposite. Trump’s own appointed director of the National Counterterrorism Center subsequently resigned, writing in his resignation…

  • Israel Kills 1,000, Striking Over 100 Medical Facilities in Lebanon

    AntiWar.com reports: “In the course of prosecuting the ongoing invasion of southern Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced that he is ordering the destruction of every bridge across the Litani River, raising doubts over whether the hundreds of thousands of people they ordered evacuated from south of the river will ever actually be…

  • Netanyahu and Trump Following Neocon “Creative Destruction” Plans

    “This idea did not emerge overnight. It was articulated most clearly in a 1996 policy paper titled ‘A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm,’ prepared for then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by a group of U.S. neoconservative strategists, including Richard Perle.” 

  • “Empire’s Genius” — From Iran to Pakistan and Beyond

    “The billions of dollars’ worth of weapons left behind after the American withdrawal did not dissolve into poetry. They entered a region already saturated with proxies, covert channels, ideological militias, and states that have perfected the art of denying authorship while enjoying the consequences. Empire’s genius, if one must flatter it, lies not in choosing one…

  • What Joe Kent’s Resignation Means About the Iran War

    “The reality is that for every person like Joe Kent, who speaks out and resigns over policy, many do not. Kent’s criticism that the war on Iran is an unnecessary war driven by Israeli interests is a view that many within the U.S. government likely hold as well. It certainly is a view held by…

  • State “Defend the Guard” Movement Gains Momentum Nationwide

    “In recent years, Defend the Guard bills have been introduced in a majority of states, and the bill has passed the New Hampshire House, Arizona Senate, Virginia House of Delegates, and Idaho Senate. The proposal has drawn support from an unusual coalition of veterans, families of National Guard members, constitutional scholars, peace advocates, and civil…

  • Gulf Countries Crackdown

    “Since the beginning of the war on Iran, GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries have launched a sweeping crackdown on freedom of expression. The most concerning escalation is happening in Bahrain, where DAWN has confirmed that authorities have arrested at least 148 people for peaceful protest and online expression. They have charged activists with treason and…

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