August 27, 2009 Former Guantanamo Detainee to Sue US Government
Mohammed Jawad was one of the youngest prisoners ever held at the US prison
facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He has finally been returned to Afghanistan,
seven years after he was arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of throwing
a grenade at US forces. Now, he says he wants compensation from the US
government for years of mistreatment and for spending most of his teens
in a cell. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from Kabul.
August 26, 2009 The Afghan Chessboard
Does it matter who will win the Afghan presidential
election - Hamid Karzai or Abdullah Abdullah? Not that much, as
this was an election
to legitimize the US and NATO occupation of parts of the country not
controlled by the Taliban. But in terms of the New Great Game in Eurasia,
as Pepe Escobar argues, that's when the grand American strategy can
be perceived in full bloom : it involves nothing less than rehabilitating
the "evil" Taliban. Anything goes when it comes to Washington
trying to establish an energy corridor from the Caspian to South Asia,
bypassing Russia.
August
24, 2009 Brazilian Labour Unions Question Lula's Backing
Brazil has some of the largest labour unions in the world, and union members
are a big part of President Lula da Silva's political support base. Lula
began as a machine operator and rose through union ranks. As president,
he has tried to incorporate labour's goals into his government programme.
But, with the global economic crisis forcing major Brazilian companies
to lay off thousands of workers, organised labour is now questioning Lula's
commitment. Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports from Sao Paulo.
August 21, 2009 Obama's
PhRMA Deal
The unlikely union of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
or PhRMA and the White House has many wondering about the true nature
of this partnership. Especially taking into consideration the powerful
lobby’s opposition to any kind of health care reform for years.
The Real News spoke with Donna Smith, Community organizer for California
Nurses Association, about drug industry's possible impact on the final
legislation.
August
20, 2009 US Angry at Early Release of Lockerbie Bomber
Abdel Baset al-Megrahi has been released from a Scottish jail after
he served eight years of a minimum 27-year sentence for his role in
the 1988
bombing of a Pan-Am airliner over Lockerbie. His release has sparked
outrage in the US as well as Scotland. Even before he was freed on compassionate
grounds, Washington urged Scottish officials
to keep al-Megrahi behind bars. 189 Americans died in the Lockerbie
bombing.
The White House, and the family members of those who died, say the release
is an injustice. Nick Spicer reports.
August 19, 2009 Elections in Afghanistan
Jesse Freeston speaks to Nancy Youssef, McClatchy Newspapers' Pentagon
correspondent, who recently returned from Afghanistan about the elections
tomorrow and the mood in that country. Youssef says most Afghanis are
anticipating that the incumbent president, Hamid Karzai will win again.
She says many are cynical about the elections, because they view they've
seen the past eight years of foreign occupation as a time when their living
standards have gone down, rather than improved.
August 17, 2009 Power Struggle in Afghan Politics
As Afghanistan prepares to go to the polls, three major ethnic groups
in the north of the country - the Tajiks, the Uzbeks and the Hazara
- are vying for a key role in local and national politics. Each group
is
looking for the candidate who is likely to bolster their status by granting
them more privileges and powers. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports
from Mazar-e-Sharif on the power struggle for the Northern Vote.
August 14, 2009 Bill Clinton on Don't Ask Don't Tell
President Clinton, while speaking at the opening of Netroots Nation,
was interrupted by attendee Lane Hudson with questions about his
signing of
DOMA and DADT legislation.
August 12, 2009 Bateman: Newt Gingrich vs. Healthcare
The former speaker of the House defends Sarah Palin's Facebook page, and
thinks healthcare reform will lead to euthanasia, even though it's nowhere
in the bill. Scott Bateman responds.
August 11, 2009 Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy
Web users who choose to move to the desolate village are guaranteed an
environment free from Google products and natural light from the sun.
August 10, 2009 Tortured Logic
ACLU video features prominent figures like Oscar-winning director Oliver
Stone and a 9/11 family member reading from one of the infamous Bush
administration legal memos used to justify the use of torture against
detainees in U.S.
custody. The video calls for accountability and the restoration of the
rule of law. The video includes appearances by Oliver Stone, 9/11 family
member Patricia Perry, actors Rosie Perez, Noah Emmerich, John Doman
and Reg E. Cathey,
and musical composer Philip Glass, among others, reading directly from
a memo authored by Jay Bybee, former head of the Justice Departments
Office of Legal Counsel under the Bush administration. The memo was
released
in April as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the
ACLU.
August 7, 2009 A
Glenn Beck Hate Speech Montage
Media Matters released this video, "When Is Enough Enough?" featuring
clips of Beck's racially charged, violent rhetoric.
August 6, 2009 The Debate Over Health Care Reform
Fault Lines looks at the US health care system, expose its cracks,
and uncover the forces that are spending millions of dollars every
day to
influence the debate over the US health care reform.
August 5, 2009 Bateman: Orly Taitz Plays the Nazi Card
It's the media's fault! The leader of the birther movement suffers a meltdown
on national television. Scott Bateman responds.
August 3, 2009 Progressive Democrats Take a Stand on Health Care
An amendment introduced by representative Anthony Weiner, which would
have created national single payer, has been traded in for a vote on the
House
floor in September, as a part of the deal between liberal and conservative
members of the Democratic Party. The case - in support of single payer
- made by some Democrats during the mark-up echoed the speeches given
at a rally, which took place in the Upper Senate Park on Thursday, July
30th. That same day a number of members of the Congressional Progressive
Caucus held a press conference on the Capitol Hill where they announced
their intent to fight for a robust public option. The Real News spoke
to David Swanson from Democrats.com who attended both the rally and the
press conference.
