Common Dreams
US Iraq Troop Withdrawal 'In Name Only' As Country Faces Uncertain Future
Perched on top of an armored vehicle, the exultant U.S. soldier's shouted boasts left no room for doubt as his troop convoy trundled into Kuwait: "We're goin' home, we won. It's over. America, we brought democracy to Iraq. I love you, I love you."
Is Jack 'Bad Egg' DeCoster to Blame for Massive Recall?
Jack DeCoster, the owner of the company at the center of one of the largest egg recalls in history, is no stranger to controversy.
BP Oil Spill: Scientists Find Giant Plume of Droplets 'Missed' by Official Account
Scientists have mapped a 22-mile plume of oil droplets from BP's rogue well in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, providing the strongest evidence yet of the fate of the crude that spewed into the sea for months.
The report offers the most authoritative challenge to date to White House assertions that most of the 5m barrels of oil that spewed into the Gulf is gone.
Iceland Set to Become a Press Freedom Haven
After Iceland's near-economic collapse laid bare deep-seated corruption, the country aims to become a safe haven for journalists and whistleblowers from around the globe by creating the world's most far-reaching freedom of information legislation.
The project is being developed with the help of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
It flies in the face of a growing tendency of governments trying to stifle a barrage of secret and sometimes embarrassing information made readily available by the internet.
UN to Meet on Pakistan Aid, 4.6 Million without Shelter
ISLAMABAD - The United Nations on Thursday estimated 4.6 million people are still without shelter after Pakistan's devastating floods, tripling its target number for assistance as it prepared to drum up more aid.
The United Nations has described Pakistan's worst humanitarian crisis as one of the world's biggest disasters, but while foreign aid is now reaching some of the 20 million flood victims, critics have slammed the response as too slow.
Australia On the Frontline of Climate Change
Irrigated by one of the world's mightiest river systems, the Murray-Darling Basin yields nearly half of Australia's fresh produce. But the basin is ailing, and scientists fear that as climate change grips the driest inhabited continent, its main foodbowl could become a global warming ground zero.
Scientists Dispute Government Stance on the Lingering Effects of Gulf Oil
As we've noted, scientists seemed, on the whole, rather skeptical when a government report said most of the oil from BP's well was gone from the Gulf of Mexico. [1] Now the pushback against the government's stance has grown, with several scientific reports released this week.
Standing Up for Homeless Vets at 'Stand Downs'
PLEASANTON, California - More than 400 homeless veterans from across northern California relaxed in comfort at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
The occasion - a "Stand Down", where the homeless veterans were given access to good food, clean clothes, showers and beds.
UN Report: IDF Barring Gazans' Access to Farms, Fishing Zones
Over the last ten years, the Israel Defense Forces have increasingly restricted Palestinian access to farmland on the Gazan side of the Israeli-Gaza border as well as to fishing zones along the Gaza beach, a United Nations report revealed Thursday.
A Plan B For Afghanistan
There's another way forward in Afghanistan.
Call it Plan B.
An ad hoc group of disillusioned foreign policy experts is offering President Obama a serious, well thought-out alternative to his current failing strategy there.
Their Plan B entails a dramatic reduction in the American troop presence, a mission focused on the minimal Al Qaeda threat rather than on trying to defeat the Taliban, and a peace process that leads to power-sharing.
Obama's Pledge to Close Down Guantanamo is 'Not Even Close'
Barack Obama's pledge to shut down Guantanamo Bay will not be honoured until at least a year after the President's self-imposed deadline - and may not be completed in his first administration.
The man in charge of the seven prison camps at the US naval base in Cuba is yet to receive direct orders to begin the transfer of prisoners so he can close the detention facilities.
Some US Troops Out of Iraq, More Mercenaries to Go In
The US State Department is to more than double the number of security contractors it employs in Iraq to around 7000, filling a gap left by departing troops, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
The newspaper said the contractors would be deployed to defend five fortified compounds that will be left behind as US combat forces exit Iraq and the US mission switches from a military-led to a civilian-headed operation.
Labor’s Popularity Declines Amid Criticism Of Public-Sector Unions
With increasing attacks on public sector unions, it’s not surprising
that labor has become unpopular in the court of public opinion. A new Gallup survey reveals that approval ratings for labor unions continues to struggle one year after their popularity reached a historic low.
Homeowners' Rebellion: Could 62 Million Homes Be Foreclosure-Proof?
Mortgages bundled into securities were a favorite investment of speculators at the height of the financial bubble leading up to the crash of 2008. The securities changed hands frequently, and the companies profiting from mortgage payments were often not the same parties that negotiated the loans.
Kucinich Urges Colleagues to End 'Longest War in US History'
More than 1 Million South Africa State Workers Strike
JOHANNESBURG - More than one million South African state workers went on strike for more pay on Wednesday, threatening a prolonged action they say will bring the government in Africa's largest economy to a halt.
The strike, punctuated by reported scuffles at hospitals and schools, is not immediately expected to have a major economic impact but a protracted work stoppage could hurt commerce at home and trade abroad.
US May Sue Arizona's Sheriff Arpaio for Not Cooperating in Investigation
PHOENIX - A federal investigation of a controversial Arizona sheriff known for tough immigration enforcement has intensified in recent days, escalating the conflict between the Obama administration and officials in the border state.
Scientists Suggest Fresh Look at Psychedelic Drugs
LONDON - Mind-altering drugs like LSD, ketamine or magic mushrooms could be combined with psychotherapy to treat people suffering from depression, compulsive disorders or chronic pain, Swiss scientists suggested on Wednesday.
Research into the effects of psychedelics, used in the past in psychiatry, has been restricted in recent decades because of the negative connotations of drugs, but the scientists said more studies into their clinical potential were now justified.
Blackwater Founder, Needing 'Break from America,' Moves to Abu Dhabi, Records Say
WASHINGTON - Erik Prince, whose company, Blackwater Worldwide, is for sale and whose former top managers are facing criminal charges, has left the United States and moved to Abu Dhabi, according to court documents.
US Still Holds Detainee Pentagon Wanted Freed in 2004
An emotionally ill detainee still being held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was first recommended for release by the Pentagon in 2004, according to a federal judge whose ruling ordering that the man be freed was made public this week.