Common Dreams
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.
"Down with Obama!": Afghan Villagers Protest Night Raids
Hundreds of villagers have blocked a highway in eastern Afghanistan to protest a night raid by Nato and Afghan soldiers that left two people dead.
A statement from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said two "Taliban insurgents" were killed in the raid in a district near Jalalabad.
But villagers said the men were civilians; their protest temporarily closed the highway connecting Jalalabad to Pakistan on Wednesday.
Court says US-Colombia Base Deal Unconstitutional
BOGOTA – Colombia's constitutional court Tuesday declared a US-Colombian accord that gave the US military access to at least seven Colombian bases to be unconstitutional.
The court ordered the government to submit the agreement to the Colombian Congress, arguing that it should be executed in the form of an international treaty that would be subject to congressional approval in order to comply with constitutional norms.
The court did not address whether the agreement itself was appropriate.
New Study Identifies Revenues for Doubling of Social Security Payout
For millions of Americans, the dream of a secure retirement has been threatened by the Great Recession. Since WWII, retirement has been conceived as a "three-legged stool," with the three legs being Social Security, pensions, and personal savings centered around homeownership.
Congress Members Deliver Smackdown to Google and Verizon over Net Neutrality
Four Democratic congressmen have joined together to denounce a Google-Verizon proposal that they believe will spell the death of net neutrality. They've written to the head of the FCC, asking that he act soon, and not allow "two large communications companies with a vested interest in the outcome" to decide the Internet's future.
Government Report on Gulf Oil Spill Inaccurate, Scientists Say at Least 79% of Oil Still in the Sea
Think the Gulf oil spill is over? Think again, say some scientists.
Researchers from the University of Georgia called a recent government report "inaccurate" on Monday for claiming that three-quarters of the oil leaked from BP’s blown-out underwater well had either been collected, evaporated or burned off.
Instead, the scientists say nearly 79% of the oil still remains in the Gulf of Mexico in some form.
Court Halts California Gay Marriage
LOS ANGELES – Gay couples in California scrapped wedding plans Tuesday after a court halted same-sex unions until the completion of an appeals process expected to end up in the US Supreme Court.
A week after a landmark decision overturned a ban on gay marriage, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion for a stay of the order, effectively reinstating the ban.
Further appeal proceedings are now scheduled to take place the week of December 6 in San Francisco.
'Why Can't We Say No?' City Councilman Pushes Back Against Marcellus Drilling
Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields today plans to unveil legislation to ban natural gas drilling in the city, saying he's wants to test a municipality's right to self-government, even if that means inviting a legal challenge from the drilling industry.
"Why can't we say no? Why is it that local authorities, the local government, can't make that determination?" Mr. Shields said Monday, the same day that the University of Pittsburgh reported a surge in the number of Allegheny County property owners who have leased land for oil and gas exploration.
Old-Style Coal Plants Expanding
WYODAK, Wyo. - Utilities across the country are building dozens of old-style coal plants that will cement the industry's standing as the largest industrial source of climate-changing gases for years to come.
An Associated Press examination of U.S. Department of Energy records and information provided by utilities and trade groups shows that more than 30 traditional coal plants have been built since 2008 or are under construction.
Israel Has '8 Days' to Hit Iran Nuclear Site: Bolton
WASHINGTON – Israel has "eight days" to launch a military strike against Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility and stop Tehran from acquiring a functioning atomic plant, a former US envoy to the UN has said.
Iran is to bring online its first nuclear power reactor, built with Russia's help, on August 21, when a shipment of nuclear fuel will be loaded into the plant's core.
Fox Parent Gives $1 Million to Republican Governor's Association
News Corp., which owns Fox News and the New York Post, gave $1 million to Haley Barbour's Republican Governors Association this year, according to the RGA's most recent filing.
The company's media outlets play politics more openly than most, but the huge contribution to a party committee is a new step toward an open identification between Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and the GOP. The company's highest-ranking Democratic executive, Peter Chernin, recently departed.
Death and Joblessness: How Suicide Dogs the Long-Term Unemployed
He hit "publish" on the last Wednesday in July, in the middle of a long afternoon. "I also have become homeless and am on the verge of suicide. I slept out in the wood last night and didn't gett very much sleep. I hate to bring you people down with my problems but I thought you would like to know this. I don't know what else to say except I'm very sorry it turned out like this but I can take the strain of living like this very much longer." (All posts are reproduced as published.)