Iraq Violence Continues with 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed

Two more U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq as the year wound down Friday, putting the American military death toll at 841 so far -- just five short of 2004's lost lives despite political progress and dogged efforts to quash the insurgency.

Morning Sedition: Sammy the Stem Cell Dies

From Morning Sedition, it's the last episode of Sammy the Stem Cell!
Click title to listen or here.

German papers: US set to strike Iran

Airstrikes predicted in early '06; Anti-Israel rants by the President blamed for escalation. It's hardly news that US President George Bush refuses to rule out possible military action against Iran if Tehran continues to pursue its controversial nuclear ambitions.

Reporters at Beijing Paper Go on Strike

Reporters at a Beijing newspaper known for covering sensitive topics walked off the job after an editor was removed this week amid efforts to tighten press controls, employees said Friday.

Egyptian soldiers kill 10 refugees

Secretary General Kofi Annan has condemned as unjustified the killings by Egyptian soldiers of between 10 and 20 Sudanese refugees in a wealthy Cairo neighborhood.

Calling All Bloggers: These Documents need publishing

The UK government has been quick to deny that we practice, or tolerate the practice of Torture. So it is perhaps not suprising that they are determined that you should not see the following documents.
http://users.pandora.be/quarsan/craig/telegrams.pdf
http://users.pandora.be/quarsan/craig/npaper.jpg
http://www.blairwatch.co.uk/node/715
http://www.blairwatch.co.uk/node/714

Dr. Germ and Mrs. Anthrax Set Free

Why is it not bigger news that those infamous Iraqi female scientists once routinely referred to in the media as "Dr. Germ" and "Mrs. Anthrax" have been quietly released from imprisonment in Iraq without any charges being brought by their US captors?

US Reports Surge in Guantanamo Hunger Strike

The number of Guantanamo Bay prisoners taking part in a hunger strike that began nearly five months ago has surged to 84 since Christmas Day, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

The Shadow Government pt. 1

Another funny clip from the brilliant show Morning Sedition. This is episode # 1 of The Shadow Government. Click on title to listen...

Army can't account for $68 million

The Army can’t account for $68 million in parts and tools shipped to contractors for repairs in 2004 because it doesn’t demand receipts, congressional auditors said Wednesday.

I'm feeling silly

Not long ago, I walked by the desk of software engineer JJ Furman, and saw that he had made an interesting addition to his desk: a large blob of Silly Putty, about the size of a grapefruit. Intrigued, I asked how he'd gotten so much of the stuff. The answer?

Death threats cut Iraq oil flow

Iraq's largest oil refinery has been shut down following death threats to tanker drivers, jeopardising supplies of electricity across northern Iraq. The threats followed a steep rise in the price of petrol earlier this month, ordered by the government.

A Bio-Friendly Highwayman

Willie Nelson drives a Mercedes. But do not lose faith, true believers. The exhaust from Mr. Nelson's diesel-powered Mercedes smells like peanuts, or French fries, or whatever alternative fuel happens to be in his tank.

Welcome to Bush's Vision! Shias abducted and killed

The victims were reported to be members of the same extended family, living in the mainly Sunni town of Latifiya, about 30km (20 miles) south of Baghdad.

The Jets, War and Lessons Still Unlearned

By Bob Herbert from The New York TimesThe more things change ...
Emerson said: "There are people who have an appetite for grief. Pleasure is not strong enough and they crave pain."

Pentagon Calls Its Pro-U.S. Websites Legal

U.S. military websites that pay journalists to write articles and commentary supporting military activities in Europe and Africa do not violate U.S. law or Pentagon policies, a review by the Pentagon's chief investigator has concluded.

US to deport alleged Nazi guard

An 85-year-old man accused of having been a guard at a Nazi death camp is to be deported from the US to his native Ukraine, an immigration judge has said.

Radio Haliburton With Marc the Shark Maron!

Good Morning Neocons! It's Right and Early with Marc the Shark Maron! Click title to listen.

Klansman to organize protest of same-sex marriage in Iowa

A Charles City, Iowa, man who said he's a member of the Ku Klux Klan is trying to organize a rally next month to protest attempts to legalize same-sex marriage in that state.

New Law Limits Family Housing

The inspector slid into his Crown Victoria, a police radio on his belt, addresses in hand. It was after 5 p.m., and he and his interpreter rolled into Manassas, down a street of benign ranch houses strung with lights. They parked, walked to a door and knocked.

Pilots Approve Double-Digit Pay Cuts

Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots voted on Wednesday to approve a 14 percent pay cut in a deal their union worked out with management to help the bankrupt carrier cope with an expected cash crunch.
Question: What about the pilots that aren't "Rank and File?"

Welcome to Bush's Theocratic Democracy!

Iraqi police shot dead several prisoners in a shootout on Wednesday at a Baghdad military base after one prisoner grabbed a weapon from a guard, Interior Ministry officials and police sources said.

Morning Sedition AARP AD "Swift Boat Parody"

Click here to listen to another hilarious clip from Morning Sedition, the show that has now been idiotically canceled. This is a parody of the Swift Boat ads.

Israeli aircraft attack base south of Beirut

Israeli aircraft attacked a militant training base south of Beirut early on Wednesday in response to rocket attacks on Israel, an army spokeswoman said. She said the attack targeted a training base used by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). There was no immediate information on casualties or damage.

Slavery still OK for U.S. contractors

Three years after a 2002 Presidential Directive demanding an end to trafficking in humans for forced labor and prostitution by U.S. contractors, the Pentagon is still yet to actually bar the practice, The Chicago Tribune reports.

"You Forgot Poland."

Poland's government said on Tuesday it would keep a reduced military force in Iraq until the end of 2006, reversing a plan to complete the pullout of the 1,500-member contingent early in the year.

The War on Brains: The Last Dispatch

The Last Dispatch from The War on Brains: Click title to listen. I'm still mourning Morning Sedition. Thanks to morningseditionists for a wonderful blog for us seditionists to keep in touch. And thanks to thesnotgreensea for archiving this brilliant show.

Veteran's Iraq Message Upsets Army Recruiters

As those thinking of becoming soldiers arrive on the slushy doorstep of the Army recruiting station here, they cannot miss the message posted in bold black letters on the storefront right next door.

Few On Board Georgia's ID Plan

On a cold, clear winter morning, a red-and-white school bus negotiated the winding road into this city of 6,700, tucked in the hills along the Tennessee border. Kenneth Sherman pulled into a parking lot across from the county courthouse and prepared for another long, slow day.

Is Bush Drinking Again?

From the late late Show with Graig Ferguson...
Click here to view video...

Political Debate On Stress Disorder

The spiraling cost of post-traumatic stress disorder among war veterans has triggered a politically charged debate and ignited fears that the government is trying to limit expensive benefits for emotionally scarred troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush Presses Editors To Kill WaPo And NYT Stories!

President Bush has been summoning newspaper editors lately in an effort to prevent publication of stories he considers damaging to national security.The efforts have failed.

Actor Vincent Schiavelli Dies

Character actor Vincent Schiavelli, who appeared in scores of movies, including ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' and ''Ghost,'' died Monday at his home in Sicily. He was 57.

Medicine: Who Decides? By Paul Krugman

Health care seems to be heading back to the top of the political agenda, and not a moment too soon. Employer-based health insurance is unraveling, Medicaid is under severe pressure, and vast Medicare costs loom on the horizon. Something must be done.
Courtesy of True Blue Liberal

A New Civil Rights Movement, By Bob Herbert

One of the cruelest aspects of slavery was the way it wrenched apart black families, separating husbands from wives and children from their parents.
Courtesy of True Blue Liberal

Cell Phones Future: "You've Been Indicted!"

South Koreans may look at their mobile phones with some trepidation in the new year because prosecutors will start telling people they have been indicted via text messages, an official said Monday. "Most people in South Korea have mobile phones and since the notices don't reach them immediately by regular mail.

Powell Agrees With Domestic Spy Program

Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said on Sunday that it would not have been "that hard" for President Bush to obtain warrants for eavesdropping on domestic telephone and Internet activity, but that he saw "nothing wrong" with the decision not to do so.

Iraqis want US out as soon as possible: US commander

The top US military commander admitted Sunday that Iraqis wanted US and other foreign troops to leave the country "as soon as possible," and said US troop levels in Iraq were now being re-assessed.

I Saw Jackie Mason Kissing Santa Claus, By Frank Rich

The good news today is that the great 2005 war on Christmas, the conflagration that launched a thousand op-ed pieces and nearly as many battles on Fox News, is now officially over. Courtesy of fbihop

Just Another Day for U.S. Military in Iraq

U.S. Army soldiers carried out raids in dusty Iraqi towns. Military doctors treated soldiers wounded by roadside bombs. Christmas in Iraq was just another day on the front lines for the U.S. military.

How about some AP propaganda! Fun! Russia's Putin Shows Off Judo Prowess

Putin's accomplishments in judo and downhill skiing have helped his wide popularity among Russians who like having a physically fit, energetic leader -- a sharp contrast to his feeble-looking, frequently ailing predecessor, Boris Yeltsin.

President is Amateurish: Lawrence B. Wilkerson

It was in early 2004, the beginning of President Bush's re-election campaign, that Lawrence B. Wilkerson first printed out a letter saying he wanted to quit as chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. But the letter remained in a desk drawer for the rest of Mr. Bush's first term.

Chad in 'state of war' with Sudan

It accuses Sudan of being the "common enemy of the nation" after a Chadian rebel attack on a town last week. In a statement, the government calls on Chadians to mobilise themselves against Sudanese aggression.

Japan backs joint US missile plan

The project aims to produce an advanced version of the US system, which seeks to destroy incoming missiles before they reach their targets. The decision is seen by many Japanese as being made in breach of the so-called peace clause of the constitution, which specifically renounces the country's capacity to make war.

U.S. Airstrikes Take Toll on Civilians

U.S. Marine airstrikes targeting insurgents sheltering in Iraqi residential neighborhoods are killing civilians as well as guerrillas along the Euphrates River in far western Iraq, according to Iraqi townspeople and officials and the U.S. military.

Mosques monitored for radiation

U.S. officials have secretly monitored radiation levels at Muslim sites, including mosques and private homes, since September 11, 2001 as part of a top secret program searching for nuclear bombs, U.S. News and World Report said on Friday.

Post Your Hate Elsewhere

An Era Opinion By Jason Kinney: I woke up today and started my morning routine.
Turned on the heater and computer, and then into the kichen for my morning coffee. I plopped my self down in front of the computer and started reading the news.

Iraqi troops killed, Rumsfeld eyes US pullback

Guerrillas stormed an Iraqi army post on Friday, killing 10 soldiers and wounding 20, as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told U.S. combat troops their numbers would fall as Iraqi forces were trained to take over.

The Tax Cut Zombies, By Paul Krugman

If you want someone to play Scrooge just before Christmas, Dick Cheney is your man. On Wednesday Mr. Cheney, acting as president of the Senate, cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of legislation that increases the fees charged to Medicaid recipients, lets states cut Medicaid benefits, reduces enforcement funds for child support, and more.

Wal-Mart must pay employees $172m

A California jury on Thursday awarded $172 million to thousands of employees at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. who claimed they were illegally denied lunch breaks. The world's largest retailer was ordered to pay $57 million in general damages and $115 million in punitive damages.

Fox News quietly promotes white supremacist website!

A South Carolina Fox affiliate ran a story appearing to cheer a white supremacist website -- and the leader of the group says that Fox news staff are members of his white supremacy forum, RAW STORY can reveal. The video can be found here.

BAH HUMBUG The so-called War on Christmas

Chestnuts are roasting on an open fire, wit Jack Frost nipping at your nose and folk dressed up like Eskimos—or, to update the lin for political correctness, with tots in boots jus like Aleuts. It’s that magical season when light twinkle and good will abounds.