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An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
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Democracy Now!
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GOPers Claim Softened Immigration Stance in Bid to Win Florida Latino Vote, But Key Issues Ignored
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:49:33 -0500
Both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have been trying to court Florida's Latino voters ahead of next week's primary. Romney has launched Spanish-language ads highlighting Gingrich's remarks in a 2007 speech in which he suggested Spanish was a "language of the ghetto." Meanwhile, Gingrich has released an ad accusing Romney of being the most anti-immigrant candidate in the Republican field. We're joined by Marcos Restrepo, a reporter with the Florida Independent. "The rhetoric that's been coming out about immigrants only worried about immigration, that it's the only issue that really hits home with Latinos and Latino voters, that's not true," Restrepo says. "I live here in South Florida, and we're having a hard time with issues like jobs, unemployment, education and housing." Restrepo says the candidates should also address the DREAM Act and the free trade agreements with Central and South American nations. [includes rush transcript]
Gingrich's Extremist Anti-Palestinian Stance Follows Millions from Casino Magnate Sheldon Adelson
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:35:22 -0500
Many analysts say Newt Gingrich's recent rise in the Republican contest would have been impossible without the backing of one man: multi-billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson and his wife have donated $10 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC, Winning Our Future, which has run a series of ads attacking Gingrich's opponent Mitt Romney. Gingrich has openly admitted Adelson's support came down to a single issue: Israel. Gingrich has adopted the most extremist anti-Palestinian stance of the Republican presidential field, calling the Palestinians themselves an "invented" people. We speak with Gal Beckerman of the Jewish Daily Forward and Linda Sarsour of the Arab American Association of New York. [includes rush transcript]
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly Urged to Resign After Police Conceal Role in Anti-Muslim Documentary
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:14:47 -0500
Representatives from the New York City Muslim community, together with local ethnic and interfaith groups, gathered at City Hall Thursday calling for the resignation of New York City Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly and police spokesperson Paul Browne after it was revealed an anti-Muslim film, "The Third Jihad," was screened to nearly 1,500 officers during training. After initial denials, the NYPD admitted the officers were shown the film in training and that Kelly gave the filmmakers a 90-minute interview. Kelly has now apologized. The controversy comes at a time when relations between the police and the Muslim community are already strained due to recent revelations that the police department has operated a secret surveillance program targeting Muslim neighborhoods. We speak with Arab-American activist Linda Sarsour, who was honored last month at the White House as a "Champion of Change." [includes rush transcript]
Despite Salary Caps, Treasury Approved Lucrative Exec Payouts at Dozens of Bailed-Out Firms
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:11:21 -0500
New York Daily News columnist and Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez reports the Treasury Department has approved payouts exceeding $5 million for 49 executives at firms that most benefited from the Wall Street bailout. The executives' pay came despite the $500,000 salary cap established under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 27, 2012
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
GOP Candidates Spar over Immigration, Wall Street in Florida Debate, Obama Touts Domestic Drilling in Vegas Speech: U.S. is the "Saudi Arabia" of Natural Gas, Pentagon Boosts Overall Spending Despite Short-Term Cuts, Iraq: 32 Killed in Baghdad Bombing, Iraq Mulls Legal Action over Haditha Massacre, U.S. Threatens to Stop Egyptian Military Aid over Stranded Americans, Syria: 30 Killed in "Terrifying Massacre", Former Guatemalan Dictator Faces Trial, WSF Meets on "Capitalist Crisis, Social and Environmental Justice", Rejecting GOP, Senate Hikes Debt Limit, Walker Aides Face New Charges, FBI Seeks App to Monitor Social Media; Twitter Can Block Tweets by Country
Glock: As Giffords Exits, a Look at the Gun Used in Tucson Rampage and Other U.S. Mass Shootings
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:32:03 -0500
Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned her seat this week, roughly a year after she was shot through the head during a meeting with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket. The attack left six people dead and 12 others injured. As Giffords steps down, we look at the iconic semi-automatic Glock pistol used in her attack and a number of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. Gun-control advocates have had little success calling for restrictions on Glocks or the large-capacity ammunition magazines they can accommodate. We speak with Paul Barrett, who wrote the landmark book about the infamous weapon, "Glock: The Rise of America's Gun." [includes rush transcript]
Iraqis Voice Outrage as Haditha Massacre Trial Ends in No Jail Time for Accused U.S. Marines
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:12:59 -0500
The last of the U.S. marines charged in the 2005 Haditha massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, received no jail time after he pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty and avoiding charges of involuntary manslaughter. Under his sentencing, Wuterich now faces a maximum penalty of a demotion to the rank of private. The victims, including women and children, were killed when the marines burst into their homes and shot them dead in their nightclothes. Wuterich allegedly led the Haditha massacre and was the last defendant to face charges. Six other marines have had their charges dropped or dismissed, while another soldier was acquitted. "[Iraqi] outrage is perfectly understandable," says Tim McGirk, the Time magazine reporter who broke the story on the Haditha massacre. "Here is a case where so many Iraqis were killed, women and children, old men, and yet, what's happened? Most of the charges have been dismissed, and Wuterich was basically given a slap on the wrist." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 26, 2012
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Obama Pushes Millionaire Tax in Iowa; Romney Slams SOTU Address, Romney and Gingrich Seek Florida Latino Vote, Fed Preserves Low Interest Rate, Predicts Slow Recovery, Geithner: No 2nd Term as Treasury Secretary, U.S. Could Expand Military Presence in the Philippines, Record Turnout Estimated at Egyptian Revolution Rallies, U.N.: Interim Libyan Gov't Torturing Prisoners, Occupy Protesters Rally at Davos World Economic Forum, People's Movements Converge for World Social Forum in Brazil, Indiana Lawmakers Pass Anti-Union Bill, Whistleblower: BP Sought to Alter Cleanup Data, Publisher Resigns After Suggesting Obama Assassination, NYPD Commissioner Apologizes for Role in Anti-Muslim Documentary, Giffords Exits Congress with Farewell Address
"In Tahrir Square": HBO Doc on Egypt's Revolution Through Eyes of Democracy Now!'s Sharif Kouddous
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:49:17 -0500
Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous is the central character in the new HBO documentary airing tonight, "In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution." The film chronicles the uprising though the reporting of Kouddous, and it looks at what the protest meant for his uncle, Mohamed Abdel Quddoos, a longtime Egyptian dissident who was arrested dozens of times by the Mubarak regime. We're joined by Kouddous in Cairo, as well as the team behind the film: Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill of Downtown Community Television; and independent filmmaker Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films. [includes rush transcript]
Egypt: Sharif Abdel Kouddous Reports from Cairo as Crowds Mark 1 Year of Revolution in Tahrir Square
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:36:05 -0500
As tens of thousands of Egyptians gather in Tahrir Square to mark the first anniversary of the start of the revolution that ended Hosni Mubarak's three-decade reign, we go to Cairo to speak with Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous, who has reported on the popular uprising since it began. "What happened on January 25th was really an uprising that was 10 years in the making, a growing resistance movement to the Mubarak regime, to a regime that was characterized by a sprawling police apparatus that engaged in quashing of dissent and torture, a paralyzed body politic, and rampant corruption," Kouddous says. "People speak about the barrier of fear being broken, but I really think it was a lack of hope. And that was the gift that Tunisia gave to Egypt: [it] was that here is the dream you can achieve, and here's the hope that you can change, if you take to the streets." [includes rush transcript]
"He Says One Thing and Does Another": Ralph Nader Responds to Obama's State of the Union Address
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:22:07 -0500
Responding to President Obama's State of the Union address, longtime consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader says Obama's criticism of income inequality and Wall Street excess fail to live up to his record in office. "[Obama] says one thing and does another," Nader says. "Where has he been for over three years? He's had the Justice Department. There are existing laws that could prosecute and convict Wall Street crooks. He hasn't sent more than one or two to jail." On foreign policy, Nader says, "I think his lawless militarism, that started the speech and ended the speech, was truly astonishing. [Obama] was very committed to projecting the American empire, in Obama terms." [includes rush transcript]
Fmr. Obama Adviser: Focus on U.S. Inequality in Election-Year SOTU Has Occupy Wall Street's Imprint
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:09:17 -0500
In his last State of the Union speech before the November election, President Obama defended his record addressing the financial crisis and called for greater economic fairness. He warned that Wall Street would no longer be allowed to play by its own set of rules. But the bulk of the speech dealt with the economy. We get reaction from Jared Bernstein, former chief economist and economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden and past member of President Obama's economic team. Bernstein says that Occupy Wall Street "had a lot to do with" Obama's message of economic fairness: "These issues, I mean, they're called populist now. Frankly, I think they're just basic fairness. I don't know why it's populist to argue that middle-class people should pay a fair tax rate and one that's certainly no higher than that paid by millionaires and billionaires, or for that matter, that economic growth should not be a spectator sport for people in the middle class. [These ideas] haven't broken through in the way that Occupy Wall Street did in a matter of months. So I give them a ton of credit." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 25, 2012
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Obama Highlights Income Inequality in SOTU Address, Egyptians Mark One Year of Revolution, Arab League Extends Syria Monitoring Mission amid Ongoing Killings, Gaddafi Loyalists Seize Bani Walid, Israel Detains 4 Palestinian Lawmakers, U.S. Forces Free Aid Workers in Somalia Raid, Chinese Forces Kill Tibetan Protesters, Connecticut Police Officers Charged with Targeting, Assaulting Hispanics, Indiana Dems Skip Vote on Anti-Union Bill, Google Increases Monitoring of Web Users, Obama: "No Option Off the Table" with Iran, No Jail Time for Marine Alleged to Have Led Haditha Massacre
Robert Redford on How Truth Telling, Challenging Power Fuels His Passion for Independent Film
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:53:09 -0500
Robert Redford is well known as an actor, a director, a producer and an activist. Since 1980, through the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute, Robert Redford has helped independent voices develop their craft—in film, in theater and in music—to reach larger and newer audiences. We speak with Redford about how independent cinema became his passion. "To me, stories that were worth telling were stories about what's the truth beneath the truth that you're given, or think you know... I wanted to focus on independent films to keep alive the independent spirit through storytelling and movie making." [includes rush transcript]
"The Atomic States of America": Exploring a Nation's Struggle with Nuclear Power
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:25:04 -0500
Nuclear power has drawn wide support from both sides of the aisle, with both Republicans and Democrats advancing a pro-nuclear agenda even in the aftermath of last year's Fukushima disaster in Japan. We speak with Sheena Joyce, co-director of the new documentary "The Atomic States of America," which is featured at 2012 Sundance Film Festival. We're also joined by Kelly McMasters, whose book "Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town" inspired the film. Joyce says, "We used Kelly's book and the town of Shirley as kind of a springboard into the issue, to just talk to people really on both sides, but mainly to speak to the people in reactor communities... We wanted to seek an intelligent dialogue." [includes rush transcript]
As Romney Releases Tax Returns, Fmr Senate Investigator Says: We've Got to Start Taxing Corporations
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:10:23 -0500
During the GOP primary, Mitt Romney has come under fierce attack for parking millions of dollars of his personal wealth in investment funds set up in the Cayman Islands, a notorious Caribbean tax haven. We speak with Tax Justice Network USA chair Jack Blum, a former top congressional investigator of financial crimes, who says tax evasion could seriously cripple the already struggling economy. Blum appears in "We're Not Broke," a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film examines widespread corporate tax evasion in the United States and the increasing role of offshore tax havens. "Has [Romney] cheated? No," Blum says. "What he's done is take full advantage of a system that has been structured the way it is because of political influence and a tremendous amount of lobbying money on Capitol Hill... We must not only rewrite the Internal Revenue Code, but we must get a fair contribution from the very wealthy and from corporations, and that is the only way to balance the budget." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 24, 2012
Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Romney, Gingrich Spar in Florida Debate, Gingrich Reported to Freddie Mac Lobbyist, Romney Paid Low Rate on Millions in Investment Income, Obama to Deliver State of the Union Address, Supreme Court Rules Warrants Required for GPS Tracking, Ex-CIA Whistleblower Charged with Leaking Classified Information, Last Marine Charged in Haditha Massacre Reaches Plea Deal, 6 Killed in Iraq Bombings, Egypt Opens New Parliament, Prepares to Mark Revolution, U.S. Mulls Repatriation of Foreign Prisoners in Afghanistan, E.U. Enacts Iran Sanctions; U.K. Issues Troop Warning, NYPD Screened Anti-Muslim Video Far More than Disclosed, Another $5 Million Pledged to Pro-Gingrich Super PAC, Santorum, Paul Claim Conservative Mantle
Robert Redford Praises Rejection of Keystone Pipeline: We Can't Afford to Be at the Mercy of Big Oil
Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:53:23 -0500
We're broadcasting from Park City, Utah, home of the Sundance Film Festival, the nation's largest festival for independent cinema. Over the weekend, we spoke with Robert Redford, the founder of Sundance. He's well known as an actor, a director, a producer, but part and parcel of who he is is an activist. We asked him about President Obama's decision last week to reject the proposal for the Keystone XL tars sands oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. "Oil, coal and gas still dominate, in terms of control, because of their relationship with members of Congress they give a lot of money to," Redford said. "But because times have changed so drastically, and I don't think we can be at the mercy of what Big Oil wants to do anymore." [includes rush transcript]
Raj Patel: In Attacks on Obama, Food Stamps, Newt Gingrich is "Racially Coding Poverty"
Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:36:54 -0500
The new documentary "Finding North" premiering here at the Sundance Film Festival exposes how one in every four American children suffers from hunger, despite living in the wealthiest nation in the world, and nearly 30 percent of American families, more than 49 million people, often go without meals. While Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich decries President Obama as "the food stamp president," author Raj Patel says what is really needed is a conversation about poverty and why the need for food stamps is so high. "It's true that disproportionately people of color are affected by food insecurity. But what Gingrich is doing, of course, is racially coding poverty by calling President Obama 'the food stamp president,'" Patel said. "He's invoking these ideas of racialized poverty. Of course, if you look at the people who are on the food stamp program, you see that the majority of them are white and poor." Patel is author of the popular book, "Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System." [includes rush transcript]
Medical Whistleblower Dr. Steven Nissen on "Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare"
Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:13:23 -0500
As the Republican presidential candidates propose to dismantle President Obama's 2010 healthcare reform package, we speak to Dr. Steven Nissen, one of the nation's leading cardiologists. His research into Vioxx and Avandia led to severe restrictions by the Food and Drug Administration, reducing the use of both drugs. Nissen is profiled in the documentary, "Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare," which is being featured this year at the Sundance Film Festival. The film tackles the powerful forces behind the battle over heathcare costs and access. "Healthcare has become such a huge business that the forces that don't want change—the insurance industry, the hospital industry, even physician professional societies—have so aligned to keep the system as it is that it's very hard to overcome that," said Dr. Nissen, who chairs the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "My fear in this election, because of the Citizens United ruling, is massive amounts of money from people with a huge stake in making a profit from healthcare are going to influence the electorate with just an amazing amount of money." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 23, 2012
Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Newt Gingrich Wins South Carolina Primary, Gingrich Win Aided by $5 Million Donation, "Southern Strategy", Video Emerges of Ron Paul Speaking in Front of Confederate Flag, U.S. Drone Strike Kills London Man in Somalia, 178 Killed in Nigeria Raising Specter of Civil War, U.S. Allows for Yemen's Saleh to Enter United States, Syria Rejects Arab League Request for Assad to Hand Over Power, Human Rights Watch Urges Nations to Support Arab Spring Protesters, Anti-Online Piracy Bills Put on Hold After Massive Protests, Boehner Pushes for Obama to Reverse Keystone Pipeline Decision, Protests Held Across Nation Against Citizens United Ruling, Hawaiian Teachers Reject Obama's "Race to the Top" Contract, EPA to Deliver Fresh Water to Homes Impacted by Fracking, Romney Attacks Gingrich for Using "Weapons of the Left", Muslim Brotherhood Heads New Egyptian Parliament, Afghan Soldier Kills Four French Troops, Rep. Giffords to Resign from Congress After Shooting, R&B Singer Etta James Dies at 73
Tariq Ali: Obama's Expansion of Af-Pak War "Has Blown Up in His Face"
Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:46:56 -0500
Amid ongoing U.S.-Pakistani tensions and fears of a military coup in Pakistan, we are joined by British-Pakistani political commentator, historian, activist, filmmaker and novelist, Tariq Ali. Ali discusses Pakistan's internal turmoil, as well as Pakistani attitudes toward U.S. foreign policy, the GOP presidential contest, and the prospect of a military strike against Iran. "[Pakistanis] are basically suffering because Obama, arrogantly, escalated the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan and thought he could get away with it. That has now blown up in his face," Ali says. [includes rush transcript]
Ahead of South Carolina Primary, GOP Candidates Employ Race-Baiting Tradition to Win Southern Vote
Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:24:38 -0500
Leading up to the South Carolina primary, several Republican presidential candidates have been criticized for comments made over issues of race. This week Newt Gingrich defended his description of President Obama as "the food stamp president," while offering praise for President Andrew Jackson, the architect of the Indian Removal Act. We speak to South Carolina civil rights activist Kevin Alexander Gray and longtime political reporter Wayne Slater about how Republicans have adopted the long-held "Southern strategy" of race baiting in order to win over bigoted white voters. "Democrats come here to get their black ticket punched. Republicans come here to punch black people," Gray says. [includes rush transcript]
GOP Contest Rattled Before SC Primary as Perry Exits, Newt's Ex-Wife Speaks Out, Santorum Takes Iowa
Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:11:23 -0500
Republican presidential candidates gathered in Charleston, South Carolina, Thursday night for their final debate before Saturday's primary. The debate capped a busy day that saw the departure of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rick Santorum's defeat of Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucus recount, and new details of Newt Gingrich's infidelities during his second marriage. We air clips from the debate and speak to Kevin Alexander Gray, a civil rights activist and community organizer in South Carolina, and Wayne Slater, a senior political writer at the Dallas Morning News and author of "Bush’s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 20, 2012
Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
GOP Candidates Debate Ahead of South Carolina Primary, Second Officer Backs Trial for Manning, Afghans Protest Deadly NATO Raid, France Suspends Training of Afghan Troops After Shooting, Syrian Protests Follow More Killings; Arab League Extends Monitoring Mission, Top U.S. General Visits Israel for Iran Talks, Iran: Scientist Assassins May Have Used U.N. Info, 5 Moroccans Self-Immolate in Unemployment Protest, U.S. Shuts Down File-Sharing Site, "Anonymous" Hackers Retaliate, Military Suicides Hit New Record High, U.S. Confirms Liberian Leader Worked for CIA, Obama Visits Apollo Theater in New York City Fundraising Trip, 6 Marines Killed in Afghanistan, Vermont Barred from Shuttering Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant, Ex-Wife: Gingrich Asked for Open Marriage, Perry Exits GOP Race, Backs Gingrich
Recount Leaves Santorum Ahead of Romney in Iowa GOP Caucus
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:57:07 -0500
Rick Santorum has been declared the winner of the Iowa caucus after a recount gave him a 34-vote lead over Mitt Romney. The outcome could slow the momentum of the front-runner Romney, who is hoping to wrap up the Republican nomination with a win on Saturday in South Carolina. "It's a big deal," says John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation magazine. "[Santorum] spent a tiny amount of money per vote as compared to Romney." [includes rush transcript]
Historic Effort to Recall Wisconsin Gov. Walker Reveals "People Power" After 1 Million Sign Petition
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:47:39 -0500
Opponents of Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker have submitted more than a million signatures seeking his recall in a statewide vote. The million-plus signatures amount to nearly double the required number of 540,000 and may mark the largest recall effort in U.S. history. Walker is being challenged for pushing through a controversial law ending collective bargaining rights for most public workers. The million signatures "represent almost half of the electorate in the last election, in 2010, and what you might reasonably presume to be the electorate that would participate in a recall election," says John Nichols of The Nation magazine. "[Walker] will be forced to face a new election, because he adopted the austerity agenda of the Republican and conservative leadership in Washington and tried to balance budgets on the backs of public employees, tried to destroy their unions, tried to cut school funding, and succeeded in cutting funding. And we're going to have a referendum on the most fundamental of economic issues." [includes rush transcript]
Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline under GOP Deadline, But Opponents Prepare for Long-Term Fight
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:28:47 -0500
The Obama administration has rejected the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline that would stretch from the Alberta tar sands to the Gulf Coast. On Wednesday, President Obama said he was turning down TransCanada's application for the pipeline because there was not enough time to review an alternate route that would avoid the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska. Obama had tried to delay a decision until next year, but Republicans responded by passing legislation forcing a decision by the end of February. Environmental groups have hailed the permit's rejection, but it does not mark the end of the pipeline fight. TransCanada has already announced it will reapply for a permit based on a different route, and Obama said he was only making his decision based on time constraints, not on the pipeline's "merits." We get reaction from Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska and 350.org founder Bill McKibben, an expert on climate change who has led massive protests in Washington, D.C. against the pipeline over the past six months. "This was a real victory for people standing up," McKibben says. "If we hadn't gone and done what we did out in the streets, if we hadn't made record numbers of public comments on this, then the oil industry, as usual, would have gotten away with a really bad idea." [includes rush transcript]
SOPA: Anti-Piracy or Censorship? Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales vs. Copyright Alliance's Sandra Aistars
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:08:16 -0500
Congressional support for a pair of anti-piracy bills is weakening after Wednesday's historic online protest in which thousands of websites went dark for 24 hours. Hollywood film studios, music publishers and major broadcasters support the anti-piracy legislation, saying it aims to stop the piracy of copyrighted material over the internet on websites based outside the United States. "We're talking about sites that are operated and dedicated to piracy and that are really preventing individual creators across the country from having an economic livelihood from their creative pursuits," says Sandra Aistars, executive director of the Copyright Alliance, whose members include the Motion Picture Association of America, NBCUniversal, Time Warner, Viacom, ASCAP and BMI. But critics say the bills could profoundly change the internet by stifling innovation and investment, hallmarks of the free, open internet. "Wikipedia could be defined as a search engine under these [bills]," says Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. "That would mean that it would be illegal for Wikipedia to link to a site, even if we're writing an encyclopedia article explaining to the public what is The Pirate Bay, what is going on here, and we want to send you there so you can go and take a look for yourself. That would become illegal. This is outrageous, and it's just not acceptable under the First Amendment." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 19, 2012
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Citing GOP Deadline, Obama Rejects Keystone XL Oil Pipeline, Report: Romney Hides Millions Through Tax Havens, Romney Rejects Disclosure of Multiple Tax Returns, Iowa Recount Gives Edge to Santorum, Study: 30 Companies Spent More on Lobbying than on Taxes, Groups: Slow Response from West Led to Thousands of Deaths in Africa Famine, Israel: Decision on Iran Strike "Very Far Off", Report: Obama Considering Summers for World Bank Helm, Supreme Court Backs Appeal for Death Row Prisoner over Filing Mistake, News Corp Admits Cover-Up in Hacking Settlements
Expansion of Indefinite Detention under NDAA Compounds Extradition Fears of WikiLeaks' Assange
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:55:08 -0500
Rolling Stone journalist Michael Hastings was with WikiLeaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange when the pretrial military hearing for accused Army whistleblower Private Bradley Manning was taking place in Fort Meade, Maryland, last month. Hastings says the military's case against Manning, coupled with President Obama's recent authorization of a measure expanding indefinite detention anywhere in the world in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), has added further urgency to Assange's effort to avoid extradition from Britain. "Julian Assange's fear is that he will be extradited to Sweden...and then there will be some kind of media campaign where the U.S. government or the Swedish government starts leaking things about 'Oh, Assange helped the Iranians' or 'Assange helped the Taliban with this information,'" Hastings notes. "And then they'll say, 'Well, you know, we need to try him as a spy.' And though that case might be very, very difficult to prove, it's the threat of it that, in my mind, is so damning." [includes rush transcript]
"The Operators": Michael Hastings on the Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:46:11 -0500
We speak with reporter Michael Hastings about the "disastrous past year" in Afghanistan and the mentality a decade of war has bred there. The U.S. has "funneled billions of dollars in weapons and training into a chaotic place like Afghanistan, training these young guys to kill people, and then are shocked when they see the results," Hastings says of the outcry that followed last week's appearance of a video showing four uniformed U.S. marines urinating on the corpses of three Afghan men, which has been widely condemned by officials in the United States and in Afghanistan. His new book, "The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan," originated with his 2010 Rolling Stone article, "The Runaway General," about Gen. Stanley McChrystal, then commander of the war in Afghanistan, and his inner circle. McChrystal was fired after the article was published. [includes rush transcript]
Debating Tucson School District's Book Ban After Suspension of Mexican American Studies Program
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:09:17 -0500
Public school officials in Tucson, Arizona, have released a list of seven books that can no longer be used in classrooms following their suspension of the district's acclaimed Mexican American Studies program. Last year, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal ruled the program violated a new state law, saying it "promote[s] resentment toward a race or class of people." "If all you're teaching these students is one viewpoint, one dimension, we can readily see that it's not an accurate history, it's not an education at all. It's not teaching these kids to think critically," Huppenthal says, "but instead it's an indoctrination." We host a debate between Huppenthal and Richard Martinez, the attorney representing teachers and students trying to save the Mexican American Studies program. "What has occurred here is that [Huppenthal] has taken away from our entire community a curriculum that was adopted by our school board, that was developed by our school district, and that had successfully operated for well over 10 years," Martinez says. "It's just part of the same kind of tactics that have been employed in Arizona reflected by [SB] 1070, the anti-immigrant perspective. It is the anti-Latino perspective that exists in this state." [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 18, 2012
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Websites Stage Historic Strike Against Anti-Piracy Laws, Romney Claims Tax Rate of 15%; $360K in Speaking Fees "Not Very Much", Hundreds Protest in D.C. for "Occupy Congress", Obama Jobs Council Calls for Lower Corporate Taxes, Increased Domestic Energy, Wisconsin Governor Recall Petition Gathers Over 1 Million Signatures, U.S., Russia Debate Syria Measure at Security Council, Judge Who Targeted Pinochet Stands Trial in Spain, Iraq War Vet Arrested in Murders of 4 Homeless Men, Obama to Accept Democratic Nomination at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Delaware Commutes Death Sentence to Life in Prison
Journalist Chris Hedges Sues Obama Admin over Indefinite Detention of U.S. Citizens Approved in NDAA
Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:44:57 -0500
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges has filed suit against President Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to challenge the legality of the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes controversial provisions authorizing the military to jail anyone it considers a terrorism suspect anywhere in the world, without charge or trial. Sections of the bill are written so broadly that critics say they could encompass journalists who report on terror-related issues, such as Hedges, for supporting enemy forces. "It's clearly unconstitutional," Hedges says of the bill. "It is a huge and egregious assault against our democracy. It overturns over 200 years of law, which has kept the military out of domestic policing." We speak with Hedges, now a senior fellow at the Nation Institute and former New York Times foreign correspondent who was part of a team of reporters that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for the paper's coverage of global terrorism. We are also joined by Hedges' attorney Carl Mayer, who filed the litigation on his behalf in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. [includes rush transcript]
"Internet Censorship Affects Everybody": Rebecca MacKinnon on the Global Struggle for Online Freedom
Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:26:01 -0500
As protests mount against two controversial internet anti-piracy bills moving through Congress, we speak with Rebecca MacKinnon, author of the forthcoming book, "Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom." "If we want democracy to survive in the internet age, we really need to work to make sure that the internet evolves in a manner that is compatible with democracy," MacKinnon says. "And that means exercising our power not only as consumers and internet users and investors, but also as voters, to make sure that our digital lives contain the same kind of protections of our rights that we expect in physical space." She argues that for every empowering story of the internet's role, there are many more about the quiet corrosion of civil liberties by companies and governments. [includes rush transcript]
Wikipedia, Reddit to Shut Down Sites Wednesday to Protest Proposed Stop Online Piracy Act
Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:14:36 -0500
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia and sixth most visited site in the world, will join websites like the content aggregator Reddit to "go dark" on Wednesday in opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its companion bill, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which are currently being debated in Congress. "What these bills propose are new powers for the government and also for private actors to create, effectively, blacklists of sites that allegedly are engaging in some form of online infringement and then force service providers to block access to those sites," says Corynne McSherry, intellectual property director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "What we would have is a situation where the government and private actors could censor the net." Chief technology officials in the Obama administration have expressed concern about any "legislation that...undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet." But the bills' main backers—Hollywood movie studios and music publishers—want to stop the theft of their creative content, and the bills have widespread bipartisan support. A vote on SOPA is on hold in the House now, as the Senate is still scheduled vote on PIPA next Tuesday. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for January 17, 2012
Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0500
Romney Comes Under Fire at Republican Debate in South Carolina, Romney: I Oppose Negotiating with the Taliban, Christian Right Leaders Back Rick Santorum, Homeland Security Hired Contractor to Monitor Websites, Report: U.S. Concerned Israel Is Preparing to Attack Iran, Report: Israelis Recruited Militants to Carry Out Covert Ops in Iran, Nigerian Unions Call for Strike to End, Guatemala's New President Tied to Human Rights Atrocities, 700,000 Seek Gov. Walker Recall in Wisconsin, Tucson School District Releases List of Banned Ethnic Studies Books, Includes Shakespeare, Occupy Protesters Mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Ron Paul: "They're Building Up for War Against Iran", Jon Huntsman Drops Out of Republican Race, Architect of Anti-Immigrant Bills Endorses Romney, Ban Ki-moon to Syria's Assad: "Stop Killing Your Own People", Mohamed ElBaradei Drops Out of Egyptian Presidential Race, El Salvador President Apologizes for El Mozote Massacre, 29 Still Missing in Deadly Italian Cruise Ship Accident, Six Arrested at Occupy Baltimore Action, Emergency Manager Law Protested in Michigan
SPECIAL: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in His Own Words
Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:30:00 -0500
Today is the federal holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was born January 15th, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 39 years old. While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People’s Campaign to address issues of economic justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We play his “Beyond Vietnam” speech, which he delivered at New York Citys’s Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, as well as his last speech, “I Have Been to the Mountain Top,” that he gave on April 3, 1968, the night before he was assassinated. [includes rush transcript]
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