Headlines for July 28, 2008
28 Jul 2008
Reversing Account, US Admits Killing Iraqi Civilians But Won?t Prosecute Soldiers, Obama Wraps Up Overseas Trip, McCain Denies Supporting Iraq Timetable, Backs Affirmative Action Ban, Top McCain Fundraiser Lobbying for Chevron in Amazon Suit, 1,000 Protest Iowa Immigration Raid, 4 Jailed Attempting Citizen’s Arrest on Rove, 2 Killed in Tennessee Church Gun Attack, 45 Killed in India Bombings, 16 Killed in Istanbul Bombings, Israel Proceeds with New Settlement Construction, McClellan: White House Fed Talking Points to Fox News, Lawmakers to Probe Yankee Stadium Bond Sale, 3 Teens Charged in Beating Death of Mexican Immigrant, Ex-CIA-Backed Haitian Death Squad Leader Convicted of Mortgage Fraud

Steve Clemons: Obama’s Wall Speech Should Have Been About Israel, Not Berlin
25 Jul 2008
Barack Obama spoke before an audience of over 200,000 people in Berlin, Germany on Thursday in the largest rally held by any presidential candidate this year. In his address, Obama discussed the importance of the Berlin Wall being torn down. We speak with Steve Clemons of the New America Foundation, who writes, “Had he given those remarks in Israel, at any of the checkpoints that have been added since the Annapolis process began, or at the large dividing wall Israel has constructed, or just about anywhere frankly in Israel or Palestine—it would have been a ‘game-changing speech.’” We also speak with author and journalist Tim Shorrock about his article, “Hawks Behind the Dove: Who Makes Obama’s Foreign Policy?” [includes rush transcript]

Race, Politics and the Media: A Roundtable Discussion from the UNITY Conference
25 Jul 2008
In Chicago, nearly 10,000 journalists of color are gathered for a convention that brings together members of the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association and the Native American Journalists Association. It’s organized by UNITY, Journalists of Color, Inc. We host a discussion with Democracy Now! co-host and former president of NAHJ, Juan Gonzalez, and journalists Roberto Lovato and Amy Alexander.

Main Core: New Evidence Reveals Top Secret Government Database Used in Bush Spy Program
25 Jul 2008
Salon.com has published new details about a top secret government database that might be at the heart of the Bush administration’s domestic spying operations. The database is known as “Main Core.” It reportedly collects and stores vast amounts of personal and financial data about millions of Americans. Some former US officials believe that “Main Core” may have been used by the National Security Agency to determine who to spy on in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. We speak with author and investigative journalist, Tim Shorrock.

Headlines for July 25, 2008
25 Jul 2008
Admin Told CIA Torture Justified ?In Good Faith?, Obama Speaks Before 200,000 in Germany, US Probes Afghan Civilian Deaths in Air Strikes, Israel to Build New Settlement in West Bank, Ex-Argentine Army Chief Sentenced to Life in Prison, US to Shift Aid to Fund Pakistani Fighter Jets, Iraq Banned from Olympic Games, Judiciary Committee Takes Up Bush Impeachment, 100,000 Sign Petition for Rove Jailing, House Measure Seeks Ban on Iranian TV, South African Judge Appointed New UN Human Rights Commissioner

The Forgotten War: Sonali Kolhatkar on Why Afghanistan is “Just as Bad as Iraq”
24 Jul 2008
Coming on the heels of Barack Obama’s highly publicized visit to Afghanistan—what he calls a central front in the so-called war on terror—we play an address by Pacifica radio host Sonali Kolhatkar, one of this country’s leading voices against the occupation of Afghanistan and co-author of the book Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence. She spoke last month at the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis about what she called widespread misconceptions about the occupation of Afghanistan.

Friend of Mexican Immigrant Beaten to Death in Pennsylvania Gives Eyewitness Account of Attack
24 Jul 2008
Luis Ramirez, a twenty-five-year-old Mexican immigrant, was beaten to death last week by a group of teenagers in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. He was walking home last Monday night when six white high school students brutally beat him while yelling racial slurs. Despite eyewitness testimony, no charges have been filed. We speak with Arielle Garcia, a friend of Ramirez who witnessed the attack.

Death by Taser: Police Accused of Cover-Up in Death of African American Man Shocked Nine Times While in Handcuffs
24 Jul 2008
Police in the city of Winnfield, Louisiana are being accused of covering up the death of twenty-one-year-old Baron Pikes. He died in police custody on January 21 after being shot nine times with a taser gun while in handcuffs. The city police chief initially claimed that Pikes was high on crack cocaine and PCP at the time of his death. But the coroner recently ruled Pikes’ death to be a homicide, after an autopsy determined there were no drugs in his system. The coroner also determined that the police shot Pikes twice after he lost consciousness. We speak with Chicago Tribune reporter Howard Witt, who broke the story nationally; Kayshon Collins, Baron Pikes’ stepmother; and Winnfield Police Lieutenant Charles Curry. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for July 24, 2008
24 Jul 2008
House OKs Housing Aid After Bush Drops Opposition, Military Town Foreclosures 4 Times the US Average, Woman Commits Suicide Before Foreclosure, Inflation Offsets New Minimum Wage Increase, Dems Push Withdrawal of Workplace Toxin Rules, Obama Avoids Gaza Strip on Mideast Trip, Senate Drops Pressure on Chevron in Burma, Bolivia Presses US on Interference Charges, Oil Tanker Spills Near New Orleans, Cancer Researcher Warns on Cell Phone Use, Appeals Court Rejects Abu-Jamal Re-Trial, Protesters Target Fox News for Coverage of African Americans

Performance Artist Laurie Anderson on War, Art and Her Latest Work, “Homeland”
23 Jul 2008
We bring you a conversation with performance artist Laurie Anderson. Her highly unusual style has made her a well-known figure in the world of avant-garde and experimental art since the 1970s. Her latest performance is called “Homeland” held at the Lincoln Center in New York City this week. We speak with Laurie Anderson about “Homeland,” her role as an artist and why she says she “lost [her] country” following the invasion of Iraq.

Suicide or Murder? Three Years After the Death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Iraq, Her Parents Continue Their Call for a Congressional Investigation
23 Jul 2008
Three years ago, on July 19, 2005, Army Private First Class LaVena Johnson was found dead in Balad, Iraq. Her body was found in a tent belonging to the private military contractor KBR. She had abrasions all over her body, a broken nose, a black eye, burned hands, loose teeth, acid burns on her genitals, and a bullet hole in her head. The Army labeled Johnson’s death a suicide. But her parents never believed that story. They think she was raped and murdered and are now demanding a full congressional investigation into their daughter’s death. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Former Arlington National Cemetery Public Affairs Director Says She Was Fired for Refusing to Limit Press at Funerals
23 Jul 2008
The secretary of the Army has ordered an internal review to examine the Army’s firing last month of the former public affairs director of Arlington National Cemetery. Gina Gray assumed the role of public affairs director of Arlington in April. She quickly discovered that cemetery officials were attempting to impose new limits on media coverage of funerals of the US soldiers killed in Iraq—even after the families of the dead soldiers had agreed to let the press attend. After she pushed for greater media access, she says she was fired in a retaliatory move. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for July 23, 2008
23 Jul 2008
Admin Seeking to Weaken Workplace Toxin Rules, FEMA Demands Immunity from Trailer-Contamination Suit, Ex-Deputy Contradicts EPA Chief?s Testimony on California Emissions Change, Obama: US Should Recognize Palestinians? ?Legitimate Difficulties?, 20 Israelis Injured in Construction Vehicle Attack, US Considers Quashing Report Critical of Israel, 4 US Soldiers Charged in Killing of Iraqi Prisoners, Blackwater Claims Intent to Scale Back Private Military Work, War Crimes Trial Continues at Gitmo, House Panel to Take Up Bush Impeachment, ACLU Challenges Alabama Voter Felony Law, Bush on Economy: Wall Street ?Got Drunk?

Nudge: Cass Sunstein on Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness
22 Jul 2008
Cass Sunstein, an outgoing professor at the University of Chicago Law School and Department of Political Science, joins us to talk about his latest book, co-authored with Richard Thaler, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness.

Obama Adviser Cass Sunstein Debates Glenn Greenwald on FISA Vote, Executive Power and Prosecuting White House Officials for War Crimes
22 Jul 2008
We host a discussion with Cass Sunstein, an informal adviser to Barack Obama and an outgoing University of Chicago Law School professor who has been described as “the nation’s most-cited legal scholar,” and Glenn Greenwald, a former constitutional law attorney and political and legal blogger for Salon.com. The two debate issues ranging from the FISA bill to Obama’s refusal to support calls for the prosecution of President Bush and top White House officials for war crimes and other abuses of power.

Who’s Paying for the Conventions? Corporate Sponsors Pour Millions into Party Coffers
22 Jul 2008
Less than two weeks after Congress granted retroactive immunity to telecoms involved in the Bush spy program, it’s been learned AT&T will be emblazoned on every delegate’s bag at the Democratic National Convention. Like Comcast, Motorola, Coca-Cola, Google and a host of other corporate sponsors, the telecom giant has donated over a million dollars to the DNC in return for prominent display space and access to elected officials. But none of these companies have fully disclosed their projected contributions to the convention, according to a new report from the Campaign Finance Institute. We speak with the group’s associate director for policy, Steve Weissman. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for July 22, 2008
22 Jul 2008
Iraq Gov’t Calls for US Withdrawal by 2010, McCain: I Know What Iraqis Want, Mukasey Calls on Congress to Declare War Against al-Qaeda, Bosnian Serb Leader Radovan Karadzic Arrested, Mugabe and Tsvangirai Meet to Hold Power-Sharing Talks, First Military Commission Trial Begins at Guantanamo, Report: Cheney’s Office Pressured EPA Over Regulating Greenhouse Gases, Four Arrested at Mountain Removal Protest in Tennessee, Duke Energy Sued Over New Coal-Powered Power Plant, Palestinian Man Shot by Israel Speaks Out, Police Taser Death in Louisiana Ruled a Homicide, Indian Parliament Holds No-Confidence Vote, CommonDreams Co-Founder, Lina Newhouser, 56, Dies

Maryland State Police Spied on Peace, Anti-Death Penalty Groups
21 Jul 2008
The American Civil Liberties Union released documents Thursday showing that undercover officers from the Maryland State Police spied on peace groups and anti-death penalty protesters for over a year in 2005 and 2006. The police summaries and intelligence logs reveal that covert agents infiltrated groups like the antiwar Baltimore Pledge of Resistance, the Baltimore Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and the Committee to Save Vernon Evans, a death row prisoner. We speak with antiwar activist Max Obuszewski and with journalist Dave Zirin. Both were the target of surveillance.

First All-Women-of-Color Presidential Ticket in US History: Green Party Nominee Cynthia McKinney and Running Mate Rosa Clemente on War, Democracy and Hip Hop
21 Jul 2008
The Green Party made history last week when it nominated the first all-women-of-color presidential ticket in US history. Former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who was the first African American woman elected to Congress in Georgia, won the Green Party’s nomination last Monday. She named longtime community organizer, journalist and former director of the Hip Hop Caucus, Rosa Clemente, as her running mate earlier this month. They both join us for a wide-ranging discussion on the 2008 race, the media, the impact of the hip hop generation and more. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for July 21, 2008
21 Jul 2008
Maliki Supports Obama’s Troop Withdrawal Plans, US Forces Kill Son of Iraqi Governor, Obama: Afghanistan Is Central Front in War on Terrorism, Afghan Residents Criticize Obama’s Call For More Troops, Coalition Forces Kill 13 in Afghanistan, Sen. McCain Suggests Obama Might Be a Socialist, First US War Crimes Tribunal to Begin at Guantanamo, UK Warns About US Torture Policies, Maryland State Police Spied on Peaceful Groups, Video Shows Israeli Soldier Shooting Handcuffed Palestinian Detainee, War Resister James Burmeister Sentenced to Six Months in Jail, Mexican Immigrant Beaten to Death in Pennsylvania, Three Die in Explosions in China

The Dark Side: Jane Mayer on the Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals
18 Jul 2008
We spend the hour with New Yorker magazine investigative journalist Jane Mayer about her new book, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. In the book, Mayer reveals a secret report by the International Red Cross warned the Bush administration last year that the CIA?s treatment of prisoners categorically constituted torture and could make Bush administration officials who approved the torture methods guilty of war crimes. Mayer also reveals that the Bush administration ignored warnings from the CIA six years ago that up to a third of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay may have been imprisoned by mistake. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for July 18, 2008
18 Jul 2008
Court Rejects Delay to 1st Gitmo Military Trial, Ashcroft Questioned on Approving Torture, Probe Finds Widespread Abuse at Chicago Prison, Shoddy Contractor Work Blamed for Spike of Electrocutions in Iraq, Prosecutors Drop Probe of Iraq Reconstruction IG, Group: US Aid to Africa Increasingly Militarized, Gore Calls for Ending Carbon Reliance in Favor of Renewable Sources, McCain Can?t Recall Making Rape Joke, Obama Leaves for Mideast, Europe Trip, Judge Upholds Restrictions on Antiwar March at GOP Convention, Nelson Mandela Celebrates 90th Birthday, White House Threatens Veto on Banning Contractors from CIA Interrogations

Spike Lee to Film Tony Award-Winning Musical “Passing Strange” as Show Comes to a Close on Broadway
17 Jul 2008
The rock musical Passing Strange closes on Sunday after a six-month run on Broadway. The show won a Tony Award for best book. It was co-written by its star, longtime recording artist Stew and Heidi Rodewald. It was nominated for six other Tony’s including best musical. Acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee is planning to film the musical this weekend to bring it to a wider audience. We speak to Stew, the playwright, composer and narrator of Passing Strange.

Nelson Mandela Turns 90
17 Jul 2008
On Friday, former South African president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela will celebrate his 90th birthday. Events marking the milestone have been held across the globe over the past month. We speak with Danny Schechter, who recently returned from South Africa where he helped make the new documentary “Viva Madiba: A Hero For All Seasons.”

Bailout for Mortgage Giants, IndyMac Bank Collapse, Dollar Hits New Low, Inflation at 26-Year High, Dow Falls Below 11K…A Look at the Financial Crisis
17 Jul 2008
It has been a tough seven days for the US economy. On Friday, the FDIC seized control of the failed California-based IndyMac Bank. It was second largest bank failure in US history. Analysts project another 150 banks could collapse. On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced extraordinary moves to bail out the mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped below 11,000 for the first time since 2006 and the dollar hit a record low against the euro. And Wednesday, it was announced that inflation is now rising at its fastest pace in twenty-six years. We take an in-depth look an the economic crisis. [includes rush transcript – partial]