Too quiet in Gaza’s harbor
Electronic Intifada - 5 May 2008
rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rGAZA CITY, 6 May (IPS) – It’s been strangely quiet for some time at the port in Gaza. No clanging of hooks, no sounds of creaking cranes or of thumping of nets upon decks. Boat engines, normally puttering and spewing exhaust, lie entombed under covers. Of the 40,000 fishermen and others who make a living from the catch, only about 700 are still busy, according to the Fishing Syndicate in Gaza. The boats need oil, and Israel will not let the fishermen have it.

War of the virtual Wiki-worlds
Electronic Intifada - 5 May 2008
rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rWhat if they decided to pursue the Arab-Israeli conflict by other means? Inevitably, it would take place on the Internet. And inevitably Wikipedia would be involved. In what was probably not a very smart idea, Gilead Ini, a senior research analyst for CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, put out an e-mail call for 10 volunteers “to help us keep Israel-related entries on Wikipedia from becoming tainted by anti-Israel editors.”

Egypt braces for new Gaza influx
Electronic Intifada - 5 May 2008
rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rCAIRO, 6 May (IPS) – With next-door Gaza Strip in a humanitarian crisis, the government is desperate to avoid a repeat of January’s Palestinian influx into the Sinai Peninsula. In recent weeks, the security presence along Egypt’s 14-kilometer border with the hapless territory has been significantly reinforced.

Democracy Now! Bids Farewell to Denis Moynihan, DN!’s Longtime Outreach Director, Now CEO of Free Speech TV
Democracy Now - 5 May 2008
Over the past five years, Denis Moynihan has overseen the remarkable growth of Democracy Now! Today, DN! airs on over 700 public radio and TV stations. Denis is moving to Denver today to become the CEO of Free Speech TV. [includes rush transcript]

“Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism”
Democracy Now - 5 May 2008
Renowned political analyst Kevin Phillips argues successive administrations have imperiled the U.S. economy by a combination of short-sighted policies and a trend against regulation. These include unparalleled credit-card debts, the expansion of financial industries such as hedge funds, ballooning national debts, and deliberately altering statistics like inflation and unemployment to mask the accurate picture.

Monsanto?s Harvest of Fear
Democracy Now - 5 May 2008
Monsanto already dominates America?s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation?s tactics?ruthless legal battles against small farmers?is its decades-long history of toxic contamination. We speak to James Steele, contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

Report from Burmese-Thai Border on the Devastating Cyclone that Has Killed Over 15,000 People in Burma
Democracy Now - 5 May 2008
In Burma, at least 15,000 people have now died following a devastating cyclone. Another 30,000 people are still missing. Aid agencies estimate as many as one million people may be without shelter. The storm hit Burma on Friday night. David Scott Mathieson joins us on the telephone from the Thai-Burma border. He is Burma’s consultant to Human Rights Watch. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for May 6, 2008
Democracy Now - 5 May 2008
Cyclone in Burma Kills At Least 15,000, Pro-Democracy Groups Urge Postponement for Referendum, Obama & Clinton Face Off In N.C. & Indiana, NYT Scrutinized For Report on Hezbollah Training Iraqis in Iran, John Bolton: Striking Iran Is “Really The Most Prudent Thing To Do?, Iran Suspends U.S. Talks to Protest U.S. Offensive, Report: Suicide May Be More Deadly Than Combat For Troops, UN Adviser Calls For Overhaul of Food Aid System, Iraqi Man Files Torture Suit Against U.S. Contractors, Georgia Schedules First Execution Since End of Moratorium, New Book Alleges Mumia Abu-Jama Is Innocent, Lawsuit Filed to Stop California Prison Expansion, Mildred Loving, 68, Dies; Challenged Interracial Marriage Ban, North Carolina Man Released After 14 Years on Death Row