War Profiteering by Defense CEOs Reviewed by Bailey Malone A report by the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy reveals that CEOs in the US defense industry have seen a 200 percent pay increase since September 11, 2001 - as compared to an average seven percent increase for all CEOs - equal to 431 times what the average worker earns. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0831-02.htm http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12600
Chemical Industry Now a Main Partner in EPA Research Reviewed by Charlene Jones The Environmental Protection Agency is increasingly relying on joint corporate ventures to conduct research. As a result, the American Chemical Council is the EPA's leading research partner. This arrangement shifts resources from basic public health and environmental research to studies that address the concerns of corporate contributors. http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=596 Bush Administration Dismantles VA Reviewed by David Abbott The Bush Administration has recently stepped up efforts to dismantle the Veterans' Administration health care system by privatizing its functions. Funds are now being used from the VA budget to study the outsourcing of healthcare workers' jobs. http://www.military.com/opinion/0,,77901,00.html http://www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=CongressionalTestimony&File=1_101201.htm UN Reports on how Millions are working as Slave Laborers Reviewed by Bailey Malone UNICEF reports that two million people, mostly women and children, are being trafficked as slaves worldwide. A large number of these work in the sex industry. An additional report by the International Labor Organization finds that at least 12.3 million people are involved in "forced labor"-working involuntarily and in fear of punishment. At least 10,000 people within the US are in forced labor situations including the sex trade industry. http://mambo.agrnews.rack2.purplecat.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1079&Itemid=2 http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/7728/1/286 Global Warming Hits Tipping Point Reviewed by Charlene Jones Western Siberia is undergoing an unprecedented thaw that could dramatically increase the rate of global warming. Researchers recently returned from the region found that an area of permafrost spanning one million square kilometers-the size of France and Germany combined-is melting for the first time since it formed 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. British and Russian scientists report that the melting permafrost is releasing hundreds of millions of tons of methane, which is 20 times more potent than the carbon dioxide currently driving the worldwide warming crisis. http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/25351/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1546824,00.html http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg18725124.500 U.S. Uses Napalm in Iraq Reviewed by Cole Ryan and David Abbott The U.S. has been secretly using napalm in Iraq despite a 1980 international ban on the use of incendiary weapons by the United Nations. The US never signed the UN protocol banning incendiary weapons and uses semantic deception to cover up the use of napalm by calling the weapons firebombs or Mk-77s. http://electroniciraq.net/news/1928.shtml http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0617-01.htm http://aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=5875 http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,1518692,00.html Pentagon Pushes for more Secrecy Reviewed by Brian Murphy and David Abbott The Department of Defense is pushing for a new rule that will further weaken the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A provision in the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act would render files concerning ongoing military operations immune from requests under FOIA. The Act has the potential to enable the Pentagon to seal off large amounts of information from watchdog groups, journalists and the American public. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=1781 World Health Organization Allows Genetic Engineering of Smallpox Reviewed by Lauren Kelly and Matt Johnson Despite the eradication of smallpox, strands still exist in two laboratories in the US and Russia. Research is being done to develop even more deadly versions of the smallpox virus. The Department of Homeland Security claims they are experimenting with the virus in order to facilitate the development of vaccines to combat the possible use of smallpox in a terrorist attack. Despite criticism that accidental release of the virus could threaten millions of lives, the World Health Organization has approved the genetic modification of the deadly smallpox virus and continuing research. http://www.biosafety-info.net/article.php?aid=268 http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/smallpox041105.cfm http://www.comeclean.org.uk/articles.php?articleID=92 Peace Corps as Military Service Reviewed by Zoe Huffman and Sarah Randle The U.S. military is offering recruits an opportunity to meet part of their military obligations by serving in the Peace Corps. Congress authorized this recruitment plan three years ago. The Peace Corp may begin accepting military transfers as early as 2007. This is a policy change for the Peace Corp, which has historically resisted ties to U.S. intelligence agencies or the Defense Department since its founding in 1961. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080405Y.shtml http://rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=1234 Ecuador Defends International Criminal Court Reviewed by Charlene Jones and Sarah Randle Ecuador's president Alfredo Palacios has stood up to pressure by the US and refused to sign a bi-lateral pact that would give US citizens immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The US has consequently cut aid to Ecuador, as it has done in 11 other nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 100 countries have signed US immunity agreements while 53 countries have declined. http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1135 Strong-arm Voting Tactics in the House Reviewed by Bailey Malone, Charlene Jones and Chris Bachelder House Republicans continue to maneuver around congressional rules in order to push through controversial legislation by thin margins. In July, a 15-minute vote on CAFTA was held open for 63 minutes to pressure Republicans who voted "no" into changing their votes. Most recently, a five-minute vote for the Gasoline for America's Security Act was held open for 46 minutes, until the legislation gained enough votes to pass. Each bill passed by two votes. Sources: On Gasoline for America's Security Act: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/100805Z.shtml http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=9864105&src=rss/topNews Objections by Democratic Representatives: http://www.kucinich.us/floor_speeches/en_parl_inquiries7oct.php On CAFTA: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/29/1420251&mode=thread&tid=25 http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/cafta/3374.html Sign up for Monthly Project Censored Real News Reports http://www.projectcensored.org/contact/emailsignup_form.html Unsubscribe http://www.projectcensored.org/contact/emailremoval_form.html -- Peter Phillips Ph.D. Sociology Department/Project Censored Sonoma State University 1801 East Cotati Ave. Rohnert Park, CA 94928 707-664-2588 http://www.projectcensored.org/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. 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