in Stories Reviewed in Prior Years
Project Censored Editorial Board: Carolyn Epple, Charlene Tung, Dorothy Freidel, Francisco Vazquez, Greta Vollmer, Jeanett Koshar, Mary Gomes, Michael Ezra, Myrna Goodman, Patricia Kim-Rajal, Philip Beard, Rashmi Singh, Rick Luttmann, Ronald Lopez, Stephanie Dyer, Thom Lough, Tim Wandling, Tony White, Gary Evans MD, Andy Roth, Ben Frymer, Wingham Liddell, April Hurley MD and Karilee Shames
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