Carter says Hamas may recognize Israel if Palestinians approve peace deal; Lugo ousts Paraguay's Colorado party after 61 years in power...

21 April :: Carter says Hamas leaders may be willing to recognize Israel's right to exist, in exchange for lasting peace, even if negotiated by rival Fatah group, so long as accord is submitted to Palestinian people in referendum; CNN cites Carter saying at the start of his trip: "I'm not a negotiator, I'm just trying to understand different opinions and communicate, provide communications between people that won't communicate with each other"... Paraguay opposition leader, Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop, won 40.9% of the vote, against ruling Colorado party candidate Blanca Ovelar's 30.7%; the win means a change in party for the first time in 61 years; some observers predict a volatile power struggle may ensue, though under Paraguay law, the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of margin of victory... Obama goes on the offensive in Pennsylvania, characterizing Clinton as a "compromised Washington insider"; Clinton fires back that Obama's attacks are effort to cover for last week's controversial ABC debate, in which a barrage of personal questions put the frontrunner on the defensive; Obama has been outspending Clinton 2-to-1 in ads in PA, and has narrowed her lead from 16% to between 4% and 6% in just a few weeks; NYT reports "Mr. Obama was using his fund-raising advantage to pay for a multimillion-dollar campaign that included sophisticated demographic targeting to find supporters in smaller cities" but is "also relying on old-fashioned tools, including sending supporters door-to-door, renting sound trucks to drive through urban neighborhoods and having volunteers serve as “town criers” to pass out literature on city buses"; Hillary and Bill Clinton have appeared across the state, trying to ensure Obama doesn't gain in the delegate race... NYT reporting that "In Japan and South Korea, some manufacturers for the first time have begun buying genetically engineered corn for use in soft drinks, snacks and other foods"; mounting international food shortages, coupled with soaring prices are causing what could be a fundamental shift in food production methods, with as yet unforeseeable consequences; some critics believe genetically modified foods could cause negative genetic and health-related impact in the human population...

UN warns worldwide food crisis imminent, if action not taken fast; Carter meets Hamas exiles in Damascus, talks of peace...

19 April :: "The global food crisis became official yesterday [15 April] when the UN called for urgent intergovernmental action and farming reforms to tackle the soaring prices that are plunging millions of people into potentially deadly poverty", reports UK's Independent; reports of riots from southeast Asia to the Caribbean, along with multiple border crises in the Horn of Africa, are leading to speculation that food scarcity may now be close to provoking regional conflicts... To the dismay of US, Israeli leaders, fmr. US pres. and Nobel peace laureate Jimmy Carter, has met for a 2nd time with two Hamas leaders in exile in Damascus, Syria; he says the group may be willing to talk peace with Israel; according to the AP, "On Saturday, Marzouk said Carter and Mashaal discussed a possible prisoner exchange with Israel, as well as how to lift a siege imposed by the Jewish state on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Carter, who brokered the 1978 Israeli-Egyptian peace, is trying to secure the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit"... FoxBusiness reports "Today John McCain, the ninth richest member of Congress, again showed the American people that his call for openness and accountability in government applies to everyone but himself. By only releasing two years of returns, he is the first nominee of either party since Ronald Reagan in 1980 to disclose that little information. And by failing to release his wife Cindy McCain's return, serious questions remain unanswered about how John McCain's position as a U.S. Senator may have benefited John and Cindy McCain's business ventures"; DNC Chairman Howard Dean said McCain's limited disclosure "continues a troubling pattern of thinking the rules don't apply to him"; Sen. Obama and his wife have released 8 years of returns, and Sen. Clinton and fmr. Pres. Clinton's returns dating back to 1977 are on public record, according to the same FoxBusiness report... Russian pres. Vladimir Putin denies rumors he secretly divorced his wife of 24 years for a star gymnast, 24-year-old Alina Kabayeva, whom his party named to sit in Parliament; the newspaper that printed the story has had its right to publish "suspended", officially for "financial" reasons...

Tsvangirai-Mbeki talks leave MDC with hope for Zimbabwe election outcome; Cuba lifts restrictions on buying consumer electronics, hotel stays...

11 April :: Tsvangirai "optimistic" after meeting with South Africa pres. Thabo Mbeki; opposition, some int'l observers accuse regime of intimidation tactics, including arrests, paramilitary sweeps, confiscation of property; ruling Zanu (PF) party has ceded to perception it could not have won majority, is pressing MDC to accept runoff vote... Cubans now able to buy cell phones, computers, or DVD players, or stay at hotels previously reserved for international tourists; while critics say the new rules are merely superficial changes, the gov't of Raúl Castro, which has announced no intentions of seeing through any deep political transition, says it hopes the new freedoms will allow for more pervasive economic reform over time; for most Cubans, the newly available items are stratospherically expensive, but access may be the most important change... Difference deepen within top ranks at Pentagon regarding Iraq troop reductions; Pres. Bush has committed large numbers of troops to Afghanistan, while Iraq field commander says he does not expect further cuts in troop levels or stabilization of situation in Iraq for several months... Sen. John McCain reported likely to forego private funding for his general election campaign, opt for public financing; move "severely limits the amount of money [McCain] can raise and spend", but his campaign is reportedly urging supporters to donate to the RNC, which can recieve more than ten times the donation per individual that any one candidate can; both Democrats have raised more than twice what McCain has so far, a likely motive for the decision; McCain has also reversed his position on public assistance for homeowners hit by the collapsing sub-prime mortgage market, after coming under heavy criticism for perceived "indifference" to working people's hardships...

Top Bush admin. officials approved "enhanched interrogation" techniques; Higgs predicts 'God particle' soon to be revealed...

10 April :: ABC News reported yesterday that "In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News"; Rice chaired the meetings, as National Security Adviser; according to the ABC News report: "At the time, the Principals Committee included Vice President Cheney, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft"... Physicist Peter Higgs predicts new CERN collider will discover 'Higgs boson', known as 'the God particle', early next year; Higgs theorized a primordial Higgs field, made up of a higher force that gives the universe mass, makes life possible, 4 decades ago... Palestinian officials say Bush plans to meet PA pres. Mahmoud Abbas in Sharm el-Sheikh for peace talks next month; other Arab leaders may also be in attendance... Microsoft, NewsCorp may team up in bid to takeover Yahoo!, which is reportedly in talks with TimeWarner to merge with AOL, seeking to reposition itself strongly against more profitable online rivals; projected mergers would reshape market for online goods, services... Despite protests from China's gov't, the Olympic torch was diverted with little announcement, to avoid clashes between human rights protesters and China supporters; Reuters reports "On a beautiful spring day, San Francisco deployed hundreds of security officers, including FBI agents backed up by police cars, harbor boats, jet skis and helicopters"; Hong Kong authorities also plan to divert the torch from its planned route, to avoid "embarrassing scenes"...

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed gets Navy defense attorney; famed Venice bar gives Americans 20% off for weak $; WH urges lenders to reduce homeowner debt...

9 April :: Reuters reporting: "The self-described mastermind of the September 11 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon [Khalid Sheikh Mohammed] has been assigned a U.S. military lawyer to defend him in the Guantanamo war court, where he could face execution if convicted, The Miami Herald reported"... Famed Harry's Bar, owned by Cipriani family, in Venice, offers 20% discount to Americans hit by plummeting dollar exchange; bar made famous by Ernest Hemingway, sees significant portion of business from American travelers... Bush admin. urging lenders to erase portion of homeowner debts to avoid swell in foreclosures; borrowers will be permitted to pay off lower total amount, lenders to secure money lost in revaluation by "other arrangements"... Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama now within 6 percentage points of Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, according to latest Quinnipiac University poll; Clinton supporters have said she must win PA handily to stay in race... Protesters gather in San Francisco as Olympic torch set to pass through, IOC says no detour for torch relay; protests in Paris, London marred by aggressive protests, heavy police presence... Fmr. VP Al Gore becomes "green" political commodity for Dem candidates: both Obama, Clinton regularly phone Gore, consult on ecological issues; Gore has yet to endorse either candidate, will cast a "super-delegate" vote at DNC...

Pakistan PM frees detained judges; DoJ gives approval to XM, Sirius merger; Clinton calls for emergency actions to prevent foreclosures...

25 March :: Yousaf Raza Gillani, newly appointed Pakistan PM of coalition gov't frees judges deposed, detained under Musharraf's martial law decree; Gillani was once jailed by Musharraf over corruption allegations when he seized power... US Dept. of Justice yesterday announced approval merger of two satellite radio giants XM and Sirius, leading to potential absolute monopoly of satellite radio market... Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday called for $30 billion for states to reduce incidence of foreclosures, also proposing a "high-level emergency working group" made up of former top finance and economic officials to tackle economic crisis; Barack Obama's campaign has countered that he has called for a "homeownership preservation summit", claiming that his panel would include more diverse economic interests and points of view; Clinton noted that "The Fed extended a $30 billion lifeline to prevent Bear Stearns from imploding,” adding that "Homeowners, on the other hand, have received next to no assistance. Well, let’s be clear — when families are losing their homes, that’s also a financial crisis"...

Australia plans increase in food aid, due to soaring prices; Bhutan becomes democracy; new Tibet protests reported in Qinghai province, China...

24 March :: Australia's gov't is contemplating increases in food aid to poor regions, nations, after study of soarng food prices, mounting scarcity; SMH reports "A steep two-year rise in global food prices, which in Australia has triggered the Federal Government's inquiry into grocery prices, has taken a heavy toll on poorer populations, particularly in East Timor and Indonesia. Surging fuel prices, drought, changing diets and the use of arable land for biofuels have pushed average food prices up almost 40 per cent in the past year. Wheat prices have risen 80 per cent rise"... Crisis Policy Forum (a Sentido.tv sister publication) is now hosting an open discussion forum on food security in Africa, in hopes of achieving innovative new solutions to the complex multi-regional problem... Small Himalayan nation Bhutan votes today for National Assembly, will complete transition from monarchy to democracy; VOA reports "The two main parties vying for seats are both led by men close to the king, and analysts say they are ideologically similar. Both party leaders have already served terms as prime minister, and one of them, Sangay Ngedup, is a member of the royal family", the young king leading campaign for democracy, will become head of state under new constitution... Tibetan exile community has reported new protests in Qinghai province in western China against Tibet crackdown; reports of demonstrations against Beijing's Tibet policy in Sichuan province include rumors of troops firing into crowds of civilians, in one case allegations of 23 dead... In rough press day for Republican presidential candidate, USA Today alleges more than one-third of lobbyists who have contributed to McCain's campaign have worked as telecom lobbyists during the last decade; his campaign denies he does favors for lobbyists or special interests, and Sen. McCain has sponsored legislation to limit the influence of lobbyists in crafting legislation; NY Times reports it may have been McCain aides who approached Democrats about switching parties in 2001 and about running with Kerry in 2004, McCain camp continues to deny he approached Dems... US economic data visits worrying extremes: avg. price for 1 gallon regular unleaded gasoline hits all-time record of $3.26, with some surveys saying nationwide avg. is $3.28 and rising; CNN also reports increasing numbers of middle-aged adults (40 to 55) making arrangements to move back in with parents in wake of layoffs, foreclosures or financial straits...

4,000th US soldier killed in Iraq, 5 years into war; NASA scientist says administrations have tried to "control" release of scienctific data...

23 March :: US military has reported 4,000th soldier killed in Iraq conflict; BBC reports 4 US soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad, "In Baghdad, the heavily-fortified Green Zone suffered sustained mortar and rocket fire, which killed at least 15 civilians"... Dr. James Hansen, NASA's leading climate scientist, says both Republican and Democratic administrations have slowed the release of vital scientific findings, seeking to "control" science in line with political goals... US VP Dick Cheney has said the establishment of a Palestinian state is "long overdue", as some expect he will apply pressure to Israel to cease settlments in the West Bank; Financial Times reports "Dick Cheney, US vice-president, on Sunday met Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, as part of his tour of the Middle East. He criticised Hamas for the rocket attacks launched from Gaza on Israeli cities, saying they posed a threat to peace talks"...

EPA tightens controls on ground-level ozone; Brazil steps up fight against illegal logging in Amazon...

13 March :: The Environmental Protection Agency plans to tighten standards for ground-level ozone pollution, reducing the maximum allowable from 84 parts-per-billion to 75 ppb over an 8-hour period; critics say "implementation could be decades away", depending on regulatory procedure and court review; last year, an official review suggested maximum allowable ozone levels of 60 to 70 ppb... Illegal logging on rise in Amazon, Lula gov't of Brazil launching efforts to combat illegal logging cartels, contributing ever more to the systematic deforestation of the world's largest rainforest, with agents living deep in the forest in order to track and prevent timber poaching... A study of teenage American girls found that 1 in four carried at least 1 of four common sexually transmitted diseases; of those infected with human papillomavirus, chlamydia, genital herpes or trichomoniasis, 15% had more than one of the microbes in their system; critics attribute the "alarming" figures in part to a federal government emphasis on abstinence as the ideal mode of prevention, and a reduced funding emphasis on education about health and safe-sex... Onetime Democratic vice-presidential candidate (1984), Geraldine Ferraro, has resigned from Sen. Clinton's campaign finance committee and refused to apologize for remarks reducing Sen. Obama's "movement campaign" to race (an issue the candidate himself has never used for political gain); Sen. Clinton had admonished Ferraro for her remarks but had not removed her from the campaign's funding apparatus; Ferraro's insistence that her remarks were not racist have been undermined by press revelations about similar remarks she made about other black candidates (ref.: Jesse Jackson in 1988)...

Democrats propose ex-parte defense right for telecoms, no immunity; CentCom commander resigns amid perceptions of opposition to Bush Iran policy...

12 March :: Democrats propose permitting telecom firms to defend themselves in ex parte communications with judges, away from view of plaintiffs, where evidence includes classified national security information; move is designed to allow court cases to move forward, permit phone companies right to mount defense, but with no offer of retroactive immunity for any potential violations of federal law; move is challenge to White House whose complaint about lawsuits was from concern over release of classified information... Admiral William Fallon, head of US Central Command, which oversees entire Middle East, East Africa, South Asia region, resigns amid growing press reports of rift between admiral, White House over possible war with Iran; recent Esquire magazine article called Fallon "the strongest man standing between the Bush Administration and a war with Iran"; Fallon himself has said there are no actual policy differences, though some observers expresss concern he may have been forced to step down... In effort to stave off further deterioration in credit, banking, real estate markets, "The US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and central banks in the UK, Canada and Switzerland will inject billions of dollars into money markets"; some $200 billion in loans to banks is designed to promote expansion of lending to individuals, small businesses... Scientists achieve direct command-structure between chemical-molecular "brain", mulitple nano-devices, leading to potential direct remote control for nanotech-equipped robotic devices, far more efficient computing capabilities...

House Judiciary committee sues to force 2 Bush aides to testify; human rights group warns Guantánamo trials "tainted by coercion"...

11 March :: NY Times reports "The House Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to force the White House chief of staff and the former White House counsel to cooperate with the committee’s investigation into the firing of a group of federal prosecutors"; Bolten, Miers have been protected by Bush-appointed AG Mukasey, who refused to pursue contempt charges against the two White House officials... Watchdog Human Rights First says Guantánamo trials "tainted by coercion", alleges at least 66 inmates have credible claims of abuse, warning that the unprecedented "military commissions" system set up by the White House "makes justice for the victims of 9/11 and other acts of terror less rather than more likely to happen any time soon"; Human Rights Watch also denounced the system as violating Constitutional requirements for due process, calling on the administration to "end this failed experiment with military justice"... A record 56.7 million people visited the US from abroad last year, the first time since Sept. 2001 that the 2000 record figure of 51.2 million was eclipsed; according to Reuters, "Foreign visitors also spent a record $122.7 billion in the United States last year, a rise of more than 50 percent from a low set in 2003 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks"...

Anti-depressants, sex-hormones, anti-biotics, painkillers found in US drinking water; Spain's PSOE wins 2nd consecutive term...

10 March :: Anti-depressants, sex-hormones, painkillers and anti-biotics in significant quantities (though reporting has used term "trace amounts", which does not necessarily speak to quantity) in 24 of 28 US metropolitan areas tested; contaminated drinking water goes to 41 million Americans; health effects unknown, but potentially concerning as "Experts say medications may pose a unique danger because, unlike most pollutants, they were crafted to act on the human body"... Spain's Socialist party (PSOE) has expanded its representation in Congress and returned Pres. José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero to power for another 4-year term; the opposition Popular party (PP) also gained seats, but remained in the minority; election day speculation counts Catalán nationalist party CiU as a likely coalition partner, as traditional progressive allies ERC and IU-ICV both lost ground and together would not bring enough seats to give Zapatero an absolute majority... NY governor Eliot Spitzer, a popular Democrat, has been reported to be linked to a prostitute as part of a federal investigation; he apologized for violating his obligations to his family, but did not announce his resignation; if Spitzer were to resign, Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson would become New York's first African American governor; it is not yet clear whether Spitzer will face criminal charges...

Sharif, Zardari form Pakistan governing coalition; Obama wins Wyoming, Democrats take Hastert's old seat in special election...

9 March :: Sharif, Zardari form coalition gov't in Pakistan, calling into quesiton the viability of Pres. Pervez Musharraf, politically; Musharraf has lost substantial support for his hardline attempts to reform the nation's government structure in his favor, declaring martial law, throwing out judges who ruled against him, detaining lawyers and muzzling the press; former PM and Musharraf arch-rival Sharif is quoted by VOA saying "The restoration of the deposed judges, as it was on 2nd of November 2007, shall be brought about through a parliamentary resolution to be passed in the National Assembly within 30 days of the formation of the federal government"... Barack Obama wins Wyoming caucus, by margin of 61% to 38% over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, with 7 and 4 delegates going to the candidates, respectively; though the vote has little effect on the overall delegate totals, it is considered important as a show of momentum over the long-term, after Clinton picked up 3 wins last week... Bill Foster, a Democrat, has won the seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, in a special election called after Hastert's resignation last year, defeating Bill Oberweis by a margin of 53% to 47%; Republicans have sought to play down the loss, while Democrats say it is a rebuke of presidential candidate John McCain, who supported the local GOP candidate... In move that could inflame already flashpoint tensions, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has approved a plan to build 750 new settlement homes in the West Bank; the US and EU have called for Israel to halt its settlement construction in the Occupied Territories and to phase in a withdrawal in the interests of a peace initiative sponsored by the US pres. George W. Bush; Israel, Palestinians have clashed heavily over last few weeks as Israel launched raids and missile attacks on Gaza in effort to deter Hamas rocket attacks into Israel...

Bush vetoes ban on waterboarding; Wash. Post reports Iraq war to cost more than $3 trillion...

8 March :: US pres. George W. Bush has vetoed legislation that would have barred the CIA from using harsh interrogation techniques classed by critics as torture, such as "waterboarding", a form of simulated drowning; the New York Times reports the veto is affirmation of Bush's "legacy" as jealous defender of expanded executive power: "The veto deepens his battle with increasingly assertive Democrats in Congress over issues at the heart of his legacy. As his presidency winds down, he has made it clear he does not intend to bend in this or other confrontations on issues from the war in Iraq to contempt charges against his chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, and former counsel, Harriet E. Miers"; the veto is Mr. Bush's 9th since 2001, though 8 have come in the last 10 months, with the Democrats in control of Congress... Washington Post published for its Sunday edition a story detailing the $3 trillion cost of the Iraq war, drawing the sharp distinction between that bill and the estimated $60 billion budget touted by then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in the months before the war began; though the death benefits paid to families of fallen soldiers amounts to $500,000, "far less than the typical amount paid by insurance companies for the death of a young person in a car accident", society as a whole, and the gov't, pay doubly, by all the revenues lost from that individual's future work and taxpaying; the strain to the system of public financing is more severe than what raw numbers of emergency appropriations would seem to indicate...

Democrats debate 'do-over' for Florida, Michigan; Obama smashes fundraising records with $55M in Feb; Russian arms dealer in Thai custody...

7 March :: "Pariah states" Florida, Michigan, punished for voting early in party primaries, now want "do-over" opportunity, as DNC, state gov'ts spar over who would fund a re-vote; Clinton campaign announces $35 million fundraising peak in February, including an astounding $4 million in 48 hours after Tuesday's vital wins in Texas, Ohio, yet Barack Obama's "army of small donors" reportedly has given him $55 million in the month of February, far beyond any previous record for any candidate; Obama has said he will use the momentum of his campaign to answer charges leveled at him by his rival Democrat from New York... New York Times reports "Viktor Bout, 41, is suspected of supplying weapons to the Taliban and Al Qaeda and of pouring huge arms shipments into Africa’s civil wars with his own private air fleet. He was arrested by the Thai authorities at a hotel in Bangkok in an operation in which undercover investigators posing as rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, sought to purchase millions of dollars in arms"; yesterday, ABC News reported that "In a January 2005 letter to Congress, then-Assistant Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz admitted the Defense Department 'did conduct business with companies that, in turn, subcontracted work to second-tier providers who leased aircraft owned by companies associated with Mr. Bout'", though the NY Times and various other major media outlets have failed to report this vital piece of information in much of their reporting about Bout's arrest and pending extradition requests...

Massive rally in Philippines calls for Arroyo's resignation; state of Georgia yet to reform police pensions so 1st black officers get full benefits...

2 March :: A demonstration estimated in excess of 50,000 and including former presidents Corazon Aquino and Joseph Estrada called for Philippine pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation, amid allegations her husband took multi-million-dollar kickbacks in a telecommunications deal... State of Georgia yet to reform pension system to permit African American police officers who worked before 1976 to collect full pension state pays to retired white officers and those who joined the pension system after that date; state Rep. Tyrone Brooks says he will push to take the case to litigation if the legislature does not act... Ahmadinejad visits Baghdad, says trip aims to achieve regional peace and security; Iranian pres. will meet with Iraq pres. Jalal Talabani and PM Nouri al-Maliki, both of whom have visited Teheran since taking office; Ahmadinejad has said the two nations share close ties and have a shared interest in establishing peace in Iraq, which he says includes the withdrawal of US troops... IHT reports "Israeli aircraft and troops attacked Palestinian positions in northern Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 54 people and wounding more than 100 in the deadliest day of fighting in more than a year. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded, the military said"...

SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: 1 in 100 US Adults in Prison, All-time US Record, World's Highest Rate

For the first time in the nation's history, 1 in every 100 adults in the United States is behind bars. Fully 1% of the adult population is in prison. The US incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world, including Communist China, with a population more than 4 times the size. The US Justice Dept. calculates incarceration as measure of the total population; by its standard, 1 in every 130 Americans is in prison, including every man, woman, child and senior citizen.

According to the report form the Pew Center on the States: among certain groups, the numbers are even more alarming: among the Hispanic-American population, 1 in 36 adult men is incarcerated; among adult African Americans, 1 in 15 is in prison, while 1 in 9 black men between the ages of 20 and 34 is imprisoned (fully 11% of African American men between 20 and 34).

While the rate of Americans incarcerated has increased four-fold in the last 3 decades, incidents of violent crime have decreased by only 25% since the early 1980s. According to the International Herald Tribune, the Pew report "also found that one in 355 white women ages 35 to 39 is behind bars, compared with one in 100 black women."

The Pew center's managing director, Susan Urahn, is quoted as saying "We aren't really getting the return in public safety from this level of incarceration", while Prof. Paul Cassell, of the University of Utah, himself a former federal judge, argues (without the benefit of a comprehensive survey of case-files, evidentiary procedures, or the variation of incarceration threshold from place to place, "it would be a mistake to think that we can release any significant number of prisoners without increasing crime rates. One out of every 100 adults is behind bars because one out of every 100 adults has committed a serious criminal offense".

On the efficacy of escalating incarceration rates, The Washington Post reports that "Florida, which nearly doubled its prison population over the past 15 years, has experienced a smaller drop in crime than New York, which, after a brief increase, reduced its number of inmates to below the 1993 level."

King's College London's International Center for Prison Studies reports that Germany incarcerates roughly 93 of every 100,000 people, while the US rate is 750 per 100,000 (counting children, elderly and disabled). Spending on prison systems is now beginning to rival education and healthcare spending, with some states already seeing these vital services eclipsed.

The state of Vermont now spends 37% more on correctional facilities than it does on public universities and colleges. Paraphrasing State Sen. Richard Sears, WCAX-TV, from Vermont, reports "The cost of holding one female inmate at the Dale Correctional facility in Waterbury is almost more than tuition for six resident students at the University of Vermont".

With the cost of healthcare increasing at an unsustainable rate of 10% per year over the last several years, and government-funded healthcare programs increasingly pressed for revenues, state governments are facing difficult choices. Inner cities where municipal tax money may go equally to fund public schools and correctional facilities, see themselves drained of funding for schoolbooks, information technology, building-code upgrades and above all, top-quality faculty.

Oregon has the highest percentage of its general budget devoted to corrections, followed by Florida and then Vermont. According to the same Pew report that detailed incarceration rates, the 50 state governments combined spent in excess of $49 billion, 4.5 times the $11 billion spent two decades ago. The increase in prison spending was six times the increase in funding for higher education over the same 20-year span.

FIdel Castro steps down as Cuban leader after 49 years in power; France, US, UK officially recognize Kosovo...

19 February :: At 81, Fidel Castro has announced his retirement as head of state, potentially opening door to political reform, after 49 years under the regime he founded when his revolution took power in 1959; Cuban exiles have expressed little enthusiasm as in past, due to his brother's apparently firm hold on power... US, France, UK, officially recognize new Kosovo independent state, with Sec. of State Rice saying the US "has today formally recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state"; Spain, however has rejected the Kosovo declaration, its foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos saying "The government of Spain will not recognize the unilateral act proclaimed yesterday by the assembly of Kosovo", due to perceptions that Kosovo's regional assembly declaring independence without Serb approval could lead to similar actions in Spain's Basque region, or in Catalunya; EU in Brussels voted to allow member states to choose their own position toward Kosovar independence, has made no official joint declaration...

SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: Fidel Castro retires from Cuban leadership, potentially opening way for reform

Fidel Castro has announced he will retire from leadership of the Cuban government; in a letter published by the official state newspaper, Granma, he wrote that he "will not accept, I repeat, I neither want nor will accept, the position of president of the Council of State and commander in chief"; the move comes after nearly 50 years in power, and more than 18 months after a severe but undisclosed intestinal ailment forced him to cede power to his brother, Raúl...

Reaction to the news of Castro's official retirement was muted in Cuban expat capital Miami, as many say Castro has effectively transferred his regime to his brother, that Raúl has shown no signs of true democratization or reform; in summer 2006, when it was announced Castro would cede power to his brother temporarily, demonstrations were larger, celebratory, rumors circulated that led to reports Castro had already died; by now it seems the population has largely adjusted to Fidel Castro no longer being the true head of the regime, with his brother and allies firmly in power...

On 20 February last year, Fidel Castro was named anew to the Cuban Parliament, but he did not state at that time whether he was planning to leave power or not, leaving control of the government in his brother's hands; his announcement came just 5 days before the Parliament is to name a new central leadership council, including the role of head of state, embodied until now by Castro as president and commander-in-chief...

Dallas Morning News breaks US media silence on Sibel Edmonds case; Serbia pledges "peaceful" resistance to Kosovo independence...

18 February :: Dallas Morning News becomes first "mainstream" or corporate-owned US media outlet to run the now partially corroborated story regarding allegations of US officials' selling nuclear secrets to foreign operatives, possibly to enemy, terrorists; DMN ran revised edition of Philip Giraldi's investigative report from The American Conservative magazine questioning the US media's role in keeping the story from public view; among the information Sibel Edmonds is allegedly prohibited from disclosing are contacts between State and Defense Dept. agents and foreign spies, involving a transfer of cash, and the sale of nuclear secrets:

Ms. Edmonds' revelations have attracted corroboration in the form of anonymous letters apparently written by FBI employees. There have been frequent reports of FBI field agents being frustrated by the premature closure of cases dealing with foreign spying, particularly when those cases involve Israel, and the State Department has frequently intervened to shut down investigations based on "sensitive foreign diplomatic relations."

Giraldi's report also states that:

Curiously, the state-secrets gag order binding Ms. Edmonds, while put in place by DOJ in 2002, was not requested by the FBI but by the State Department and Pentagon – which employed individuals she identified as being involved in criminal activities. If her allegations are frivolous, that order would scarcely seem necessary.

the scope of the allegations and the peril posed by the alleged corruption to international peace and security, US foreign policy, and American lives, can scarcely be overstated, if the details Edmonds and corroborating FBI leaks are true... Kosovo braces for Serb resistance to independence declaration; Reuters reports "Serbia's leaders pledged peaceful resistance after Kosovo's declaration of independence on Sunday, but angry protesters turned to violence in Belgrade and a Serbian stronghold in Kosovo", while Russia, China openly declare the independence move troubling, illegitimate; EU debating official policy, as western powers plan mission to help build, protect, new state... Though the original ballot measure proposing splitting California's Electoral College votes by population has been withdrawn, report suggests ballot initiative continues "full steam ahead", with aim to sway presidential election tally nationwide; California would be the only state with such a system, some aim to pressure Gov. Schwarzenegger to back a rival proposal that would commit California's electors to backing the winner of the national popular vote, a nationwide campaign that aims to end the relevance of a system some say was designed to protect slave-owners' political interests...

ELECTION IRREGULARITIES: Reported "Zero" Count or Undercount of Obama Votes in Some NY Precincts Raises Questions

The Democratic party is again facing questions about its handling of the primary process in some precincts in New York City, where initial "unofficial" tallies reported zero votes for Sen. Barack Obama, of Illinois, rival of local junior senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party's presidential nomination. The undercounts appear to represent severe distortions of the actual tally, and occurred in areas where Obama's support rivaled Clinton's.

The question has been raised by several party leaders as to how any candidate could be expected to have received zero votes and why the problem was not corrected sooner. Some have suggested the extreme error points to the unlikelihood of wrongdoing, while others allege some sort of conspiracy to steal enough votes to add one or two delegates to the Clinton tally. There is no evidence of any campaign operatives being involved.

The New York Times has reported that its own review of election night tally reporting "found about 80 election districts among the city’s 6,106 where Mr. Obama supposedly did not receive even one vote, including cases where he ran a respectable race in a nearby district."

Their report also found that some of these contests were close enough that one or two votes could sway the precinct. "In the Harlem district, for instance, where the primary night returns suggested a 141 to 0 sweep by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the vote now stands at 261 to 136. In an even more heavily black district in Brooklyn — where the vote on primary night was recorded as 118 to 0 for Mrs. Clinton — she now barely leads, 118 to 116."

• New York Times: "Unofficial Tallies in City Understated Obama Vote"
  
• Daily News: "Hillary's New York superdelegates are feeling the heat"
  

Kosovo to declare independence from Serbia, EU to help organize new state; Musharraf says elections will go ahead in Pakistan...

17 February :: Kosovo to declare independence from Serbia today, according to reports from Pristina, EU agencies; EU officials said "around 1,900 international police officers, judges, prosecutors and customs officials and approximately 1,100 local staff will be based in headquarters in Pristina or located throughout the judicial and police system in Kosovo", according to CNN, with EU staff replacing the UN mission currently aiding in the running of the territory... Musharraf gov't says parliamentary elections will be held as scheduled, despite massive suicide bombing that killed at least 27 at secular candidate's campaign rally; opposition parties have criticized the gov't for the escalation of allegedly extremist-motivated violence, and fear the gov't may use the bombings as a pretext to suspend elections or take measures to fortify Pres. Musharraf's hold on power... New release of economic data paints worrying picture of coming trends in US economy; IHT reports "With the price of oil near record levels, import costs grew in January at the highest annual rate in a quarter century, the Labor Department said. In New York, manufacturing activity fell to its lowest level in five years. And consumers, responding to a national survey, said they felt worse about the economy than any time since the recession era of the early 1990s", also quoting High Frequency Economics economist as saying "The sustained volatility in the markets, the rise in energy and food prices and, of course, the catastrophe in the housing market, is making consumers extraordinarily miserable"... Report suggests organizing everyday household processes to be more environmentally-friendly has become standard part of domestic planning stress in some parts of US; a write-up in IHT suggests "The truth is, we're not living very naturally - we're in our cars, staring at the computer screen, separated most of the day from the people we love", but warns against using ecological considerations as a stand-in for other personal goals... Report suggests economic hardship, political disappointments, marginalization, lack of progress toward democracy, are combining to drive Egyptian youths first toward religion, then in some cases to radical fundamentalist movements that seek Islamic state, abolition of secular culture, specifically "With 60 percent of the region's population under the age of 25, this youthful religious fervor has enormous implications for the Middle East. More than ever, Islam has become the cornerstone of identity, replacing other, failed ideologies: Arabism, socialism, nationalism"...

Grain prices to soar by 35% in poor countries in 2008; US Senate bans harsh interrogations; bomb kills top Hezbollah agent in Damascus...

14 February :: Record-high grain prices will cause an untenable 35% minimum increase in poor nations' expenditures for cereals imports through July 2008, reports UN Food and Agriculture Organization; prices have increased rapidly due to record oil prices, dramatic deterioration of arable land in China — turning world's most populous nation into net importer of grain—, and diversion of crops in US, Brazil (world's top grain exporters) to bio-ethanol fuel production; combination of economic pressures expected to force a net reduction in expenditure for grain imports, signaling likely severe food shortages in poor countries... US Senate votes to ban waterboarding, other coercive interrogation techniques used by CIA in terrorist cases where gov't claims existing laws do not limit agents' behavior; Pres. Bush has said he will veto the intelligence bill if the ban were included; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a former PoW in Vietnam, who was subjected to torture, voted against the ban, while Democratic presidential candidates Clinton (D-NY) and Obama (D-IL) did not vote, as they are hotly contesting upcoming primaries across the nation... Top Hezbollah "security strategist" Imad Mughniyeh assassinated in car bombing in Damascus, Syria, Israel said to be bracing for reprisals; many speculate Israeli security forces were behind the killing, though Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert has issued a statement saying "Israel rejects the attempts of terror elements to attribute to Israel any involvement"; Mughniyeh was considered responsible for many of Hezbollah's most serious attacks in the 1980s; a Lebanese parliament minister said of Mughniyeh "This is a loss of a major pillar in resistance work. He was an expert at making victories and building fighting capacities against Israel. He played an essential role in all resistance activities, especially the last war", some speculate the killing could lead to another Israel-Hezbollah war along the disputed Lebanese border areas...

POTOMAC PRIMARIES: Obama sweeps VA, DC, MD by wide margins, claims frontrunner status; McCain widens lead with sweep as well...

Illinois senator Barack Obama scored three convincing wins over rival Hillary Clinton, senator for New York, in the Democrats' 'Potomac primaries'. Obama won Virginia by a margin of 64% tp 35%, Maryland by a margin of 60% to 37%, and the District of Columbia by a margin of 75% to 24%, over Clinton. Sen. Clinton declined to congratulate her opponent for the victories and has focused her campaign's attention on upcoming contests. She also chided the Illinois senator for not yet accepting an invitation to debate in Wisconsin ahead of the primary there next Tuesday.

Arizona senator John McCain has hardened the perception that he is the nominee of his party, sweeping the same three primaries. Conservatives in Virginia showed skepticism for some of his policies and/or senatorial record, shifting their vote to Mike Huckabee. McCain has sought to assuage doubts about his allegiance to current GOP policies by voting against a ban on harsh interrogation techniques and promising to make Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, though he initially opposed them.

McCain has also begun to attack the new Democratic frontrunner personally, with Obama responding that he respects McCain's record of service, disagrees with his policies and looks forward to a vigorous debate (should he win his party's nomination). Ironically, McCain also sought to take up the mantle of Obama's crusade for change, using Obama's very words and claiming he's "fired up and ready to go".

ELECTION IRREGULARITIES: Louisiana Democrats Disenfranchised When Party Registration Switched

The presidential campaign of Barack Obama has issued a statement regarding reports of voter-registration irregularities in Louisiana that allegedly led to the denial of the vote to hundreds of people. The Obama campaign website published the following:

The Obama campaign submitted an urgent request for assistance to the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections today, after receiving widespread reports from Democrats across Louisiana who reported that they were not allowed to vote because their party affiliation had been switched. Hundreds of Louisiana democrats went to the polls to vote in today’s presidential primary and found that they were now on registration lists as Independent or Unaffiliated voters.

The outcome of the voting in Louisiana appears to be a win for the Illinois senator, but his campaign has been vehement in pushing for greater access to the polls for would-be voters, and took issue with the manner in which voters' party registration was allegedly switched without their knowledge.

The investigative blogsite, Bradblog, has published this summary of a wave of irregularities in the primaries held in recent days:

Georgia: Widespread bottlenecks for voters as problems occur with Diebold's new e-pollbook system and the state's new Photo ID restrictions. Voters waited in line for up to two hours in some places.

New Mexico: 17,000 (11%) forced to vote on provisional ballots in Democratic Caucus as previously registered Democrats find they are no longer on voter rolls recently privatized by voting machine company ES&S.

Arizona: We've begun receiving reports from voters and local officials of polling places where some 40% of voters were forced to vote on provisionals, after state registration system outsourced to ES&S. [UPDATE: One such report is now published here, from a poll worker who reports that of 1291 ballots cast at her polling place, 540 --- some 41% --- were forced to vote provisionally.]

California: Various reports of voters registered for one party to find they were switched to another, or not registered at all. Confusion about how to handle non-partisan voters in Los Angeles County leads to nearly 100,000 votes which may not be counted properly.

Problems with electronic voter-registration records, with the management of these systems by private contractors, and especially where non-verifiable touchscreen machines have been used —leaving no physical record of voter intent, only a potentially (and in many cases to date proven to be) flawed electronic "tally"— are occurring in a disturbingly high number of places, and irregularities are already threatening to undermine the overall integrity of the 2008 election process across the United States.

• Brad Friedman: "Obama Camp Sends 'Urgent Request for Assistance' to Louisiana SoS as Voters Find Party Registration Switched"
• VotersUnite.org: "A non-partisan national grassroots resource for fair and accurate elections"
• Freedom's Phoenix: "To Arizona Voters & Ron Paul supporters... a story from inside the Election Process by Jeneen Zucker"

ELECTION IRREGULARITIES: Washington GOP Primary Called with 242 Vote Margin at Just 87% of Count

The presidential campaign of Mike Huckabee is "exploring all available legal options regarding the dubious final results for the state of Washington State Republican precinct caucuses". The state's Republican party halted the count at 87% of votes counted, a margin of just 242 votes separating John McCain from Mike Huckabee, and a reported 12,000 votes tallied to that point. Ron Paul was just 427 points behind Huckabee, in third place, when the counting was stopped.

The state Republican party then issued a press release around 2:30 am declaring John McCain the winner of the primary, despite not completing the vote count. At least 1,500 votes were expected uncounted when the state was called for McCain by the party, raising serious issues about the caucus organizers' adherence to the "intent of the voter" principle. The Huckabee statement goes on to declare that "more than one in eight Evergreen State Republicans have been disenfranchised by the actions of their own party."

• Brad Friedman: "Huckabee 'Not Ready to Concede', 'Looking at Some Legal Options' in 'Dubious' Washington State GOP Caucus"
• Huckabee Campaign: "Mike Huckabee's Presidential Campaign Issues Statement On Dubious Washington State GOP Caucuses"

Khmer Rouge tribunal facing budget crisis; G7 warn global economy at risk; Obama takes Wash., Louisiana, Nebraska; Huckabee takes Kansas, LA......

10 February :: Highest official yet from Khmer Rouge Cambodian regime, accused of murdering 1.7 million people in ideological purge 3 decades ago, stands trial, but tribunal is facing managerial crisis, related to allegations of mismanagement and lack of sustainable budget... Financial ministers from the "G7" group of industrialized democracies have said the prosperity of the world economy is at risk, citing a reduction in available credit, the collapse of the US housing market, and soaring petroleum prices... Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has won three decisive victories in primary votes this Saturday, defeating rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in Washington, Louisiana and Nebraska; the margin of victory was surprisingly wide in both Washington and Nebraska, roughly 68% to 32% over Clinton; turnout surged in Saturday's primaries, as it has elsewhere this year: NYT reports "In Washington, the Democratic party reported record-breaking numbers of caucusgoers, with early totals suggesting turnout would be nearly be nearly double what it was in 2004 — itself a record year — when 100,000 Democrats caucused"... Fmr Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee won the Republican contests in Louisiana and Kansas, surprising a party that has begun to rally around Sen. John McCain (AZ), its "presumptive nominee"; Huckabee has said he does not intend to withdraw from the race, despite McCain's massive lead in delegates to the Republican nominating convention; in Kansas, Huckabee took 60% of the vote, compared with McCain's 24%... Daily News reports "Calling herself a 'mother first,' Sen. Hillary Clinton blasted MSNBC Saturday and demanded further disciplinary action against a correspondent who suggested 27-year-old Chelsea had been 'pimped out' by her presidential campaign"; in a letter to NBC News president Steve Capus, the New York senator wrote "There's a lot at stake for our country in this election. Surely, you can do your jobs as journalists and commentators and still keep the discourse civil and appropriate"...

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: New Mexico Faces Questions of Process Integrity in Democratic Caucus

Reports from New Mexico are demonstrating a range of problems that faced voters during the Super Tuesday "nationwide primary" Democratic party caucuses there. The New Mexico caucus system is run by the party itself, and involves actual paper ballots, cast by each individual voting. But the list of voters eligible to participate is not maintained by the party itself or by the state, but instead by ES&S, an electronic voting-machine manufacturer.

Whether due to this layered management of the voter registration rolls or not, on the day of the caucus, some 17,000 New Mexicans were required to cast provisional ballots because despite being properly registered, their names did not appear on caucus attendee lists, and their official ballots were not provided.

In an astonishing parallel to this voter access glitch, it has been reported that at least three ballot boxes, full of uncounted ballots, were taken home and kept overnight by a county chairwoman for the Democratic party. The margin separating Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the voting, as this news emerged, was just 217 votes out of 136,000 cast (a difference of just 0.16%). The ballot boxes, which may now be tainted and will likely have to undergo an investigative audit before being counted and added to the totals, could easily contain the votes needed to change the outcome of such a close contest.

While problems with touchscreen voting caused New Mexico to cast aside that option, and to opt for paper instead, it has been reported that a number of precincts saw no paper ballots available and/or a shortage of provisional ballots. Governor Bill Richardson, a would-be presidential candidate in this year's race, has said he is "deeply disturbed by the reports that problems and delays at polling locations may have kept people from voting".

• Brad Friedman: "Party Official Kept Uncounted Ballox Boxes at Home Overnight as 200 Vote Margin Currently Seen in New Mexico's Democratic Caucus"

Bush admin. says waterboarding legal, may be used again; Malay destruction of Hindu temples sparks anger; UK bugs MP without warrant...

7 February :: Bush spokesman says "waterboarding" is legal, may be authorized for use at any time, "under certain circumstances"; critics express disbelief, as two recent laws, Supreme Court ruling clearly bar use of abusive interrogation techniques; according to the LA Times "The technique has been traced to the Spanish Inquisition and has been the subject of war-crimes trials dating back a century", and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (AZ) recently said in a televised debate he found it inconceivable "anyone could believe that [waterboarding is] not torture. It's in violation of the Geneva Convention. It's in violation of existing law"; it is thought the declaration by a White House spokesperson is based in part on the Bush administration's long-running, highly controversial assertion that Congress cannot dictate such policies to the Executive... Destruction of Hindu temples by authorities in Malaysia sparks ethnic tensions, allegations of a racist state that ignores the ethnic Indian minority; some 20,000 ethnic Indians defied a gov't ban against organizing a march through Kuala Lumpur to protest ill treatment, marginalization, demolition of places of faith and worship... Outcry in Britain over apparently irregular bugging of a minister of parliament who visited a constituent facing extradition to the US; according to the Christian Science Monitor "The outcry involving Sadiq Khan, whose conversations with a man facing extradition to the United States on terrorism charges were secretly recorded, has generated alarm that individual rights are increasingly becoming subordinated to national security"; the UK has until now resisted using wiretap evidence in court, but CSM adds that "Bugging and telephone wiretaps can be set up without recourse to a judge – unlike the vast majority of European democracies and the US. The home secretary authorized more than 3,500 spy operations in 2005 and 2006"...

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: Balloting Irregularities Reported in Los Angeles County, New Jersey & Georgia

As the most widespread presidential primary vote in US history took place yesterday, across the continent and beyond (American Samoa also voted), there were glitches, confusion and unjustifiable waits in states across the country. Three examples stand out: touchscreen machines failing in New Jersey, a suspiciously confusing ballot in Los Angeles, and multiple irregularities in Georgia, where long waits, questionable ID laws and more failing Diebold machines made voting a serious challenge by any rational standards.

In the case of Georgia, the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) —who won the state convincingly— has requested an investigation into irregularities that may have prevented some from casting votes, including the up to 90-minute waits reported and isolated cases of voters then being directed to alternate polling locations and an alleged campaign of phone calls to elderly voters telling them they could vote by phone (a lie, apparently designed to prevent their voting).

In New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine was forced to stand idle while his touchscreen voting machine did the same. Two touchscreen machines at the "Hoboken Fire Department Engine Company No. 2 on Washington Street would not work for about 45 minutes as the polls opened", according to a report by Brad Friedman, sourcing the Associated Press. Gov. Corzine was forced to wait at least 45 minutes while the problem was repaired. The votes were non-verifiable electronic votes, and FOX News reported that there were no provisional ballots made available at the polling place.

New Jersey is home to Rep. Rush Holt, a Democrat, who is the leading proponent in Congress for voter-verified paper trails for all touchscreen machines. He has two bills currently pending debate, which would mandate a nationwide voter-verified paper trail standard. Some complain that more appropriate legislation would be to ban all touchscreen machines outright, due to their numerous vulnerabilities to computer error, human error and tampering.

In Los Angeles, perhaps the most serious irregularities occured. On a registration form that precedes the ballot itself, and that requires voters to select their party affiliation or non-partisan affiliation, selecting "Independent" had the effect of registering the voter, likely inadvertently, as a member of the "American Independent" party, making them ineligible to vote in the Democratic primary.

Independent or unaffiliated voters eligible to vote were required to select either "Decline to State" —which grammatically does not mean there is no party affiliation—, or otherwise "DTS" or "Non-partisan", all of which appear unrelated to the interest of an independent voter interested in choosing a Democratic candidate of preference.

Any independent voter who selected Independent (capital "I") and not DTS or the related option, will have no vote counted in the California primary. The Los Angeles city attorney Rocky Delgadillo has requested an inquiry into the problem, which could disenfranchise literally hundreds of thousands of Californians. The specific problem is exacerbated by the fact that there is no logical reason for voters to select the bubble, since they have requested the Democratic ballot and are either officially registered or not with any given party.

Delgadillo issued a statement saying "I urge the Secretary of State and County Registrar to do everything within their power to ensure that every vote is counted, and to carefully weigh voter intent against this confusing Los Angeles County ballot design. [...] Los Angeles' non-partisan voters must not be disenfranchised because of a confusing ballot design."

As many as 776,000 voters with no party affiliation were expected to go to the polls in Los Angeles County, a number in itself far higher than most states' overall primary electorate. The mass confusion could certainly cause a huge drop in the number of ballots counted, according to Los Angeles County election rules.



[ You can find more on voter-verified paper trails and the all-votes-count standard at VerifiedVoting.org, which also hosts a map showing which states still use unverifiable paperless touchscreens, and which states require paper trails, manual recounts, and what level of the legislative process pending legislation may be at, at present. ]

• Brad Friedman: "More Details on the 'Double Bubble Trouble' in Los Angeles County"
• Why Tuesday.org: "Double Bubble Trouble (the LA County Ballot Confusion)"
• HuffingtonPost: "California's Butterfly Ballot"
• Ascribe: "Super Tuesday. And Wednesday, and Thursday" [by Tova Andrea Wang, Democracy Fellow at the Century Foundation]
• LA Times: "Glitches are the early front-runner in California"
• Brad Friedman: "Problems (and Confusion) at L.A. County Polls Today"
• SF Chronicle: "Calif. election officials expecting extended vote count"
• SF Chronicle: "Long lines of voters - may be record turnout"
• John Gideon (BB): "NJ Governor Delayed Casting Vote as Voting Machines Inoperable in Hoboken"
• Emily Levy (BB): "Voters Face Long Lines in Georgia as Voter ID Laws and Diebold's Crashing E-Pollbook System Slow Process"

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: Clinton, Obama Draw Even, McCain Takes Commanding Lead in GOP Race

The figures from the biggest day of primary voting in US history are coming in, and reveal a lot of interesting detail about the make-up of the campaigns. Sen. John McCain was the day's big winner, though he did not win enough delegates to seal the nomination. McCain, still struggling to convince many conservative Republicans, won 9 states on the day, including the big states of California, Illinois, Missouri, New York and New Jersey.

The Democratic contest was more complicated: Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York won her home state, as well as the big prize of California, but many of her victories were closer margins, whereas Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois won many smaller states, and by enormous margins, taking Idaho 80% to 17%, Alaska 74% to 25%, Kansas (where he was born) 74% to 25%, Minnesota 67% to 32% and Colorado by the same margin. There is some speculation that when the counting is done, Obama, who won more states but with much smaller populations, may come away with more delegates, due to the Democratic party's proportional delegate assignment rules.

Fmr. Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney won 6 states, possibly 7 if Alaska officially goes his way, including a 90% to 5% margin over McCain in Utah (Romney is a Mormon, Mormons comprising the majority of Utah's population). Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee also won 5 states, and has declared his intention to stay in the race and keep fighting for the nomination.

• NY Times: "Primary Season Election Results"
  

Chad calm after France threatens to intervene to protect gov't; CIA admits to using waterboarding in 3 interrogations; 24 states vote in primaries...

5 February :: Quiet in Chad capital N'Djamena, after France announces it will intervene to protect Déby gov't, rebels pull back; at least one Darfur rebel group also said it would fight to protect Déby's gov't, as it considers Déby an ally in its fight against the Sudan regime of Omar al-Bashir... CIA Director Michael Hayden told Congress today that his agency had used "waterboarding" in interrogations with 3 different suspects, but that the technique had not been used for 5 years; the simulated drowning technique is illegal according to several US military codes, and Congress is working to pass an outright ban; Reuters reports "Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and judiciary committee member, demanded that Attorney General Michael Mukasey investigate the CIA waterboarding and vowed to delay the nomination for Mukasey's deputy until the attorney general responds to that and other issues"; Justice is already investigating the destruction of evidence related to these interrogations, and investigators have authority to look into related criminal activity... 24 states to hold primaries, caucuses, in the largest single day of presidential primary voting in US history; Democrats expected to draw comparable numbers of convention delegates, while GOP looks to have clear frontrunner after Super Tuesday voting... US Congress to question Defense Dept. officials on war costs, demand more thorough, precise cost projections, as Democrat-controlled Congress organizes attack on Bush's $3.1 trillion spending plan; Defense Secretary Gates says the $515 billion Pentagon request is well thought out, what is needed to keep America safe, while many in both parties in Congress remain skeptical that money is being well spent in Iraq conflict... US Navy lawyer defending Canadian accused of aiding al-Qaeda says then 15-year old client was "a victim of al Qaeda, not a member of al Qaeda", that international law treats all child soldiers as involuntary victims of war, while prosecution argued that the legislation governing the Guantánamo special tribunals does not distinguish between adult and child soldiers, that Congress would have made the distinction, because it knew Khadr could face charges; there is no ruling as yet on the request... Mother of pop star Britney Spears has filed injunction against her daughter's manager, saying he drugged her daughter in effort to take control of her life, assets; Lynne Spears said in sworn statement that Lutfi stole her daughter's phone chargers, slipped drugs into her food, yelled and dominated her, and tried to cut contact from outside influences, and described the following scene: "She cleaned the house. She changed her clothes many times. She also changed her dogs' clothes many times. Britney spoke to me in a tone and with the level of understanding of a very young girl"...

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: As 24 States Go to Polls, Clinton in Dead Heat with Obama, McCain Leads GOP

The biggest prize in the Super Tuesday 24-state primary vote today will be California, with more than 36 million inhabitants, the most populous state in the nation. Observers expect Clinton and Obama to nearly split the delegates available, which amount to more than 50% of the total. The Republican contest could be close to being decided, if frontrunner McCain achieves a "sweep", as some expect, with more than 40% of delegates in play, and a winner-take-all rule in some GOP contests.



Until two weeks ago, Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY) led her principal Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama (IL) by a margin of more than 10%. By this weekend, that margin had shrunk to 2%, with some polls showing Obama with a lead. By this morning, polls suggested Obama has opened a 13 percentage point lead over Clinton 49% to her 36%, possibly gathering to his cause many voters who had supported the progressive campaign of fmr. Sen. John Edwards (SC). A SurveyUSA poll conducted during the same period shows Sen. Clinton with a 10% lead.

Georgia, where Obama holds a commanding 20 percentage point lead, according to the latest Zogby poll, is expected to be important to the candidate's maintaining momentum through the day and into the coming contests. Bloomberg reports "or the next 90 minutes after polls close in Georgia, returns will come in from 10 states, including primaries in the Northeast. Anything other than victory for New York Senator Clinton in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Delaware would be a coup for Obama, an Illinois senator."



Among Republicans, new frontrunner Sen. John McCain (AZ) has pulled ahead in many key states, and himself predicts he will defeat rival Mitt Romney in his home state of Massachusetts. Pollster John Zogby says "It looks like a big day for McCain with Romney making a last stand in California".

McCain's momentum, based on his victories in South Carolina and Florida, seems to give him the edge in terms of support and energy, though many conservative Republicans are wary of his "credentials" in the area of social and fiscal conservatism. His tough talk on issues of war and security has brought momentum from that part of the Republican electorate concerned about defense issues, though there is general skepticism across the nation on issues of economic recovery and fiscal policy.

• Reuters: "Obama, Romney lead in California on Super Tuesday"
  
• Reuters: "Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Super Tuesday Polls"
  
• Bloomberg: "Clinton, Obama, McCain, Romney Battle Coast to Coast"
  

Bush presents record $3.1 trillion budget; France does not intervene to stop Chad rebels, despite UNSC approval; London creates low-emissions zone...

4 February :: US pres. George W. Bush has presented the nation's first federal budget exceeding $3 billion in spending; while giving generous expansions to defense spending, the budget seeks to cut $196 billion from healthcare spending, and projects near record budget deficits for at least two years; Bush claims that part of the 6% increase in spending is tied to the planned $145 billion economic stimulus package he's working with Congress to implement... Fmr. colonial power, ally France stands aside as rebels attack Chad gov't, though officially it says it supports the elected gov't, UNSC approves unilateral action by France to protect Déby gov't, condemns rebels; Sarkozy gov't says it plans to ensure joint EU "humantarian protection force" for Darfur refugees in eastern Chad (EU's largest ever common defense deployment) be implemented to protect aid routes... French pres. Sarkozy has lost support rapidly among electorate, his approval dropping 13 points in January alone, to 41%, as economic woes seem by many to go unattended; his wedding Saturday to singer Carla Bruni was unannounced, and did not even include the official presidential photographer... London establishes 610 sq mile low-emissions zone, within which violators who do not meet EU emissions standards for transport vehicles will be charged £200 per day to operate; Mayor Ken Livingstone is quoted as saying "In a modern world city, people should have the opportunity to live and work without fear of being poisoned by the air they breathe", though the plan is projected only to eliminate 16% of air pollution by 2012... Millions assemble in cities around world in "global rally" against FARC rebels in Colombia, demanding peace, end to bloodshed; Bloomberg reports "Millions of Colombians dressed in white marched throughout the country and in major cities worldwide today to express outrage at 40 years of violence and kidnapping by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia"; over 100,000 people were reported to have registered their participation in the rally on the social networking site Facebook...

Chad rebels stage coup attempt, refugee aid may be stalled; Obama, McCain gain momentum in CA...

3 February :: Surge in violence in Chad appears to be coup attempt against Déby gov't in N'Djamena; France has begun evacuating foreigners from Chad, in face of what could be severe violence between rebels, gov't; rebel offensive comes just days before EU "humanitarian protection force" set to arrive in Chad... CSM reports "If President Idriss Déby's government falls by military coup, humanitarian aid operations feeding nearly 400,000 Sudanese refugees and displaced Chadians will be thrown into disarray, and half a dozen Darfur rebel movements taking refuge in Chad may be forced to move their bases back into the troubled Sudanese region"... New poll in CA shows Obama, McCain dramatically increasing support in recent weeks; Obama now runs even with Clinton, whom he trailed by 12 percentage points just two weeks ago, while McCain surging to an 8 percentage point lead over closest rival Romney; Obama also has edge over Clinton against McCain in general election, according to poll, with respondents saying they would vote Obama over McCain 47% to 40%, or Clinton over McCain 45% to 43%...

Mentally disabled women used as suicide attackers in Baghdad; Google facing lawsuit for censorship in China...

2 February :: Wash. Post reports "Two mentally disabled women strapped with remote-control explosives — and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers — brought carnage to the two pet bazaars, in attacks Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said sought to 'turn Baghdad back to the pre-surge period'"; at least 99 people were killed in the two blasts... FT reports "A Chinese scholar who challenged the Communist government by setting up a democratic opposition party has vowed to sue the US internet company Google for excising his name from its local search results"; Google and other internet giants have been criticized by rights activists, Congress, public for aiding Chinese Communist party gov't in censoring internet available to its people; Google, whose company motto is "don't be evil", had promised it would alert users any time information is censored with a message about "local laws", but reportedly did not do so in at least this case... Effort to create wi-fi cooperative at Cambridge Univ., England, could mean new standard for providing inexpensive or even free wireless internet across cities; obstacles persist, but cities, academics, internet users continue to search for viable method for expanding access without reducing security...

3rd undersea internet cable cut in recent days; US economy loses 17,000 jobs, signaling slowdown; eye-tracking tech moves into video-gaming...

1 February :: After two undersea internet cables were cut by unknown means in recent days, in the Mediterranean, a third has been cut in the Persian Gulf, off the emirate of Dubai; two of the cables belong to FLAG Telecom, and the cuts interrupted phone and web traffic from Europe to India... Bloomberg reporting "The U.S. unexpectedly lost jobs for the first time in more than four years, increasing the odds the economy will fall into a recession and making it likely the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates another half point next month [...] Payrolls fell by 17,000 in January after an 82,000 gain in December that was larger than initially reported, the Labor Department said today in Washington. None of the 80 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted a decline"... Advances in eye-tracking and "attention awareness" software-driven mechanisms heighten challenge of video game, or performance of pilots, depending on application; researchers say eye-tracking technology could be an important way to improve the effectiveness of certain tools or services... Violent "mob" of estimated 3,000 in Kenya's Rift Valley reportedly killed a policeman with machetes; gov't security forces have vowed a severe crackdown, to try to end spreading violence; opposition movement says security forces have used brutal tactics against protesters demonstrating against Pres. Mwai Kibaki's gov't o alleging electoral fraud in December vote... Microsoft has offered $44.6 billion in effort to take over internet search giant Yahoo!, whose stocks have struggled as it gives ground to Google in market dominance...

HRW reports US, EU backing "sham democracies" in some cases; Barack Obama sets campaign fundraising record with $32 million in January...

31 January :: Human Rights Watch, in its annual report, criticizes leading democracies, namely US and EU nations, for backing "sham democracies" for the sake of political or strategic expediency; HRW reports "Such divorcing of democracy from the international standards that give it meaning helps to convince autocrats that mere elections, regardless of the circumstances, are sufficient to warrant the democrat label"... Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) sets all-time record taking in $32 million in contributions in month of January; it is expected Obama may continue to raise large amounts, with donations spread out across a large number of small-quantity donors; rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has depended on large donations which put many donors at legal limit already... Republican Sen. John McCain has received the endorsement of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in what may be a key boost ahead of the 24-state "Super Tuesday" primary vote on 5 February... According to Christian Science Monitor, "The snowstorms currently sweeping China have wreaked havoc with millions of people's New Year travel plans and caused $3 billion worth of losses, including thousands of acres of winter crops"...

Ethnic violence spreads in Kenya, US envoy says "ethnic cleansing"; Australia to apologize to Aboriginal minority for past abuses...

30 January :: US envoy to Kenya, visiting to evaluate tribal violence spreading across east African nation, says "clear ethnic cleansing" taking place in efforts to purge certain areas of Kikuyu tribe members, loyal to fellow Kikuyu, Pres. Mwai Kibaki, accused by opposition of rigging December elections... CSM reports on observers' feeling that violence in Kenya can be stemmed, peace restored, before ethnic clashes become full-scale war, in some areas where Kikuyu, Kamba are majority of population, violence has yet to spread, but fears of spreading clashes have ignited tensions, could send entire country into "spiral of violence", driven by ethnic hatred, from which it would be difficult to emerge into peace in coming weeks, months... NY Times reports "The new Australian government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will apologize for past mistreatment of the country’s Aboriginal minority when Parliament convenes next month, addressing an issue that has blighted race relations in Australia for years"... Sen. McCain wins Florida, Romney 2nd, McCain leading among senior citizens, Hispanics and moderates, as well as those who put economy first among concerns, while finishing close to Romney with self-professed conservative Republicans; Sen. Clinton finished ahead of Sen. Obama in the Democratic primary, as record 1.7 million voted, but because Florida's Democratic party violated DNC rules by moving its primary to January, it will send no delegates to the nominating convention... FT reports "The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday slashed its forecast for US growth and warned that no country would be immune from what it termed a 'global slowdown'", warning that US growth would slow to 0.8% in 2008, sharply down from previous projections...

Kennedy to endorse Obama in wake of SC win; IMF warns fiscal crisis could spread, worsen; Kisumu, Kenya, ablaze amid riots...

28 January :: Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) to announce support for candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL); sources tell press Sen. Kennedy will make announcement alongside niece, Caroline Kennedy, youngest daughter of assassinated pres. John F. Kennedy, who wrote in Sunday NY TImes that Obama has the capacity to inspire people the way her father did 5 decades ago... Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the IMF, has warned that the current global fiscal crisis could deepen if more governments to not act to revamp their overall fiscal policy, infuse markets with capital and promote stimulus packages that could bring about fiscal deficits but would loosen the spending potential of consumers and investors; the move is being called an "about-face" for a director and an institution which have promoted fiscal rigor and budget cutting as ways to ensure economic agility; observers now say subprime mortgage crisis could spread to credit cards and other banking services, further tightening available capital, slowing markets across borders, industries... City of Kisumu, Kenya, burns as rioters take to streets in protest against mounting ethnically-driven killings in the region; Kenya has descended into an increasingly indiscernible pattern of tribal and political violence, since the disputed December elections in which opposition leaders allege the sitting government rigged the vote, used violence to suppress opposition, stay in power...

Kenyan violence takes 50 lives since Thursday, Annan meets leaders; Obama wins SC 55% to Clinton's 27%...

27 January :: Tribal violence, spurred by Kenya's disputed election, continues to spread, with 50 dead in recent clashes; VoA reports "Local media report that people have been hacked with machetes, shot with bows and arrows and burned to death in their homes. Shooting in Naivasha continued late Sunday despite the arrival of soldiers and more police", and fmr UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan is in Kenya to try to help find a road to peace... Sen. Barack Obama wins Democrats' SC primary, with 55% of the vote, Sen. Clinton finishing 2nd with 27%, and fmr. Sen. John Edwards in 3rd with 18%, as unprecedented numbers of voters turned out to participate... Israeli PM Olmert, Palestinian Pres. Abbas meet to discuss resuming path to peace, reducing Gaza tensions; Olmert promised Abbas Israel would continue to ensure that humanitarian aid and vital supplies reached the isolated territory, to avert a humanitarian crisis...

SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: Center for Public Integrity launches site tracking all false statements made prior to Iraq war

"President George W. Bush and seven of his administration's top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Nearly five years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, an exhaustive examination of the record shows that the statements were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses." [Full Story]

Civil war in DR Congo has claimed 5.6 million lives in 10 years, 45,000 die per month; peace deal signed in eastern DR Congo bet. rival factions...

23 January :: DR Congo death toll since 1998 now stands at 5.6 million, with 45,000 still dying each month in 10-year ongoing civil war; Democracy Now! reports that "Amidst the deadliest conflict since World War II, hundreds of international corporations have reaped enormous profits from extracting and processing Congolese minerals", speculation has long weighed the possibility that neighboring gov'ts are eager to maintain factional rivalries in order to keep DR Congo's natural resource markets open... In eastern DR Congo, a peace deal has been signed between pro-government Mai Mai militia and rebel general Laurent Nkunda's faction; gov't has sanctioned deal which BBC reports "includes an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 13 key locations"Hamas agents have broken through Egypt-Gaza border wall to permit flow of refugees in search of food, supplies, as border closure continues to strain territory; Bloomberg reports "Hamas militants blew 15 holes in a security fence separating the Gaza Strip and Egypt, enabling thousands of Palestinians to leave the blockaded enclave to search for food and supplies"... US Federal Reserve Bank cuts interest rates a sharp 0.75%, leading to criticism from economists at the Davos Economic Forum; FT reports "Economists at the meeting warned that the monetary easing announced on Tuesday would not succeed in boosting a sickly US economy. Moreover, they said, by reacting to turmoil in equity markets, the Fed seriously risked creating the impression that it was most concerned with ensuring investors did not lose money"...

Food prices expected to rise for prolonged period; panic selling hits world markets; US surpasses EU in green tech investment...

22 January :: British agribusiness report suggests steep rise in food prices to continue over prolonged period; environmental degradation, water scarcity and climbing fuel prices will contribute to short supply, higher cost of production... Panic selling and steep Asian drop, for second day running, have caused massive losses in stocks across the world, as fears of US recession take root; FT reports "Tumbling Asian shares – which continued to fall early on Tuesday – led European stock markets into their biggest one-day fall since 9/11 as the prospect of a US recession and further fall-out from credit market turmoil prompted near panic among investors, who rushed to the safety of government bonds", with $490 billion lost on FTSE Eurofirst 300 index... Boom in Silicon Valley venture capital investment in renewables has US poised to overtake Europe as world leader in green technologies; according to FT, "European investment in clean technology companies last year was only a third of the $3.7bn ploughed into the field in the US, according to Cleantech Group, a specialist US research firm"...

Gaza City in darkness after power plant shutdown forced by border closing; NH recount uncovers human error, overcount of votes for some candidates...

21 January :: Lights out in Gaza City, as Palestinian authorities there are forced to shut down two turbines at Gaza power plant, due to Israel cutting off fuel supplies and other imports into Gaza Strip; officials there have said hospitals and emergency services will also be affected by the blackout; Israel says its effort is designed to slow and/or halt rocket attacks allegedly coming from Gaza, that it has not cut off the 70% of Gaza's electricity supply that comes from Israel itself... "Election integrity activists in New Hampshire are finding all kinds of problems with the electronic vote count in last week's presidential primary, after a first day of recounting the Democratic vote. But the problems so far have not changed the outcome of the race that Hillary Clinton won", according to a 17 January AlterNet report; The Concord Monitor is reporting that human error played a roll in erroneous counts conducted on the day of the primary vote: "A recount of ballots cast in Nashua's Ward 5 show that Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Joe Biden received a total of 110 votes less than originally reported because of human error", though so far the ongoing recounts have not turned up any error or manipulation serious enough to cause a change in the placing of top candidates...