Propeller.com Stories voted on by berkeley

Why Were We in Vietnam?

berkeley — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:25:39 EDT

Or we could argue that our onetime opposition to communism was noble and all that but that, unburdened by the illusions of the past, American business, backed by the American government, has realized that the problem with communism wasn't that it was undemocratic but that it was anti-capitalist.

Channel: Politics Tags: economy china viet nam capitalism greed

A Week of Hunger

berkeley — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:18:37 EDT

Larry Brown of the Harvard School of Public Health calculates that the total price tag of hunger to American society is about $90 billion a year. In contrast, Brown estimates it would only cost about $10 billion to $12 billion a year to "virtually end hunger in our nation."

Channel: Politics Tags: food stamps hunger

Waxman threatens contempt vote for Mukasey

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:25:50 EDT

On June 16, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Attorney General Michael Mukasey for documents related to the CIA leak scandal. In a letter today, Chairman Henry Waxman notes that Mukasey has not yet complied with this subpoena and threatened to hold him in contempt unless he produces a key FBI interview with Vice President Cheney.

Channel: Politics Tags: Michael Mukasey Henry Waxman CIA leak scandal Dick Cheney subpoena contempt of Congress

Black America

whgilmore — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:22:57 EDT

When Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's wife talked about America, she was most likely talking about an America most are not familiar with but African Americans. This is Black America.

Channel: Politics Tags: 2008 Campaign racism republicans Obama democrats

In 2007, Bush promised Iraq withdrawal if asked by Maliki

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:19:42 EDT

Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he would like to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Bush administration rejected the timetable. In an April 24, 2007 interview with Charlie Rose, however, President Bush said he would remove troops if asked by Iraq, but he predicted that Maliki would not ask for a withdrawal.

Channel: Politics Tags: Nouri al Maliki Iraq President Bush troop withdrawal timetable for troop withdrawal

McCain: Maybe Cigarettes Will Kill the Iranians

monicachenoa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:16:51 EDT

ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., made an off the cuff joke Tuesday about cigarettes killing Iranians. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was asked about the number of exports going to Iran, specifically the increase in cigarette exports.

Channel: Politics Tags:

Free This Detainee

berkeley — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:14:02 EDT

Huzaifa Parhat has been held as an enemy combatant for more than six years -- even though the government concedes he was never a member of the Taliban or al-Qaeda and never took part in any hostilities against the United States.

Channel: Politics Tags: guantanamo 1984 torture law cia ashcroft cheney alberto gonzales rumsfeld Huzaifa Parhat

McCain, the most absent member of Senate, blasts Congress for taking week off

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:14:01 EDT

On Tuesday, John McCain appeared on MSNBC and blasted Congress for being lazy. He said that instead of taking a Fourth of July recess, senators should have stuck around and passed a housing bill. But he hasn't been present for any of the 6 votes on the housing bill. In fact, he hasn't actually voted on anything in the Senate since April 8.

Channel: Politics Tags: John McCain absent from Senate voting record

John McCain can't handle Veteran's question over VA funding

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:08:33 EDT

In a Denver town hall meeting on Monday, a Vietnam veteran challenged John McCain on his Senate voting record, remarking he had voted against increasing vets health funding 4 years in a row. Ignoring the veteran's point, McCain testily and repeatedly insisted that he had 'received every award from every major veteran's organization in America'.

Channel: Politics Tags: John McCain veterans military medical care VA funding Senate voting record support the troops hypocrisy

Alcohol returns to Baghdad

monicachenoa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:04:37 EDT

Alcohol is openly for sale once more in Baghdad. All over the Iraqi capital, drink stores, which closed their doors in early 2006 when sectarian strife was raging, have slowly begun to reopen. Two years ago, al-Qa'ida militants were burning down liquor stores and shooting their owners.

Channel: News Tags:

The McCain Rules

ameliog — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:00:21 EDT

The press has been, with major exceptions, reasonably kind to Barack Obama. But that's nothing compared with its eagerness to adopt any argument even mentioned by the McCain campaign.

Channel: Politics Tags: mccain obama 2008 presidential election mainstream media

Overfishing worse than thought

ameliog — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:00:12 EDT

"The whole picture of fisheries that we have is basically wrong," says lead author Daniel Pauly, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. "The underreporting is of such magnitude that it boggles the mind."

Channel: Food Tags: fishing overfishing food supply

McCain campaign screening questions during conference calls?

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:59:51 EDT

John McCain's campaign appears to be screening journalists' questions. Unlike calls conducted by the Obama and Clinton campaigns, the McCain camp seems to choose its questioners, rather than rely on a first-come, first-serve basis. During a recent call, for example, only 2 questions were taken: from conservative bloggers Ed Morrissey and Matt Lewis

Channel: Politics Tags: John McCain campaign conference calls journalists screening questions

Housing slump may go on and on and ...

TechnologyExpert — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:49:28 EDT

Signs are emerging that the U.S. housing market's long slump is likely to fester through the summer, and the real estate market may not recover for at least another year.

Channel: Money Tags: Housing Slump Subprime Lending

McCain Health Plan and That High-Risk Pool

TechnologyExpert — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:40:05 EDT

If Senator John McCain's radical plan for remaking American health care is to work, he will have to find a way to cover people like Chaim Benamor, 52, a self-employed renovator in this Baltimore suburb.

Channel: Politics Tags: 2008 Presidential Race McCain Health Care

Deadliest job in America: Working on cell phone towers

Ousama — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:35:21 EDT

Next time you can't get a cell phone signal in the middle of town,put your problem in perspective:New figures show that the deadliest job in America now goes to the men and women who construct,upgrade, and repair cell phone towers.According to a story in this week's RCR Wireless News building and climbing towers is more dangerous than ranching, fis

Channel: Careers & Jobs Tags: America Deadliest job cell phone towers

G8 accused of 'failing the world' on carbon cuts

monicachenoa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:32:47 EDT

Leaders of the world's richest nations have kept alive hope of a global agreement to combat climate change by agreeing to cut their carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2050. Environmental groups said the agreement at the G8 summit in Japan did not go far enough, and the search for a deal moves to the talks about a "son of Kyoto"

Channel: News Tags:

Economic fears lead to slump in confidence

monicachenoa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:29:27 EDT

Consumer confidence has slumped to a record low following chaos in the financial markets, months of misery in the property sector and spiralling household bills. Gordon Brown was forced to defend his stewardship of the economy while attending the G8 summit in Japan yesterday, while the FTSE 100 index at one stage dropped 2.7 per cent to herald..

Channel: Money Tags:

Do you know who's tracking your Web browsing?

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:29:24 EDT

Seeking to mute consumer and congressional concerns over possible online privacy violations, NebuAd announced Tuesday that it will take new steps to protect Internet users' identities on the Web. Consumer groups responded that this isn't enough, claiming the company may still be breaking federal and state e-privacy and wiretapping laws.

Channel: Gadgets & Tech Tags: online privacy privacy violations web browsing data mining ISPs web monitoring right to privacy Electronic Communications Privacy Act

Iran seeks seat on Security Council

monicachenoa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:23:06 EDT

UNITED NATIONS | Tehran will seek a seat on the powerful U.N. Security Council next year, despite the trade sanctions the body has imposed to slow Iran's nuclear program. "It is our right, we have not been on the council in 50 years, and we are trying our best," an official from the Iranian Mission told The Washington Times on Tuesday.

Channel: News Tags:

In reversal, Washington now seeks more financial regulation

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:22:59 EDT

For over 2 decades, Washington officials have expressed faith that financial markets were best left alone to regulate themselves. But that faith has been shaken by the collapse of the investment bank Bear Stearns, and a growing chorus of officials are calling for tougher government regulation. On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke joine

Channel: Money Tags: Ben Bernanke financial markets government regulation Federal Reserve Bear Stearns investment banks

Bush lawyers told to speed Guantanamo detention appeals

bubba2 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:18:38 EDT

A federal judge told Justice Department lawyers to give the cases of Guantanamo detainees appealing their imprisonment priority over all other cases. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan made the admonition at the first hearing since the Supreme Court ruled last month that the detainees had the right to challenge their imprisonment in court.

Channel: News Tags: Guantanamo Bay detainees due process habeas corpus Supreme Court Justice Department Bush administration

The hidden price you pay for energy

STONERS — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:15:27 EDT

Yes, we're shelling out more at the pump and paying ever-higher cooling and heating bills. But those prices aren't anywhere close to what we actually pay.

Channel: Money Tags: Hidden Price You Pay Energy

Obama, like Romney, deserves benefit of doubt on religion

msaleem — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:06:48 EDT

Early this campaign, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found out what it's like to have their religious beliefs thrown around in the national media in the context of a presidential election.

Channel: Religion Tags: religion

Hubble veteran, Mike Massimino, tells it like it is

Fedquip — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:43:37 EDT

Video about the upcoming repairs to the Hubble telescope

Channel: Popular Videos Tags: Hubble PBS Space NASA Mike Massimino

McCain Jokes About Killing Iranians (Again)

Neophile — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:58:06 EDT

Sen. John McCain hasn't had good luck joking about Iran. But he tried it again Tuesday. Responding to a question about a survey that shows increased exports to Iran, mainly from cigarettes, McCain said, "Maybe thats a way of killing them."

Channel: Politics Tags: john mccain iran smoking exports election 2008 statesman

Crohn's Disease Maybe Linked to Beef Consumption

Fedquip — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:44:59 EDT

Investigative report from CBC

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: Crohns Disease Johnes Disease Beef Cows health

Judge to Bush admin.: Guantanamo is top priority

Beeboppin71 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:32:05 EDT

A federal judge overseeing Guantanamo Bay lawsuits ordered the Justice Department to put other cases aside and make it clear throughout the Bush administration that, after nearly seven years of detention, the detainees must have their day in court.

Channel: Politics Tags:

Latest Midwest floods expose lessons unlearned

Beeboppin71 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:29:41 EDT

The floods that swallowed towns and farms, claimed at least 24 lives, drove 38,000 people from their homes and left billions of dollars in damage across the Midwest cannot be written off solely as an act of nature. The four weeks of major flooding that began in June are just as much a man-made disaster, one in the making for decades.

Channel: News Tags:

McCain and Social Security

Beeboppin71 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:24:50 EDT

He has no plan, anymore, that he's willing to publicly admit to. In the past, he called his plan "privatization," and it was the same plan as the incredibly unpopular Bush proposal which would dramatically reduce benefits and divert payroll taxes into private accounts.

Channel: Politics Tags:

'More robust' regulation needed for Wall Street firms: Bernanke

TechnologyExpert — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:20:06 EDT

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke called Tuesday for legislation to provide "more robust" supervision of Wall Street investment firms to help avert crises like the one that felled Bear Stearns.

Channel: Money Tags: Bernanke Wall STreet

Naked In Hijab

TechnologyExpert — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:41:44 EDT

A Muslim woman in Baghdad argues that a full-body security scan reveals too much.

Channel: News Tags: Iraq Scan Muslim

Riding the Colombia Gravy Train: From Al Gore to John McCain

hyperbola — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:34:16 EDT

There's a slight chance that we might get a serious rethinking of Colombia policy under an Obama administration. He will have to seriously clean house however to make sure Big Oil loses its political influence in the White House and Congress.

Channel: Politics Tags: Columbia oil US corruption politicians

Lies, kidnapping and a mysterious laptop

hyperbola — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:24:32 EDT

As Ingrid Betancourt emerged after six-and-a-half years Ã¢â;¬" sunken and shrivelled but radiant with courage Ã¢â;¬" one of the first people she thanked was Hugo Chavez. You have been told that the Venezuelan President supports the Farc thugs. The disconnect has to do with lies told to

Channel: Politics Tags: Betancourt Columbia Chavez oil corruption

Iraqi Government want US out of their country

raats6662 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:12:42 EDT

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki publicly announced his countries position that any agreement with the US Government must have a timetable for US troop withdrawal and no US bases in Iraq unless they are controlled by Iraq and not the USA

Channel: Politics Tags: Iraq USA timetable withdrawal

The World Food Crisis and Political Malthusianism

populist — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:42:17 EDT

Government failure, not overpopulation, is the cause of higher food prices

Channel: Food Tags: food crisis prices government failure

The Bush Administration Strikes Oil in Iraq

hyperbola — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:32:24 EDT

The Bush administration has been facilitating ties between the Iraqi government and foreign oil companies for years. The same companies now likely to nab a no-bid toehold in Iraq's oilfields are intimately tied to the Pentagon for billions of dollars annually. Most of these firms have also been closely connected to Vice President Cheney.

Channel: Politics Tags: Bush oil Iraq corruption crimes against humanity

19% of Americans associate just one word with McCain

Aidenag — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:24:45 EDT

An AP-Yahoo poll asked Americans what word comes to mind when they think of the two presidential candidates. Although both had roughly the same favorable-unfavorable split, the specific images of the two men were very different. For John McCain, the most common response was "old," with 19%.

Channel: Politics Tags: John McCain Old Age Politics 2008 election

Where is Karl Rove?

jovial — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:12:35 EDT

For the second time this year, Karl Rove is ignoring a subpoena from Congress to testify under oath. ANP tracks down Rove to get his side of the story of why he won't show up in front of the House Judiciary Committee.

Channel: Politics Tags: Rove subpoena executive priviledge Judiciary committee

Secondary Schools Serve Unhealthy Foods

populist — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:02:24 EDT

The kinds of foods that students can purchase at their public middle schools or high schools are far less healthy than the food available to children attending elementary schools, a new study suggests.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: children schools diet foods lunches