December 2, 2007 No Talking Heads

Guests to include Aaron Glantz, author of How America Lost Iraq, TJ Johnson and Geov Parrish.

Local/Regional
*
* A slow-moving oil spill; Report: Constant runoff sends toxic flow into Puget Sound, John Dodge from the Olympian via TJ
* Stopping an unstoppable war, Geov Parrish, North Seattle Herald Outlook
* Washington Teachers Under Fire For War Protest Participation, King 5 News via Common Dreams
* Emily's List announces 2008 endorsement of Darcy Burner for the 8th District, NW Progressive Institute Blog
* Daily Astorian wins 2007 Dolly Connelly Award for series on climate change impact on Pacific NW, Washblog
- link to series on Daily Astorian

National
* US War Vets to Speak Publicly About War Crimes, Aaron Glantz via OneWorld.net via TJ
* Graveyard shift to be listed as ‘probable’ cancer cause, AP via the Olympian via TJ
* The Plot to Rig the 2008 US Election, The Independent/UK via TJ
* Probes Find Interference, Bias by Former Interior official, McClatchy Newspapers via TJ
* Civil Libertarians Warn of ‘Patriot Act Lite’, InterPress Service via Common Dreams via TJ
* Here Come the Thought Police, Ralph E. Shaffer and R. William Robinson, The Baltimore Sun via Common Dreams via TJ

International
* Bush-Maliki Agreement Defies US Laws, Iraqi Parliament, Truthout via TJ
* Radioactive Ammunition Fired in Middle East May Claim More Lives Than Hiroshima and Nagasaki, OpEdNews.com via TJ
* Bush ally Howard suffers huge defeat in Australian elections, NW Progressive Institute Blog
* Rudd sets new Australian agenda, BBC News via TJ

November 25, 2007 No Talking Heads

War Comes Home
- new website launched by Aaron Glantz of KPFA in an effort to put a human face on the conflict in Iraq. Only by truly listening to the stories of soldiers who've come home, can we appreciate the realities of war and what we can do to help.

Local
* Recent Olympia City Council (11/20/2007) meeting brings out a number of citizens who "support the troops" (and not the war, so they say) and oppose the actions of Olympia Port Militarization Resistance. I want to encourage Jeff Brigham, Robin Torske, military mother Irene (who seems to have issues with her son re-enlisting in the military), and Shelley Weber to consider whether or not the U.S. government REALLY supports the troops - READ THIS.

* Mount St. Helens National Park? Report by Chester Allen of the Olympian.
* Impeachment: If not now, when?; Lawmakers need to stand up for the Constitution and support impeachment, Seattle PI Guest Editorial by Linda Boyd

National
* The Mystery of Minot: Loose nukes and a cluster of dead airmen raise troubling questions, by Dave Lindorff on This Can't Be Happening blog
* Former Press Secretary Blames Bush, Cheney for Misstatement About Leak; Ex-White House press secretary writes in his new book that top administration officials let him unknowingly pass on false information, AP
* Twenty Thousand Protest at Ft. Benning: Eleven Face Federal Criminal Trials, by Bill Quigley
* Thousands Protest U.S. Army’s “School of Torture, Murder”, Reuters coverage via Common Dreams
* New Method Equalizes Stem Cell Debate, NY Times

International
* Visualize the number of US dead in Iraq, Ed Stephan, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
* New Polish prime minister to loosen ties with US, Guardian Unlimited
* US continues the Iranian drumbeat to war - "U.S. blames Iran-backed group for Baghdad bombing", Reuters via Yahoo!
* Bombed, Banned, and Ridiculed - But Al-Jazeera Goes English and Hits 100 Million Homes, 11/19/2007, The Independent/UK
* People Were Killed by Three Mile Island and Other Nuclear Disasters, essay by Harvey Wasserman
* Rice sets Mid-East peace target, BBC
- what the fuck took them so long to get people to sit down? It was more important for the Bush Administration to invade a sovereign nation and then line up their friends with rich Iraqi contracts than the broker a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. And this is too little, too late. They seem to be pushing this hard because they want some legacy for Bush before he leaves office - what's more important? Negotiating an honest and effective and long-lasting peace agreement or blasting something flimsy through before Bush leaves office?
* Global warming 'is three times faster than worst predictions', The Independent

November 18, 2007 No Talking Heads

Guests to include: TJ Johnson, Olivia Hart, Geov Parrish

What news sources do we go to most? We'll ask this question today and in future shows . . .
- today I'm checking out the NPR News Blog.

Local
Port Protest Discussion
- local reactions; Vickie Kilgore letter; good comment on Olyblog; port protest on Saturday.
- Suspend Police Chief Gary Michel and Investigate Police Misconduct Now, Olyblog.net
- effectiveness
- why are so many anti-war folks speaking out against the protests?

* Simple majority victory: close but sweet, NW Progressive Institute
* BACKGROUND: Pepper spray should never be used on nonviolent subjects, United for Peace of Pierce County
* Olympia students massing on the Capitol steps for the Student Walkout against the War in Iraq, Olyblog.net

National
* U.N. Science Panel Sees Faster Warming of Earth, NPR
* FCC issues new ownership reg proposal on Tues, one full business day after "digesting" 10 hrs of testimony in Seattle, NY Times
* Army desertion rate up 80 pct. since '03, AP via Yahoo!
* Court deals blow to wiretapping case, AP via Yahoo!
- ACLU Responds to Federal Court Ruling in "State Secrets" Lawsuit About Warrantless, via Common Dreams
* Ruling Blocks Challenge to Wiretapping, NY Times
* After a Death, Use of Taser in Canada Is Debated, NY Times

What are you thankful for? or other Thanksgiving message our guests would like to espouse . . .
- Zombie Walk - Friday, November 23, 2007; join us as we limp and groan our way through the shopping hordes! Contact burningpele@yahoo.com for info on meeting times and makeup/costume help

November 11, 2007 No Talking Heads

Guests to hopefully include: TJ Johnson and Geov Parrish

Local (when it rains, it pours . . .)
* YouTube video documenting police violence on non-violent citizens blocking port, Tacoma SDS
* Community Forum on Police Response to Port Demonstrations, OlyBlog.net
* Photo Series: Port Protesters Stop Trucks From Leaving Port
- photo at right by Rob Whitlock
* Election Results!
* High court halts WA morning-after pill rules, AP via Olympian
* Olympia store won't have to sell Plan B contraceptive, judge rules, Olympian
* Judge blocks war objector Watada’s second court-martial, AP via Olympian
* Arrests down at the port, Olyblog.net
* Port Militarization Resistance in Olympia, Olyblog.net
- great speech by Phan Nguyen (of KAOS' Bundle of Joy)

"Now about people who criticize our tactics. I think there are 2 types of people who criticize our tactics. There's those who support the war and occupation and then try to tell us how to wage our struggle. The fact that they are already opposed to the struggle means they have no authority to tell us how to oppose them. Now the other people are the people who ostensibly agree with us but they poo-poo our actions. Now again I personally have never stopped a war before, so if someone has a better idea, don't just tell us what to do, show us how it's done because we need you." Phan Nguyen

* State Supreme Court rules I-747 unconstitutional, Olympian

"A sharply divided state Supreme Court has struck down a six-year-old citizen initiative that capped yearly increases in property taxes to 1 percent."

National
* White House continues build-up to war with Iran
- U.S. military says finding more Iranian arms in Iraq, Yahoo Reuters
- Iraqi Fighters ‘Grilled for Evidence on Iran’; Interrogator says US military seeks evidence incriminating Tehran, The Guardian/UK
* Senators Webb and Hagel propose a post-Iraq G.I. Bill, NY Times
* Half of Americans Strongly Disapprove of Bush Performance, Gallup

". . .this “strongly disapprove” number is among the highest Gallup has measured for presidents, going back to Lyndon Johnson. . . .the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted Nov. 2-4, shows that Bush’s overall job approval rating is at 31%, with a 64% disapproval rating."

* Mukasey Confirmed as Attorney General, Washington Post

"The 53 to 40 vote to confirm President Bush's choice to replace Alberto Gonzales was the closest vote in more than 50 years for someone confirmed to be the nation's top law enforcement officer."

Dennis Kucinich attempts to impeach Cheney
* Move to Impeach Not Another Distraction, Brattleboro Reformer (VT)
* House Tied In Knots Over Resolution To Impeach Cheney, USA Today via TJ
* UPDATE: Hoyer: 'Impeachment ... Not on Our Agenda', Washington Post Capitol Briefing

* Bush Turns Civil Rights Commission Into ‘Conservative Rights’ Commission, Boston Globe via TJ
* Study: 1 Out of 4 Homeless Are Veterans, AP via Washington Post via TJ
- "Thanks for serving our country! Now FUCK OFF!"

International
* Egypt seeks to spearhead 'Arab nuclear family'; Egypt, Jordan could justify switch to nuclear energy, while choice is more difficult for oil-rich GCC, Middle East Online via TJ

"Cairo's announcement that it would seek nuclear capabilities to ensure its future energy security while ruling out any military ambitions, received the immediate backing of Iran's arch-foe Washington."

* Global Warming Is Biggest Security Threat, Inter Press Service via TJ