why did i get out of bed again this morning?

June 8, 2005

General Motors To Eliminate 25,000 Jobs

General Motors has announced plans to eliminate 25,000 jobs at its U.S. plants

over the next four years. An unspecified number of plants will also be shut

down. Wall Street investors responded favorably to the news -- the price of

stock in the company immediately rose.

Global Military Spending Exceeds $1 Trillion

For the first time since the Cold War, global military spending exceeded one

trillion dollars last year. The United States spent by far the most --

accounting for almost half of the world's military expenditures. This according

to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Poll: Majority of Americans Feel Iraq War Didn't Make Nation Safer

Meanwhile a new poll shows that for the first time, a majority of Americans no

longer feel the Iraq war has made the United States a safer place to live. The

Washington Post-ABC News poll also found that seventy-five percent of the

country feels the number of U.S. casualties in Iraq to be unacceptable. Nearly

1700 US soldiers have been killed since the war began. The deaths of three U.S.

soldiers in Tal Afar was announced on Tuesday.

Senate Committee Approves Expanding Patriot Act

On Capitol Hill, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence met in secret

Tuesday and approved expanding the Patriot Act to make it easier for the

government to secretly gather records on individuals without a court order or

grand jury subpoena. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the bill

would give the government unilateral power to let agents seize personal records

from medical facilities, libraries, hotels, gun dealers, banks and any other

businesses without any specific facts connecting those records to any criminal

activity or a foreign agent.

Jimmy Carter Calls For Guantanamo to Be Shut Down

Meanwhile Former President Jimmy Carter has become the latest official to call

for the Bush administration to shut down the Guntanamo Bay military prison as

well as all other secret prisons around the world.

UN Estimates 3 Million Children in Africa Will Die Of Famine

The United Nations is now estimating three million children will die because of

famine in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the failure of the global community

to meet its promises on aid. Meanwhile President Bush and British Prime Minister

Tony Blair announced on Tuesday a proposal that could write off the debts of

thirty-two nations in Africa. But Bush refused to meet even Blair's request to

double aid to African nations.

Indigenous-Led Protests Continue in Bolivia

In Bolivia mass indigenous-led protests calling for the nationalization of the

government continue. Late last night departing President Carlos Mesa called for

immediate general elections to pick his replacement. He warned " The country is

on the verge of a civil war. " Mesa added " By holding elections, we will avoid

loss of human life. We will avoid violence that affects us all. " Earlier in the

day, tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of La Paz. For the

first time since the mass protests began, soldiers armed with rifles were

patrolling the streets.

Spanish Judge Seeks To Question U.S. Troops Over Couso Death

In Madrid, a Spanish judge has announced he wants to question three American

soldiers connected to the killing of Spanish journalist Jose Couso in Iraq. On

April 8th, 2003 a U.S. tank opened fire on the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad

killing Couso and fellow cameraman Taras Protsiuk. A Pentagon report on the

incident concluded the U.S.-led forces bore " no fault or negligence. " No charges

have been brought yet against the soldiers in Spain but they are being

considered as suspects for murder and for crimes against the international

community.

Ex-Oil Official Rewriting White House Reports on Climate Change

The New York Times is reporting that a White House official who once led the oil

industry's fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited

government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions

and global warming. The official -- Philip Cooney -- is chief of staff for the

White House Council on Environmental Quality. Before coming to the White House

in 2001, he was a lobbyist at the American Petroleum Institute.

Justice Department Drops Request of Tobacco Firms By $120 Billion

In a surprise move the Justice Department has drastically decreased the amount

it is asking tobacco companies to pay for anti-smoking programs as part of a

deal to settle the largest civil racketeering and conspiracy case in U.S.

history. The Washington Post reports the government was expected to seek $130

billion but instead it is asking for just ten billion dollars. William Corr,

director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. said " It feels like a political

decision to take into consideration the tobacco companies' financial interest

rather than health interests of forty-five million addicted smokers. "

Those who control the past, control the future; Those who control the future,

control the present; Those who control the present, control the past.^

June 8, 2005

>>>Senate Committee Approves Expanding Patriot Act

Fraggle where did you get all this news from ? Specially the one above

? I can't seem to find a source for this. Read only the GE cuts in the

news.

Vijay

, fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:

> General Motors To Eliminate 25,000 Jobs

> General Motors has announced plans to eliminate 25,000 jobs at its

U.S. plants over the next four years. An unspecified number of plants

will also be shut down. Wall Street investors responded favorably to

the news -- the price of stock in the company immediately rose.

>

> Justice Department Drops Request of Tobacco Firms By $120 Billion

> In a surprise move the Justice Department has drastically decreased

the amount it is asking tobacco companies to pay for anti-smoking

programs as part of a deal to settle the largest civil racketeering

and conspiracy case in U.S. history. The Washington Post reports the

government was expected to seek $130 billion but instead it is asking

for just ten billion dollars. William Corr, director of the Campaign

for Tobacco-Free Kids. said " It feels like a political decision to

take into consideration the tobacco companies' financial interest

rather than health interests of forty-five million addicted smokers. "

>

> Those who control the past, control the future; Those who control

the future, control the present; Those who control the present,

control the past.^

June 8, 2005

democracy now

but...you can do a search on news er somesuch

here..wait

there

http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/64363-----Original Message----- rvijay Jun 8, 2005 12:41 PM Re: why did i get out of bed again this morning? >>>Senate Committee Approves Expanding Patriot ActFraggle where did you get all this news from ? Specially the one above? I can't seem to find a source for this. Read only the GE cuts in thenews.Vijay , fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:> General Motors To Eliminate 25,000 Jobs> General Motors has announced plans to eliminate 25,000 jobs at itsU.S. plants over the next four years. An unspecified number of plantswill also be shut down. Wall Street investors responded favorably tothe news -- the price of stock in the company immediately rose. > > Justice Department Drops Request of Tobacco Firms By $120 Billion> In a surprise move the Justice Department has drastically decreasedthe amount it is asking tobacco companies to pay for anti-smokingprograms as part of a deal to settle the largest civil racketeeringand conspiracy case in U.S. history. The Washington Post reports thegovernment was expected to seek $130 billion but instead it is askingfor just ten billion dollars. William Corr, director of the Campaignfor Tobacco-Free Kids. said "It feels like a political decision totake into consideration the tobacco companies' financial interestrather than health interests of forty-five million addicted smokers." > > > Those who control the past, control the future; Those who controlthe future, control the present; Those who control the present,control the past.^To send an email to -