THE HEADLINES

(New York Times)

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In a plan strenuously opposed by the Pentagon, the New York Times reports that the Obama administration is considering what can only be described as a mild acceleration of their purported “timetable” to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Conflict with the Afghan government and civilians has spiked in the wake of numerous lethal and embarrassing gaffes committed by American troops, from burning Korans to the more recent tragedy of a U.S. soldier murdering dozens of Afghan civilians. The unrest has led to political pressure on President Obama, with most Americans supporting a withdrawal of troops from the country and his Republican opponents beginning to seize on public sentiment and challenge the viability of the war in Afghanistan. The administration’s proposed plan would withdraw at least 20,000 troops by the end of 2013, leaving a full force of American troops fighting in Afghanistan through both the presidential election and well into next year. Even this cautious timeline is being opposed by military leaders, who want no troop reductions before st least 2014. 

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A new poll finds that an overwhelming number of Americans — almost 70 percent — say that the “super-PAC” should be made illegal. Super-PACs have become the dominant force in the modern political landscape, turning into cash machines for candidates in the current presidential election that have eclipsed fundraising by individual candidates. Stemming from the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” ruling and seizing on the new legal loop[holes allowing unlimited contributions from corporations and individuals, super-PACs have thrived as a vehicle for influence among a small crop of super-rich and politically active donors. The Republican presidential primary has provided the ultimate proving ground for super-PACs, where they have accounted for $130 million of the money raised during the race, most of that total from just a handful of people. President Obama made headlines earlier this year when he reversed his previous pledge to spurn financial assistance from super-PACs and announced that his reelection campaign would “endorse” several Democratic-leaning groups, thus ensuring that these highly unpopular inventions will only grow stronger as November looms.

(CNN Money)

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The federal government, state attorneys general and five of the largest banks and mortgage lenders recently agreed on a landmark $26 billion deal to settle claims relating to the rampant mortgage and foreclosure abuse perpetrated during the debilitating pop of the housing bubble last decade. But experts and some of the homeowners affected by the banks’ actions are slamming the settlement as a trivial waste of time that lets the nation’;s biggest financial institutions off the hook for unethical behavior. $26 billion sounds like a considerable amount of money, but the reality is that the government’s settlement with the banks only directly compensates less than 2 million homeowners, a small fraction of the more than 13 million who are either currently underwater on their mortgages or actually lost their homes due to foreclosure during the time when abusive tactic like “robo-signing” were being carried out by the banks. Experts call the settlement a “single,” not a “home run,”  whose impact will “be small.” Americans who have already lost their homes or who are facing foreclosure are furious, not understanding why a small number of borrowers get help while the rest of the victims of mortgage abuse ”get screwed.”

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A bizarre and tragic case in Sanford, Florida has led to tough questions being asked of the local police department and its race relations after the investigation into the “accidental” shooting death of an unarmed 17-year-old black youth with no criminal record was apparently botched. The incident happened late last month when George Zimmerman, a “self-appointed neighborhood watch captain” in a gated subdivision, stalked and then shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in what he insisted to police was an act of “self-defense.” Law enforcement officials bought the story, claiming that either Martin was an actual intruder (despite the fact that he was staying with family in the subdivision) or else he had attacked the white watch “captain.” Now ABC News reports that a host of procedures were mishandled in the aftermath of the shooting, including the forcible changing of witness testimony by police in a bid to back up Zimmerman’s story. Martin’s family and other observers are now placing the Sanford Police Department under close scrutiny in order to find out the truth.

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