IS AMERICA LOSING ITS “BACKYARD IN THE SOUTH”? Considering the U.S. and Latin American reactions to the recent Venezuelan election, it would appear that things are seriously awry for the U.S. in that backyard. While Washington tries to subvert the electoral process that (narrowly) elected a successor in the mold of Hugo Chavez, other [...]
EGYPT’S “MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD” LEADERSHIP HAS PRACTICED PRECIOUS LITTLE “BROTHERHOOD” TOWARD ITS MUSLIM BRETHREN IN GAZA. The post-Mubarak regime in Egypt was elected to the immense delight of Palestinians in Gaza as elsewhere, with the expectation that the new government would cease the collaboration of Egypt in maintaining the seige of Gaza by maintaining border [...]
THAT’S ONE GIANT STEP FOR WORLD LEUKEMIA SUFFERERS. An Indian court rules that a “copycat” (generic) version of a brand name drug cannot be prohibited by the patent claimed by the brand name company. This decision could have “ripple” effects on the availability of generics for people throughout the world. Prohibition of copycat [...]
SIDING WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOL SUGAR DADDIES. This is Bruce Dixon’s description of President Obama’s educational policy. The No Child Left Behind program of school privatization and operation on a corporate accountability measures based on standardized tests results has continued with a vengeance with the Race to the Top policy of the current administration. [...]
‘STUDENTS-FIRST’ HAS AN AGENDA; AND IS A HARSH GRADER OF U.S. STATES ON THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THAT AGENDA. Michelle Rhee, former Chancellor of Washington D.C. schools, heads the advocacy group that pushes an “education reform” movement based on downgrading of teacher tenure and promotion of teacher evaluation based on student performance on standardized tests. [...]
TODAY KIVALINA, TOMORROW THE WORLD? COULD BE IF THE PDI GETS ITS WAY. Counterpunch prints introduction to new book in which Christine Shearer describes the plight of a small Alaskan village which has sued fossil fuel companies for the cost of re-locating themselves from a coastal location made extremely vulnerable to sea surge because [...]
ANOTHER “HUMANITARIAN CRISIS” IN LIBYA IS PLAYING OUT IN THE DARK OF WORLD PRESS COVERAGE. Lizzie Phelan details the little-known reality that the “Misrata rebels” whose plight was so much agonized over when they faced “government” extermination while the “Gaddafi regime” was still in place, are now the terrorists in Libya: the targets of [...]
AS LIBYAN GOVERNMENT HESITATES TO ARREST ANYONE IMPLICATED IN LETHAL ATTACK ON U.S. CONSULATE, AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE AGENTS PREPARE A NEW “TARGET LIST” FOR BRINGING THE CULPRITS TO JUSTICE: “BIN LADEN IS DEAD” STYLE. The New York Times reports on how politics in both the U.S. and Libya have stymied aggressive action against the perpetrators [...]
WHAT’S MORE “INEFFECTIVE”? PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS OR NEW STUDENT/TEACHER EVALUATIONS? Principals and teachers in New York state are witnessing the first round of student and teacher evaluations under the new test-based achievement guidelines championed by education “reformers.” The results have been as flawed as many expected leading thousands of teachers and principals to protest [...]
AUSTERITY-PROTESTING CHAOS IN STREETS OF SPAIN, PORTUGAL AND GREECE—AND NEW YORK TIMES CHOOSES MOSTLY THE FACT THAT MARKETS “FALTER” IN THESE COUNTRIES AS THE NEWS “THAT’S FIT TO PRINT.” As European central bank demands austerity measures cutting benefits to people as condition of buying up their bad debts, riots occur across southern Europe and [...]
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