Tuesday September 20, 2005

Daily Featured Stories

New York Times

Washington Post

Yesterday's Feature Stories And Headlines

Respondents favored headlines first over features first, 55% to 45%, so the headlines will be listed first below. For those who prefer to read the features first, simply click on "Daily Featured Stories" above or "Today's Featured Stories" below.

Today's Featured Stories

Bush Explained: Politics First, Competence Last, bw
Will Election Reform Proposal Work?, bw
Probe The Polls: Bush Will Investigate Himself, bw
Bush War On Environment Continues: Dirty Water, bw
North Korea-Nuke Agreement: Unfinished, bw
White House, Abramoff, DeLay Connection Made, bw
Bush Vs. FDR Legacy: Quack?, bw
Venezuela Vs. U.S.: Chavez, bw
Sheehan In New York: Silenced, bw
German Election: The Tip Of The European Iceberg, bw
Bush And The Disaster: Future Missteps, bw
Bush's Iraq War: More Killing, bw
The Hurricane Disaster: Aftermath, bw
Global Warming Is Past The Point Of No Return, bw
Supreme Court: Roberts Endgame And O'Connor Replacement, bw

Norman Solomon:
Dodging the Costs of the Warfare State
Robert Reich:
Bush Administration Paradox Explained
Janet Pelz:
The Poor Shamed Us Into Seeing Them
John Nichols:
Galloway's Frankness Invigorates, Shocks Americans
Tom Hayden:
Woolsey Hearing Begins Debate on Exit Strategy: Report and Next Steps
Laurie David:
A Warning From Tony Blair’s Top Science Advisor
Tom Palaima:
'The Iliad' Doesn't Flinch From War's Brutal Truths
Beth Quinn:
George is Worst Natural Disaster to Hit Country
David Kirp:
Faith-Based Disaster
Sam Husseini:
The Exit Strategy
Chris Patten:
History Will Judge Blair as a Defender of Bush's Agenda Above Britain's
Charles Komanoff:
In the Wind


Boston Globe

Fixing government after Katrina, Sheffi
Husband to publish book on Schiavo case, BG
Roberts vote holds risks for Democrats, Easton + Klein

US having a hard time finding allies for UN reform, Regan
Why are America's schools more separate than ever?, Teicher
Cost of Katrina relief splits Republican ranks, Chaddock

GOP to propose budget cuts to cover Katrina costs, AP
Panel recommends paper trail for electronic voting, AP

What's this? A compassionate war on poverty?, Page
Katrina spotlights `price of paradise', Burns
Iraqi lawmaker killed, another wounded, Madhani + Sabah

Returning residents find little to salvage, Chuck Squatriglia
Schwarzenegger has to sell his plans for change, John Wildermuth, Carla Marinucci
Will Katrina Wallop Black Voting Power?, Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Faith-based disaster, David L. Kirp
Give the money back, Louis Freedberg

Storm Strains Bush's Ties to Black Clergy, Peter Wallsten and Tom Hamburger
Kerry and Edwards Say Bush's Actions Have Been a Disaster, Ronald Brownstein
Bush Opposes Delay in Medicare Drug Benefit, Joel Havemann and Janet Hook
NO Mayor Tells Residents to Pack Up Again, Gold, etc.
Joint Investigation of Response Called Off, Mary Curtius
Why Darwin's still a scientific hotshot, James D. Watson
Simon Wiesenthal, 'Conscience' of Holocaust, Dies, Weinstein
If the politicians really want to help ..., Gerald Rafshoon and Doug Bailey
Bush and the mad scientists, Chris Mooney
A new storm on the right, Robert Scheer

Three people arrested in kickback scheme at U.S. military hotel in Germany, Sherman

Reopening of Parts of New Orleans Delayed , Estwick+Nesmith+Frazier
Wages for Day Laborers Rise along Gulf Coast in Katrina's Wake , Canon
Buras, La., Area Residents Start to See What's Left of Their Owns after Katrina , Davis
Personal Responsibility Key to Combating Poverty, Edwards Says , Thomma
Agreement with North Korea is Progress, but Much Work Remains , Johnson+Landay
Germany's Political Impasse May Take Weeks to Solve, Observers Say , Schofield
North Korea Pledges to Exchange Nukes for Other Benefits , Johnson

Brits use tanks to blow apart Basra jail, rescue pair, CBC News
After indecisive German elections, claims of victory and horse-trading, CBC News

U.S. to adopt Canadian standards to fight mad cow, Libby Quaid
Some Atlantic fish stocks facing extinction: report, Canadian Press

Are good times about to end?, Steven Theobald and Sharda Prashad
UN nuclear boss urges end to posturing on Iran, Canadian Press
Cod ban destroyed by loophole, Kelly Toughill
Both leading parties declare victory, Sandro Contenta
Curbing Korea's nukes, Editorial

Al-Qaeda claims London bombings that killed 52, BBC
UK soldiers 'storm' Basra prison, BBC
In pictures: Basra clashes, BBC
Bombs hit pilgrim route in Iraq, BBC
Iraqi says beating destroyed life, BBC
Tyco two get up to 25 years' jail, BBC
Global plan to rescue amphibians, BBC
The real story behind Bush's 'bathroom' note seen by blogs, BBC

Day of violence in Basra exposes myth of trust, Norton-Taylor and MacAskill
Baker Tony's Pizza: Blair's Iraq deception inspiration for winning rhyme, Ward
Ex-Iraqi defence minister wanted over $1bn fraud , Howard
The Arab states , From the archives
We are turning the clash of civilisations into a reality , Toynbee
Nuclear diplomacy: Handle with care , Lead article
Annan has paid his dues , Williams
The railway across the roof of the world , Watts
How Mark Thatcher exploited his position - and infuriated Whitehall , Leigh and Evans
Media policy dominated by 'cosy cartel', says report, Timms
There are few inborn differences between men and women , James
Art detective exposes hidden images to fuel Da Vinci Code conspiracies , Hooper

Outpouring of relief cash raises fear of corruption and cronyism, Gumbel
Under fire: British soldiers attacked in Basra, Judd and Brown
The day that Iraqi anger exploded in the face of the British occupiers, McCormack
The British Army's authority has never looked more fragile, Cockburn
Dismay over sliding turnout for Afghan poll, Huggler
Your Planet: How you can save it, Stephenson

Day that uncovers mistrust of Britain, Bannerman
Warm seas blamed as as gull numbers decline, Ross
Scots Tasers spark health fears, Williams
Dynamic Turks would enrich EU, Reid

Lawmakers ask Bush to rebuke Thaksin, ap
Accountability for Syria, bg
North Korea signs nuclear accord, Kahn
Security Council option for Iran lacks support, ap, reuters
Defying Taliban threats, half of Afghans vote, Gall, Sengupta
Iran hardens stance on its nuclear work, nyt, ap
Guantánamo strike has directors worried, Lewis
U.S. official rejects haste in return to New Orleans, nyt
Faulting Bush, Clinton offers sharp criticism of hurricane relief efforts, Shenon

Finance: IMF Policies Thwart Poverty Goals - Report , Lobe
Politics-US: 9/11 Lessons Ignored in Katrina Response , Fisher
Rights-US: Hunger Strike Spreads at Guantanamo Camp , Fisher
Rights-India: Prosperity Sharpens Caste Animosities , Arya

Quake victims remembered 20 years after , El Universal
U.S. Ambassador Garza commemorates '85 disaster , El Universal
Gordillo steps down, woman was ostracized from the party's hierarchy , El Universal
Prosecutor seeking arrest of Echeverría for 1968 massacre of students , El Universal
Haiti still needs food aid a year after hurricane Jeanne killed 3000, Caribbean net News
Cuba to Create International Disaster Medicine Brigade, Periodico 26
Jamaicans unhappy with privatized utility, Jamaica Observer
Ecuadorian President Asks UN to Analyze Colombian Herbicide Use, Prensa Latina
Colombia's Uribe defends coca spraying near Ecuador, Reuters
Plan Colombia Fails to Stem Cocaine Supply, colhrnet
Colombian Flower Workers Beat Dole Corporation, Form Union, americas.org
Suspense Continues Concerning Brazilian Speaker of the House, Prensa Latina
Brazil Wishes to Free the Internet from US Control, Brazzil
Brazil's Trade Surplus Keeps Growing. It's Already Over US$ 31 Billion., Brazzil
Thousands of farmers blocked Bolivia's main highway protesting electricity prices, Prensa Latina

Britain gets Iraqi-held soldiers back as troops torched, AFP
Suicide bombers strike as Shiite pilgrimage underway, AFP
US voting machines should give paper reciept: commission, AFP

Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, 'conscience of the Holocaust' dies at 96, AP
Foreign Minister Shalom: In 6 months, Iran may have know-how to build bomb, Agencies
A party for the new ambassador to Israel, no special feelings towards Israel, Schmuel Rosner
Israeli Arabs plan protests over failure to indict police for riot deaths, Yoav Stern
Foreign Minister: relations with Arab states no longer depends upon peace with Palestinians, staff
The return of bulldozer Sharon, Yoel Marcus
Non-violent protest by Palestinians needs to be supported not oppressed, Amos Gvirtz

Al-Qaida number two Al-Zawahiri criticises Afghan elections in tape, Agencies
UK forces storm Iraq jail, free soldiers, Agencies
Darfur rebels allege fresh attacks, Agencies
Iraqi security tight for Shia pilgrimage to Karbala, Agencies
Israel seeks better relations with Arabs, AP

Saudi Stocks Touch All-Time High, Khalil Hanware
Time for Rice to Reveal Her True Colors, Cyril Townsend
Deadly Charm Offensive by Hugo Chavez, Linda Heard
Yemeni Protesters Seek Weapons Ban, staff
Israeli PM Returns to Fight for Political Life, Agencies

At least 10 killed in Iraq by twin suicide car bombs, staff
Asian workers protest months of unpaid wages in oil-rich Gulf, AFP
Clinton's 'summit' proves private sector can do more, and faster, Editorial
Israel ignores the U.S. at its own peril, M. J. Rosenberg
The hurricane was a footnote; the administration's legacy is Iraq, Joseph S. Nye

Suicide bombers kill 10 as Shia pilgrimage gets underway, AFP
News in brief from around the region, staff

Afghanistan jumps first hurdle, Shahzad
Kurds dream of real power, Moubayed
China looks to democracy to cure its ills, Tak-ho
Iran's case in the balance, Haeri
North Korea agrees to give up nukes, Young

WHO won't push for generic bird flu drugs, says chief, The Hindu
Seeds of doubt in Maharashtra, The Hindu
Harvests of deceit, Tehelka
The Dalit Voice Part IV: Slow volcano, Tehelka
Gender Revolution, after White Revolution, India Together
Savita's choice, India Together
Forest fights, Indian style, India Together
Tsunami relief: Not that lucky, India Together
'No breakdown in Indo-Pak talks', The Times of India
India to avoid Iran issue at UN, The Times of India
Disunited Nations, The Times of India
Afghan elections: Posters on the wall, The Indian Express
Pakistan for border fencing with Afghanistan, The Hindu
Nuclear-free Korea: Japan, South Korea hail China's decisive role, The Hindu
Biggest theft in history from Iraq funds: Minister, The Indian Express

Maoists to use human bombs if India steps in, The Indian Express
Nepal journos flee for safety, The Indian Express

North agrees to give up its nuclear works, Lee

Relief at Hand for Thirsty Northern Cities, China Daily
Making Waves, Carefully, on the Air in China, Washington Post
N Korea Agrees to Give Up Nuclear Programmes, Financial Times
Now the Petrol Crisis Sweeps China, Telegraph
Murdoch Says News Corp. Has Hit `Brick Wall' in China, Bloomberg
China, Four Other Emerging Markets, Invited to G-7 Gathering, Bloomberg

Free Speech Under Fire, DiMaggio

Does Bullying Of Female Employees Count As Illegal Discrimination?, Grossman
African-Americans Should Be Included In The Rebuilding Of New Orleans, Bernier

Suspected Terrorists Deserve Due Process, Gregory

A surprise that leaves Germany in limbo, Staff
Not a final deal, just a start, Staff

Critics say NASA's Moon plan is too costly, Young
The world's 10 biggest ideas, Staff
Computer networks more vulnerable than ever, Biever
How far should fingerprints be trusted?, Cochlin and Randerson

' A Common Good....', American Progress
Tony Blair, Bloodthirsty WarMonger , Globe & Mail
The Brand-New War on Porn !, WaPo
Speech: Kerry Bares Teeth on Bush, J Kerry
Bush: UNTV Prez Blessed by Big Media, BuzzEd
UN Anti-WMD Bill Sabotaged by US, Guardian
Vid: Lisa Daniels is a Journalist?, MediaMatters
Rove's Race- Bait Memo MisFaxed to Dem, RawStory
Rove: MisUse of Power, BuzzNews
Analysis: Validity of US Coporate Media, Guardian
Vote for Roberts, Get Voted Out , Boston.Com
Bush Will Militarize US Citizens, Blog

Nabi Hews to Vaccine Dream , Robert Steyer
Merck Trial to Resume Today, Associated Press
Researcher: Merck 'Put Profit Before Life' , Jeff May
FDA Recalls Drug, Jim Hall
Bush and the Mad Scientists, Chris Mooney

Iraqi Journalist Working With 'NYT' Killed, AP
J-Prof's FOIA Suit Circumvents Government 'Censorship' , Messer

Guardians of the Status Quo, Alberts
Padilla and the Death of the Republic, Gorman
Today, the Anti-War Movement Goes on Trial, Saavedra
Hunger Strike Against Censorship, Yeaw

[TS] Lining Up to Be Raped?
by NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan visited the U.S. last week and fretted that Pakistani women were being raped to make money.
[TS] From FEMA to WEMA
by JOHN TIERNEY
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Lee Scott, the chief executive of Wal-Mart, could insist on low everyday prices while still leaving the area as well prepared for the next disaster as Wal-Mart was for Katrina.
NASA's Back-to-the-Future Plans
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
NASA's new plan lacks the pizzazz to inspire public support and will be operating under budget constraints that make delays or overruns likely.
The Crime and the Time
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The persistent myth that a robber in a suit and tie instead of jeans and a T-shirt deserves a prison with better amenities should be put to rest for good.
Germans for reform
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
The lack of a clear leader is not going to make welfare and labor reforms easier to enact in the short run.
Paying for Katrina
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
Every dollar that is saved by letting the tax cuts expire as scheduled is one less dollar the United States will need to borrow for Katrina.
Angelina and Jeff in Africa
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
Angelina Jolie and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs are dead right when they say that putting money into village programs could alleviate poverty.
Other Views: Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, The Nation
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
Opinions from around the world
Paul Krugman: Tragedy in black and white
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
Race is the biggest reason America treats its poor more harshly than any other advanced country.
Myanmar: A job for the Security Council
by Jared Genser
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
The time has come for the United Nations Security Council to take action in Myanmar.
Don't push Syria away
by Joshua Landis
20 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
The United States should have welcomed President Bashar Al- Assad of Syria.
NASA Planning Return to Moon Within 13 Years
by WARREN E. LEARY
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The plan would use a new spacecraft similar to the Apollo command capsule and new rockets made up largely of components from the space shuttle program.
Racketeering and Fraud Trial Begins for Illinois Ex-Governor
by JODI WILGOREN
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
George Ryan, the former governor of Illinois who became famous for his moratorium on executions, faces 22 counts of racketeering, mail and tax fraud and lying to federal agents.
Rights Report Details Uzbek Crackdown After Uprising in May
by C. J. CHIVERS
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Uzbekistan, stung by the outcry over its suppression of a prison break and anti-government demonstration, has engaged in a crackdown against those who have tried to expose the brutality, says a report released by Human Rights Watch.
U.S. Details Charges Against Student Linked to Plot Against Bush
by ERIC LICHTBLAU
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The Justice Department said the student "represents one of the most dangerous terrorist threats that America faces in the perilous world after September 11, 2001."
F.E.C. Sues Republican Group Over Political Contributions
by GLEN JUSTICE
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The Federal Election Commission filed suit against the Club for Growth in an effort to force the organization to comply with limits on political contributions.

Signs and Sense
by Post
THE RECORDED message at Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services supplies callers with an array of informational tidbits, including this one: "Did you know that a sign permit is required before any exterior sign may be erected in the county?" Well, no, we didn't. But now that we do -- and we note that permits are required even for signs posted on one's house or in one's yard -- we wonder whether the county's zeal for regulation hasn't bent the Constitution beyond recognition.
NASA Unveils $104 Billion Plan To Return to the Moon by 2018
by Guy Gugliotta
NASA yesterday released its master plan for returning humans to the moon by 2018 and eventually sending them to Mars, choosing rocketry from the space shuttle era and drawing inspiration from the Apollo program that first put humans on the lunar surface 36 years ago.
New Antipsychotic Drugs Criticized
by Shankar Vedantam
Expensive new antipsychotic drugs that are among the most widely prescribed pills in medicine are no more effective and no safer than an older, cheaper drug that has been largely discontinued, according to the most comprehensive comparative study ever conducted.
Stem Cell Injections Repair Spinal Cord Injuries in Mice
by Rick Weiss
Mice with severe spinal cord injuries regained much of their ability to walk normally after getting injections of stem cells taken from the brains of human fetuses, scientists in California reported yesterday.
Florida Keys Are Ordered Evacuated as Rita Nears
by William Branigin
Residents of the Florida Keys were ordered to evacuate yesterday as Tropical Storm Rita approached hurricane strength on a path similar to that of Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast three weeks ago, and the mayor of New Orleans suspended a plan to start repopulating his flood-ravaged city.
Tropical Storm Nears Florida
by Post
MIAMI, Sept. 18 -- Thousands of tourists jammed the highways Sunday after they were told to evacuate the lower Florida Keys because Tropical Storm Rita strengthened over the Bahamas and moved toward the vulnerable, low-lying island chain.
Nazi Hunter Simon Wiesenthal Dies at 96
by Adam Bernstein
Simon Wiesenthal, 96, the controversial Nazi hunter who pursued hundreds of war criminals after World War II and was central to preserving the memory of the Holocaust for more than half a century, died today in Vienna, Austria, his base of operations.
Suicide Bomber Kills U.S. Diplomat in Iraq
by Jonathan Finer
BAGHDAD, Sept. 20 -- An American diplomat and three private security contractors died Monday in the northern city of Mosul when their armored SUV was attacked by a suicide car bomber, a Western official in Baghdad confirmed Tuesday morning.
China Terse About Action on Abuses of One-Child Policy
by Philip P. Pan
BEIJING, Sept. 19 -- China said Monday that it has dismissed and detained officials in the eastern city of Linyi for abuses committed while enforcing the country's one-child policy. But the government provided no details and said nothing about the arrest this month of an activist who had campaigned...
U.S., U.N. Organize Support for Lebanon
by Colum Lynch and Robin Wright
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 -- The United States, the United Nations and several European and Arab governments sought to bolster Lebanon's quest to shake Syrian domination over its political life Monday, pledging economic and political support for Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Bush administration paradox explained, Robert B. Reich

Bush Aide Will Lead Hurricane Inquiry
by RICHARD W. STEVENSON and CARL HULSE
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
President Bush has named his domestic security adviser to lead an internal White House inquiry into the administration's performance in handling Hurricane Katrina.

Bush hits new low in polls, Page

Denying Access to the Ballot
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The election reform commission led by James Baker III and former President Jimmy Carter has come up with a plan that is worse than no reform at all.

Reforming the Vote
by Post
The report released yesterday by a commission on federal election reform, headed by former president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James A. Baker III, contains a number of valuable proposals. But adopting one of the commission's recommendations -- that voters be required to present a government-issued voter ID at the polls -- would, on balance, do more harm than good.

U.S. commission recommends paper trail on electronic voting machines, Lester
Carter Comm on Paper Ballots, H Chronicle

House Bill Would Limit U.S. Power to Protect Species
by FELICITY BARRINGER
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The bill would make it more difficult for the federal government to set aside land it deems crucial to the health of endangered species.

Dying for A Drink of Clean Water
by Jan Eliasson and Susan Blumenthal
In the United States and Europe, people take it for granted that when they turn on their taps, clean water will flow out. But for those living in U.S. cities devastated by Hurricane Katrina, as in large parts of the world, obtaining safe water requires a constant struggle.

Water For Profit In America
Bush Watch Report
Contamination, riots, rate increases, scandals. From Atlanta to Manila, cities are confronting the true cost of water privatization.

Corporations are ready to act on global warming but are thwarted by market ministers, Monbiot

Tax cuts to continue, social programs to be slashed in wake of Hurricane Katrina, WSWS
Arch-Right Rag Rips Bush, Am Spectator
After Katrina, more tempests for George W. Bush, Maggie Mitchell-Salem
Dodging the Costs of the Warfare State, Solomon
Federal Deficit: The Katrina tax, Editorial
Poverty Increases as Incomes Decline Under President Bush, Gerard

Ex-White House Aide Charged in Corruption Case
by PHILIP SHENON and ANNE E. KORNBLUT
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
A former White House budget official was charged with obstructing an inquiry involving Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist.

OBM Officer Indicted, Abramoff involved?, The Hill

Europe's Direction Is Unclear, Much as Germany's Is After Vote
by CRAIG S. SMITH
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Europe, weakened by the seeming collapse of its constitutional project in May, faces even more uncertainty after the election in Germany.

After German Election, Deadlock Hardens
by RICHARD BERNSTEIN and JUDY DEMPSEY
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Key party leaders rejected some of the coalition solutions that might otherwise lead to the formation of a new government and the selection of a chancellor in Germany.

Who will (German) voters trust to change the country?, Tisdall
Cartoon: German elections, Bell

U.S.-Korean Deal on Arms Leaves Key Points Open
by JOSEPH KAHN and DAVID E. SANGER
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The pact left unaddressed the date of disarmament and hinted at a concession to discuss providing a civilian nuclear plant.

N. Korea, U.S. Gave Ground to Make Deal
by Glenn Kessler and Edward Cody
The unexpected agreement by North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, announced yesterday in Beijing, followed decisions by both the Pyongyang government and the Bush administration to compromise on positions they had clung to during nearly three years of crisis over North Korea's nuclear...

Diplomacy at Work
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
North Korea's agreement to return to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is a fair deal for the North Koreans as well as a huge win for the U.S.

Accord With North Korea
by Post
ON ITS FACE, the multinational agreement on North Korea's weapons program announced yesterday is a surprising piece of good news. For the first time, Pyongyang's brutal communist dictatorship formally agreed to "abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs," and said it would return "at an early date" to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its accompanying international safeguards. In return, the United States agreed to take steps to normalize relations with the North and, together with South Korea, Japan, Russia and China, provide it with aid -- including at some "appropriate time" a new light-water reactor for generating electricity. Fulfillment by the North of its commitment would mean an extraordinary breakthrough after more than a decade of failed efforts by the United States to contain one of the world's most serious proliferation threats.

North Korea undermines nuclear deal reached earlier, CBC News
N Korea:Caveat, Wants Nuclear Energy, BBC

Kerry, Edwards Criticize Bush Over Response to Hurricane
by Dan Balz
President Bush came under withering criticism for his handling of Hurricane Katrina yesterday, with Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) charging that the storm exposed the administration's incompetence and ideological blinders and former senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) asserting that even in its response,...

For Fast Federal Action On the Katrina Health Crisis
by Donna E. Shalala
More than a million people in three of the poorest U.S. states have had the fabric of their lives torn apart by Hurricane Katrina. Displaced from their homes, many are living in other parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, while others are dispersed across the country in the largest involuntary migration of Americans since the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. The public health infrastructure they depended on in the disaster areas has been destroyed, leaving the displaced without care, coverage or medical records.

Incompetence, Not Racism< [Poorist? --Politex]
by Richard Cohen
If you told me that George W. Bush is a dummy, I would argue with you but understand why you thought so: all those idiotic statements. But if you told me, as some have been implying, that Bush is a racist or that he doesn't care about black people, I would not only say that you're wrong but add, "Not the George Bush I know."

Visions of the New New Orleans
by E. J. Dionne Jr.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- If the rebuilding of New Orleans is to be something other than a new government disaster, a coalition of the skeptical and the visionary will have to stand together and confront the lobbyists and the corporate welfare artists.

Religion, science and Hurricane Katrina, Kay
FDA Snafu Burns 100's Ton Rations for Kat Relief , Mirror
Bush mea culpa better late than never, Helen Thomas
Rove No More Qualified than Brownie, Yahoo News

Suicide Bomber Kills U.S. Diplomat in Iraq
by Jonathan Finer
BAGHDAD, Sept. 20 -- An American diplomat and three private security contractors died Monday in the northern city of Mosul when their armored SUV was attacked by a suicide car bomber, a Western official in Baghdad confirmed Tuesday morning.

Reporter Working for Times Abducted and Slain in Iraq
by ROBERT F. WORTH
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Fakher Haider, an Iraqi journalist and photographer, was found dead on the outskirts of Basra.

An Honest Victory
by NATHANIEL FICK
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
President Bush has the power to change the United States' prospects in Iraq by admitting errors and being willing to embrace good ideas.

NATION IN BRIEF
by Post
SAN ANTONIO -- Army Pfc. Lynndie England will abandon her earlier courtroom strategy and will fight charges that she was a key participant in detainee abuse by guards at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, her lawyer said.

British Smash Into Iraqi Jail To Free 2 Detained Soldiers
by Ellen Knickmeyer and Jonathan Finer
BAGHDAD, Sept. 19 -- British armored vehicles backed by helicopter gunships burst through the walls of an Iraqi jail Monday in the southern city of Basra to free two British commandos detained earlier in the day by Iraqi police, witnesses and Iraqi officials said. The incident climaxed a...

Sheehan, Silenced in Union Park !, Village Voice

Evangelicals in Venezuela: Robertson only the latest controversy..., Vheadline
New Venezuelan Parliament Focuses on Socialist Project, Prensa Latina
Chavez' Surprise for Bush ... offering to sell cheap oil to America's poor, Vheadline
Hugo Chavez on the possibility of American invasion, Chavez+Goodman
Jesse Jackson on Venezuela vs. US, Jackson+Goodman

Mayor Suspends Flow of People to New Orleans
by WILLIAM YARDLEY
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
With a new storm threatening the Gulf of Mexico, Mayor C. Ray Nagin called for a "mandatory" evacuation of many of the residents who have returned or never left.

Storm Threat Halts Returns To New Orleans
by Ceci Connolly
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 19 -- With Tropical Storm Rita bearing down on the Gulf of Mexico and growing political pressure from federal leaders, Mayor C. Ray Nagin said Monday that New Orleans residents could not return home after all and that any people already in the city should evacuate.
Wary and Weary, Gulf Eyes a New Storm
by TIMOTHY WILLIAMS and CORNELIA DEAN
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
A new threat to the battered Gulf Coast emerged in Tropical Storm Rita, which could cause significant flooding in New Orleans.

For Illegal Immigrants, Some Aid Is Too Risky
by Darryl Fears
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The man who stood with his head bowed outside a cheap motel room here said his name is Almicar of Guatemala. He crept across the Mexican border into the United States a few years ago and since that time has found work as a painter in New Orleans.

The Heroes Behind the Cameras
by Eugene Robinson
You wouldn't think that the longest ovation at the Emmy Awards, an annual celebration of trendiness, would go to three such trend-averse men -- Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, who stood awkwardly on stage, and the late Peter Jennings, whose image appeared behind them on a giant monitor. But the audience rose and clapped in one of the dreary telecast's few moments of genuine electricity, and the tribute made sense coming so soon after the latest reminder of television's power not only to describe the world but to shape it as well.

White House Is Said to Shift Names on List for 2nd Seat
by DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and SHERYL STOLBERG
19 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The shifting calculus reflects the increased stakes in replacing the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as the Supreme Court's swing vote.

Roberts Will Overturn Roe At First Chance, Dean,DNC

Global Warming 'Past The Point Of No Return', Connor