Briefs

According to an email from the local YWCA, the City of Grand Rapids may cut around $41,000 that it has provided annually to the YWCA's domestic violence emergency shelter. The YWCA reports that there were 3,644 reported victims of domestic violence in 2006 (the most recent numbers) in Kent County and that 500 women and children were housed in the shelter in 2006-2007. Mediamouse.org urges you to contact the city on this important issue:

Greetings YWCA Friends,

Attached, please find a letter that the YWCA will be sending today in response to receipt of the preliminary budget presented to the Grand Rapids City Commission.

The YWCA's domestic violence emergency shelter has received funding through the city for many years from General Revenue Sharing (GLR). Our GLR funding is approximately $41,000, which is 8.5% of the YWCA emergency shelter and 24-hour crisis support budget. The city's preliminary budget eliminates funding for programming offered to the community under GLR.

GLR funds pay for YWCA emergency shelter weekend and evening staff. Safety can not be maintained at the shelter without these critical positions being in place. Please help!

WHAT WE NEED:

* READ THE ATTACHED LETTER
Take sections of it and compose an email, send a letter, or call your commissioner (contact information below). If you do not reside in Grand Rapids and do not know a specific commissioner, communicate with Mayor George Heartwell or City Manager Kurt Kimball. Let the city know how important these services are to survivors of domestic violence and their children. Let them know that you support the services of the YWCA. Urge them to continue funding the YWCA Domestic Crisis Center at current funding levels.

* SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR (pulse@grpress.com)

* ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET, VOICE YOUR SUPPORT
5/27 Public Hearing 7 p.m.
City Commission Chambers, 9th Floor
City Hall
300 Monroe NW
Downtown Grand Rapids

* PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW IN THE GREATER GRAND RAPIDS AREA.

Thank you so much for your support of the victims of domestic violence served by the YWCA.

SAMPLE LETTER:

All letters to the Grand Rapids City Commission, Mayor, or City Manager should be addressed to:

NAME
300 Monroe NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

City Manager
Kurt Kimball
manager@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3166

Mayor George Heartwell
mayor@grcity.us
Phone: 616.456.3168

First Ward Commissioner - James Jendrasiak
jjendras@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3035

First Ward Commissioner - Walt Gutowski
waltgutowski@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3035

Second Ward Commissioner - Rosalynn Bliss
rbliss@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3035
Please note: Rosalynn is the co-chair of the Kent County Domestic Violence Coordinated Community Response Team (DVCCRT) and very tuned into domestic violence issues.

Second Ward Commissioner - David LaGrand
dlagrand@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3035

Third Ward Commissioner - James B. White, Sr.
jwhite@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3035

Third Ward Commissioner - Elias Lumpkins, Jr.
elumpkin@grcity.us
Phone: 456-3035

May 8, 2008

Mayor George Heartwell
Members of the Grand Rapids City Commission
300 Monroe NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Re: Preliminary Fiscal Plan - General Local Revenue Sharing appropriation

Dear Mayor and Grand Rapids City Commissioners:

It is with deep concern that we are writing to you in response to the elimination of the General Local Revenue Sharing (GLRS) appropriation within the city's preliminary fiscal plan. The YWCA West Central Michigan is our community's largest provider of domestic violence services and as such is a contracted service currently funded through the GLRS appropriation. It is our hope that the following information provides strong rationale for maintaining the YWCA's funding either through the current appropriation or another municipal revenue source. Equally so, we believe it outlines the critical nature of the YWCA's domestic violence crisis services to the city of Grand Rapids.

Currently, the city's GLRS appropriation for the YWCA's domestic violence emergency shelter is $41,121 and accounts for 8.5% of the budget for the YWCA's shelter and 24-hour crisis intervention services. GLRS funding pays for our weekend and overnight staff. Staffing during these periods is critical to the safety requirements of domestic violence survivors. Elimination of this funding would seriously undermine the YWCA's ability to serve those who are most in danger.

The scope of domestic violence in our community is tremendous. The Michigan Uniform Crime Report showed that in 2006 (the most recent accounting), there were 3,644 reported victims of domestic violence within Kent County. In the span of just 7 weeks last summer, 4 domestic violence situations escalated to murder. Three of these cases occurred within the city of Grand Rapids, including the death of a Grand Rapids police officer.

Within our 2006-07 reporting period, close to 500 women and children found safety within the YWCA's domestic violence emergency shelter walls. These victims have been threatened with a level of lethality that requires our community to hide them from their assailants. In the absence of YWCA services, victims will be forced to remain in dangerous situations because they have no where to turn. Alternatively, in an effort to escape violence in their own homes, they will be forced into situations that increase their and their children's vulnerability to victimization. Local law enforcement, hospitals, and other key services rely on the YWCA as a referral source when dealing with those who present in those venues.

Of the survivors who turn to us, 89% have minor children living with them. In addition, in the last 12 months alone, we have responded to 1015 of calls for crisis support.

GLRS funding from the city of Grand Rapids pays for staffing for:

* Immediate, safe emergency shelter
* 24 hour crisis intervention telephone support

Once in our shelter, services that we provide to survivors include:

* Help in locating and securing safe and affordable longer-term housing
* Help in finding financial assistance, medical care, and childcare
* Access to counseling and support groups
* Development of a personalized safety plan
* Personal panic buttons to help survivors - who have a lower risk of violence and are living in private residences apart from their assailants - stay in their own homes.
* Advocay support in the legal system

We realize the financial challenges the city of Grand Rapids faces and appreciate your willingness to consider the valuable role the YWCA plays in the safety and well-being of our community's residents. Please strongly consider our request to keep funding for critical, safety-net services for domestic violence survivors and their children.

If you need additional information in making your decision, we will gladly provide it. Contact information is included below.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
NAME"

On Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Press ran an article titled "Fluoride pioneer Grand Rapids rethinks safety of putting chemical in water." According to the article, Grand Rapids--which became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water--is studying the city's use of fluoride as it relates to the city's sustainability practices and the release of toxins into the environment.

The article, while raising the prospect of the city discontinuing the use of fluoride, generally minimized criticisms of fluoride. The article did not quote any opponents of fluoride and contained information from the CDC saying that fluoride is safe. Only two sentences in the article raised specific concerns:

"Opponents of fluoridation have said the chemical can be toxic, and some evidence shows it might cause weak bones, thyroid problems, bone cancer and other problems. Malfunctioning fluoridation systems in some cities have poisoned residents, they contend."

However, as Mediamouse.org reported last September when the city unveiled a new fluoride monument, there have been persistent concerns raised about fluoride and the process by which it has been added to water systems in the United States. Many of these concerns have been documented by reporter Christopher Bryson who wrote the book The Fluoride Deception.

An interview with Bryson is viewable below:

The following articles of interest were published elsewhere on the web today:

• Mccain, Obama And Clinton Silent On Iraq Exit
  Categories: iraq mccain obama hillaryclinton elections2008
• The "Surge" of Iraqi Prisoners
  Categories: iraq
• U.S. Media Trivializes Campaign 2008
  Categories: media elections2008
• The global warming deniers are winning, especially with the GOP
  Categories: globalwarming environment republicans
• NYT Again Excludes Critics From Iraq War Discussion
  Categories: iraq media antiwar
• Running Out of Water in Rising Heat
  Categories: iraq
• US Army's "Stop-Loss" Orders Up Dramatically Over Last Year
  Categories: military iraq
• EPA may decide not to limit the amount of a toxin in water supplies
  Categories: epa environment government water
• Drive 1,000 Miles or Feed a Person for a Year? The Biofuels Dilemma
  Categories: environment biofuels globalwarming cars
• Eric McDavid Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison After FBI Entrapment
  Categories: fbi environment repression elf
• Report: Abused Women See Danger in Family Court
  Categories: patriarchy courts
• Running to the Right: Barack Obama and the DLC Strategy
  Categories: obama democrats elections2008
• Frankenmuth the latest battleground in religious symbol debate
  Categories: religion government michigan
• Violent attack shocks mine opponents
  Categories: mining environment michigan

Previously archived links are available on the news links page or on Media Mouse's del.icio.us page. To recommend links, tag them with "mediamouserecommended" on del.icio.us or contact us via email.

Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.

Note: Amy Goodman, the host of Democracy Now!, will be speaking in Grand Rapids on May 10.

UN Chides Burma Junta for Delaying Aid Relief

The United Nations is criticizing Burma's military junta over what it calls an "unprecedented" refusal to allow in desperately needed aid. It's been nearly one week since Cyclone Nargis killed up to 100,000 people and left more than a million homeless. But UN officials say the Burmese junta is refusing to allow free entry to dozens of aid workers. UN Emergency Coordinator John Holmes appealed to the junta to lift its restrictions.

UN Emergency Coordinator John Holmes: "We are simply trying to help the government of Myanmar to carry out their responsibilities to aid these people in desperate need and increasingly desperate need, as we can all see from the reports we are seeing. We are simply trying to help people. There are no other political motives in this, and therefore we really do--I do appeal very strongly indeed to the government of Myanmar both to step up their own relief efforts to help people on the ground and to change their attitude completely to the efforts that we are making to get these relief supplies in."

At least one UN relief flight was sent back Thursday because the junta said its personnel had not received permission. In the Burmese capital Rangoon, the price of water has shot up at least 500 percent. A survivor of Cyclone Nargis described the damage to his home.

Survivor: "Heavy wind started blowing, and that damaged our houses. After that, the tide water rose. When the water started coming up, we could no longer stay in our homes, so we moved out. There is only one home left without damage in this village, so we all stayed together in that house."

US Denies Capture of al-Qaeda Leader in Iraq

The US military is denying an Iraqi government claim to have arrested the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. On Thursday, Iraqi officials said Abu Ayyub al-Masri had been captured in the northern city of Mosul. But the Pentagon now says the apprehended suspect only had a similar name. Meanwhile, the US-led assault on the Shia stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad continues. At least four people were killed and more than fifty wounded in overnight clashes.

KBR Faces New Sexual Harassment Claims in Iraq

The military contractor KBR is being linked to new sexual harassment and abuse allegations in Iraq. Three former Iraqi employees of KBR say they witnessed a culture of sexual harassment in the company's operations at the British embassy. A female cleaner says she was offered double her pay to have sex with a KBR supervisor. She says she was fired after she refused. Two former KBR employees, Jamie Leigh Jones and Mary Beth Kineston, have also come forward with rape allegations while working for KBR in Iraq.

Beirut Clashes Stoke New Fears of Civil Conflict

In Lebanon, at least eight people have been killed and fifteen wounded in what's being called the worst domestic violence since the civil war. Fighting between pro-government forces and Hezbollah intensified Thursday after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said a government crackdown is "tantamount to a declaration of war."

Hassan Nasrallah: ''Whoever declares war on us, even if a father or a brother, let alone a political adversary, we reserve the right to confront and defend our arms and existence. The telecom network is not part of the resistance's arms, it is the most important part of the resistance."

Nasrallah rejected a government offer to end the crisis by declaring the crackdown a "misunderstanding." Hezbollah says it will only accept a complete rescission. UN Lebanon envoy Terje Roed-Larsen warned the crisis marks the worst instability since the end of the civil war.

Terje Roed-Larsen: "The riots that started yesterday in Lebanon show tragically that the country today confronts challenges of a magnitude unseen since the end of the civil war. The electoral void, combined with the stalled functions of parliament and the defiant maneuvers of militias, are all threats to Lebanon's ability to operate as a sovereign democratic and independent state. These developments can have serious regional repercussions."

Israelis, Palestinians Mark 60th Anniversary of Israel's Founding

In Israel and the Occupied Territories, Israelis and Palestinians held diverging commemorations Thursday to mark the sixtieth anniversary of Israel's founding. In Israel, celebrations were held across the country, including rallies, fireworks displays and naval parades. In the Occupied Territories, Palestinians gathered to mark what they call the "Nakba," or catastrophe. At least 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes upon Israel's founding in 1948. In Northern Israel, thousands of Palestinians wearing black armbands held a rally where an Arab village once stood. Arab Israeli parliament member Muhammad Baraka said his family had been expelled from the village.

Muhammad Baraka: "We want to emphasize that when Israel celebrates its independence day, it is our Nakba Day. We want to tell our true story. We want to tell our true story. I was born in this village, and there are others who were expelled from their lands. We are here to say we are alive."

Israeli independence was declared on May 15, 1948, but is celebrated each year according to the Jewish calendar. Palestinians will mark the Nakba on May 15th. Meanwhile, here in New York, more than sixty members of the group Rabbis for Human Rights held what they called an "alternative celebration" of Israeli independence. The group planted two trees to symbolize the coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians.

Rabbi Brian Walt: "What Rabbis for Human Rights means to me is it means the deepest vision of Judaism, which is a vision of justice for all people. And what Rabbis for Human Rights symbolizes for me is the deep commitment to act upon that vision of justice, not only for Jewish people, but for all people, both in Israel so that there will be justice for both Israelis and Palestinians and, more generally, for the world, that there be justice for every people in the world."

Israeli PM Denies Taking Bribes

Meanwhile, back in Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is denying allegations he took bribes from an American land developer. Olmert says he'll step down if he's found to have committed wrongdoing.

Clinton Cites White Support to Press Case for Campaign

On the campaign trail, Senator Hillary Clinton is coming under criticism for racially charged comments she's made to press her case for staying in the contest. In an interview with USA Today, Clinton said she would be the stronger candidate because she appealed to more voters. Clinton cited an Associated Press article that discussed, in her words, "how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me. There's a pattern emerging here," she said. Clinton was in West Virginia Thursday, the next primary state in her race with Senator Barack Obama.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: "Some in Washington wanted us to end our campaign, and then I won New Hampshire, then we had huge victories on Super Tuesday, then we won Ohio and Texas and Pennsylvania, and I was never supposed to win Indiana. Well, I'm running to be president of all fifty states, and I want to be sure that we count all fifty states."

CIA Ordered to Release 2002 Torture Memo

The CIA has been ordered to release a 2002 memo said to outline harsh interrogation methods allowed on foreign prisoners. The American Civil Liberties Union calls the memo "one of the most important torture documents still being withheld by the Bush administration."

Special Counsel Thwarted Siegelman Probe

A newly disclosed memo shows the US Office of Special Counsel shut down an investigation into the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman last year. Siegelman is currently free on bail while he appeals a conviction on corruption charges. Critics say he is the target of a political witch hunt. More than fifty former state attorney generals have called for a congressional investigation into Siegelman's case. The new memo shows Special Counsel Scott Bloch ordered investigators to abandon the probe over their objections. Siegelman says Bloch should explain why he shut down the investigation.

State Dept. Imposes Gag Order on India Nuke Deal

The State Department is imposing an unusual gag order on Congress members briefed on a pending US nuclear deal with India. The Washington Post reports lawmakers have been told to keep quiet out of fear public disclosure would threaten the agreement. The information they received is not classified. But State Department officials are said to be concerned over Indian opposition fears that the deal would harm Indian sovereignty. India would receive access to US nuclear technology for the first time. Critics say the agreement would encourage nuclear production regionally and worldwide, because it effectively rewards India for developing nuclear weapons outside the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association said, "The administration's unwillingness to make their answers more widely available suggests they have something to hide from either US or Indian legislators."

Pentagon Cancels Pakistan Post for Gitmo General

The Pentagon has canceled the assignment of a general to oversee US military operations in Pakistan amidst objections to his previous position as commander of the US prison at Guantanamo Bay. Major General Jay Hood oversaw Guantanamo from 2004 to 2006. The cancellation follows weeks of public criticism in Pakistan over his appointment.

House Approves Homeowner Measure

On Capitol Hill, the House has approved a measure to help homeowners refinance their loans and stay in their homes. Thirty-nine Republicans joined Democrats despite the threat of a White House veto. The measure would allow hundreds of thousands of homeowners to trade high-rate loans for government-backed mortgages. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Bolivia to Hold Referendum on Morales Government

And Bolivia has set plans for a national vote of confidence on the government of President Evo Morales. Morales agreed to the referendum after the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament proposed it. Earlier this week, Morales rejected an unofficial autonomy vote by the country's richest region of Santa Cruz. The proposals included giving Santa Cruz more control over land distribution and rich oil and gas reserves. Morales has pushed for a more equal distribution of Santa Cruz resources to include all of Bolivia.

Racial disparities in infant mortality are growing in Michigan according to a new study by the Michigan League for Human Services:

"Right Start in Michigan - 2008: Targeting Disparity in Infant Mortality found that while infant mortality rates dropped from 8.1 to 7.6 deaths per 1,000 births between the periods of 1998-2000 and 2004-2006, racial disparity persisted. Statewide, African-American infants are three times more likely to die before their first birthday...

The Right Start report examines 10 counties where more than 90 percent of the state's African-American babies are born. Wayne County is separated into Detroit and out-Wayne.

In 2004-2006, Ingham County had the highest infant mortality rate for African-American infants at 20.1 deaths per 1,000 births compared with a white rate of 4.3. Detroit's rate was 16.9 for black infants and 4.7 for white babies.

The gap between white and black infant mortality rates grew in Detroit and in Macomb, Washtenaw, Genesee, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Kent and Saginaw counties. It dropped in Oakland and Berrien counties and in out-Wayne County."

A 2007 study of racial disparities in infant mortality speculated that low birth weight among African-American babies--one of the leading causes of infant mortality--is due to racial discrimination at both the individual and institutional levels.

The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights--a network of forty-four organization in the Midwest--has produced a new video that looks at immigrant detention and the realities of the United States government effort to criminalize undocumented immigrants. Not surprisingly, the reality is dramatically different than the lies perpetuated by the rightwing media and racist opponents of immigration:

The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights also has information about the enforcement of immigration law in the Midwest and the deaths of 71 immigrants in government custody.

On May 20, Mediamouse.org and The Bloom Collective are co-sponsoring a screening of the film "We Interrupt This Empire." The film explores how antiwar protestors shutdown the financial district in San Francisco following the us invasion of Iraq. The film weaves together footage of marches, civil disobedience, black blocs, and other tactics to show how protest moves to resistance.

A trailer:

Following the film, there will be a short presentation about the protests planned against the Republican National Convention (RNC).

The film will start at 8:00pm at the DAAC (115 S. Division Ave). A $2 suggested donation is strongly encouraged to support more independent films being shown at the DAAC.

While updating the Progressive Directory of Western Michigan yesterday, we came across an exciting new organization called GR Feminists. As a small gesture of solidarity and recognition of the importance of challenging patriarchy, we are reprinting their manifesta:

Grand Rapids Feminists: A Gggrrrrrrrr Manifesta

The Grand Rapids (GR) Feminists exist as an organization to facilitate community, connections, and common ground between the diverse population of feminists residing in and around Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the purpose of promoting solidarity and social change.

As GR Feminists, we believe that feminism upholds the following principles:

* Oppression and inequality directed toward any person or group of persons, including oppression based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, class, or age cannot and will not be tolerated.
* Any social institution that promotes said oppression and inequality should be examined, scrutinized, questioned, and changed.
* All individuals should be free to make their own choices regarding the fate and direction of their own lives.
* These choices should be able to be made in an educated manor.
* The choices of one should not overtly impact the lives of others in a profoundly negative and oppressive way.
* Voice is one of the most powerful tools each of us has. The silencing of voices is one of the biggest tools those in power have to oppress others. Such silencing cannot and will not be tolerated.
* Solidarity is vital to social change. Solidarity and social change are vital to existence.

These feminist principles will be upheld through the GR Feminists organization in all meetings, activities, and personal lives of members.

As GR Feminists, we believe in the inclusive nature of feminism, and this group is open to all those individuals who define themselves as feminists, while recognizing that defining oneself as feminist but being in direct opposition with the above principles is suspect and reason to be asked to leave the group.

We understand that different types of feminism will at times be in direct opposition with each other, but that we will remain respectful of these differences, understand that there are multiple solutions to the same problems, and thrive in the diverse nature of our group.

While GR Feminists do not speak against religion per se, and will not exclude religious feminists from our group or roster of events, we do recognize the sometimes inherent patriarchal nature of religion, and the exclusionary nature of adopting the principles of a specific religion, and thus proclaim that we are a strictly secular organization.

GR Feminists will promote solidarity and social change through activities such as, but not limited to, consciousness raising, book clubs, volunteer and activist projects, and education of both ourselves and our communities.

Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.

Note: Amy Goodman, the host of Democracy Now!, will be speaking in Grand Rapids on May 10.

Burma Cyclone Toll Could Top 100,000

The first major international delivery of aid has finally landed in Burma amidst new fears the death toll from this week's cyclone could top 100,000. The initial toll was 22,000, but a US diplomat says another 80,000 people could have died. At least one million people are said to be homeless. A UN relief plane landed earlier today after waiting nearly forty-eight hours for clearance from Burma's military junta. The junta is coming under intense criticism for delaying international relief. The UN's top humanitarian official, John Holmes, says Burma is facing a "major catastrophe."

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes: "I think it's clear to all of us that we are faced here with a major catastrophe in, in particular, the Irrawaddy Delta of Myanmar. You've seen those official casualty figures. It is not impossible, in fact I think it's quite likely, that those figures will continue to rise and that we are really facing, as I say, a major catastrophe there."

Cyclone Nargis was the largest to hit Asia since 1991.

Sadr City Residents Told to Flee Homes

In Iraq, residents of the Sadr City district of Baghdad say they're being warned to flee their homes in advance of an intensified US-led assault on Shia fighters. Sadr City has seen relentless violence in a nearly two-month campaign against followers of Muqtada al-Sadr. UNICEF says around 6,000 people have already been forced to flee. Up to 150,000, half of them children, are said to be cut off from aid in areas isolated by the US military. Medical care has declined following Saturday's US missile strike that damaged several ambulances at Sadr City's main hospital. At least four people were killed and thirteen injured in fighting overnight. At the White House, the veteran correspondent Helen Thomas questioned Press Secretary Dana Perino about the killing of innocent Iraqis.

Dana Perino: "Helen."

Helen Thomas: "Yesterday, according to the New York Times, we dropped a bomb on a home in Sadr City and burned alive a pregnant woman and her children. How long is the siege of Sadr--how long are we going to keep bombing Iraqis?"

Perino: "Well, I'm not aware of that particular report. I have not--I've not seen it."

Thomas: "Well, it was pretty buried in the stories."

Perino: "OK. Well, the operation against the militias in Sadr City will continue until they root them out. And that is expressly in order to protect people like you just mentioned."

Thomas: "Root who out? The Iraqis? In their own country?"

Perino: "It is Prime Minister Maliki's government which is going after the militia, which is appropriate."

Thomas: "Why are we bombing these people?"

Perino: "Any time anyone that is an innocent civilian is hurt in a conflict, we obviously regret it, and we go out of our way to make sure it doesn't happen."

Report: 10M Children Die Yearly from Preventable Causes

A new report says nearly ten million children worldwide are dying every year from treatable ailments like diarrhea and pneumonia. Overall, Save the Children estimates more than 200 million children under the age of five do not get basic medical care.

Vowing to Press On, Clinton Loans Campaign $6.5M

On the campaign trail, Senator Hillary Clinton is promising to continue her White House bid despite growing calls for her to exit the race. Many political analysts say Tuesday's primary results in North Carolina and Indiana make Senator Barack Obama the presumptive nominee. Obama leads by about 150 delegates with six contests to go. On Wednesday, Clinton disclosed she's lent her campaign $6.4 million over the past month, on top of a prior loan of $5 million.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: "I'm trying to make sure that their investment is a good one and because we are being outspent. Everybody knows that. We, historically, in the last several months have been outspent two-to-one, three-to-one, four-to-one, even five-to-one, but we've remained competitive, and I have been willing to loan that money to my campaign so that, you know, we could be competitive. And I think it's paid off."

Meanwhile, a prominent supporter of Clinton, former Senator George McGovern, has announced he's switching over to endorsing Obama.

McCain to Yield $7M at New York Fundraiser

On the Republican side, Senator John McCain is expected to pull in over $7 million today at a fundraiser here in New York. It's expected to be his largest single one-event take so far.

Independent Whistleblower Agency Targeted in FBI Raid

The FBI has raided the offices of the independent government agency established to protect federal whistleblowers. On Tuesday, more than a dozen agents made off with computers and documents belonging to Office of Special Counsel head Scott Bloch. Bloch has been accused of obstructing a 2006 inquiry into his conduct. But critics say the FBI could be trying to intimidate Bloch as he leads probes into the Bush administration. Bloch's investigations have focused on the firing of US attorneys and the alleged use of federal agencies for political ends.

FBI Withdraws National Security Letter Issued to Internet Archive

In other news, the FBI has withdrawn a national security letter issued to the Internet Archive, an online resource preserving older versions of websites. The national security letter was only revealed Wednesday under a gag order barring discussion of the case. The Internet Archive says last year the FBI demanded it hand it over extensive personal information on one of its users. The Archive says it fought the letter with the help of the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, because it exceeded the FBI's authority to collect information. Marcia Hofmann of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said, "A miscarriage of justice was prevented here because the Archive decided to fight the unlawful demand for information and an unconstitutional gag. The big question is, how many other improper National Security Letters have been issued by the FBI and never challenged?"

Michigan Supreme Court Upholds Denying Benefits to Gay Couples

In Michigan, the State Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling blocking government and state universities from offering health insurance to same-sex couples. Michigan passed a gay marriage ban in 2004.

Philadelphia Police Caught Beating Unarmed Victims

In Philadelphia, six police officers have been removed from street patrols after they were videotaped beating three unarmed African American men. A local television news helicopter captured the scene of around a dozen officers pulling the victims from their car and kicking and punching them as they lay on the ground. The beating occurred after the shooting death of a police officer who had been pursuing three robbery suspects, two of whom were later caught. The three victims have all been charged with assault, conspiracy and endangering another person. The officers who beat them have not been charged.

United for Peace and Justice, one of the largest antiwar groups in the United States, has issued an alert calling on its membership and opponents of the US occupation of Iraq to call their congressperson to oppose a new Iraq spending bill. West Michigan congressional Representative Vern Ehlers has been a consistent supporter of the war and has voted for every funding bill. Nevertheless, given the urgency of the situation in Iraq, it is important to call:

The House of Representatives will vote as soon as tomorrow -- Thursday, May 8 -- on an additional $178 billion for the war and occupation in Iraq!

Amazingly, the bill includes $70 billion for fiscal year 2009. This means the funds for the occupation will keep flowing well into the next administration, allowing the new president a free hand to continue the war and occupation with little or no accountability to Congress until next spring. This is an appalling abdication of responsibility.

At a time when money is urgently needed in our communities, the new bill would bring the total for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an unimaginable $874 billion. By including FY09 funding, the Democratic Party House leadership is effectively taking the war off the congressional agenda for the rest of this year. This might be our last opportunity to fight a war funding bill before the next president takes office and the new Congress is seated.

YOUR CALL TODAY IS CRUCIAL.

Call your representative NOW: 202-224-3121

Tell them to vote "No!" on this funding bill.
Tell them it's long past time to bring all the troops home and end the war.
Tell them to stop playing political games while lives are being lost.

Please let us know you called by clicking here.

Don't let the House Democratic leadership take us for granted. If this funding bill passes, Congress will have handed Bush $874 billion for the illegal war and occupation of Iraq. With this funding bill, they are laying the groundwork for the next president to continue the occupation. We must send them a message: The voters will remember in November!

Background

House leadership met behind closed doors on Monday evening to concoct a plan that will keep the war going into the next president's first term. They plan to bring a $178 billion war funding bill to the floor for a vote on Thursday, May 8. In addition to the funding bill, they will vote separately on two other measures. One will provide billions for unemployment benefits and veterans education benefits; the other measure addresses war policy, including a goal for troop withdrawal by December 2009, troop readiness requirements, and bans on permanent bases in Iraq and torture. It is an open secret that the Senate will drop the measure on war policy -- leaving only the war funding with no strings attached.

Impact of War on the Iraqi People

The U.S. war/occupation in Iraq has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, devastated families and ripped apart the infrastructure of Iraq. One striking fact is that more than 4.7 million Iraqis (in a nation of 27 million people) have been displaced by war and occupation. It is the world's fastest growing refugee crisis, and represents the largest refugee flow in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians in 1948. Click here for more information.

Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.

Note: Amy Goodman, the host of Democracy Now!, will be speaking in Grand Rapids on May 10.

Obama Widens Lead Over Clinton with Big NC Win, Narrow Indiana Loss

Senator Barack Obama has increased his lead over Senator Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Tuesday, Obama scored a decisive fourteen-point victory in North Carolina while narrowly losing to Clinton by two points in Indiana. Addressing supporters in Raleigh, Obama said he is close to securing the nomination.

Sen. Barack Obama: "Because you still believe that this is our moment and our time to change America, tonight we stand less than 200 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. More importantly, because of you, we've seen that it's possible to overcome the politics of division and the politics of distraction, that it's possible to overcome the same old negative attacks that are always about scoring points and never about solving our problems."

Despite Obama's lead in the popular vote and delegate count, he'll be unable to wrap up the nomination without support of Democratic superdelegates. Clinton is expected to try to slow Obama's momentum by focusing on resolving the dispute over the uncounted primaries in Michigan and Florida. Speaking to supporters in Indianapolis, Clinton promised to stay in the race.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: "Tonight, we've come from behind, we've broken the tie, and thanks to you, it's full speed onto the White House... But I can assure you, as I have said on many occasions, that no matter what happens, I will work for the nominee of the Democratic Party, because we must win in November."

Clinton has reportedly made another multi-million-dollar loan from her personal fortune to keep her campaign afloat.

Burma Toll Could Top 80,000

In Burma, the death toll from the weekend cyclone has topped more than 22,000. Up to 60,000 people are reported missing, while up to a million have been left homeless. Earlier today, the UN said the Burmese military junta had approved the first UN aid flight to help the victims. Rashid Khalikov of the UN disaster relief agency OCHA said hundreds of thousands are in need of aid.

Rashid Khalikov: "You also heard that the figures on the death toll now are more than 22,000. There is also figures used that more than 40,000 are still missing. I wanted to tell you that unfortunately we cannot tell you how many people are in need of assistance. We just clearly understand that it probably will be hundreds of thousands of people."

The UN says an aircraft carrying twenty-five tons of aid will land in Burma later today. At the White House, President Bush urged the junta to accept aid from the United States.

President Bush: "So our message is to the military rulers, let the United States come and help you, help the people. Our hearts go out to the people of Burma. We want to help them deal with this terrible disaster, and at the same time, of course, we want them to live in a free society."

Cyclone Nargis was the largest to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people died in Bangladesh.

White House Missing Emails Around Iraq Invasion

The Bush administration is claiming it can't find hundreds of emails from one of the most critical periods of its time in office. The White House says it's missing backup recovery files for emails beginning in March 2003, the same month it launched the invasion of Iraq. The first recorded file is dated on May 23 of that year. That leaves open the possibility more than two months' worth of emails have been lost. The admission came out of a lawsuit by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which is suing the White House for email records.

Gitmo Lawyers Allege Government Spying

Lawyers for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are accusing the US government of eavesdropping on their phone calls. The charge comes in a new court filing in a case seeking information on whether Guantanamo lawyers have been the targets of government surveillance. One attorney says she's stopped accepting any new clients, because the possibility of government spying means she can no longer guarantee confidentiality. The Justice Department has refused to acknowledge whether the lawyers have been put under surveillance.

San Diego Orders Probe of Blackwater Permit

The private military firm Blackwater is facing new scrutiny over its effort to build a training facility in Southern California. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has demanded a probe into whether Blackwater misrepresented itself when it sought permits for the facility's construction. Blackwater didn't file under its own name, instead using the names of two subsidiaries. Earlier this year, local residents successfully blocked Blackwater from opening an 824-acre military complex known as Blackwater West in the rural hamlet of Potrero, California. The grassroots group known as the Courage Campaign says it's collected 2,500 signatures to oppose Blackwater's latest plans.

House Subpoenas Cheney Chief of Staff on Interrogation

The House Judiciary Committee has voted to subpoena Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff over the Bush administration's interrogation policies. David Addington is believed to have played a major role in White House discussions on the interrogations. Former Bush administration officials John Yoo, John Ashcroft and Douglas Feith have all avoided subpoenas by agreeing to testify.

US Re-establishes Navy Fleet in South America

In military news, the Pentagon has announced the re-establishment of a US Navy fleet to oversee activity in the Caribbean and Central and South America. The Fourth Fleet has not been used since its disbandment in 1950.
Some critics warn the fleet's renewal could be seen as a warning to governments seeking greater regional integration to counter US influence, most notably Venezuela.

Studies: Racial Disparity in Drug Arrests Grows

New studies show racial disparities in drug arrests are continuing to rise. According to Human Rights Watch, black men are nearly twelve times as likely to be imprisoned for drug convictions as white men, even though whites commit more drug-related crimes. Black women are five times as likely to see prison time for drug crimes than white women. According to the Sentencing Project, since 1980 the rate of drug arrests for blacks has increased by 225 percent, compared to 75 percent for whites.

Newly Published Photographs Depict Hiroshima Aftermath

New photographs have been unearthed of the aftermath of the US bombing of Hiroshima. The Hoover Institution says the photos were discovered soon after the attack in 1945. The photos show rare images of the effects of the bombing, with hundreds of disfigured bodies piled together on the ground. An estimated 140,000 people were killed instantly or died within a few months after the bombing on August 6th, 1945.

Brazilian Jury Overturns Rancher Conviction for Killing of US Nun

In Brazil, a jury has overturned the conviction of a Brazilian rancher for the killing of a US-born Catholic nun in the Amazon rainforest. Vitalmiro de Moura had been sentenced to thirty years for paying gunmen to murder seventy-three-year-old Sister Dorothy Stang in Feburary 2005. But on Tuesday, a new jury absolved him of the crime. Dorothy Stang's brother, David, said her family would appeal.

David Stang: "We are surprised at the result. We will try all of the different agencies, judicial system to appeal this case, and we hope that we will win at another time."

Sister Stang had been trying to stop illegal logging by de Moura when she was killed. She had lived and worked in Brazil for more than thirty years.

NY Activists to Protest Sean Bell Killing

And here in New York, activists are planning to stage city-wide civil disobedience today in protest of the recent acquittal of three police officers in the killing of Sean Bell. The twenty-three-year-old Bell died in a hail of fifty police bullets on the morning of what would have been his wedding day in November 2006. He was unarmed. The Reverend Al Sharpton says the protests will be the first in what he hopes will lead to a city-wide shutdown.

Mediamouse.org is reprinting this announcement from the Friends of Marie Mason group on how you can support alleged arsonist Marie Mason who is being charged for for an Earth Liberation Front (ELF) arson at Michigan State University (MSU). Mason's arrest is part of a recent government campaign dubbed "the Green Scare" that is targeting environmental and animal rights activists.

We have received word of a tentative trail date for Marie in early August. With the possibility of a trial only a few months away please keep in mind that time is of the utmost importance with the following request.

Marie's attorney has requested for articles pertaining to to the below subjects. While digital format is preferred any format will be accepted. Please email any info you feel relevant to freemarie@riseup.net or mail to the below address.

Marie needs all the help and support she can get right now. Please do what you can.

Check out www.midwestgreenscare.org for more support ideas.

Solidarity is a Weapon,

GOT YOUR BACK
C/o Friends of Marie Mason
P.O. Box 19065
Cincinnati, OH 45219
midwestgreenscare.org

We are requesting that any articles sent be from "from mainstream media or science sources for enhanced credibility".

1) Articles about the dangers and limitations of GMO foods/ crops

2) Specifically, the work that Catherine Ives was doing at MSU around 2000

3) Articles on Greenspace and global warming (buffering action). These we could also pass on to Maketewah for their work on the anti-development campaigns. Maybe the city of Toledo would be a source, as they are developing a greenspace policy.

4) Articles on deforestation, or in general about imminent environmental collapse (Joseph Speth, Naomi Klein are some recent "credible" authors)

5) We are also seeking recent cases that might help with sentencing advice (ie non political arson cases, vandalism cases)for comparison.

6) We are also seeking a transcript of Rod Coronado's 1995 MSU related trial. Specifically the presentation by Rods attorneys about who Rod was politically.

Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.

Note: Amy Goodman, the host of Democracy Now!, will be speaking in Grand Rapids on May 10.

Cyclone in Burma Kills at Least 15,000

In Burma, at least 15,000 people are feared dead following a devastating cyclone. Another 30,000 people are still missing. Aid agencies estimate as many as one million people may be without shelter. The storm hit Burma on Friday night. For over ten hours, winds traveling up to 150 miles per hour struck Burma's largest city, Rangoon. More than twenty inches of rain were dumped on the city. Satellite images from NASA show virtually the entire coastal plain of Burma under water. It was the largest cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people died in Bangladesh. On Monday, Burma's military junta said it would allow some foreign aid groups to enter the country. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith offered assistance.

Stephen Smith: "Whilst we have very grave difficulties with the regime in Burma, we have over the period been continuing to render modest humanitarian assistance directly to the people of Burma. So we stand ready, willing and able to assist in conjunction with the United Nations and the relevant agencies."

Pro-Democracy Groups Urge Postponement for Referendum

In Washington, First Lady Laura Bush announced the US government would send $250,000 in emergency aid. Meanwhile, President Bush is expected to sign legislation today awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Burma's jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. On Saturday, Burma is scheduled to hold a controversial referendum to rewrite the nation's constitution. Exiled opposition activist Soe Aung of the National Council of Union of Burma urged the military junta to postpone the referendum.

Soe Aung: "We are calling the international community to press the military regime to immediately defer the referendum in order to address the devastation left by this Cyclone Nargis. After these survivors' main needs are met, and the regime can proceed with the rescheduled referendum, and this time under free and fair conditions and including the presence of the international monitors."

Burma's military regime initially said it would proceed with the referendum, but now officials say the vote will be postponed in forty-seven towns hardest hit by the cyclone.

Obama & Clinton Face Off in N.C. & Indiana

In the United States, voters head to the polls today in North Carolina and Indiana for two closely contested primary races between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. At a campaign rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Senator Clinton said she is best suited to win in November.

Sen. Clinton: "I believe that I would be the best president and the stronger candidate against Senator McCain, and ultimately this is about getting to 270 electoral votes. If the Democratic Party had the same rules as the Republican Party, I would already be the nominee."

Despite a series of recent setbacks, Senator Obama said he still expects to win the nomination.

Sen. Obama: "Obviously, we're focusing right now on Indiana and North Carolina. I don't like to get too far ahead of myself. That's why I think we've done well, is we campaigned state by state. But I'm confident that I will win this nomination, and I am confident that when I square off with John McCain that we're going to have a serious debate about where this country needs to go."

NYT Scrutinized for Report on Hezbollah Training Iraqis in Iran

The New York Times is coming under criticism for publishing an article based solely on unnamed sources suggesting that the Lebanese group Hezbollah is training Iraqi militants inside Iran. The article by Michael Gordon was published on Monday, one day after Iraqi government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh said Iraq has no hard evidence of Iranian support of insurgents in Iraq. John Stauber of PR Watch said Gordon's article is "reminiscent of the horrendous errors of judgment and bad journalism committed by Michael Gordon, Judith Miller and others at the New York Times who turned the paper into a conduit for phony stories that sold the war in Iraq." Retired Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner said he feels the article in Monday's Times is "part of a strategic communications plan."
John Bolton: Striking Iran Is "Really the Most Prudent Thing to Do"

Hours after the Times article was published, former UN Ambassador John Bolton appeared on Fox News and called for US strikes against Iran. He was interviewed by Jaime Colby of Fox News.

John Bolton: "I think this is a case where the use of military force against a training camp to show the Iranians we're simply not going to tolerate this is really the most prudent thing to do. And then the ball would be in Iran's court to draw the appropriate lesson to stop harming our troops."

Jaime Colby: "Ambassador John Bolton, a good message to end on. Thank you very much."

Iran Suspends US Talks to Protest US Offensive

Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly suspended talks with the United States to discuss Iraqi security. According to the New York Times, Iran called off the talks to protest the ongoing US offensive against Shiite Iraqis in Baghdad.

Report: Suicide May Be More Deadly Than Combat for Troops

The US government's top psychiatric researcher estimates the number of suicides among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll of the wars because of inadequate mental healthcare. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, said community mental health centers have failed in providing adequate care to veterans. A recent study by the RAND Corporation determined that 20 percent of returning US soldiers have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment. The House Veterans Affairs Committee is holding a hearing this morning on the issue of veteran suicides. Steve Rathbun from the University of Georgia will be testifying. According to his research, as many as 120 veterans are committing suicide every week.

UN Adviser Calls for Overhaul of Food Aid System

A top adviser to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the United States and other nations to overhaul its system for sending food aid to countries in need. Professor Jeffrey Sachs said countries should be given resources to help grow their own food.

Jeffrey Sachs: "If you help them to grow more food rather than shipping food aid, you'll produce an escape from poverty. If you ship food aid, you'll meet one-fifth of the food needs, people will suffer, it will be very expensive, and you'll do nothing to help them get out of poverty"

Jeffrey Sachs also said the United States and Europe should cut back on production of biofuels.

Jeffrey Sachs: "The second thing I believe we need is to cut back significantly on our biofuels programs, which were understandable at a time of much lower food prices and larger food stocks but do not make sense now in a global food scarcity condition. In the United States, as much as one-third of the maize crop this year will go to the gas tank, and this is a huge blow to the world food supply."

Iraqi Man Files Torture Suit Against US Contractors

An Iraqi man has sued two US military contractors, claiming he was repeatedly tortured while being held at the Abu Ghraib prison. In the lawsuit, Emad al-Janabi says employees of CACI International and L-3 Communications punched him, slammed him into walls, hung him from a bed frame and kept him naked and handcuffed in his cell.

Georgia Schedules First Execution Since End of Moratorium

Georgia is set to execute William Earl Lynd tonight. He will become the first US prisoner to be put to death since the Supreme Court ended a de facto seven-month moratorium on capital punishment. Anti-death penalty campaigners have planned protests outside the prison and in five cities across the state. Since the Supreme Court ruling three weeks ago, states have scheduled at least fourteen more executions to take place over the next six months.

North Carolina Man Released After 14 Years on Death Row

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, an innocent man has been released after spending fourteen years on death row. Levon "Bo" Jones is the fifth death row prisoner to be exonerated in the United States in the past eleven months.

New Book Alleges Mumia Abu-Jamal Is Innocent

A new book on Mumia Abu-Jamal asserts the former Black Panther and journalist did not kill Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. In his book The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal, J. Patrick O'Connor concludes the actual killer was Kenneth Freeman, a business partner of Mumia's brother. Freeman died in 1985.

Lawsuit Filed to Stop California Prison Expansion

In other prison news, a coalition of groups in California are filing a lawsuit today to stop the state from borrowing $12 billion to build 53,000 new prison beds. The expansion is considered the largest prison construction in US history. California has opened twenty-three new prisons in the past twenty-three years. Leading the opposition to the prison funding is the group Californians United for a Responsible Budget.

Mildred Loving, 68, Dies; Challenged Interracial Marriage Ban

And Mildred Loving has died at the age of sixty-eight. She and her husband made national headlines four decades ago when they successfully challenged Virginia's ban on interracial marriage. In 1967, the Supreme Court heard their case and struck down laws banning racially mixed marriages in at least seventeen states.

There is an election for the Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) Board of Education tomorrow. In the election, voters will choose there new members for the school board.

Three candidates endorsed by the Grand Rapids Education Association (GREA) recently appeared on the Working West Michigan radio show to talk about why they are running:

Additionally, Mediamouse.org covered a candidate forum back in March featuring the majority of the candidates running for the Board.

If you are registered to vote and not know where you vote, the Michigan Secretary of State's website can help you locate your polling place.

The following articles of interest were published elsewhere on the web today:

• Geologist testifies in Lansing about sulfide mining
  Categories: mining environment lansing michigan
• Hearing begins on permits for Kennecott mine project in Marquette County
  Categories: mining environment michigan
• Outsiders try to Influence Grand Rapids School Board Race
  Categories: elections2008 elections grps schools
• Secret Bush "Finding" Widens Covert War on Iran
  Categories: iran bush
• Obama's Money Cartel: How Barack Obama Fronted for the Most Vicious Predators on Wall Street
  Categories: obama elections2008 banks
• Mission Accomplished, Five Years Later
  Categories: iraq
• What the Pentagon Pundits Were Selling on the Side: Propaganda Meets Corporate Lobbying
  Categories: lobbying pentagon war media
• "Be A Zapatista Wherever You Are": Learning Solidarity in the 4th World War
  Categories: zapatistas mexico solidarity
• How The Rich Starved The World
  Categories: wealth environment biofuels
• North Carolina: Action Organized Against Whole Foods' 'Whole Free Market'
  Categories: environment consumerism sustainability
• "Divide and Rule" Strategy Called Shortsighted
  Categories: iraq
• Bjorn Lomborg Bibliography
  Categories: globalwarming environment
• Heartland Institute Condemned for "Major Ethical Transgression"
  Categories: globalwarming environment
• Environmental Health Risks Gain Research Ground
  Categories: environment health
• Once Again, Buchanan Cites Racist Sources
  Categories: buchanan racism
• Beyond Terrorists: MI GOP's Support Anti-Semitism and White Supremacist Hate Groups
  Categories: republicans yaf msu michigan
• Obama's "Race Neutral" Strategy Unravels of its Own Contradictions
  Categories: obama race elections2008
• Envisioning the End of Israeli Apartheid: An Interview With Ali Abunimah
  Categories: israel palestine
• How Criminal Injustice System Impacts Blacks
  Categories: race racism prisons
• Rep. Upton, Whirlpool CEO would gain easy access to privatized park
  Categories: corporations development bentonharbor michigan

Previously archived links are available on the news links page or on Media Mouse's del.icio.us page. To recommend links, tag them with "mediamouserecommended" on del.icio.us or contact us via email.

Here is the latest "IGE Talks," a monthly cable access show hosted by the Institute for Global Education (IGE) and aired on Grand Rapids' public access television. As part of our ongoing efforts to support independent and do-it-yourself media here in West Michigan, we will be posting these shows each month. In this episode, "IGE Talks" discusses "SpankOut Day" and raising children compasionately:

The topic for the next show is "globalization and fair trade." It will be taped on June 5 at 7:00pm at the IGE office. IGE is located at 1118 Wealthy Street SE. The public is welcome to participate in the discussion.

Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.

Note: Amy Goodman, the host of Democracy Now!, will be speaking in Grand Rapids on May 10.

Cyclone Kills Nearly 4,000 People in Burma

In Burma, a powerful tropical cyclone has killed nearly 4,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless. Aid groups say the toll could climb much higher. The top American diplomat in Rangoon said the storm had caused major devastation throughout the city. Dissident groups are urging Burma's military junta to allow aid groups to enter the country and operate freely, but the UN says the government has not responded to its offer to help. Meanwhile, Burma's military junta has announced it plans to proceed with a controversial referendum on Sunday on a new constitution.

Clinton Defends Statement about "Obliterating" Iran

In campaign news, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton spent the weekend campaigning in North Carolina and Indiana ahead of Tuesday's primary. On Sunday, the candidates appeared simultaneously on competing news shows. On ABC's This Week, Clinton was asked if she had any regrets over her recent threat to "totally obliterate" Iran if it attacks Israel with nuclear weapons.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: "Why would I have any regrets? I'm asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for, for all kinds of reasons. And, yes, we would have massive retaliation against Iran."

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Senator Obama said the US should defend Israel after any attack, but he criticized Clinton's rhetoric.

Sen. Barack Obama: "Well, it's not the language that we need right now, and I think it's language that's reflective of George Bush. We have had a foreign policy of bluster and saber-rattling and tough talk, and in the meantime, we make a series of strategic decisions that actually strengthen Iran."

Report: Bush Authorizes Covert Offensive Against Iran

The website CounterPunch is reporting President Bush has signed a secret finding authorizing a covert offensive against the Iranian regime. Bush's secret directive covers actions from Lebanon to Afghanistan. Journalist Andrew Cockburn reports the directive is "unprecedented in its scope" and permits the assassination of targeted officials.

US Missile Hits Iraqi Hospital, 30 Injured

In news from Iraq, more than thirty people were injured on Saturday when a US missile struck a major hospital in Sadr City. The McClatchy Newspapers reports the rocket shattered hospital windows and sent many doctors running from the building, leaving the emergency ward without enough personnel to deal with injury victims. The US is continuing to carry out airstrikes in the densely populated Sadr City. Iraqi health officials said at least ten people, including two children, were killed on Sunday in Sadr City.

Iraq's First Lady Survives Bomb Attack

In other Iraq news, a bomb attack on Sunday targeted a motorcade carrying Iraq's first lady. President Jalal Talabani's wife, Hiro Ibrahim Ahmed, escaped unharmed, but four bodyguards were injured.

Iraqi Journalist Killed in Mosul

In Mosul, gunmen shot dead an Iraqi reporter on Sunday after hauling her out of a taxi. Serwa Abdul-Wahab was shot once in the head. A colleague said she had received a text message on her phone three weeks earlier warning her to stop reporting or she would be killed.

Private Contractors to Help Train Iraqi Military

The Washington Post reports the military is planning to expand the role of private contractors in Iraq. For the first time, US commanders in Iraq are seeking private contractors to form part of the small military teams that train and live with Iraqi military units across the country. The contractors would live on Iraqi military bases and participate in special operations and convoy duties.

KBR's Profits Triple Due to Iraq War Contracts

Meanwhile, military contractor KBR has reported its first quarter net profits tripled over last year largely because of its Iraq war contracts. KBR made $98 million in the first three months of the year.

Obama and Clinton Spar Over Gas Tax

In other campaign news, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton sparred Sunday over a proposal to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax. In an interview on Meet the Press, Obama described the proposal as a Washington gimmick.

Sen. Obama: "This gas tax, which was first proposed by John McCain and then quickly adopted by Senator Clinton, is a classic Washington gimmick. It is a political response to a serious problem that we have neglected for decades. Now, here's the upshot. You're looking at suspending a gas tax for three months. The average driver would save thirty cents per day for a grand total of $28. That's assuming that the oil companies don't step in and raise prices by the same amount that the tax has been reduced."

During her appearance on ABC's This Week, George Stephanopoulos questioned Clinton about her gas tax proposal.

George Stephanopoulos: "Can you name one economist, a credible economist, who supports the suspension?"

Sen. Clinton: "Well, you know, George, I think we've been for the last seven years seeing a tremendous amount of government power and elite opinion basically behind policies that haven't worked well for the middle class and hard-working Americans in America."

Stephanopoulos: "But can you name an economist who thinks this makes sense?"

Clinton: "Well, I'll tell you what, I'm not going to put my lot in with economists, because I know if we did it right, if we actually did it right, if we had a president who used all the tools of the presidency, we would design it in such a way that it would be implemented effectively."

NAACP Files Voter Suppression Complaint

The North Carolina NAACP has filed a formal complaint of possible voter suppression against the organization Women's Voices Women Vote. Last week it was revealed that the D.C.-based nonprofit was behind a series of deceptive robocalls directed at African American households. Callers were falsely informed that they must first send in a "registration packet" before they're allowed to vote.

Lawmakers Demand Probe into Pentagon Propaganda Program

Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and thirty-nine other lawmakers have called on the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate the Pentagon's propaganda program. Two weeks ago, the New York Times revealed the Pentagon had set up a secret program to use retired military officers to generate positive news coverage and to push for the war in Iraq. In a letter to the Pentagon, DeLauro described the program as a "unethical, and potentially illegal, propaganda campaign aimed at deliberately misleading the American public."

US Military Launches Foreign Language News Websites

Meanwhile, USA Today is reporting the Pentagon has set up a global network of foreign language news websites that promote US interests and counter anti-American messages. One such website, Mawtani.com, is geared towards Iraqis. The site is available in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu, but not in English. It is supervised by the Pentagon's Iraq command. The US Southern Command is building a similar site for Latin American audiences, and Pacific Command is interested in setting up a news site to cover Asia. The military claims the sites are not a form of propaganda. Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Vickers said, "Is this propaganda? No. It's intended to counter extremist propaganda...with truth."

US Considers Sending 7,000 More Troops to Afghanistan

The Pentagon is considering expanding its presence in Afghanistan by sending as many as 7,000 more US troops. This would bring the total number of US troops in Afghanistan to a new high of roughly 40,000. On Sunday, presidential candidate Barack Obama said he supports a military surge in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.

UN Relief Agency Suspends Food Aid in Gaza

The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees is set to suspend its food aid distribution in Gaza today because of a lack of fuel caused by the Israeli blockade. UNWRA spokesperson Chris Gunness said, "We have exhausted our stocks of fuel and are therefore forced to stop our food distributions to 1.5 million inhabitants in the Gaza Strip." On Sunday, the Israeli military shut down two key border crossings through which Gaza receives most of its food, medical supplies, humanitarian aid and fuel.

Zimbabwe Releases Official Election Results

Election officials in Zimbabwe have finally released results from the March 29 election. Officials say opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe, but neither candidate passed the 50 percent threshold for an outright win. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change said the result was "scandalous daylight robbery." MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti said Tsvangirai should be declared president.

Tendai Biti: "This does not surprise us. This is consistent with a regime that is not ready to let go of power. This is consistent with an individual, Robert Mugabe, who will do anything and everything legally and extralegally to reproduce his repression, his tyranny in Zimbabwe."

Sami al-Haj: Koran Desecrated at Guantanamo

Sami al-Haj has revealed more information about his imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay. Al-Haj is the Al Jazeera cameraman who was held without charge for over six years at Guantanamo. He was released on Thursday. In an interview from Sudan, al-Haj said US troops repeatedly desecrated the Koran.

Sami al-Haj: "They hold the Koran in contempt, destroyed it several times and put their dirty feet on it. They also sat on the Koran while trying us to get us angry. They repeatedly committed violations against our dignity and our sexual organs."

The US has rejected Sami al-Haj's claims. One US official told ABC News that al-Haj was "a manipulator and a propagandist".