Bradley Manning Verdict

If Bradley Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy but convicted of espionage, who was he spying for, us?

 

August 24: 50th Anniversary March on Washington

On August 24th peace and anti-war activist are gathering in DC to remember the historic March on Washington 50 years ago and to give voice to calls to end the plague of war, the injustice of economic, racial and social inequality and the destruction of our planet. The March on Washington Film Festival (trailer shown here) toured major cities in 2013 and will tour again in 2014.

The Heart Makers

How do you make a working human heart? Scientists can turn stem cells into beating heart cells, but getting them to organize into a 3D heart requires a scaffold. 

Suicide or Not, First Known Death in CA Hunger Strike Reflects Inhumane Prison Conditions

George Lavender In These Times
The department will not negotiate with the prisoners and insist that “in the end, it's up to the inmates to decide to end the hunger strike." But many prisoners say they are committed to continuing the hunger strike. After 13 years in isolation, Duguma says that he and the other hunger strikers are “doing what we have to in order to get the people of this nation to say we have suffered enough and no one should be tortured and stripped of their humanity.”

The Payday Playbook: How High Cost Lenders Fight to Stay Legal

Paul Kiel Pro Publica
Payday, installment and auto-title lenders have more than 1,400 locations in the state — about one store for every 4,100 Missourians. The average two-week payday loan, which is secured by the borrower’s next paycheck, carries an annual percentage rate of 455% in Missouri, more than 100 points higher than the national average. A coalition of faith groups, community organizations and labor unions decided to put forward the ballot initiative to cap rates at 36%.

The Trials of Bradley Manning

Chase Madar The Nation
It would take great powers of imagination to blame any part of our recent military debacles on leaks and whistleblowers. If someone had leaked the full National Intelligence Estimate on Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction, would more people have decided—like then-Senator Bob Graham, who voted against the invasion after reading the unredacted report—to oppose the war before it began?

A New Kind of Trade Agreement?

Haiti Libre
The series of agreements between Haiti and Vietnam, are proof that the South-South cooperation can lead to the fruitful exchange of resources, technology and knowledge. This cooperation provides the framework for a new form of long-term cooperation, which will enable Haiti to address food security, one of its main challenges. The government of Haiti hopes that these agreements will enable Haiti to leapfrog development stages and create a resilient agricultural system.