- 10-11-02 Congress Gives President Bush Approval to Wage War (MSNBC)
"The Senate joined the House on Friday morning in voting solidly to give President Bush the authority to use force against Iraq, approving a resolution endorsed by the president and leaders of both parties."
"But some influential Democrats remained opposed, and the resolution’s leading opponent, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, did not go down without a fight, accusing Congress of 'handing the president unchecked authority.'
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., agreed. “The power to declare war is the most solemn responsibility given to Congress by the Constitution,” he said. 'We must not delegate that responsibility to the president in advance.' ”
"A majority of Democrats voted against the resolution, even though their House leader, Dick Gephardt of Missouri, was one of its authors."
- 10-17-02 North Korea Found to Have Nuclear Weapons Program (Guardian Unlimited)
"U.S. officials publicly reveal discovery of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."
- 10-20-02 Fewer Young People Are Voting (International Herald Tribune - Goldstein and Morin)
"In 1974, about 30 percent of all 25-year-olds voted. Next month, 23 percent are expected to vote. If those trends continue, only about 19 percent will vote in 2022.
- 11-14-02 Pelosi - First Woman to Lead a Political Party in Congress (CSMonitor.com)
"House Democrats on Thursday made Rep. Nancy Pelosi the first woman ever to head a political party's caucus in Congress."
- 11-23-02 Milestones and Failures of the 107th Congress (USA Today)
Highlights what was achieved by the 2000 - 2002 Congress.
- 11-25-02 Poll: Americans Favor War With Iraq as Last Resort (USA Today - Benedetto)
"Most Americans support going to war against Iraq if it is found to have weapons of mass destruction, but first they want to give the United Nations every chance to disarm the country peacefully, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds."
- 11-25-02 Poll: Election Results Not an Affirmation of GOP Agenda (CBS News)
"The Republican victories in the midterm election appear to be a personal victory for President Bush, but not an affirmation of single party control, or even of many aspects of the president's own agenda, a CBS News/New York Times poll finds."
- 11-26-02 African American Democrats Feel Overlooked (CBS News)
"As House Democrats pick a new leader for their fund-raising committee, black lawmakers are again protesting about being overlooked for key positions despite delivering millions of votes each year."
- 11-26-02 Rare Treasure Found in Senate (CBS News)
"The handwriting is a fastidious cursive, the signatures include those of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the columns record an era when senators were paid the lofty wage of $6 a day."
"Had Senate aides not stumbled upon the unassuming brown ledger last Tuesday, lying on a shelf in a basement storage room, workers clearing space for construction of a new visitors' center would have tossed it into the trash two days later."
- 11-27-02 U.N. Inspectors Pleased With Iraqi Cooperation (CNN News)
"Arms inspectors making their first searches for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in nearly four years completed Day One of their work Wednesday and were pleased with the government's cooperation."
- 11-28-02 USA Losing Credibility in South America (World Press Review - Rapoza)
"Chile’s president, Ricardo Lagos, said, 'Since the 1980s, all of our countries have followed the "Washington Consensus." We reformed our economies and balanced them, opened our markets to increase competition, we recognized that an efficient private sector and expansion was the principal motor to economic progress.' But while Latin America realized notable efforts to modernize and participate in globalization, said Lagos, today’s social and economic balance is far from positive. 'With each passing day, frustration shows on the face of our people on the continent. These political and economic changes haven’t advanced the wellbeing of the masses, inequality continues to grow. This unhealthy economic and social state threatens the legitimacy of the democracies on the continent.' ”
- 11-28-02 Zimbabwe Faces Starvation of Millions (BBC News)
" 'We are approaching the very worst period of the crisis, when 6.7 million Zimbabweans will need food aid and yet WFP does not even have the resources to meet our target of three million beneficiaries in November,' " according to the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP).
" 'It is an extremely serious situation and it is only going to get worse,' " said Kevin Farrell, WFP representative in Zimbabwe."
" 'We will all have to work non-stop over the coming months if we are to prevent millions of people from starving in Zimbabwe.' "
- 11-30-02 Terrorism Insurance Now Law (CNN)
Describes new law to protect insurance companies in case of another catastrophic terrorist attack in the USA.
- 12-02-02 U.S. Supreme Court to Decide on Affirmative Action for College Students (USA Today)
"About 15% of the first year Michigan law students are minorities. The Supreme Court was told that without diversity considerations, the number of minorities in a freshman class could plunge to less than .04%."
- 12-06-02 Economic Chiefs Resign (BBC News)
"US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey both resigned on Friday."
- 12-10-02 Trent Lott Apologizes for Racist Comment (CNN - Mercurio)
"Incoming Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott issued a written apology Monday evening over his comment that the United States would have avoided "all these problems" if then-segregationist Strom Thurmond had been elected president in 1948." 12-02
- 12-11-02 Bush Administration Threatens to Use Nuclear Retaliation (Fox News)
"The United States is declaring that it will pull out all the stops and use any means necessary — including nuclear weapons — against Iraq or other hostile countries in response to a chemical or biological attack." 12-02
- 12-12-02 Bush Rebukes Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott for Racist Comment (CNN)
"President Bush on Thursday sharply rebuked incoming Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott for comments that some have called racist, saying any suggestion that segregation was acceptable is 'offensive and it is wrong.' "
"[William] Bennett suggested that Lott's explanations about what he meant when he praised segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond's 1948 presidential campaign have been inadequate."
" 'If Senator Lott can provide a satisfactory explanation for his statement, this entire episode should be forgotten,' Bennett said in a statement released Thursday. 'If he cannot, he needs to step down as the Senate majority leader.' " 12-02
- 12-13-02 Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott Was a Segregationist (Time.com - Tumulty)
"Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott helped lead a successful battle to prevent his college fraternity from admitting blacks to any of its chapters, in a little-known incident now four decades old." 12-02
- 12-15-02 Former Vice President Al Gore Will Not Run for President Again (USA Today)
"Former Vice President Al Gore, who came agonizingly close to winning the presidency two years ago, said Sunday he will not run in 2004, and probably will not have another opportunity to seek the White House." 12-02
- 12-17-02 Bush to Deploy Missile Defense System in 2004 (Bloomberg - Cappacio)
"President George W. Bush ordered the Pentagon to begin deploying the first elements of a missile defense system by 2004." 12-02
- 12-17-02 First Republican Senator Announces He Wants Lott Out (ABC News - Holland)
"Sen. Lincoln Chafee said today he thinks Trent Lott should be replaced as the Senate's Republican leader as Secretary of State Colin Powell 'deplored the sentiments' of racially insensitive statements Lott made in tribute to Sen. Strom Thurmond."
"While other Republican senators have called for a meeting Jan. 6 to address Lott's future in the wake of the Mississipian's remarks at Thurmond's 100th birthday party, Chafee is the first to say outright that Lott should not continue as majority leader."
"Lott triggered the controversy Dec. 5 at a 100th birthday party for Thurmond. He said people in Mississippi were proud to have voted for Thurmond at the time, adding, 'if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either.' " Thurmond ran on president as a Dixiecrat.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said, 'There was nothing about the 1948 election or the Dixiecrat agenda that should have been acceptable in any way, to any American, at that time or any American now.'
- 12-17-02 Senator Lott Likely to be Replaced (MSNBC)
"Embattled Sen. Trent Lott so far doesn’t have the 26 Senate Republican votes needed to retain his job as majority leader, sources told NBC’s Tim Russert." 12-02
- 12-21-02 American Pilots Charged in Canadian Deaths (CBC)
"Two American pilots involved in the fatal bombing of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan last April have been charged with criminal offences." 12-02
- 12-21-02 Senator Bill Frist - Profile (CNN)
"Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, seen as a likely successor to Sen. Trent Lott as Senate majority leader, is the first sitting senator since 1928 to be a practicing surgeon." 12-02
- 12-21-02 Senator Hillary Clinton Top Choice of Democrats for 2004 Presidential Election (CNN)
"With Al Gore now out of the race, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the top choice of Democrats for the 2004 presidential nomination if she chooses to run, according to a new CNN/Time magazine poll." 12-02
- Homeland Security Department Created (BBC News)
"US President George W Bush has signed the Homeland Security Act, creating a huge new government department." "The Department of Homeland Security will have nearly 170,000 employees and merge the functions of 22 existing agencies" and will have a budget of $40 billion. Tom Ridge will be the head of the new department. 11-02
- International News (Foreign Wire.com)
Provides international news stories for current events assignments.
- Ireland Moves Toward Joining the European Union (CNN News)
"The European Union heaved a sigh of relief and welcomed the Irish referendum decision to ratify the Treaty of Nice." Ratifying the Treaty of Nice is a step toward joining the European Union. 10-02
- Legal News (FindLaw.com)
Provides legal news related to current events. 12-00
- Local Sources of National News (Associated Press)
Provides sources of national news, by state and then source. 2-02
- News Related to President Bush (Whitehouse)
Provides news from the Whitehouse of the United States. 11-01
- News Sources (Awesome Library)
Provides sources of national and world news, by subject or country. 2-02
- News on Nuclear Threat of North Korea (CNN)
Provides news stories related to North Korea's nuclear threat. 2-03
- North Korea (Awesome Library)
Provides news and current events related to North Korea's relationship with the USA and the international community. Also provides background information on North Korea, such as history, economy, government, and more. 1-03
- Partnership of Bush and Cheney (Time.com)
"This war has two faces, one a promise, one a growl. One says we will defend liberty wherever it lives, plant our values where they have never grown. The other says if you challenge us or threaten us or even just invade our sense of security, you will have started a fight that you will certainly lose." 1-03
- -02-11-03 Greenspan Not Supporting Tax Cuts (CBS News)
"Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Tuesday that he wasn't totally convinced that a new round of tax cuts is necessary to bolster the economy."
"Instead, Greenspan cautioned that Congress must make sure future budget deficits remain under control."
"Greenspan's comments dealt a blow to President Bush's drive to enact a new round of $1.3 trillion in tax cuts, which Democrats have complained will lead to exploding budget deficits in future years." 2-03
- -02-28-03 Estimates of War Costs Rise (BBC - Schifferes)
"Pentagon planners are now expected to ask Congress for a supplemental appropriation of $95bn to pay for the war if hostilities break out, up from previous estimates of around $60bn."
" 'The government is going to have to borrow the money to finance this war,' said Senator Robert Byrd, 'overwhelming a federal budget which is already sliding into deep deficit and warping the US economy'. "
"The increased costs of the war reflect uncertainty about the duration of the conflict, as well as additional costs for reconstruction and aid to key allies such as Turkey."
"President Bush's ambitious goal of rebuilding democracy in Iraq implies that a large occupation force would be needed, staying at least several years."
"And Washington plans to appoint a prominent US official to help run the country to ensure that 'one brutal dictator is not replaced by another'."
"Another uncertainty, however, is to what extent US allies will pay for part of that bill - or directly aid the reconstruction efforts." 2-03
- -02-28-03 North Korea Going Nuclear (CBS News)
"South Korea confirmed Friday that North Korea has restarted a small reactor that could produce plutonium for atomic weapons. " 2-03
- -03-07-03 Republicans Fail to Break Filibuster on Miguel Estrada (San Francisco Chronicle - Hook)
"Senate Republicans failed on Thursday to break a filibuster blocking the nomination of a Latino lawyer to one of the nation's most powerful federal courts, a setback for President Bush's efforts to leave a conservative stamp on the judicial system." 2-03
- -03-09-03 Iran's Nuclear Program of Great Concern (CNN)
"The Bush administration considers new developments in Iran's nuclear program 'of great concern,' President Bush's spokesman said Monday." 3-03
- -03-15-03 Jintao New President of China (CBS News)
"Hu Jintao was selected Saturday to replace Jiang Zemin as the president of a fast-changing China, the last major step in a sweeping transition to a younger generation of leaders that has been years in the making." 3-03
- -03-19-03 War Begins (CNN News)
"U.S. and coalition forces launched missiles and bombs at targets in Iraq as Thursday morning dawned in Baghdad, including a 'decapitation attack' aimed at Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and other top members of the country's leadership." 3-03
- -03-19-03 World Reactions to War (MSNBC News - Carlile)
"NBC News and MSNBC.com gauge the global debate on Iraq with daily reports from a network of contributors from around the globe." 3-03
- -03-21-03 Perle Resigns Because of Conflict-of-Interest Questions (Washington Post - Pincus and Lee)
"Richard N. Perle, a key adviser to the Bush national security team who recently has been dogged by conflict-of-interest allegations, resigned yesterday as the unpaid chairman of an influential Pentagon advisory board but intends to stay on as a member." 3-03
- -03-28-03 Perle Resigns Because of Conflict-of-Interest Questions (ABC News)
"An adviser to the Bush administration and a leading advocate of the war on Iraq, Richard Perle, has resigned as chairman of a top Pentagon advisory panel." 3-03
- -03-28-03 U.S. Warns Syria About Involvement in Iraq (CNN News - Loughlin)
"Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issued a stern warning to Syria on Friday, saying military supplies, including night-vision goggles, were passing from that country into Iraq, posing a 'direct threat' to coalition forces." 3-03
- -04-2-03 Congress Passes War Budget (USA Today)
"The House and Senate Appropriations committees both approved packages on Tuesday of nearly $80 billion to begin paying for war with Iraq and meet other security needs." 4-03
- 01-01-03 Cost of War With Iraq (CNN - Bash)
"The White House is downplaying published reports of an estimated $50 billion to $60 billion price tag for a war with Iraq, saying it is 'impossible' to estimate the cost at this time. " 1-03
- 01-01-03 Priorities for the Bush Administration (CNN - King)
"The economy and health care will dominate President Bush's domestic agenda for 2003, aides and experts say, but what gets accomplished in those areas could well hinge on challenges overseas, including the Iraq issue and the war on terrorism." 1-03
- 01-02-03 Government Funds Faith-Based Organizations to Promote Marriage (CNN)
"In step with President Bush's faith-based initiative, the government on Thursday sent money from its child support programs to religious and nonprofit organizations so they can promote marriage." 1-03
- 01-02-03 Senator John Edwards Runs for President (MSNBC)
"Sen. John Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat and former personal injury lawyer, on Thursday announced he’ll be running for his party’s presidential nomination in 2004." The story also provides some highlights of his voting record. 1-03
- 01-04-03 South Korea Proposes End to USA - North Korea Conflict (USA Today)
"The United States refuses to talk until the North scraps its nuclear programs. And North Korea insists Washington must take the first step by signing a nonaggression pact promising not to attack the isolated country."
"One South Korean compromise being considered calls for the United States to resume oil shipments to North Korea, in return for it abandoning its uranium nuclear development, media reported Saturday, citing an unnamed government source." 1-03
- 01-07-03 Bush Administration Selects Candidates for Next Congressional Elections (CBS News - Lynch and Kiker)
"White House political czar Karl Rove, who confounded Democrats in the midterm elections with his handpicked Republicans candidates in key races from Minnesota to Missouri to Georgia, is at it again for 2004."
Discusses how the Bush administration selects and then backs Republican candidates to run against key Democratic candidates. 1-03
- 01-07-03 Meet the New Congress for 2003 (CBS News)
"About 51 percent of the U.S. population is female, compared with 14 percent of the House and 14 percent of the Senate. Republican Ginny Brown-Waite, who defeated U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman, D-Fla., said some women may be turned off from entering politics by the nasty tone that can characterize campaigns."
"The 37 blacks in the House compares with a record 39 blacks there from 1993 through 1996. Still, only 8.5 percent of the House is black and only 5 percent is Hispanic. Hispanics and blacks each make up 12 percent of the U.S. population." 1-03
- 01-08-03 British Prime Minister Warns Bush to Expand USA Focus (Independent - Grice)
"Tony Blair warned President George Bush yesterday that the United States must listen to the concerns of the rest of the world and throw its weight behind efforts to tackle the Middle East crisis, global warming and poverty." 1-03
- 01-08-03 Republicans Vote Against High Ethical Standards (CNN)
"Undoing their own strict ethics rules Tuesday, Republicans pushed changes through the House that make it easier for lobbyists to send boxes of pizza and buckets of chicken to congressional offices. The changes also allow charities to give lawmakers free travel and lodging at resorts."
"The changes by the majority Republican leadership caught Democrats by surprise and ignored the House ethics committee's warnings against skirting the spirit of ethical conduct." 1-03
- 01-10-03 North Korea Withdraws from Nuclear Arms Treaty (CBC News)
"North Korea withdrew from the global nuclear weapons treaty Friday, a treaty it's already violating, but said its nuclear program is peaceful." 1-03
- 01-11-03 Atomic Agency Challenges Bush's Key Claim Against Iraq (International Herald Tribune)
"The key piece of evidence that President George W. Bush has cited as proof that Saddam Hussein has sought to revive his program to make nuclear weapons has been challenged by the International Atomic Energy Agency."
"But Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, offered a sharply different assessment in a report to the UN Security Council. ElBaradei said Iraqi officials had claimed that they sought the tubes to make 81-mm rockets. ElBaradei indicated that he thought the Iraqi claim was credible." 1-03
- 01-11-03 Governor Empties Death Row (CNN - Flock)
"Outgoing Illinois Gov. George Ryan announced Saturday that he had commuted the sentences of all of the state's death row inmates and said he would 'sleep well knowing I made the right decision.' " 1-03
- 01-15-03 Bush Against Affirmative Action (MSNBC)
"President Bush announces Wednesday that his administration will file a brief in the University of Michigan affirmative action case before the Supreme Court."
"Bush’s move drew strong criticism from Rev. Jesse Jackson. The veteran civil rights activist, speaking after the address with MSNBC’s Lester Holt, said 'it was unfair, dishonest and a distortion' to call the university’s policy a quota program. Jackson said the president’s “logic is flawed and inaccurate,” and that Bush 'has made a very calculated political decision, no less on Dr. King’s birthday, to put forth an extreme civil-rights position.' ”
"Admissions policies at the University of Michigan award extra points to minority candidates, and the law school uses race as one of many factors that could enhance an applicant’s chances. The school said the racial preferences were justified because the school had a legitimate interest in ensuring a diverse student body."
"States across the country are wrestling with ways to keep up minority enrollment in public colleges, and several are operating under court orders or negotiated agreements to end discrimination." 1-03
- 01-26-03 Total Information Awareness Defeated (Bennington Banner)
"Last week, the U.S. Senate defended the Bill of Rights, the separation of powers and the rights of citizens to conduct their affairs with a modicum of privacy by reining in the Pentagon's Total Information Awareness program. This is the proposed high-tech domestic spying apparatus that would have opened the e-mail and computerized records of every American to review by military intelligence."
"The Wyden amendment is a victory for privacy rights over the encroachment of the national security apparatus, and a hopeful sign that the Congress takes seriously its responsibility to oversee the executive branch, which, in its zeal to combat terrorism has been threatening the rights of citizens."
- 01-27-03 Democrats Challenge Bush to Prove Need for Pre-Emptive Strike (CBS News)
"At a time when we have only just begun to fight the war on terror, the American people deserve to hear why we should put hundreds of thousands of American troops at risk, spend perhaps hundreds of billions of dollars, risk our alliances, and inflame our adversaries to attack Iraq."
- 01-29-03 Asia and Europe React to State of the Union Speech (SFGAte.com - Pearson)
"A world wary of war on Wednesday cautiously welcomed calls by President Bush for a tougher stance against Iraq, but some nations worried Washington was leaning too much toward conflict."
- 01-29-03 President George W. Bush's State of the Union Speech (FrontPage.com - Bush)
"Every year, by law and by custom, we meet here to consider the state of the union. This year, we gather in this chamber deeply aware of decisive days that lie ahead."
- 01-29-03 President George W. Bush's State of the Union Speech - Major Points (NBC17.com - Bush)
Summarizes the key points and initiatives of President Bush's 200 State of the Union Speech.
- 01-30-03 Mandela Harshly Criticizes President Bush on Iraq (CBS News)
"Former South African President Nelson Mandela delivered a fiery speech denouncing the United States and aiming harsh personal criticism at President Bush."
"Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the world's most respected elder statesmen, let the Bush administration have it right between the eyes, reports CBS News Correspondent Tom Fenton."
"Mandela said he would support action against Iraq only if it is ordered by the U.N. He urged the people of the United States to join massive protests against Mr. Bush and called on world leaders, especially those with vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, to oppose him."
" 'What I am condemning is that one power, with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust.' "
"Last July, the president awarded Mandela the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation's highest civilian honor — dubbing him 'perhaps the most revered statesman of our time.' " 1-03
- 03-03-03 Top Al Qaeda Terrorist Caught (CBC)
Newsweek reported that "Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was overseeing plans to attack bridges, gas stations and power plants in major U.S. cities." 2-03
- 04-30-03 U.S. Military Leaving Saudi Arabia (MSNBC)
"Most American forces are pulling out of Saudi Arabia, ending an uneasy 12-year presence in the gulf kingdom, U.S. officials announced Tuesday. The withdrawal addresses one of the most sensitive issues for Muslims — and one frequently cited by Osama bin Laden — who have complained about the large U.S. presence in the home of Islam’s two holiest shrines." 4-03
- 05-05-03 Democrats Begin Presidential Debates (CBS News)
"The nine Democrats vying for the White House clashed over the U.S.-led war against Iraq, health insurance and President Bush's tax cut in an ultra early primary debate in which they hope to distinguish themselves from the pack." 5-03
- 05-08-03 Bush Pushes for Conservative Judges (USAToday.com - Biskupic)
"Two years ago Friday, President Bush announced his first slate of proposed judges. Since then, the White House consistently has refused to surrender to Senate Democrats who have tried to block conservative nominees from lifetime appointments to the bench."
"For all the wrangling over nominations, Democrats have joined with the GOP to approve 123 of Bush's 184 picks since spring 2001." According to Sen. Patrick Leahy, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, "We have drawn a line with a few of his most extreme choices." 5-03
- 05-08-03 India Rejects Pakistan's Offer of No Nukes (CNN News)
"India's prime minister has rejected Pakistan's offer of mutual nuclear disarmament, but told his parliament that 'friendship with Pakistan' was in both nations' best interests." 5-03
- 05-14-03 Saudis Top Religious Violators (Washington Times - Duin)
"Saudi Arabia was cited as the top violator yesterday in an annual report issued by the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom on the status of religious liberties worldwide."
"The commission also took the country to task for 'offensive and discriminatory language' disparaging Jews, Christians and non-Wahhabi Muslims found in government-sponsored school textbooks, in Friday sermons preached in prominent mosques, and in state-controlled Saudi newspapers." 5-03
- 05-16-03 Texan Legislators Flee for Victory (CNN)
"Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled to neighboring Oklahoma say they're going back to Austin early Friday after a four-day walkout that killed a Republican-backed redistricting plan they said would have cost them five seats in the U.S. Congress." 5-03
- 07-23-02 USA to Block Torture Vote (ABC News - al-Kashif)
"Fearing independent visits to U.S. prisons and to terror suspects on Guantanamo, the United States is planning to block a U.N. vote on a plan to enforce an international convention on torture, U.S. diplomats and human rights campaigners said Tuesday."
- -04-2-03 Congress Passes War Budget (USA Today)
"The House and Senate Appropriations committees both approved packages on Tuesday of nearly $80 billion to begin paying for war with Iraq and meet other security needs." 4-03
- 04-30-03 U.S. Military Leaving Saudi Arabia (MSNBC)
"Most American forces are pulling out of Saudi Arabia, ending an uneasy 12-year presence in the gulf kingdom, U.S. officials announced Tuesday. The withdrawal addresses one of the most sensitive issues for Muslims — and one frequently cited by Osama bin Laden — who have complained about the large U.S. presence in the home of Islam’s two holiest shrines." 4-03
- 05-05-03 Democrats Begin Presidential Debates (CBS News)
"The nine Democrats vying for the White House clashed over the U.S.-led war against Iraq, health insurance and President Bush's tax cut in an ultra early primary debate in which they hope to distinguish themselves from the pack." 5-03
- 05-08-03 Bush Pushes for Conservative Judges (USAToday.com - Biskupic)
"Two years ago Friday, President Bush announced his first slate of proposed judges. Since then, the White House consistently has refused to surrender to Senate Democrats who have tried to block conservative nominees from lifetime appointments to the bench."
"For all the wrangling over nominations, Democrats have joined with the GOP to approve 123 of Bush's 184 picks since spring 2001." According to Sen. Patrick Leahy, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, "We have drawn a line with a few of his most extreme choices." 5-03
- 05-08-03 India Rejects Pakistan's Offer of No Nukes (CNN News)
"India's prime minister has rejected Pakistan's offer of mutual nuclear disarmament, but told his parliament that 'friendship with Pakistan' was in both nations' best interests." 5-03
- 05-14-03 Saudis Top Religious Violators (Washington Times - Duin)
"Saudi Arabia was cited as the top violator yesterday in an annual report issued by the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom on the status of religious liberties worldwide."
"The commission also took the country to task for 'offensive and discriminatory language' disparaging Jews, Christians and non-Wahhabi Muslims found in government-sponsored school textbooks, in Friday sermons preached in prominent mosques, and in state-controlled Saudi newspapers." 5-03
- 05-16-03 Texan Legislators Flee for Victory (CNN)
"Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled to neighboring Oklahoma say they're going back to Austin early Friday after a four-day walkout that killed a Republican-backed redistricting plan they said would have cost them five seats in the U.S. Congress." 5-03
- 05-22-03 U.N. Lifts Sanctions Against Iraq and Gives U.S. Control of Oil Profits (MSNBC News)
"The U.N. Security Council approved a U.S.-backed resolution Thursday that lifts sanctions against Iraq and gives the United States and Britain extraordinary powers to run the country and its lucrative oil industry."
"The final resolution represented a compromise, but it left the underlying goal of the United States and its allies intact: Washington and London, as occupying powers, remain in control of Iraq and its oil wealth 'until an internationally recognized, representative government is established.' " 5-03
- 05-26-03 Europe to Create Rival to U.S. GPS System (ABC News)
Provides news related to Iraq and reconstruction. 5-03
Papers
- African Children Dying of Hunger - Again (Independent - MacGregor and Butler)
"Nearly 13 million people are on the brink of starvation as the worst food crisis in a decade spreads across six countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho." "In Malawi, the men risk their lives to dive for water-lily bulbs in crocodile-infested rivers and kill mice to eat and sell. The women gather wild grasses and boil up weeds to feed their children." 6-02
- Assisted Suicide Law in Oregon Upheld by Federal Judge (Bloomberg.com)
"Oregon's assisted- suicide statute was upheld by a federal judge who ruled U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft overstepped his authority in attempting to block the nation's only law letting doctors help patients die." 4-02
- Bush - Inaugural Speech, 2001 (PBS)
Provides President George W. Bush's inauguration speech. 1-01
- Bush and Europe - Cultural Differences (BBC - Roxburgh)
Describes the areas of disagreement between President George W. Bush and European leaders. Areas include national defense, capital punishment, global warming, and more. (Uses British spelling of words, which is sometimes different from the United States.) 6-01
- Congress Pursuing Corporate Tax Evaders (Washington Post - Eilperin and Weisman)
"With major corporate responsibility legislation passed, elected officials are turning to a new target -- business tax evaders -- in a scramble to convince voters they are cracking down on corporate wrongdoing." 7-02
- Count of Presidential Votes in Florida - What If (New York Times)
Allows you to set the standard for the votes in Florida and then gives the results of the election based on those standards. Statistically, the election was a tie or inconclusive because of the small percent of difference in results. 11-01
- Dispute Over War Crimes Court Settled Temporarily (BBC News)
Summarizes the settlement between the USA and the United Nations regarding war crimes. The Bush administration of the United States has demanded immunity for US citizens from prosecution for war crimes. An International Criminal Court (ICC) has been set up by the United Nations to bring individuals to justice who have been involved in genocide and similar war crimes and who live in nations without the ability or desire to bring them to justice.
- Draft Unlikely (CBS News)
"A proposal to reinstate the military draft has little likelihood of being approved, lawmakers say, despite sympathy for the goal of sharing the burden of fighting a war more evenly among Americans of all races and classes." 1-03
- Ireland Moves Toward Joining the European Union (CNN News)
"The European Union heaved a sigh of relief and welcomed the Irish referendum decision to ratify the Treaty of Nice." Ratifying the Treaty of Nice is a step toward joining the European Union. 10-02
- Jintao New President of China (CBS News)
"Hu Jintao was selected Saturday to replace Jiang Zemin as the president of a fast-changing China, the last major step in a sweeping transition to a younger generation of leaders that has been years in the making." 3-03
- Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for 2001 (BBC News)
Describes why the United Nations its Secretary General, Kofi Annan, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001.
- Observers Sent to Monitor American Elections (The Independent - Gumbel)
"This is the first time international monitors have gone to the United States. The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has been campaigning for some time to improve electoral standards in some of the older, established democracies."
"Their task: to see if the world's most powerful democracy has learned anything from the disastrous 36-day showdown between George Bush and Al Gore in 2000, in which the world saw every wart in Florida's deeply flawed electoral system without ever discovering for sure who had won." The Independent is a British newspaper. 10-02
- Republican Victory - Next Steps for Democrats (MSNBC News - Curry)
"With Tuesday’s Republican take-over of the Senate, the Democrats have lost their ability to set a legislative agenda and gain publicity through Senate hearings. The energy of the party’s most talented activists will shift to Iowa and New Hampshire, where the first contests of the 2004 presidential nominating process will take place in only 14 months." Highlights Senator John Edwards as a potential contender for president in 2004. 11-02
- Senator Lott Resigns as Majority Leader (USA Today - Morris)
"A beleaguered Trent Lott stepped aside Friday as Senate Republican leader two weeks after igniting a political firestorm with racially charged remarks, and Tennessee's Bill Frist emerged as his all but certain successor when the GOP takes over the chamber next month." 12-02
- Senator Lott and the Position of Senate Majority Leader (MSNBC)
"The majority leader is equal parts psychologist, deal-maker, diplomat and scheduler. His job is to keep the Senate running in a manner that keeps his fellow majority party members happy." 12-02
- Sudan - Possible Peace (PBS.org - Ifill)
"Sudan, the largest country on the African continent, has endured a bitter and bloody civil war for nearly 20 years. Former Senator John Danforth, who recently traveled to the region as President Bush's special envoy, discusses new hopes for a peace accord and his participation in negotiations between the battling factions." 8-02
- Switzerland Joins the United Nations (CBS News)
"After nearly two centuries of neutrality, Switzerland became the 190th member of the United Nations on Tuesday with the unanimous support of the General Assembly." 9-02
- USA Fights for Immunity (ABCNews.com - Arieff)
"The United States vowed on Friday to fight down to the wire to keep its peacekeepers out of reach of a new global war crimes court and renewed a threat to kill the U.N. mission in Bosnia if it did not get its way." 6-02
- USA Leaves Behind Duds, Endangering Civilians (CNN)
"A human rights group urged the United States Tuesday to stop using cluster bombs until it can improve their accuracy and ensure they do not leave behind unexploded duds that remain deadly long after the weapons are dropped."
"For years, Human Rights Watch and other groups have criticized their use, saying that anywhere between 7 percent and 30 percent of the bomblets fail to detonate. They either sink into the ground, or lie on the surface, and virtually become land mines that can maim and kill for years after a conflict has ended."
"The United States used cluster bombs heavily in the 1991 Gulf War and in the Balkans, as well as in Afghanistan. The Human Rights Watch report said the U.S. military dropped 1,228 cluster bombs on Afghanistan, which contained 248,056 bomblets, leaving behind an estimated 12,400 duds." 12-02
- United Nations Condemns Israeli Attack on Palestinians (Bloomberg.com - Varner)
"Representatives of more than 20 nations and the 15-member European Union used an open meeting of the United Nations Security Council to condemn Israel's air attack yesterday in Gaza City that killed a Hamas leader and 14 other Palestinians." 7-02
- View - Arafat's Government Will Not Change (World Press Review)
Argues that the Baaya agreement between Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian people will not change into a democratic form of government, despite referendums or other democractic processes. 6-02
- Political Headline News (Yahoo)
Provides headline news. 2-02
- U.S. Supreme Court Rulings (Yahoo News)
Provides the latest Supreme Court rulings. 11-01
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