Army official: Halliburton bilking taxpayers in Iraq - Jun. 28, 2005

Army official: Halliburton bilking taxpayers in Iraq - Jun. 28, 2005: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Army procurement official said Monday Halliburton's deals in Iraq were the worst example of contract abuse she had seen as Pentagon auditors flagged over $1 billion of potential overcharges by the Texas-based firm."

Open to the Public: Speaking out on "No Child Left Behind"

Open to the Public: Speaking out on "No Child Left Behind"

Social Security scam - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Editorials - News

Social Security scam - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Editorials - News: "REPUBLICANS IN Congress are getting desperate as their plans to privatize Social Security unravel from a dearth of public support. Their latest proposal would set up limited private accounts that would not generate much income for future retirees but would increase the budget deficit and threaten the solvency of the Social Security system."

Three Things About Iraq - New York Times

Three Things About Iraq - New York Times: "To have the sober conversation about the war in Iraq that America badly needs, it is vital to acknowledge three facts:

The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11. Saddam Hussein was a sworn enemy of Washington, but there was no Iraq-Qaeda axis, no connection between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist attacks on the United States. Yet the president and his supporters continue to duck behind 9/11 whenever they feel pressure about what is happening in Iraq. The most cynical recent example was Karl Rove's absurd and offensive declaration this week that conservatives and liberals had different reactions to 9/11. Let's be clear: Americans of every political stripe were united in their outrage and grief, united in their determination to punish those who plotted the mass murder and united behind the war in Afghanistan, which was an assault on terrorists. Trying to pretend otherwise is the surest recipe for turning political dialogue into meaningless squabbling."

Concerns arise over Bush's pick for EPA job

Concerns arise over Bush's pick for EPA job: "WASHINGTON -- President Bush has nominated Granta Nakayama, a partner in a law firm whose clients include W.R. Grace, BP, Dow Chemical and DuPont, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency's far-flung enforcement division.

Selecting a lawyer and an engineer with one of the nation's largest corporate law firms, whose clients have deep and occasionally controversial relations with the EPA, triggered concerns that Nakayama would not be able to aggressively enforce environmental laws."

US defense spending half of world total: Swedish report

Xinhua - English: " STOCKHOLM, June 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States' defense expenditure in 2004 accounted for almost half of the global total and exceeded the 32 next most powerful nations combined, a prominent Swedish think tank said Tuesday."

Cracking down on employers who ignore wage laws | csmonitor.com

Cracking down on employers who ignore wage laws | csmonitor.com: "NEW YORK – This week Ansoumana Faty, a former grocery deliveryman in New York City, will pick up a paycheck for $7,000. Meanwhile, in upstate New York, the waiters and waitresses at the New Delhi Diamond's Restaurant in Ithaca will share a cash payout of $10,000.

They are among hundreds of people in New York who are getting reimbursed back wages and unpaid overtime as a result of recent legal settlements. Many of the employees were paid as little as $2 an hour, in jobs they worked for 10 to 12 hours a day.
(Photograph)
WORKPLACE ISSUE: Restaurants, including fast-food establishments (above), often pay the minimum wage.
RICHARD B. LEVINE



In the Monitor
Wednesday, 06/08/05
In Mideast elections, militants gain
Dean fires up the base - on both sides
Women's softball scores a hit with US audiences
Remarriage after retirement
COMMENTARY: 25 mpg won't end US energy problem

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Across the country, a growing number of states, advocacy groups - and even individual workers - are fighting back against wage abuses in the workplace."

TomPaine.com - The President's Rap Sheet

TomPaine.com - The President's Rap Sheet: "John Conyers and 87 other Democrats took the first step in demanding action following the revelations contained in the Downing Street Memo. Now, a 'coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups' have launched a campaign to urge that the U.S. Congress to investigate whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. See more at AfterDowningStreet.org."

Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming - New York Times

Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming - New York Times: "A White House official who once led the oil industry's fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming, according to internal documents."