News round up...

Election Reform

• EXCLUSIVE: BOBBY KENNEDY JR. TO QUESTION 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN MAJOR ROLLING STONE FEATURE ARTICLE! --Brad Blog
  

Warfare

• Relentless Violence Kills 54 in Iraq --AP
  
  
• Iraqi Ambassador: Marines killed my cousin --CNN, Crooks & Liars
  
  
  
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• Iraq Declares State of Emergency in Basra --AP
  
  
• AFGHANISTAN: Seven aid workers killed --IRIN
  
  
• Marine at Haditha: 'I can still smell the blood' --ABC News
  
  
• Video: Murtha on Wolf --Crooks & Liars
  
  
• Video: Murtha on ABC --Think Progress
  

  
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• Different Take: Charges of Marines Killing Innocent Iraqi Civilians Requires Healthy Skepticism --IAVA

• EU lawmakers condemn Iran’s “terror attack” in Iraq --Iran Focus
  
  "... On Monday, a bus transporting Iraqi workers from the town of al-Khalis, northeast of Baghdad, to Ashraf City, the main base of the Iranian opposition People Mojahedin (PMOI/MeK), was targeted by a roadside explosive device killing 13 people and wounding 15 others, according to a statement by the Friends of a Free Iran.
  
  “This terrorist attack comes in the wake of several threats made by the Iranian regime on the Iraqi authorities regarding the presence of the PMOI in Iraq and has all the characteristics of the recurrent terrorist attacks masterminded by the Iranian regime in Iraq”, the statement said, highlighting that the attack was carried out just one day after Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki visited Iraq. ..."
  
  Juan Cole: "Issues the Iraqis brought up with the Iranian official included the need for better border control to stop unauthorized entry of Iranians, as well as combatting weapons smuggling and drug smuggling. The Iranians in turn complained about the infiltration of Iran from Iraq of terrorists from the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) guerrilla movement."
  
  
• U.S.-Iran mistrust bodes ill for talks success --Reuters
  

Geopolitics

• China Extends its Reach into Africa with $1bn Deal for Nigeria's Railways --The Guardian
  
  
• Chavez says US working for coup in Bolivia --Bloomberg
  
  
• The Taliban Become Pakistan's Instrument to Control Afghanistan Once Again --Le Figaro
  
  
• Russia looks at oil control move --BBC News
  

Energy Crisis

• Hurricane watch for portfolios --The National Post
  
  
• Energy sector braces for 2006 hurricane season, Industry sees shut-in production, price spikes likely --Market Watch
  
  
• Oil could top $105 in major supply outage: expert --Reuters
  

Sustainability

• Forget Gas; We Need A Plan to Keep Passenger Trains Rolling --The Seattle Times
  

Corruption

• Congress takes on the feds --Time
  

  
  Sensenbrenner: "I think that we want to make sure that when the next Congressman is investigated for illegal activity that the procedure done by the Justice Department is right..."
  
  

• Bush Lies, Tony Snow says Lying is Necessary to Protect Markets --Think Progress
  
  
• Coin Dealer Admits Illegal Donations --AP
  
  
• Part 1 of 3 parts; Off-label prescribing of prescription drugs: Profits for big pharma and risk to patients --Online Journal, Evelyn Pringle
  
  Part 2 of 3 parts; Off-label prescribing of prescription drugs: Tactics Pfizer used in promoting off-label use of Neurontin
  

Constitutional Rights

• Justices limit whistle-blower rights --The Washington Post
  

Media Watch

• Fox News on Afghan Riots: "Afghan Ingrates?" --Media Matters
  
  
• FCC plans relaxation of media ownership rules, watchdogs says --Raw Story
  
  
• Washington Post 'Fox News-izes' the Diebold E-Voting Threat to Democracy --Brad Blog
  
  
• Bush's Greatness and This Commercial Break --Allie Deger, TruthOut forum
  
  
• Media overstated amount of oil that ANWR drilling could produce --Media Matters