news News and Analysis | AlterNet
Home
Archive
Newsletters
Video
Blogs
Discuss
About
Search
Donate
Advertise
  • Archive by Date
  • AlterNetYour turn

Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.


Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.

Advertisement
Advertisement

News and Analysis

Our Lives Are Filled With Worthless Crap That's Destroying the Earth: Here's What You Can DoOur Lives Are Filled With Worthless Crap That's Destroying the Earth: Here's What You Can Do

By Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, In These Times. November 28, 2009.
The way to lower the quantity of energy required to make and distribute short-lived consumer goods is to make them durable, repairable and upgradable.

How One Journalist Learned About Modern Union-Busting the Hard WayHow One Journalist Learned About Modern Union-Busting the Hard Way

By Seth Sandronsky, AlterNet. November 28, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Sara Steffens thought that labor negotiations were civilized affairs ... until her newsroom became a battlefield.

Republican Playbook on Immigration Debate Long on Emotions, Short on FactsRepublican Playbook on Immigration Debate Long on Emotions, Short on Facts

By Mary Giovagnoli, Immigration Impact. November 27, 2009.
Immigration: Senate Republicans have “thoughtfully’ provided immigration advocates with their strategy for opposing immigration reform in 2010.

Lou Dobbs, Looking at Public Office, Says He's in Favor of Policy He Used to Spin as Lou Dobbs, Looking at Public Office, Says He's in Favor of Policy He Used to Spin as "Shamnesty for Illegals"

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. November 26, 2009.
Politics: Dobbs said he now favors the very legalization process for unauthorized immigrants that he's long derided as a brain-dead "amnesty".

Whatever Happened to the CIA Black Sites?Whatever Happened to the CIA Black Sites?

By David Corn, Mother Jones. November 26, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: The CIA ordered its secret prisons closed, but lawyers for terrorism suspects want them preserved as possible evidence -- and the CIA won't say what's going on.

Don't Fear the Deficit BogeymanDon't Fear the Deficit Bogeyman

By John Miller, Dollars and Sense. November 26, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: A second dose of deficit-financed stimulus spending would create a lot of jobs that America needs.

Bailed-Out AIG Forcing Poor to Choose Between Running Water and FoodBailed-Out AIG Forcing Poor to Choose Between Running Water and Food

By Yasha Levine, AlterNet. November 26, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Thanks to AIG, some of the poorest residents of rural Kentucky learned you can always be made poorer by corporate villains.

White House's Ties to Health Care Industry Deeper Than Visitor Records ShowWhite House's Ties to Health Care Industry Deeper Than Visitor Records Show

By Daniela Perdomo, AlterNet. November 26, 2009.
Politics: The White House released records cataloguing 575 visits by health care industry heavyweights since Jan. 20. The ties run deep.

Atheism and Diversity: Is It Wrong For Atheists To Convert Believers?Atheism and Diversity: Is It Wrong For Atheists To Convert Believers?

By Greta Christina, AlterNet. November 26, 2009.
Belief: Atheism isn't an attack on diversity, it's a defense of reality.

Sex, Beer, Heroin and Cocaine: How Prosecutors Pay Off Criminal SnitchesSex, Beer, Heroin and Cocaine: How Prosecutors Pay Off Criminal Snitches

By Ryan Blitstein, Miller-McCune.com. November 26, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: All too often, prosecutors aid and abet the crimes of their informants. And that's just one disheartening outcome of American law enforcement's bungled dealings with snitches.

The Battle of Durban II: New Film Brings Dose of Sanity to Debate Over Israeli-Palestinian ConflictThe Battle of Durban II: New Film Brings Dose of Sanity to Debate Over Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By Brian White, Gotcha Movies. November 26, 2009.
World: It's a great feat to bring an even view to international politics. The Battle of Durbin II does just that.

Palestinian Children Face Daily Attacks While Going to SchoolPalestinian Children Face Daily Attacks While Going to School

By Mel Frykberg, IPS News. November 25, 2009.
World: A safe walk to school is something many American children take for granted. Not so for many Palestinian youths who are facing attacks from Israeli settlers.

4 Myths About Taxes, Debunked4 Myths About Taxes, Debunked

By Paul Buchheit, AlterNet. November 25, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Contrary to what the richest of the rich tell you, a little bit of wealth redistribution will greatly help America.

Murder at Guantanamo? The Mysterious, Unsolved Death of Mohammad Saleh al HanashiMurder at Guantanamo? The Mysterious, Unsolved Death of Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi

By Jeffrey S. Kaye, TruthOut.org. November 25, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi was found dead inside a psych ward at Guantanamo. It was ruled a suicide. But disturbing evidence suggest the truth may be far uglier.

White House Garden Won't Make Up for Obama's Nomination of Pesticide Lobbyist for US Chief Agriculture NegotiatorWhite House Garden Won't Make Up for Obama's Nomination of Pesticide Lobbyist for US Chief Agriculture Negotiator

By Jill Richardson, Commonweal Institute. November 25, 2009.
Food: Obama's statements about food and agriculture trend moderate to progressive, but his nominations for top positions in his administration tell a different story.

Black Teacher May Get 15 Years in Prison for Cutting in Line at Wal-MartBlack Teacher May Get 15 Years in Prison for Cutting in Line at Wal-Mart

By Devona Walker, The Loop. November 25, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: This is not how our criminal justice system is supposed to operate.

Conservative Conservative "Purity Test" Too Right Wing for Ronald Reagan

By John Nichols, The Nation. November 25, 2009.
Rigid conservatives in the RNC want to establish a purity test for the party's candidates. Guess what? Reagan the conservative hero would have failed most of the criteria.

The Vampire Banks Are Back: Will There Ever Be Meaningful Financial Reform?The Vampire Banks Are Back: Will There Ever Be Meaningful Financial Reform?

By Dean Baker, CounterPunch. November 25, 2009.
Politics: The halls of Congress are infected with financial industry lobbyists looking to block necessary changes to our broken financial system.

47,000 Women Could Die As a Result of the New Mammogram Guidelines47,000 Women Could Die As a Result of the New Mammogram Guidelines

By George Lakoff, AlterNet. November 25, 2009.
Reproductive Justice and Gender: Cost-benefit analysis can kill. Scaling back on mammograms, as a government task force suggested, could result in 47,000 unnecessary deaths.

Is Belief in God Hurting America?Is Belief in God Hurting America?

By David Villano, Miller-McCune.com. November 25, 2009.
Belief: According to a new study, prosperity is highest in countries that practice religion the least.

Don't Be Scared of Food: Are We Being Needlessly Hysterical About Food Safety?Don't Be Scared of Food: Are We Being Needlessly Hysterical About Food Safety?

By David E. Gumpert, Chelsea Green Publishing. November 25, 2009.
Food: Despite all the media hype, there's little to actually suggest we're facing a major food safety crisis.

Is Amazon.com Screwing You Over?Is Amazon.com Screwing You Over?

By Steve Brown, AlterNet. November 25, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Amazon is charging -- and pocketing -- exorbitant shipping and handling fees, and someone somewhere is getting rich from it.

What Nidal Hasan, Timothy McVeigh, and the Beltway Sniper Have in Common: All Were Scarred by Pointless U.S. WarsWhat Nidal Hasan, Timothy McVeigh, and the Beltway Sniper Have in Common: All Were Scarred by Pointless U.S. Wars

By Nora Eisenberg, AlterNet. November 25, 2009.
World: Some of the most notorious massacres of the past 15 years have been committed by veterans whose brains have been severely damaged from trauma or exposure to toxic chemicals.

The Real Scandal Over Climate Change Isn't About Hacked Emails But the Media's CoverageThe Real Scandal Over Climate Change Isn't About Hacked Emails But the Media's Coverage

By Alex Steffen, Worldchanging. November 24, 2009.
Media and Technology: There's been a lot of talk recently about the "hacked climate emails." But a much bigger scandal is just waiting to break.

Hate Group, FAIR, Is Looking for Hate Group, FAIR, Is Looking for "Ethnically Ambiguous" Actors to Amplify Its Racism

By Adam Luna, America's Voice. November 24, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: The Federation for American Immigration Reform is holding auditions to promote hate. Here's how you can get the part!

What Happened to That Prosperity Tax-Cutters Promised Us?What Happened to That Prosperity Tax-Cutters Promised Us?

By Sam Pizzigati, Too Much: A Commentary on Excess and Inequality. November 24, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Members of the super-rich elite don't care who gets burned by 30 years of tax cuts. Here's why we should.

Obama Quietly Backs Renewing Patriot Act Surveillance ProvisionsObama Quietly Backs Renewing Patriot Act Surveillance Provisions

By Willam Fisher, IPS News. November 24, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Three contentious provisions are scheduled to expire next month; opponents of these sections have been pushing to roll them back. But Obama seems ready to renew them.

Obama Will Announce 34,000-Troop Escalation in Afghanistan 'Within Days'Obama Will Announce 34,000-Troop Escalation in Afghanistan 'Within Days'

Agence France Presse. November 24, 2009.
World: Obama faces a U.S. public sharply divided on the war and calls from some Democratic allies to set a flexible timetable for withdrawal.

Did American Commandos Slaughter Afghan Civilians in Bala Murghab? Residents Say Yes.Did American Commandos Slaughter Afghan Civilians in Bala Murghab? Residents Say Yes.

By Mustafa Saber, Institute for War and Peace Reporting. November 24, 2009.
World: Residents of Takht-e-Bazaar say U.S. commandos landed in their area on November 6 and began shooting indiscriminately during a search for missing U.S. troops.

Blackwater's Secret War in Pakistan RevealedBlackwater's Secret War in Pakistan Revealed

By Jeremy Scahill, The Nation. November 24, 2009.
World: An elite division of Blackwater plans targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. And everyone's denying it.

Is the House's Health Bill Really Worse than Nothing?Is the House's Health Bill Really Worse than Nothing?

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. November 24, 2009.
Politics: Some progressive opponents of the health care bill say it's so bad, we may as well drop it. That analysis ignores the millions of Americans who stand to get coverage.

Feeling Nervous? 3,000 Behavior Detection Officers Will Be Watching You at the Airport This ThanksgivingFeeling Nervous? 3,000 Behavior Detection Officers Will Be Watching You at the Airport This Thanksgiving

By Liliana Segura, AlterNet. November 24, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Nearly 100,000 passengers were pulled aside by TSA behavior watchers last year, and it remains to be proven whether you can spot terrorists by the looks on their faces.

The Obama Speech America Is Dying to Hear: The Obama Speech America Is Dying to Hear: "This Administration Ended, Rather Than Extended, Two Wars"

By Tom Engelhardt, Tomdispatch.com. November 23, 2009.
World: Any day now, Obama will make an announcement about the number of soldiers he wants in Afghanistan. Here's the speech he should give.

Are We Really 'Withdrawing' from Bush's Wars? Quietly, US Constructs Even More Bases in the MideastAre We Really 'Withdrawing' from Bush's Wars? Quietly, US Constructs Even More Bases in the Mideast

By Nick Turse, Tomdispatch.com. November 23, 2009.
World: The news is focused on a future U.S. withdrawal from Iraq -- but the withdrawal isn't to send the military presence home -- it's into bases across the Persian Gulf.

Labor Against the War Shifting Sights to Afghanistan OccupationLabor Against the War Shifting Sights to Afghanistan Occupation

By Jane Slaughter, Labor Notes. November 23, 2009.
World: Because of domestic issues like health care reform, many unions have remained silent about Afghanistan. That's about to change.

What Denying Unauthorized Immigrants Health Insurance Will Cost YouWhat Denying Unauthorized Immigrants Health Insurance Will Cost You

AlterNet. November 23, 2009.
Politics: Call it a "nativist tax."

Just When You Thought It Was Safe: 3 Potential Obstacles to Health-Care ReformJust When You Thought It Was Safe: 3 Potential Obstacles to Health-Care Reform

By Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. November 23, 2009.
Politics: Harry Reid may have gotten the Senate to move his health-care bill forward, but a handful of conservative Democrats could still keep the bill from getting a final vote.

The Memory Scrub About Why Ft. Hood Happened Is Almost Complete ... If It Weren't for ArchivesThe Memory Scrub About Why Ft. Hood Happened Is Almost Complete ... If It Weren't for Archives

By Mark Ames, AlterNet. November 23, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: That Maj. Hasan tried to get a military discharge before the massacre is largely being erased -- we're supposed to keep focusing on the Muslim part.

When Sex Hurts, and No One Can Tell You Why: The Mysterious Condition Called VulvodyniaWhen Sex Hurts, and No One Can Tell You Why: The Mysterious Condition Called Vulvodynia

By Carey Purcell, AlterNet. November 22, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: Imagine a choice between no intercourse or sex with unbearable pain. Then imagine that no doctor knows how to fix it. That's the world occupied by women with vulvodynia.

15 Signs American Society Is Coming Apart at the Seams15 Signs American Society Is Coming Apart at the Seams

By David DeGraw, Amped Status. November 21, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Are we nearing a tipping point as rapacious elites push a heavily armed populace too far?