In the less than 5 weeks since we re-launched The NewStandard, we've posted over 250 news stories on our website at http://newstandardnews.net
That's 250 hard news stories written exclusively for The NewStandard by TNS staff and a number of our freelancers, stringers and correspondents. Many of these were stories that no commercial or even alternative media touched. And where we have reported on topics that other outlets also covered, we took special care to provide perspectives and information overlooked in the mainstream.
We invite you to take a look at some of the fresh content posted to the site in the last few days, including:
+ "Concern Over Mercenaries' Role in Iraq Rises With Private Spending" by Chris Shumway and "Iraq Contract Goes to Firm with links to Chalabi by Pranjal Tiwari, Pentagon" (Iraq in Crisis Section);
+ "Tribes Say Buyout for Mining Rights Could Lead to 'Spiritual Genocide'" by Jeff Shaw and "'John Doe' Revealed as Secret Client in Censored ACLU Patriot Act Case" by Jessica Azulay (Civil Liberties and Security Section);
+ "Settlement in Citigroup predatory insurance sales case" and "Suit: Iron foundry dumps wastewater in Alabama" by NewStandard Staff (Business and Economy Section);
and much more listed below, all of which can be seen at http://newstandardnews.net
We have been able to bring these and other stories to our readers because of your ongoing and generous support. Thank you from The NewStandard editing staff and journalists.
As you'll notice from a visit to our homepage, we are also still slowly making over the site. Very shortly we'll be releasing nightly/weekly news digest mailings (to separate, opt-in lists), discussion forums, editorial weblogs, and RSS feeds (really simple syndication) for those of you who've been clamoring for us to set some up. And of course we also intend to continue steadily increasing the amount and scope of news we produce on a daily basis.
FIRST, though, we are pleased to announce that, after nearly two months of generating some of the most compelling journalism to come out of Iraq this year, NewStandard correspondent DAHR JAMAIL has decided to stay on through the June 30 "handover" of partial sovereignty. The NewStandard has committed to raising funds to support his extra month of work in Iraq.
We hope you will take a moment to look at both his personal writings (posted to the weblog) and his hard news reporting for The NewStandard. All in all, you'll find about 50 full-length pieces, most of those the product of at least a full day's research in the field. We think you'll find Dahr's work on the effects the occupation has on daily life in Iraq is unsurpassed in current coverage of the crisis. What you won't find are advertisements, and Dahr's work is 100% un-embedded.
For a list of Dahr's NewStandard articles (x18): http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_contributor_bio&contributorI D=74
Dahr's weblog entries (x34): http://blog.newstandardnews.net/iraqdispatches
We've committed to supporting Dahr until he returns safely home, and we hope we can count on his and our readers to pitch in what you can to back us up in that effort. For more about this new fundraising appeal, please visit Dahr's weblog: http://blog.newstandardnews.net/iraqdispatches
Now, on to the latest NewStandard CONTENT:
CIVIL LIBERTIES AND SECURITY...
Tribes Say Buyout for Mining Rights Could Lead to 'Spiritual Genocide' A controversial bill moving quickly through Congress may threaten Western Shoshone treaty-guaranteed land rights by forcing indigenous people to accept cash payment for resource-rich territory they are refusing to sell. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=427
Massive U.S. Prison Population Jumps By 57,000 America's inmate population, already the world's largest and disproportionately black and latino, grew by leaps and bounds from June 2002-2003, with the highest increase among female prisoners. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=434
'John Doe' Revealed as Secret Client in Censored ACLU Patriot Act Case A man forced by the Patriot Act to identify publicly as "John Doe" is fighting a legal battle with the government over access to his clients' files http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=416
Also new in the Civil Liberties & Security Section:
+ Missouri implements waiting period for abortion + FDA says gay men should be barred from giving sperm + Native American who refused to cut hair in prison freed + Congressional report: US govt. 'data mining' personal info + Oklahoma student wins right to wear Islamic head scarf + Judges enhance cops’ authority to search vehicles + Muslim suspect subjected to 'religious prejudice' in US prison + California Senate votes to end random drug tests in schools + Georgia politicians make protesting G8 Summit illegal + Kansas to grant instate tuition to undocumented immigrants + Judge: fair housing 'testers' can sue for discrimination + ACLU report describes ways Patriot Act affects MA residents http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_briefs§ionID=6
IRAQ IN CRISIS...
Concern Over Mercenaries’ Role in Iraq Rises in Tune With Private Security Spending As private security spending in Iraq increases, the role of heavily-armed mercenaries takes on new dimensions, but these soldiers of fortune and their parent companies are not subject to the same regulations as the regular military. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=452
Iraq Contract Goes to Firm with links to Chalabi, Pentagon A firm founded in 2003 for the express purpose of obtaining Iraq reconstruction money may have won some large contracts through ties to Washington's once-favorite former Iraqi exile. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=451
Mehdi Army Grows as Tempers Rage Over 'Wedding Massacre' US assaults against Muqtada Al-Sadr's Mehdi militia spread once again to Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, where Shi'ites and Sunnis outraged by recent atrocities are reportedly joining the resistance in droves. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=406
Also new in the Iraq in Crisis section:
+ U.S. may deny Governing Council choice of Iraq president + Spate of physician kidnappings threatens Iraqi health care system + 2 Japanese journalists, Iraqi translator killed south of Baghdad + Large scale looting continues in Iraq + Army report says many 'security' detainees innocent + Iraqis skeptical of IGC choice for top government post + More fighting in Shi’ite stronghold despite truce + U.S. soldiers say other coalition troops also abused Iraqi prisoners + Iraqis unhappy with US-UK resolution + U.S. to retreat from Najaf after failing to nab Shi'ite cleric + Academic study finds White House used 27 rationales for Iraq war + U.S. troops holding fugitives’ relatives as ‘hostages’ http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_briefs§ionID=5
Plus recent weblog entries from Dahr Jamail:
"Disintigration" "Daily Life" "Slaughter in the Streets" "Dreamers..." "The More Things Change..." "The Seeds Have Been Sown" "Ramadi -- A Delicate Lid" "The Outrage Grows" http://blog.newstandardnews.net/iraqdispatches/
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY...
[The Business and Economy section has been slow the past couple of weeks as editor Simone Baribeau is in the process of moving -- it will be back in full swing soon. Nevertheless, Simone has posted quite a few news briefs recently.]
+ Settlement in Citigroup predatory insurance sales case + Aetna mysteriously withdraws antitrust suit against Abbott + Suit: Iron foundry dumps wastewater in Alabama + Gas prices may cause slowdown in SUV sales + 'Healthy Forest Initiative' allows companies to make out like wildfire + Risk of food price inflation as rain destroys soybean, corn crops + All LA city workers see pay raises -- except the lowest paid + Historic group criticizes Wal-Mart's plans for Vermont + Suit: NYSE chair withheld info to receive $200 million comp package + FDA muzzles scientist's testimony on risk of drug use in kids + Insurance transitions may make kids more likely to have poor health http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_briefs§ionID=7
Please give us a visit soon, and don't forget to tell all your friends about The NewStandard! http://newstandardnews.net/