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From the blogs

For Team Obama, A Refresher on Jack Johnson and "The Great White Hope"

by Dave Zirin, Huffington Post

In 1918, the first black heavyweight boxing champ defeated a racist "great white hope." Why won't Obama fight back?

Kansas School District Bans T-Shirts Depicting Evolution

by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress

"I don't think evolution should be associated with our school," said one parent, who teaches in the district.

FBI Profiling of Muslims on the Rise, Says Asian Law Caucus

by , AlterNet

"FBI agents are allowed to racially profile an individual if it is determined to be in the nation’s national interests."

Texas Executed An Innocent Man

by The Innocence Project

The tragic case of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was falsely accused of setting a fire that killed his children -- and then executed for it.

Alberto Gonzalez Brings Back Old Memories of Bushian Obfuscation

by Digby, Hullabaloo

With the exception of Rove, Bush's personal lieutenants were all just dumb as dirt.

Pathetic Right-Wing Lunatic Pens Op-Ed Pondering Kennedy's Future in Hell

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

Stay classy, lady.

Right-Wing Gubernatorial Candidate in Idaho Tells Disgusting Jokes About 'Hunting' Obama

by , AlterNet

This is not a no-name blogger.

Obama to Continue Bush Policy of Searching Travelers' Personal Effects Without Cause

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

But fear not -- more oversight!

Pastor of Gun-Toting Town Hall Protester Prayed for Obama's Death

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

A good Christian.

Nazi Winnie the Pooh Banned in Russia

by Tara Lohan, AlterNet

And you thought our terrorist watch-list was a joke.

The Wing-Nut Code: What Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin Are Really Saying to Their Followers

Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. September 2, 2009.
You thought they were just unhinged. But here's what they're really saying to the armed and dangerous.

Rebuking Cheney's Torture Propaganda in 7 Easy Steps

Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports. September 1, 2009.
Cheney is all over the airwaves, trotting out his propaganda and defense of the Bush administration's serial violations of the Geneva conventions.

Seven Days to Beat Anti-Immigrant Bigotry

Eric Ward, Imagine 2050. August 31, 2009.
You can take a bite out of bigotry in less than five minutes a day!

Four Years After Katrina, Thousands Are Homeless and Struggling In New Orleans

Jordan Flaherty, Left Turn. August 28, 2009.
With recovery still lagging in New Orleans, thousands are living in storm damaged and abandoned buildings.

Liberal Lion Ted Kennedy Has Died ... What Happens Now with Immigration Reform?

Andrea Nill, Center for American Progress. August 27, 2009.
Kennedy “laid the groundwork” for the sort of humane immigration reform that he had spent much of his political career fighting for, but never achieved.

5 Ways to Build a Fascist-Proof America

Sara Robinson, Campaign for America's Future. August 27, 2009.
If we want to build a fascist-proof America for the long haul, we must stand up now for everything we believe and everything we are.

GOP Senators: U.S. Faces Terrorist Attack if Holder Probes Bush's Torture Program

Jason Leopold, TruthOut.org. August 26, 2009.
In a craven attempt to keep CIA abuses under wraps, nine senators wrote to the attorney general warning him not to appoint a special prosecutor.

The White House Needs to Go a Lot Further with the Torture Inquiry

John Nichols, TheNation.com. August 26, 2009.
The investigation into torture could be thwarted by a GOP counter-attack and an echo chamber determined to protect Bush and Cheney.

Marriage Equality: Why it Is Critical You Passionately Care About Maine

Greta Christina, Greta Christina's Blog. August 25, 2009.
One of the most important fights in the country over same-sex marriage is going on in Maine right now and you can help.

Political Fireworks Over Torture Prosecutor: Report Reveals Threats to Kill Children, CIA Director in 'Screaming Match'

AlterNet. August 25, 2009.
Senate Dems and progressives are pushing for AG Eric Holder to expand the investigation that CIA director Leon Panetta has threatened to quit over.

Holder Tapping Prosecutor to Probe 'Nearly a Dozen' CIA Interrogations

Stephen Webster, Raw Story. August 24, 2009.
America's torture debate is nowhere near over.

Obama Can't Afford to Take Right-Wing Lunatics Seriously Anymore

Frank Rich, The New York Times. August 24, 2009.
A GOP senator's apologia for far-right fanatics bearing arms at presidential events -- that the government makes them do it! -- cannot stand.

There Are More Slaves Today Than at Any Time in Human History

Terrence McNally, AlterNet. August 24, 2009.
One writer spent four years inside the world of modern-day slavery; an industry that produces huge profits and countless wasted lives.

Obama, Ignoring Local Outrage, Set to Expand U.S. Military Presence in Colombia

Moira Birss, AlterNet. August 22, 2009.
Obama continues to defend the expansion of U.S. military operations in Latin America, but against what threat?

Terror from the Right: 75 Plots, Conspiracies and Racist Rampages Since Oklahoma City

Southern Poverty Law Center. August 22, 2009.
Including plots to bomb government buildings, banks, refineries, clinics, synagogues, mosques, memorials and bridges; to assassinate police officers, judges, politicians and more.

Stop the Humiliating 'Sex-Testing' of Champion Runner Caster Semenya

Dave Zirin, Sherry Wolf, The Nation. August 22, 2009.
South African runner Caster Semenya shouldn't be the one humiliated by "gender testing"-- it's the outdated views of athletic officials that are embarrassing.

Date Set for Challenge of California Gay-Marriage Ban

Michael B. Farrell, Christian Science Monitor. August 21, 2009.
On Jan. 11, the two lawyers who argued the Bush v. Gore in 2000 will begin their case against Proposition 8.

Black Conservatives in the Age of Obama

Bill Berkowitz, AlterNet. August 21, 2009.
The most prominent voices for conservatism in African American communities continue to be those of Christian church leaders.

How Yawning Got One Court Spectator Six Months in the Slammer and Other Disturbing Acts of Judicial Tyranny

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. August 21, 2009.
When judges take on airs and lash out in fits of whimsical bullying, innocent people can end up paying the price with jail time -- or their lives.

Supreme Court Shocker: Troy Davis Will Get a Chance to Prove His Innocence In Court

Amy Goodman, AlterNet. August 20, 2009.
Georgia death row prisoner Troy Davis has had three execution dates despite overwhelming proof of his innocence. Now he'll finally have his day in court.

Afghanistan's Election Day: Don't Be Fooled By This Facade of Democracy

Malalai Joya, AlterNet. August 20, 2009.
We Afghans know this election will change nothing. It is merely a show of democracy put on by and for the West, to legitimize its future puppet in Afghanistan.

Utilizing Public Airwaves, Media Mogul Murdoch Is Big Muscle Behind Fraudulent Astro Turfers

Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. August 20, 2009.
Burrowing inside the radical right's gathering of astroturfers and mouthpieces, AlterNet Reporter Adele Stan discovers what makes the anti-health reform machine tick.

Is It Now a Crime to Be Poor?

Barbara Ehrenreich, The New York Times. August 19, 2009.
If you're living on the streets, engaging in the biological necessities of life -- like sitting, sleeping, lying down or loitering -- will get you in jail.

"He Slapped Me And Shouted That I Was Not a Muslim": The Risks Afghan Women Take to Vote

Mohammad Ishaq Quraishi, Institute for War and Peace Reporting. August 19, 2009.
For many women in Afghanistan, participating in the coming presidential election is something they must to do in secret, or not at all.

Revolt on Goose Island: The Chicago Factory Takeover, and What it Says About the Economic Crisis

Kari Lydersen, Melville House Publishing. August 19, 2009.
When Chicago's Republic Windows & Doors suddenly closed, workers occupied the factory and fought for their labor rights.

Indians Outraged, Burn U.S. Flags, After Homeland Security Detention of Country's Leading Star

Sandip Roy, New America Media. August 19, 2009.
Indian minister Ambika Soni suggested all Americans coming to India should be frisked.

Former Agent: Gun-Toters Creating 'Atmosphere of Danger' for Obama

David Edwards, Daniel Tencer, Raw Story. August 19, 2009.
12 people armed with guns showing up at a recent Obama townhall is something that the Secret Service hasn't typically encountered — until now.

Is It Okay to Fire People Who Smoke or Are Obese?

Tony Newman, AlterNet. August 18, 2009.
First the employers came for the smokers. Now they're talking about not hiring obese people. Your personal struggle or lifestyle choice may be next.

Israeli Activist is Looking at Jail Time After Blocking a Bulldozer to Prevent the Demolition of a Palestinian Home

Rebecca Vilkomerson, AlterNet. August 18, 2009.
Despite a worldwide petition, Ezra Nawi could be imprisoned for a heroic act.

Can Brutal and Racist Cops Change to Become More 'Sensitive'?

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. August 18, 2009.
The Boston policeman who called Gates a "banana-eating jungle monkey" had taken racial-sensitivity training classes. It's not clear they work.

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The death penalty is racist, punishes the poor, condemns innocent people to die, and is not a deterrent to violent crime. Join the Campaign to End the Death Penalty today.

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Working to overturn wrongful convictions and free the innocent from prison. More than 200 people have been exonerated by DNA testing after serving decades in prison. Get involved today.

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