News You Might Have Missed

Important but underreported news from around the world — and your own backyard

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QUOTED: “[W]e should dig a big hole and dump them in and bury them.”

–Alabama state rep. Gerald Allen, on literary works that feature gay
characters.
(Story #15, below).

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TOP STORIES
[o1] “Homeless Iraq vets showing up at shelters”
[o2] “Supreme Court in Ecuador replaced”
[o3] “Government relying on industry to protect water supplies”

NATION
[o4] “Another election mistake surfaces”
[o5] “Founder escapes charges in Global Crossing failure”
[o6] “Changes sought in rules on lunch breaks / Gov. says plan limits lawsuits”

WORLD
[o7] “Abuses intolerable, army chief says”
[o8] “Oil’s legacy in Niger Delta may be pollution, anger”
[o9] “Spanish leader makes bid to reshape the war on terror”
[10] “Blair rules out Iraq civilian death toll probe”
[11] “MRSA scandal”
[12] “‘It’s a massive cover-up'”

STUN GUNS
[13] “Experts dispute data on stun guns”
[14] “U.S. punishes troops over stun guns”
[15] “As orders soar, concern over stun guns grow”

GAYS IN AMERICA
[16] “Tuscaloosa legislator wants to ban gay literature”
[17] “Men face new charges in beating / Prosecutor calls murder a hate crime”

SAME-SEX UNIONS
[18] “NZ recognizes same-sex unions”
[19] “Klein to fight gay unions”

ENVIRONMENT
[20] “Brazil garbage dump could be climate trailblazer”
[21] “Drilling bids set for national forest in Utah”
[22] “Focus now on compensation for victims”

VIEWPOINT
[23] “U.S. media still hiding bad news from Americans”
[24] “Uzbek prisons — a survivor’s guide”

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TOP STORIES

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[o1]

“Homeless Iraq vets showing up at shelters”
United Press International, December 7, 2004

Injured and traumatized Iraq war veterans are beginning to seek help at homeless shelters.

[o2]

“Supreme Court in Ecuador replaced”
BBC (U.K.), December 10, 2004

Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutierrez has forcibly replaced most of the Supreme Court, insisting they were loyal to the opposition.

[o3]

“Government relying on industry to protect water supplies”
Associated Press, December 10, 2004

The EPA is relying on the water industry to impose voluntary safety standards on itself.

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NATION

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[o4]

“Another election mistake surfaces”
St. Petersburg Times (FL), December 4, 2004

The Pinellas County, Florida Elections Supervisor gave the wrong result of a local amendment, the latest in a series of errors.

[o5]

“Founder escapes charges in Global Crossing failure”
Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2004

“SEC drops Winnick charges from Global Crossing pact”
Bloomberg, December 13, 2004

A Republican/Democrat split is said to be behind the SEC’s dismissal of charges against Gary Winnick. The agency declined to comment.

[o6]

“Changes sought in rules on lunch breaks / Gov. says plan limits lawsuits”
San Francisco Chronicle, December 15, 2004

A plan to limit lawsuits in California over lunch breaks is described as a boon to the economy and a threat to worker rights.

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WORLD

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[o7]

“Abuses intolerable, army chief says”
Chicago Tribune, December 8, 2004

An Israeli army official vowed to investigate the killing of an unarmed Palestinian militant last Friday.

[o8]

“Oil’s legacy in Niger Delta may be pollution, anger”
Houston Chronicle, December 8, 2004

Nigerians say oil spills, fire and flares have polluted the water, air and soil, affecting food supplies and causing illness.

MORE ON OIL & POLLUTION from NEWSDESK.org

[o9]

“Spanish leader makes bid to reshape the war on terror”
Christian Science Monitor, December 13, 2004

The Spanish Prime Minister has a proposal to fight terrorism inpartnership with Islamic countries like Morocco.

[10]

“Blair rules out Iraq civilian death toll probe”
Reuters via Yahoo News, December 8, 2004

Tony Blair will not pursue an independent tally of civilian deaths in Iraq, as had been to requested by several prominent Britons.

[11]

“‘It’s a massive cover-up'”
East African Standard (Nairobi), December 10, 2004

The Kenyan government released a report on illegal land grabs, but omitted politicians implicated in the scandal.

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STUN GUNS

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[12]

“Experts dispute data on stun guns”
Miami Herald, December 5, 2004

After Tasers were used on two children in Miami schools, a review of safety data has revealed contradictory claims.

[13]

“U.S. punishes troops over stun guns”
BBC News, December 8, 2004

U.S. soldiers in Iraq ignored FBI and Defense Intelligence Agency concerns over the user of Tasers on prisoners.

[14]

“As orders soar, concern over stun guns grow”
Associated Press, November 30, 2004

Tasers are increasingly popular among law enforcement and civilians. Activists say the stun guns have killed more than 70 people.

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GAYS IN AMERICA

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[15]

“Tuscaloosa legislator wants to ban gay literature”
The Auburn Plainsman, December 2, 2004

“Alabama rep urges ban on pro-homosexual materials in schools”
Agape Press, December 9, 2004

Books by Alice Walker and Tennessee Williams are potential targets of a bill proposed by Alabama state legislator Gerald Allen.

[16]

“Men face new charges in beating / Prosecutor calls murder a hate crime”
Chillicothe Gazette (OH), December 10, 2004

On October 2, Daniel Fetty, a deaf, homeless and gay man, was beaten with bricks, boards and bottles, before being dumped in a trash bin.

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SAME-SEX UNIONS

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[17]

“NZ recognizes same-sex unions”
BBC (U.K.), December 9, 2004

The News Zealand parliament passed a bill granting rights to same-sex
couples amid fierce debate.

[18]

“Klein to fight gay unions”
London Free Press (Ontario), December 10, 2004

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has vowed to launch a campaign against same-sex marriage in Canada, which could be legalized soon.

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ENVIRONMENT

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[19]

“Brazil garbage dump could be climate trailblazer”
Reuters, December 3, 2004

Exchange carbon credits for pollution reduction schemes benefits both the environment and the economy of developing nations.

[20]

“Drilling bids set for national forest in Utah”
MSNBC/Associated Press/Reuters, December 9, 2004

The Bureau of Land Management is auctioning off 16,700 acres of land in a Utah national forest to oil and gas companies.

[21]

“Focus now on compensation for victims”
The Hindu (India), December 10, 2004

A long campaign to ban the pesticide Endosulfan in India has succeeded, and farming victims are hoping for compensation.

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VIEWPOINT

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[22]

“U.S. media still hiding bad news from Americans”
Toronto Star, December 9, 2004

The U.S. media’s obsession with “good news” from Iraq has led to stilted coverage, asserts a Canadian columnist.

[23]

“Uzbek prisons — a survivor’s guide”
Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 10, 2004

An activist who spent over five years in Uzbekistan’s prisons recounts ongoing cases of torture and sexual abuse.

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Editors: Erica Junghans, Julia Scott, Josh Wilson

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