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This page features brief excerpts of news stories published by the mainstream media and, less frequently, blogs, alternative media, and even obviously biased sources. The excerpts are taken directly from the websites cited in each source note. Quotation marks are not used.
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Breaking News
This page features brief excerpts of news stories published by the mainstream media and, less frequently, blogs, alternative media, and even obviously biased sources. The excerpts are taken directly from the websites cited in each source note. Quotation marks are not used. Because most of our readers read the NYT we usually do not include the paper's stories in HIGHLIGHTS.
Name of source: WaPo
SOURCE: WaPo (11-21-07)
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up for a little Thanksgiving tale. You think you've heard it before, but never quite like this.
Yes, it starts the same as it does every year.
Yesterday morning in the Rose Garden, surrounded by gourd-and-corn-husk decor best described as "harvest plenty," President Bush promised May the turkey that he would not be served with a side of yams on Thanksgiving. Nor would May's pal Flower.
These names were "certainly better than the names the vice president suggested, which was 'Lunch' and 'Dinner,' " the president joked.
Chuckles from the audience. Gulgulgulgulguls from the turkey. Such a happy day.
The Thanksgiving presidential turkey pardon. It's a tradition, major newspapers have reported for years, that began in 1947 with President Harry S. Truman -- a sentimental reprieve from the man who had thumbs-upped two atomic bombs.
"To paraphrase Harry today," Bush said, "you cannot take the heat -- and you're definitely going to stay out of the kitchen."
Americans gobbled up this annual parable of mercy.
But like any masterly misdirection, like a fake FEMA news conference, like a government-produced "news" segment, ah, the turkey pardonings are not what they seem....
The archivists at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Mo., have tried to set the record straight. Right there on the Web site is the statement: "The Library's staff has found no documents, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs, or other contemporary records in our holdings which refer to Truman pardoning a turkey that he received as a gift in 1947, or at any other time during his Presidency."
What Truman was doing in the photo, say the archivists, was receiving a turkey, kicking off an annual tradition of presidents receiving turkeys from the National Turkey Federation....
Yes, it starts the same as it does every year.
Yesterday morning in the Rose Garden, surrounded by gourd-and-corn-husk decor best described as "harvest plenty," President Bush promised May the turkey that he would not be served with a side of yams on Thanksgiving. Nor would May's pal Flower.
These names were "certainly better than the names the vice president suggested, which was 'Lunch' and 'Dinner,' " the president joked.
Chuckles from the audience. Gulgulgulgulguls from the turkey. Such a happy day.
The Thanksgiving presidential turkey pardon. It's a tradition, major newspapers have reported for years, that began in 1947 with President Harry S. Truman -- a sentimental reprieve from the man who had thumbs-upped two atomic bombs.
"To paraphrase Harry today," Bush said, "you cannot take the heat -- and you're definitely going to stay out of the kitchen."
Americans gobbled up this annual parable of mercy.
But like any masterly misdirection, like a fake FEMA news conference, like a government-produced "news" segment, ah, the turkey pardonings are not what they seem....
The archivists at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Mo., have tried to set the record straight. Right there on the Web site is the statement: "The Library's staff has found no documents, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs, or other contemporary records in our holdings which refer to Truman pardoning a turkey that he received as a gift in 1947, or at any other time during his Presidency."
What Truman was doing in the photo, say the archivists, was receiving a turkey, kicking off an annual tradition of presidents receiving turkeys from the National Turkey Federation....
Thursday, November 22, 2007 - 20:07
Comments
SOURCE: WaPo (11-17-07)
Move over Martha Stewart. You're getting some new competition from an old source: furniture and home decor products inspired by the collections of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Smithsonian Collection for the Home includes dining and bedroom sets, chandeliers, sinks and even fireplace accessories modeled after pieces and designs held by the world's largest museum and research complex.
"They all have a history," Peter Reid, of Smithsonian Business Ventures, said of the pieces. "As you would expect, some of that information accompanies each piece."
The Smithsonian Collection for the Home includes dining and bedroom sets, chandeliers, sinks and even fireplace accessories modeled after pieces and designs held by the world's largest museum and research complex.
"They all have a history," Peter Reid, of Smithsonian Business Ventures, said of the pieces. "As you would expect, some of that information accompanies each piece."
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:08
Name of source: NYT
SOURCE: NYT (11-21-07)
John Edwards, accepting his party’s nomination for vice president, roused a cheering crowd at the 2004 Democratic convention with the kind of buoyant refrain that had become his trademark: “Hope is on the way.”
The next night, wanting to give the American people something more tangible, John Kerry offered his own pledge, one intended as the ticket’s new slogan: “Help is on the way.”
But Mr. Edwards did not want to say it.
So the running mates set off across the country together with different messages, sometimes delivered at the same rally: Mr. Kerry leading the crowd in chants for “help,” Mr. Edwards for “hope.” The campaign printed two sets of signs. By November, the disagreement had been so institutionalized that campaign workers handed out fans with both messages, on flip sides.
[HNN Editor: This is a long profile piece.]
The next night, wanting to give the American people something more tangible, John Kerry offered his own pledge, one intended as the ticket’s new slogan: “Help is on the way.”
But Mr. Edwards did not want to say it.
So the running mates set off across the country together with different messages, sometimes delivered at the same rally: Mr. Kerry leading the crowd in chants for “help,” Mr. Edwards for “hope.” The campaign printed two sets of signs. By November, the disagreement had been so institutionalized that campaign workers handed out fans with both messages, on flip sides.
[HNN Editor: This is a long profile piece.]
Thursday, November 22, 2007 - 19:45
SOURCE: NYT (11-18-07)
WHEN Dan Crews was 15, he struck a deal that few boys his age would have considered. He swapped $20 worth of baseball cards with a neighbor for a musty World War II uniform brought back from Europe 30 years earlier....
For collectors of World War II memorabilia like Mr. Crews — who specializes in collectibles from British, American or German soldiers who served during the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge — the war has never really ended. The collectors scour the Internet, auctions, flea markets and estate sales to find posters, documents, photographs, badges, uniforms and steel helmets that range in price from a few dollars to the thousands. A Luftwaffe general’s dagger, for $9,995, can be found at therupturedduck.com, a World War II memorabilia site that sells mostly German and Japanese collectibles.
For collectors of World War II memorabilia like Mr. Crews — who specializes in collectibles from British, American or German soldiers who served during the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge — the war has never really ended. The collectors scour the Internet, auctions, flea markets and estate sales to find posters, documents, photographs, badges, uniforms and steel helmets that range in price from a few dollars to the thousands. A Luftwaffe general’s dagger, for $9,995, can be found at therupturedduck.com, a World War II memorabilia site that sells mostly German and Japanese collectibles.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 13:14
SOURCE: NYT (11-18-07)
In the fall of 2005, Charles Hack, a New Yorker who has made a fortune in real estate and spent a lot of it on old master paintings and Renaissance sculpture, noticed a newspaper advertisement for an auction of a rare stamp.
The 24-cent airmail stamp issued in 1918, popularly known to collectors as the Inverted Jenny, became famous — and valuable — because of an error: the airplane in the center of the design, a Curtiss JN-4, is printed upside-down. Only 100 of the misprints are known to exist. Mr. Hack attended that auction and bought the stamp for $297,000, including commission.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Hack attended another stamp auction, at Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City, and went home with a second Inverted Jenny after bidding $850,000. The final price, with the commission, came to $977,500, a record for an American stamp sold at auction and a confirmation of a trend that is transforming the world of high-end collectibles.
The 24-cent airmail stamp issued in 1918, popularly known to collectors as the Inverted Jenny, became famous — and valuable — because of an error: the airplane in the center of the design, a Curtiss JN-4, is printed upside-down. Only 100 of the misprints are known to exist. Mr. Hack attended that auction and bought the stamp for $297,000, including commission.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Hack attended another stamp auction, at Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City, and went home with a second Inverted Jenny after bidding $850,000. The final price, with the commission, came to $977,500, a record for an American stamp sold at auction and a confirmation of a trend that is transforming the world of high-end collectibles.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 13:13
SOURCE: NYT (11-17-07)
Three organizations representing coin collectors and dealers have filed a lawsuit against the State Department demanding greater disclosure of how the government makes decisions on the import of ancient artifacts from abroad.
The suit, filed jointly on Thursday by the three groups in Federal District Court in Washington, asserts that the State Department violated the Freedom of Information Act when it failed to release documents that the coin collectors had sought concerning recent decisions in which the State Department either considered or imposed import restrictions on ancient coins. The documents involve trade between the United States and Italy, China and the Republic of Cyprus.
If the coin collectors prevail, the State Department may be compelled to shed more light on the way it makes decisions on protecting the cultural property of other nations, a process that many art dealers, museum directors and collectors argue has been unnecessarily shrouded in secrecy.
The suit, filed jointly on Thursday by the three groups in Federal District Court in Washington, asserts that the State Department violated the Freedom of Information Act when it failed to release documents that the coin collectors had sought concerning recent decisions in which the State Department either considered or imposed import restrictions on ancient coins. The documents involve trade between the United States and Italy, China and the Republic of Cyprus.
If the coin collectors prevail, the State Department may be compelled to shed more light on the way it makes decisions on protecting the cultural property of other nations, a process that many art dealers, museum directors and collectors argue has been unnecessarily shrouded in secrecy.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 20:53
SOURCE: NYT (11-17-07)
An Australian coroner concluded Friday that the Indonesian Army killed five Australia-based journalists at the beginning of its 1975 invasion of East Timor to prevent news of an Indonesian attack from reaching the outside world.
The inquiry found that the five journalists — Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart of Australia, Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie of Britain, and Gary Cunningham of New Zealand — were killed by Indonesian forces in the village of Balibo, nearly two months before the Indonesian Army took over all of East Timor, then a Portuguese colony.
The inquiry found that the five journalists — Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart of Australia, Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie of Britain, and Gary Cunningham of New Zealand — were killed by Indonesian forces in the village of Balibo, nearly two months before the Indonesian Army took over all of East Timor, then a Portuguese colony.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 20:49
SOURCE: NYT (11-20-07)
The Supreme Court agreed today to consider an issue that has divided politicians, constitutional scholars and ordinary citizens for decades: whether the Second Amendment to the Constitution protects an individual right to “keep and bear arms.”
The justices agreed to hear an appeal from the District of Columbia, whose gun-control law — one of the strictest in the nation — was struck down by the lower federal courts earlier this year. The case will probably be argued in the spring.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down sections of the Washington gun law that make it exceedingly difficult to legally own a handgun, that prohibit carrying guns without a license even from one room to another, and that require lawfully owned firearms to be kept unloaded.
The Second Amendment, surely one of the most disputed passages in the United States Constitution, states this, in its entirety: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The Supreme Court has never directly addressed the basic meaning of that passage. When it last considered a Second Amendment case, in 1939, it addressed a somewhat peripheral question, holding that a sawed-off shotgun was not one of the “arms” that the Founding Fathers had in mind.
The justices agreed to hear an appeal from the District of Columbia, whose gun-control law — one of the strictest in the nation — was struck down by the lower federal courts earlier this year. The case will probably be argued in the spring.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down sections of the Washington gun law that make it exceedingly difficult to legally own a handgun, that prohibit carrying guns without a license even from one room to another, and that require lawfully owned firearms to be kept unloaded.
The Second Amendment, surely one of the most disputed passages in the United States Constitution, states this, in its entirety: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The Supreme Court has never directly addressed the basic meaning of that passage. When it last considered a Second Amendment case, in 1939, it addressed a somewhat peripheral question, holding that a sawed-off shotgun was not one of the “arms” that the Founding Fathers had in mind.
Related Links
HNN Hot Topics: Gun Control
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 16:03
SOURCE: NYT (11-20-07)
The Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents voted Monday to undertake a major capital campaign to help raise the $2.5 billion needed to improve and repair its buildings. It is the first large-scale private fund-raising effort in the organization’s history.
Because the Smithsonian gets 70 percent of its $1 billion operating budget from the federal government, raising money from private sources will be a significant departure for the institution.
The plan also promises to be a challenge, given the recent turmoil in the institution’s governance. Its secretary, the top official, resigned last March over expense-account issues. The Smithsonian has been troubled by other controversies, including debate over a $5 million gift from the American Petroleum Institute to the National Museum of Natural History’s Ocean Initiative exhibition hall.
Because the Smithsonian gets 70 percent of its $1 billion operating budget from the federal government, raising money from private sources will be a significant departure for the institution.
The plan also promises to be a challenge, given the recent turmoil in the institution’s governance. Its secretary, the top official, resigned last March over expense-account issues. The Smithsonian has been troubled by other controversies, including debate over a $5 million gift from the American Petroleum Institute to the National Museum of Natural History’s Ocean Initiative exhibition hall.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:46
SOURCE: NYT (11-19-07)
At Berkeley Plantation [where the president went today to celebrate Thanksgiving], Bush got a little history lesson.
The site claims America's first official Thanksgiving in 1619, when a group of British settlers knelt in prayer of thanks for a healthy arrival across the Atlantic. Their proclamation of thanks is carved into the ''Thanksgiving Shrine'' that Bush visited.
Of course, Plymouth, Mass., is best known as the home of Thanksgiving, as the place where Pilgrims and Indians celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast in 1621.
Bush took care not to explicitly take sides in that debate, though his hosts seemed to view his presence as all but an endorsement. The president did call the plantation a ''historic treasure'' with a ''role in this important holiday'' and gave a detailed recounting of Berkeley's historic claim.
''The good folks here say that the founders of Berkeley held their celebration before the Pilgrims had even left port,'' the president said to much applause. ''As you can imagine, this version of events is not very popular up North.''
The site claims America's first official Thanksgiving in 1619, when a group of British settlers knelt in prayer of thanks for a healthy arrival across the Atlantic. Their proclamation of thanks is carved into the ''Thanksgiving Shrine'' that Bush visited.
Of course, Plymouth, Mass., is best known as the home of Thanksgiving, as the place where Pilgrims and Indians celebrated the autumn harvest with a feast in 1621.
Bush took care not to explicitly take sides in that debate, though his hosts seemed to view his presence as all but an endorsement. The president did call the plantation a ''historic treasure'' with a ''role in this important holiday'' and gave a detailed recounting of Berkeley's historic claim.
''The good folks here say that the founders of Berkeley held their celebration before the Pilgrims had even left port,'' the president said to much applause. ''As you can imagine, this version of events is not very popular up North.''
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 17:58
SOURCE: NYT (11-18-07)
All big accomplishments in sports are seen through a contemporary prism, suggests John Thorn, a baseball historian and an editor of “Total Baseball.” “By definition, your view is distorted when you have your nose up against the glass,” he says.
In baseball, the plot has a cyclical familiarity. In almost every case, the new record holder is seen as a villain, an exemplar of new and dangerous times, while the previous record holder is an unburdened hero. “It’s such a simple story, you would think you’re watching Punch and Judy,” Thorn says. “There’s only two roles, and they seem to alternate.”
When Babe Ruth retired in 1935, he had hit 714 home runs, hundreds more than anybody else in baseball history. In his time, however, Ruth was not seen as the bumptious icon he was later made out to be. After the 1925 season, in which he played only 98 games, Ruth was publicly derided at a banquet by New York’s mayor, Jimmy Walker, who said that Ruth had let down the kids with his poor play. With his outsized girth and fondness for controlled beverages, Ruth epitomized the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, and like every baseball player then and now, his contract demands were deemed greedy and exorbitant.
In baseball, the plot has a cyclical familiarity. In almost every case, the new record holder is seen as a villain, an exemplar of new and dangerous times, while the previous record holder is an unburdened hero. “It’s such a simple story, you would think you’re watching Punch and Judy,” Thorn says. “There’s only two roles, and they seem to alternate.”
When Babe Ruth retired in 1935, he had hit 714 home runs, hundreds more than anybody else in baseball history. In his time, however, Ruth was not seen as the bumptious icon he was later made out to be. After the 1925 season, in which he played only 98 games, Ruth was publicly derided at a banquet by New York’s mayor, Jimmy Walker, who said that Ruth had let down the kids with his poor play. With his outsized girth and fondness for controlled beverages, Ruth epitomized the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, and like every baseball player then and now, his contract demands were deemed greedy and exorbitant.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 02:56
SOURCE: NYT (11-17-07)
Step aside Moore and Taylor. Welcome Garcia and Rodriguez.
Smith remains the most common surname in the United States, according to a new analysis released yesterday by the Census Bureau. But for the first time, two Hispanic surnames — Garcia and Rodriguez — are among the top 10 most common in the nation, and Martinez nearly edged out Wilson for 10th place.
The number of Hispanics living in the United States grew by 58 percent in the 1990s to nearly 13 percent of the total population, and cracking the list of top 10 names suggests just how pervasively the Latino migration has permeated everyday American culture.
Smith remains the most common surname in the United States, according to a new analysis released yesterday by the Census Bureau. But for the first time, two Hispanic surnames — Garcia and Rodriguez — are among the top 10 most common in the nation, and Martinez nearly edged out Wilson for 10th place.
The number of Hispanics living in the United States grew by 58 percent in the 1990s to nearly 13 percent of the total population, and cracking the list of top 10 names suggests just how pervasively the Latino migration has permeated everyday American culture.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 02:53
SOURCE: NYT (11-15-07)
In December 1968, Mitt Romney returned home from a Mormon mission in France to find a changed country.
While assassinations, race riots, sit-ins and marches transformed his generation, Mr. Romney spent more than two years cloistered in a strict regimen of prayer and proselytizing.
The missionaries were discouraged from indulging in newspapers, radio, television or phone calls home. They spent twelve hours a day knocking on doors, often ending up defending the Vietnam War or American race relations against tirades by the French. Mr. Romney was so removed from the tumult at home that he was surprised to learn that his father, George Romney, had turned against the war while campaigning for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination.
“There had been this whole revolution while we were gone,” recalled Dane McBride, a close friend from the mission. “While we had gone from being adolescents to grown-ups with a lot of responsibility, our peers — from our perspective — were just tearing down the country, becoming dangerously childish.” He added, “It just seemed deplorable.”
While assassinations, race riots, sit-ins and marches transformed his generation, Mr. Romney spent more than two years cloistered in a strict regimen of prayer and proselytizing.
The missionaries were discouraged from indulging in newspapers, radio, television or phone calls home. They spent twelve hours a day knocking on doors, often ending up defending the Vietnam War or American race relations against tirades by the French. Mr. Romney was so removed from the tumult at home that he was surprised to learn that his father, George Romney, had turned against the war while campaigning for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination.
“There had been this whole revolution while we were gone,” recalled Dane McBride, a close friend from the mission. “While we had gone from being adolescents to grown-ups with a lot of responsibility, our peers — from our perspective — were just tearing down the country, becoming dangerously childish.” He added, “It just seemed deplorable.”
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 17:15
Name of source: ABC
SOURCE: ABC (11-16-07)
When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast two years ago, the storm devastated 320 million trees.
Now the United States is suffering the worst forest catastrophe in its history, according to a new analysis by the journal Science.
Using satellite images, scientists found that more than 5 million acres of trees were destroyed across Mississippi and Alabama. Experts said it would take decades for the plant life to recover, and some areas may be permanently damaged.
Now the United States is suffering the worst forest catastrophe in its history, according to a new analysis by the journal Science.
Using satellite images, scientists found that more than 5 million acres of trees were destroyed across Mississippi and Alabama. Experts said it would take decades for the plant life to recover, and some areas may be permanently damaged.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 01:35
Name of source: http://www.24dash.com
SOURCE: http://www.24dash.com (11-20-07)
A royal Anglo-Saxon burial ground and some of the finest gold jewellery ever unearthed in the country has been discovered by a freelance archaeologist.
The 109-grave cemetery is arranged in a rectangular pattern and dates from the middle of the 7th Century.
The cemetery, bed burial and high status objects are considered to all indicate the people buried must have connections with Anglo-Saxon royalty.
Traditionally, Anglo Saxon royalty were always buried in the south of England and it is thought the royals buried at the Cleveland site could be linked to the Kentish Princess Ethelburga who travelled north to marry Edwin, King of Northumbria.
The 109-grave cemetery is arranged in a rectangular pattern and dates from the middle of the 7th Century.
The cemetery, bed burial and high status objects are considered to all indicate the people buried must have connections with Anglo-Saxon royalty.
Traditionally, Anglo Saxon royalty were always buried in the south of England and it is thought the royals buried at the Cleveland site could be linked to the Kentish Princess Ethelburga who travelled north to marry Edwin, King of Northumbria.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 01:33
Name of source: Scotsman
SOURCE: Scotsman (11-20-07)
PEOPLE wanting to spend £25,000 on an antique Bible usually head to a top auction house, where they are given a glossy catalogue and fed canapés to nibble while they study it.
But now eBay, the no-frills internet auction site, has just such a rarity up for grabs.
Any would-be buyer surfing the net from their bedroom can bid for a leather-bound Bible carried by Sir Patrick Hume in the 17th century.
Bidding started at £12,000, and a bid of £25,000 will secure the Bible outright. The only drawback is that the site does not tell the bidder where the Bible was acquired.
But now eBay, the no-frills internet auction site, has just such a rarity up for grabs.
Any would-be buyer surfing the net from their bedroom can bid for a leather-bound Bible carried by Sir Patrick Hume in the 17th century.
Bidding started at £12,000, and a bid of £25,000 will secure the Bible outright. The only drawback is that the site does not tell the bidder where the Bible was acquired.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 21:34
Name of source: EdWeek.org
SOURCE: EdWeek.org (11-20-07)
National tests in several core subjects could be eliminated or scaled back over the next five years without more federal funding, the officials who set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress said last week.
Scheduled exams in economics, foreign language, geography, and world history could be canceled if funding remains flat, as is projected.
Moreover, some grade levels would not be tested in civics, U.S. history, and writing, and the next administration of the NAEP long-term trend tests in mathematics and reading, which have been conducted regularly over the past 40 years, would be given in 2008, but not in 2012.
“The schedule of assessments issued is indeed serious. … With the given money and the contracts to be had, there is a shortfall,” Darvin M. Winick, the chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, or NAGB, which sets policy for the program, told the board Nov. 16 at its meeting here. “This is not yet engraved in stone,” he said, “but we’re certain you will have to face up to some of those changes.”
Scheduled exams in economics, foreign language, geography, and world history could be canceled if funding remains flat, as is projected.
Moreover, some grade levels would not be tested in civics, U.S. history, and writing, and the next administration of the NAEP long-term trend tests in mathematics and reading, which have been conducted regularly over the past 40 years, would be given in 2008, but not in 2012.
“The schedule of assessments issued is indeed serious. … With the given money and the contracts to be had, there is a shortfall,” Darvin M. Winick, the chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, or NAGB, which sets policy for the program, told the board Nov. 16 at its meeting here. “This is not yet engraved in stone,” he said, “but we’re certain you will have to face up to some of those changes.”
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 18:08
Name of source: Washington Times
SOURCE: Washington Times (11-20-07)
Is America ready for a first spouse? Voters will decide next year, but the U.S. Mint isn't taking any chances.
The Mint yesterday, with help from first lady Laura Bush, released the fourth coin in its new First Spouses series.
Mrs. Bush referred to the coin collection as the "First Lady" series in her prepared remarks. But the U.S. Mint named the series the "First Spouse" collection when it was announced last year.
Could the gender-neutral name be the Mint dropping its two cents on whether a man will take on the role?
"We're not predictors of the future," said Greg Hernandez, a spokesman for the U.S. Mint. "But as the program was being developed, we thought somewhere down in American history, there is going to be a first spouse that may be a man."
The Mint yesterday, with help from first lady Laura Bush, released the fourth coin in its new First Spouses series.
Mrs. Bush referred to the coin collection as the "First Lady" series in her prepared remarks. But the U.S. Mint named the series the "First Spouse" collection when it was announced last year.
Could the gender-neutral name be the Mint dropping its two cents on whether a man will take on the role?
"We're not predictors of the future," said Greg Hernandez, a spokesman for the U.S. Mint. "But as the program was being developed, we thought somewhere down in American history, there is going to be a first spouse that may be a man."
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:56
SOURCE: Washington Times (11-14-07)
Republicans across the country are encouraging voters to sign up for a "Clinton library card," a publicity stunt to highlight the dispute over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's White House records.
The Democrats have been arguing over the issue since it surfaced during an Oct. 30 debate, and former President Bill Clinton has since said the debate question about the records kept by the National Archives was "breathtakingly misleading."
But Republicans have seized on it as well, with the Republican National Committee (RNC) sending a "What's Hillary hiding?" e-mail yesterday in a push to tarnish the front-runner and suggest that she is secretive.
"In 2004, Hillary claimed that all of the records at the Clinton Library would be opened," the party wrote in an e-mail to supporters. "Nearly three years after the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library and the ensuing Freedom of Information Act Requests, less than half of one percent of the library's documents are open for review."...
The Democrats have been arguing over the issue since it surfaced during an Oct. 30 debate, and former President Bill Clinton has since said the debate question about the records kept by the National Archives was "breathtakingly misleading."
But Republicans have seized on it as well, with the Republican National Committee (RNC) sending a "What's Hillary hiding?" e-mail yesterday in a push to tarnish the front-runner and suggest that she is secretive.
"In 2004, Hillary claimed that all of the records at the Clinton Library would be opened," the party wrote in an e-mail to supporters. "Nearly three years after the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library and the ensuing Freedom of Information Act Requests, less than half of one percent of the library's documents are open for review."...
[HNN Editor: In a letter to the editor, MAARJA KRUSTEN, former National Archives' Nixon tapes archivist, wrote the following.]
Regarding "GOP issuing 'Clinton library cards'" (Nation, Wednesday), keep in mind that for 200 years, a president's White House files were considered personal property. Upon leaving office, he could screen them, keep what he wanted and burn the rest. Except for Richard Nixon, all the presidents from Herbert Hoover through Jimmy Carter donated portions of their files, with varying restrictions, to libraries administered by the National Archives.
The late Clement Vose, a professor of government at Wesleyan University, noted of the donor-restricted presidential libraries that they often set aside records dealing with contentious matters to allow "the passage of time to dim controversy" related to presidents.
Government ownership of a president's official records is a relatively new concept. So, too, is the notion that the public can request access to them soon after the president leaves office. Under laws passed in the 1970s, Mr. Nixon's records are government property, as are those of presidents holding office after 1981.
If the National Archives' mission were easy, The Washington Times would not have written in 1994 of apparent disputes about "differing philosophies over access to government records" at the agency" ("Turmoil continues at Archives," Page 1, May 13, 1994). The editorial page had earlier referred to "access to the personal, private papers of recent presidents, access that liberal activists have long sought but until now have been unable to gain" ("What's really going on at the archives," Editorial, April 13, 1994).
As it turned out, work at the Reagan Presidential Library had triggered questions as to whether archivists could open official records that were statutorily releasable but that a former president wanted sealed. The National Archives' inspector general asserted that by law, the decision to release records lay with the Archives.
The National Archives faces many challenges, but outsiders often have painted them broadly in black and white. Having worked on screening the records of a president for whom I had voted (Mr. Nixon), I know why archivists must act objectively. That Mr. Nixon fought us doesn't keep me from understanding the fear he might have felt at the revelations the law required. Unless you take into account human nature and the psychology of disclosure, you cannot understand what current laws ask of the nation's recordkeeper.
Related Links
National Coalition for History: WASHINGTON POST ENDORSES PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS BILL; FALLOUT CONTINUES FOR THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 19:01
Name of source: AP
SOURCE: AP (11-20-07)
Archaeologists on Tuesday unveiled an underground grotto believed to have been revered by ancient Romans as the place where a wolf nursed the city's legendary founder Romulus and his twin brother Remus.
Decorated with seashells and colored marble, the vaulted sanctuary is buried 52 feet inside the Palatine hill, the palatial center of power in imperial Rome, the archaeologists said at a news conference.
In the past two years, experts have been probing the space with endoscopes and laser scanners, fearing that the fragile grotto, already partially caved-in, would not survive a full-scale dig, said Giorgio Croci, an engineer who worked on the site.
The archaeologists are convinced that they have found the place of worship where Romans believed a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god of war Mars who were abandoned in a basket and left adrift on the Tiber.
Decorated with seashells and colored marble, the vaulted sanctuary is buried 52 feet inside the Palatine hill, the palatial center of power in imperial Rome, the archaeologists said at a news conference.
In the past two years, experts have been probing the space with endoscopes and laser scanners, fearing that the fragile grotto, already partially caved-in, would not survive a full-scale dig, said Giorgio Croci, an engineer who worked on the site.
The archaeologists are convinced that they have found the place of worship where Romans believed a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god of war Mars who were abandoned in a basket and left adrift on the Tiber.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:54
SOURCE: AP (11-19-07)
Cambodia's U.N.-backed genocide tribunal arrested the former Khmer Rouge head of state and charged him Monday with crimes against humanity and war crimes, a spokesman said.
Khieu Samphan was the last of five senior officials of the brutal regime to be taken in custody ahead of a long-delayed genocide trial.
Police arrested Khieu Samphan, 76, at a Phnom Penh hospital where he had been undergoing treatment since Nov. 14 after a stroke. Officers held his arms to support him as they led him to a police car, which sped away in a heavily guarded convoy to the tribunal's offices.
Khieu Samphan was the last of five senior officials of the brutal regime to be taken in custody ahead of a long-delayed genocide trial.
Police arrested Khieu Samphan, 76, at a Phnom Penh hospital where he had been undergoing treatment since Nov. 14 after a stroke. Officers held his arms to support him as they led him to a police car, which sped away in a heavily guarded convoy to the tribunal's offices.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:26
SOURCE: AP (11-15-07)
Unlike their visit a few months ago, Sandra Churchwell and Debra Wallace weren’t alone Wednesday as they gazed up at the massive Confederate monument on the grounds of the Alabama Capitol.
That’s because someone hopped over the wrought iron fence surrounding the monument during the weekend and painted the statues’ faces and hands black.
“It’s really a shame because this is such a nice monument, it’s so old,” Wallace said of the memorial, which was built on a cornerstone that was laid by Confederate president Jefferson Davis in 1886.
“N.T. 11 11 31” was also written in black paint on the monument’s base and is believed to be a reference to slave Nat Turner who was hanged on November 11, 1831 for starting a rebellion.
“That’s the only thing that we’ve come up with that has made any sense, it definitely was the right date for Nat Turner,” Bob Canter, Senior Restoration Artisan for the Capitol, said Wednesday. “It was done either Saturday night or Sunday night.”
That’s because someone hopped over the wrought iron fence surrounding the monument during the weekend and painted the statues’ faces and hands black.
“It’s really a shame because this is such a nice monument, it’s so old,” Wallace said of the memorial, which was built on a cornerstone that was laid by Confederate president Jefferson Davis in 1886.
“N.T. 11 11 31” was also written in black paint on the monument’s base and is believed to be a reference to slave Nat Turner who was hanged on November 11, 1831 for starting a rebellion.
“That’s the only thing that we’ve come up with that has made any sense, it definitely was the right date for Nat Turner,” Bob Canter, Senior Restoration Artisan for the Capitol, said Wednesday. “It was done either Saturday night or Sunday night.”
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:23
SOURCE: AP (11-19-07)
Twenty years after her accusations of a racially charged rape became a national flash point and made the Rev. Al Sharpton a national figure, Tawana Brawley's mother and stepfather want to reopen the case, a newspaper reported yesterday.
Glenda Brawley and Ralph King want to press New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to re-examine the reported November 1987 incident, which a state grand jury concluded was a hoax, according to the Daily News.
"New York state owes my daughter. They owe her the truth," said Mrs. Brawley. She reiterated her stance that her daughter was raped by a group of white men who smeared her with feces and scrawled racial epithets on her body.
Representatives for Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Cuomo did not respond to weekend telephone and e-mail messages.
Glenda Brawley and Ralph King want to press New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to re-examine the reported November 1987 incident, which a state grand jury concluded was a hoax, according to the Daily News.
"New York state owes my daughter. They owe her the truth," said Mrs. Brawley. She reiterated her stance that her daughter was raped by a group of white men who smeared her with feces and scrawled racial epithets on her body.
Representatives for Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Cuomo did not respond to weekend telephone and e-mail messages.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:15
SOURCE: AP (11-14-07)
A new office within Germany's Institute for Museum Research is opening in January to help identify and research art stolen by the Nazis, Germany's culture minister said Wednesday.
The office, which comes under the State Museums of Berlin, will help museums, libraries and archives identify items that were taken from their rightful owners during the Nazi period, Culture Minister Bernd Neumann said.
The office, which comes under the State Museums of Berlin, will help museums, libraries and archives identify items that were taken from their rightful owners during the Nazi period, Culture Minister Bernd Neumann said.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 19:34
SOURCE: AP (11-16-07)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Here's a sobering thought: Hundreds of bottles of Jack Daniel's whiskey, some of it almost 100 years old, may be unceremoniously poured down a drain because authorities suspect it was being sold by someone without a license.
Officials seized 2,400 bottles late last month during warehouse raids in Nashville and Lynchburg, the southern Tennessee town where the whiskey is distilled.
"Punish the person, not the whiskey," said an outraged Kyle MacDonald, 28, a Jack Daniel's drinker from British Columbia who promotes the whiskey on his blog. "Jack never did anything wrong, and the whiskey itself is innocent."
Investigators are also looking into whether some of the bottles had been stolen from the distillery. No one has been arrested.
Officials seized 2,400 bottles late last month during warehouse raids in Nashville and Lynchburg, the southern Tennessee town where the whiskey is distilled.
"Punish the person, not the whiskey," said an outraged Kyle MacDonald, 28, a Jack Daniel's drinker from British Columbia who promotes the whiskey on his blog. "Jack never did anything wrong, and the whiskey itself is innocent."
Investigators are also looking into whether some of the bottles had been stolen from the distillery. No one has been arrested.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 14:54
Name of source: BBC
SOURCE: BBC (11-17-07)
On 17 November 1678 as he prepared to leave for mass from a local blacksmith, officials from the government arrested David Lewis who had items needed to carry out mass in his possession.
Just under a year later, on 27 August at Usk, he was executed after being condemned as a Roman Catholic priest who said mass.
He was one of 40 martyrs of the time and his sacrifice has never been forgotten by those at the abbey.
A plaque marking the spot is to be unveiled in a ceremony at the former blacksmith which is now known as The Old Post Office on Saturday.
Just under a year later, on 27 August at Usk, he was executed after being condemned as a Roman Catholic priest who said mass.
He was one of 40 martyrs of the time and his sacrifice has never been forgotten by those at the abbey.
A plaque marking the spot is to be unveiled in a ceremony at the former blacksmith which is now known as The Old Post Office on Saturday.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:51
SOURCE: BBC (11-19-07)
The Canadian city of Quebec wants to get hold of part of the wreckage of a wooden sailing ship submerged off the north Wales coast for 101 years.
The vessel, the City of Ottawa, has been laid up on a sandbar in Rhyl's Foryd harbour since 1906, where it was taken to be broken up.
Built in Quebec in 1860, one of the city's councillors, Rainer Bloess, wants a beam or relic from the ship.
Denbighshire Council said it was happy to work with the Canadian authority.
The vessel, the City of Ottawa, has been laid up on a sandbar in Rhyl's Foryd harbour since 1906, where it was taken to be broken up.
Built in Quebec in 1860, one of the city's councillors, Rainer Bloess, wants a beam or relic from the ship.
Denbighshire Council said it was happy to work with the Canadian authority.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:50
SOURCE: BBC (11-15-07)
One of Western Europe's earliest known urban societies may have sown the seeds of its own downfall, a study suggests.
Mystery surrounded the fall of the Bronze Age Argaric people in south-east Spain - Europe's driest area.
Data suggests the early civilisation exhausted precious natural resources, helping bring about its own ruin.
The study provides early evidence for cultural collapse caused - at least in part - by humans meddling with the environment, say researchers.
Mystery surrounded the fall of the Bronze Age Argaric people in south-east Spain - Europe's driest area.
Data suggests the early civilisation exhausted precious natural resources, helping bring about its own ruin.
The study provides early evidence for cultural collapse caused - at least in part - by humans meddling with the environment, say researchers.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:02
SOURCE: BBC (11-15-07)
One of Western Europe's earliest known urban societies may have sown the seeds of its own downfall, a study suggests.
Mystery surrounded the fall of the Bronze Age Argaric people in south-east Spain - Europe's driest area.
Data suggests the early civilisation exhausted precious natural resources, helping bring about its own ruin.
The study provides early evidence for cultural collapse caused - at least in part - by humans meddling with the environment, say researchers.
Mystery surrounded the fall of the Bronze Age Argaric people in south-east Spain - Europe's driest area.
Data suggests the early civilisation exhausted precious natural resources, helping bring about its own ruin.
The study provides early evidence for cultural collapse caused - at least in part - by humans meddling with the environment, say researchers.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:02
SOURCE: BBC (11-15-07)
A near-intact shipwreck apparently dating from the 17th century has been found in the Baltic Sea, Swedish television has said.
The discovery was made during filming for an under-water documentary series.
Public service SVT television said the wreck could be from the same era as the famous Vasa warship, which sank on its maiden voyage in August 1628.
The discovery was made during filming for an under-water documentary series.
Public service SVT television said the wreck could be from the same era as the famous Vasa warship, which sank on its maiden voyage in August 1628.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 02:59
SOURCE: BBC (11-16-07)
The 40th anniversary of a visit by one of the world's best-known civil rights leaders to Tyneside is being marked a special ceremony.
In 1967, Newcastle University became the only UK university to honour Dr Martin Luther King Jnr in his lifetime.
Dr King travelled to Tyneside in November that year to receive an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree.
A memorial lecture will be delivered to mark the historic event, which was captured on film at the time.
In 1967, Newcastle University became the only UK university to honour Dr Martin Luther King Jnr in his lifetime.
Dr King travelled to Tyneside in November that year to receive an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree.
A memorial lecture will be delivered to mark the historic event, which was captured on film at the time.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 14:56
Name of source: http://www.missoulian.com
SOURCE: http://www.missoulian.com (11-18-07)
The oversized cartridge was lying on ground left black by last summer's Jocko Lakes wildfire.
When Anya Minetz spotted it last month, she could see it was something special.
“Come look at this one,” she called to C. Milo McLeod, who was sifting through the detritus of a modern-day hunter's camp west of Seeley Lake. He came, saw and performed a double-take.
“That's from a Spencer rifle,” McLeod said.
He knew because he owns one of the 1860s-vintage firearms, the world's first practical repeating rifle.
They were a diverse pair - McLeod an archaeologist and manager of the Lolo National Forest's heritage program, Minetz a graduate student at the University of Montana....
When Anya Minetz spotted it last month, she could see it was something special.
“Come look at this one,” she called to C. Milo McLeod, who was sifting through the detritus of a modern-day hunter's camp west of Seeley Lake. He came, saw and performed a double-take.
“That's from a Spencer rifle,” McLeod said.
He knew because he owns one of the 1860s-vintage firearms, the world's first practical repeating rifle.
They were a diverse pair - McLeod an archaeologist and manager of the Lolo National Forest's heritage program, Minetz a graduate student at the University of Montana....
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:32
Name of source: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland
SOURCE: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland (11-16-07)
Ireland's historic experience of famine has inspired the country to help tackle global poverty, U2 frontman Bono said today.
The rock legend is part of the Government's Hunger Task Force, which was set up last year and met for the second time this afternoon in University College Cork (UCC).
It was established to examine how Ireland can help combat world hunger, particularly in Africa.
The singer, who has become as famous for his aid work as his music, said Irish people around the world understood the need to eradicate hunger and poverty because of the country's famine experience.
"All the Irish around the world know and feel the poetry in this idea, with Irish history rhyming to eradicate hunger," he said.
The rock legend is part of the Government's Hunger Task Force, which was set up last year and met for the second time this afternoon in University College Cork (UCC).
It was established to examine how Ireland can help combat world hunger, particularly in Africa.
The singer, who has become as famous for his aid work as his music, said Irish people around the world understood the need to eradicate hunger and poverty because of the country's famine experience.
"All the Irish around the world know and feel the poetry in this idea, with Irish history rhyming to eradicate hunger," he said.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 15:14
Name of source: Telegraph (UK)
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (11-19-07)
The flood associated with the story of Noah's Ark led to the spread of agriculture across Europe, researchers have discovered.
Archaeologists have dated the flooding of the Black Sea to around 6,300BC and believe the sudden rise in sea levels in south-east Europe pushed communities west, where they continued to farm and make pottery.
The date at which the Black Sea was connected to the Mediterranean had previously been placed at somewhere between 5,600BC and 7,600 BC, but a re-analysis of radiocarbon dating of freshwater molluscs and seashells found in the area has pinned this down to the period immediately prior to the spread of agricultural food production across western Europe.
Archaeologists have dated the flooding of the Black Sea to around 6,300BC and believe the sudden rise in sea levels in south-east Europe pushed communities west, where they continued to farm and make pottery.
The date at which the Black Sea was connected to the Mediterranean had previously been placed at somewhere between 5,600BC and 7,600 BC, but a re-analysis of radiocarbon dating of freshwater molluscs and seashells found in the area has pinned this down to the period immediately prior to the spread of agricultural food production across western Europe.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:09
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (11-16-07)
One of the Cold War's most baffling mysteries has been solved after an elderly Russian man admitted to slitting the throat of British frogman fifty years ago.
Commander Lionel "Buster" Crabb disappeared while spying on a Soviet warship in 1956.
The vessel was en route to Portsmouth Harbour, bringing Soviet leaders to Britain for talks.
At the time, the Navy feared that Cdr Crabb had drowned in the nearby Stokes Bay.
But several months later, the diver's headless corpse was found floating along the coast near Chichester.
Now the final moments of Cdr Crabb's life have been put together after a retired Russian sailor told a documentary he needed to clear his conscience before he died.
Commander Lionel "Buster" Crabb disappeared while spying on a Soviet warship in 1956.
The vessel was en route to Portsmouth Harbour, bringing Soviet leaders to Britain for talks.
At the time, the Navy feared that Cdr Crabb had drowned in the nearby Stokes Bay.
But several months later, the diver's headless corpse was found floating along the coast near Chichester.
Now the final moments of Cdr Crabb's life have been put together after a retired Russian sailor told a documentary he needed to clear his conscience before he died.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 14:57
Name of source: Reuters
SOURCE: Reuters (11-15-07)
If the figurines found in an ancient European settlement are any guide, women have been dressing to impress for at least 7,500 years.
Recent excavations at the site – part of the Vinca culture which was Europe’s biggest prehistoric civilization – point to a metropolis with a great degree of sophistication and a taste for art and fashion, archaeologists say.
Recent excavations at the site – part of the Vinca culture which was Europe’s biggest prehistoric civilization – point to a metropolis with a great degree of sophistication and a taste for art and fashion, archaeologists say.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:06
Name of source: Daily Mail
SOURCE: Daily Mail (11-14-07)
High tides and winds that have battered our shores have unearthed a burial mystery for archaeologists.
Erosion by the sea and weather has revealed what seems to be the remains of a Bronze Age child.
But what puzzled archaeologists was a layer of hard white material which appears to have been moulded around the body, like a casing.
Erosion by the sea and weather has revealed what seems to be the remains of a Bronze Age child.
But what puzzled archaeologists was a layer of hard white material which appears to have been moulded around the body, like a casing.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:04
Name of source: http://mathaba.net
SOURCE: http://mathaba.net (11-15-07)
Archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of stone and earthenware artifacts believed to be nearly 3,000 years old on the Sa Huynh culture on the An Hai islet on the Con Dao island district of the southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:03
Name of source: http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk
SOURCE: http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk (11-19-07)
THE first evidence of a Bronze Age settlement in Dewsbury has been uncovered at a sewage works in Earlsheaton.
The dig, which is being carried out at the Mitchell Laithes water treatment works on Headland Lane, has uncovered a possible burial ground, called a barrow, and items thought to date back to Roman times.
One item archaeologists uncovered was a pot thought to contain human ashes, which is believed to be about 3,500 years old.
The dig, which is being carried out at the Mitchell Laithes water treatment works on Headland Lane, has uncovered a possible burial ground, called a barrow, and items thought to date back to Roman times.
One item archaeologists uncovered was a pot thought to contain human ashes, which is believed to be about 3,500 years old.
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:01
Name of source: Letter to the Editor of the NYT
SOURCE: Letter to the Editor of the NYT (11-17-07)
To the Editor:
“A Spy’s Path: Iowa to A-Bomb to Kremlin Honor” (front page, Nov. 12), about a Soviet spy who helped steal atomic secrets during World War II, provides powerful evidence that our parents, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, were wrongfully executed.
History students are taught that our father headed a conspiracy that stole “the secret” of the atom bomb (historians are uncertain about the role of our mother). Meanwhile, government officials sat on the story of the spy revealed in your article.
Later in the article, a historian is quoted as saying, “It would have been highly embarrassing for the U.S. government to have had this divulged,” and so they kept it a secret, preferring to make a scapegoat of our father.
For decades we have argued that the evidence presented at the trial, even if it were legitimate, revealed no significant secrets about the theory or construction of the first atom bombs. In fact, the material allegedly passed was full of errors. We have noted that Klaus Fuchs, the British scientist who confessed to spying, had provided much more detailed and accurate information.
Since 1999 the American public has known about the successful spying of another atomic scientist, Theodore Hall. This latest revelation shows there was an even more significant breach of the Manhattan Project.
Furthermore, as early as 1948, two years before our parents’ arrests, the United States government knew about the effective spying of Dr. George Koval. This vindicates our major argument: the charge that Julius and Ethel Rosenberg stole the secret of the atom bomb was a fraud from the moment that the prosecutors, with the connivance of the Atomic Energy Commission, made that case.
Our parents were sacrificed so that United States intelligence agencies could save face and cover up their negligence. Robert Meeropol
Michael Meeropol
Easthampton, Mass., Nov. 15, 2007
“A Spy’s Path: Iowa to A-Bomb to Kremlin Honor” (front page, Nov. 12), about a Soviet spy who helped steal atomic secrets during World War II, provides powerful evidence that our parents, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, were wrongfully executed.
History students are taught that our father headed a conspiracy that stole “the secret” of the atom bomb (historians are uncertain about the role of our mother). Meanwhile, government officials sat on the story of the spy revealed in your article.
Later in the article, a historian is quoted as saying, “It would have been highly embarrassing for the U.S. government to have had this divulged,” and so they kept it a secret, preferring to make a scapegoat of our father.
For decades we have argued that the evidence presented at the trial, even if it were legitimate, revealed no significant secrets about the theory or construction of the first atom bombs. In fact, the material allegedly passed was full of errors. We have noted that Klaus Fuchs, the British scientist who confessed to spying, had provided much more detailed and accurate information.
Since 1999 the American public has known about the successful spying of another atomic scientist, Theodore Hall. This latest revelation shows there was an even more significant breach of the Manhattan Project.
Furthermore, as early as 1948, two years before our parents’ arrests, the United States government knew about the effective spying of Dr. George Koval. This vindicates our major argument: the charge that Julius and Ethel Rosenberg stole the secret of the atom bomb was a fraud from the moment that the prosecutors, with the connivance of the Atomic Energy Commission, made that case.
Our parents were sacrificed so that United States intelligence agencies could save face and cover up their negligence. Robert Meeropol
Michael Meeropol
Easthampton, Mass., Nov. 15, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 00:54
Name of source: Baltimore Sun
SOURCE: Baltimore Sun (11-17-07)
In a small cemetery at Fort Meade, the base's installation commander and others will gather tomorrow in a section of 33 graves for a tradition of commemoration that dates back at least three decades.
But the fallen soldiers they will honor fought not for America, but against it. They were Germans fighting for the Nazis - and they were among thousands of Axis prisoners of war held in Maryland during World War II.
But the fallen soldiers they will honor fought not for America, but against it. They were Germans fighting for the Nazis - and they were among thousands of Axis prisoners of war held in Maryland during World War II.
Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 02:02
Name of source: http://www.wgal.com (CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICTURE.)
SOURCE: http://www.wgal.com (CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICTURE.) (11-16-07)
Abraham Lincoln photos are rare -- especially those from the day of the Gettysburg Address. For years, only one such photo was thought to exist, but now that may not be the case.
"I think it's absolutely staggering to see something like this that was in a sense hidden in plain sight," said Lincoln author Harold Holzer.
Holzer thinks the image of a person in one of only two known photographs taken at Gettysburg on the day of Lincoln's address looks like Lincoln possibly arriving to the stage on horseback.
"To have the moment recorded minutes before he's about to give his greatest rhetorical triumph is very significant," said Holzer.
Last year, a Hanover man found the photo. It was on the Library of Congress' Web site all these years. The Center for Civil War Photography enhanced it.
"I think it's absolutely staggering to see something like this that was in a sense hidden in plain sight," said Lincoln author Harold Holzer.
Holzer thinks the image of a person in one of only two known photographs taken at Gettysburg on the day of Lincoln's address looks like Lincoln possibly arriving to the stage on horseback.
"To have the moment recorded minutes before he's about to give his greatest rhetorical triumph is very significant," said Holzer.
Last year, a Hanover man found the photo. It was on the Library of Congress' Web site all these years. The Center for Civil War Photography enhanced it.
Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 23:24
Name of source: Lee White at the website of the National Coalition for History (NCH)
SOURCE: Lee White at the website of the National Coalition for History (NCH) (11-16-07)
This week, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee marked up a bill (H.R. 390) directing the National Archives to create an electronically searchable database of historic records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction contained within federal agencies for genealogical and historical research and to assist in the preservation of these records.
The legislation requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to provide grants to states, colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve records and establish databases of local records of such information. The bill authorizes $5 million to create the searchable database and $5 million to the NHPRC for the grants.
H.R. 390 already passed the House in January 2007, and is now ready for floor consideration in the Senate.
The legislation requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to provide grants to states, colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve records and establish databases of local records of such information. The bill authorizes $5 million to create the searchable database and $5 million to the NHPRC for the grants.
H.R. 390 already passed the House in January 2007, and is now ready for floor consideration in the Senate.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 19:06
Name of source: Boston Globe
SOURCE: Boston Globe (11-13-07)
A dispute over limits that Bill and Hillary Clinton have placed on the National Archives' ability to release their White House records is highlighting a consequence of family dynasties in contemporary American politics: A president has sweeping power to keep potentially embarrassing documents from past administrations a secret.
When George W. Bush became president in 2001, one of his first acts was to slow the scheduled release of his father's papers from the Reagan-Bush and Bush-Quayle administrations. The younger Bush later asserted executive privilege to maintain the secrecy of several Reagan-era documents related to the Iran-Contra scandal, in which the extent of his father's role remains murky, historians say.
Similarly, should Hillary Clinton become president in 2009, she would exercise sweeping power over what documents from her husband's administration can be made public. Scholars say that the Bush family's experience in matters of presidential records suggests that a return to power for the Clinton family could complicate the release of White House papers from the 1990s.
"There is an extra incentive to suppress documents for presidents who have relatives with records whose disclosure might hurt both them and the incumbent," said Bruce Buchanan, a political science professor at the University of Texas. "Family ties add an emotional and personal dimension to what would otherwise be a purely political or policy issue."
When George W. Bush became president in 2001, one of his first acts was to slow the scheduled release of his father's papers from the Reagan-Bush and Bush-Quayle administrations. The younger Bush later asserted executive privilege to maintain the secrecy of several Reagan-era documents related to the Iran-Contra scandal, in which the extent of his father's role remains murky, historians say.
Similarly, should Hillary Clinton become president in 2009, she would exercise sweeping power over what documents from her husband's administration can be made public. Scholars say that the Bush family's experience in matters of presidential records suggests that a return to power for the Clinton family could complicate the release of White House papers from the 1990s.
"There is an extra incentive to suppress documents for presidents who have relatives with records whose disclosure might hurt both them and the incumbent," said Bruce Buchanan, a political science professor at the University of Texas. "Family ties add an emotional and personal dimension to what would otherwise be a purely political or policy issue."
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 18:58
Name of source: http://www.canada.com/
SOURCE: http://www.canada.com/ (11-15-07)
Provincial Tories are divided over a private member's bill -- one already vetted by the government caucus -- that would ramp up the amount of Canadian history taught in Alberta high schools.
The proposed legislation, which would require at least 75 per cent of social studies class time be dedicated to Canadian history, is also drawing fire from a Calgary teacher who's been working with the province on implementing new high school curriculum.
Calgary MLA Wayne Cao introduced the bill this week in the legislature and maintained Wednesday it's necessary to help teach Canadians about their country's origins, but Premier Ed Stelmach raised some concerns with its current form.
The proposed legislation, which would require at least 75 per cent of social studies class time be dedicated to Canadian history, is also drawing fire from a Calgary teacher who's been working with the province on implementing new high school curriculum.
Calgary MLA Wayne Cao introduced the bill this week in the legislature and maintained Wednesday it's necessary to help teach Canadians about their country's origins, but Premier Ed Stelmach raised some concerns with its current form.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 18:08
Name of source: The Age
SOURCE: The Age (11-15-07)
History may be rewritten on Friday when a coroner hands down a finding over the deaths of five Australian-based newsmen gunned down in East Timor.
Deputy NSW coroner Dorelle Pinch will hand down her finding on the death of Channel Nine cameraman Brian Peters, who was slain with four of his colleagues at Balibo on October 16, 1975.
Official reports have long maintained the five men were killed in crossfire during Indonesia's controversial invasion of East Timor.
But evidence given at the eight-week inquest suggested the Indonesian army had been tracking the journalists and official orders were given for them to be executed.
Deputy NSW coroner Dorelle Pinch will hand down her finding on the death of Channel Nine cameraman Brian Peters, who was slain with four of his colleagues at Balibo on October 16, 1975.
Official reports have long maintained the five men were killed in crossfire during Indonesia's controversial invasion of East Timor.
But evidence given at the eight-week inquest suggested the Indonesian army had been tracking the journalists and official orders were given for them to be executed.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 18:03
Name of source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
SOURCE: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11-16-07)
On Oct. 22, 1816, a 14-year-old girl named Lucy took her first steps to freedom in Pittsburgh.
Born on the freedom side of the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780, Lucy was entitled to the expectation of manumission that eluded all other blacks born before March 1, 1780.
All Lucy or a sponsor had to do was scrounge up the necessary cash and goodwill to make it happen. Freedom was a pen stroke away.
We don't know whether Lucy personally made the trip to the Allegheny County recorder of deeds office to begin the paperwork for her freedom, but I'd like to think she at least tagged along on that momentous occasion.
It's more likely that someone from the family that "owned" Lucy dealt with the clerk who looked over her manumission documents.
She may have been 14, but she understood the significance of what was about to occur....
Born on the freedom side of the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780, Lucy was entitled to the expectation of manumission that eluded all other blacks born before March 1, 1780.
All Lucy or a sponsor had to do was scrounge up the necessary cash and goodwill to make it happen. Freedom was a pen stroke away.
We don't know whether Lucy personally made the trip to the Allegheny County recorder of deeds office to begin the paperwork for her freedom, but I'd like to think she at least tagged along on that momentous occasion.
It's more likely that someone from the family that "owned" Lucy dealt with the clerk who looked over her manumission documents.
She may have been 14, but she understood the significance of what was about to occur....
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 17:26
Name of source: Fox News
SOURCE: Fox News (11-16-07)
Seven decades was not enough time to separate an 88-year-old Chicago man from his past.
The Justice Department announced Thursday plans to deport Osyp "Joe" Firishchak, who they claim lied about his role in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II to win passage to the United States.
The government claims Firishchak was a member of the Nazi-controlled Ukrainian Auxiliary Police, which helped kill 100,000 people in a Jewish ghetto. It also claims Firishchak guarded posts so Jewish prisoners couldn't escape.
The Justice Department announced Thursday plans to deport Osyp "Joe" Firishchak, who they claim lied about his role in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II to win passage to the United States.
The government claims Firishchak was a member of the Nazi-controlled Ukrainian Auxiliary Police, which helped kill 100,000 people in a Jewish ghetto. It also claims Firishchak guarded posts so Jewish prisoners couldn't escape.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 16:41
Name of source: Weekly Standard
SOURCE: Weekly Standard (11-14-07)
A NEW DISCOVERY in the archives at the United Nations has drastically altered the historical narrative of the exile of Jews from Arab countries.
Conventional wisdom had long held that the exile was the result of isolated incidents of anti-Semitism. But the newly discovered document reveals that it was, in fact, the result of concerted efforts by Arab countries, amounting to what is essentially a standard multinational policy of discrimination.
The document was released by the human rights group Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JFJ) at a conference this past weekend, and includes the following:
" . . . every Jew whose activities reveal that he is an active Zionist will be considered as a political prisoner and will be interned in places specifically designated for that purpose . . . his financial resources . . . will be frozen."
No one at the Arab League was available to speak on record about the document despite repeated calls to the organization over a four-day period. But an unnamed source there claimed that any document explaining such repression is "pretty questionable," given that there is no record of it in Arab League files.
The source said that, due to the lack of computers, there had not been any record-keeping that long ago.
University of Miami professor Henry Green, an attendee at the JFJ conference, said "the historical record regarding the United Nations partition vote and the ongoing issue of refugees includes archival information that is accessible to anyone," and that he would invite the Arab
League "to join me and review the records so we can bring the historical documents to bear."
Conventional wisdom had long held that the exile was the result of isolated incidents of anti-Semitism. But the newly discovered document reveals that it was, in fact, the result of concerted efforts by Arab countries, amounting to what is essentially a standard multinational policy of discrimination.
The document was released by the human rights group Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JFJ) at a conference this past weekend, and includes the following:
" . . . every Jew whose activities reveal that he is an active Zionist will be considered as a political prisoner and will be interned in places specifically designated for that purpose . . . his financial resources . . . will be frozen."
No one at the Arab League was available to speak on record about the document despite repeated calls to the organization over a four-day period. But an unnamed source there claimed that any document explaining such repression is "pretty questionable," given that there is no record of it in Arab League files.
The source said that, due to the lack of computers, there had not been any record-keeping that long ago.
University of Miami professor Henry Green, an attendee at the JFJ conference, said "the historical record regarding the United Nations partition vote and the ongoing issue of refugees includes archival information that is accessible to anyone," and that he would invite the Arab
League "to join me and review the records so we can bring the historical documents to bear."
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 15:01
Name of source: http://www.womensenews.org
SOURCE: http://www.womensenews.org (11-15-07)
More than 600 people gathered in New York a few days ago to mark the 30th anniversary of a landmark women's activism event that left a long, unfinished agenda. A 10-point plan for the 2008 election campaigns looks to restart the momentum.
The Freedom on Our Terms conference at Hunter College in New York this past weekend drew about 600 people from 21 states and offered a glimpse at what a difference three decades can make.
Sponsored by more than 60 women's organizations, it was the first women's gathering to look back at Houston '77, the landmark National Women's Conference.
Held at a high point of the women's movement in the United States, Houston '77 marked the only time the federal government ever sponsored a gathering of women for equality. With $5 million in funding from Congress organizers drew more than 20,000, including three first ladies--Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.
This time only a few politicians made the event.
The Freedom on Our Terms conference at Hunter College in New York this past weekend drew about 600 people from 21 states and offered a glimpse at what a difference three decades can make.
Sponsored by more than 60 women's organizations, it was the first women's gathering to look back at Houston '77, the landmark National Women's Conference.
Held at a high point of the women's movement in the United States, Houston '77 marked the only time the federal government ever sponsored a gathering of women for equality. With $5 million in funding from Congress organizers drew more than 20,000, including three first ladies--Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.
This time only a few politicians made the event.
Friday, November 16, 2007 - 14:51
