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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.
Highlights
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: Telegraph (UK)
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (2-5-09)
Ten Nazi war criminals are still at large and on a "most wanted" list published by Israel's Simon Wiesenthal Centre.
Top of the list and still thought to be living and sheltered in Syria is Alois Brunner, a "key operative" of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi leader who orchestrated the Holocaust.
Brunner was convicted in absentia for the deportation to Nazi death camps of 128,500 Jews from Austria, Greece, France and Slovakia.
Syria has rebuffed all international attempts to extradite or apprehend Brunner, after he fled there in 1954.
John, born Ivan, Demjanjuk is still awaiting deportation from the United States for his role in the mass murder of Jews in the Sobibor and other death camps, located in occupied Poland.
Nicknamed "Ivan the terrible" by his victims, Demjanjuk, a Ukrainian, escaped justice until the 1970s, living and working as a US citizen in Ohio.
Dr Sandor Kepiro is still under investigation in Hungary for the mass murder of more than 1,200 civilians in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Top of the list and still thought to be living and sheltered in Syria is Alois Brunner, a "key operative" of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi leader who orchestrated the Holocaust.
Brunner was convicted in absentia for the deportation to Nazi death camps of 128,500 Jews from Austria, Greece, France and Slovakia.
Syria has rebuffed all international attempts to extradite or apprehend Brunner, after he fled there in 1954.
John, born Ivan, Demjanjuk is still awaiting deportation from the United States for his role in the mass murder of Jews in the Sobibor and other death camps, located in occupied Poland.
Nicknamed "Ivan the terrible" by his victims, Demjanjuk, a Ukrainian, escaped justice until the 1970s, living and working as a US citizen in Ohio.
Dr Sandor Kepiro is still under investigation in Hungary for the mass murder of more than 1,200 civilians in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Milivoj Aser, a former Croatian police chief wanted for persecution and deportation to death of hundreds of Serbs, Jews, and Gypsies, is still sheltered in Austria.
Soren Kam, a former Danish SS officer is wanted for murder and for questioning over his alleged role in the deportation of hundreds of Jews to Nazi concentration camps. He is living Bavaria, Germany.
Heinrich Boere has been indicted in Germany for the murder of three Dutch civilians while a member of a Waffen-SS death squad.
Charles, born Karoly, Zentai is in Australia under threat of deportation to Hungary on charges of persecution, and murder of Jews.
Mikhail Gorshkow is currently under investigation in Estonia for the murder of Jews in Belarus.
Algimantas Dailide was convicted for his role the arrest of Jews by the Nazis but the authorities in Lithuania have not executed his prison sentence.
Harry Mannil is sheltering in Venezuela. He is accused of have arrested Jews and Communists who were executed by Nazis and Estonian collaborators.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 14:40
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SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (2-5-09)
Aribert Heim, one of the most wanted Nazi war criminals known as Dr Death, led a secret life in Cairo under the name of Tarek Hussein Farid, his son has confessed.
His admission in a German television programme sparked a frenzy of activity yesterday as Nazi hunters, governments and bemused Egyptians sought to unravel the final years of a man who eluded a global manhunt for nearly half a century and is said to have become a Muslim convert before his death from cancer in 1992.
German police officers are to travel to Egypt to carry a forensic investigation, including a possible identification of human remains.
Prosecutors said that Heim's son, Rudiger, will avoid criminal charges for sheltering his father from the police because of a German law that excuses people from giving evidence against their family.
Dr Heim is not the only war criminal to have found refuge in Egypt where many other "Nile Nazis" are said to have converted to Islam under the protection of Arab nationalist governments.
He is said to have known of other Nazi officers hiding in Egypt but spent little time with them for fear of drawing attention to himself.
His admission in a German television programme sparked a frenzy of activity yesterday as Nazi hunters, governments and bemused Egyptians sought to unravel the final years of a man who eluded a global manhunt for nearly half a century and is said to have become a Muslim convert before his death from cancer in 1992.
German police officers are to travel to Egypt to carry a forensic investigation, including a possible identification of human remains.
Prosecutors said that Heim's son, Rudiger, will avoid criminal charges for sheltering his father from the police because of a German law that excuses people from giving evidence against their family.
Dr Heim is not the only war criminal to have found refuge in Egypt where many other "Nile Nazis" are said to have converted to Islam under the protection of Arab nationalist governments.
He is said to have known of other Nazi officers hiding in Egypt but spent little time with them for fear of drawing attention to himself.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 14:36
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (2-4-09)
In a graveyard in Al-Kadada, north of Khartoum, the archaeologists have dug up the tomb of a man and a woman facing each other in a ditch, with bodies of two women, two goats and a dog buried nearby.
The discovery of the group "confirms" excavations last year which found traces of the oldest human sacrifice ever identified in Africa, Jacques Reinold, a researcher for the French section of the Sudanese antiquities department, said.
The ancient unearthed bones date from between 3,700 and 3,400 BC, a period considered as one the key stages in the transition from a hunting to a farming society.
The discovery of the group "confirms" excavations last year which found traces of the oldest human sacrifice ever identified in Africa, Jacques Reinold, a researcher for the French section of the Sudanese antiquities department, said.
The ancient unearthed bones date from between 3,700 and 3,400 BC, a period considered as one the key stages in the transition from a hunting to a farming society.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 12:46
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (2-5-09)
Rudiger Heim will avoid criminal charges for sheltering his father from the police because of a German law that excuses people from giving evidence against their family members.
Dr Aribert Ferdinand Heim, the world's most wanted Nazi fugitive, performed horrific experiments on Jewish prisoners in the Mauthausen concentration camp.
He eluded a global manhunt for nearly half a century, living in Cairo as a Muslim convert before his death from cancer in 1992.
His son has now admitted that he knew his father's location in Egypt and was with him when he died.
Mr Heim has told the German media that he sheltered his Nazi fugitive father because he did not want to bring trouble to the war criminal's Egyptian friends.
Heinz Heister, a judge at the regional court of Baden Baden, where Rudiger Heim lives, told The Daily Telegraph that the son of a Nazi war criminal could not be prosecuted because he was under no obligation to speak out.
Dr Aribert Ferdinand Heim, the world's most wanted Nazi fugitive, performed horrific experiments on Jewish prisoners in the Mauthausen concentration camp.
He eluded a global manhunt for nearly half a century, living in Cairo as a Muslim convert before his death from cancer in 1992.
His son has now admitted that he knew his father's location in Egypt and was with him when he died.
Mr Heim has told the German media that he sheltered his Nazi fugitive father because he did not want to bring trouble to the war criminal's Egyptian friends.
Heinz Heister, a judge at the regional court of Baden Baden, where Rudiger Heim lives, told The Daily Telegraph that the son of a Nazi war criminal could not be prosecuted because he was under no obligation to speak out.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 09:54
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (3-2-09)
In Nazi art, films and magazines, women were always portrayed as the fairer sex, fighting on the home-front as their menfolk fought on the battlefields.
Adolf Hitler awarded them gold crosses for rearing children and honoured their role as wives and mothers - a soft image that was rarely questioned after the war.
But a new book by the historian Kathrin Kompisch has revealed a very different reality.
"Apart from a few particularly cruel examples, the participation of women in the crimes of the Nazis has been blended out of the collective conscious of the Germans for a long time," she wrote in the book, Female Perpetrators: Women under National Socialism.
Many women were in fact used as assistants to the doctors who sterilised and murdered disabled people and as guards in the concentration camps - like the character played by Kate Winslet in her Oscar nominated role in the film The Reader.
Some 3,200 women served in the concentration camps. Female guards were generally low-to-middle class and had little or no work experience, although SS records show that some were matrons, hairdressers, tram conductors or retired teachers.
Adolf Hitler awarded them gold crosses for rearing children and honoured their role as wives and mothers - a soft image that was rarely questioned after the war.
But a new book by the historian Kathrin Kompisch has revealed a very different reality.
"Apart from a few particularly cruel examples, the participation of women in the crimes of the Nazis has been blended out of the collective conscious of the Germans for a long time," she wrote in the book, Female Perpetrators: Women under National Socialism.
Many women were in fact used as assistants to the doctors who sterilised and murdered disabled people and as guards in the concentration camps - like the character played by Kate Winslet in her Oscar nominated role in the film The Reader.
Some 3,200 women served in the concentration camps. Female guards were generally low-to-middle class and had little or no work experience, although SS records show that some were matrons, hairdressers, tram conductors or retired teachers.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:31
SOURCE: Telegraph (UK) (2-1-09)
Paintings looted by Hitler's right hand man Hermann Goering have been documented for the first time.
The prominent Nazi collected some of the world's most important pieces of art to adorn the walls of his country retreat near Berlin.
Now photographs of every painting possessed by Goering will be published in April in a book that is expected to become an essential research tool museums around the globe.
Researchers also hope the catalogue will help reunite the artworks with their rightful owners and their descendants
The project, by Nancy Yeide, head of curatorial records at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, has already found that Goering amassed around 2,000 looted works of art.
The prominent Nazi collected some of the world's most important pieces of art to adorn the walls of his country retreat near Berlin.
Now photographs of every painting possessed by Goering will be published in April in a book that is expected to become an essential research tool museums around the globe.
Researchers also hope the catalogue will help reunite the artworks with their rightful owners and their descendants
The project, by Nancy Yeide, head of curatorial records at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, has already found that Goering amassed around 2,000 looted works of art.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:24
Name of source: BBC
SOURCE: BBC (2-5-09)
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre has expressed doubts about a report that Aribert Heim, one of the most-wanted Nazi criminals, died in Egypt in 1992.
"There's no body, no corpse, no DNA, no grave," Efraim Zuroff, the centre's leading Nazi hunter, told AP agency.
In its report, ZDF quoted witnesses, including Heim's son, as confirming that Aribert Heim, who was also known as Doctor Death, died in 1992.
It said it had found a number of Heim's personal documents, including his passport and personal letters, in a hotel room in Cairo where he lived under a pseudonym.
The TV channel, working with the New York Times newspaper, also said Heim had converted to Islam.
"There's no body, no corpse, no DNA, no grave," Efraim Zuroff, the centre's leading Nazi hunter, told AP agency.
In its report, ZDF quoted witnesses, including Heim's son, as confirming that Aribert Heim, who was also known as Doctor Death, died in 1992.
It said it had found a number of Heim's personal documents, including his passport and personal letters, in a hotel room in Cairo where he lived under a pseudonym.
The TV channel, working with the New York Times newspaper, also said Heim had converted to Islam.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 14:27
SOURCE: BBC (2-3-09)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the Vatican's clarifications over the readmission of a bishop who queries the Holocaust do not go far enough.
"In my opinion these clarifications are not yet sufficient," Mrs Merkel said.
The Vatican says it was unaware of Bishop Williamson's views on the Holocaust when the decision was made to readmit the group.
"In my opinion these clarifications are not yet sufficient," Mrs Merkel said.
The Vatican says it was unaware of Bishop Williamson's views on the Holocaust when the decision was made to readmit the group.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:39
SOURCE: BBC (2-3-09)
It is an iconic images of the Troubles.
The hunched figure of Father - now Bishop - Edward Daly waves a white handkerchief as he attempts to escort marchers carrying the fatally injured Jackie Duddy away from the gunfire during Bloody Sunday.
The 17-year-old became the fourth person to die that day, and the handkerchief - which had been used to staunch his bleeding - was later returned to Jackie's family along with his clothes.
Kept safe by his family for almost 40 years, it was presented to the Museum of Free Derry by his sister Kay on Friday.
The hunched figure of Father - now Bishop - Edward Daly waves a white handkerchief as he attempts to escort marchers carrying the fatally injured Jackie Duddy away from the gunfire during Bloody Sunday.
The 17-year-old became the fourth person to die that day, and the handkerchief - which had been used to staunch his bleeding - was later returned to Jackie's family along with his clothes.
Kept safe by his family for almost 40 years, it was presented to the Museum of Free Derry by his sister Kay on Friday.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 09:00
SOURCE: BBC (2-1-09)
It was one of the key events of the 20th century. Thirty years ago, religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran from exile and launched an Islamic revolution. The BBC's John Simpson was on the plane that flew the Ayatollah to Tehran.
When the revolutionary disturbances of 1978 broke out, Ayatollah Khomeini was being kept under tight control as an exile in the Shia holy city of Najaf, in Iraq.
Iraq was already being run by Saddam Hussein. Then the Shah of Iran asked Saddam to expel him.
It was a catastrophic misjudgement. The Ayatollah flew to France, and could suddenly speak to the entire world.
When the Shah eventually left Iran, in January 1979, the way was open for the Ayatollah to fly home and overthrow the imperial system.
When the revolutionary disturbances of 1978 broke out, Ayatollah Khomeini was being kept under tight control as an exile in the Shia holy city of Najaf, in Iraq.
Iraq was already being run by Saddam Hussein. Then the Shah of Iran asked Saddam to expel him.
It was a catastrophic misjudgement. The Ayatollah flew to France, and could suddenly speak to the entire world.
When the Shah eventually left Iran, in January 1979, the way was open for the Ayatollah to fly home and overthrow the imperial system.
Then we landed, and the Ayatollah was greeted by what some say is probably the largest crowd in human history.
The Islamic Republic was duly established in Iran; Muslim opinion around the world was galvanised; and a major new focus of opposition to Western liberalism took shape.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 01:24
Name of source: AP
SOURCE: AP (2-4-09)
WASHINGTON –- Barack Obama is heading back to his home state for the first time as president.
The White House says Obama will travel to Springfield, Ill., on Feb. 12 in honor of one of his heroes, Abraham Lincoln.
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama will attend the commemoration of Lincoln's 200th birthday and speak at a banquet in Springfield. The spokesman says Obama is returning to Illinois for the festivities at the request of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin.
The White House says Obama will travel to Springfield, Ill., on Feb. 12 in honor of one of his heroes, Abraham Lincoln.
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama will attend the commemoration of Lincoln's 200th birthday and speak at a banquet in Springfield. The spokesman says Obama is returning to Illinois for the festivities at the request of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 12:48
SOURCE: AP (2-5-09)
BERLIN -– German investigators who have hunted Nazi war criminal Aribert Heim for decades said Thursday that new information indicating the former concentration camp doctor died in Egypt in 1992 appears credible and that they will attempt to locate his corpse to rule out any doubt.
The Baden-Wuerttemberg state police unit that investigates Nazi-era crimes is preparing a request asking Egyptian authorities to allow them to pursue the case in Cairo, unit spokesman Horst Haug said.
"We want to attempt to find the body," Haug told The Associated Press.
The Baden-Wuerttemberg state police unit that investigates Nazi-era crimes is preparing a request asking Egyptian authorities to allow them to pursue the case in Cairo, unit spokesman Horst Haug said.
"We want to attempt to find the body," Haug told The Associated Press.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 06:32
SOURCE: AP (2-3-09)
A black state senator is pushing a bill that would require South Carolina cities and counties to give their workers a paid day off for Confederate Memorial Day or lose millions in state funds.
Democratic Sen. Robert Ford's bill won initial approval from a Senate subcommittee Tuesday. It would force county and municipal governments to follow the schedule of holidays used by the state, which gives workers 12 paid days off, including May 10 to honor Confederate war dead. Mississippi and Alabama also recognize Confederate Memorial Day.
Years ago, Ford said, he pushed a bill to make both that day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day paid holidays. He considered it an effort to help people understand the history of both the civil rights movement and the Confederacy in a state where the Orders of Secession are engraved in marble in the Statehouse lobby, portraits of Confederate generals look down on legislators in their chambers and the Confederate flag flies outside.
Democratic Sen. Robert Ford's bill won initial approval from a Senate subcommittee Tuesday. It would force county and municipal governments to follow the schedule of holidays used by the state, which gives workers 12 paid days off, including May 10 to honor Confederate war dead. Mississippi and Alabama also recognize Confederate Memorial Day.
Years ago, Ford said, he pushed a bill to make both that day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day paid holidays. He considered it an effort to help people understand the history of both the civil rights movement and the Confederacy in a state where the Orders of Secession are engraved in marble in the Statehouse lobby, portraits of Confederate generals look down on legislators in their chambers and the Confederate flag flies outside.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 01:49
SOURCE: AP (2-3-09)
A Rwandan professor has been suspended with pay from teaching French at Goucher College while officials there investigate claims that he was involved in the 1994 genocide in his home country.
College President Sanford Ungar told faculty and students in an e-mail Saturday that Professor Leopold Munyakazi, 59, was removed from teaching after officials learned he had been indicted in 2006 on genocide charges in Rwanda.
More than a half-million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 1994 after the then-president's plane was shot down as he returned from negotiating with Tutsi rebels.
Munyakazi, a Hutu, said in an interview Monday at his home that he has been persecuted by the Rwandan government because his wife is Tutsi and he protected her and her family during the killings.
"I'm not hiding; I was never involved in genocide," Munyakazi said in an interview Monday at his home. "In my conscience, I am free of any guilt."
College President Sanford Ungar told faculty and students in an e-mail Saturday that Professor Leopold Munyakazi, 59, was removed from teaching after officials learned he had been indicted in 2006 on genocide charges in Rwanda.
More than a half-million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 1994 after the then-president's plane was shot down as he returned from negotiating with Tutsi rebels.
Munyakazi, a Hutu, said in an interview Monday at his home that he has been persecuted by the Rwandan government because his wife is Tutsi and he protected her and her family during the killings.
"I'm not hiding; I was never involved in genocide," Munyakazi said in an interview Monday at his home. "In my conscience, I am free of any guilt."
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 01:43
SOURCE: AP (2-2-09)
WASHINGTON – Chocolate for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day? Folks may be surprised to know how far back chocolate goes — perhaps 1,000 years in what is now the United States. Evidence of chocolate was been found in Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, N.M., the earliest indication of the tasty substance north of Mexico, Patricia L. Crown of the University of New Mexico and W. Jeffrey Hurst of the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition report in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Drinking chocolate was associated with a variety of rituals in ancient Central America, including weddings, but Crown said she is not sure of its exact uses in her area.
The discovery, dated to between A.D. 1000 and 1125, indicates trade was under way between the Chaco Canyon residents and cacao growers in Central America.
But the nearest cacao plantation would have been more than 1,000 miles away, so importing the material would have been a major undertaking, she said. Chocolate was probably something not consumed often, she said in a telephone interview.
It also probably tasted bitter compared with what is available today. Central Americans didn't sweeten their chocolate and sometimes mixed in hot peppers. Crown said honey might have been available in new Mexico but she didn't know if it was used.
Drinking chocolate was associated with a variety of rituals in ancient Central America, including weddings, but Crown said she is not sure of its exact uses in her area.
The discovery, dated to between A.D. 1000 and 1125, indicates trade was under way between the Chaco Canyon residents and cacao growers in Central America.
But the nearest cacao plantation would have been more than 1,000 miles away, so importing the material would have been a major undertaking, she said. Chocolate was probably something not consumed often, she said in a telephone interview.
It also probably tasted bitter compared with what is available today. Central Americans didn't sweeten their chocolate and sometimes mixed in hot peppers. Crown said honey might have been available in new Mexico but she didn't know if it was used.
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 23:09
SOURCE: AP (2-2-09)
It's one of the most familiar Bible stories.
Saddened by the wickedness of man, God directs the righteous Noah to build an ark for his family and two of each species of animal.
Together, they ride the ark through 40 days and 40 nights of torrential rains that God unleashes upon the Earth. And when the waters subside, Noah and the animals return to land.
"That seems almost like a fairy story," said archaeologist Randall Price, who is director of Liberty University's new Center for Judaic Studies. "But we believe it was an actual event."
This summer Price, 57, plans to continue on a journey to prove just that as he joins an expedition to Mount Ararat. His team believes that it is there, in Eastern Turkey, where Noah's Ark remains preserved underneath layers of rubble and ice.
Saddened by the wickedness of man, God directs the righteous Noah to build an ark for his family and two of each species of animal.
Together, they ride the ark through 40 days and 40 nights of torrential rains that God unleashes upon the Earth. And when the waters subside, Noah and the animals return to land.
"That seems almost like a fairy story," said archaeologist Randall Price, who is director of Liberty University's new Center for Judaic Studies. "But we believe it was an actual event."
This summer Price, 57, plans to continue on a journey to prove just that as he joins an expedition to Mount Ararat. His team believes that it is there, in Eastern Turkey, where Noah's Ark remains preserved underneath layers of rubble and ice.
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 22:48
Name of source: AFP
SOURCE: AFP (2-4-09)
One of the most wanted Nazi war criminals, Aribert Heim or"Doctor Death", thought to be in his 90s and in South America, actually died in Cairo in 1992, media reports said Wednesday.
Heim was wanted for killing hundreds of concentration camp victims with horrific medical experiments, including performing operations without anaesthetics and injecting petrol directly into their hearts.
German public TV channel ZDF said in a statement that Heim died of bowel cancer in 1992, citing his son and acquaintances in Cairo where he had been living under the assumed identity of Tarek Farid Hussein after converting to Islam.
ZDF and also the New York Times claim they have more than 100 documents including Heim's passport, bank statements, personal letters and medical records that prove without a doubt that Heim lived in a Cairo hotel until his death.
Related Links
NYT: Uncovering Lost Path of the Most Wanted Nazi
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 06:30
Name of source: Spiegel Online
SOURCE: Spiegel Online (2-4-09)
Germany will station troops in France as part their joint crisis reaction force, Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy have said. In a joint opinion piece published ahead of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, the two leaders call for greater European and world cooperation on security.
The leaders of Germany and France urged greater European and trans-Atlantic unity on global security on Wednesday and underscored their call by announcing that German troops will be stationed in France as part of the joint Franco-German Brigade, a rapid reaction force.
"Anyone who knows our common history will be aware of the historical significance of this new step in the Franco-German friendship," German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy said in a joint opinion piece published on Wednesday in Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung and France's Le Monde.
The leaders of Germany and France urged greater European and trans-Atlantic unity on global security on Wednesday and underscored their call by announcing that German troops will be stationed in France as part of the joint Franco-German Brigade, a rapid reaction force.
"Anyone who knows our common history will be aware of the historical significance of this new step in the Franco-German friendship," German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy said in a joint opinion piece published on Wednesday in Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung and France's Le Monde.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 22:06
SOURCE: Spiegel Online (2-4-09)
A new study shows that several German schools are still named after Nazis, including proponents of racial hygiene, rocket scientists and high-ranking party officials. But local authorities are often reluctant to change the names.
Throughout his life, teacher Max Kästner dedicated himself to the study of the history and vegetation of the Ore Mountain region. Even as a pensioner, Kästner, who died in 1959, often instructed new teachers in local history.
Kästner was honored posthumously in his home town of Frankenberg near Chemnitz in Saxony when a special needs school took his name 15 years ago. The decision was based at least in part on the fact that he'd written a book about the town. "Max Kästner created a memorial for himself in 1937 when he compiled a book on the local history of Frankenberg to coincide with the town's 750th anniversary celebrations," explains the school on its Web site.
The city fathers of this tradition-conscious town, population 18,000, must not have read the book. If they had, they would have come across a number of unsavory passages. In one section the author eulogizes the Nazis' reign of terror. "The last Marxist hideout was smoked out," he writes, going on to note that a highpoint in Frankenberg's history was when it was home to SS concentration camp guard unit SS-Totenkopfsturmbann Sachsen. "We regretted seeing the SS depart when they were relocated to Weimar-Buchenwald for important political reasons," he writes.
Throughout his life, teacher Max Kästner dedicated himself to the study of the history and vegetation of the Ore Mountain region. Even as a pensioner, Kästner, who died in 1959, often instructed new teachers in local history.
Kästner was honored posthumously in his home town of Frankenberg near Chemnitz in Saxony when a special needs school took his name 15 years ago. The decision was based at least in part on the fact that he'd written a book about the town. "Max Kästner created a memorial for himself in 1937 when he compiled a book on the local history of Frankenberg to coincide with the town's 750th anniversary celebrations," explains the school on its Web site.
The city fathers of this tradition-conscious town, population 18,000, must not have read the book. If they had, they would have come across a number of unsavory passages. In one section the author eulogizes the Nazis' reign of terror. "The last Marxist hideout was smoked out," he writes, going on to note that a highpoint in Frankenberg's history was when it was home to SS concentration camp guard unit SS-Totenkopfsturmbann Sachsen. "We regretted seeing the SS depart when they were relocated to Weimar-Buchenwald for important political reasons," he writes.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 22:03
Name of source: Daily Mail (UK)
SOURCE: Daily Mail (UK) (2-3-09)
He loathed vanity so much that he insisted his portraits depict him faithfully, 'warts and all'.
And even after his death, Oliver Cromwell's instructions were followed to the letter.
This death mask shows the puritanical Lord Protector of England in all his grizzled, lumpy glory.
There has been no attempt to conceal the growth on his lower lip or straighten his crooked nose.
All in all, the mask doesn't make an attractive artwork - though that probably won't bother the person who buys it this week.
The plaster cast, made around 350 years ago, has been put up for sale at auction by a private collector.
It has an estimated value of £1,000, even though experts cannot be sure exactly when it was made.
And even after his death, Oliver Cromwell's instructions were followed to the letter.
This death mask shows the puritanical Lord Protector of England in all his grizzled, lumpy glory.
There has been no attempt to conceal the growth on his lower lip or straighten his crooked nose.
All in all, the mask doesn't make an attractive artwork - though that probably won't bother the person who buys it this week.
The plaster cast, made around 350 years ago, has been put up for sale at auction by a private collector.
It has an estimated value of £1,000, even though experts cannot be sure exactly when it was made.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 21:21
Name of source: NYT
SOURCE: NYT (2-4-09)
ROME — Responding to global outrage, especially in Pope Benedict XVI’s native Germany, the Vatican for the first time on Wednesday called on a recently rehabilitated bishop to take back his statements denying the Holocaust.
Late last month, the pope revoked the excommunication of four schismatic bishops, including British-born Richard Williamson, who in an interview broadcast last month denied the existence of the Nazi gas chambers.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Vatican Secretariat of State said that Bishop Williamson “must absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his positions on the Shoah,” or Holocaust, which it said were “unknown to the Holy Father at the time he revoked the excommunication.”
Late last month, the pope revoked the excommunication of four schismatic bishops, including British-born Richard Williamson, who in an interview broadcast last month denied the existence of the Nazi gas chambers.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Vatican Secretariat of State said that Bishop Williamson “must absolutely, unequivocally and publicly distance himself from his positions on the Shoah,” or Holocaust, which it said were “unknown to the Holy Father at the time he revoked the excommunication.”
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 21:20
SOURCE: NYT (1-31-09)
HNN EditorThis news story concerns an article submitted to the American Historical Review by independent historian Peter Klingman that claims historian Stanley Kutler misrepresented Watergate transcripts in such a way as to exonerate John Dean. The article remains under wraps while it is being considered for publication. But in the meantime a 2002 article by Klingman that lays out his case against John Dean (and Kutler) can be read online at the website of Mountain States University's Nixon Era Center. See:"What Did The President Know and When Did He Know It? Redefining Richard Nixon's Guilt and John Dean's Role in the Watergate Cover-up."
In his published article Klingman accuses Kutler, the author of Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes, of"deliberately" withholding the transcript of the March 13, 1973 conversation between Nixon and Dean"to avoid providing a context, framework, and perspective that would contradict the original story Dean told the Senate Watergate Committee as well as his own views previously published in Wars on Watergate: The Last Crisis of Richard Nixon." (The March 13 tape reveals that Dean told Nixon at that time of Gordon Strachan's advance knowledge of Watergate. If Strachan knew, Nixon had to assume that Bob Haldeman knew (Strachan reported directly to Haldeman). If Haldeman knew then Dean and Nixon could not claim, as they later did on March 21st, that no one in the White House was involved in the Watergate break-in. Both therefore had to be involved in the cover-up, claims Klingman, each for his own purposes.)
In the NYT article Kutler says that he has acknowledged making errors in transcribing certain tapes but denies his mistakes grew out of any attempt to exonerate Dean, with whom he eventually became friends.
Historian KC Johnson comments over at HNN blog Cliopatria:"I’m inclined to agree with the one clearly neutral source the [New York Times] article cites: my former Miller Center colleague Ken Hughes, who probably knows more about the Nixon tapes than anyone around. Ken told the Times that the attacks on Kutler were 'misguided,' adding, 'I was very critical of errors in the transcripts and I thought he had left out some important conversations, but they are entirely honest and predictable mistakes that anyone who would try to make a transcript from extremely difficult tapes could make.' ”
Klingman is an independent scholar who worked as an archivist for Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin, the authors of the controversial book, Silent Coup: The Removal of a President , which claims Richard Nixon was a victim and not a prime mover in the Watergate affair. In 2001 Klingman transferred to the university an archive of the taped interviews Colodny had conducted. The archive forms the basis of the university's Nixon Era Center.
Excerpt from the NYT News Story
Scholarly feuds seldom end amicably, and nearly 35 years after President Richard M. Nixon resigned, a dispute involving his Watergate tapes would seem to be no exception.
A handful of historians and authors maintain that the most authoritative transcripts of those recordings include significant omissions and misrepresentations that could influence interpretations of the cover-up.
At the center of the quarrel is “Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes,” a 1997 collection of transcripts edited by Stanley I. Kutler, a pre-eminent historian of the Watergate era, that has become the standard reference. Mr. Kutler has been a hero to many people because of a lawsuit he brought with the nonprofit group Public Citizen that led to the release of 201 hours of recordings related to unethical or illegal activity in the Nixon White House.
But longtime critics of his transcripts say Mr. Kutler deliberately edited the tapes in ways that painted a more benign portrait of a central figure in the drama, the conspirator-turned-star-witness, John W. Dean III, the White House counsel who told Nixon that Watergate had become a “cancer” on his presidency....
Related Links
KC Johnson: Times on the Tapes
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 02:35
SOURCE: NYT (2-2-09)
Stephen I. Zetterberg, a California Democrat whose loss to Richard M. Nixon in a primary race for Congress in 1948 helped propel Nixon’s early career, died on Jan. 30 in Claremont, Calif. He was 92.
The cause was heart failure, his son Charles said.
Nixon, an incumbent in the House of Representatives who had no Republican primary opponent, ran against Mr. Zetterberg in the Democratic primary, as California law then permitted. By defeating him, Nixon effectively won re-election to the seat.
Nixon won the primary after presenting himself as a Democrat to Democratic voters, sending out postcards to them with the salutation “Fellow Democrats.” Elsewhere he played down his party affiliation by advertising himself as simply “Your Congressman.” The tactics contributed to his later reputation for trickiness.
On the primary ballot, Nixon headed the list of Democratic candidates and was identified as “Congressman.”
The cause was heart failure, his son Charles said.
Nixon, an incumbent in the House of Representatives who had no Republican primary opponent, ran against Mr. Zetterberg in the Democratic primary, as California law then permitted. By defeating him, Nixon effectively won re-election to the seat.
Nixon won the primary after presenting himself as a Democrat to Democratic voters, sending out postcards to them with the salutation “Fellow Democrats.” Elsewhere he played down his party affiliation by advertising himself as simply “Your Congressman.” The tactics contributed to his later reputation for trickiness.
On the primary ballot, Nixon headed the list of Democratic candidates and was identified as “Congressman.”
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 01:54
Name of source: Politico.com
SOURCE: Politico.com (2-4-09)
Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that there is a “high probability” that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration’s policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed.
In an interview Tuesday with Politico, Cheney unyieldingly defended the Bush administration’s support for the Guantanamo Bay prison and coercive interrogation of terrorism suspects. ...
The interview, less than two weeks after the Bush administration ceded power to Obama, found the man who is arguably the most controversial — and almost surely the most influential — vice president in U.S. history in a self-vindicating mood.
He expressed confidence that files will some day be publicly accessible offering specific evidence that waterboarding and other policies he promoted — over sharp internal dissent from colleagues and harsh public criticism — were directly responsible for averting new Sept. 11-style attacks.
Not content to wait for a historical verdict, Cheney said he is set to plunge into his own memoirs, feeling liberated to describe behind-the-scenes roles over several decades in government now that the “statute of limitations has expired” on many of the most sensitive episodes.
In an interview Tuesday with Politico, Cheney unyieldingly defended the Bush administration’s support for the Guantanamo Bay prison and coercive interrogation of terrorism suspects. ...
The interview, less than two weeks after the Bush administration ceded power to Obama, found the man who is arguably the most controversial — and almost surely the most influential — vice president in U.S. history in a self-vindicating mood.
He expressed confidence that files will some day be publicly accessible offering specific evidence that waterboarding and other policies he promoted — over sharp internal dissent from colleagues and harsh public criticism — were directly responsible for averting new Sept. 11-style attacks.
Not content to wait for a historical verdict, Cheney said he is set to plunge into his own memoirs, feeling liberated to describe behind-the-scenes roles over several decades in government now that the “statute of limitations has expired” on many of the most sensitive episodes.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 16:46
Name of source: Tehran Times
SOURCE: Tehran Times (2-4-09)
About 700 Iranologists and Iranian cultural heritage lovers have recently signed a petition asking President Barack Obama to prevent confiscation of Iran’s 300 Achaemenid clay tablets loaned to the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.
The petition has been organized by the European Iranologist Society (Societas Iranologica Europaea, SIE) in its website www.societasiranologicaeu.org.
The petition reads the artifacts “being cultural property, should not be considered as a common property, whose financial value can be exploited for the purpose of legal compensation.”
The petition has been organized by the European Iranologist Society (Societas Iranologica Europaea, SIE) in its website www.societasiranologicaeu.org.
The petition reads the artifacts “being cultural property, should not be considered as a common property, whose financial value can be exploited for the purpose of legal compensation.”
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 06:36
Name of source: Slate
SOURCE: Slate (2-2-09)
Last week, Slate published an analysis of Elizabeth Cheney's senior thesis from Colorado College, which author Zac Frank discovered in a bin of discarded books at the college's library. Frank found Cheney's 125-page treatise on presidential war powers to be eerily similar to the philosophy of the unitary executive that her father would expound years later as vice president.
At the time this thesis was written, Dick Cheney was Wyoming's lone member in the House of Representatives. After graduating college, working in the State Department, and getting her law degree, Elizabeth Cheney would eventually become one of the top U.S. diplomats to the Middle East.
Below are five excerpts from Cheney's thesis:
In the introduction, she argues that, during wartime, Americans desire a policy "clearly set forth by one voice."
In the next excerpt, she defends Lincoln's decision to suspend habeas corpus during the Civil War as "an assertion of the power of the people."
She is less sympathetic, in the third section, toward Franklin Roosevelt, whose approval of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II flunks Cheney's standards because there were no efforts to determine the loyalties of those who were relocated.
In the fourth excerpt, she is disdainful of legislators who attempted to curb Nixon's authority to deploy the military in Cambodia.
She concludes, in the final section, that "the President must be given the latitude of occasional supremacy in foreign and military affairs."
At the time this thesis was written, Dick Cheney was Wyoming's lone member in the House of Representatives. After graduating college, working in the State Department, and getting her law degree, Elizabeth Cheney would eventually become one of the top U.S. diplomats to the Middle East.
Below are five excerpts from Cheney's thesis:
In the introduction, she argues that, during wartime, Americans desire a policy "clearly set forth by one voice."
In the next excerpt, she defends Lincoln's decision to suspend habeas corpus during the Civil War as "an assertion of the power of the people."
She is less sympathetic, in the third section, toward Franklin Roosevelt, whose approval of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II flunks Cheney's standards because there were no efforts to determine the loyalties of those who were relocated.
In the fourth excerpt, she is disdainful of legislators who attempted to curb Nixon's authority to deploy the military in Cambodia.
She concludes, in the final section, that "the President must be given the latitude of occasional supremacy in foreign and military affairs."
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 01:36
Name of source: LAT
SOURCE: LAT (2-3-09)
People in AD 1000 may have made drinks from cacao beans, which researchers had believed were brought from Mexico in the 15th century.
Cacao, the staple of Valentine's Day chocolates and hot drinks by a cozy winter fire, made it to the American Southwest by AD 1000, centuries earlier than researchers had believed.
Cacao, the staple of Valentine's Day chocolates and hot drinks by a cozy winter fire, made it to the American Southwest by AD 1000, centuries earlier than researchers had believed.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 01:32
Name of source: USA Today
SOURCE: USA Today (2-2-09)
The setting was a hidden island filled with pint-size men who feasted on pygmy elephants and battled dragons. The story of paleontology's "Hobbits," the extinct human species called Homo floresiensis, packs plenty of drama.
But the 2003 discovery by an Australian-Indonesian of the undersize bones inside Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores has long also suffered from a modern-day human rivalry. Add in the scientific back-story — a five-year feud over the whether the original inhabitants of Flores were actually a separate human species — and you have enough material for a novel.
The latest chapter of this story comes in the next Journal of Human Evolution, which boasts four reports concerning the hobbits— five years after discovery was first disclosed in the journal Nature. "Here we report the discovery, from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia, of an adult hominin," wrote the authors of that 2004 paper in the formal language of scientists declaring a new species. ("Hominin" is what the cool kids among paleontologists say instead of "hominids" now, or what reporters call "human species." )
But the 2003 discovery by an Australian-Indonesian of the undersize bones inside Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores has long also suffered from a modern-day human rivalry. Add in the scientific back-story — a five-year feud over the whether the original inhabitants of Flores were actually a separate human species — and you have enough material for a novel.
The latest chapter of this story comes in the next Journal of Human Evolution, which boasts four reports concerning the hobbits— five years after discovery was first disclosed in the journal Nature. "Here we report the discovery, from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia, of an adult hominin," wrote the authors of that 2004 paper in the formal language of scientists declaring a new species. ("Hominin" is what the cool kids among paleontologists say instead of "hominids" now, or what reporters call "human species." )
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 01:29
SOURCE: USA Today (2-2-09)
Frederick Barron, 17, a senior at North Atlanta High School in Atlanta, says the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president is making Black History Month come to life.
"Barack Obama is opening our hearts and minds to the true meaning of Black History Month," Barron said. "African Americans won't be viewed as just a minority but as people who make a difference."
Obama's election, and this year's 100th anniversary of the NAACP, means there has probably never been more reason to celebrate the annual February observance, black leaders and historians say.
"Barack Obama is opening our hearts and minds to the true meaning of Black History Month," Barron said. "African Americans won't be viewed as just a minority but as people who make a difference."
Obama's election, and this year's 100th anniversary of the NAACP, means there has probably never been more reason to celebrate the annual February observance, black leaders and historians say.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 16:57
Name of source: The Jakarta Globe
SOURCE: The Jakarta Globe (2-1-09)
A sarcophagus, or stone coffin, estimated to be up to 2,500 years old has been found in Bali’s Gianyar district, a local archaeologist said on Monday.
Wayan Suantika, the head of the Denpasar Archeology Agency, told the Jakarta Globe that the sarcophagus had been found on Saturday in Keramas village by Muksin Riadi, a brick maker, while he was digging for brick-making material. It was found 1.5 meters below the surface.
Wayan said the size of the sarcophagus suggests that it was most likely used to inter a child, and he made a preliminary estimate that it dated back about 2,300 to 2,500 years. Bones and teeth were also found.
It was the second discovery of a sarcophagus within a month, after the first was found on Jan. 13 less than 10 meters away.
Now that two had been found, the agency had assumed the location had been a residential area of people from a Mongoloid race.
Wayan Suantika, the head of the Denpasar Archeology Agency, told the Jakarta Globe that the sarcophagus had been found on Saturday in Keramas village by Muksin Riadi, a brick maker, while he was digging for brick-making material. It was found 1.5 meters below the surface.
Wayan said the size of the sarcophagus suggests that it was most likely used to inter a child, and he made a preliminary estimate that it dated back about 2,300 to 2,500 years. Bones and teeth were also found.
It was the second discovery of a sarcophagus within a month, after the first was found on Jan. 13 less than 10 meters away.
Now that two had been found, the agency had assumed the location had been a residential area of people from a Mongoloid race.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:46
Name of source: Telegraph(UK)
SOURCE: Telegraph(UK) (2-3-09)
The Vatican has conceded for the first time that it may have made 'errors' in its rehabilitation of a British bishop who questioned the Holocaust.
A senior Vatican official acknowledged that the Holy See made "management errors" with its decision to lift the excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson, who has said that the Nazis did not use gas chambers to kill and that a maximum of 300,000 Jews, not six million, lost their lives.
Pope Benedict XVI's decision to rehabilitate Bishop Williamson – without seeking the advice of his most senior advisers, according to Vatican insiders – provoked uproar around the world and forced the Vatican into damage control mode.
Cardinal Kasper noted that although Bishop Williamson and three other bishops have had their excommunications lifted, "they are still suspended" from the mainstream Church.
A senior Vatican official acknowledged that the Holy See made "management errors" with its decision to lift the excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson, who has said that the Nazis did not use gas chambers to kill and that a maximum of 300,000 Jews, not six million, lost their lives.
Pope Benedict XVI's decision to rehabilitate Bishop Williamson – without seeking the advice of his most senior advisers, according to Vatican insiders – provoked uproar around the world and forced the Vatican into damage control mode.
Cardinal Kasper noted that although Bishop Williamson and three other bishops have had their excommunications lifted, "they are still suspended" from the mainstream Church.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:29
Name of source: Charlotte Observer
SOURCE: Charlotte Observer (2-1-09)
Mint Hill resident Dan Oke is taking special care of a piece of history he knows doesn't belong to him. And he's working to return it to its rightful owner.
Oke has a 20-by-30-inch, white silk Japanese flag with a bright red circle in the middle.
He discovered it among other mementos while cleaning out his late father's garage.
When his father passed away in 1999, he found himself with a Japanese flag that had black writing all over it, a few holes he thinks might have been caused by bullets, and some stains that may be blood.
Last year, with the help of a Japanese co-worker, Nahoko Satonaka, he started the process of tracing its origin.
Satonaka took a picture with her cell phone and sent it to relatives in Japan. A friend's grandmother recognized it as a flag that Japanese soldiers carried with them into battle.
He's still intrigued about how much he doesn't know about the flag his father brought back home more than half-century ago. But he hopes its return to Japan will bring comfort to family who still remember a loved one lost long ago.
Oke has a 20-by-30-inch, white silk Japanese flag with a bright red circle in the middle.
He discovered it among other mementos while cleaning out his late father's garage.
When his father passed away in 1999, he found himself with a Japanese flag that had black writing all over it, a few holes he thinks might have been caused by bullets, and some stains that may be blood.
Last year, with the help of a Japanese co-worker, Nahoko Satonaka, he started the process of tracing its origin.
Satonaka took a picture with her cell phone and sent it to relatives in Japan. A friend's grandmother recognized it as a flag that Japanese soldiers carried with them into battle.
He's still intrigued about how much he doesn't know about the flag his father brought back home more than half-century ago. But he hopes its return to Japan will bring comfort to family who still remember a loved one lost long ago.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:19
Name of source: Chicago Tribune
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (2-2-09)
U.S. Rep. John Dingell has received a recount, and it means he'll set a longevity record three days earlier than thought.
The U.S. House historian's office says the 82-year-old Dearborn Democrat will become the longest serving member Feb. 11, 2009. That will be his 19,420th day in office.
The current record-holder is ex-Rep. Jamie Whitten, D-Miss., who died in 1995.
The Congressional Research Service earlier said Dingell would break the record Feb. 14.
The U.S. House historian's office says the 82-year-old Dearborn Democrat will become the longest serving member Feb. 11, 2009. That will be his 19,420th day in office.
The current record-holder is ex-Rep. Jamie Whitten, D-Miss., who died in 1995.
The Congressional Research Service earlier said Dingell would break the record Feb. 14.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 17:31
Name of source: http://www.lafayette-online.com
SOURCE: http://www.lafayette-online.com (2-3-09)
The connections between presidents Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln define Obama’s image today, but these associations also influence how Lincoln will continue to be remembered, says a Purdue University historian.
“Lincoln, who was born 200 years ago on Feb. 12, is known as a great speechwriter, thinker and consensus builder,” says Caroline E. Janney, an assistant professor of history who studies Civil War memorials and remembrance. “While people are watching how Obama is following Lincoln, many may not realize that today’s president is shaping the way we remember the 16th president. Memory is always crafted by its contemporary context.”
Janney says one type of memory is called the collective memory. Collective memory refers to the ways in which different groups reconstruct the past by adapting historical facts to fit the present. When individuals look to the past, or their perceived sense of past, they often create a sense of community. For example, white southerners may still look to their region’s Confederate history to create a common bond, while those from Illinois may refer to themselves as from the “land of Lincoln.” They use the past to create a community among people in the present.
Using historical facts to fill in the needs of the present in reconstructing the past creates a collective memory. For example, how people from the North and South remember Lincoln differs, and those differences, when expressed in each region’s monuments and memorials, create a sense of community for those who share a common past, she says.
“Lincoln, who was born 200 years ago on Feb. 12, is known as a great speechwriter, thinker and consensus builder,” says Caroline E. Janney, an assistant professor of history who studies Civil War memorials and remembrance. “While people are watching how Obama is following Lincoln, many may not realize that today’s president is shaping the way we remember the 16th president. Memory is always crafted by its contemporary context.”
Janney says one type of memory is called the collective memory. Collective memory refers to the ways in which different groups reconstruct the past by adapting historical facts to fit the present. When individuals look to the past, or their perceived sense of past, they often create a sense of community. For example, white southerners may still look to their region’s Confederate history to create a common bond, while those from Illinois may refer to themselves as from the “land of Lincoln.” They use the past to create a community among people in the present.
Using historical facts to fill in the needs of the present in reconstructing the past creates a collective memory. For example, how people from the North and South remember Lincoln differs, and those differences, when expressed in each region’s monuments and memorials, create a sense of community for those who share a common past, she says.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 17:29
Name of source: http://www.vancouversun.com
SOURCE: http://www.vancouversun.com (2-1-09)
Black History Month Commemorative Stamps Stamps honouring two eminent Afro-Canadians will be unveiled tonight at a special fundraising event at the Vancouver Playhouse.
Rosemary Brown (1930-2003), a Jamaican immigrant, had a distinguished political career after being the first black woman elected to public office in Canada. She won a seat in the British Columbia legislature for the New Democratic Party in 1972.
Abraham Doras Shadd (1801-1882) was a prominent anti-slavery advocate who moved his family to Canada from the U.S. and became active in the Underground Railroad. He later became the first black man to hold political office in Canada.
The black-tie event marks the launch of Black History Month, and features a keynote address by federal NDP leader Jack Layton. Performers include Dee Dee Daniels and Leon Bibb.
Rosemary Brown (1930-2003), a Jamaican immigrant, had a distinguished political career after being the first black woman elected to public office in Canada. She won a seat in the British Columbia legislature for the New Democratic Party in 1972.
Abraham Doras Shadd (1801-1882) was a prominent anti-slavery advocate who moved his family to Canada from the U.S. and became active in the Underground Railroad. He later became the first black man to hold political office in Canada.
The black-tie event marks the launch of Black History Month, and features a keynote address by federal NDP leader Jack Layton. Performers include Dee Dee Daniels and Leon Bibb.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 17:26
Name of source: The Cutting Edge
SOURCE: The Cutting Edge (2-3-09)
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, housing millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts. Like many other great research libraries, the Library of Congress has been moving into the digital world.
One way they're doing it is through a scanning project that has so far put 25,000 books online for anyone to read or download.
Doron Weber of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which is funding the $2 million project, stresses the importance of scanning complete books to preserve their cultural context.
"To preserve book knowledge and book culture means preserving every word of every sentence in the right sequence of pages in the right edition, within the appropriate historical, scholarly and bibliographical context. You must respect what you scan and treat it as an organic whole, not just raw bits of slapdash data."
The scanning is being done by the Internet Archive. The San Francisco-based nonprofit group aims to preserve cultural artifacts such as musical recordings and Web pages, as well as books, and make them available online. Brewster Kahle heads the Internet Archive.
One way they're doing it is through a scanning project that has so far put 25,000 books online for anyone to read or download.
Doron Weber of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which is funding the $2 million project, stresses the importance of scanning complete books to preserve their cultural context.
"To preserve book knowledge and book culture means preserving every word of every sentence in the right sequence of pages in the right edition, within the appropriate historical, scholarly and bibliographical context. You must respect what you scan and treat it as an organic whole, not just raw bits of slapdash data."
The scanning is being done by the Internet Archive. The San Francisco-based nonprofit group aims to preserve cultural artifacts such as musical recordings and Web pages, as well as books, and make them available online. Brewster Kahle heads the Internet Archive.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 15:51
Name of source: NPR
SOURCE: NPR (2-2-09)
President Obama hopes the proposed $800 billion-plus stimulus package can jump-start the economy and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity. If it doesn't show immediate results, New York Times columnist David Leonhardt says the state of the economy could end up dominating Obama's term.
Some of the current economic trouble is rooted in what Leonhardt calls "investment deficit disorder."
"I think our economy has been far too dependent on consumption over the past couple decades and not dependent enough on investment," he tells NPR's Renee Montagne.
In the 1950s, he says, the government spent the equivalent of about 7 percent of GDP investing in highways, buildings and other infrastructure. But that amount has declined to 4 percent in recent years.
"That's really problematic for the economy," Leonhardt said. "When the government has invested in basic things — like the highway system, like the Internet — the government has a very good record of that. And it's doing a lot less of that."
Some of the current economic trouble is rooted in what Leonhardt calls "investment deficit disorder."
"I think our economy has been far too dependent on consumption over the past couple decades and not dependent enough on investment," he tells NPR's Renee Montagne.
In the 1950s, he says, the government spent the equivalent of about 7 percent of GDP investing in highways, buildings and other infrastructure. But that amount has declined to 4 percent in recent years.
"That's really problematic for the economy," Leonhardt said. "When the government has invested in basic things — like the highway system, like the Internet — the government has a very good record of that. And it's doing a lot less of that."
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 15:22
Name of source: Newark Advocate
SOURCE: Newark Advocate (2-1-09)
The Civil War flag that was brandished by the 42nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry is wrapped tightly around its pole. It's a delicate task to unfurl the almost 150-year-old banner without it crumbling.
Yet, the humidity-raising chamber used to loosen the material consists of a homemade aluminum frame covered with a plastic-like film. It was built with parts from Lowe's that cost less than $500. The work is being done in a warehouse and in a homemade chamber instead of with state-of-the-art equipment costing as much as $20,000.
With the recession tightening its grip, budgets being cut and donors drying up, preservationists are scaling back on restorations.
The Ohio Historical Society is trying to preserve much of the Ohio Adjutant General's battle flag collection -- 552 flags carried in five wars. Most earlier preservation was carried out in the 1960s and to date, only 18 flags have been preserved using updated, more costly techniques paid for largely by private funds.
Yet, the humidity-raising chamber used to loosen the material consists of a homemade aluminum frame covered with a plastic-like film. It was built with parts from Lowe's that cost less than $500. The work is being done in a warehouse and in a homemade chamber instead of with state-of-the-art equipment costing as much as $20,000.
With the recession tightening its grip, budgets being cut and donors drying up, preservationists are scaling back on restorations.
The Ohio Historical Society is trying to preserve much of the Ohio Adjutant General's battle flag collection -- 552 flags carried in five wars. Most earlier preservation was carried out in the 1960s and to date, only 18 flags have been preserved using updated, more costly techniques paid for largely by private funds.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 13:39
Name of source: History Today
SOURCE: History Today (2-2-09)
Two months ago, the body of Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Prime Minister of the Polish government in exile in London during the Second World War, was exhumed in order to find the cause of his mysterious death. Prosecutors were specifically investigating a communist sponsored crime in the belief that he was murdered by the government of the Soviet Union at a time of increasingly tense diplomatic relations between Poland and the Soviet Union. Prior to his death, Sikorski had notably called for an investigation into the massacre of more than 20,000 Polish officers in the Katyn forest and the finger was being pointed more and more towards the NKVD. Tension was further heightened by Soviet moves towards the creation of a communist sponsored Polish government for the postwar period.
The results of the forensic tests, published at the end of last week, reveal, however, that Sikorski was not murdered and was alive when the plane in which he was returning to London from the Middle East crashed on July 4th, 1943.
The results of the forensic tests, published at the end of last week, reveal, however, that Sikorski was not murdered and was alive when the plane in which he was returning to London from the Middle East crashed on July 4th, 1943.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 10:10
Name of source: Newsday
SOURCE: Newsday (2-2-09)
One of three known letters written by Gen. George Washington about his Long Island spy network in the American Revolution is scheduled to be auctioned in Manhattan next week.
Stony Brook University, which already owns one of the historically important letters about the Setauket Spy Ring, is hoping to add a second to its colonial document collection at the Feb. 12 sale by Christie's.
The 1780 letter, owned by an unnamed private collector, was written by the commander of the Continental Army to Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, his head of intelligence, about giving recognition after the war to Oyster Bay resident Robert Townsend, aka Culper Jr., his chief spy.
Christie's estimates the letter will sell for $25,000 to $35,000. Manuscript specialist Pat McGrath said the estimate would be much higher if not for the economic downturn.
Stony Brook University, which already owns one of the historically important letters about the Setauket Spy Ring, is hoping to add a second to its colonial document collection at the Feb. 12 sale by Christie's.
The 1780 letter, owned by an unnamed private collector, was written by the commander of the Continental Army to Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, his head of intelligence, about giving recognition after the war to Oyster Bay resident Robert Townsend, aka Culper Jr., his chief spy.
Christie's estimates the letter will sell for $25,000 to $35,000. Manuscript specialist Pat McGrath said the estimate would be much higher if not for the economic downturn.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 02:07
Name of source: Hartford Courant
SOURCE: Hartford Courant (2-1-09)
Norwich officials are renewing the search for whoever stole a large portrait of Abraham Lincoln from the entrance of Norwich Ckty Hall about 15 years ago.
The picture has been missing since 1994, when someone cut it from its large Victorian frame and left with it in the middle of the night.
The case was assigned to the detective division, but police came up empty with every lead they followed.
Part of the difficulty, authorities say, is that they could not find old pictures of the portrait. Now, however, police and city officials say the investigation may get a big boost because they recently learned that historian William Hosley had a copy and had digitized it along with many others in his collection.
The picture has been missing since 1994, when someone cut it from its large Victorian frame and left with it in the middle of the night.
The case was assigned to the detective division, but police came up empty with every lead they followed.
Part of the difficulty, authorities say, is that they could not find old pictures of the portrait. Now, however, police and city officials say the investigation may get a big boost because they recently learned that historian William Hosley had a copy and had digitized it along with many others in his collection.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 02:00
Name of source: The Hindu
SOURCE: The Hindu (2-1-09)
Archaeologists cleaning a drain to flush out rainwater from an explored part of the ancient Indus Valley city of Moenjodaro have been pleasantly surprised to come across artefacts and other objects of much cultural value at the World Heritage site.
Well-defined structures of old drains were discovered along with certain old artefacts during the digging, which was necessitated to prevent rainwater stagnating at the world heritage site.
An object called an "elliptical lid" that might have been used for keeping "holy water" or "ceremonial water" was also found. Moenjodaro curator Irshad Rid said this was something new for archaeologists.
Prior to the current digging, no such object had been found at any site of the Indus Valley Civilisation, he added.
Well-defined structures of old drains were discovered along with certain old artefacts during the digging, which was necessitated to prevent rainwater stagnating at the world heritage site.
An object called an "elliptical lid" that might have been used for keeping "holy water" or "ceremonial water" was also found. Moenjodaro curator Irshad Rid said this was something new for archaeologists.
Prior to the current digging, no such object had been found at any site of the Indus Valley Civilisation, he added.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 01:54
Name of source: UPI
SOURCE: UPI (2-1-09)
Japanese efforts to find the remains of soldiers imprisoned by U.S. troops in World War II have gotten a boost by an archival find, officials said.
A list has been found at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration containing the names and burial sites of about 6,000 Japanese soldiers who died after being taken prisoner in the Pacific Theater, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday.
The list reveals burial grounds were located across a wide area, with sites in Hawaii, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Okinawa. The document was drawn up in March 1952 by a U.S. military intelligence agency, the newspaper said.
The discovery of the document is a major find in long-standing efforts to find remains and identify Japanese troops who died in the southern Pacific after little progress had been made in many years.
A list has been found at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration containing the names and burial sites of about 6,000 Japanese soldiers who died after being taken prisoner in the Pacific Theater, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday.
The list reveals burial grounds were located across a wide area, with sites in Hawaii, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Okinawa. The document was drawn up in March 1952 by a U.S. military intelligence agency, the newspaper said.
The discovery of the document is a major find in long-standing efforts to find remains and identify Japanese troops who died in the southern Pacific after little progress had been made in many years.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 01:51
Name of source: IHT
SOURCE: IHT (2-1-09)
Ordered to bury 16 bodies in the dead of night in 1978, a wary young army officer did his best to remember the location, quietly counting the paces from the unmarked mass grave to the roadside.
He gathered from his fellow soldiers that they had just buried Afghanistan's first president, Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan, and his family. His assassination, during a Communist coup in those tumultuous days, precipitated three decades of war in Afghanistan, a succession of conflicts that are still not spent and that have since touched every Afghan family.
It took 30 years and the relative stability and freedom under President Hamid Karzai for the former officer, Pacha Mir, to reveal his secret. With his help and that of another witness, the government has at long last identified the remains of the former president and his family and announced preparations to reinter the bodies with a state funeral in coming weeks.
Daoud was the founder of the Republic of Afghanistan and a towering figure in the development of the modern state. He overthrew his own cousin, the last king of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah, in a coup in 1973, but it was his own assassination five years later that plunged the country into bloodshed and turmoil.
Daoud's funeral now will not only close one of the bloodiest chapters in Afghan history but also may bring some peace to his surviving relatives, some of whom were wounded in the shootings 30 years ago.
He gathered from his fellow soldiers that they had just buried Afghanistan's first president, Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan, and his family. His assassination, during a Communist coup in those tumultuous days, precipitated three decades of war in Afghanistan, a succession of conflicts that are still not spent and that have since touched every Afghan family.
It took 30 years and the relative stability and freedom under President Hamid Karzai for the former officer, Pacha Mir, to reveal his secret. With his help and that of another witness, the government has at long last identified the remains of the former president and his family and announced preparations to reinter the bodies with a state funeral in coming weeks.
Daoud was the founder of the Republic of Afghanistan and a towering figure in the development of the modern state. He overthrew his own cousin, the last king of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah, in a coup in 1973, but it was his own assassination five years later that plunged the country into bloodshed and turmoil.
Daoud's funeral now will not only close one of the bloodiest chapters in Afghan history but also may bring some peace to his surviving relatives, some of whom were wounded in the shootings 30 years ago.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 01:50
Name of source: Thaindian News
SOURCE: Thaindian News (2-2-09)
Archaeologists have found over 50 ancient rock engravings in Tonga, which may shed some light on the pre-Polynesian Lapita peoples who voyaged across the Pacific.
The petroglyphs, including stylised images of people and animals, were found emerging from beach sand at the northern end of Foa Island, late last year, the Matangi Tonga newspaper reported.
The site on Foa Island is an amazing piece of artwork, with over 50 engraved images. Having an average height of 20 to 30cm, there are very nicely stylized images of men and women, turtles, dogs, a bird, a lizard, as well as footprints and some weird exotic combinations, he said.
According to Egan, the images were close in form to some found in ancient Hawaii and dated to between 1200 and 1500AD.
If similar dating was found for the latest carvings, it would raise a question about direct long distance voyages between Tonga and Hawaii in that era.
The petroglyphs, including stylised images of people and animals, were found emerging from beach sand at the northern end of Foa Island, late last year, the Matangi Tonga newspaper reported.
The site on Foa Island is an amazing piece of artwork, with over 50 engraved images. Having an average height of 20 to 30cm, there are very nicely stylized images of men and women, turtles, dogs, a bird, a lizard, as well as footprints and some weird exotic combinations, he said.
According to Egan, the images were close in form to some found in ancient Hawaii and dated to between 1200 and 1500AD.
If similar dating was found for the latest carvings, it would raise a question about direct long distance voyages between Tonga and Hawaii in that era.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 01:50
Name of source: Foxnews
SOURCE: Foxnews (2-2-09)
It was the National Security Agency that uncovered a 1973 plot to bomb New York City, a scheme since linked to a terrorist who is nearing release from prison, according to government documents and interviews.
Khalid Al-Jawary, a Black September terrorist, placed two car bombs along Fifth Avenue and one near Kennedy Airport. The attack was meant to coincide with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's arrival in the city. The bombs failed to detonate, and Al-Jawary quickly fled the country before being arrested nearly 20 years later.
The case has gained increased attention since an Associated Press investigation provided new details about Al-Jawary's shadowy background. He's scheduled to be released Feb. 19 after serving only about half his 30-year prison sentence.
Khalid Al-Jawary, a Black September terrorist, placed two car bombs along Fifth Avenue and one near Kennedy Airport. The attack was meant to coincide with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's arrival in the city. The bombs failed to detonate, and Al-Jawary quickly fled the country before being arrested nearly 20 years later.
The case has gained increased attention since an Associated Press investigation provided new details about Al-Jawary's shadowy background. He's scheduled to be released Feb. 19 after serving only about half his 30-year prison sentence.
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 23:28
Name of source: Scott Jaschik at the website of Inside Higher Ed
SOURCE: Scott Jaschik at the website of Inside Higher Ed (2-2-09)
When Southern Methodist University decided to go ahead with plans to become the site not only of President George W. Bush’s presidential library, but also an affiliated policy center, some historians feared a distortion of the historical record. The Dallas Morning News reported that a recent addition to the Bush Presidential Center’s Web site isn’t doing anything to reassure scholars about even-handedness. To understand the “legacy” of the Bush administration, the center links to the Web site not of historians, but of the Bush-Cheney Alumni Association, where “Recent Bush Record Documents” features three choices: “The Bush Record: Praise for President’s Accomplishments,” “The Bush Record: More Praise for President’s Accomplishments,” and “The Bush Record: Praise Continues for President’s Accomplishments.”
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 23:15
Name of source: http://www.charleston.net
SOURCE: http://www.charleston.net (1-24-09)
It is one of the largest and most important battlefields in the country, a place where the scattered relics of war have lain hidden for more than a century.
But soon, some of the secrets of Charleston Harbor might finally be revealed.
The South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina has been awarded a grant from the National Park Service to map the wrecks hidden beneath the water, the sand and the silt.
But soon, some of the secrets of Charleston Harbor might finally be revealed.
The South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina has been awarded a grant from the National Park Service to map the wrecks hidden beneath the water, the sand and the silt.
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 22:43
Name of source: http://fredericksburg.com
SOURCE: http://fredericksburg.com (1-31-09)
The so-called "Wilderness Wal-Mart" in Orange County is catching grief from both North and South--and elected officials on both ends of the political spectrum.
U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, a conservative Republican from eastern Texas, has expressed to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott his "profound disappointment" about the giant retailer's plan to build a Supercenter beside the Civil War battlefield. In a letter written last week, he urges Scott to give the matter "immediate reconsideration."
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Vermont--a haven for independent-minded Democrats--are holding hearings on the issue. Vermont troops suffered their worst casualties of the war in the Battle of the Wilderness, turning back a Confederate attack that threatened to split the Union Army.
The Vermont Senate and House are considering whether to ask Wal-Mart to move the store farther from the entrance to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, according to Howard Coffin, a Civil War historian and author who lives in Montpelier, the state capital.
U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, a conservative Republican from eastern Texas, has expressed to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott his "profound disappointment" about the giant retailer's plan to build a Supercenter beside the Civil War battlefield. In a letter written last week, he urges Scott to give the matter "immediate reconsideration."
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Vermont--a haven for independent-minded Democrats--are holding hearings on the issue. Vermont troops suffered their worst casualties of the war in the Battle of the Wilderness, turning back a Confederate attack that threatened to split the Union Army.
The Vermont Senate and House are considering whether to ask Wal-Mart to move the store farther from the entrance to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, according to Howard Coffin, a Civil War historian and author who lives in Montpelier, the state capital.
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 22:41
SOURCE: http://fredericksburg.com (1-26-09)
The Wilderness battlefield may gain another new neighbor.
A landowner next to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park proposes to build medical offices and a wholesale nursery on part of his property across from the Civil War-era site of Wilderness Tavern near the Spotsylvania-Orange county line.
Dr. David Pagan, a dental specialist who lives on a 146-acre farm on State Route 3 beside Fox Chase subdivision in western Spotsylvania County, wants to develop part of his land. He envisions a three-suite, 12,000-square-foot medical complex styled after old farm buildings, and a satellite facility for Bennett's Creek Nursery, a large wholesale grower based in Suffolk.
"We're trying to make the farm productive without doing a big project or creating an eyesore," Pagan said in an interview. "We didn't want a subdivision or a strip mall. We're trying to be sensitive in the way this is designed, to fit what the county wants. We don't want to upset the community."
A landowner next to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park proposes to build medical offices and a wholesale nursery on part of his property across from the Civil War-era site of Wilderness Tavern near the Spotsylvania-Orange county line.
Dr. David Pagan, a dental specialist who lives on a 146-acre farm on State Route 3 beside Fox Chase subdivision in western Spotsylvania County, wants to develop part of his land. He envisions a three-suite, 12,000-square-foot medical complex styled after old farm buildings, and a satellite facility for Bennett's Creek Nursery, a large wholesale grower based in Suffolk.
"We're trying to make the farm productive without doing a big project or creating an eyesore," Pagan said in an interview. "We didn't want a subdivision or a strip mall. We're trying to be sensitive in the way this is designed, to fit what the county wants. We don't want to upset the community."
Monday, February 2, 2009 - 22:39
