Blast at BP Texas refinery in 2005 foreshadowed Gulf disaster
by Ryan Knutson, ProPublicaThis story is part of an ongoing collaboration between ProPublica and FRONTLINE (PBS).TEXAS CITY, TEXAS -- Ever since the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, David Senko has been tallying the similarities between what he calls "my blast" in 2005 and this new BP disaster.Anonymous...
Obama dismisses US military commander in Afghanistan
General Stanley McChrystal, the top military commander for the US army in Afghanistan, was dismissed by president Barack Obama Wednesday, over controversial comments he made in an interview with a magazine.McChrystal will be replaced by General David Petraeus. The move was made after McChrystal and the president held a...
QUNFUZ: In the face of overwhelming odds
In his contribution to the debate on the rights and wrongs of violent resistance to oppression, David Bromwich tells us that non-violent action is supposed to be “visible and exemplary.” In the case of Palestine, this chimes with the dominant Western narrative that the Palestinians would have achieved liberation long ago if only they had avoided mindless […]
Obama to ask for special BP claims fund over oil spill
US president Barack Obama, in response to criticism over his handling of the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill, has asked the oil company BP to create a special fund with "substantial" amounts of money to pay claimants over the disaster.Obama is to make his fourth visit to the Gulf Coast tomorrow, and on Tuesday is scheduled...
US intelligence analyst arrested over Wikileaks video
The United States military has arrested an intelligence analyst who may have been responsible for leaking classified combat video and documents to the whistle-blower website Wikileaks. The footage was acquired from an undisclosed source in 2009 by Wikileaks. Wikileaks says the “Collateral murder” footage shows the “murder of Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists.” The man arrested […]
Bellingham, WA first municipality to shun tar sands oil
The city of Bellingham, Washington has resolved to avoid fuel from refineries connected to the tar sands, becoming the first city in North America to take action against the controversial fossil fuel.Bellingham’s city council unanimously passed two resolutions on Monday, Jun. 7 with the aim of eliminating tar sands in their...
Large fireball observed after object strikes Jupiter
A large object, possibly an asteroid or a meteor, hit the planet Jupiter Thursday, resulting in a large fireball. The fireball was seen on June 3 at 2031 UTC by two independent amateur astronomers, Christopher Go in the Philippines and Anthony Wesley in Australia. Wesley, who posted the news onto an Internet forum, is known...
Tainted Chinese Drywall Concerns Went Unreported for Two Years
by Joaquin SapienA leading East Coast homebuilder learned four years ago that the Chinese-manufactured drywall it had installed in several Florida homes was emitting foul odors, according to documents obtained by ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.The company, WCI Communities, was so concerned that it started planning...
Israeli forces kill over 19 activists in international waters
Over nineteen Free Gaza Movement activists died yesterday when Israeli Defense Force commandos boarded vessels in international waters attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Reports say over 19 people are dead and over 30 were injured, including a captain. There is a radio and satellite blackout from the ships, ...
Oil spill in Alaska closes 800 miles of pipeline
800 miles of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System were closed down following a spill of thousands of barrels of crude oil south of Fairbanks, Alaska. A power failure following a routine fire-command system test caused relief valves to open and crude oil overflowed near the Fort Greely pump station 9. The...
