MichaelMoore.com

THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY

An 82 year old California woman refuses to leave the hospital:
"When you pay Kaiser insurance month after month for 50 years like I have, you expect to be treated like a good patient and a human being."

A California millionaire refuses to present identification and, thus, can't go very far:
Gilmore is asking just how much citizens are giving up when they hand their driver's licenses to a third party, in this case an airline, where it is put into a database they cannot see, to meet a law that, as it turns out, they are not allowed to read.

Congressional concerns voiced that broad surveillance provisions in the USA Patriot Act pose a threat to civil rights.

Conservatives, gun owners, civil libertarians, and others have come together to protest a recent House-passed bill that could turn driver's licenses into national identification cards.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and 1.2 million other federal employees whose personal information was lost by the Bank of America learn a little something about identity and who should be in charge of it.

And of course, who could forget the company that would sell your soul to the Devil.

THE MARCH OF FREEDOM
That one guy we can't catch sends a message to that other guy we can't catch about attacking America.

Popular protests force the resignation of the Lebanese government. As the country looks for a new prime minister ahead of spring elections, the protests continue--now calling for the pullout of Syrian troops. Syria's president says those troops will indeed be pulled out soon and Condi jumps into the fray urging fair elections.

Instead of more war bluster, George could simply buy what he claims to want.

An official from the Selective Service has been talking with a "peace church" about reinstating alternative service programs for conscientious objectors if (ahem, 'when') the draft is revived.

The mother of a fourteen month old child is called back to active duty.

British Muslims are told to face the reality that they will be stopped and searched by police.

Fresh evidence has come to light suggesting that Tony Blair committed himself to war in Iraq nearly a year before the American and British assault in March 2003.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given a new job to a controversial militia commander accused of involvement in a series of alleged human rights abuses.

The UN warns Britain over its heroin problem and what it means for Afghanistan.

Fueled by legal suppliers, the illicit drug trade booms on the internet.
"The drug situation in Iraq may deteriorate further because of the disintegration of the drug control structure in the country, given its geographical location and the current political and economic instability."

More than 750 of the nation's leading microbiological researchers have openly called on the Bush Administration to return the nation's scientific focus to more basic pathogens.

Noam Chomsky: Nuclear Terror at Home

U.S. defense contractor Titan Corp. has pleaded guilty to making illegal payments to a presidential election campaign in Benin in hopes of winning higher fees for a project it was developing in the West African nation.

U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman will pay the US government $62 million to settle allegations that it overcharged the Air Force.

The day before announcing that Canada would have no part in America's missile defense "shield" Canada's prime minister called George... and has never heard back.

GEORGE BLESS AMERICA
Ten years after a landmark U.N. conference adopted a platform aimed at global equality for women, the United States is demanding that a declaration issued by a follow-up meeting make clear that women are not guaranteed a right to abortion.

Did Tom DeLay break the law by using corporate money to get GOP legislative candidates elected?

Pooty-Poot asks George why the White House fired Dan Rather. George lectures Pooty-Poot.

GM and Ford report poor car sales and cut production.

In an attempt to undermine MCI's Verizon deal Qwest Communications appeals to MCI investors, telling them an MCI/Qwest deal could eliminate 15,000 jobs.

"It's Hard Work": American workers dissatisfied

(ALSO: Suicides outpace homicides.)

It's Your Money (If it really exists at all):
Bankruptcy bill being debated in the Senate is supposed to make it harder for people to walk away from their debt but also seems to make it easier for the super-rich to protect substantial assets when filing bankruptcy.

About 22% of American children live in poverty (slightly better than 28% in Mexico!).

George reassures concerned governors, allaying their Medicaid fears, and defending his plan to cut the program by $40 billion.

A looming Medicare shortage is seven times the size of the one that Social Security faces and nearly four times the entire federal debt.

Montana's governor isn't cowed by George.

George pushes his faith-based initiative agenda.

George's plan to allow oil drilling in Alaska will have to get around Native leaders.

As fast as they appeared, they are gone: Bush's LSD tapes handed over.

A Democrat with a spine stands up to George and his ridiculous judicial renominations.

THE BULLDOG IN THE PRESS CORPS
"The Old Media still hasn't pursued this story--they only report what we dig up."
-- Jeff Gannon, discussing "Rathergate" on Free Republic, September 21, 2004

Burying the Jeff Gannon Affair

White House claim it was unaware of Gannon's credentials is hard to buy.

FOX News media analyst says Gannon was a journalist, but... all in all, an uncharacteristically fair and balanced report.

Gene Lyons:
More typical was Kurtz's complaint that "I didn't go into journalism, frankly, to be looking at Web sites like hotmilitarystud.com." Well, frankly, I never expected to read anything like the Starr Report.

OTHER NEWS
In the free will of capitalism, we can blame no one but ourselves for Wal-Mart.

IRS accuses man of hiding $450 million.

Uruguay inaugurates its first leftist leader.

AND FINALLY...
Lauren Rainey Wins!!!

Good news for Lauren Rainey--the 13 year old who took on Alabama's Medicaid will keep her at home nursing care.

We thank all of you Must Readers who took the time over the past couple months to send messages to Medicaid and Alabama's governor on this subject. Also, a big thanks to Waveflux for streamlining this grassroots activism. We'll keep you posted on developments in Lauren's case--and hopefully there will be some very good news very, very soon.

HELP US STAY ON TOP OF THE NEWS--IF YOU READ AN INTERESTING NEWS REPORT, SEND THE LINK IN TO THE MUST READ.