New Contracts Reflect Continued Presence in Iraq
Walter Pincus of The Washington Post writes: "The depth of US involvement in Iraq and the difficulty the next president will face in pulling personnel out of the country are illustrated by a handful of new contract proposals made public in May."
For complete story click here.

ACLU Sues Denver for Weapons Information
Rick Sallinger, CBS4 News, reports: "The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit against the city of Denver after an open records request for information about the purchasing of security equipment for the Democratic National Convention was denied. The group wants to know what weapons the city is buying for crowd control during protests."
For complete story click here.

Why Women Are the Primary Drivers of Change
In their new book, published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen state, "Women are on the forefront of all the primary drivers of change: money, volunteer service, and the power of the vote. This is why they are the primary target audience for non-profits and political campaigns. A closer examination of their standing in these arenas helps crack open some conventional, but misguided, wisdom chestnuts such as women's income (and giving potential) lags behind men's, and that by appealing to women, you'll drive men away. In fact, just the opposite is true."
To read an excerpt from their book, click here.

Interview With Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
Maya Schenwar, of Truthout.org writes: "Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky has had enough of the war in Iraq, and she's had enough of the military contractors that are making it possible. 'These are the guys who carry guns - I would call them mercenaries - who are engaged in inherently governmental activities,' she told me in a recent interview, noting that while contractors carry out many of the same functions as the military, they are held to much less stringent standards. 'One has to ask, 'Is it the policy of the United States of America that contractors can get away with murder?' And frankly, so far, it seems like the answer is 'yes.'"
To read the accompany article and watch the interview, click here.

When Will U.S. "Journalism" Be Held Accountable for Promoting War?
In a thought provoking commentary, News Dissector Danny Schechter poses just this question. Schechter made WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception in 2004, a film shown in 40 countries. (Wmdthefilm.com). He wrote two books on media complicity, Embedded (2003) and When News Lies (2006).
To read commentary click here.

Gramm-UBS Lobbyist Questions Dog McCain Campaign
Mark Hosenball, of Newsweek: "For weeks now, John McCain's presidential campaign has faced awkward questions about the outside activities of several top advisers. Add one more name to the list: former Texas senator Phil Gramm, McCain's longtime friend and one of his five campaign co-chairs. According to McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker, the co-chair position affords Gramm 'broad input into the structure, financing and conduct of the campaign.'"
For complete article click here.

Is Water Becoming the New Oil?
Mark Clayton, for The Christian Science Monitor, reports, "'Water,' Dow Chemical Chairman Andrew Liveris told the World Economic Forum in February, 'is the oil of this century.' Developed nations have taken cheap, abundant fresh water largely for granted. Now global population growth, pollution, and climate change are shaping a new view of water as 'blue gold.'"
For the complete article, click here.

Number of Uninsured US Young Adults Grows
Will Dunham writes for Reuters: "The number of uninsured US young adults, who already represent a major chunk of the American population without health coverage, rose again in 2006, according to a study released on Friday."
To read the complete article, click here.