Anti-Drug Dollars Up In Smoke (May 31, 2003)
"The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has spent more than $1 billion on an anti-drug ad campaign whose only measurable effect has been that the ads may cause some teens to smoke more dope."

Maniacal Prohibitionist Soccer Mom Joyce Nalepka Upset (May 30, 2003)
"But DeLeaver confirmed that Nalepka is well known to the governor's staff as the blond woman who has 'been sitting in our lobby for the past week.' DeLeaver said Nalepka met with Ehrlich's chief of staff, his communications director and the lieutenant governor, threatening at one point to 'initiate impeachment proceedings' against Ehrlich if he signed the medical marijuana bill." Erlich went ahead and signed it anyway, leaving Nalepka, a prohibitionistic, government-grant taking crackpot, thoroughly pissed off.

For Decency's Sake, No More "No-Knock" Drug Raids (May 30, 2003)
"What police portray as a necessary strategy in the war on drugs is in reality a horrifying display of Stalinist-style police state tactics run amok." Be sure to check out the rest of DRCNet's Week Online here.

Democrat Kucinich endorses medical pot use He says he'd issue executive order if elected president (May 30, 2003)
"Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio became the first Democratic presidential candidate to endorse the legalization of medical marijuana when he told The Chronicle on Wednesday it should be available 'to any patient who needs it to alleviate pain and suffering,' regardless of the current federal drug laws."

Video-Game Killing Builds Visual Skills, Researchers Report (May 29, 2003- free NYTimes registration required)
As an avid gamer, the editor of DrugWar.com posts this link so his girlfriend won't worry, knowing his gaming is "sharply improving [his] visual attention skills."

Supreme Court pares Miranda rights (May 29, 2003)
"The Supreme Court narrowed the historic right against self-incrimination Tuesday, ruling that police and government investigators can force an unwilling person to talk, as long as those admissions are not used to prosecute them."

Ketama Gold puts Morocco top of Europe's cannabis league (May 28, 2003)
"Trying to please Europe by persuading farmers to grow avocados is not succeeding."

They got the wrong man (May 28, 2003)
"Mr. Khan, 48, a legal immigrant from Pakistan, spent seven months in jail in a case of mistaken identification after he was arrested by federal agents on the trail of a heroin dealer witha s imilar name."

U.S. security memos warn of little things (May 28, 2003)
"In a recent memo to police, the Homeland Security Department said local officers should watch for anyone who 'may show arrogance and hatred toward Americans through bragging, expressed dislike of attitudes and decisions of the U.S. government, superiority of religious beliefs and difficulty tolerating proximity to those he hates.'"

Anti-Drug Activist Says She War Barred From Bill Signing Ceremony (May 27, 2003)
"I was outraged and stayed until I was certain he was going to physically remove me," Mrs. Nalepka said. "Not wanting to embarrass myself, I did leave. But the more I think of their gestapo tactics, the angrier I get." This is an aboslutely disgusting attitude for a woman who supports locking up people for using marijuana in any form, and who has backed Gestapo tactics on the part of law enforcement prohibitionists for decades. Maybe she'll realize what reformers and "druggies" have gone through for years in the US, but probably not. Small minded moralists and hypocrites seldom see the error of their ways.

McSting lacked franchise approval (May 27, 2003)
"According to police, the operation netted a 'significant amount of drugs' and two pistols. Fort Myers Police Chief Hilton Daniels released a statement Friday saying he was 'pleased with the outcome of these investigations' and wanted to thank McDonald’s for 'helping us work to fight crime.'" But that was before it was discovered that neither the manager nor corporate headquarters had been notified undercover cops were in place in the resturant.

Police charged over heroin (May 27, 2003)
"Three members of the Victoria Police and a former member were behind bars last night after being charged in relation to an alleged $1 million heroin trafficking syndicate."

Carroll law enforcement preparing for Camp COPS (May 27, 2003)
"Police are looking for people in Carroll County who fit a certain description: children between the ages of 10 and 13."

The 'Ganja Guru': If only Truth could set him free (May 27, 2003)
"Hanging on the precipice of states' rights in the nation's drug war is a 58-year-old San Francisco author known as the "Ganja Guru." And there lying at the bottom is a shattered Lady Justice, with no middle ground in sight."

Pentagon Hands Major Iraq Deal to Scandal-Ridden WorldCom (May 27, 2003)
"The Pentagon made an interesting choice when it hired a US company to build a small wireless phone network in Iraq: MCI, aka WorldCom Inc, perpetrator of the biggest accounting fraud in American business and not exactly a big name in cellular service."

Documents from the Phoenix Program (May 27, 2003)
"Created by the CIA in Saigon in 1967, Phoenix was a program aimed at 'neutralizing'--through assassination, kidnapping, and systematic torture--the civilian infrastructure that supported the Viet Cong insurgency in South Vietnam. The CIA destroyed its copies of these documents, but the creator of Phoenix gave his personal copies to author Douglas Valentine. They have never previously been published, online or in print."

Glitch Wins by a Landslide (May 27, 2003)
"Not only is the American voting code secretly held by private companies (naturally for copyright reasons; the Dollar trumps Democracy every time), but private companies manufacture the voting machines. And those companies are owned, predominantly, by Republican interests."

In the Northwest: Tom DeLay could use a different form of puffery (May 26, 2003)
"Recently, as The Washington Post reported, DeLay and cronies lighted up cigars at Ruth's Chris Steak House in D.C., which is in a building owned by the Smithsonian and falls under a federal smoking ban. A manager politely cited government policy and asked DeLay to snuff out his stogie. 'I AM the federal government,' DeLay bellowed at him, and then stormed out."

FAA Delay in Reporting 9/11 Hijackings Probed (May 26, 2003)
"The independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks grilled the former chief federal aviation regulator yesterday in a tense public exchange over whether the government bungled its response that day."

State Bar review of prosecutor conduct needed in Tulia case (May 26, 2003)
"Austin lawyer Jim McCormack had two words to describe the legal findings reported to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals this month regarding the Tulia drug cases: 'Extremely damning.'"

My Contribution to Science (May 26, 2003)
"The next morning, I was news. The television, radio and print media all did stories about the judge who was fired because he refused to hear drug cases. I received about one hundred e-mails; not one negative."

State cranks up war against drugs (May 26, 2003)
"Wisconsin Atty. Gen. Peg Lautenschlager unveiled a new initiative Friday designed to better coordinate efforts to shut down methamphetamine labs."

Illinois becomes first state to ban ephedra (May 26, 2003)
"Governor hopes others will follow 'good first step'"

Power, Ever More Power (May 26, 2003)
"When it passed the USA Patriot Act in October 2001, giving law enforcement agents sweeping new powers, Congress unleashed a spying free-for-all that shows no sign of abating. Pentagon analysts are even trying to figure out if they can nab terrorists by watching how people walk — "gait recognition," it's called."

Marijuana bill to be introduced Tuesday (May 25, 2003)
"The bill, which would decriminalize possession of less that 15 grams of marijuana, will dovetail with a new national drug strategy that will provide millions of dollars for drug education, prevention and treatment."

On Election Day 2004, How Will You Know if You Vote if Properly Counter? (May 25, 2003)
The answer is that you won't, unless this newly introduced bill recieves support. "The measure would require all voting machines to produce an actual paper record by 2004 that voters can view to check the accuracy of their votes and that election officials can use to verify votes in the event of a computer malfunction, hacking, or other irregularity."

Marijuana hijacking 'right out of the movies' (May 25, 2003)
"Three brazen gunmen are on the loose after the marijuana-packed truck they hijacked careened into the woods off the Massachusetts Turnpike Friday night, horrifying holiday travelers, police said." Sounds just like something out of the days of alcohol prohibition.

Marijuana law makes a humane distinction (May 25, 2003)
"That day in Sinai Hospital's emergency room, the old man clutched Dr. Dan Morhaim's arm and tried to break through all of the years of drug laws, and misinformation and mystique, and his own cancer."

Economic Justice for All (May 25, 2003)
"The government of the United States, the richest and most powerful country in the world, is perpetuating economic injustice within the United States and throughout the world. While the government seems to have unlimited funds for missiles and munitions, it is failing to provide health care, housing or education for large segments of the US population."

Who Do You Trust? (May 25, 2003)
"In fact, trust is the overriding issue. I've lost trust in corporations who's wholesale mission is profit, at the expense of the environment, people's health, and their shareholders stake. I've lost trust in the government, who no longer represents the values of the Bill of Rights I was trained to embrace. I no longer trust the media to even know the truth, much less to tell it."

The masters of the universe (May 25, 2003)
Rumsfeld is an active Bilderberger. So is General Peter Sutherland from Ireland, a former European Union commissioner and chairman of Goldman Sachs and BP. Rumsfeld and Sutherland served together in 2000 on the board of Swiss energy company ABB. And ABB happened to have sold two light-water nuclear reactors to North Korea. At the time, of course, North Korea was not an active member of the 'axis of evil."

Bush Answers to 9-11 Are Long Overdue (May 24, 2003)
"The people Bush proposed to smoke out and 'get' are still free. Moreover, some of the CIA officials who 'dropped the ball' in the summer of 2001 have been promoted. Yet the media who were so eager to pry into the private life of President Clinton seem disinclined to uncover the real story of what happened during that summer and whether the same people who dropped the ball then are still dropping it."

DeLay Details Role in DPS' Hunt for Democrats (May 24, 2003)
"Democrats assert that Mr. DeLay had directed – or at least inspired – what they called a Watergate-like misuse of state and federal law enforcement resources to settle a partisan feud, which he has denied. They have also criticized the DPS for destroying all records of its manhunt, questioning whether Mr. DeLay, Mr. Craddick or Gov. Rick Perry had ordered or urged that agency to cover up an inappropriate use of law enforcement resources."

How Britain is Loosing the Drugs War (May 23, 2003)
This and other reports focusing on the War on Some Drugs and Users, can be found here. Well worth checking out.

Dancing With the Devil (May 23, 2003)
"The Chicks learned how dangerous it can be to criticize the chief of a grand imperial power. Halliburton, [VP Dick Cheney's 'former' company] on the other hand, can do no wrong. Yes, it has a history of ripping off the government. And, yes, it's made zillions doing business in countries that sponsor terrorism, including members of the 'axis of evil' that is so despised by the president."

Prewar Views of Iraq Threat Are Under Review by C.I.A. (May 23, 2003)
"The review, which has the support of some analysts and officials who have said the intelligence on Iraq was politicized, will not examine all Iraqi-related intelligence, but will focus instead on a few sensitive issues, including whether the United States overstated the threat that Iraq was trying to develop biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, according to officials familiar with the study."

War Profiteers Shell, Bechtel, Fluor Take Record of Terror From Africa to Iraq (May 23, 2003)
"As Bush creates a corporate protectorate in Iraq, many companies who stand to benefit from reconstruction and oil exploration there are familiar to Africans. Shell, Bechtel and Fluor are all associated with massacres and crimes against humanity in Africa."

Buying Initiatives (May 22, 2003)
"A House committee is marking up a bill on May 22 that could strike at the heart of ballot initiatives nationwide, significantly undermining the efforts of drug policy reformers," wrote Dan Forbes, but it looks as though this was defeated in committee today.

The Iboga Therapy House on CBC's National (May 22, 2003)
"Pot TV Producer Marc Emery brings the ultimate addiction interference drug, ibogaine, to the awareness of the Canadian public in this sensational piece that aired on CBC's National."

Marijuana to be trialled as pain drug (May 22, 2003)
"Legalised cannabis will be prescribed to people suffering from chronic pain or wasting illnesses under a four-year trial to be run by the NSW Health Department."

Lockyer: Don't Link Activists, Terrorists (May 22, 2003)
"Assailed Tuesday by civil libertarians, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said his California anti-terror intelligence center never should have issued a warning of 'potential violence' by anti-war protesters at the Port of Oakland, where police five days later fired wooden slugs at activists."

Laws Invoked Against Crimes Unrelated to Terror, Report Says (May 22, 2003)
"The Justice Department has used many of the anti-terrorism powers granted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to pursue defendants for crimes unrelated to terrorism, including drug violations, credit card fraud and bank theft, according to a government accounting released yesterday."

Declassify the 9/11 Report (May 22, 2003)
"The appearance of a government cover-up concerning what happened Sept. 11, 2001, would not increase public confidence in officials' ability to fix what went wrong. Even so, the Bush administration continues to block the release of last year's House-Senate 9/11 panel report. It raises the question: What's to hide?"

GW hits high as Bayer snaps up cannabis drug (May 22, 2003)
It causes the editor of DrugWar.com no peace of mind to discover this bit of news, in that today Bayer has also been exposed by the NYTimes (free registration required) for knowingly selling a drug that it knew was causing some people in poorer countries to come down with HIV.

Ireland to curb alcohol ads (May 22, 2003)
"Ireland has announced plans to limit advertising for alcoholic drinks, in an attempt to tackle the country's drinking culture."

Congress Curious About Iraq Deals (May 21, 2003)
"Top Republicans and Democrats in Congress are calling for greater scrutiny of the American effort to rebuild Iraq, and some want to investigate how huge contracts were awarded to Bechtel Corp. of San Francisco and Halliburton Co., a Houston firm once run by Vice President Dick Cheney."

U.S. Deported Suspected Terrorists Whose Trials Could Jeopardize Probes (May 21, 2003)
In a footnoate, this US government report "appears to admit that the government knowingly allowed actual terrorists, or their supporters, to leave the country rather than face prosecution, military tribunal or detention as 'enemy combatants.'"

Hiphop Takes Stock in 'Drop the Rock' (May 21, 2003)
"The 'Countdown to Fairness,' an endeavor that brings the rap world into the fight against the Rockefeller Drug Laws, launched a campaign on May 9 that establishes a deadline of June 4 for the repeal of legislation that subjects nonviolent offenders to extended mandatory sentences for minimal possession." See also Hip-Hop Summit Action Network National Mobilization Planned at June 4th 2003 Repeal Deadline. And perhaps in anticipation of this hop-hop movement planning on a huge mass protest June 4 against the Rockefeller Drug Laws, the NY Gov. Calls for Drug Law Reform, and even more blatant, his newly proposed Budget includes early release for 1,300 inmates, with "Sentences eased for prisoners held under the state's tough drug la\ws, other nonviolent crimes."

The surprising truth about heroin and addiction (May 21, 2003)
"It conceded that 'heroin does not damage the organs as, for instance, heavy alcohol use does.' But it cited the risk of arrest, overdose, AIDS, and hepatitis -- without noting that all of these risks are created or exacerbated by prohibition."

Oceana Fights to Stop Navy Sonar from Harming Dolphins and Whales (May 21, 2003)
Have you "seen the recent news reports of the whales and dolphins being 'blasted' by Navy sonar tests off the Washington coast? Many wildlife scientists believe that some of the Armed Forces’ activities are harming whales, dolphins and other ocean wildlife."

Justice Dept. Lists Use of New Power to Fight Terror (May 21, 2003- free NYTimes registration required)
"In the most detailed public accounting of how it had used its expanded powers to fight terrorism, the Justice Department released information today showing that federal agents had conducted hundreds of bugging and surveillance operations and visited numerous libraries and mosques using new law enforcement tools."

WHO Approves Sweeping Anti-Tobacco Treaty (May 21, 2003)
"The World Health Organization adopted a sweeping anti-tobacco treaty Wednesday in an unprecedented global push to regulate a product it says kills half of its regular users."

JAMA Drinks, Crunches Numbers. Again (May 21, 2003)
"All this makes the RWJF-funded Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) look even sillier. Last fall CAMY declared that 'America's parents ... aren't seeing these [alcohol] ads but their children are because that's where the industry is putting them -- in the magazines their kids read.' Explain that one to Newsweek."

Weiland Busted for Drugs (May 20, 2003)
Another vicitm of the stupid, evil, destructive War on Some Drugs and Users, Weiland just keeps getting shafted by the warriors.

MPP launches emergency campaign to prevent Congress from approving up to $1 billion in ads (May 20, 2003)
"Until now, the ONDCP authorization has included sensible language barring the use of National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign funds for "partisan political purposes." The new language creates an exemption from this ban when the ONDCP director is acting 'to oppose an attempt to legalize the use of [marijuana].'"

A Response More Mournful Than Enraged (May 19, 2003- free NYTimes registration required)
"It had all the potential for a volatile backlash: an unarmed black woman in her 50's home alone in the early morning hours before heading to work when police officers in riot gear break down her door and set off a concussion grenade. Within hours, the woman is dead of a heart attack."

Superior Court Ruling in Ottawa Wipes Out Anti-Pot Laws (May 19, 2003)
This is the text of Ottawa Superior Court Judge Steve Rogin's ruling on May 16, 2003, effectively wiping out the anti-pot possession laws. As of that day, it appears that possessing pot in Ottawa is legal for all means and purposes. Read the genuine, no joke, real deal ruling for yourself here.

Man jailed for leaking police documents (May 19, 2003)
"Robert Mullally reported to jail after a judge found him in contempt of court for giving information about Los Angeles police officers who abused their wives and girlfriends to a television reporter."

Unsolved mysteries... the drugs and terror connection (May 19, 2003)
A blogger weighs on on some questions and facts about official US ties to drug dealing and production world wide.

Fishing Has Decimated Major Species, Study Says (May 19, 2003)
"Industrial fishing practices have decimated every one of the world's biggest and most economically important species of fish, according to a new and detailed global analysis that challenges current fisheries protection policies."

Instant-Mix Imperial Democracy (May 19, 2003)
"I don't care what the facts are. What a perfect maxim for the New American Empire. Perhaps a slight variation on the theme would be more apposite: The facts can be whatever we want them to be."

California Town Criminalizes Compliance With Patriot Act (May 19, 2003)
"More than 100 cities and one state have passed resolutions condemning the USA Patriot Act, saying it gives the federal government too much snooping power. But in this liberal fold of Northern California's Redwood Curtain, a simple denouncement just doesn't go far enough. To cooperate with the act, the City Council says, is criminal."

Botched raid leads to woman's death (May 19, 2003)
"Police kicked down the wrong door at a New York apartment house Friday and a woman with a heart condition died on the way to the hospital." Another prohibitionist anti-drug raid gone awry, paid for by the taxpayers.

Congress Debates Drug War Ads (May 19, 2003)
"A House Subcommittee today approved legislation that contains provisions authorizing drug czar John Walters to spend taxpayer money on television ads to influence voters to reject drug policy reforms."

Marijuana possession law 'erased' (May 17, 2003)
"Possessing less than 30 grams of marijuana is no longer against the law in Ontario, a Windsor judge says in a ruling released yesterday that compounds the chaos over Canada's pot laws."

Marijuana legal in Ontario (May 17, 2003)
"'The people of Ontario should be celebrating this monumental victory!' said Marc Emery of the BC Marijuana party. 'Anywhere you can smoke tobacco, they should be smoking marijuana.'"

Washington Turns Up Heat on Canada Over Marijuana Plans (May 17, 2003)
"The head of U.S. drug policy launched one of his strongest attacks on Friday on Canada's plans to relax penalties for marijuana possession, and dismissed as 'ridiculous' one of Ottawa's main reasons for pushing ahead with the idea."

Marijuana advocates wary of Ottawa's move to decriminalize (May 17, 2003)
"Indeed, one of the world's few experiments with handing out tickets for pot suggests decriminalization can backfire badly -- making life much tougher for marijuana users as police find issuing tickets much easier than pressing charges."

Study Finds No Sign That Testing Deters Students' Drug Use (May 17, 2003- free NYTimes registration required)
"Drug testing in schools does not deter student drug use any more than doing no screening at all, the first large-scale national study on the subject has found."

Breyer explains support of drug testing to high schoolers (May 17, 2003)
"Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer told students Friday that school drug testing is a reasonable way to stop children from experimenting with narcotics."

Ontario Cannabis Laws Invalid? (May 17, 2003)
"Marc [Emory] talks to Lawyer Brian McCallister who brought the case through the courts."

Bid to Find Tex. Lawmakers Decried (May 17, 2003)
"A Texas political battle turned into a matter of national security for a few hours this week when state officials enlisted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help track down more than 50 Democratic state lawmakers who had vanished from Austin."

Deputy fired for smoking marijuana may be rehired (May 17, 2003)
"A marijuana-smoking sheriff’s deputy could get his job back after the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that he was wrongly fired in 1999."

Remains of Toxic Bullets Litter Iraq (May 16, 2003)
"The Monitor visited four sites in the city - including two randomly chosen destroyed Iraqi armored vehicles, a clutch of burned American ammunition trucks, and the downtown planning ministry - and found significant levels of radioactive contamination from the US battle for Baghdad."

The War at Home (May 16, 2003)
"Our jails overflow with nonviolent drug offenders. Have we reached the point where the drug war causes more harm than the drugs themselves?"

We need to reduce demand for drugs (May 16, 2003)
"Aroon Suansilppongse (Postbag, May 13) argued that, from a human rights standpoint, we cannot ignore the death of 2,274 people killed in the war on drugs. John Arnone (Postbag, May 14) responded that using lethal force is justified in this 'anarchist' environment."

Review: 'Saying Yes - In Defense Of Drug Use' (May 16, 2003)
"Saying Yes, a new book from the senior editor of Reason Magazine, offers an informative perspective on the War of Drugs that far too many people have yet to obtain..."

Blair takes lead in war on drugs (May 16, 2003)
"Tony Blair is to convene an international conference to encourage European Union countries to do more to tackle Marxist terrorists who control Colombia's drug trade."

When the War on Drugs Is Too Narrow (May 16, 2003)
"What is needed is a continuation and expansion of successes seen under what was dubbed Plan Colombia. It requires a broader vision for the entire region that makes eradication and interdiction not ends in themselves but benefits that result from resolution of broader social and economic troubles."

Environmentalists = Terrorists (May 16, 2003)
"The Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act may be next. Intended for states, it criminalizes virtually all forms of environmental or animal-rights advocacy."

Foster mom cleared on drug charge (May 15, 2003)
Everywhere one looks one can find hard to imagine situations in the War on Some Drugs and Users.

Ethics Conflict Seen as ex-CIA Officials Turn to Lobbying (May 15, 2003)
"In the mid-'90s, Barry Broman was CIA station chief in Burma, also known as Myanmar, a leading producer of illegal narcotics that is governed by one of Southeast Asia's most repressive military regimes. In retirement, though, Broman switched clients: Last year, the former US intelligence officer worked on behalf of Burma as a $5,000-a-month lobbyist, trying to persuade American officials to adopt a more friendly stance toward the regime."

Lawsuit Alleges FEMA Funded by Laundered Drug Profits (May 15, 2003)
"FEMA was allegedly created by Executive Order 12148 which became law simply by its publication in the Federal Registry. In other words, Congress was bypassed for FEMA's authorization as well as its funding. But if Congress never authorized the 'agency,' where do operational expenses come from?"

Whatever Happened to Bin Laden? (May 15, 2003)
"If President Bush put the kibosh on investigations of Saudi funding of terror and nuclear bomb programs, this was merely taking a policy of Bill Clinton one step further."

Where Was Bush in 1972? (May 15, 2003)
Here's a website devoted to examining the records of G.W. Bush's service, or non-service if the official records are to be believed, to the US National Guard instead of going off to fight in the Vietnam conflict.

Tommy Chong Pleads Guilty in Bong Sales (May 14, 2003)
"He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Sept. 11."

Graham Continues 9/11 Cover-Up Charge on Sunday Shows (May 14, 2003)
"In a revealing interview on Bob Schieffer’s CBS-TV Sunday news show, “Face the Nation,” presidential candidate and Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) persisted in his charges that the Bush Administration was covering up information about terrorist activities they knew were being carried out in the United States long before the September 11, 2001 attacks."

Canada's Pot Issue Ignites a Wacky Fear (May 14, 2003)
"So let me get this straight: Right now, with the nation's foreign and domestic policymakers grimly focused on preventing the next 9/11 and security officials fretting about the ease with which terrorists might smuggle biological or chemical weapons into this country, we're at one level of border security. But the prospect of tourists slipping across the border with a few joints in their toilet kits means we may have to kick it up a notch?"

'Drug Czar' Ignores State Campaign Law (May 13, 2003)
"State officials say federal official's anti-pot work requires filing of report."

Former drug czar to quit gambling (May 13, 2003)
"As the joyous word spread, crack flowed like water through inner-city streets, family court judges began handing out free divorces, and children lit bonfires of `The Book of Virtues,' `More Virtuous Virtues,' `Who Cheesed My Virtue?' `Moral Tails: Virtue for Dogs.' And cynics everywhere thought, for just a moment: Maybe there is a God after all."

Prescription Addiction (May 12, 2003)
"Medications designed for one purpose often end up as treatments for other conditions. That's not unusual. What is surprising is the number of older drugs that have suddenly become good candidates for treating cocaine addiction."

Conspiracy crusader doubts official 9/11 version (May 12, 2003)
"They are questions that 99 per cent of Canadian journalists have not dared or deigned to ask, and that most Canadians would prefer not to hear. In these strange times, asking direct and probing questions about 9/11 will get you instant put-downs."

Dirty Money (May 11, 2003)
"In 2000, the voters of Utah overwhelmingly approved the measure ordering that the money and property legally taken from accused criminals go to the state's school fund, rather than to the law enforcement agencies that seized it. But it hasn't worked out that way."

The War At Home (May 11, 2003)
"By treating this as a criminal justice problem, our range of solutions has been sharply limited: How much coercion do we need to make this problem go away? No country has yet found that level of repression, and it is unlikely many Americans would want to live in a society that did."

Drug War Addiction (May 11, 2003)
"Just when you thought it was safe to turn on the boob tube, the Office of National Drug Policy starts a new TV ad campaign."

"The Lies Are Brilliantly Crafted"- Greg Palast with Marc Ash (May 11, 2003)
"Throughout US history, monied jackals have invaded the White House and Congress. Time after time they use some threat of external danger - the Commies, the Viet Cong, the Anarchists, the Terrorists, whomever - to keep Americans hypnotized by The Threat Out There. They empty the Treasury, bust unions, and impoverish the average Joe and Josephine."

The Two Faces of Rumsfeld (May 11, 2003)
"Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, sat on the board of a company which three years ago sold two light water nuclear reactors to North Korea - a country he now regards as part of the "axis of evil" and which has been targeted for regime change by Washington because of its efforts to build nuclear weapons."

Merchants of Death (May 11, 2003)
Rumsfeld is in suitable company working for the Bush administration after selling nuclear reactors to N. Korea, since the Bush family has a multi-generation history of selling arms to more than one side of a conflict, including helping Nazi Germany's war rumble on during WWII.

Seven Nuclear Sites Looted (May 11, 2003)
"The Bush administration fears that technical documents, sensitive equipment and possibly radiation sources have been scattered.If so, there are potentially significant consequences for public health and the spread of materials to build a nuclear or radiological bomb. President Bush had said the war was fought to prevent the spread of 'the world's most dangerous weapons.'"

FCC Secretly Allowing Monopolizing of the Media (May 11, 2003)
"Most people in this country have no idea what's about to happen to them even though their very democracy is at stake.''

Patriot games (May 11, 2003)
A spokesman for House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner said making the Patriot Act permanent 'will happen over his dead body.'"

At Washington's Holocaust Museum, cadets learn to be good cops from very bad cops (May 10, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"As she completed her analogy, it seemed to be dawning on the recruits that 60 years ago in Germany young men and women just like them, perhaps just as certain of their purpose, were blindly committing themselves to evil."

100th Anti-Patriot Act Resolution Passed In Broward, Florida (May 10, 2003)
"Broward County, Florida, the 14th largest county in the U.S., yesterday unanimously passed a resolution affirming the Bill of Rights and registering strong concerns about the PATRIOT Act. Broward is the 100th community to pass such a resolution and the largest to have done so, according to the Northampton Bill of Rights Defense Committee, which tracks all resolutions."

Tripping De-Light Fantastic (May 9, 2003)
"Are psychedelic drugs good for you?"

Canada Considers Medical-Marijuana Sales at Pharmacies (May 9, 2003)
"As it moves to reform its medical-marijuana policy, Health Canada is looking at how the Netherlands provides government marijuana to patients directly through pharmacies, the Canadian Press reported April 28."

Anthropologist says Shakespeare might have smoked marijuana (May 9, 2003)
"Several 17th-century clay pipes found at the site of William Shakespeare's home were used to smoke marijuana, a South African anthropologist says. Although he has no proof that the Bard was the guy who smoked the pipes, he surmises that some of Shakespeare's sonnets and plays also lend credence to the possibility that the writer smoked marijuana for inspiration."

Former NFL lineman works to change marijuana laws (May 9, 2003)
"Cops and counselors say one reason to wage war on marijuana is that it robs kids of their motivation. But Stepnoski was one of the NFL's premier centers for 13 years (Cowboys and Oilers), even though he had been smoking marijuana regularly since high school."

Pained pot activist just wants his milk and marijuana in prison (May 9, 2003)
"Michael Patriquen may be in a jail cell, but he believes he still has the right to eat marijuana cookies there to ease the pain of injuries he suffered in a car accident four years ago."

US prison rehabilitation through faith (May 9, 2003)
"More and more people are being put behind bars in America."

Writer's latest muckraking exposes public policy 'Madness' (May 9, 2003)
"And after all the time and energy and money that has been spent, and all the personal harm that has been caused, not only has marijuana use among young people increased, but the supply of pot hasn't really been affected."

Neighbors make sense on marijuana (May 9, 2003)
"In fact, a survey of teens in 30 European countries found that all of them have lower rates of cannabis use than we do. Conservatives often warn about the unintended consequences of liberal schemes, but they haven't noticed that our pot laws seem to be fostering drug use instead of preventing it."

Canada's bid to liberalize marijuana could mean longer border delays (May 9, 2003)
"Canada's Parliament next week will take up legislation eliminating jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Violators instead would face small fines."

Man Tells Cops Someone Stole His Marijuana (May 9, 2003)
"Detective Sgt. Tommy Cobb, who also went to Randolph's home, said it was the first time he ever heard of anyone reporting a marijuana theft. 'I asked him, 'Why are you telling us you had marijuana?' Cobb said. 'He said he was always told to tell the truth.'"

Canada's Supreme Court Hears Marijuana Cases (May 9, 2003)
"The Supreme Court of Canada will rule on three challenges to the country's 80-year-old marijuana possession and trafficking law, the Toronto Star reported May 7."

Medical Marijuana User Gets Probation For Pot Possession (May 9, 2003)
"Mike Loftus, 39, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of possessing more than one ounce of marijuana. In addition to probation, Superior Court Judge James Cloninger ordered him to pay a $500 fine."

Jim Crow Revived in Cyberspace (May 9, 2003)
"Astonishingly, and sadly, four decades after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. marched in Birmingham, we must ask again, 'Do African-Americans have the unimpeded right to vote in the United States?'"

Strong Must Rule the Weak, said Neo-Cons' Muse (May 9, 2003)
"Is U.S. foreign policy being run by followers of an obscure German Jewish political philosopher whose views were elitist, amoral and hostile to democratic government?"

Parents, Shopping for Discipline, Turn to Tough Schools Abroad (May 9, 2003)
"Ken Kay, the president of Wwasps, would not allow a reporter to visit Casa by the Sea; Dace Goulding, the program's director, declined to answer any questions. But Mr. Kay, responding to inquiries in writing from his office in Utah, said no charge of abuse had ever been proven against any of the programs in any court."

Report: Pentagon Adviser in Iraq Flap (May 8, 2003)
"Pentagon adviser Richard Perle briefed an investment seminar on ways to profit from conflicts in Iraq and North Korea just weeks after he received a top-secret government briefing on the crises in the two countries, the Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday."

Pipe Dreams and Headhunters (May 8, 2003)
"Concerns Raised Over the Feds' Crackdown on Drug Paraphernalia"

The War Comes Back Home (May 8, 2003)
"Have John Ashcroft and the Justice Department unraveled constitutional protections in trying to ensure our safety?"

New Furor Over Halliburton (May 8, 2003)
"Cheney's office has said repeatedly that the vice president has no role in Halliburton's operations or its government contracts."

Bill Maher Ridicules Pot Ads on Conan (May 7, 2003)
This is a nine minute audio clip of Bill Maher on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien show, being his usual outspoken self.

Ashton & the Bush Twins Party On! (May 7, 2003)
"...And then I go upstairs to see another friend and I can smell the green wafting out under his door. I open the door, and there he is smoking out the Bush twins on his hookah."

To Canada, US diplomacy is high comedy (May 7, 2003)
"Those darned Canadian hopheads! That's been the White House's reaction to the news that Premier Jean Chretien of Canada wants to decriminalize marijuana possession north of the 49th parallel."

Thai Premier Denies Killings in Drug War (May 7, 2003)
"Thailand's prime minister on Wednesday denied that security forces executed suspects during an anti-drug campaign that left hundreds dead and said the world should be grateful his country is fighting the drug trade."

Opium addiction widespread among Afghan weavers (May 7, 2003)
"Thousands of poor Afghan women working as carpet weavers in refugee camps drug their children with a daily dose of opium, sparking an unending cycle of addiction and illiteracy, which the government continues to ignore."

Colombian journalist shares ideas of wars in Colombia, Iraq (May 7, 2003)
"Even though the might of U.S. military technology is on the side of the Colombian state, children and soldiers are still victims for all factions."

The High Price of Colombia’s Drug Trade (May 7, 2003)
Not only the clear cutting of vast swaths of forests and jungles to raise coca and poppies, the War on Drugs itself is wreaking havoc on the fragile ecosystems of Colombia.

Associated Press Puts Violent Words in Iraqi Protesters' Mouths (May 7, 2003)
"Let's just say that there's more than a shade of difference between 'we'll kick you out' and 'we'll kill you.'"

Off the Turnbuckle: Miss Elizabeth dead after apparent drug overdose (May 7, 2003)
"At one point, Miss Elizabeth was the most beautiful, charming and classy woman to ever grace the stage of professional wrestling."

White House Refuses to Release Sept. 11 Info (May 7, 2003)
"The Bush administration and the nation's intelligence agencies are blocking the release of sensitive information about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, delaying publication of a 900-page congressional report on how the terrorist assault happened."

My Country: The World (May 7, 2003)
"The distinction between dying for our country and dying for your government is crucial in understanding what I believe to be the definition of patriotism in a democracy."

All the President's Lies (May 7, 2003)
"Bush's rhetoric bears no resemblence to his policies. How does he get away with it?"

Ozzy Osbourne's Son Jack Checks Into Rehab (May 7, 2003)
"In an interview with the syndicated TV show 'Extra,' both parents revealed they had to wait a week to get their son a bed in the facility, and they expressed pride in him for taking the initiative in his own recovery."

Peru eases coca plant eradication (May 6, 2003)
"After months of social unrest by thousands of coca farmers objecting to forced eradication of their crops, the Peruvian government has agreed to stop uprooting long-existing coca plants, an apparent surrender to demands that could weaken one of the few clear successes in the war against drugs in Latin America."

War on drugs kills addicts (May 6, 2003)
"So why, in the sixties, could a heroin addict behave like a responsible citizen when, today, they're a blight upon all our cities? Because in the sixties a registered addict like Dermot could get his heroin free on prescription. That scheme was abandoned in 1968 and that was the start of the drug problem we see today."

Fixing the war on drugs (May 6, 2003)
"The measure, by Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, and Rep. Lynn Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, is a first step toward a more intelligent and effective approach to the "war on drugs" in Colorado."

British Tribunal Rules Gulf War Drugs Caused Disease (May 6, 2003)
"A British tribunal has ruled in favor of a veteran who served at the time of the first Gulf War and claimed that a cocktail of drugs and vaccines caused subsequent illnesses."

The War On Drugs Now Threatens America's Neighbors (May 6, 2003)
"Our neighbor to the north has now drawn the ire of the most powerful country in the world. Like the Province of British Columbia, all of Canada is now considering relaxing its laws against marijuana possession. The result: Threatened retaliation by the Unites States of America."

O'Malley fighting war on drugs on two fronts (May 6, 2003)
"While his predecessor, Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, declared the "war on drugs" a failure and made national news by discussing the "decriminalization" of narcotics, O'Malley rode into office as the anti-Schmoke: a proud drug warrior."

US: 'Saddam Had No Weapons of Mass Destruction' (May 6, 2003)
Is this really surprising to anyone with a brain, and knowlege of the extensive history of lies told we the people to justify murderous warring on other nations?

Rep. Waxman Questions Halliburton Ties to Terrorism (May 6, 2003)
"This letter from Representative Henry Waxman should be read with care, for it asks virtually all of the important questions that have been surrounding this war and the corporate sponsors who pushed for it."

When No News Is Big News (May 6, 2003)
"The frenzy surrounding Bush’s speech last week affirmed how easy it remains to manipulate the major media."

The Bookie of Virtue (May 5, 2003)
"William J. Bennett has made millions lecturing people on morality--and blown it on gambling."

Broad Domestic Role Asked for C.I.A. and the Pentagon (May 5, 2003)
"The Bush administration and leading Senate Republicans sought today to give the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon far-reaching new powers to demand personal and financial records on people in the United States as part of foreign intelligence and terrorism operations, officials said."

Occidental Petroleum Faces Lawsuit for Its Role in Massacre in Colombia (May 5, 2003)
"The lawsuit filed yesterday by international rights attorneys under the Alien Tort Claims Act charges that Occidental Petroleum and its security contractor, Airscan, participated in the air raid that led to the killing of innocent civilians in the hamlet of Santo Domingo, Colombia on December 13, 1998."

Small Crowd at a March for Marijuana (May 5, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"Only about 200 people showed up yesterday for the annual march down Broadway, from Houston Street to Battery Park, to demonstrate in favor of decriminalization of marijuana possession. That is down from a crowd estimated at 6,000 last year. In 2000, the number of arrests at the event, 312, actually exceeded the total turnout this year."

Million Marijuana March In Burlington (May 5, 2003)
"Legislation to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes may have died in the Vermont State House, but the push to legalize pot is still hot."

March promotes marijuana usage (May 5, 2003)
"The event, sponsored by the Students for Sensible Drug Policies, was one of several such events around the world. Cities such as Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Rome, Tokyo, New York, Moscow and Mexico City hosted similar marches that usually occur on the first Saturday of May. This was the first time that Lawrence hosted the 'Million Marijuana March.'"

California judge blasts drug war at pro-marijuana rally in Reno (May 5, 2003)
"Judge James Gray of Orange County, California says the drug war has cost billions of dollars and resulted in the United States having the world's highest incarceration rate--with no end in sight to rampant drug abuse."

Canadians march for legalization of marijuana (May 5, 2003)
"Pro-marijuana activists anxiously awaiting changes to Canada's marijuana laws took to the streets of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver on Saturday, calling for legalization of the contentious plant."

Reefer madness: Why more jocks turn to marijuana (May 5, 2003)
"But as Americans grow more tolerant of marijuana, the sports world is heading in the opposite direction."

George W. Christ? (May 5, 2003)
"You would think we'd have known better 835 days ago."

Weapons of Mass Distortion (May 5, 2003)
"If the first casualty of war is truth, then language itself sustains the heaviest collateral damage, as Orwell used to point out (before 'collateral damage' proved his point by entering the vocabulary of poisonous euphemism)."

Yippies' Answer to Smoke-Filled Rooms (May 2, 2003- free New York Times registration required)
"From his prodigiously messy digs, Mr. Beal organizes a network of annual pot parades, successors to the Yippie smoke-ins. This year's parades, which are scheduled for Saturday, will include demonstrations in more than 200 cities around the world, he said."

Patriot Raid (May 2, 2003)
"I was held, against my will and without warrant or cause, under the USA PATRIOT Act. While I understand the need for some measure of security and precaution in times such as these, the manner in which this detention and interrogation took place raises serious questions about police tactics and the safeguarding of civil liberties in times of war."

MSNBC Article on Bush "Misstatement" Pulled Off Site (May 2, 2003)
"While the fact that a big media outlet erased its own reporting to protect the powerful isn't a surprise (although it is still maddening), the big shock is that another tentacle of the corporate media called them on it." Russ Kick at thememoryhold.org reports about an article detailing a blatant lie told by Bush to justify his war on Iraq, now having disappeared from the MSNBC website.

U.S. says Canada cares too much about liberties (May 2, 2003)
"The same report took issue with Canada's move to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a ticketing offence rather than a criminal one."