Indictment of suspected terrorists contains little evidence of plot ... no explosives or weapons

KRT Wire | 06/23/2006 | Indictment of suspected terrorists contains little evidence of plot: "BY MARISA TAYLOR AND LESLEY CLARK | Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Even as Justice Department officials trumpeted the arrests of seven Florida men accused of planning to wage a 'full ground war against the United States,' they acknowledged the group did not have the means to carry out the plan.

The Justice Department unveiled the arrests with an orchestrated series of press conferences in two cities, but the severity of the charges compared with the seemingly amateurish-nature of the group raised concerns among civil libertarians.

'We're as puzzled as everyone else,' said Howard Simon, the director of the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. 'There's no weapons, no explosives, but this major announcement.'

The seven men are charged with conspiring to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and FBI buildings in five cities. Prosecutors said they swore allegiance to al-Qaida after meeting with a confidential government informant who was posing as a representative of the terrorist group.

But after sweeps of various locations in Miami, government agents found no explosives or weapons. Investigators also did not document any direct links to al-Qaida." ...

Ann Coulter hasn't lost any of her 100-plus newspaper clients ... despite her nasty remarks in her new book about 9/11 widows

Newspaper Clients, and Syndicate, Stick With Coulter: "By Dave Astor and Greg Mitchell | Published: June 16, 2006 1:40 PM ET updated 4:00 PM

NEW YORK Ann Coulter hasn't lost any of her 100-plus newspaper clients, or the support of her syndicate, Universal Press Syndicate, despite her nasty remarks in her new book about 9/11 widows and her comment in an online interview implying that, perhaps, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) should be "fragged."

A Universal spokesman said there were no discussions going on there about dropping the columnist.

Why is Coulter keeping all her subscribers? "Ann's client newspapers stick with her because she has a loyal fan base of conservative readers who look forward to reading her columns in their local newspapers," Universal Director of Communications Kathie Kerr said in a statement, after being queried today by E&P. ...

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | Climate chaos: Bush's climate of fear

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | Climate chaos: Bush's climate of fear: "Watch Panorama on Sunday 4 June at 2215 BST on BBC One or live or on demand on this site to find out if the Bush administration has covered up the findings of global warming scientists.

A US government whistleblower tells Panorama how scientific reports about global warming have been systematically changed and suppressed.

Some of America's leading climate scientists claim to Panorama that they have been censored and gagged by the administration.

One of them believes the publication of his report, which catalogues the unprecedented rate of ice melt in the Arctic, was delayed as Americans prepared to vote in 2004.

The scientists claim that when Bush came to power in 2000 his administration selected advice which argued that global warming was not a result of human activities and that the phenomenon could be natural.

But one of the people who suggested the president adopt that position explains to Panorama how he has changed his point of view: "It's now 2006. I think most people would conclude that there is global warming taking place and that the behaviour of humans is affecting the climate. I am not the administration. What they want to do is their business. it has nothing to do with what I believe." ...

High court trims whistleblower rights

High court trims whistleblower rights - Yahoo! News: " By GINA HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer Tue May 30, 5:54 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court scaled back protections for government workers who blow the whistle on official misconduct Tuesday, a 5-4 decision in which new Justice Sam Alito cast the deciding vote.
...
Critics predicted the impact would be sweeping, from silencing police officers who fear retribution for reporting department corruption, to subduing federal employees who want to reveal problems with government hurricane preparedness or terrorist-related security.