News

BP Admits "Fundamental Mistake" Before Oil Rig Explosion

The oil giant BP has admitted it proceeded with work on the underwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico shortly before last month’s explosion despite warning signs of a major problem. In a briefing to lawmakers, BP said it may have made a "fundamental mistake" in its work on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the hours before the explosion. BP faces a pivotal day today as it attempts a so-called "top kill" maneuver to choke off the gushing oil by pumping heavy drilling mud and cement into the mile-deep well. On Tuesday, the eleven workers who died in the rig explosion were remembered at a memorial service in Jackson, Mississippi. Chris Rivers, who runs a company that

Obama Expands Militarization of US-Mexico Border

President Obama has unveiled plans to further militarize the US border with Mexico. On Tuesday, Obama said he would deploy an additional 1,200 National Guard troops to the southern border and ask Congress for an extra $500 million for border security.

President Obama: "I’ve been very clear. I think the Arizona law was a mistake. And my Justice Department is looking very carefully at the nature of this law. But I understand the frustrations of folks in Arizona. The fact of the matter is, is that for decades we keep on talking about solving the problems at the border, and we don’t. The truth of the matter is, is that you’ve got hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers coming over the border, and that gets people stressed."

The move marks a victory for Republicans who have been pushing for increased border militarization. Republican Senator John McCain said he welcomes the new troop commitment but thinks even more should be deployed.

Sen. John McCain: "I appreciate the additional 1,200 being sent of the Guard, as well as additional $500 million, but it’s simply not enough. We need 6,000. We need 3,000 across the border, an additional 3,000—sorry, 3,000 National Guard troops to the Arizona-Mexico border."

Immigrant rights group, meanwhile, are criticizing Obama’s plan. In a statement, the National Day Laborers Organizing Network said, "Instead of addressing a domestic human rights crisis, the president appears to be caving into extremists who are further shattering and already broken immigration system. Any legitimate concerns about border security cannot be resolved until undocumented people are given full equality in our society."

15 Wounded in Israeli Attack on Gaza Strip

In Israel and the Occupied Territories, at least fifteen Palestinians have been wounded in overnight Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. Most of the victims were civilians. Israel says it launched the attack in response to Palestinian rocket fire into Israel that caused no injuries

Fmr. FBI Linguist Sentenced for Leaking Classified Documents

A former FBI linguist has been sentenced to twenty months in prison for disclosing classified documents to an unidentified blogger. Shamai Leibowitz says he leaked the documents to expose an "abuse of power and a violation of the law" he witnessed while at the FBI. He says he chose to approach the media after his FBI superiors ignored his complaints. A career attorney, Leibowitz says he’s devoted his career to helping people of color, undocumented workers, and refugees through his legal work and his blog, Pursuing Justice.