Truthout roundup 8/1

Jeremy Scahill refutes Blackwater's "whining" about negative media attention; the Bush White House has prioritized "loyalists" throughout its administration; solar power may soon become widely accessible and practical; Paul Krugman writes on the conflict between Speaker Pelosi and Republicans on environmental issues; Wal-Mart worries that a Democratic win will fuel unionization; and more ... Browse our continually updating front page at http://www.truthout.org
t r u t h o u t 08.01

Jeremy Scahill Blackwater's Not Going Anywhere
http://www.truthout.org/article/blackwaters-not-going-anywhere
Jeremy Scahill, The Nation: "It seems that executives from Blackwater Worldwide, the Bush Administration's favorite hired guns in Iraq and Afghanistan, are threatening to pack up their M4 assault rifles, CS gas and Little Bird helicopters and go back to the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina whence they came. Or at least that's how it is being portrayed in the media."

For White House, Hiring Is Political
http://www.truthout.org/article/for-white-house-hiring-is-political
Charlie Savage, The New York Times: "On May 17, 2005, the White House's political affairs office sent an e-mail message to agencies throughout the executive branch directing them to find jobs for 108 people on a list of 'priority candidates' who had 'loyally served the president.' 'We simply want to place as many of our Bush loyalists as possible,' the White House emphasized in a follow-up message, according to a little-noticed passage of a Justice Department report released Monday about politicization in the department's hiring of civil-service prosecutors and immigration officials."

"Major Discovery" From MIT Primed to Unleash Solar Revolution
http://www.truthout.org/article/major-discovery-from-mit-primed-unleash-solar-revolution
Anne Trafton, MIT News: "In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine. Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. With today's announcement, MIT researchers have hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy."

Paul Krugman Can This Planet Be Saved?
http://www.truthout.org/article/can-this-planet-be-saved
Paul Krugman, The New York Times: "Recently the Web site The Politico asked Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, why she was blocking attempts to tack offshore drilling amendments onto appropriations bills. 'I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet,' she replied. I'm glad to hear it. But I'm still worried about the planet's prospects."

Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win
http://www.truthout.org/article/wal-mart-warns-democratic-win
Ann Zimmerman and Kris Maher, The Wall Street Journal: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies -- including Wal-Mart. In recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized."

Suspect in 2001 Anthrax Attacks Kills Himself
http://www.truthout.org/article/suspect-2001-anthrax-attacks-kills-himself
Matt Apuzzo and Lara Jakes Jordan report for The Associated Press: "Federal prosecutors investigating the 2001 anthrax attacks were planning to indict and seek the death penalty against a top Army microbiologist in connection with anthrax mailings that killed five people. The scientist, who was developing a vaccine against the deadly toxin, committed suicide this week."

Guantanamo Military Trials: Hamdan Defense Session Held in Secret
http://www.truthout.org/article/military-trial-guantanamo-hamdan-defense-testimony-held-secret
William Glaberson reports for The New York Times from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: "After military prosecutors rested their case against Osama bin Ladenís former driver, the military judge on Thursday closed the courtroom to the news media and other observers for the first time so the tribunal could hear defense testimony in secret."

Nuclear Watchdog Boosts US-India Atomic Deal, Despite Concerns
http://www.truthout.org/article/nuclear-watchdog-boosts-us-india-atomic-deal-despite-concerns
Reuters reports: "Governors of the UN nuclear watchdog approved an inspections plan for India by consensus on Friday, a key step towards finalizing a US-Indian nuclear cooperation deal, diplomats in the closed meeting said. The accord would open up to India the world market in atomic materials and technology for civilian use, but is controversial since New Delhi has conducted nuclear test explosions and never joined the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)."

Cass R. Sunstein Judicial Partisanship Awards
http://www.truthout.org/article/cass-r-sunstein-judicial-partisanship-awards
Cass R. Sunstein writes for The Washington Independent: "Who are the real activists on the US Supreme Court? Do Republican appointees differ from Democratic appointees? How much? Are federal judges political? I have been studying these issues with several colleagues, including Thomas Miles, an economist and lawyer at the University of Chicago Law School, for a number of years now. One big question: Do judges show a political bias? We also wanted to see what any bias might tell us about how judges might rule in the future - under, for example, an Obama or McCain administration."

Serge Truffaut Neither Fish Nor Fowl
http://www.truthout.org/article/serge-truffaut-neither-fish-nor-fowl
Le Devoir's Serge Truffaut examines the longer term implications of Turkey's recent Constitutional Court ruling, which will not force the ruling government party, the AKP, to disband, in spite of its perceived failures to honor the secularism enshrined in Turkey's Constitution.