Week in Headlines

Government
Another Tiny ($2.3 Billion) Accounting Mistake

Pro Publica looks into the different mistakes that have been made in the stimulus, and details California’s $2.3 billion accounting error.

Foreign Policy
Changing the Discourse: First Step toward Changing the Policy?

A look at President Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt, and how it could be a step towards changing the United States foreign policy.

Veterans
Crisis at the VA as Benefits Claims Backlog Nearly Tops One Million

Truth Out documents the problems facing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including the almost one million unfinished disability claims, and for the first time in history the battlefield suicides was higher than the number of combat deaths in the war zones.

Media
Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz -- How MSNBC Became a Liberal Mecca

Alter Net reports on how MSNBC became a progressive alternative to Fox News, and MSNBC President Phil Griffin foresees the network moving forward in the “new world media order.”

Reproductive Rights
Alleged Killer of Abortion Doctor Has Decades-Long History of Extremism

Report from the Southern Poverty Law Center about the involvement of Scott Roeder, the alleged murder of reproductive health care provider George Tiller, with the anti-government “sovereign citizen” movement as well as anti-abortion radicalism.

Women’s Issues
Rape Crisis in East Congo Tied to Mining Activity

Report on the acute crisis of sexual violence in eastern Congo is being tied to illegal mining interests in the region, which help finance the warring and competing factions that are perpetrating a worsening rape epidemic.

GLBT Issues
The Tide Isn’t Turning on Marriage: The Real Meaning of Vermont and Iowa

A critical look at the political victories in Vermont and Iowa, and how those victories do not denote a turning point in GLBT rights. The article notes that a turning point will not come “until DOMA is repealed and marriage equality has either arrived or is close to appearing in dozens of states.”

Race and Racism
Harpooning the Great White Wail: Racism, the Supreme Court and Right-Wing Buffoonery

Tim Wise writes about the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sotomayor, the racist attacks that followed, and how white conservatives are demonstrating a penchant for the unhinged histrionics of victimhood.

From the Blogs

Simple – Green – Frugal:
Letting Go

Heather writes about deleting her “to-do list,” learning to stop micromanaging her life, being at peace with herself, and how to let go.

Army of Dude:
The True Hollywood Story

Alex, whose blog was recently listed by Switched.com as one of the most controversial sites on the internet, reviews some of the photographs and writings that have shown that the most controversial thing of all is usually the truth.

Texas Liberal:
The Case For Kinky Friedman For Governor Of Texas In 2010

Neil at Texas Liberal lays out why Democrats should consider voting for Kinky Friedman, because there might not be “any alternative for those who want to change Texas for the better.”