First War Crimes’ Trial in 60 Years Begins, Guantanamo Detainee ‘Test’ Case
OSAMA'S DRIVER: Salim Hamdan, captured in Afghanistan in November 2001 and accused of terrorism and conspiracy, faces trial this week at Guantanamo. Hamdan, Osama bin Ladin's former driver, is the first detainee to come to trial under a "military tribunal," the controversial legal process set up for trying suspected terrorists. The government sees Hamdan's trial—the first war crimes' trial since World War II—as the one that will test the process.
A court ruling last week allows the trial to go forward while the civilian courts establish procedures to handle the habeas corpus cases resulting from the Supreme Court's decision in June. Currently there are 260 prisoners in Guantanamo, but the U.S. government has formally charged only 20 and expects to try only 60 to 80. Hamdan's case is probably the simplest of those, since he was directly associated with bin Laden and not held in secret detention facilities.
Congress’ Override of Medicare Veto Changes More than Doctor Pay Cuts
POSTPONING INEVITABLE? A strong bipartisan vote overrode President Bush's veto of a Medicare bill that would have cut payments to physicians. Now that the bill is law, seniors covered by Medicare need to understand how the other aspects of the bill may affect them.
EPA Releases Warnings, Proposed Regulations for Climate Change
COURT ORDERED: On July 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its proposed regulations for controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Just a few days later the EPA's Office of Research and Development released an unrelated report outlining global climate change's potential effects on health, cities and Americans' overall wellbeing.
FDA Clears Tomatoes of Salmonella, Now Suspects Chili Peppers
PEPPERS SUSPECTED: Thursday federal health officials declared all types of tomatoes free of salmonella contamination. The investigation now focuses on jalapeño and serrano peppers.
Nearly One-Quarter of California High School Students Drop Out
BETTER TRACKING: The head of California's Department of Education announced a nearly 1-in-4 dropout rate for the state's high school students. Ethnic minority students are much more likely to dropout than their Caucasian cohorts.
Lobbyist Videotaped Trading Political Access for Donations to Bush Library
NEWSPAPER STING: The London-based newspaper, The Sunday Times, carried out an undercover investigation of Stephen Payne, a lobbyist and member of the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council. Caught on video, which the newspaper published online, Payne offered to arrange meetings with high-level Bush administration officials for a former Kyrgyzstan president in exchange for $750,000.
IndyMac Bank Collapse Creates Problems, Not Disaster
BANK COLLAPSE: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation closed IndyMac Bank on Friday, reopening it Monday morning as IndyMac Federal Bank. The bank's collapse triggered widespread worry over the health of other banks, but banking experts agree that most people have little to worry about.
Taliban Kills Nine Americans in NATO Base Attack, Base Closing
DEADLY FORCE: Before dawn last Sunday, Taliban forces launched a two-pronged attack on a NATO base near the village of Wanat in the Kunar province. Nine U.S. troops were killed in the deadliest fighting in Afghanistan since June 2005 when rebels destroyed a helicopter carrying 16 soldiers.
Bush Lifts Offshore Drilling Ban, Lower Gas Prices Not Likely
ENERGY COSTS: President Bush lifted the presidential ban on offshore drilling that has been in effect since his father, George H.W. Bush, signed it in 1990 and President Clinton extended it in 1998. Experts say that even if Congress follows suit and lifts its ban, permitting offshore drilling will not significantly impact oil supplies or gas prices for at least 10 years.
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