The US Defense Department's annual report on China's military strength it published on July 19 played the same old tune of "China threat theory". The Chinese side has lodged solemn representations with the US part. International observers, experts and scholars analyzed the intentions of the report and raised criticisms of it.

Leon Lefson is 90 years old and has the energy of men half his age. A Sacramento resident, he has been a political activist for decades. His working life includes a stint as a research assistant for the famed labor historian Philip Foner.

As more information about Supreme Court nominee John Roberts’ record is made available, it is increasingly clear that the Senate judiciary committee would be well within its rights to block confirmation. The White House packaged Roberts as a non-controversial, non-ideological nominee and announced its expectation of confirmation quickly, as early as next month.

On Wednesday, the Board of Governors of the International Development Bank (IDB) elected their new president. As predicted, Luis Alberto Moreno, the present Colombian ambassador to the United States, won the position, beating out the most highly qualified candidate, Brazilian Joao Sayad, the current Vice President of Finance and Management at the IDB, as well as Peruvian Finance Minister Pedro-Pablo Kuczynski.

According to a report authored by the staff of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, because of Wal-Mart's low wages, any one of its employees might be forced to seek public assistance estimated at $2,103 to the US taxpayers for health care and other assistance. With approximately 1.3 million US employees and growing, this amounts to a total of $2.7 billion a year.

The Bush administration has nominated a smooth corporate lawyer with all the right university, law school and gentleman’s club connections to replace Sandra Day O’Connor at the Supreme Court. Questions will be asked of course, particularly on Roe v. Wade, but the federal judiciary’s collaboration with right-wing Republican administrations in the undermining of workers’ rights and civil rights and civil liberties should be seriously addressed.

A significant percentage of the U.S. news stories about Iraq in the past couple of days have been stories about a fictional TV series set in Iraq – "Over There," which debuted on the FX Network on Wednesday night.  Much has been made of the idea that this is the first such series about a war to air during the actual fighting of that war (apparently we've already all forgoten the Jessica Lynch series and the Colin-Condi-Dick-and-Don Show).

After revelations that Judge John Roberts misrepresented his membership and role in the extremely conservative, judicially activist Federalist Society, the White House continues to withhold key documents related to his ideological views on overturning key legal principles considered settled by most Americans.

Senior US military lawyers had strongly opposed the harsh interrogation methods against foreign terror suspects in 2003, but their voices were neglected by the US government, according to newly declassified documents. Rather than listening carefully to the lawyers’ opinions, President Bush had authority to order excessive interrogations of prisoners at the US naval base of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

On June 24, Brazil issued an ultimatum to the Illinois-based pharmaceutical corporation Abbott Laboratories that it must lower the price it charged for the AIDS medication Kaletra, or the government would move to break the patent and manufacture the drug generically in its own laboratories. Abbott was given ten days to respond with a more favorable price, and on July 9, media reports indicated that it had reached an agreement with Brazil.

Members of the Patriotic Front held a demonstration on June 18 for the anniversary of the opening of Incirlik Military Base, which has been under the US control since its foundation. Patriots gathered in front of the Galatasaray High School on the Istiklal Street with banners and TKP flags.

President Fidel Castro rejected rumors that Cuba is experiencing an economic crisis, explaining that the Cuban capacity for resistance actually allowed the economy to grow 7.3 % in the first six months, despite drought and scarce energy, and all indications show an expected 9 percent growth for the year.

The brutal assault by the police on the workers of the Honda Motors and Scooters in Gurgaon has shocked the country. In a systematic and premeditated fashion the police launched a savage attack on workers protesting against the illegal actions of the Honda company.

At each new terrorist act the Australian, British and US governments use the opportunity to tighten the legislative screws directed against alleged terrorists. The latest moves include proposals to ban those holding what are said to be extreme Islamic fundamentalist views, to ban books which are said to contain incitement to terrorist acts, even to deport (to where?) those who are alleged to be preparing terrorist acts, etc.

One long day in Pointe Noire, on my vacation from volunteer work in the forest, the Congolese painter Trigo Piula and I sat arguing in his jumbled studio about whether there is a spiritual element to canvasses. There was little common ground to be found between us, and after debating at length he gave up on me.

A majority of Americans favor single-payer health coverage, a shift to renewable energy, the protection of natural resources, investment in education, and protection of civil rights. And very nearly a majority of Americans – a strong majority of Democrats – favor impeachment of the President if he lied about the reasons for war.

At its 25th Constitutional Convention, the AFL-CIO voted to adopt a resolution supporting "the brave men and women deployed in Iraq." The resolution states that US service men and women, which include AFL-CIO members and who mainly come from working families, risk their lives and deserve real leadership.

Although high ongoing unemployment in a number of industries has depleted union membership and pushed the unionization rate down to record lows, job losses in heavily unionized sectors do not account for the decline in union membership since the 2001 recession.

To all the haters that don’t think cycling is a sport, and the Tour De France ranks just below watching an apple turn brown, let’s be clear: Lance Armstrong has earned the love. The cancer-surviving cyclist ended his career with a record seventh straight Tour De France victory.

Why would Judge John G. Roberts lie about being a member of the Federalist Society (FS)? Along with several major news organizations, Political Affairs reported that Judge Roberts was a member of the arch-conservative lawyers’ and judges’ association. Roberts demanded that these major news organizations retract their stories saying he had no memory of being a member of the FS.