thursday reads

Burma today finally let in the first major international aid airlift for survivors of the cyclone that may have killed more than 100,000 people.


Clashes between Ethiopian troops and Islamist insurgents have killed more than a dozen people in southern and central regions of Somalia, residents said.


FBI agents investigating government watchdog Scott Bloch have subpoenaed any records that would reveal whether concerns about the 2004 elections prompted him to clear Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of ethics violations.

Internal Draft Document Reveals Bloch-Headedness


The FBI has withdrawn an unconstitutional national security letter (NSL) issued to the Internet Archive after a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). As the result of a settlement agreement, the FBI withdrew the NSL and agreed to the unsealing of the case, finally allowing the Archive's founder to speak out for the first time about his battle against the record demand.


Helen Thomas: A Picture Worth A Thousand Words


A monster sinkhole the size of several football fields continues to grow and is causing serious concern in the Liberty County [Texas] town of Daisetta.


Leonard Pitts, Jr.: The Land of the Almost Free to Speak Up



Sean Bell Protest
Originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein