I've been out of town for a while, what's been going on?

I posted this in the lounge and got nothing.... so maybe GDers can help....

I have been out in the field the last couple of weeks taking a course in field paleontology. It rocked (pun possibly intended), but it rained most of the time which massively sucked. But.... I've heard bits and pieces about news items, and I'm curious, what's been going on?

1) Who won the Phillipines election?

2) Any news on the Taiwan recount?

3) What was the reaction around the world (and here) when Sonia Gondhi refused the Prime Ministership, and any thoughts on her reasons?

4) What's new concerning Abu Ghraib?

5) What's this I hear about 9-11 panel theatrics? I just caught a short staticky blurb on NPR.

6) What are the latest Kerry-Bush polls, and any notable state polls?

7) Where can I get a transcript or audio recording of Gore's speach?

8) My roommate tells me that CNN broke wednesday with the draft story (women being drafted, starting up in June 2005, etc).
a) why isn't this EVERYWHERE on the news?
b) what is the reaction to this news?
c) what is KERRY's reaction to this news?

9) Any news on the veepstakes?

10) Anything else important happen?

:kick: anyone awake?

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complete stonewall, to deny any official "policy" of torture and mistreatment and indicate the responsibility lies entirely with "disgraceful conduct by a few American troops who dishonored our country and disregarded our values". That is a direct quote from Bush from a speech last week, supposedly the first of several on Iraq. This despite a huge number of news articles coming out daily showing high level involvement in the torture policies (Maj General Miller of Guantanamo fame, specifically, as well as an old memo from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzalez encouraging stripping the Geneva Convention from treatment of prisoners from Afghanistan.)

They have also taken the position of stonewalling on any further release of photos or videos of torture documentation although it appears that these will continue to leak out over time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/politics/26ABUS.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61941-2004May27.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=582732

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=589902

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=583446

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=589945

There are so many news stories on the expanding torture of prisoners story (can't really call it Abu Ghraib any more since it's clear that this is going on elsewhere) that you really have to fish through latest breaking news or GD forums to find about a billion good stories. Seems like the Denver Post particularly has had a lot of great coverage on the issue.