Friday, July 29, 2005

From: The Blog of the American Constitution Society

acsblog.org
From: The Blog of the American Constitution Society

The House of Representatives narrowly passed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The vote on the bill, which passed 217-215, took place late last night and featured heavy lobbying from Bush Administration officials.

Newly disclosed documents show that, in 2003, military lawyers vigorously dissented from Bush Administration officials who claimed that the President had authority as commander in chief to order "harsh interrogations" of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. The documents include one advising the administration task force that several of the "more extreme interrogation techniques, on their face, amount to violations of domestic criminal law" as well as military law.

The Department of Agriculture is investigating another possible domestic case of mad cow disease, its chief veterinarian said yesterday. The department would not say where the cow was from.

The Environmental Protection Agency made a last-minute decision Tuesday to delay the planned release of an annual report on fuel economy. The report shows that American automakers produce cars and trucks that are significantly less fuel-efficient than they were in the late 1980's. "Something's fishy when the Bush administration delays a report showing no improvement in fuel economy until after passage of their energy bill, which fails to improve fuel economy," said Daniel Becker, the Sierra Club's top global warming strategist.

According to the New York Daily News, Jason Epstein, husband of jailed New York Times reported Judith Miller, was recently spotted on a star-studded Mediterranean cruise. All while his wife remains incarcerated in an Alexandria, VA, detention facility.

Meanwhile, Arianna Huffington theorizes on what may actually be going on behind the scenes of the Judith Miller situation.


A Utah judge has ruled that personalized license plates reading "GAYSROK," "GAYWEGO," and "GAYRTS" should be issued and that a "reasonable person" would not find the terms "offensive to good taste." The Utah Department of Motor Vehicles had previously denied the issuance of the plates, saying that personalized plates are not a place for the expression of controversial opinion. A Utah woman had requested the plates to show support for her gay daughter and gay friends.