Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity

I recently filed a piece for KGOU in Norman, Oklahoma, regarding the disparity in sentencing between the crack and powder forms of cocaine. Under current federal law, possession of five grams of crack cocaine is punishable by a mandatory five year sentence. Yet it would take 100 times that amount in powder cocaine to receive the same sentence.

To listen to an MP3 of the story, click here.

From KGOU's website:

Let’s say you’re an African American, you live in Oklahoma, and you’re caught possessing five grams of crack cocaine. According to mandatory sentencing guidelines, you’d receive a ten year prison sentence, even if it was your first offense. On the other hand, if you’re white, affluent and you’re charged with possessing powder cocaine – which is chemically identical to crack, albeit more concentrated -- you’d need to have nearly six times as much to receive a similar sentence. The Oklahoma Sentencing Commission has called for the elimination of the disparity between the sentences, and Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have teamed up to reduce the disparity on the federal level. Charles Davis reports from Capitol Hill.

Guests include former State Senator and Sentencing Commission member Ged Wright, Ethan Nadelman of the sentencing reform group the Drug Policy Alliance, Senator Tom Coburn and State Senator and Sentencing Commission Chair Richard Lerblance.

Duncan Hunter challenges claims of "broken Army"

This past Friday, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on two bills -- one that would require the Pentagon to develop a comprehensive strategy to redeploy troops from Iraq and report back to Congress, and another that would require all active-duty troops to receive time at home equal to the time they spend deployed overseas. Currently, members of the Army complete 15 month tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but only receive 12 months at home before being redeployed.

Many, such as retired General William Odom, former head of the NSA under President Reagan, have criticized the long deployments. Lawrene Korb is another former Reagan official criticizing the long deployments and the war in Iraq. He served as an assistant Secretary of Defense during Reagan's first term. In the hearing he repeatedly suggested that the war in Iraq was "breaking" the military, in terms of causing low reenlistment and morale, and most importantly, an inability to respond effectively to a future threat. But as I reported for KPBS in San Diego, CA, California Republican Duncan Hunter took issue with Korb's statement that several generals, including retired General Barry McCaffrey, have used the word "broken" when speaking of the state of the military. Korb stood by his claim, quoting McCaffrey referring to the Army's ground combat capability as "shot." But Hunter didn't accept that, arguing that "ground combat capability" was not the same as "Army." But Hunter's interpretation of McCaffrey's stance seems rather implausible in light of the highly critical report McCaffrey wrote on the Iraq occupation after returning from the country in March. In the report he stated:

Stateside US Army and Marine Corps readiness ratings are starting to unravel. Ground combat equipment is shot in both the active and reserve components. Army active and reserve component recruiting has now encountered serious quality and number problems. In many cases we are forced to use US contractors to substitute for required military functions. (128,000 contractors in Iraq—includes more than 2000 armed security personnel.) Waivers in US Army recruiting standards for: moral turpitude, drug use, medical issues, criminal justice records, and non-high school graduation have gone up significantly. We now are enlisting 42 year old first term soldiers. Our promotion rates for officers and NCOs have skyrocketed to replace departing leaders. There is no longer a national or a theater US Army strategic reserve.

Whether he prefers the word "shot" or "broken," it's clear that McCaffrey believes the war in Iraq is hurting the Army, and that it is in a state of serious trouble.

Study: Iraqis May Experience Sadness When Friends, Relatives Die

As reported by The Onion.

CHAPEL HILL, NC—A field study released Monday by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health suggests that Iraqi citizens experience sadness and a sense of loss when relatives, spouses, and even friends perish, emotions that have until recently been identified almost exclusively with Westerners.

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Psychologists and anthropologists have thus far largely discounted the study, claiming it has the same bias as a 1971 Stanford University study that concluded that many Vietnamese showed signs of psychological trauma from nearly a quarter century of continuous war in southeast Asia.

"We are, in truth, still a long way from determining if Iraqis are exhibiting actual, U.S.-grade sadness," Mayo Clinic neuropsychologist Norman Blum said. "At present, we see no reason for the popular press to report on Iraqi emotions as if they are real."

How the News Works

A timely reminder from political cartoonist Tom Tomorrow.

Appalachian Regional Commission

Yesterday I filed a five minute interview with Northeast Ohio Republican Congressman Steve LaTourette for WKSU at Kent State University in Ohio. The interview was regarding the recent addition of three Ohio counties to what is known as the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency originally setup to assist poor counties in Appalachia receive federal aid. In our conversation we talk about what joining the Commission actually means for Ohio. We also talk about the controversy surrounding expanding the Commission to areas not in Appalachia, and whether that signifies that the ever-expanding Commission is simply engaged in pork-barrel spending.

To listen to an MP3 of the interview (it starts a few minutes into the program), then just click here.

You may also listen to the story in streaming Real Audio by clicking here.

Story on polluted beaches

On Wednesday, San Diego Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) spoke to a Senate hearing about polluted beaches -- and as the former mayor of Imperial Beach, he has some experience in the matter. He wants to speed up the time it takes to alert the public of a pollution hazard by improving the testing methods employed by the EPA.

To listen to the story, click here.

Washington Rally for Habeas Corpus

Outside of the U.S. Capitol, hundreds of people rallied for the restoration of the right of habeas corpus, which was stripped for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay last year in the Military Commissions Act. The event was sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union. In this piece for WSHU in Fairfield, Connecticut, I report what Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) had to say at the rally.

To listen to the story, click here.

National Bio and Agro Defense Facility -- Take 3

This is another version of my story on the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, this time for WFAE in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Interviews include:

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Edward Hammond, Sunshine Project
Warwick Arden, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University

To listen to the story, click here.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Quits Republican Party

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to quit the Republican Party is fueling speculation that he will launch an independent bid for president. In this piece for WSHU in Fairfield, Connecticut, I ask Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) what she thinks about Bloomberg's move.

To listen to the story, click here.

National Bio and Agro Defense Facility -- Part 2

In addition to the group in San Antonio mentioned in the post below, a consortium of Oklahoma institutions is also trying to bring the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF) to El Reno, OK. In this piece for KGOU in Oklahoma City, I interviewed the key players trying to bring the lab to the state.

From KGOU's website:

In the coming weeks, the Department of Homeland Security will decide where to build the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, a proposed 520,000 square foot high-security laboratory that will research cures and vaccines for biological threats such as mad cow disease and bio-weapons. Many lawmakers are clamoring to have the facility and its high-paying jobs in their district. But critics call it unnecessary pork, and say it could present a danger to the surrounding community. Fourteen sites are currently being considered, including one in El Reno.

Guests include Congressman Frank Lucas; Grazinglands Lab Director Jean Steiner; John Kerr, President of the San Antonio-based Southwest Foundation; and Renee Porter, spokesperson for Advancia, the company helping OSU and the Grazinglands lab try to bring the facility to Oklahoma.

Click here to listen to an MP3 of the story.

The National Bio and Agro Defense Facility

Here is a recent feature I filed for KSTX, Texas Public Radio (San Antonio, TX):

A Department of Homeland Security funded, $500 million federal laboratory is looking for a home and San Antonio has three potential sites for the proposed National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility. The biolab will focus on both potential biological terror threats and naturally occurring diseases that could affect the food supply or spread from animals to people. But while many see the biolab as a job generator for San Antonio, others are looking at the potential hazards and deadly agents it would bring into our community. Texas Public Radio's Charles Davis has more on the story from Capitol Hill.

Click here to listen to an MP3 of the story.

Interview with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)

An excerpt:

Ron Paul is not your typical Republican. The Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee in 1988, he believes in limited government and a "live and let live" social policy. He voted against going to war in Iraq back in 2002, and he strongly opposes any military action against Iran. In fact, Paul’s considered to be the most consistent antiwar member of Congress. Though that position may be out of step with today's Republican Party, Paul has enjoyed enormous success online. In the following conversation, Paul talks about his campaign, the issues he’s focused on, and the fallout from his exchange in the South Carolina Republican debate with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani over the role United States foreign policy may have played in providing motivation for the attacks of 9/11.

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

Interview with Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN)

Though considered to be one of the most conservative members of Congress, Representative Jimmy Duncan (R-Tennessee) has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration when it comes to foreign policy. I spoke to Representative Duncan about his views on foreign policy and on what he thinks will happen to the Republican Party in light of the growing unpopularity of the war in Iraq.

An excerpt:

Duncan: "I think the foreign policy that we're following, and the policy on homeland security, is just leading to a great expansion of federal power. I opposed the creation of the Homeland Security Department. I've opposed the PATRIOT Act. Because to me those things are leading to more and more and bigger and bigger and much more expansive government that I don't think we can afford. And it's making our federal government more powerful and more intrusive, invading the privacy of many of our citizens and so forth. And it goes against every traditional Republican, traditional conservative view that I've ever known."

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

Oklahoma Lawmakers on Cuban Embargo

In Oklahoma, the state Department of Agriculture and many local farmers support increasing trade with Cuba. They think that it could be a big market for the state's wheat, beef, and other agriculture products. In this piece, I look at the ongoing debate over the Cuban trade embargo and speak to Oklahoma Republican Congressmen Frank Lucas and Tom Cole, both of whom support the embargo. The story aired in the greater Okalahoma City region on KGOU.

To listen to the story, click here.

Cuban Trade Embargo

Should the U.S. lift the current travel and trade restrictions against Cuba? That was the focus of this feature I did for Alabama Public Radio. If the trade embargo against Cuba was lifted, Alabama agriculture would benefit greatly thanks to its close proximity to the island nation. But while the state legislature in Alabama has called on Congress to lift the embargo, the state's lawmakers in Washington are opposing any changes in the status quo.

To listen to the story, click here.

National Guard Overstretched

Because of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, many National Guard units around the country are severely lacking in both personnel and equipment. In fact, the average National Guard unit has less than 40% of the equipment they say they need to effectively respond to a domestic emergency, such as a hurricane or flood. In this piece for WCPN in Cleveland, Ohio, I interviewed Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), and Representative Steve LaTourette (R-OH) for their thoughts on the state of the Ohio National Guard. In particular, I asked them about proposals to give the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff so that the Guard would have more say in how its personnel and equipment are used. I also asked them about reversing changes made last year to the Insurrection Act, which make it easier for President Bush to declare martial law and to control National Guard units without the consent of state governors.


To listen to the story, click here.

TxDOT feature for Texas Public Radio

A longer version of my story on TxDOT's recent funding dispute with Texas' congressional delegation has aired on KSTX in San Antonio, Texas.

To listen to the story, click here.

Latest story for KUT

My piece on the Texas Transportation Department's deteriorating relationship with Texas' congressional delegation aired today on KUT in Austin, Texas.

Here's a summary:

Just weeks after the Texas Transportation Department’s contracts with Washington lobbyists angered lawmakers, TxDOT is doing it again. This time, the agency has told Texas’ congressional delegation to not bother obtaining federal funds for state road projects unless they first seek approval for the project from them first. TxDOT argues this is necessary because federal money often comes with the demand that the state provide matching funds, and federal money alone doesn’t always justify a project moving forward. Texas lawmakers argue that means some projects in inner-cites and in their districts might fall by the wayside, and have responded by calling the move “arrogant." They have composed a bipartisan letter trumpeting their performance in obtaining federal dollars for TxDOT, providing 40% of its budget. They argue that TxDOT is just another bureaucracy that's gone mad with power. The controversy is just the latest battle in a continuing war over obtaining transportation dollars for the state, and evidence of a growing divide between the state and its Washington lawmakers.

To listen to the story, click here. It begins at the three minute mark.

"Is the US Already at War with Iran?"

I have a new article up at LewRockwell.com discussing the major media's general failure to report on allegations that the Bush administration is backing Pakistani extremist groups to launch terrorist attacks inside of Iran. The article juxtaposes the amount of non-coverage this story has received to the amount of press that Don Imus' bigoted comment received, and asks why credible claims of American-supported terrorism are deemed less newsworthy. The article also includes the response from Senate Intelligence Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) when I asked him to comment on the allegations.

To read the story, click here.

BBC Documentary on Iraqi Death Squads

I highly recommendend that anyone concerned with the current situation in Iraq watch this important documentary on the Shiite death squads that have been empowered since the 2003 invasion (video here). The documentary explores how Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army operates directly out of the Iraqi Interior Ministry, condoned and supported by the Iraqi government. It describes, in often graphic detail, how the death squads are attempting to drive the minority Sunnis from Baghdad, using torture and murder as their chief weapons. Before you watch the documentary, I recommend that you read this 2005 Newsweek article regarding the so-called "Salvador option" in Iraq, that is, the United States' backing of death squads that target Sunni insurgents and rebel leaders, ala the Reagain administration's anti-insurgent policy in El Salvador in the 1980s. With many of the same players from the Reagan foreign policy team in key positions within the Bush administration, such as John Negroponte, the former ambassador to Honduras for Reagan and current Deputy Secretary of State (as well as former National Intelligence Director and ambassador to Iraq), it is impossible to watch the documentary without wondering if this strategy has not in fact been implemented, with disastrous and bloody results.