1.17.2004

Old news in Iraq: American commanders in Iraq have admitted that they've been relying on World War I-era reports, compiled in 1918 by the then-ruling British, to understand the network of tribal sheikhs and reach out to the Shias. As the Independent writes, "The revelation is not likely to improve confidence in the ability of the US to sort out the deepening muddle over how it means to relinquish political power to the Iraqi people by this summer." Also: the US death toll hits 500.

Changing the tone: Dana Milbank and David Broder write of the death of civility in the nation's capitol, despite the president's promise 37 months ago to "change the tone in Washington, D.C. I believe things happen for a reason, and I hope the long wait of the last five weeks will heighten a desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past. Our nation must rise above a house divided."

Go Bob! U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, is suing the state's secretary of state and Palm Beach's county supervisor to require electronic voting machines to print out paper receipts that ensure tamper-free voting.

No Logo: At the World Social Forum, now going on in Mumbai, George W. Bush isn't the only one unwelcome: so are multinational brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The no-logo event geared toward finding solutions for a fairer world refused funding from the Ford Foundation, and made sure all computers were run on Linux, an open-source alternative to Microsoft.

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