Day: May 18, 2005

Somewhere in the highest echelons of journalism, we have come to think that there are different standards for truth. There is truth so big it should be spread all over the front pages of our newspapers, the covers of our newsmags, the top of the prime-time news. That truth must be checked by multiple sources, and government officials must be asked to comment on the record, of course. But we seem to have developed another standard for truth – for news that is just small stuff that will be buried somewhere inside the newspaper, the newsmag, the newscast. Multiple confirming sources aren’t really required, nor are official comments. It turns out that Newsweek did a fairly good bit of checking and reporting – for what our journalistic craft mistakenly thinks is good enough for just a news squib.

The White House is holding Newsweek magazine responsible for at least 17 deaths linked to rioting in Afghanistan over a report alleging American desecration of the Koran, even though a high military official has dismissed any such connection.

Congress and the White House are preparing for what could be arduous negotiations on long-overdue legislation to fund highway and transit projects and provide for safer and less crowded driving conditions.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday begins a showdown over President Bush’s stalled judicial nominees, with the majority Republicans threatening to change Senate rules in a move that could shift the balance of power between Congress and the White House.

Five civil rights, animal rights and environmental groups are joining together to sue the FBI to release records about monitoring of anti-war and other political activities by federal agents assigned to counterterrorism duties.

The White House says the image of the United States suffered irreparable damage from a Newsweek article alleging that American interrogators of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Muslim holy book.