The Daily MuckThe White House found the subpoenaed warrantless surveillance documents! They were in Cheney’s office all the time (presumably in a man-sized safe). Of course, Cheney’s made it clear he’s not handing those docs over anytime soon. (Washington Post)
Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey is facing contempt charges after his agency dropped fish-killing fire retardant on wildfires. After Rey blocked the first review of this information, a federal judge ordered Rey to complete a case review before October or face a contempt citation. (Associated Press)
Only one officer has been charged in cases of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. Now, the most serious charges against him have been dropped because investigators failed to read him his rights. (Associated Press)
Pakistan freed an al-Qaeda operative and computer expert Monday after three years of custody. Mohammed Naeem Nour Khan was never charged in court prior to his release, but government officials say that intelligence gathered from his interrogation sessions led to the capture of at least one other key operative. (Associated Press)
The United Nations ethics chief is calling for an investigation into the firing of Artjon Shkurtaj. Shkurtaj worked in the financial division of the North Korean branch, and was disturbed to find that local North Koreans were being paid in counterfeit U.S. currency. After Shkurtaj reported the problem, he was fired. His boss is calling the situation a coincidence. In any case, it’s nice to know that something American is still popular abroad. (Associated Press)
The new prescription Medicare plan is supposed to ensure drug coverage for all senior citizens, but 20 percent skip out on the program entirely because it is too expensive. That seems to hit hardest the people who need the plan the most: individuals who take multiple prescriptions for chronic illnesses. (LA Times)