The Daily MuckSalim Hamdan, one of the most famous detainees at Guantanamo Bay, gave testimony yesterday at his trial about his life at the prison. He told his disturbing account as his defense lawyers claimed he must be moved for the facility in order to focus on his trial. (New York Times)
The House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on one of Rep. Dennis Kuchinich’s (D-OH) articles of impeachment. But Democrats said the hearing would not lead to a vote on impeachment but is instead only an “election year review” of President Bush’s reasoning to take the country to war in Iraq. (AP)
A new report shows that Angelo Mozilo, CEO of Countrywide Financial, gave special deals on loans to people other than just senators and star athletes. This “Friends of Angelo” group also featured, among others, a California state appeals court judge, who just happened to toss out a case against Countrywide in August of 2004. (Portfolio)
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the Bush administration has the authority to capture and detain enemy combatants in the U.S., but they must give the detainees an opportunity to challenge their detention. This mixed-bag ruling was a 5-4 decision. (AP)
Defense systems in the U.S. against a smuggled nuclear bomb or a biological outbreak or attack are costly and poorly coordinated, according to new reports from the Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office. These defense initiatives cost $2.8 billion in 2007, but lacked a plan to fix problems. (Washington Post)
John McCain’s newly released list of more than 400 top money collectors contains a huge number of lobbyists. Nearly a fifth of the list is composed of known lobbyists who have brought in at least $500,000 each. This update has been long awaited after promises from both candidates for full discloser of bundlers. (New York Times)
Even though both John McCain and Barack Obama have promised to shut down Guantanamo Bay, the reality is that the prison may stay open long into the next president’s first term. Many questions remain with few promising answers over what to do with the prisoners detained there if the facility is closed. (Chicago Tribune)