Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
LEAD STORY:
Sludge Lifts The Lid On The Insecurity Of The US Voting System
NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
SCOOP COLUMNS:
Brian Cloughley: A Veteran Turned Peacenik Explains
SRA Commentary: Show Me The Jobs!
Chuckman: Big Lies, Smaller Lies
Ooops Scoop Was Wrong!
Stateside On The Columbia Disaster
Re: The Merits Of NZ's Film Subsidy Programme
Getting Lost On The Road To Peace
ZZZZZzzzt Feedback: Tauiwi Views On The Foreshore
Katya Daily

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Burton Shares Info on Sth Vietnam Herbicide Report
Govt Says No Appeal In Seabed and Foreshore Case
ACT Promotes Front Bench Tax
Armed Gang Shootout Threatens Public Safety
Horomia’s Back After Hospital Stay
Least Number Of Strikes Since 1945
ACT Says Plunket Plan Sound
Is Labour Taking NZ Backwards?
Business Tourism Show To Kick Off

LEAD STORY:
Sludge Lifts The Lid On The Insecurity Of The US Voting System

- In This Edition: Bigger Than Watergate! - How To Rig An Election In The United States - Fantasy vs Reality - How We Discovered The Backdoor - Evidence Of Motive - Evidence Of Opportunity - Evidence Of Method - Evidence Of Prior Conduct - Consistent Unexplained Circumstantial Evidence. See... Sludge Report #154 – Bigger Than Watergate! [1] and its companion article Inside A U.S. Election Vote Counting Program [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00064.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00065.htm

NEW ZEALAND NEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0307/S00098.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0307/S00096.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0307/S00095.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0307/S00093.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0307/S00042.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/ED0307/S00025.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0307/S00031.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

Africa

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00095.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00094.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00092.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00087.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00085.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00084.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00086.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00091.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00090.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00089.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00088.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00093.htm

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Brian Cloughley: A Veteran Turned Peacenik Explains

- Last week a newspaper editor expressed surprise about my peacenik views and emailed me accordingly. "I wonder", he wrote, "if you could do a bit of self-psycho-analysis, and examine how a British-Australian former soldier of fairly mainstream views (as I think you were) has evolved into [your present form]." See... They Tell Lies To Nodders [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00067.htm

SRA Commentary: Show Me The Jobs!

- We have been saying for over a year and a half that there would be a jobless recovery in the United States, and the June American payroll numbers drove that point home forcefully. The unemployment rate jumped sharply and payroll employment slumped. See... SRA Commentary: Remember the Alamo [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00073.htm

Chuckman: Big Lies, Smaller Lies

- A few years sometimes make a big difference in human affairs. A few years ago an American President was put through the 18th century ordeal of impeachment, a vast, expensively-staged comic opera of white manes waving and grave baritones intoning, over a dribble on a dress and the lie he told to save himself embarrassment. See... John Chuckman: The Worst Kind Of Lie [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00071.htm

Ooops Scoop Was Wrong!

- Contrary to a report linked by Scoop last night, and now deleted from the site, Congresswoman Katherine Harris is alive and well and even appeared on the floor in the US Congress this morning. See... Correction: Katherine Harris's Demise Exaggerated [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00070.htm

Stateside On The Columbia Disaster

- Yesterday the investigators of the Columbia disaster proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you fire a piece of foam at 500 miles per hour from a gas-powered cannon at a model of the leading edge of a space shuttle wing, you can blow a hole in the wing. See... Stateside with Rosalea Smoking gun or gaping hole? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00069.htm

Re: The Merits Of NZ's Film Subsidy Programme

- Last night I was teaching English to one of my students. She’s a young person who is interested in reading fantasy novels. She wanted to know what the phrase “parallel world” meant. See... Parallel Worlds: New Zealand and Film Incentives [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00068.htm

Getting Lost On The Road To Peace

- President Bush’s "road map to peace," which is based on the widely held vision of an independent Palestinian State co-existing side by side with a secure and safe Israel, may still fail to deliver peace in the Middle East.... First Establish the Will to Peace [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00063.htm

ZZZZZzzzt Feedback: Tauiwi Views On The Foreshore

- As a collective of young Pakeha/Tauiwi we find the recent moves by the government to extinguish Maori customary title to the seabed and foreshore a disgusting display of arrogance. See... Pakeha/Tauiwi and Maori foreshore/seabed rights [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00062.htm

Katya Daily

- Joyous movement and the splendor of Celestial Spirits that, united in charity, sang praises. Such was Mary’s entry into Heaven when she was taken to eternal happiness. See... Katya Rivas: Mary Is the Sublime Creature [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00074.htm

Burton Shares Info on Sth Vietnam Herbicide Report

- As part of the ongoing investigation into the use of herbicides in South Vietnam, Minister of Defence Mark Burton today forwarded previously unreleased documents to several MPs, including chair of the Health Select Committee Steve Chadwick. See... NZDF Herbicide Investigation Documents released [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00184.htm

Govt Says No Appeal In Seabed and Foreshore Case

- The Government will not appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision in the foreshore and seabed case. See... No appeal in the foreshore and seabed case [1] ALSO: Dunne: Time for openness on Maori foreshore claims [2] - Bill English - Govt action on foreshore now critical [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00181.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00186.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00183.htm

ACT Promotes Front Bench Tax

- ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today asked that, if the Government were even-handed over the imposition of the emissions tax on masticating livestock, should not Prime Minister Helen Clark - and her Front Bench - be taxed on their normal ... See... Prime Minister Chewing The Cud [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00191.htm

Armed Gang Shootout Threatens Public Safety

- New Zealand First has asked the Government why it tolerates gang warfare that threatens public safety in the Bay of Plenty. See... Gangs Flourish Under Soft Government [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00190.htm

Horomia’s Back After Hospital Stay

- Mâori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia is back at his farm near Tolaga Bay following routine hospital treatment to deal with a health complaint. See... Maori Affairs Minister resumes duties [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00189.htm

Least Number Of Strikes Since 1945

- There was just one work stoppage recorded for the March 2003 quarter, the lowest result since the recording of quarterly figures began in 1945. See... Record low work stoppages [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00188.htm

ACT Says Plunket Plan Sound

- Plunket's proposal, to begin charging for any additional care it offers - while still providing current services free of charge - is a sensible way for the agency to help New Zealand families in the face of dwindling Government funding, ACT New ... See... Plunket Plan Positive [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00187.htm

Is Labour Taking NZ Backwards?

- Two new reports out today prove the Labour Government is taking New Zealand backwards, according to National Party Welfare spokeswoman Katherine Rich. See... Labour takes NZ backwards [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00185.htm

Business Tourism Show To Kick Off

- New Zealand’s tourism sector is about to get its own TV show. Business Class, a weekly 30-minute magazine programme that will provide small and medium sized tourism businesses with strategic information and operational advice, has just gone into production. See... Business Class ready to take off [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0307/S00182.htm

ENDS