Freebies influence medical students - Kaisa Walker and Sondi Bruner, (University of Toronto) Varsity
  Gifts, meals and even money given to medical students by drug companies dramatically influence how graduates think of the pharmaceutical industry.

ENRON takes bullet - Calgary voters dodge it - Penney Kome
  How concerned citizens saved their public utility from being sold to corporate mega failure.

Top Middle East reporter nearly killed by angry mob
  "My beating by refugees is a symbol of the hatred and fury of this filthy war," says Robert Fisk. "If I were the Afghan refugees of Kila Abdullah, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border, I would have done just the same to Robert Fisk." A link to The Independent.

The '20th hijacker' had been a suspect for years...
  He was ignored by intelligence agencies and the FBI let him go without investigation three weeks before September 11 - after complaints from a flight school. The Independent.

Rise and fall of village cleric who fought 'criminals and traitors' - Robert Fisk
  The surrender of Kandahar may, as far as the West is concerned, mark the end of militant Islam in Afghanistan. The Independent.

Insight
CBC may never recover from management power play - Peter Murdoch, CEP
  Climate of confrontation, Draconian changes to working conditions characterize new CBC - listeners and viewers to lose along with workers.

Argentina Down but not Out - Margaret Piton
  Vibrant informal economy and healthy public works give lie to alarmist headlines.
 

Liberals pushing further economic integration with US - Linda McQuaig
  Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador, Liberia and East Timor have all adopted the US dollar and look what it's done for them.
 

"Heritage" fishing and stocked salmon in Ontario waters
  Will sport fishers now take it as their right to tinker with the environment by stocking non-native fish in lakes and rivers? - Chief Ralph Akiwenzie.

In the wilds of Afghanistan
  Today's humanitarian crisis is only new in its intensity - and we're responsible, writes Sydenham, Ontario environmentalist Stephen Fuller, based on his working experience in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the mid '90s.

The Straight Goods Cyber Forum with Larry Solway The renegades - Hechtman, DiManno - who make us think and the pathology of hate.   What do you think about independent versus "established" journalism? Can anyone with gumption and a laptop report the news? Should they be encouraged to do so? Join the Straight Goods Cyber Forum and exchange your thoughts and ideas with other SG readers. Take the Straight Goods Cyber Survey and qualify for a prize in the weekly Straight Goods draw.

Consumer News
For kids' sake: think toy safety - Safety Alerts
  A child's interests and skills aren't the only things you should be looking for when holiday shopping for toys.
 

Cooking Enron's books and buying protection - Arianna Huffington, AlterNet
  Political contributions let Enron Execs waltz - workers and pension investors not so lucky.

Seniors and Health Care
Government not hearing seniors' voices
  A Toronto study agrees with other in national projects: seniors poorly served by government policies.
 

Media files
Media giant BCE eats Agincourt home
  CTV Toronto affiliate in trouble with the neighbours for buying and razing paradise home to build parking lot.

The propagandists of war - Online Journalism Review
  Is there space for objective reporting in global conflict?

How the Press was won
  Ron Stern and partner Bob Silver are Canada's newest media barons. Link to Canadian Business Online.

Southam media: 14 papers, one editorial

Fox throws neutrality out the window - The New York Times
  Fox has pushed television news where it has never gone before: to unabashed and vehement support of a war effort, carried in tough-guy declarations often expressing thirst for revenge.

Robert Fisk on the Middle East
Arafat will gamble on Israel's 'war' failing again
  As usual, we are forgetting recent history - The Independent.

Down to Earth
Happy Holidays, Mother Earth
  Suzanne Elston's days of "blissful excess" are gone - now she directs that holiday urge to consume toward people that benefit from her spending power.

Books
Noam Chomsky is alive and well - Working for change
  The author-activist's new book, 9-11, exposes everything the media doesn't want you to know.

News from the Web
Canada bans pesticide, faces lawsuit under NAFTA
  US chemical company seeking 100 million in damages.

Catholic school board awards Harris advisor - Catholic New Times
  Teachers up in arms as Harris hitman Giorno gets school award.

Civil liberties in the US
We are all suspects, if Ashcroft has his way - Common Dreams
  Not content with the noxious U.S.A. Patriot bill, American Attorney General John Ashcroft has steadily moved from bad to worse.

Chanukkah humour from Straight Goods
Channukah songs against child care cuts - Susan Sperling

Top 10 Reasons to Like Chanukkah

And... Home for Channukah
 

Posted: December 11, 2001
Updated: December 12, 2001