Top Stories from AlterNet for July 29, 2006

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The ‘Baby Bump’ is So Hot Right Now
Ellen Goodman, Truthdig — In times of war, babies become the new bling.

Israel Accused of Using Illegal Weapons
Dahr Jamail, AlterNet — Human Rights Watch claims that Israel has dropped cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon, violating international law.

Timothy Leary’s Long Acid Trip
Neal Pollack, The Nation — Psychedelics are supposed to destroy the ego, but they didn’t stop LSD pioneer Tim Leary, who never lost his penchant for self-promotion.

Readers Write: Who is the Real Hugo Chávez?
Jan Frel, AlterNet — Did the CIA take over AlterNet? That is a question readers asked after reading two articles published about Venezuela president Hugo Chávez.

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New at AlterNet Video:
Diane Wilson: bring the troops home, fast In conjunction with peace group Code Pink, Wilson has reached her 24th day of fasting — on nothing but water — to protest the war in Iraq.

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AlterNet’s best stories of the week:

A Modern-Day Tyrant?
Javier Corrales, Foreign Policy — Part provocateur, part CEO and part electoral wizard, his critics believe Hugo Chávez has updated tyranny for today.

The Case for Breaking Up Wal-Mart
Barry C. Lynn, Harper’s — Wal-Mart’s massive growth has begun to disrupt America’s entire retail economy, forcing companies large and small to adapt to its ruthless practices if they want to do business. Is it time to bring in the government to break up the mega chain?

Six Immigration Lies, Dispelled
By Rinku Sen, TomPaine.com — Immigrants aren’t animals or terrorists — and they’re not sucking the nation’s economy dry.

Did Israel Attack the U.N. ‘Accidentally on Purpose’?
Ian Williams, AlterNet — Israel’s recent bombing of a U.N. observation post in Lebanon is eerily similar to one 10 years ago.

The Difference Between a Womb and a Wallet
Kai Ma, AlterNet — A woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy is not the equivalent of a man’s choice to financially opt out of fatherhood.

How Legalizing Drugs Will End the Violence
Norm Stamper, AlterNet — If Steven Soderbergh’s gritty 2000 film “Traffic” caused you to squirm in your seat, the real-life story of Mexican drug dealing is even more disquieting.

Dead Dem Walking
Rick Gell, AlterNet — It’s not just Joe Lieberman’s support for the war on Iraq, or his steady backing of the Bush agenda. There are many reasons why Joe must go — and now.

Bill Moyers for President
Molly Ivins, AlterNet — Can Moyers win? No, but he can show the Democrats what political courage looks like.

Who Must Really Answer for 9/11?
David Sirota, AlterNet — Republicans running for re-election believe the American public will swallow another batch of lies and distortions about 9/11 — but this time, Democrats are pushing back.

Corporate Media Censor Moveon
Joel Bleifuss, In These Times — In a new series of TV ads, MoveOn exposes GOP lawmakers’ fealty to the corporations that fund their campaigns. Now if only the stations would run them...

These stories and more are available on AlterNet.

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