CommonDreams.org

Whoah. It seems when George W. opens his library to commemorate all the swell things he did during his reign, it will feature one of his favorite toys: Saddam Hussein's pistol, found when Saddam was pulled in his p.j.'s from a  hole in the ground. Bush library spokesman Mark Langdale says it shows the U.S. "disarmed (Hussein) literally." Except, umm, when the gun was found it was unloaded, a choice bit of symbolism seemingly lost on W. during the 5 years he proudly displayed his trophy.  

“We were getting ready to leave the Oval Office, and he told us, ‘Wait a minute, guys, I want to show you something,’ ” recalled Pete Hegseth, chairman of Vets for Freedom. “The president... came out with the gun, inside this glass case. He said, ‘The Delta guys pulled it off Saddam.’ He was very proud of it.”

Forsaking picnics and hotdog contests, two staples of New York City July 4 celebrations, area peace grandmothers held the Third Annual Reading of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence in Strawberry Fields. Believed to be the only celebration of its kind in the country, the readings took place on a gorgeous day in Yoko Ono's Central Park oasis dedicated to the memory of her husband, John Lennon.

From Gaza, two heartrending videos tell the stories of two young Palestinians blocked from scholarships, and the world.

"Hear the anguish in these children's voices, and you will understand why it is absolutely essential for American Jews to recall their cultural memory of the Warsaw Ghetto, and why it is essential for Americans to say, Let these people go."

"This has the hallmarks of a politician slinking away before the shit hits the fan"

22 U.K. climate change activists who hijacked a coal train in a highly organized action were convicted of obstructing the train but cleared of stopping it in a case where the defendants doggedly raised global warming issues. The judge said they will likely face a sentence of community service but no jail time.

"(The judge) may think global warming is irrelevant but that does not mean that the British public does. The climate change movement is growing with every passing week and we are not waiting for the politicians to act."

As the cringe-worthy Gov. Mark Sanford continues to tell us more than we need to know, Jon Stewart nails the surreal nexus where sex, media, politics and showbiz meet in America .

"God killed Michael Jackson to save your ass, and you gave another interview?"

Taking anti-immigration rhetoric to a new xenophobic low – and citing Hispanic birth rates as proof – the so-called Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has released a report essentially finding that illegal immigrants playing their radios, probably loudly, are the reason for high energy consumption and carbon emissions that threaten the planet. Who knew?

From the report: "America's massive immigration-fueled population growth was the single largest contributing factor to the nation's increased energy consumption and carbon emissions over the past 35 years."