Tune in to the show tomorrow to hear NPR’s Daniel Zwerdling report on the abuse of immigrants in American jails. Focusing on two prisons in New Jersey, Zwerdling discovered a pattern of abuse, including physical assault and the use of dogs to terrorize detainees, dating back to the mid ...

Some blue Americans have been trying very hard to channel their anger/ sadness into something positive and so sorryeverybody was born. As the word has spread within the blogosphere the site has been flooded by countless photographs of Americans very apologetic over George Bush's election victory. And thankfully those ...

At least Three reports in national newspapers tackled the issue of voter fraud in the presidential election this week. In a sign internet stories have a stronger chance of simmering into the mainstream these days, all three tell the story of blogs charging conspiracy theories along with others charging against the charges. In a world of many internets, it’s hard to keep track of all the claims and counter-claims so we've compiled a list of sites weighing in. The difference between the liberal blogs is notable (with some calls for Kerry to "unconcede" and others saying just deal with it), but the conservatives are not surprisingly unequivocal

Read the list

Let us know your thoughts

Tomorrow on the show we will look into the murder of the Dutch film maker Theo Van Gogh, which has shocked the tiny European nation known for its deep level of tolerance. Things may be changing there as this is the second public assassination in as many years. ...

Richard Dawkins will be giving a reading at Barnes & Noble Upper West Side on 2289 Broadway, at 82nd St New York NY 10024 this evening (11/9/2004) at 7:30 p.m. He will be accompanied by his wife, actress Lalla Ward.

New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey was heavy on the apologies when he gave his farewell address today. He emphasized he was not, apologizing for “being a gay American,” but for letting his “personal feelings impact my decision-making.” In a bid to leave on a high note (albeit prematurely), ...

Journalist Greg Palast thinks so. Here is his article at Tom Paine.com and a link to his website.

Let us know what you think.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Iranian Embassy hostage crisis. A quarter-century later, relations with Iran are nearly as tense as they were then, with large numbers of US troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, just beyond Iran's eastern and western borders.

Ken Pollack is a 'liberal ...

I don't even know what to think at this point. Do any of the individuals who voted based on abortion or religious issues understand the global implications of re-electing this dimwit?
-SC

To say that the Swiftboat allegations sank the Kerry bid for the Presidency is dishonest. It did not. Kerry changed his focus every five minutes during his campaign and gained little traction until the closing stretch.
-DE

Our inbox has been stuffed with tales of voting woes, voting ease, and general excitement about the presidential election.

In case you want to vote but don't know where to do it, try this page recommended by a listener.

Feedback:

I voted this morning in Jersey City and was surprised that an exit interviewer for WABC-TV was set up INSIDE the polling place, about 10 yards from where the actual voting was taking place. They were set up complete w/ camera crew, backdrop & seats for the reporter & interviewee. You couldn’t get in or out of the election site w/o being stopped by the reporter. Is this legal?
-DT

I am not an immigrant but my in-laws are. (from Italy). And though they have been citizens for over 15 years I just learned something the other night when I was visiting them. My mother-in-law was under the impression that since she is registered Republican that she has to vote Republican! She was also under the impression that they would know who she voted for. Simply put, she was afraid to vote for someone other than Bush.
-KM

According to UNICEF everyday 30,000 children around the world die of hunger related causes. How has our government helped to prevent this catastrophe?

In a post September 11th world have our priorities changed? George Bush pushed for the formation of a new government aid organization the Millenium Challenge ...

The 9/11 Commission report was the all-consuming story just before the presidential campaign got under way this summer. But what was once a unanimous proposal has degenerated into partisan bickering on the eve of the election and one of the main stumbling blocks is immigration. The house version of the 9/11 commission bill is strict on deportation measures, while the senate version focuses on intelligence reform.
Conservatives say there’s no difference in the candidates’ stance on immigration, accusing Bush of supporting amnesty with his Guest Worker program. Pro-immigration groups say the Bush record shows he’s too harsh on immigrants in the post-9/11 measures like the registering of citizens from Arab countries.

Here’s what the two major party candidates say.

Please email feedback.

Please, if the guy talking about limiting immigration thinks his grandparents (or whomever else afforded him the opportunity to be an American citizen now) were "aliens", i.e., people from outer space or another term for "THEM", rather than "US", he needs to change his words - these people are called "undocumented workers" or "immigrants", just like his relatives, not "aliens".
-ST

As someone patiently waiting for my green card, having applied legally, and legally gainfully employed under a temporary visa, I am greatly offended that those who are defying the laws would be given better treatment (amnesty & a green card), than myself. If you are going to give them green cards, then everyone legally waiting and qualified should also get them! It's not fair to those "playing ball".
-PK

Read more emails in response to our segment on immigration.

...and feel free to respond to the responses

The right to life and the right to choice is perhaps one of the most controversial issues of the presidential race. George Bush and John Kerry stand on opposite ends of the spectrum politically.

Personally John Kerry believes that abortion is wrong, due to his Catholicism, however he has ...

Now here's a biggie you don't hear much about: the future of welfare.

In 1996, President Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress passed a major overhaul of welfare law, limiting benefits and requiring that recipients work. The law expired two years ago and has received several temporary extensions since then.

The ...

the problems faced by welfare and former welfare families result from their poor choice of political tactics. They neglected to have their Political Action Committees funnel millions of dollars to the parties and their candidates.
-AJL

The Kerry side says turning personal accounts spells disaster. The Bush side says Kerry’s guarantees mean nothing but higher taxes. The issues has been obfuscated in this campaign, but just whose plan is best for the future of social security? The President’s ownership society as laid out in his nomination acceptance speech, extends to this issue. As the Bush/Cheney campaign website site says, “These personal accounts would provide ownership, choice, and the opportunity for all workers to build a nest egg to help with their retirement and to pass on to their heirs.”
John Kerry lays out three pillars on his website: Grow the economy, Restore fiscal discipline, adopt a Bipartisan process.

Read on for more.

Meanwhile, please email us your thoughts (before and/or after the segment).

I wish Kerry would stress that privatized Social Security accounts would be tantamount to a 401K plan; subject to the vagaries of the market and the human temptation to cash out whenever there’s a perceived crisis. This does not sound like security to me.
-EG

I am curious if it would be possible to have both the traditional program for benefits and an option for individuals to take part of their money and privately invest it? This might be too expensive and cumbersome, but I could see how some more savvy investors could take advantage of this while people who really appreciate the simplicity of the program as it exists today could continue to take advantage of the program.
-BT

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... and chime in yourself

How is religion playing into the presidential campaign? How does each candidate’s religious belief impact where he stands on the issues?

Both candidates spoke about their faith and politics during the third presidential debate. Sen. Kerry said, “I believe that I can’t legislate or transfer to another American citizen ...