Kay Steiger

FRIENDLY FIRE COVERUP? The interview with Pat Tillman‘s mother on NPR this morning is worth a listen. Her anger at the Army officials is palpable, and she even calls the lies they told her about her son’s death “a form of abuse.” —Kay Steiger

DER SOLDAT. AlterNet reports that the German magazine Der Spiegel recently published a profile of several U.S. soldiers who struggle with their role in the war. One soldier went AWOL because of his objections: From inside, the Army struck “John” as brutal, controlling, “like a slavery contract.” Iraq, his first war zone, did nothing to […]

GI JANE. An article in the NYT magazine this weekend examined women vets and why they experience a slightly higher rate — 24 percent compared with 19 percent of men — of post-traumatic stress disorder than their male counterparts. The reason behind this is sexual assault and harassment, something the article calls a “double whammy” […]

MALE SLUSH FUND. The California Supreme court denied to hear an appeal on a sex discrimination lawsuit, supporting the claim by former clinical psychiatry professor at UCLA. Janet Conney, who worked at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, was awarded nearly $3 million in 2004 for her allegations that male colleagues made disparaging comments about her appearance […]

HELPING VETERANS. Last week I wrote about eligibility problems with National Guard and Reserve benefits, but the reality is that, even if they are eligible, veterans often have trouble navigating the complex rules and application procedures. Yesterday NPR reported that some county-level organizations are helping veterans with the complex paperwork necessary to claim benefits. It […]

WHERE’S MY 20 CENTS? Sen. Clinton recently re-introduced paycheck equality legislation timed to women’s history month, presumably to curry favor with women voters. It’s well documented that women still earn roughly 80 percent of what men earn, and the legislation is designed to close loopholes worked into the 1963 Equal Pay Act. While requiring businesses […]

THE RIGHTS STUFF. Via Women’s E-News, a group called MADRE, which focuses on international women’s rights, is releasing a report that shows rapes in Iraq, once considered a taboo, are on the rise, as are “honor killings,” the tradition of killing a woman who has been accused of bringing shame to her family. The group […]

REMEMBER THE REED. The interesting thing about this ongoing Walter Reed story is that veterans services are finally taking the center stage after years of low-profile status. A spot on the Veterans Affairs Committee is something to be sought, especially if you’re from a moderate district. This is one instance of investigative journalism actually bringing […]

NOT FUNNY. Jesse Singal over at Campus Progress has a smart critique of the “comedy” presented on Fox News’ half-hearted attempt to mimic the success of Comedy Central’s Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It’s not surprising that the conclusion is that conservatives just aren’t funny. Even the name — The 1/2 Hour News Hour — […]