Jim Jones

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A Jonestown Witness's Plea: Don't Call It 'Mass Suicide'
A Jonestown Witness's Plea:
Don't Call It 'Mass Suicide'
in case you missed it

A Jonestown Witness's Plea: Don't Call It 'Mass Suicide'

It was 'mass murder,' says Rep. Jackie Speier, who'd gone to Guyana on fact-finding mission

(Newser) - This month marks 40 years since the event known as the Jonestown massacre took place in Guyana. More than 900 Americans died after the man who had led them there from California, the Rev. Jim Jones, instructed them to drink cyanide. Do not, however, refer to Jonestown as a "...

Jones Puts Foot in Mouth With Jewish Joke

National security adviser draws fire from conservatives

(Newser) - Jim Jones gave a major speech at a top Middle East think tank last week, but the information he imparted has been drowned out by the kerfluffle over the joke he opened his remarks with—in which a Jewish merchant fleeces a thirsty Taliban fighter. It's tame stuff, and the...

Obama Leans on Karzai to Beef Up Cooperation

Surprise visit to Afghanistan spotlights emphasis on civilian cooperation

(Newser) - President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan today is in large part intended to impress upon the Afghan government the necessity of fighting crime and corruption in preparation to govern without American intervention. After meeting with Hamid Karzai, Obama said he was happy with the military accomplishments in the country, "...

Unlikely Allies Help Obama in Afghanistan

White House engages with Russia, China, and more, and gets results

(Newser) - Diplomacy has become a major part of Barack Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan; the administration has been proactively recruiting regional allies, even ones that seem like strange bedfellows. Russia, for example, which suffered its own defeat in Afghanistan in part thanks to US covert operations, recently gave a general authorization...

Dick Cheney on Palin in 2012: Meh
 Dick Cheney 
 on Palin in 
 2012: Meh 


TALK SHOW ROUNDUP

Dick Cheney on Palin in 2012: Meh

Ex-veep dismisses would-be candidate's posturing, hasn't decided who to back yet

(Newser) - Dick Cheney took time out of a busy Biden-bashing schedule this morning to train his sights on Sarah Palin, saying he hasn't decided yet who he'll support in 2012 and that “all the prospective candidates have a lot of work to do.” On Palin's recent call for President...

Bomber Report Out Today a Shocker: Jones

Yemen confirms attacker met Awlaki; explosives Nigerian

(Newser) - The public will feel “a certain shock” at the security failures outlined in the unclassified report on the Christmas Day attack being released today, says national security adviser Jim Jones. In an interview with USA Today , Jones doesn’t downplay the miscues, saying President Obama is “legitimately and...

Obama Looks for Local Allies in Afghanistan

Administration's decided it can't wipe out Taliban

(Newser) - President Obama has requested detailed, province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan’s local and tribal leaders, hoping to find more effective partners than the country’s weak and corrupt central government. The administration has concluded that no surge in troops will be able to eradicate the Taliban as a political force, but...

Jones Emerges as Strong Voice for Obama

National security adviser sheds early uncertainty about role

(Newser) - Jim Jones’ rocky start in the Obama administration as national security adviser now seems like a thing of the past. Where once Jones lamented publicly that he was unsure of his role, he has now settled in as a top administration voice, wielding his four-star clout in the Pentagon and...

McConnell: White House 'Demonizing' Health Critics

Angry protests 'clearly being orchestrated,' Durbin counters

(Newser) - The White House is “demonizing” the fiercely outspoken critics of its health care reform, Sen. Mitch McConnell told Fox News Sunday today. “To demonize citizens who are energetic about this strikes me as demonstrating a kind of weakness in your position,” the Senate minority leader said, but...

Cheney: I'm Speaking Out to Keep US Safe
 Cheney: I'm 
 Speaking Out 
 to Keep US Safe 
TALK SHOW ROUNDUP

Cheney: I'm Speaking Out to Keep US Safe

Petraeus says US routing al-Qaeda; Gingrich likens torture talk to McCarthyism

(Newser) - Dick Cheney says he’s been outspoken because the Obama administration has “moved to take down a lot of those policies we put in place to keep the nation safe for 8 years.” On CBS’ Face the Nation, Cheney denied the Bush administration was in the “torture...

Obama Appointments Leave Little for GOP to Knock

Foreign-policy, economics teams peppered with respected, relatively conservative appointees

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s Cabinet picks leave Republicans with few lines of attack, Politico reports. In contrast to campaign rhetoric that painted Obama as a radical leftist, the retention of Robert Gates and selection of McCain buddy Jim Jones has won praise from GOP stalwarts. Karl Rove himself said Obama’s...

Klein: Obama's Team of Rivals 'Strong and Wise'

Obama's rumored picks signal preference for diplomacy over militarism: Klein

(Newser) - If current rumblings are to be believed, Barack Obama’s national security team would be disparate indeed, consisting of Hillary Clinton at State, retired general Jim Jones as National Security Adviser, and Robert Gates sticking around as defense secretary. It’s an “extremely strong and wise,” team, writes...

Top 10 Crazy Cults
 Top 10 Crazy Cults 

Top 10 Crazy Cults

Polygamists, UFOs, and apocalyptic prophesies abound

(Newser) - Experts are debating whether the polygamist sect raided in Texas last week is a cult. Meanwhile, LiveScience has cooked up a list of bona fide cults—the top 10 craziest of them all:
  1. Raëlians: Followers believe that UFOs spawned most religions and cloning can lead to reincarnation.

Jim Jones' Grandson is Basketball Star

High school forward redeeming the Jonestown leader's family name on court

(Newser) - 29 years ago, traveling to an away basketball game as part of the Jonestown team spared Jim Jones Jr. from his adopted father's mass suicide ritual. Now his son Rob is using the sport to turn the family name around, as a star forward for SF's Riordan High, who ESPN...

14 Stories