Journalist Lance Williams on Sen. Feinstein’s intervention in California’s water wars on behalf of a donor and pal; journalist Jason Leopold on PTSD and suicide among recent vets. Williams is a veteran investigative reporter, formerly with San Francisco’s Examiner and Chronicle newspapers–half of the duo who covered the Barry Bonds Balco scandal and almost went to jail for refusing to disclose sources. He is now at the Center for Investigative Reporting’s California Watch, and his first investigation reveals that Feinstein, at the behest of donor, friend and corporate farmer Stewart Resnick, demanded and got a new study of water distribution in California, where agribusiness already enjoys water rights greater than people and fisheries. Williams also updates the Bonds case and comments on the proposed federal shield law for reporters. Leopold is deputy managing editor of Truthout.org, and details his story on PTSD and suicide, and inadequate mental health support for troops in Afghanistan. He also talks about Obama’s December 1 speech escalating US presence in Afghanistan, and reports that the ACLU is turning up the heat on the bad legal positions of the Obama administration regarding torture, wiretapping and other issues. The tune by The Stranglers is “Vladimir and the Beast” and is on the Aural Sculpture CD, available at iTunes.
