A coalition led by OpentheGovernment.org yesterday sent a letter (PDF file) to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales protesting a 2004 U.S. District Protective Order (PDF file) that doesn't require the government to retain a set of records relating to detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The letter, which was signed by AAN and over twenty other media and non-profit organizations, was also sent (PDF file) to Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Continue ReadingOpen Government Coalition Asks Feds to Keep Guantanamo Records

The memo seeks to avoid regulatory legislation of news box placement in the town of Greenfield, Mass. Under the agreement, labels with names and phone numbers of those responsible for it will be on each box, according to the Republican. Meanwhile, town officials are studying legislative approaches in case the publishers' agreement doesn't fix the problems of overcongestion, disrepair and poor placement.

Continue ReadingValley Advocate Joins Other Papers in Voluntary News Box Agreement

Zoo, a film co-written by The Stranger's associate editor Charles Mudede (pictured), has been accepted to the Directors' Fortnight segment of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The film about bestiality, loosely based on an incident in Washington two years ago, opened in New York this week and hits L.A. in May. The Village Voice's Nathan Lee says it "moves the mind to reflect on fundamental questions of culture and psyche: the relation of man to animal, the limits of sexuality, the contours of community." The New York Times also weighs in on Zoo, saying it "wraps its sensationalistic core in a seductive mantle, an approach that appeals to viewers already predisposed to art and the Enlightenment, Sesame Street and all things not Rush Limbaugh."

Continue ReadingAlt-Weekly Editor’s Film is Headed for Cannes

The Observer's spelling team edged out the Dallas Morning News yesterday at the Literacy Instruction for Texas spelling bee. Writer Andrea Grimes says the win is "sweet, sweet verbal revenge" for the "ass-kicking" the News gave the Observer in last year's softball league. She tells the News not to take the loss too hard: "We're sure those excellent batting averages are very helpful when it comes to putting out the daily paper."

Continue Reading‘Camouflage’ is the Magic Word as Dallas Observer Wins Spelling Bee

Two-time AAN applicant Pulse of the Twin Cities will shut down within the month, the Star Tribune reports. The paper was founded by community activist Ed Felien in 1997 after the Twin Cities Reader was shuttered. "It's been a wonderful run; I've loved every minute of it and hated every minute of it," Felien says, adding that it "has never been financially remunerative." Felien tells the Star Tribune that he will continue to publish his monthly newspaper, Southside Pride, and he also suggests that Pulse may continue to maintain an online presence.

Continue ReadingMinneapolis Alt-Weekly to Cease Publishing

Last week, the alt-weekly sued the Tennessee Department of Corrections (DOC) for information about its review of the state's execution protocol. The City Paper reports that Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman ruled yesterday that all documents relating to the review must be turned over to the Scene. "We're thrilled," says Scene editor Liz Garrigan. "This isn't really about the paper, this is about accountability in government." Bonnyman gave the state until Thursday to file an appeal. With the May 2 deadline for the DOC's recommendations looming, it's unclear what the Scene will be able to do with the documents, especially if the state continues to delay the process with an appeal. "Time is of the essence," Garrigan says, adding that she'd like to publish a story about the DOC's deliberations by the paper's next publishing deadline.

Continue ReadingNashville Scene Wins Legal Fight Against Corrections Department