NYT reporter’s stand draws journalists’ anger, scepticism

In the end, what did Judith Miller accomplish by spending 85 days in jail? Not much, say her detractors, over the deal the New York Times re...

In the end, what did Judith Miller accomplish by spending 85 days in jail? Not much, say her detractors, over the deal the New York Times reporter struck with I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, to testify about their 2003 conversations on CIA undercover Valerie Plame.

Some of Miller’s colleagues at the Times, who declined to be identified, say much of the staff is frustrated and confused. “Was this a charade or a real principle?” one staffer said. “She wanted to resurrect herself from the WMD thing,” a reference to Miller’s stories while embedded with a US military unit searching for illegal weapons in Iraq in 2003.

However, standing by Miller. Times Executive Editor Bill Keller said in a statement that Miller’s “steadfastness in defence of principle has won her admiration… wherever people value a free, aggressive press”.

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Lucie Morillon, Washington representative for Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, said the agreement disappointed her. “The problem is the prosecutor put so much pressure on her that she was forced to reveal her source,” Morillon said. She does not see Libby’s waiver as voluntary and calls the deal a “setback” for journalism. “The federal courts are getting bolder and bolder in forcing reporters to testify. With this case, it’s going to get worse.” LAT-WP

Bush aides’ buying news ruled illegal

WASHINGTON: Federal auditors said on Friday the Bush administration violated the law by buying favorable news coverage of its education policies. In a blistering report, the Government Accountability Office said the administration had disseminated “covert propaganda”, in violation of a ban, under which no federal money may be used to produce or distribute a news story unless the government’s role is openly acknowledged. NYT

H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear?

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The White House's decision to impose a $100,000 entry fee on H-1B visa holders has sparked worry among Indian tech workers and students. While uncertainties remain about its implementation and exemptions, major tech companies have cautioned employees against traveling. The policy could lead to a shift towards other visa categories and potentially change the STEM immigration pipeline.

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