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July 29, 2005 - The saga surrounding Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC) and his missing vote against CAFTA is taking some interesting new turns. Taylor continues to insist that he tried to vote against the trade deal, but that his voting card didn't work.

July 29, 2005 - Our latest Facing South email newsletter is out, spreading like kudzu to thousands of email inboxes across the world. If you're not already on the list, sign up now using the form to the right. It's free! To give you a taste, here's the always-popular Institute Index from this issue:

July 29, 2005 - Oil companies will tell you that they're jacking up prices because of tightening supplies. But when it comes time to announce quarterly earnings, they can't stop themselves from revealing the truth and boasting about the billions in profits they're raking in:

July 28, 2005 - Pundits and advocates are now surveying the CAFTA carnage, and it's not pretty. Tales of brutal arm-twisting and last-minute favors -- especially in the 47-minute period when the House had to suspend debate as GOP leaders "convinced" waverers -- abound.A curious story about the vote also popped up today: Rep. Charles Taylor, Republican member of the North Carolina delegation that resoundingly voted against CAFTA, was recorded as a "no vote." But according to a statement put out by his office today, he was actually a "nay":

July 28, 2005 - Since CAFTA passed the House by just one vote this morning -- 217-215 -- you can point to any one of the "ayes" as the "deciding vote." But as we predicted yesterday, the most gripping drama was in the South, where enough Southern Reps were big enough question marks that they could effectively extort dozens of

July 27, 2005 - Eschaton visitors. Make yourself at home. And if you like, sign up (over there to the right) for our free email newsletter offering a progressive take on news, trends and issues in the South.

July 27, 2005 - As Congress gears up for a vote tonight on the Central American Free Trade Agreement -- with Texas Rep. Tom DeLay promising a win -- the heart of the fight is in the U.S. South. As the Raleigh News & Observer reported on Monday, the region just isn't going for it: