Listen to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking here or any of the individual interview segments below (All in RealAudio, needs RealPlayer G2, 7 or 8).

We continue (as time permits) to archive our collection of interviews and Web links with contacts and breaking news about the global social justice movement. Click here to check it out. (Audio files in MP3 and RealAudio formats.)

For breaking news from the L.A. Democratic National Convention protests, see the Los Angeles Independent Media Center Web site at:sacco.indymedia.org

For the latest on the activists who still remain jailed from the GOP Convention protests, see the Philadelphia Direct Action group Web site at: www.thepartysover.org or the Philadelphia Independent Media Center Web site at: www.phillyimc.org.

This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:

Selection of Sen. Lieberman for Gore's Running Mate Moves Democrats Further to Right
Interview by Scott Harris.

Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore's selection of Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate was a surprise to many political observers and was characterized as a bold move on the part of the vice president who has been trailing George W. Bush in recent polls.

An unknown in most of the nation, Sen. Lieberman has been called a maverick by some pundits and is probably best known for his early criticism of President Clinton's conduct in the Lewinsky affair. Politically, Lieberman, the first Jewish vice presidential nominee in U.S. history, is a conservative Democrat who often finds himself siding with his Republican colleagues.

While Sen. Lieberman has a record of supporting consumer, environmental laws and a woman's right to choose, he has been hostile to gay rights and voted to support most recent military adventures abroad and increases in Pentagon spending. Lieberman, an advocate of the death penalty and school vouchers, is also an ally of former GOP Secretary of Education William Bennett who has campaigned against sex and violence in popular entertainment.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Paul Bass, associate editor of the New Haven Advocate newspaper, who as a reporter has followed Lieberman's career for some 20 years. He assesses the record of Joseph Lieberman and how his selection may effect the vice president's bid for the White House.

To contact Paul Bass at New Haven Advocate call (203) 789-0010 or visit their Web site at: www.newhavenadvocate.com

Demonstration Organizers Say Police Brutalization of GOP Convention Protesters Designed to Intimidate Social Justice Activists
Interview by Scott Harris.

Protest actions at the GOP convention in Philadelphia demonstrated dissatisfaction with the two-party system on a wide range of economic and social issues. On Aug. 1, thousands of activists committed acts of non-violent civil disobedience, performing street theater and blocking streets and highways in the city's business district.

After more than 400 were arrested by Philadelphia police, the city's Mayor John Street advocated harsh treatment for the protesters, who he accused of being "out-of-town troublemakers." But organizers of the protest actions have charged Philadelphia authorities of violating the constitutional and civil rights of dissidents arrested before, during and after the RNC demonstrations. Attorneys for the activists have alleged that police have brutalized prisoners, depriving some of medical attention, food and water. They also say that astronomically high bail, set as high as $1 million in one case for misdemeanor charges, constituted unlawful preventive detention.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Kris Hermes of the R2K Legal Collective, who provides an update on the status of hundreds of imprisoned activists, many of whom are practicing jail solidarity by refusing to cooperate with authorities.

To contact the R2K Network, call (215) 925-6791 or visit their Web site at: www.r2kphilly.org.

Other related sites for breaking news: www.phillyimc.org.

Oil Companies Reaping Record Profits After Prices of Gas and Heating Oil Skyrocket
Interview by Scott Harris.

Throughout the spring and summer, U.S. consumers saw gasoline and heating oil prices skyrocket. The OPEC nation's decision to cut back oil production is one explanation that petroleum companies gave to justify prices at the pump that once approached $2 per gallon in some places. Like few other commodities in the marketplace, the price of oil affects the cost of virtually all other products and services.

But while consumers were paying exorbitant prices at the pump, big oil companies have reaped record profits as outlined in many of their second quarter earnings statements.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Wenonah Hauter, executive director with Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project, who examines the role of big oil companies in the year's dramatic rise in energy prices and the campaign contributions she says insulates them from federal scrutiny and accountability.

Contact Public Citizen by calling (202) 546-4996 or visit their Web site at www.citizen.org.

See related press release.

This week's summary of under-reported news
Compiled from alternative media sources by Denise Manzari and Bob Nixon

• Mexico's Chihuahua State Human Rights Commission reports one death, and 300 Chihuahua area citizens ailing after marijuana fields sprayed with herbicide in government fight against narcotrafficking. (California Orange County Register)
  
• Advocates for the poor gearing up to fight for progressive overhaul of welfare reform.(In These Times, June 12, 2000)
  
• Wider use of all-terrain vehicles increasing destruction of wilderness areas. (E: The Environmental Magazine, May/June 2000)