links for 2006-01-25

• Your Late Fees, Their Millions
  Can't pay your student loan on time? The fat cats at Sallie Mae are so glad to hear it.
• Al-Qaida Is Losing
  There's desperation in Osama's voice.
• Working for a Living (Wage)
  As state after state raise their minimum-wages far beyond the federal level, the struggle for fair wages is shaping up to be a hot election-year issue.
• Country's Jingoistic Jingles
  You wouldn't know it from listening to today's radio, but country music wasn't always the soundtrack to the GOP.
• Director Rips Hip-Hop Sexism, Homophobia In New Documentary
  Byron Hurt's documentary, "Beyond Beats & Rhymes," takes rap to task over its preoccupation with "gunplay ... and puttin' fear into other men's hearts."