Daily Headlines
By Steven Rosenfeld
Pennsylvania Court Deals Blow to Fracking Industry: Corporations Not The Same As Persons With Privacy Rights
Pennsylvania Court Deals Blow to Fracking Industry: Corporations Not The Same As Persons With Privacy Rights
Pennsylvania Court Deals Blow to Secrecy-Obsessed Fracking Industry: Corporations Not The Same As Persons With Privacy Rights
S&P and Moody's use a bogus 1st Amendment defense against their fraudulent credit ratings.
Memes
in America are sometimes designed to create a fearful populace and
insight emotional responses. Fearful people are easier to convince that
your particular brand of protection is needed.
Republicans
met in Hollywood last week attempting to map a path to a resurgence but
couldn't agree what that path would be. Many insisted it was Romney
causing them to lose & all that was needed was a change in tone. How
does one change the tone of opposition to same sex marriage when the
assembly appr'd a resolution defining marriage as only a union between a
man & a woman. The Repub. party as now constituted is a dinosaur.
The
deterioration of the nation's public transportation, like the
deterioration of health care, education, social services, public
utilities, bridges and roads, is part of the relentless seizing and
harvesting of public resources and programs by corporations. These
corporations are steadily stripping the American infrastructure.
By Stephen Lendman
Chavismo Wins
Venezuela's spirit of democracy lives. Celebratory fireworks followed Maduro's win. They were more subdued than last October. Chavez won then by 11 points.
Chavismo Wins
Venezuela's spirit of democracy lives. Celebratory fireworks followed Maduro's win. They were more subdued than last October. Chavez won then by 11 points.
The
Fed is rigging the bullion market in order to protect the US dollar's
exchange value, which is threatened by the Fed's quantitative easing.
With the Fed adding to the supply of dollars faster than the demand for
dollars is increasing, the price or exchange value of the dollar is set
up to fall.
Washington
and Moscow exchanged lists imposing sanctions on each other's officials
accused of human rights crimes. But America's benefit of the doubt no
longer applies, as the Russians named John Yoo and David Addington,
Bush-era legal advisers who twisted the law on torture.
By David Fiderer
How Hank Paulson's Office Colluded With JPMorgan And Subverted Efforts To Rescue Lehman
Hank Paulson used his chief of staff to leak highly confidential information to JP Morgan during sensitive negations to save Lehman.
How Hank Paulson's Office Colluded With JPMorgan And Subverted Efforts To Rescue Lehman
Hank Paulson used his chief of staff to leak highly confidential information to JP Morgan during sensitive negations to save Lehman.
By Richard Clark
The New Feudalism: Big Corporations and the United States of Ever-growing Inequality
US corporations are sitting on nearly $2 trillion of cash, not sure what to do with it except hide more of it offshore. They can't expand production because, after years of rising prices, & falling wages for the bottom 80%, the necessary consumer demand is just not there. Surprise, surprise. So, as technology, off-shoring and productivity continue their unstoppable advance, how many of us will eventually join the unemployed?
The New Feudalism: Big Corporations and the United States of Ever-growing Inequality
US corporations are sitting on nearly $2 trillion of cash, not sure what to do with it except hide more of it offshore. They can't expand production because, after years of rising prices, & falling wages for the bottom 80%, the necessary consumer demand is just not there. Surprise, surprise. So, as technology, off-shoring and productivity continue their unstoppable advance, how many of us will eventually join the unemployed?
I've
been detained at Guantánamo for 11 years and three months. I have never
been charged with any crime. I have never received a trial. I am still
being force-fed. Two times a day they tie me to a chair in my cell. My
arms, legs and head are strapped down. I never know when they will come.
Sometimes they come during the night, as late as 11 p.m., when I'm
sleeping. The only reason I am still here is that President Obama
refuses to send any detainees back to Yemen. This makes no sense. I am a
human being, not a passport, and I deserve to be treated like one. I do
not want to die here, but until President Obama and Yemen's president
do something, that is what I risk every day.
People
who are lacking in generosity are likely to be entangled to some degree
in emotional conflict. That conflict produces negative emotions that
shut down the impulse to be generous. Conversely, people who are being
generous are less burdened, at least in that moment, by the inner
conflict and resulting negative emotions that plague our psyche.
Isn't
it time to look for solutions to chronic pain that WORK, instead of
throwing more time, energy, and money into solutions that HAVEN'T
WORKED?
Technology Is Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say - By MATT RICHTEL NYTimes.com
"There is a widespread belief among teachers that students' constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according to two surveys of teachers being released on Thursday.One was conducted by the Pew Internet Project,..The other comes from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that advises parents on media use by children.It was conducted by Vicky Rideout, a researcher who has previously shown that media use among children and teenagers ages 8 to 18 has grown so fast that they on average spend twice as much time with screens each year as they spend in school.Teachers who were not involved in the surveys echoed their findings in interviews, saying they felt they had to work harder to capture and hold students' attention."
"There is a widespread belief among teachers that students' constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according to two surveys of teachers being released on Thursday.One was conducted by the Pew Internet Project,..The other comes from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that advises parents on media use by children.It was conducted by Vicky Rideout, a researcher who has previously shown that media use among children and teenagers ages 8 to 18 has grown so fast that they on average spend twice as much time with screens each year as they spend in school.Teachers who were not involved in the surveys echoed their findings in interviews, saying they felt they had to work harder to capture and hold students' attention."
Missouri School Trains Teachers to Carry Guns - By JOHN ELIGON NYTimes.com
"...: "At Fairview School Some Employees Now Carry Concealed Weapons." read the headline, ...That was how most parents of Fairview students learned that the school had trained some of its staff members to carry weapons, and the reaction was loud -- and mostly gleeful... the community making up the 600-student Fairview School, where a sign at the main entrance reads "Drug Free Gun Free School Zone," represents a culture in which the idea of guns in classrooms is not necessarily intimidating... Those employees took a 40-hour course during spring break last month through a company called Shield Solutions, whose instructors included local SWAT team members. "I just don't think something of this magnitude is something you just put out in a press release. "Oh, by the way, we got 10 people packing weapons now in school.' " said a resident.
"...: "At Fairview School Some Employees Now Carry Concealed Weapons." read the headline, ...That was how most parents of Fairview students learned that the school had trained some of its staff members to carry weapons, and the reaction was loud -- and mostly gleeful... the community making up the 600-student Fairview School, where a sign at the main entrance reads "Drug Free Gun Free School Zone," represents a culture in which the idea of guns in classrooms is not necessarily intimidating... Those employees took a 40-hour course during spring break last month through a company called Shield Solutions, whose instructors included local SWAT team members. "I just don't think something of this magnitude is something you just put out in a press release. "Oh, by the way, we got 10 people packing weapons now in school.' " said a resident.
Do
we agree with Senator Inhofe that global warming is a "hoax" and that
we do not want the EPA, the Department of Energy or any other agency of
the federal government to address that issue? Or do we agree with the
overwhelming majority of scientists who tell us that that we must act
boldly and aggressively to protect the future of this planet?
It
is a sad time in our history when an American combat veteran must
resort to such an extreme measure to alleviate the pain and suffering
from injuries he received fighting in the name of our country.
The
U.S. recovered the front section of the rocket used in North Korea's
satellite launch in December, which gave away the status of the regime's
nuclear-arms program.
Cynicism
works. Pointing out -- loudly -- that a Democratic president and his
allies are abandoning historic Democratic commitment does not turn
Democratic voters into Republican voters, it turns Democrats and
Democrat-leaning independents into non-voters.
By Jack Payden-Travers
Paying for War Is Participation in War
This year I withheld $10.40 from my taxes owed. My wife and I are participating in the $10.40 FOR PEACE movement. My hope it that 1040forpeace.com will become the symbol that the US peace movement has been seeking. What if a million taxpayers donated $10.40 today to peace and justice organizations?
Paying for War Is Participation in War
This year I withheld $10.40 from my taxes owed. My wife and I are participating in the $10.40 FOR PEACE movement. My hope it that 1040forpeace.com will become the symbol that the US peace movement has been seeking. What if a million taxpayers donated $10.40 today to peace and justice organizations?
We
need to change the conversation. We, as a country, are not broke. There
are many things we can do to change the inequality dynamics facing us
today -- that don't involve preying on the marginalized. The Robin Hood
Tax is one simple solution.
In
an unexpectedly close race, Venezuelans narrowly voted to continue Hugo
Chavez's revolution, electing his handpicked political heir, Nicolas
Maduro, to serve the remainder of his six-year term as president,
officials said late Sunday. His opponent, Henrique Capriles Radonski,
refused to recognize the results, citing irregularities in the voting
and calling for a recount.
By earl ofari hutchinson
GOP has New Dilemma in Feud with Tea Party
In rapid succession, Tea Party leaders in Alaska, Ohio, and Florida recently saber rattled GOP governors, chairs, and local party officials of various stripes. Their offense was that they were too moderate, too conciliatory to Democrats, and had strayed too badly from conservative dogma.
GOP has New Dilemma in Feud with Tea Party
In rapid succession, Tea Party leaders in Alaska, Ohio, and Florida recently saber rattled GOP governors, chairs, and local party officials of various stripes. Their offense was that they were too moderate, too conciliatory to Democrats, and had strayed too badly from conservative dogma.
By Tom Engelhardt
Engelhardt: The Cathedral of the Enemy
The communist enemy, with the "world's fourth largest military," has been trundling missiles around and threatening the United States with nuclear obliteration. Guam, Hawaii, Washington: all, it claims, are targetable. The coverage in the media has been hair-raising.
Engelhardt: The Cathedral of the Enemy
The communist enemy, with the "world's fourth largest military," has been trundling missiles around and threatening the United States with nuclear obliteration. Guam, Hawaii, Washington: all, it claims, are targetable. The coverage in the media has been hair-raising.
The
people of the United States should rightly interpret this latest slew
of betrayals in government as proof that we live under the thumb of a
corporate tyranny, not a legitimate constitutional republic. And we
should come together to decide what a functional new government would
look like, and reject the assumed legitimacy of our corporate
ownership's puppet government.
By mike ferner
Democracy is coming... to the U.S.A.!
In a success for citizens' right to know and an even bigger success for the movement to get rid of corporate personhood, a county common pleas court judge in western Pennsylvania has ordered the unsealing of an agreement between a corporate fracking combine and two citizens, ruling that corporations have no inherent rights.
Democracy is coming... to the U.S.A.!
In a success for citizens' right to know and an even bigger success for the movement to get rid of corporate personhood, a county common pleas court judge in western Pennsylvania has ordered the unsealing of an agreement between a corporate fracking combine and two citizens, ruling that corporations have no inherent rights.
ExxonMobil
tar sands oil spilled thousands of barrels through a gash in the
pipeline two inches wide and 22 feet long, law firm reveals.
Latest Articles
New York Times v. North Korea
The Times is America's unofficial ministry of information and propaganda. Daily managed news misinformation is featured.
The Times is America's unofficial ministry of information and propaganda. Daily managed news misinformation is featured.
Imperial Partners Showcase Their Ruthlessness
America and Israel partner in injustice. They prioritize it. Imperial lawlessness is policy. So is state terror. Many examples explain. They're commonplace daily.
America and Israel partner in injustice. They prioritize it. Imperial lawlessness is policy. So is state terror. Many examples explain. They're commonplace daily.
Poem,Environment,natural resources,sell-out
Occupy the Media! De-mythologizing History! Why We'll Boycott Spielberg's 'Lincoln'"
This article builds on the theme of "occupying the media" which author Gary Corseri has explored in previous works. Also, builds technically on a new way for authors and artists to collaborate in the Age of the Internet.
This article builds on the theme of "occupying the media" which author Gary Corseri has explored in previous works. Also, builds technically on a new way for authors and artists to collaborate in the Age of the Internet.
If We Street People Don't Fight Back, We're Culpable for Our Own Misery!
This is Part II of a previous article entitled "Helping the Homeless Will Take Fresh Thinking and a Focus on Mental Health." I had to write two articles, because there was just too much left over from the first one that also needs to be said. Here, the emphasis is on the vast gulf that separates those who make the rules in our society and those that are victimized by them. The latter must gain their rights by fighting back!
This is Part II of a previous article entitled "Helping the Homeless Will Take Fresh Thinking and a Focus on Mental Health." I had to write two articles, because there was just too much left over from the first one that also needs to be said. Here, the emphasis is on the vast gulf that separates those who make the rules in our society and those that are victimized by them. The latter must gain their rights by fighting back!
Best News Links from the Web
Tracking Student Reading - Letter to the NYTimes.com
Re "Teacher Knows if You've Done the E-Reading" (front page, April 9): Another Magic Elixir to replace the professional in the classroom? "You don't need a digital textbook to track your students' reading. Instead, ask them questions about the text, instructing them to support their answers by referring to the text and citing page numbers. "Example: Who benefits from tracking technology in education? Answer: Publishers who earn revenue by collecting private information about students and, inevitably, teachers."
Re "Teacher Knows if You've Done the E-Reading" (front page, April 9): Another Magic Elixir to replace the professional in the classroom? "You don't need a digital textbook to track your students' reading. Instead, ask them questions about the text, instructing them to support their answers by referring to the text and citing page numbers. "Example: Who benefits from tracking technology in education? Answer: Publishers who earn revenue by collecting private information about students and, inevitably, teachers."
With Tougher Standardized Tests, a Reminder to Breathe - KYLE SPENCER NYTimes.com
"... a pall has settled over classrooms across the state because this year's tests, which begin Tuesday, are unlike any exams the students have seen. They have been redesigned and are tougher. And they are likely to cover at least some material that has yet to make its way into the curriculum....many New York schools have yet to fully adopt new curriculums -- including reading material, lesson plans and exercises -- to match. And the textbook industry has not completely caught up either" English tests include more writing and more challenging reading excerpts, many of them culled from classical literature, or nonfiction sources. They will be asked to "marshal evidence" for thoughtful, sometimes lengthy answers, and analyze paired excerpts. In math, though there will be fewer topics, the test will include more complex equations, multistep word problems, and written responses."
"... a pall has settled over classrooms across the state because this year's tests, which begin Tuesday, are unlike any exams the students have seen. They have been redesigned and are tougher. And they are likely to cover at least some material that has yet to make its way into the curriculum....many New York schools have yet to fully adopt new curriculums -- including reading material, lesson plans and exercises -- to match. And the textbook industry has not completely caught up either" English tests include more writing and more challenging reading excerpts, many of them culled from classical literature, or nonfiction sources. They will be asked to "marshal evidence" for thoughtful, sometimes lengthy answers, and analyze paired excerpts. In math, though there will be fewer topics, the test will include more complex equations, multistep word problems, and written responses."
An interactive game to educate people about corporate tax evasion.
Bitcoin's
wild ride may not have been the biggest business story of the past few
weeks, but it was surely the most entertaining. Over the course of less
than two weeks the price of the "digital currency" more than tripled.
Then it fell more than 50 percent in a few hours. The furor over bitcoin
was a useful lesson in the ways people misunderstand money -- and in
particular how they are misled by the desire to divorce the value of
money from the society it serves.
"We
know our history," one student shouted. Unfortunately, Paul didn't. He
had to be prompted from the audience with the name of Massachusetts
Republican Edward Brooke, the first African-American to be elected to
the U.S. Senate by popular vote -- and Paul still mangled it twice as
"Edwin Brooks." "Worse, he expounded at length on the historically
incorrect narrative that conservatives often give, that blacks left the
party of Abraham Lincoln to follow Franklin D. Roosevelt's promise of
"unlimited federal assistance," while Republicans only have the "less
tangible ... promise of equalizing opportunity through free markets."
Former
Kaufman County Justice of the Peace Eric Williams, 46, was arrested
Saturday after authorities discovered what they're calling "strong
evidence" linking him to the killings of two Kaufman County prosecutors
and the district attorney's wife. Williams was the first person
authorities publicly acknowledged questioning in the murder
investigation, which many believed the work of a white supremacist
prison gang that prosecutors in Kaufman County were bringing cases
against. However, police told Dallas ABC News affiliate WFAA-TV on
Sunday that "strong evidence" has been found linking Williams to the
killings of former District Attorney Mike McClelland and prosecutor Mike
Haase, although Williams has not yet been charged. Williams was
arrested on a charge of making a terroristic threat and insufficient
bond. He has not yet been charged with murder.
Corporations
want to work in secret. It's what they do, and why they have lawyers.
In secret, they can spill, clearcut, burn and otherwise destroy the
environment and local communities while telling the world they're doing
just the opposite. Shell Oil's legal team is currently working overtime
to keep the company's Arctic work secret from advocacy groups like
Greenpeace. It's a battle that will have implications well beyond the
Far North. If Shell ultimately wins the legal battle with us this month,
corporate secrecy will have the blessing of a federal court--and
America's First Amendment rights will take a devastating hit.
The
impending introduction of legislation to overhaul the country's badly
strained immigration system received an extraordinary endorsement on
Sunday from Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, who, after
holding back for weeks, appeared on no fewer than seven television talk
shows to explain and defend a plan that he said would be "a net positive
for the country, now and in the future."
What
could be more destructive to the cherished freedoms that make America a
"shining city on a hill" than giving a "high level official" the power
to kill Americans on US soil without any due process, accountability or
transparency? What could be more Orwellian than asserting such
dictatorial authority, which has always been the hallmark of
totalitarian states, in the name of protecting the public's safety? The
cost of war is not measured solely in terms of blood and treasure. War
also corrodes human morality to a point where even the most inhumane
acts become perfectly acceptable.
