Daily Headlines
Big
Energy, with its newly-found horizontal fracturing technology, is
threatening the nation's water supply and the agriculture industry's
crops and livestock.
From
his California beach house at San Clemente, Richard Nixon once watched
three reactors rise at nearby San Onofre. As of June 7, 2013 , all
three are permanently shut.
Obama tells us there's nothing to worry about, that NSA is protecting America, not spying on Americans.
The
services of maids, bartenders, waitresses, and government cannot be
exported. Therefore, the US trade deficit remains large and without
exports to reduce it, a crisis in itself. What the BLS jobs reports have
been telling us for many years is that the US economy is in crisis, in a
death-spiral. Yet, not a handful of economists' voices have been
raised.
Senator
Feinstein, your energetic contempt for the Bill of Rights is serving a
bipartisan power structure that threatens to crush our democratic
possibilities.
Based
on Lance DeHaven-Smith's new book "Conspiracy Theory in America". What
is the difference between Conspiracy Theory and State Crimes Against
Democracy?
There
seems to be this mentality in Washington that as soon as they stamp TOP
SECRET on something they've done we're all supposed to quiver and allow
them to do whatever they want without transparency or accountability
under its banner. These endless investigations and prosecutions and
threats are designed to bolster that fear-driven dynamic. But it isn't
working. It's doing the opposite.
Low
projected premiums for Obamacare healthcare Exchanges were the big news
in California last week. But the story the media told was a flawed
one, characterized by gee-whiz reporting, a willingness to accept
official spin, and failure to ask basic questions.
Greenwald,
a lawyer and longtime blogger, published an article in the British
newspaper The Guardian about the existence of a top-secret court order
allowing the National Security Agency to monitor millions of telephone
logs. The article, which included a link to the order, is expected to
attract an investigation from the Justice Department, which has
aggressively pursued leakers. While Greenwald notes that he often
conducts interviews and breaks news in his columns, he describes himself
as an activist and an advocate. But with this leak about the extremely
confidential legal apparatus supporting the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act, he has lifted the veil on some of the government's
most closely held secrets.
Israel
has been consumed in recent months with the challenge of integrating
the insular, swelling ultra-Orthodox minority, known as Haredim, into
society. The animating theme of the last election campaign was a call
for Haredim -- and Israeli Arabs -- to "share the burden" of
citizenship, particularly in military service, and last week a
Parliament committee approved legislation to end widespread draft
exemptions for yeshiva students.
Power to the Preschoolers - Gail CollinsNYTimes.com
nothing major is going to happen for early-childhood education without an enormous "nothing major is going to happen for early-childhood education without an enormous groundswell of public demand. This is a cause that's extremely popular in theory. But its advocates have no power to reward or punish. Lawmakers who labor on behalf of preschool programs may get stars in heaven, but they don't get squat in campaign contributions. And the ones who eliminate money for infant care programs have no fear whatsoever that they'll lose an election over it...Look at McConnell. The Head Start programs in his state are already shrinking because of sequestration cuts. In western Kentucky, Audubon Area Community Services has had to close 12 classrooms and lay off 42 staff members...If you want to lobby, I'd start with the Senate. The House is impossible,working under a budget that cuts spending ...
nothing major is going to happen for early-childhood education without an enormous "nothing major is going to happen for early-childhood education without an enormous groundswell of public demand. This is a cause that's extremely popular in theory. But its advocates have no power to reward or punish. Lawmakers who labor on behalf of preschool programs may get stars in heaven, but they don't get squat in campaign contributions. And the ones who eliminate money for infant care programs have no fear whatsoever that they'll lose an election over it...Look at McConnell. The Head Start programs in his state are already shrinking because of sequestration cuts. In western Kentucky, Audubon Area Community Services has had to close 12 classrooms and lay off 42 staff members...If you want to lobby, I'd start with the Senate. The House is impossible,working under a budget that cuts spending ...
Slapping
band-aids on the wounds of empire may be necessary in the short-term,
but we can do better than that. First we have to be honest about what's
going on, the science and processes that support systemic change, and on
what our effective responses are. Here's a hint: Arguing with
ideologues, the grand scheme of Organizing for Action, isn't one of
them.
The article reflects on my experiences in Iran, and aims at giving an impression of life in the country
Researchers
have been able to mobilize the brain's native stem cells to replenish a
type of neuron lost in Huntington's disease. In the study, which
appears today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the scientists were able to
both trigger the production of new neurons in mice with the disease and
show that the new cells successfully integrated into the brain's
existing neural networks, dramatically extending the survival of the
treated mice.
The "revelation" of the US government requiring phone records from Verizon is nothing new. It has been done for years.
One congressional staffer who attended the meeting winced at the thought of
There
is no popular support in the US for war against Syria, and a great deal
to lose if things go wrong for the ruling class. That is why, to date,
the Obama administration has preferred to proceed through local
intermediaries--the FSA and its regional backers, Turkey and Gulf States
such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Revelations
about Internet information capture and phone data collection show that
the right to privacy is no longer recognized in this country.
With
his decision to elevate Susan Rice to become his national security
advisor and the nomination of Samantha Power as U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations, President Obama is not simply rewarding the loyalty of
two women who have backed him from the start. Nor is he merely
increasing the diversity of his foreign policy team. Rather, their
promotions hints at a new source of fireworks in a growing foreign
policy battle in the Obama administration. Liberal hawks and doves in
the White House and the Democratic Party are struggling for hearts and
minds over whether it makes sense to intervene in Syria and to attack
Iran.
There's
a war on. Corporate interests are killing the middle class and
depriving poorer people of hope, opportunity, and basic human needs, and
they're using economics as a weapon They say truth is the first
casualty in any war, and maybe so. But can't we give it a decent
funeral, or is that too "uncivil" to mention?
By Andreas Umland
Will Brussels Miss a Historic Moment in Europe's Integration? || Harvard International Review
Will Brussels Miss a Historic Moment in Europe's Integration? || Harvard International Review
During
the Upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit at Vilnius, the EU Should
Provide Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with an Official
Membership Perspective
George
Orwell's book "1984" was meant to be a novel, not an instruction
manual. If we want to stop the government's tyrannical spree and blatant
disregard for our rights, we have to insist that the Patriot Act be
repealed and that we abolish the Department of Homeland Security in its
entirety. We can no longer call ourselves a free country until we
accomplish both of those objectives.
The
Obama crowd,on the defensive since Wednesday's Guardian newspaper
revelation that Verizon is req'd to give the NSA all their call logs of
Americans, came out swinging yesterday defending the data mining
operation w/ the president seeming to allude 100% security was possible
stating "You can't have 100% security & also 100% privacy & zero
inconvenience". That's pure propaganda hype. There's no such thing as
100% security.
Capital
now controls our central bank, major media, campaign finance and
election processes. In effect, the vast majority now lack control over
their own society, economy, and republic. We, the people, do not set the
agenda. Instead, a small, powerful and ultra-rich minority does due to
our relative impotence. There is simply no way labor - the wage-earning
majority - can match the power of capital. Media Reform is needed.
Every
year at this time, thousands of walkers and runners in the Chicago area
assemble for the Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate, honoring
the legacy of the former Northwestern University Men's Basketball Coach,
murdered in 1999.
Latest Articles
Southern
California Edison's announcement that it will close its troubled
twin-reactor San Onofre nuclear power plant--along with other recent
setbacks for atomic energy in the United States--marks a downward spiral
for nuclear power. And it could--and should--mean a great advance for
the implementation of safe, clean, renewable energy technologies.
The
violent clashes over a park in Istanbul are the result of Turkey's
prime minister's addiction to power. This addiction takes many forms, as
witness Monsanto's use of money to solidify its hold on the world's
food supply. But those with power can only persist if the rest allow it.
What Turkey and Monsanto have in common.
Doesn't
debating the Patriot Act on June 7, 2013 fall into the category of
locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen?
Why the US government is Spying on Everyone
Not only is Obama spying on all Americans, he's spying on foreigners abroad - in other words, on the world. Why is this going on and why has it increased since Bush?
Not only is Obama spying on all Americans, he's spying on foreigners abroad - in other words, on the world. Why is this going on and why has it increased since Bush?
By Justin Samuels
The Asian American Film Lab, Asian CineVision and the Museum of Chinese in America to Host Screenwriting Competition as
The Asian American Film Lab, Asian CineVision and the Museum of Chinese in America to Host Screenwriting Competition as
The Asian American Film Lab launches a screenwriting competition as a part of the Asian American Film Festival.
Best News Links from the Web
In
this Esquire article, Charlie Pierce cuts through the bullcrap and
illuminates the hidden agenda (or not so hidden) agenda by Republican
Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Republicans to sell the State of
Wisconsin piece by piece to their corporate donors. In the article
Charlie states, "(Governor) Scott Walker, ... hired by Koch Industries
to manage their Midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of
Wisconsin". The recent Mining bill passed earlier this year and purely
on a Republican party line vote is a prime example. Gogebic Taconite
(GTAC) wants to create the largest iron ore mine in the world in a part
of Northern Wisconsin that is ecologically sensitive and contains a
massive watershed that runs into Lake Superior and through the Bad River
Band of Ojibwe Reservation. The mining bill strips out environmental
safeguards and passes cleanup costs to the local residents.
Keystone Pipeline Nears Completion This Summer as Carbon-dioxide Reaches Record Levels
Yes, regardless of the earnest civil disobedience of groups and individuals protesting the 4th phase of the Keystone XL Pipeline, the reality is that within a month or two, tar sands oil from Alberta will be mainlining its way to Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. How can that be, you ask, when President Obama has not yet made an official decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline? The answer is simple: he has.
Yes, regardless of the earnest civil disobedience of groups and individuals protesting the 4th phase of the Keystone XL Pipeline, the reality is that within a month or two, tar sands oil from Alberta will be mainlining its way to Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. How can that be, you ask, when President Obama has not yet made an official decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline? The answer is simple: he has.
Welcome
to the new normal, the U.S. national security state that's grown like
mad since the 9/11 terrorist attacks nearly a dozen years ago. Personal
privacy has shrunk. Government secrecy has grown. Law enforcement
intrusions are commonplace, both overt and covert.
Presidents Obama, Kikwete, Kagame and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete outraged Rwandan President Paul Kagame and other top Rwandan officials when he said, essentially, that the Rwandan Civil War transplanted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo - for almost 20 years - has to end. It is unlikely that he would have said so if he was not confident that President Obama agrees.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete outraged Rwandan President Paul Kagame and other top Rwandan officials when he said, essentially, that the Rwandan Civil War transplanted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo - for almost 20 years - has to end. It is unlikely that he would have said so if he was not confident that President Obama agrees.
