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Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Will the Tragedy of Michael Jackson's Life Be Inherited By His Kids?

By , The Nation
Media and Technology: Jackson's fame and fortune ensured he had few barriers whatever fancy seized him -- including his made-to-order kids.

Michael Pollan: We Are Headed Toward a Breakdown in Our Food System

By , The Tyee
Environment: Pollan gives a glimpse at the current state of food politics inside the White House and within his own home.

This July 4th, Rebel and Agitate for Change

By , AlterNet
Agitators created America, and it's their feisty spirit and outright rebelliousness that we celebrate on our national holiday.

Rolling Stone Expose Declares Goldman Sachs Behind Every Market Crash Since 1920s

By , Raw Story
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Matt Taibbi explains how the company created market bubbles and then profited from the crash that followed.

"Deliver Us From Evil": The Amorality of the Catholic Church

By , Greta Christina's Blog
The basic hierarchy and theology of the Catholic Church is a recipe for the abuse of power.

Breadline USA: Why People Are Going Hungry in the Land of Plenty

By , PoliPoint Press
Rights and Liberties: America's poor are being priced out of a market flush with excess eatables. It's an abomination we can fix.

Summer Blockbusters: Why Do We Insist on Watching Really Bad Movies?

By , Miller-McCune.com
Movie Mix: Maybe they are more like summer flings -- despite all the signs that should stay far away, you fall intensely anyway.

High Noon in Honduras

By Laura Carlsen, AlterNet
World: The drama in Honduras has moved from the small, impoverished country to the international stage.

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Thanks to Our Fossil Fuel Addiction, We May Be Setting Ourselves Up for a Catastrophic Natural Event

By Scott Thill, AlterNet
Environment: Too much CO2 in the air and not enough oxygen in the oceans may release a toxic dose of hydrogen sulfide -- an unheralded executioner.

Cheney Orchestrated Public Response to Plame Leak

By Ginna Green, Shakesville
PEEK: Former Bush administration officials say documents detailing Cheney's involvement must remain secret. The Obama administration agrees! Hopey changey!

In Iran, Fears That a Prominent Prisoner Detained In Election Upheaval Could Die in Jail

By Katie Mattern, IPS News
World: Sick and disabled, 55-year old Saeed Hajjarian is one of hundreds of reformists arrested for "orchestrating" the post-election violence in Tehran.

The Results Are In: A Public Health Plan Saves Big Money

By Bill Scher, Campaign for America's Future
Health and Wellness: The arguments by obstructionists are dead -- the math shows health care costs will drop while achieving near universal coverage.

Amnesty: Israel Used Children as Human Shields in Gaza

AFP World: Amnesty accused Israeli forces of using children as human shields and conducting wanton attacks on civilians.

I Saw 'Food Inc.' -- Now What?

By Sarah Newman, Huffington Post
Take Action: Here's how to transition off of a corn-based diet, lessen your carb(on) footprint, support local farmers and humanely raised meats.

Why the Left Looks Like a Big Hypocrite in the Sanford Affair

By JoAnn Wypijewski, The Nation
Sex and Relationships: Sanford is no more of a moralist than those in the party of Barack and Bill, the party of "don't ask, don't tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act.

Spending $102 Billion a Year on 800 Worldwide Military Bases Is Bankrupting the Country

By Chalmers Johnson, Tomdispatch.com
World: We're building new "embassies" that run close to $1 billion and host countries keep jacking the rent for existing bases.

Can Engaging with a Radical Religion Help Save Progressives from Self-Indulgence?

By Robert Jensen, Soft Skull Press
To imagine a just and sustainable world, we need not just a politics but a theology that can help us face our delusional arrogance.

Labor Rallies for Health Care, But Keeps it Vague

By Jane Slaughter, Labor Notes
Health and Wellness: Little grassroots supports exists for health care reform among organized labor as workers feel betrayed by the unions that represent them.

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Chamber of Commerce Launches $100 Million Campaign to Protect Wall Street's Power at Our Expense

By , AlterNet
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: The CoC is the world's most powerful lobbying machine and it's working to make sure our money gets funneled to corporate execs.

Unprotected Sex: Abstinence Education's Main Accomplishment

By , Washington Post Writers Group
Sex and Relationships: Teens are having more condomless sex than they did in the 1990s. It's time for science-based sex ed, not moralizing.

'There Is No Way I Will Deploy to Afghanistan' -- Seeds of Dissent in the U.S. Military Are Growing

By , Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute
World: From suicide to desertion to refusal to deploy -- service members' dissent may be growing into something far larger.

Adam and Eve Did What? A Visit to the Creationism Museum Makes Scientists Laugh, Cry

By , AFP
The museum argues, among other things, that war, famine and natural disasters are to blame on belief in evolution.

While the U.S. Dilly Dallies on Honduras, We Continue to Support a Right-Wing Thug in Colombia

By , AlterNet
World: Alvaro Uribe could be re-elected through just the type of referendum the ousted Manuel Zelaya has been accused of trying to carry out.

Slow Down: How Our Fast-Paced World Is Making Us Sick

By , AlterNet
Health and Wellness: Living under unnatural time pressures causes a myriad of psychological, social and physical ailments.

We Already Have a Popular Single-Payer Health Care System -- It's for Active Military and Veterans

By , Facing South
Health and Wellness: Oddly the states with the most people enrolled are down South -- where political leadership has been most opposed to single-payer.

Foie Gras: How a 5,000-Year-Old Delicacy Inspired the World's Fiercest Food Fight

By , AlterNet
Environment: Although some people still attempt to justify foie gras production, science backs up common sense: It's foul.

ACLU: Racial Profiling "Widespread and Pervasive"

By Haider Rizvi, IPS News
Rights and Liberties: Millions of U.S. citizens continue to face discrimination at the hands of law enforcement just because they are not white.

Worker Uprising Against Wells Fargo Spreads After Major Victory to Keep Factories Open

By Mike Elk, AlterNet
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Workers fight back against Wells Fargo for closing their factory and they win! Now other workers take on the fight.

The Hell We're Leaving Behind in Iraq

By Jodie Evans, AlterNet
World: The U.S. has not taken responsibility to restore the country it destroyed.

Toxic Chemicals: A Culprit Behind the Autism Outbreak

By Harvey Karp, Huffington Post
Health and Wellness: Teflon, plastics, formaldehyde, and other household chemicals are seen as leading drivers behind the autism outbreak.

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Getting Laid-Off May Lead to Early Death -- But There Are Ways to Cushion the Severe Health Impact of Job Loss

By , Miller-McCune.com
Health and Wellness: Studies show that the current economic climate may be eroding months or even years from the lives of those on the bleeding edge of insecurity.

'I Quit the Evangelical Movement in Disgust': Former Evangelist Fears Right-Wing Lunacy Will Lead to More Murder

By , AlterNet
Conservative pundits and GOP lawmakers must try to cure the sickness of their right-wing followers -- before it explodes again. Or don't they care?

Honduran Leader's Populism Is What Provoked Military Violence

By , AlterNet
World: Contrary to most media accounts, President Manuel Zelaya wasn't seeking to abolish term limits.

For Many, Marriage Is Sexless, Boring and Oppressive: Time to Rethink the Institution?

By , RH Reality Check
Sex and Relationships: Marriage is failing many, many people. Why do we still idealize it?

The Military Invades U.S. Schools: How Military Academies Are Being Used to Destroy Public Education

By , TruthOut.org
In Chicago, there's a push to replace public schools with military academies. This model may soon spread to the rest of the country.

Cynthia McKinney Detained (Again) by Israeli Defense Force; Israeli Protesters Brutally Beaten in West Bank

By Kevin Tillman, AlterNet
World: A tipping point approaches.

It's Time to Drop "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- End of Story

By Ginna Green Sex and Relationships: Robert Gates said he wants to make DADT more humane; the only way to do that is 86 the policy altogether.

David v. Goliath: Help Michigan Citizens Protect Their Water from Nestle's Bottling Operations

By Leslie Samuelrich, Corporate Accountability International
Water: Multinational giant Nestle is trying to out-money Michigan citizens -- help stop the corporate water grab.

Apologists for the Rich Are Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel

By Sam Pizzigati, Too Much: A Commentary on Excess and Inequality
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: In a down economy, apologists for the awesomely affluent are having to dig deep for inspiration. In the process, they're looking dopey.

Israel's Settlement Stalemate: Is There No End in Sight?

By William Pfaff, Truthdig
World: Obama needs to clarify his position on the issue if there's any hope of disrupting the brutal status quo.

Why is the Government Criminalizing Humanitarian Aid at the U.S.-Mexico Border?

By Valeria Fernandez, IPS News
Immigration: Volunteers who leave water jugs for migrants at the border are getting slapped with absurd littering charges.

Only A Public Option Can Make Decisions in Patient's Best Interest

By Maggie Mahar, Health Beat
Health and Wellness: Only a public sector plan has the political and moral standing to set limits on coverage and control costs.

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

The Corporate Media State Has Deformed American Culture -- Time to Fight Back

By , Truthdig
Progressives must embrace emotion and passion to counter the force of corporate propaganda.

"More Better Faster!": How Our Spastic Digital Culture Scrambles Our Brains

By , On the Commons
Media and Technology: The digital communications apparatus is crowding out deeper relationships and more deliberative modes of thinking.

Bogus Think Tank "Third Way" Pops Up to Thwart Health Care Reform

By , AlterNet
Health and Wellness: Third Way is drenched in corporate money, tangled in ties to big business and bent on Clintonian triangulation. How dare it call itself progressive?

Should We Bulldoze the 'Burbs?

By , Christian Science Monitor
Environment: A debate has ensued about whether to raze neighborhoods that have fallen into economic decay.

Pressuring Obama to Make the Right Decision on Health Care is AlterNet's Top Campaign of the Week

By , AlterNet
Take Action: This is no time to let up. We must let Obama know how important a public option is for all of America.

DC Metro Crash: Who Will Die Next Because We Throw Money at Billionaries and Scrimp on the Public Good?

By , The Nation
The wreckage of the DC train crash is not an accident site. It's a crime scene. When we spend more on sports stadiums than infrastructure, people die.

Why Does Our Government Still Spy On, Arrest and Persecute Dissidents?

By , Consortium News
Rights and Liberties: One needn't return in time to the McCarthy Era to find many individuals who have been investigated and persecuted for holding vilified opinions.

Tortured to Death: New Details On Detainee Abuse Prove Bush Officials Are (Literally) Getting Away With Murder

By Suzanne Ito, Blog of Rights
Rights and Liberties: The Obama administration has yet to hold accountable those who authorized torture -- torture that killed at least 100 people.

'Minutemen' Leaders Exchanging Insults Over Forde Murder Case

AlterNet Immigration: Even before the shootings Forde was a polarizing figure among self-styled Minutemen.

White House Drafting Executive Order to Allow Indefinite Detention; Move Would Bypass Congress

By Dafna Linzer, Peter Finn, ProPublica
Politics: Such an order embraces claims by George W. Bush that certain people can be held without trial for long periods under the laws of war.

Scientific Shocker: There Were Cave Women!

By Ariane Conrad, Echidne of the Snakes
Reproductive Justice and Gender: Who'd have thunk it?

The Health of Our Society Is Mirrored in the Health of Our Rivers

By Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute
Water: As long as we see rivers as something to be consumed or treated as a dump, we will never be a healthy society.

Court Rules Al Franken Has Won Senate Seat

Agence France Presse Politics: The decision could hand Democrats unchecked control of both houses of Congress.

Media White Wash: U.S.-Backed "Dirty Brigade" Operating in Iraq

By Kevin Tillman, AlterNet
World: Anyone surprised? Aside, of course, from those who rely on the commercial media.

Iraq's 'National Sovereignty Day' is U.S.-Style Hallmark Hype

By Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports
World: It is very doubtful that, decades from now, Iraqis will tell their grandchildren about where they were on June 30, 2009.

Obama Strikes Tougher Tone on Honduran Coup, Calls it 'Terrible Precedent' For Region

By Jim Lobe, IPS News
World: 'We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the President of Honduras,' Obama said.

Citizen-Led Groups Leading the Way for New Water Policy

By Daniel Moss, On the Commons
Water: From Latin America to Africa, a growing moving is helping to ensure water is a human right.

Bernie Madoff: Fall Guy or First of Many?

By Eric Lotke, Campaign for America's Future
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Congressional Commission on financial fraud has the ability to put hundreds of Madoffs in jail and lead the way for real bank reform.

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Got Health Insurance? Fighting for a Public Option Might Just Get You a Raise!

By , AlterNet
Health and Wellness: Controlling health care costs isn't just necessary for the health of our economy -- it'd also be likely to boost personal incomes.

Obama Must Strongly and Unequivocally Condemn the Coup in Honduras

By , AlterNet
Politics: Failure to take actions that send a clear message of condemnation will be devastating to the still-fragile U.S. image in Latin America.

Obama's Stance on Same-Sex Marriage Puts Him on the Wrong Side of History

By , The Nation
Sex and Relationships: The question is no longer whether Obama can afford to support gay rights with full-throated passion, but rather: Can he afford not to?

Why Are People Obsessed with Their Kids?

By , The Tyee
Sex and Relationships: Our current interest in children and parenting is neither normal nor historical. Nor is it very healthy for kids, parents and society at large.

Michael Jackson Probably O.D.'d -- Just Like Thousands of Americans Who Fall Victim to Our Overdose Epidemic

By , AlterNet
DrugReporter: We must learn how to reduce the harms associated with our drug use, including reducing easily preventable deaths from overdose.

Abyss of Joblessness: The Economy Can't Improve Unless We Put People Back to Work

By , The New York Times
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: How do you put together a consumer economy that works when the consumers are out of work?

Sanford's Sordid Sex Saga: Why We Like Publicly Shaming Hypocrite Politicians

By , CounterPunch
Sex and Relationships: Last week, Gov. Mark Sanford participated in one of the oldest social rituals in American history: public shaming of the moral hypocrite.

The Pacific Isn't the Only Ocean Turning into a Trash Heap

By Kristen Chick, Christian Science Monitor
Water: A swirling 'soup' of plastic has been found in the Atlantic, and something similar may be present in other ocean areas.

The Madoff Sentence: Swindle the Rich? Get 150 Years. Swindle the Poor? Who Cares?

By Ginna Green, Shakesville
Rights and Liberties: Surely I'm not the only one who sees this as just the sort of ridiculously excessive sentence that's reserved for scapegoats.

Hey Progressives, Join Forces to Fight the Health Insurance Industry!

By Karen Dolan, Institute for Policy Studies
Health and Wellness: Single-payer and public option advocates are fighting each other. We must remember that we're on the same side.

Energy Bill Scrapes by House -- Will it Survive the Senate?

By Faiz Shakir, The Progress Report
Environment: The focus is now on trying to make sure the bill clears the Senate and is not weakened by special interests.

U.S. Troops Are Leaving Iraqi Cities Tomorrow? Think Again.

By Erik Leaver, Daniel Atzmon, Foreign Policy in Focus
World: Instead of sending soldiers stationed in cities home, the military has been expanding and building new bases in rural areas.

Is the Whistleblower Protection Act Dead?

By Nick Schwellenbach, The Center for Public Integrity
Rights and Liberties: A new decision could allow government agencies to evade protections that are supposed to be offered to whistleblowers.

Obama Dives into Immigration Reform, But Lines are Already Being Drawn

By Suman Raghunathan, New America Media
Immigration: It's “Game On!” for many reform advocates. But the various sides have already started spelling out what they will and will not accept.

Immigration Reform Headed for Passage

By Markos Moulitsas, Daily Kos
Immigration: The Democratic leadership have reiterated that they expect to pass meaningful immigration reform this year or early next year.

New Threat on the Border: Rogue Anti-Immigrant Militias

By * Staff, AlterNet
Immigration: “I had to take an oath, and part of the oath was that I couldn’t eat Mexican food.”

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