MEDIA — SAUDI-FUNDED FOX NEWS REJECTS AD ARGUING AGAINST MIDDLE EAST OIL DEPENDENCE: Last week, the progressive veterans organization VoteVets released an ad arguing that “a clean energy climate plan would cut our dependence on foreign oil in half and cut oil profits for hostile nations.” The ad features a bedside alarm clock displaying an increasing dollar figure to symbolize the millions of dollars the U.S. spends making hostile countries like Iran “richer selling oil around the world and peddling hate.” While CNN and MSNBC both aired the ad, Fox News refused to, claiming the ad was “too confusing.” There is nothing confusing about the ad. In fact, VoteVets assertion that hostile nations profit from American dependence on foreign oil is based on a Progress Report analysis that finds that a strong cap on carbon would result in Iran losing $1.8 trillion of oil revenue over the next forty years — or more than $100 million a day. “If the world moves away from oil dependence, Iran’s regime will no longer be able to rely on petrodollars to stay afloat,” the Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson wrote. In a statement to The Progress Report, Richard Smith, a senior adviser to VoteVets who served in Afghanistan, said, “The only confusing thing here is why FOX News would reject an ad that calls on Congress to defund our enemies by finding new sources of energy.” While Fox News’ motivation for rejecting the ad is unclear, Media Matters notes that the network has consistently spread misinformation on clean energy reform. Interestingly, the largest stockholder outside the family of CEO Rupert Murdoch is Saudi oil tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns a 7 percent stake in Fox News’ parent company News Corp. But Murdoch himself has supported a mandatory cap on carbon emissions and said he believes Fox News ought to cover the issue differently.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

UPDATE: Don’t let the FCC cave on net neutrality

05/06/2010 Nativegrl77

Thanks to the hundreds of phone calls of net neutrality supporters from CREDO members like you, FCC Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has agreed to re-regulate broadband Internet so the FCC has regulatory power to protect net neutrality.

The FCC has a duty to ensure big corporations don’t discriminate when it comes to the ability of Americans to access information over the Internet.

It’s an important step toward victory in our fight to save an open and free Internet, and it’s thanks in part to the pressure of CREDO Action members like you. Our friend Tim Karr is campaign director at Free Press, a nonprofit that leads the fight to save the Internet (and an organization that CREDO members have been supporting with their phone bills for years). He wanted us to share this statement with CREDO Action members:

The push by CREDO activists, netroots and progressive media has pulled the FCC from the brink. FCC Chairman Genachowski was about to abandon Net Neutrality. But after hearing hundreds of calls from CREDO members he regained his senses.

Now we’re facing a long fight as the agency revisits a Net Neutrality option that will give it the power to stop phone and cable companies from blocking our access to information online. Thanks to CREDO activists, we’re now cautiously optimistic that this FCC is getting back on track and will give Internet users the Net Neutrality protections we need.

Thanks for everything you do to fight for net neutrality. We will continue to keep you updated on the most effective ways to take urgent action and save the Internet.

Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action