~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Honoring Our Veterans …

07/30/2013 Nativegrl77

This weekend, President Obama took time to honor those who fought in the Korean War — 60 years to the day after the war concluded. “Perhaps the highest tribute we can offer our veterans of Korea is to do what should have been done the day you came home,” the President said at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, “In our hurried lives, let us pause. Let us listen. Let these veterans carry us back to the days of their youth, and let us be awed by their shining deeds.”

Click here to watch the President’s remarks.

President Barack Obama arrives for a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended the Korean War, at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Saturday, July 27, 2013. Walking with the President are, from left: Gen. Jung Seung-jo, chairman of the Republic of Korea’s joint chiefs of staff; and Special Envoy from the Republic of Korea Kim Jung Hun. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Weekly Address: A Better Bargain for the Middle Class

President Obama tells the American people about his speech at Knox College, where he discussed the cornerstones of what it means to be middle class, including having a good job, a home that is your own, quality education, a secure retirement, and affordable health care.

Last week, the President hosted the NCAA Champion Louisville Cardinals, the President of Vietnam, pressed for the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, and laid out his vision of growing the economy from the middle class out, while traveling to Illinois, Missouri, and Florida.

In September 2009, the President announced that—for the first time in history—White House visitor records would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis. On Friday, the White House releases visitor records that were generated in April 2013.

Big News !

07/30/2013 Nativegrl77

Hello friendly Progress Report readers,

We’re taking a break from the regular Progress Report today to bring you some big news from our colleagues at ThinkProgress.

First of all, ThinkProgress has been completely resigned and updated with a great new look. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Second, ThinkProgress announced a major expansion of its coverage of climate change through Climate Progress, its hub for all things climate, energy, and environment-related. The number of reporters on the Climate Progress team has recently quadrupled — with even more additions yet to come.

Climate Progress’s expanded coverage will focus on three key areas: illustrating the impact climate change is having now across the country; investigating the opposition forces that fuel climate denial and obstruct action; and elevating climate change to an issue that influences voters and elections. The expanded site will also be able to cover a broader spectrum of climate and energy issues, including environmental justice and green technology.

Climate-fueled disasters like Hurricane Sandy, floods, droughts, and other devastation wrought by extreme weather aren’t going anywhere, but unfortunately major media outlets like the New York Times and Reuters are backing off their commitment to covering these issues at this crucial time. ThinkProgress is stepping up to fill this gap in order to make sure climate change is getting the coverage it deserves while creating sustained accountability for politicians and special interests opposed to action to combat it.

Please check out the new look over at ThinkProgress and be on the lookout for more and more innovative coverage from Climate Progress.

And like we said, please feel free to get back to us with any feedback you have.

-The Progress Report Team

P.S. ThinkProgress also recently unveiled ThinkProgress Sports, a new section that will bring original reporting and comprehensive analysis to the sports news cycle, and the stories behind the sports headlines. Be sure and check that out too!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Social Security

07/30/2013 Nativegrl77

On Saturday Senators Tom Harkin and Mark Begich were on The Ed Show to
introduce their plan to strengthen and expand Social Security to MSNBC’s
audience across the country.

They certainly have the right
idea. They’ve proposed bills that would strengthen and enhance Social
Security for generations to come. That’s the kind of renewed commitment
to community and security we need. Already 94,672 DFA members have taken
action to support their plan. Will you join them?

Click here to watch the Senators’ appearance on The Ed Show and then
add your name to our petition to help us reach 100,000 signatures by
Tuesday.

This
isn’t going to be an easy fight. The very same Wall Street bankers and
Tea Party interests that have plotted to derail Social Security time and
again will no doubt put up the fight of their lives. We need your help. Will you join us in the fight to expand and strengthen Social Security?

Thanks for all you do,

Neil

Neil Sroka, Communications Director
Democracy for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the Other Washington

07/30/2013 Nativegrl77

It’s clear from the Republican-controlled State Senate budget proposals they expected my grassroots supporters, like you, to just stop working as soon as the campaign was over.

But together, we proved they were wrong — by standing up, speaking out, and holding the line when they tried to drag our state backward.

Now we’re facing another challenge. July 31 at midnight is our first fundraising deadline since the legislative session ended. We need to reach our $10,000 July fundraising goal to make sure we can keep fighting to close unnecessary tax loopholes, create jobs, and fully fund public education.

Will you contribute $5, $10, or more before the deadline to keep our grassroots movement strong?

Our opponents are watching to see if you and I have what it takes to keep standing up and fighting on the critical issues facing our state.

And make no mistake about it: We have work to do.

This year, Senate Republicans failed to close unnecessary tax loopholes and create a long-term funding solution for our public schools. They stopped efforts to bring forth bipartisan legislation like the Dream Act and the Reproductive Parity Act.

And they failed to bring to a vote and pass a transportation package to keep people and goods flowing across our state.

That just means we have to keep fighting — harder than ever — to deliver on the promise I made to wake up every morning laser-focused on creating jobs and strengthening the economy.

Together we can keep up the fight, and together we can win it, but I need you to stand with me now.

Will you contribute $5, $10, or more before the midnight deadline July 31 and keep our grassroots movement strong?

Thank you so much for your continued support. Together we can do hard things.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

They want to do what!? to the Great Barrier Reef?!!

07/30/2013 Nativegrl77

It would be hard to make this stuff up. Australia’s legendarily irresponsible mining industry has a new plan: while the planet faces catastrophic climate change, build the world’s largest coal mining complex, and then build a shipping lane to that port straight through the greatest ecological treasure we have – the Great Barrier Reef!

This is a terrible idea with devastating consequences, and the investor group Aurizon that’s backing it know it. They’re getting cold feet, and we might be able to push them over the edge, and kill the project. One of the main potential funders has even donated to climate activism!

If one million of us express our head-shaking disbelief at this crazy project in the next few days, we can help get Aurizon to pull funding and maybe even persuade the Australian PM to step in. This is what Avaaz is for, let’s raise a voice for common sense:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_global/?biEWLbb&v=27496

The Great Barrier Reef — the largest living organism on Earth and home to a quarter of all the species that live in the world’s oceans — has slowly been dying for years. It’s lost half its coral in the past three decades and that rate is only accelerating. Climate change is one cause, but so is Australia’s booming mining industry. The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that “if current trends continue, the unthinkable could happen: the Great Barrier Reef could die.”

And yet, the mining industry plans to build massive new ports at a complex called Abbot Point in Northeast Australia (right by the reef) to make it easier to get the coal it’s mining out to the world. Not only would that mean doubling the number of ships that pass by the reef each year and ripping up to 3 million cubic meters of material from the fragile seabed, but if all the coal from the proposed mines this would enable is burned, it would be three times Australia’s current climate pollution — hurtling us faster towards the point of no return.

The investors are meeting now to decide what to do and the Australian Environment Minister will choose whether to approve the project in the next two weeks. Our voices can signal to all of them to block this disaster, especially to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd if he hopes to maintain his global reputation in the lead-up to his re-election bid.

They’re all deciding what to do now. Sign this urgent petition and share it with everyone you know to stop the Great Barrier train wreck:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_global/?biEWLbb&v=27496

The Avaaz community has been fighting to save the unparalleled beauty of the reef for years. Last year, Avaaz members threatened a public US Bank when they were set to invest in reef destruction. And hundreds of thousands of Avaaz members sent messages to the Australian Environment Minister to help win the largest marine reserve in the world. Let’s do it again and put the reef out of reach of these profiteering plunderers.

With hope and determination,

David, Alex, Emily, Lisa, Oli, Marie, Ricken, Alice and the whole Avaaz team

PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It’s easy to get started – click to start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917

MORE INFORMATION:

Great Barrier Reef Under Threat (TIME)
http://www.avaaz.org/time_great_barrier_reef_article

‘Death By a Thousand Cuts’: Coal Boom Could Destroy Great Barrier Reef (Spiegel)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/australia-debates-how-to-protect-the-great-barrier-reef-a-900911.html

GVK‘s Australia coal project ‘a quagmire, not an investment’ says report (The Times of India)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/GVKs-Australia-coal-project-a-quagmire-not-an-investment-says-report/articleshow/20651363.cms

Report- Stranded: Alpha Coal Project in Australia’s Galilee Basin (IEEFA)
http://www.ieefa.org/report-stranded-alpha-coal-project-in-australias-galilee-basin/

GVK rejects claim Alpha is ‘stranded’ (The Age)
http://www.theage.com.au/business/carbon-economy/gvk-rejects-claim-alpha-is-stranded-20130619-2oj96.html

Abbott Point Coal Mine Map (Greenpeace)
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/climate/resources/reports/Cooking-the-climate-Wrecking-the-reef/