~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Will the House move into the 21st Century

11/08/2013 Nativegrl77

Senate Passes Landmark LGBT Rights Bill

Great News: It may have taken nearly two decades, but the Senate finally passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act today on a strong, bipartisan vote of 64-32 (one supporter was absent). Support was unanimous among Democrats and 10 Republicans, including conservative Senators like Kelly Ayotte (NH), Pat Toomey (PA), and Orrin Hatch (UT), also supported the landmark civil rights legislation.

Only one Republican senator even bothered to speak against the bill.

Good News: Before passing the bill, the Senate also overwhelmingly defeated a very damaging amendment that would’ve negated many of the bill’s protections by dramatically and unnecessarily expanding the bill’s religious exemptions, which are already quite expansive.

Bad News: Even before today’s historic vote, Speaker Boehner (R-OH) and other GOP leaders in the House of Representatives already said they won’t bring up the bill, even though it would almost certainly pass with a combination of Democratic and Republican votes.

Ugly News: Shockingly, 32 Senate Republicans voted today to deny one of the most basic civil rights — the right to earn a living — to LGBT people.

Bonus News: Hawaii is set to pass marriage equality tomorrow, which would make it the 16th such state overall and the 2nd just this week!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The CBS News “Eyewitness” Who Wasn’t There

11/08/2013 Nativegrl77

On last week’s 60 Minutes, CBS News presented an account from a British security contractor who claimed to be an eyewitness to the attack against U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. But the contractor’s own incident report revealed that he was nowhere near the facilities and was instead at a beachside villa. [1]Journalistic malpractice? Tell CBS to fix this faulty reporting.The 60 Minutes report largely hinged on revelations from “Morgan Jones,” who CBS News claimed “witnessed the attack.” In an interview with correspondent Lara Logan that sounded like the script for an action movie, “Jones” described scaling the wall at the burning compound, fighting off terrorists inside, and gaining access to the hospital to view the remains of Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The CBS News report quickly fueled the ongoing right-wing politicization of the terror attack and provided renewed vigor to accusations of a “Benghazi cover-up.” [2]

The problem? “Jones,” whose real name is Dylan Davies, previously wrote that he “could not get anywhere near” the diplomatic compound that night. In the incident report submitted to his employer, Davies stated that, due to roadblocks, he spent most of the night of the attack at his Benghazi beachside villa, only learning of the Ambassador’s death from a Libyan colleague’s cellphone picture. Davies later claimed that he lied in the employer report, not the story he gave to the media. Either way, the discrepancy is troubling. [3]

Veteran journalists agree that the new details raise questions about whether 60 Minutes properly reviewed Davies’ story before it aired. “Other sources, even if those were off the record sources, they could have done something to address this discrepancy,” said Kelly McBride, ethics instructor at The Poynter Institute and co- author of the new book the New Ethics of Journalism. Dave Cuillier, Society of Professional Journalists president, agreed: “Accuracy’s number one and we’ve got to get it right and if we don’t, which is going to happen inevitably, then we need to correct it. That applies in every situation, whether it’s an obit in the Green Valley News or 60 Minutes.” [4]

What’s more, CBS Corporation owns Simon & Schuster, which published Davies’ “eyewitness” memoir about the attack. The ties between 60 Minutes and the publisher of Davies’ book were not disclosed when 60 Minutes was promoting Davies’ story. Given the financial relationships involved, it’s especially concerning that CBS News did not properly address the discrepancy between Davies’ stories. [5]

Whether due to negligence or a deliberate lack of disclosure, CBS News failed to properly verify its source in pursuit of a scoop.

Will you join the call for CBS News to explain the discrepancies or retract its report?

In 2004, when questions were raised about 60 Minutes reporting on documents involving President George W. Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News appointed an independent panel “to help determine what errors occurred in the preparation of the report and what actions need to be taken.” [6] Following the investigation, CBS News fired four producers connected to the story, and chose not to renew correspondent Dan Rather’s contract.

To maintain its reputation as a respected news organization, CBS News needs to respond to this instance of questionable journalism with the same professionalism it has displayed in the past. Can you help us remind CBS News that journalism and the facts matter?

Sign the letter to CBS News: http://action.mediamatters.org/cbs_benghazi

We’ll send the letter next week, so sign on by Monday to ask CBS News to take responsibility for the problems in its report. Your participation makes a difference.

Cynthia Padera Campaigns Manager Media Matters for America

—–

[1] 60 Minutes Benghazi Report Takes A Huge Credibility Hit http://mm4a.org/1aZgivt [2] Conservative Media Praise CBS’ 60 Minutes Report On Benghazi http://mm4a.org/16h0mpS [3] CBS “Eyewitness” Admits He Lied About Benghazi Attack While Bashing Critics http://mm4a.org/1aUykCt [4] Veteran Journalists Criticize 60 Minutes For “Serious Problem” With Benghazi “Witness” http://mm4a.org/1h6tur2 [5] 60 Minutes’ Benghazi Eyewitness Asked Fox News For Money http://mm4a.org/17sky9b [6] David Brock Calls On CBS To Retract Faulty Benghazi Story http://mm4a.org/1iAIgBK

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

11/08/2013 Nativegrl77

Shell: Speak Out and Help Get My Dad Out of Jail!

By Natasha Willcox, Greenpeace USA

, Conn

My dad, Peter Willcox, is currently being held in a Russian jail, arrested following a peaceful protest against the Russian oil company Gazprom — a key corporate partner for Shell — to try and protect the Arctic from environmental disaster.

He’s in jail because of Gazprom — during the protest, the company made a call to Russian security forces to intervene. 24 hours later, armed commandos had illegally boarded the Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise and arrested all 30 people on board, including my dad.

But to break open the Russian Arctic, Gazprom needs Shell. They’ve just done a deal, so Shell will bring its money and expertise and Gazprom will bring its access to the Russian Arctic.

When it comes to Arctic drilling they’re in it together now, up to their necks. That puts Shell in a hugely powerful position to influence Gazprom. If Shell wanted to help my dad come home, they could push their friends at Gazprom to make the call.

Peter Voser is Shell’s CEO, and Charles Holliday is the chair of its corporate and social responsibility committee — surely the most relevant aspect of Shell’s work for this situation.

Please join me in calling on Shell to take their corporate responsibility seriously, and speak out to free my dad!

Black History

the Senate CONGRESS 11/8 the House

11/08/2013 Nativegrl77

The Senate will conduct a pro forma session with no business conducted at 11:45am on Friday, November 8, 2013.

The Senate will not be in session on Monday, November 11^th in observance of Veterans’ Day.

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013

The Senate will convene at 2:00pm on Tuesday, November 12, 2013. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 4:30pm.

At 4:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #346, the nomination of Cornelia T. L. Pillard, of the District of Columbia, to be United States District Court Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit with the time until 5:30pm equally divided and controlled in the usual form.

At 5:30pm, there will be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Pillard nomination. If cloture is not invoked, there will be a 2^nd roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.3204, the Drug Quality and Security Act.

For the information of all Senators, during Thursday, November 7^th’s session of the Senate, cloture was filed on the following items in the following order:

– Executive Calendar #346, the nomination of Cornelia T. L. Pillard, of the District of Columbia, to be United States District Court Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit and

– H.R.3204, the Drug Quality and Security Act.

===============================

Last Floor Action: 10/30
5:11:55 P.M. – The House adjourned
pursuant to a previous special order.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00
a.m. on November 12, 2013, unless the House receives a message from the Senate
transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 62, in which case the House shall
stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ENDA … a message from Valerie

11/07/2013 Nativegrl77

This week, the U.S. Senate voted to consider the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. This legislation has a very clear purpose: to make sure that no one can be fired for who they are or who they love.

Right now, only 17 states prohibit employment discrimination against LGBT workers. That leaves millions of Americans who go to work every day fearing that they could lose their job because of who they are.

As the President said earlier this week, that’s not acceptable.

A majority of Americans assume there is a prohibition against discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace. There’s not, and that’s exactly why this is so important — and why we need your help to get the word out. Yesterday, Press Secretary Jay Carney explained what ENDA does, and why it’s so important in the fight for equality.

Watch the video — and pass it on so that other people know what a big deal this is.

At a time when Washington is spending so much of its time bickering over partisan issues, Congress has an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans by passing this commonsense — and overdue — law.

It’s not just civil rights advocates who support ENDA. Business leaders know that prohibiting employment discrimination is good for business. Inclusive workplaces attract the best and brightest employees, and improve their bottom line.

ENDA is set for a final vote in the Senate, and then the House needs to pass it. Americans need to know where members of Congress stand, and what is at stake.

We need your help — please watch this video, and forward it on so that all Americans learn how important this is, too.

Thanks,

Valerie

Valerie Jarrett Senior Advisor The White House @VJ44