Tag Archives: civil rights

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Bailout BP ?


BP is the world’s fourth largest corporation, raking in $239 billion last year alone. If BP was its own country, it would be the 33rd biggest economy in the world.1

But unless Congress acts now, taxpayers will get stuck paying almost all the damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill because of an old law that limits oil industry liability for spills to a paltry $75 million.2 Instead of investing in schools, health care, or clean energy, we’ll get stuck bailing out BP.

Twenty-three senators have signed onto legislation to make sure the oil companies pay more—but not Senator Maria Cantwell.3

Can you call Sen. Cantwell right now? Tell her that BP should pay the damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and urge her to co-sponsor the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act. Here’s the number to call:

Senator Maria Cantwell
Phone: 202-224-3441

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSWA_2&cp_id=1372&id=20796-9640874-1rHLmAx&t=2

The BP oil spill is now being called the worst oil spill in U.S. history.4 An enormous toxic dead zone is spreading out from the spill, and the sensitive marshlands on the coast are being destroyed. Birds, sea turtles, whales and other marine life are all in harm’s way.

BP is absolutely responsible for the disaster. They cut corners on safety, bought off the regulators, and told Congress and the American people that there was no way a spill like this could happen.5

The Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act would raise the cap on Big Oil’s liability for oil spills from $75 million to $10 billion.6 The truth is, there shouldn’t be any limit on the oil industry’s liability. There’s truly no excuse for senators not to support at least this much.

Call Sen. Cantwell today and urge her to cosponsor the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act. Here’s where to call:

Senator Maria Cantwell
Phone: 202-224-3441

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSWA_2&cp_id=1372&id=20796-9640874-1rHLmAx&t=3

–Steven, Kat, Milan, Amy, and the rest of the team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ThinkProgress.org


UNDER THE RADAR

CONGRESS — HOUSE APPROVES COSTLY WEAPONS PROGRAM THAT PENTAGON DOESN’T WANT, CUTS PROGRAMS FOR LAID OFF WORKERS: On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a major jobs bill that extended popular unemployment benefits and tax credits. Although the bill will have a positive impact on the American workforce, it is worth noting that conservatives successfully weakened it before final passage. They scaled down the bill from its original version, which extended jobless benefits through the end of the year and included Medicaid assistance to states and expanded COBRA health insurance subsidies for jobless workers. These bolder provisions were jettisoned following intense negotiations with congressional conservatives who demanded that the bill be made cheaper. However, as the House was demanding that a popular jobs bill be made less costly, it did manage, in a separate bill authorizing Defense Department funding for 2011, to approve a second engine for the F-35 fighter that both the Pentagon and the White House didn’t even want. An amendment stripping the engine funding from the defense authorization bill unfortunately failed by a 193-231 vote. Defense Secretary Gates has suggested to Obama that he should veto the defense bill. As the Wonk Room’s Pat Garofalo concludes, “Can you imagine another agency coming before Congress, expressly asking that a particular program be cut because it’s unnecessary, and having that request denied? It’s a completely absurd situation.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Men, you’ll want to eat celery after reading this!


Men, eat your celery!

Sunday May 16, 2010
From Jolinda Hackett, your Guide to Vegetarian Food
This is one of those news stories that is really only peripherally related to vegetarian food, but I still just can’t help but share it. A couple of doctors decided, for some reason, to study celery. Or perhaps they were trying to figure out how to pick up chicks (the real reason they went to med school, perhaps?). At any rate, these doctors have discovered that the real way to pick up chicks is not contained in aftershave, lifting weights, cheesy pick-up lines or even in chocolate and roses. No, the real secret to making men attractive to the opposite sex is in celery. That’s right, celery.Apparently, celery contains a natural steroid. Eating celery causes men to release more pheromones right away, which women can detect. There are, um, other benefits mentioned in the article as well.

And, to avoid making this point too heteronormative (and to use a five-dollar GRE word), no word on whether the celery pheromone boost will help out our gay and lesbian friends. But eating healthy always seems to help when it comes to looking and feeling good, so I suppose it can’t hurt!

Article link: Celery ‘makes men more attractive’

//

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~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Monday mashup …&some News


Primaries do matter even though the  whole nation is watching how the President is reacting to the current incidents happening in the World these days; The Democratic Party needs to GOTV in Alabama, Mississippi and in New Mexico.

The BP oil disaster is definitely an unprecedented event  because of its effects on the environment, habitat, wildlife, Marshes, Wetlands, the fishing and  tourism industries.  This oil drilling disaster effects an area of our country that depends on the Gulf Coast for their economy… that is why some folks are calling this thing unprecedented, we all feel it’s definitely a criminal act. The Reports that BP shares have plunged is some consolation but as investigators go through the evidence, the  Media videos and more; BP and the other 2companies are still in charge of the outcome.  The Press, the residents of the Gulf Coast,  some Politicians and  some Military Personnel feel the government should takeover, pay for it and then hit BP with a receipt, bring in tankers and more but there has to be a reason, a law that ties the hands of our government and if so keeps BP in charge but there is a paper trail, videos and guys like Cousteau Jr. able, willing to dive check out the reality of the situation and are reporting their findings to the commission so any misinformation from BP can be  dealt with by the President in the future.

The President gave Americans an Update on the BP oil disaster today. The press conference was good it showed the public that our government is doing what it can given the facts; he will also be meeting with the Oil Disaster Commission.  It is obvious this guy was the right one voted  President because the hits keep coming …immigration, SB1070, birther laws,  Wall Street Reform, Health-care insurers still trying to find ways to get out of being reformed, DADT, fighting NKorea-SKorea and Israel acting up or against an attack and then we have Republicans who seem determined to  keep us from progressing … the Political Party of No and this behavior will affect us all people; not just Democrats … people on the right say they don’t want big government … until they need it and while it’s offensive it’s hard to truly believe that come mid-terms -voters, sane Americans will vote for Republicans who have shown no compassion, continue to be the Political Party of No and have no plans or solutions for what their party started  a Recession that really probably was a depression to begin with but things are better now… when Bush took office there was a financial surplus but then someone must have said let the de-regulation begin. We must challenge the President and Congress to have courage to Reform the entities that have made choices that have effected us in such negative ways; it is not the time to bash the President it’s time to back him as we move into the 21st Century … it means cleaning up, reforming everything the last guy left  … it means possibly moving more to the left of center to get things done because it’s obvious the last guy only worked for a select few and looked the other way when it came to regulating the various entities he supposedly controlled which if the reports are right …booze sex drugs and lies

It is obvious that the efforts to stop the BP oil disaster have failed. I know i’m not the only one feeling helpless and we all want to know why it will take so long to dig relief Wells; some of us see this as just another stalling tactic and if otherwise BP needs to be much more transparent than they have been for the last 40days. The politics we all see playing itself out on land and in the water as BP and Associates seem to be keeping information to themselves, have no idea what they’re doing and want to say one thing do another or do say and hope everyone forgot… it’s offensive.

It’s definitely a morning and a day to  reach to the sky breathe in deeply through the nose and release your breath slowly and lower your arms and upper body down as you release your breath and repeat; probably more and more as the news and day wears on.

After a long Memorial weekend which honored our men and women who served bravely in the Military…my brother included. I was very upset that some veterans were miffed as the News called it that the President didn’t show up at Arlington National Cemetery; first, he is not the only President to have done this and why shouldn’t he pay respect to others who have served in the Military bravely… maybe start a new ritual of going to different states to pay respects because  it does leave out other soldiers who are just  as important.  It is an incredibly nice thing for him to have done and a really strange thing for Vets to complain about.

The weekend ended with the bad news about the top kill failure and news that a pipe will need to be cut but it will also release more oil into the Gulf and lately the comments from BP/Halliburton/Transocean personnel have been less than genuine which is just bad news in general.  The oil gusher on the Gulf Coast should be called a national disaster and treated as such.  This thing is effecting a whole way of life on the Gulf Coast and will only get worse, the damage will take decades to fix.  We have men and women who make their living on the Gulf Coast itself trying to help clean this stuff up and getting sick.   The numbers are increasing and what does Tony Hayward say; he states that it’s probably food poisoning and describes the close quarters, the environment,  the tent city so on and so forth; that the army marches on it’s stomach? unbelievable.  It was unreal to hear and see him get on camera and think people will believe the stuff coming out of his mouth.  The symptoms listed by the people of Louisiana trying to help clean up the land … are having trouble breathing, upper respiratory problems, dizziness as well as nasal passage issues. I have had food poisoning and those symptoms don’t come close.  The three stooges need to listen up and understand people aren’t as naïve as they think; that everyone in the country is watching and dissecting what is being said and done on the Gulf Coast and it’s personal…

And as we all wait for the storms, some say incredibly horrific hurricanes to come because it is Hurricane Season; reports are that there is a chance some of it might just come on land and  destroy the beaches, overrun the Marshes, Wetlands and even more might make it toward mainland as well.  It’s time for a change in the way the oil disaster is being handled and the President should consider it a national disaster as the effects on the environment, the wildlife habitat, the floor of the Gulf, the oyster beds, shrimp, not to mention the fish and tourism industry again, will take decades to recover.  The BP lies need to stop and the negativity toward what President Obama has and is doing respected; after all a Parish Leader stated that after he spoke to the President he changed his mind; that President Obama did not have all the information but soon after major changes were made and equipment available …The President is just as concerned about what is happening on the Gulf Coast  as the rest of us but because the Government is not involved in oil clean up business … it has got to be tough to sit back and wait.

Waiting … how many of us are waiting to find out just what will it take for advertising sponsors to drop TV, radio and print personalities who seem to promote, spew hate and racism when they want without being reprimanded by station owners and or stations they work for.  It just seems someone has to take more action as the comments coming from these people are out of control.

Other News …

**Seattle,WA lawmakers will be taxing candy, water and A Beer Tax at .28cents per six-pack to help pay for the 1.28 financial deficit

**

**BP’s CEO Tony Hayward, who has insisted that the oil spill’s impact on the Gulf of Mexico would be “very, very modest,” finally conceded today that the ecological consequences will be far worse. He upgraded his assessment of the impact of the oil spill to an “environmental catastrophe.”TP

**The President of Peru will meet with President Obama today

**Primaries in Alabama , Mississippi and New Mexico today


C-SPAN …

watch V.P. Biden at Arlington National Cemetery

South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidates Debate

One week before South Carolina primary election on June 8, the Republican candidates for Governor debate tonight at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC.@7pm   A recent poll shows State Rep. Nikki Haley leading her opponents, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, state Attorney General Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, following a Haley endorsement by 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. In the week since the poll was released, allegations surfaced of an extramarital affair between Haley and a conservative blogger two years ago. Haley has denied the claims, saying “I have been 100 percent faithful to my husband throughout our 13 years of marriage… This claim against me is categorically and totally false.” Tonight’s debate is sponsored by the university, in partnership with WBTW-TV News 13 and the Florence Morning News. The Democratic candidates debate this Thursday at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. The primary election winners will face off in the November general election to succeed outgoing Gov. Mark Sanford.

Israeli PM Cancels White House Visit to Tend to Attack Aftermath

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled today’s scheduled White House meeting with President Obama and returned to Israel following yesterday’s Israeli attack on ships carrying pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip. At least nine were killed and many more injured aboard the vessels, which were reported to be on an aid mission to the territory blockaded since 2007. A White House statement said President Obama spoke to Mr. Netanyahu and “expressed deep regret at the loss of life” in the incident, stressing the “importance of learning all the facts and circumstances” as soon as possible. The two leaders agreed to reschedule their meeting, seen as part of President Obama’s push to rekindle a lagging Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The President is scheduled to host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a White House meeting next week.

read WSJ: Flotilla Assault Spurs Crisis

Community Anger Builds as BP Attempts New Fix for Oil Leak

Gulf Coast residents were dealt another blow this weekend when officials announced the failure of the “top kill” effort to seal a pipe that has been gushing oil and natural gas into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The spill is the focus of WIST-AM’s daily “Inside New Orleans” broadcast, which C‑SPAN simulcasts this afternoon. Hurricane season begins today and officials are concerned that the winds and surge of an early-season storm could drive even more oil towards shore. Already considered the worst oil spill in U.S. history, an estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil are estimated to be leaking each day. Oil giant BP is now attempting to shear off the broken pipe a mile under water and place a containment cap that can funnel some of the leaking fuel to ships on the surface. Engineers are also preparing a pair of relief wells to divert oil and gas away from the damaged well and fill it with cement, theoretically stopping the leak for good. Those wells are not expected to be ready for at least two months.
“There’s no doubt that the ultimate solution lies on the relief well, which is in August,” BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward said Sunday.

watch WIST Simulcast: C-SPAN at 1pm ET    watch LIVE Spill Cam
visit WIST-AM

watch Archive of C-SPAN Spill Coverage

Past Supreme Court Nomination Hearings Revisited

With the upcoming Senate Judiciary confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan set for June 28, C‑SPAN will spend this week revisiting past confirmation hearings. Beginning tonight, we will present the hearings for Chief Justices John Roberts (2005) and William Rehnquist (1986) and Associate Justices Stephen Breyer (1994), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1993), Clarence Thomas (1991), Anthony Kennedy (1988), and Antonin Scalia (1986).
Black History

House votes to extend jobless benefits until Nov. 30/President extends mining&logging moratorium


WASHINGTON — The House agreed Friday to extend expiring jobless benefits for hundreds of thousands of workers nationwide until Nov. 30, but 1.2 million out-of-work Americans still face losing their benefits next month because the Senate left for a 10-day Memorial Day recess without acting.

The Senate isn’t scheduled to return to Washington until June 7, five days after federal funding for the benefits is to expire.

Even when the Senate returns, quick action could be difficult. Friday’s 215-204 House vote on a package that includes tax changes for businesses sent an ominous signal about why approving the added jobless benefits has become so difficult.

Though Democratic leaders pushed the measure hard, 34 House Democrats — including Washington’s Jay Inslee and Adam Smith — joined 170 Republicans in voting no. One Republican, Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao of Louisiana, and 214 Democrats voted yes.

The bill passed with no provision for continuing federal health-care subsidies for unemployed workers, a provision that was cut from the legislation after Democratic moderates expressed concerns about what its cost would add to the federal budget deficit.

The House, by a 245-171 vote, also extended present Medicare reimbursements paid to doctors for 19 months, with small increases each year.

The measures would add a total of about $54.2 billion to the federal deficit, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which estimates the deficit will reach about $1.5 trillion this fiscal year.

To keep moderates in line, Democrats also scuttled plans to provide more funding to states for Medicaid, the joint state-federal health-care program for lower-income people, some seniors and those with disabilities.

Even those changes failed to move many centrists, however.

“There are different attitudes in the country about how much we should be spending on unemployment insurance,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Members who are from low unemployment areas are very concerned about the deficit. Members who are from high unemployment areas are very concerned about the jobs.”

The legislation the House passed Friday extends a series of business tax breaks, such as a research tax credit, that were due to expire. Part of the package is paid for, notably by changing how multinational companies are taxed on foreign income, as well as “carried interest” earned by venture capitalists, hedge fund managers and others.

Friday was the third time this year that Congress has failed to meet the deadline for extending jobless benefits.

On the first two occasions, Republican senators blocked quick consideration, saying they wanted the programs paid for. This time, Republicans still objected, but it was centrist Democrats who were raising alarms. The original House plan would have spent nearly $200 billion and increased the deficit by $133.8 billion over the next 10 years.

The day in D.C.

Roadless forests: The Obama administration Friday extended for another year the moratorium on most logging and mining in millions of acres of remote and rugged backcountry sections of national forests. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he wants to continue to give decisions on projects in roadless areas a higher level of scrutiny while waiting for federal courts to resolve the legal issues.

Kentucky Senate race: Senate candidate Rand Paul, R-Ky., told a Russian TV station in a clip circulating on political websites Friday that he opposes citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are illegal immigrants. Paul, who a week ago won the GOP primary, said he wants to block citizenship to those children. “We’re the only country I know that allows people to come in illegally, have a baby and then that baby becomes a citizen,” Paul told RT, an English-language station.

Hutchison’s future: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, hasn’t decided whether to retire at the end of 2012, and the possibility she’ll run again leaves a major question mark over the already competitive field of candidates lined up to replace her. After earlier declining to discuss her plans, she said this week she has set no deadline on whether to seek another six-year term.

Seattle Times news services