10/30 Canada Sets Aside Its Boreal Forest as Giant Carbon Vault By banning logging, mining and oil drilling in an area twice the size of California, Canada is ensuring its boreal forests continue to soak up carbon by Suzanne Goldenberg The Guardian/UK http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/30-1 . Student Expelled to Gaza Strip by Force Palestinian's involuntary return is the sixth in 10 days, says human rights group by Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem The Independent/UK http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/30-6 . Arnold, Milton, and the California Nightmare Naomi Klein on The Shock Doctrine, California style by Rebecca Bowe San Francisco Bay Guardian *Schwarzenegger's about as "moderate" as an 8.0 Richter reading http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/30-7 . Malalai Joya and the Tale of 2 CNNs by Eric Garris AntiWar.com http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/30-1 . Coal River Mountain Emergency: Sit-Ins-Funeral March Erupt at EPA/JP Morgan Chase Offices Across Nation by Jeff Biggers http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/30-7 . More Than Backpedaling on NAFTA by Manuel Perez-Rocha http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/30-0 . FAIR Blog You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Argue That the Afghan War Prevents Terror--But It Helps *Comments left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/29/you-dont-have-to-be-crazy-to-argue-that-the-afghan-war-prevents-terror-but-it-helps/ . DEMOCRACY NOW! Is the Recession Over? Author, Democratic Senate Hopeful Jonathan Tasini on "The Audacity of Greed: Free Markets, Corporate Thieves and the Looting of America" http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/30/tasini Deal Reached in Honduran Coup Crisis; Zelaya Restoration Would Depend on Vote by Honduran Congress http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/30/honduras . Institute for Public Accuracy Pelosi Ditches Single-Payer Provision *The term "Democrat" becomes more of a non sequitur with each passing day, doesn't it? http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2108 10/29 Cluster Bomb Trade Funded by World's Biggest Banks HSBC earned more than £650m in fees from work for Textron, US manufacturer of cluster weapons by Nick Mathiason *Making a killing every way they can http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/29-1 . Palin's Pet Hoffman Has Taliban Ties by Laura Flanders http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/29-2 . Why Obama's Iran Policy Will Fail Stuck in Bush Mode in a Changed World by Dilip Hiro http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/29-7 . Kucinich on New Health Care Bill: 'Is This the Best We Can Do?' http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/29-0 . Institute for Agricultural & Trade Policy (IATP) Researchers Link Low-Level Mercury Exposure, Zinc Deficiency and Learning Disorders Use of mercury in the production of synthetic food ingredients analyzed http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/29-3 . Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) The Nuclear Industry Makes Its Christmas Wish List, and It's a Long One Why is a Mature, 50-year-old Industry Still Asking for Massive Taxpayer Handouts?, Science Group Asks http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/29-4 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Public Option Faces New Test with Pelosi House Proposal, While Uncertainty Grows over Prospects in Senate *No, "progressive" reps aren't "going to lay down in front of the bus" for this - much less for true universal coverage They're going to throw all of us who'll be screwed by their "pragmatism" under it http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/29/pelosi Healthcare Roundtable: With Exclusion of Single Payer, What Opportunities Remain for Meaningful Reform? *I guess "meaningful" depends on who's being asked, doesn't it? If you're getting fucked, it really doesn't matter to you whether it's an improvement for others, does it? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/29/roundtable Russian Journalist Elena Milashina Speaks Out on Alarming Rise in Murders, Threats Against Critics of Government Abuses in North Caucasus http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/29/russian_journalist_elena_milashina_speaks_out 10/28 Long-Time Environmental Activist: 'It's About the Confrontation' Earth First! Co-Founder Reflects on Technology, Protests, Environmental Battles Ahead in New Book by Rob Chaney The Missoulian (Montana) http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/28-5 . Greenpeace Climate Activists Dump Coal Outside Sweden's Government Offices by Agence France Presse http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/28-2 . Healthcare Hypocrites by Jim Hightower *Sweet deal for sour bastards http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/28-1 . The Victory of the Commons Nobel Prize-winning economist Elinor Ostrom proved that people can - and do - work together to manage commonly-held resources without degrading them. by Jay Walljasper http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/28-4 . Latin America's Economic Rebels by Mark Weisbrot *Taking a left turn on the real "road to ruin" http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/28-9 . Doctors Risking Arrest for Healthcare for All, Challenge System That Makes Them Complicit by Kevin Gosztola *Another way of caring for their patients http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/28-3 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Coordinated Attacks Kill 6 UN Workers as US Troops Suffer Deadliest Month of 8-Year Afghan War www.democracynow.org/2009/10/28/coordinated_attacks_kill_6_un_workers "A Woman Among Warlords": Afghan Democracy Activist Malalai Joya Defies Threats to Challenge US Occupation, Local Warlords http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/28/a_woman_among_warlords_afghan_democracy UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings, Philip Alston: Record AfPak Drone Attacks Under Obama May Violate International Law *How can there be any legal act of war when the war itself is illegal? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/28/un_special_rapporteur_on_extrajudicial_killings House Advances Measure to Create Hundreds of New Low Power FM Radio Stations http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/28/house_advances_measure_to_create_hundreds 10/27 Ecuador Wants Money Not to Drill in Amazon by Al Jazeera English http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/27 . Rhetoric and Reality by Ralph Nader *Uncle Barack says: I Want You (To give me money for breaking my promises) And the sad - and scary - thing is, a lot of folks will do it, won't they? http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/27 . Chromium 6 Still Threatens California's Drinking Water by Erin Brockovich http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/27-6 . Public Citizen As Thursday Vote Looms on Two New Reactors, Popular Opposition May Make Selling Nuclear Power More Difficult CPS Wholesale Customers Already Facing Public Relations Battles http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/27-12 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Will Texas Execute Another Innocent Man? The Case of Reginald Blanton http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/27/will_texas_execute_another_innocent_man "Rape in the Ranks: The Enemy Within" http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/27/filmmaker_pascale_bourgaux_on_rape_in . Institute for Public Accuracy Protests at Insurance Company Offices *Into the bloated belly of the beast http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2105 10/26 Peaceful Protesters Included on Police Database of 'Domestic Extremists' Peaceful protesters are being included on a national police database of activists including animal rights activists, far-right groups and other 'domestic extremists', according to reports. by Ian Johnston the Telegraph/UK *Use a conscience, go to jail http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/26-2 . War Is a Hate Crime by Chris Hedges *Some rights are more equal than others http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/26-0 . Nightmare of a Dream Student by Cintli Rodriguez *Reading, writing and racism http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/26-7 . FAIR Blog WP Opinion Pages Think Someone Else Should Have a Debate on Single-Payer *Comment left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/26/wp-opinion-pages-think-someone-else-should-have-a-debate-on-single-payer/ . Institute for Public Accuracy A Woman Among Warlords: Afghan Malalai Joya in U.S. http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2104 . DEMOCRACY NOW! 155 Killed in Double Suicide Bombing in Baghdad *Intel on the domestic forces in Iraq that should get far more exposure on DN! and elsewhere than it has, don't you think? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/26/155_killed_in_double_suicide_bombing Showdown in Chicago: Protesters Greet American Bankers Association Conference *Need versus greed http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/26/showdown_in_chicago_protesters_greet_american 100 Days of Resistance: Al Jazeera's Avi Lewis Reports from Honduras *Again, going deeper than what's usually on DN! and elsewhere. This should be the rule, rather than the exception. The times call for nothing less, don't you think? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/26/100_days_of_resistance_al_jazeeras 10/24 American Public More Complacent About Climate Change by Jim Lobe Inter Press Service *Cooling on warming These fools will soon realize what mortals they be. No mention here of the corpress' role in that. Pretty glaring omission, wouldn't you say? http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/23-0 . NIE Reveals Qom Facility Followed 2007 Bush Threats by Gareth Porter Inter Press Service http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/23-6 . Maine Voices Speak Out for Marriage Equality http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/23-1 . America's Real Quagmire by Mark Weisbrot http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/23-11 10/23 The Yes Men US Chamber Shuts off TheYesMen.org and Websites of Hundreds of Other Activist Groups Free Speech, Free Commerce Threatened by "Free Trade" Champion http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/23-5 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Judge Rejects Blackwater Attempt to Dismiss Cases Filed by Iraqi Victims http://staging.democracynow.org/2009/10/23/black . FAIR Blog The Lou Dobbs Poll *Comment left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/23/the-lou-dobbs-poll/ . DNA Profiling: You May Be Next Some agencies deem the database system so valuable they have been making deals with offenders in exchange for a DNA sample by Patrick Kollman Mission Local (San Francisco Chronicle) http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/22-11 . The Huffington Post Investigative Fund When Patients Are Denied: The Battle Over Mental Health Benefits by Danielle Ivory and Lagan Sebert http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/22 . Institute for Public Accuracy Afghan Policy a "Script" for Escalation http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2103 Al Qaeda Leaders Killed -- or Construction Workers? http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2101 10/22 DEMOCRACY NOW! University of Alaska Scientist Rick Steiner Loses Federal Grant Funding After Criticizing Oil Industry http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/22/university_of_alaska_scientist_rick_steiner Toxic Waters: Regulatory Absence Allows Chemical, Coal and Farm Industries to Pollute US Water Supplies *The last part of this stinks - "good faith efforts" by gummint and industry, and pity the poor corpress (again, neither challenged by Goodman and Gonzalez) - but worth the time for the intel. http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/22/toxic_waters_regulatory_absence_allows_chemical CIA Invests in Software Firm Monitoring Blogs, Twitter *Are you on Big Brother's favorites list? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/22/cia_invests_in_software_firm_monitoring . The Movement Against the Banks by Ruth Conniff http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/22-2 . The Organic Revolution: How We Can Stop Global Warming by Ronnie Cummins *Coming clean by soiling ourselves http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/22-11 . Government Accountability Project, National Whistleblowers Center and Project On Government Oversight Anti-Corruption and Whistleblower Advocacy Groups Urge Holder to Review UBS Whistleblower Case Punishing Whistleblowers Discourages National and International Anti-Corruption Efforts http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/22-1 . Pentagon Used Psychological Operation on US Public, Documents Show Figure in Bush propaganda operation remains Pentagon spokesman by Brad Jacobson Raw Story http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/21-8 . Pentagon Instructs Officials to Cancel Contracts with ACORN. The Problem: They Don't Exist by Jeremy Scahill Rebel Reports *Selective, deflective and defective enforcement http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/21-9 . Attack on Syria Cover Up Erlich: The US massacre at Al-Sukkariya, Syria in 2008 was a clear violation of international law by Paul Jay with Reese Erlich The Real News Network http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/21-0 . A Corporate Monster v. 'The Vermonster' by Jim Hightower http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/21 . Corporated Accountability International Sales Not the Only Thing Dragging for Coke's Dasani *Tap outted http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/21-7 . National Priorities Project National Priorities Project Releases Key Energy Consumption & Federal Spending Information Coinciding With International Day of Climate Action Newly updated historical data reflect the local impacts of federal spending and energy consumption. http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/21-0 . FAIR Blog Feeding the World: The Expert's Burden *One hand giveth ... And the horde of other hands taketh away far more http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/22/feeding-the-world-the-experts-burden/ WP Poll: Public Evenly Split on Afghan Escalation? http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/22/post-poll-public-evenly-split-on-afghan-escalation/ Breaking ACORN News!!! *Comment left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/22/breaking-acorn-news/ 10/21 Govt Threatens Tar Sands Activists with Anti-Terror Laws by Chris Arsenault Inter Press Service http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/20-9 . The Number No One's Counting by Alan Fisher http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/20-7 . AT&T Boss Asks Employees to Fake It by Tim Karr http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/20-6 . Media Ignores Women's Health Disparities in Shriver Report by Wendy Norris *A woman's work is never done ... Being made harder http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/20-4 . Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Can We Afford More Subsidies for Nuclear Power? http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/20-13 . DEMOCRACY NOW! "Cashing in the War Dividend": As Healthcare Reform Limited by Deficit Concerns, Military Spending Continues to Grow *War and pieces of the pie http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/21/cashing_in_the_war_dividend_as International Women's Media Foundation Honors Israeli Journalist Amira Hass with 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award *Documenting hell from inside the flames http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/21/israeli_journalist_amira_hass Jordanian Journalist Rana Husseini on "Murder in the Name of Honor: The True Story of One Woman's Heroic Fight Against an Unbelievable Crime" http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/21/jordanian_journalist_rana_husseini_on_murder 10/20 Institute for Public Accuracy Afghan Election Runoff http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2099 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Congress Considers Revoking Health Insurance Industry's Exemption from Antitrust Laws *The sort of liberal McLAUGHLIN GROUP approach that's largely a waste of time, or worse, don't you think? As for a "public option" - the term has no meaning, does it? And "robust" or not, it's going to fall far short of what's necessary for millions of people, isn't it? So how do you tell them it was the "pragmatic" thing to do? www.democracynow.org/2009/10/20/congress_considers_revoking_health_insurance_industrys In His Mother's Footsteps: California Man Jailed for Five Days After Sit-In at Blue Cross Office in Los Angeles www.democracynow.org/2009/10/20/in_his_mothers_footsteps_california_man The Yes Men Pull Off Prank Claiming US Chamber of Commerce Had Changed Its Stance on Climate Change *Deadly serious comic relief http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/20/yes_men_pull_off_prank_claiming PR Executive James Hoggan on "Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming" *If I'm lying you're dying http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/20/pr_executive_james_hoggan_on_james 10/19 Hillary Clinton Gives 'Shameless Pitch' for Crooked Corporation in Russia by Jeremy Scahill Rebel Reports http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/19-8 . Screams, Flames Among Horrors of Botched US Executions by Lucile Malandain Agence France Presse http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/19 . A Reality Check From the Brink of Extinction by Chris Hedges *Removing hangnails while the patient's on life support http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/19 . Embrace the Dollar's Downfall Banks might suffer if China stopped buying US debt, but the US economy as a whole would be much better off by Dean Baker http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/19-8 . Who's Next? Lessons From the Long War and a Blowback World by Tom Engelhardt http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/19-3 . American Civil Liberties Union ACLU Lawsuit Challenges Retaliatory Expulsion of Student Under Unconstitutional Disciplinary Policy Expulsion Highlights Pattern of Unlawful Conduct by Authorities in DeSoto County, Mississippi http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/19-2 . Center for Biological Diversity Study Shows Water Shortages in Southeast United States Are Due to Overpopulation, Likely to Be Repeated http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/19-9 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Six Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commanders Killed in Suicide Bombing, Iran Blames US and Pakistan *Pipeline dreams and bloody reality http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/19/six_senior_iranian_revolutionary_guard_commanders . FAIR Blog You'll Never Advertise in This Town Again http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/19/youll-never-advertise-in-this-town-again/ Bon Jovi Is News? *I guess we'll see an announcement any day now that FOX has signed up Ted Nugent http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/19/bonjovi-is-news/ 10/16 Poison on the Platter by GRITtv http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/16 . Obama's Bad Influence by Naomi Klein *Klein might want to take another look at the Obamanian machinations around Honduras, don't you think? http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/16 . Obama Renews Bush's 9/11 State of Emergency by Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg *The mendacity of "hope" http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/16-2 . National Day Laborer Organizing Network 287(g) Program Should Be Ended, Not Mended New Agreements Are More of the Same http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/16-8 . Peasants Worldwide Rise up Against Monsanto, GMOs La Via Campesina carries out Global Day of Action against Monsanto http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/16-0 . FAIR Media Advisory Limbaugh Defenders Ignoring Long Record of Racist Remarks http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3928 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Journalist Ann Louise Bardach on How Cuban Exile Luis Posada Carriles Remains a Free Man in Miami Despite His Role in Airline and Hotel Bombings www.democracynow.org/2009/10/16/journalist_ann_louise_bardach_on_how 150 Years Ago Today: Abolitionist John Brown Raided Arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Attempt to Start Slave Insurrection in South http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/16/150_years_ago_today_abolitionist_john 10/15 The Arctic Will Be Ice-Free in Summer within 20 Years, Research Says by Ben Webster TimesOnline/UK http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/15-1 . Time to Pull the Plug on the Bottled Water Swindle by John Gibbons *Bottle, bottle everywhere Nor many stop to think http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/15-7 . Reviving the Local Economy With Publicly Owned Banks State and local leaders are considering creating publicly owned banks that can funnel credit to where it is needed most: directly into the local economy. by Ellen Brown http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/15-4 . Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility USDA and EPA Pushing Coal Ash for Growing Crops Toxic Contamination Risks Spread through Soil and Fertilizer Applications *King Coal says "Kiss my ash" http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/15-1 . DEMOCRACY NOW! As Foreclosures Hit All-Time High, Wall Street on Pace to Hand Out Record $140B in Employee Bonuses *Solid segment - good intel that's fairly simple to suss, which isn't always the case in this area (at least for me) http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/15/black 10/14 Drugmakers, Doctors Rake in Billions Battling H1N1 Flu Swine Flu Is Bad for Victims, But Good for Businesses That Cater to Expanding Market by Dalia Fahmy ABC News http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14-1 . Unsafe Abortions Kill 70,000 a Year Countries with restrictive laws most affected - Global report shows overall fall in terminations by Sarah Boseley The Guardian/UK http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14-14 . Earth's Life Support Systems Failing by Stephen Leahy Inter Press Service http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14-4 . Are Women Getting Sadder? Or Are We All Just Getting a Lot More Gullible? by Barbara Ehrenreich http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/14-0 . No Surprises: Baucus-Braly-Blue Cross Bailout Advances to Final Act by Donna Smith *A comic tragedy that's sold us out night after night http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/14-3 . Justice for the Unemployed by John Buell *Takin' what they're givin' 'cause I'm not workin' for a livin' http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/14-7 . Farm Workers and Allies Ask Gov't to Protect Kids From Toxic Pesticide Drift Petition to EPA includes immediate no-spray buffer zones around homes, schools, day care centers for most toxic pesticides http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/14-4 . Institute for Public Accuracy Abbas Reverses on Goldstone Report http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2097 . DEMOCRACY NOW! As US and Other Wealthy Nations Slash Aid, UN Warns of "Silent Tsunami of Hunger" in Global Food Crisis *Why is it called "foreign aid" when it's meant to benefit domestic corporations by making local populations dependent on their products? The Lord helps those who help themselves by pretending to help others. http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/14/as_us_and_other_wealthy_nations 10/13 Decline of a Tribe: and Then There Were Five The last surviving members of an ancient Amazonian tribe are a tragic testament to greed and genocide by Guy Adams The Independent/UK http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/13-3 . US Ammunition Blamed for Iraqi Cancer Hike by Al Jazeera English http://www.commondreams.org/video/2009/10/13-0 . FAIR Blog Is Engel Too Opinionated–or Does He Have the Wrong Opinion? *Comment left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/13/is-engel-too-opinionated/ . DEMOCRACY NOW! "Love Is Worth It": Iraq War Vet Facing Discharge for Violating "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Helps Lead Massive Rally for Gay Rights *Don't you have a problem with this? Choi extols military "virtues" and proudly declares his willingness to kill and die for the empire, and he's never challenged on that? There's no question that queer folks should be treated equally in the military. And when they make comments like the above on a so-called "progressive" program, they should be confronted, as anyone else who would advocate for war and dominance - out of ignorance or not - should be, don't you think? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/13/love_is_worth_it_iraq_war The Fight for Equality: A Look at the State of the Gay Rights Movement *Vaid says some important things about the connections among struggles, but then she, like so many other "progressives", gives Obama the benefit of the doubt. But there is no doubt, is there? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/13/the_fight_for_equality_a_look Author Barbara Ehrenreich on "Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America" *Please read, but - and, speaking of anger, I'm getting really goddamn tired of saying it - Ehrenreich gives Obama a pass. She talks about not deluding yourself, then proceeds to fantasize about his "better angels". This dinky blog may be an inexpert attempt at contradicting the contradictions, but when so many of the "experts" are making 'em left and ... well ... left, there aren't a hell of a lot of folks left, literally, who are gonna do it, are there? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/13/author_barbara_ehrenreich_on_bright_sided 10/12 A Columbus Day Meditation - As Nobel Laureate Obama Decides Whether to 'Conquer' Afghanistan... by Thom Hartmann *Excellent piece, which is marred by the last paragraph. Obama ... wisdom? In what alternate universe? One where Hellfire missiles under his command don't obliterate infants, presumably. http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/12-1 . Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility NOAA Raises Red Flags on Aggressive Offshore Drilling Plan Exclusion Zones, Buffers and Oil Spill Protections Would Scale Back Lease Schedule http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/12 . Veterans for Peace Press Conference and Action for 'Rape in the Military Awareness Week' *Kind of puts the lie to fighting in Afghanistan for "women's freedom", doesn't it? http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/12-4 10/11 Millions Will Starve as Rich Nations Cut Food Aid Funding, Warns UN by John Vidal, in Bangkok The Guardian/UK http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/10-0 . What Lies Beneath the War in Afghanistan by Eric Margolis *Some intel worth seeing here, but again, no mention of the grand prize of pipeline routes and their central role in global power games I was hoping the title was alluding to that, but no such luck http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/10-4 . War and Peace Prizes by Howard Zinn *Laying it on the bottom line http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/10-3 10/9 Four Degrees of Devastation by Stephen Leahy Inter Press Service *Place your bets Will we blow ourselves up before we burn ourselves up? http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/09-9 . A Nobel Worthy Effort: Ending Youth Violence From Chicago to Afghanistan by Jesse Hagopian http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/09-6 . Common Sense Could Go a Long Way to Promote Food Safety by Jim Goodman *Good intel, but I'd hold off on declaring a "sea change" at the USDA, don't you think? http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/09-1 . DEMOCRACY NOW! As US Continues Afghan, Iraq Occupations and Quashes Accountability for Gaza Assault, Critics Decry Awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Obama *To be crude, it should be renamed the Noble Piece of Unbridled Shit Prize, shouldn't it? www.democracynow.org/2009/10/9/as_us_continues_afghan_iraq_occupations Guam Residents Organize Against US Plans for $15B Military Buildup on Pacific Island http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/9/guam_residents_organize_against_us_plans Forcibly Exiled Nearly 40 Years Ago, Diego Garcia Natives Fight to Return to Island Home Now Used as Key US Military Outpost http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/9/forcibly_exiled_for_nearly_40_years Study: Foreclosure Crisis Worsened by Scarcity of Legal Assistance for Struggling Homeowners http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/9/study_foreclosure_crisis_worsened_by_scarcity . Institute for Public Acccuracy Nobel Peace Laureate: Obama Choice "Disappointing" http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2095 . FAIR Blog CJR's Bogus 'Liberal Media' Evidence http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/09/cjrs-bogus-liberal-media-evidence/ NYT: Gaza War Worked http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/09/nyt-gaza-war-worked/ 10/8 Thousands Stand in Line for Help Paying Bills in Detroit Chaos Reigns at Detroit Aid Event by Tammy Stables Battaglia The Detroit Free Press *Crumbs for the crushed http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/08-3 . War of the Worlds London, 1898; Kabul, 2009 by Tom Engelhardt *Solid piece, but again, no mention of precisely *why* the US is in Afghanistan. I don't know if Wells detailed the Martians' reasons for invading Earth, but it's incumbent upon every damn writer on this war to state the empirical imperial rationale of our gummint, isn't it? http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/08-6 . A Historian's Account of Democrats and Bush-Era War Crimes by Glenn Greenwald *It's my party and I'll lie if I want to http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/08-8 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Palestinian President Abbas Faces Uproar for Aiding US-Israeli Derailment of UN Report on Gaza Assault *Yanking the puppet's strings too hard http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/8/palestinian_authority_president_abbas_faces_growing ACORN Defunding Spurs Proposals to Bar Federal Money to Companies Convicted of Felonies http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/8/acorn_defunding_spurs_proposals_to_bar Sen. Bernie Sanders on ACORN, Healthcare and Afghanistan *I'm posting this due to some important intel, but for Sanders to say that the war on Afghanistan was initially "legitimate" ... Jesus, Mary and Joseph. That, and other positions on that issue and others, force me to always put quotes around the term "progressive" when I'm referring to him, Feingold and most all the rest in Congress who are labeled as such. http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/8/sen_bernie_sanders_on_acorn_health As Helen Keller Honored at US Capitol, Lifelong Radical Politics Go Ignored http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/8/as_helen_keller_honored_with_statue . Institute for Public Accuracy Veterans on Afghanistan *Reyes speaks of "winning" in Afghanistan. Language is a virus, and regardless of his actual meaning, using such terms only reinforces the idea that there's some moral reason for the US occupation, doesn't it? Pipelines and power are the true reasons, aren't they? Given that, the only thing this gummint should be doing is getting the hell out ASAP and paying for the horrific damage it's done, don't you think? http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2094 10/7 FAIR Blog Working the Refs: The Right, the Media and ACORN http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/07/working-the-refs-the-right-the-media-and-acorn/ 'Rush the Racist' Bidding for St. Louis Rams? *Comments left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/07/rush-the-racist-bidding-for-st-louis-rams/ . Chemical Linked to Aggression in Girls by Sarah Avery The News & Observer (Charlotte, NC) http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/07-6 . 8 Years and Counting (and Still Standing) by Raju Woodward The Corvallis Gazette-Times (Oregon) http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/07-10 . Activism Works. Kingsnorth Coal Plant Shelved Kingsnorth Power Station Plans Shelved by E.ON by Mark Tran The Guardian/UK *Well, that's one way - the only way - to have "clean coal" Don't build the goddamn plant http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/07-12 . Demos New Study Debunks Flawed Heritage Foundation Report on Low Income Voter Registrations Claims That Lower Public Agency Registration Caused by Welfare Reform Rather Than Poor Implementation Undermined http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/07-4 . Human Rights Watch India: Too Many Women Dying in Childbirth Despite National Commitment, Many Unable to Access Services http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/07-11 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Voices from Afghanistan: Afghan Women's Activist Zoya Speaks Out on Eight Years of Occupation http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/7/voices_from_afghanistan_afghan_womens_activist "Return of the Warlords": Afghan Elections Marred by Fraud, Warlord Dominance http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/7/return_of_the_warlords_afghan_elections Arrest of 61 Peace Activists Outside White House Kicks Off Week of Protest Against Afghan War http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/7/arrest_of_61_peace_activists_outside . Institute for Public Accuracy Cause of Credit Card Debt: Stagnant Wages http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2092 Helen Keller: Radical, Socialist *"She was one of the U.S.'s most effective ambassadors after World War II." Man, that remark sort of slaps you in the face amongst the talk of her radicalism and socialism, doesn't it? So just what the hell does it mean? http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2093 10/6 Lawyers Scarce for Poor Facing Foreclosure by Brad Heath USA Today http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/06-8 . An ACORN Amendment for Pfizer by Jeremy Scahill *Here's hoping a great oak of real justice from the Defund ACORN Act grows http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/06-0 . Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) New Report: Stemming the Rising Costs of Health Care Through Globalization Study Projects Substantial Savings From Allowing Medicare Beneficiaries to Buy into Health Care Systems of Other Countries *There's no place like home Not in the developed world, anyway http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/06-6 . Institute for Public Accuracy $1 Trillion for War: What Could It Have Gotten? *Getting our priorities straight ... To hell http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2091 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Twitter Crackdown: NYC Activist Arrested for Using Social Networking Site during G-20 Protest in Pittsburgh http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/6/twitter_crackdown_nyc_activist_arrested_for A Hidden $34 Billion Bank Subsidy? Study Exposes How Taxpayers Are Subsidizing Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Other Large Banks http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/6/a_hidden_34_billion_bank_subsidy Environmental Battle Brews in New York over Natural Gas Drilling http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10//6/environmental_battle_brews_in_new_york . FAIR Extra! Alternative Cartoonists Nearing the Punch Line? As alt weeklies go, so go alt comics By Megan Tady *See you in the funny papers? http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3915 Institutional Racism Ignored More feelings than facts in coverage of inequality By Janine Jackson http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3913 10/5 Migrants Give More than They Take, Says UN by Suzanne Hoeksema Inter Press Service http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/05-4 . Celebrating Slaughter: War and Collective Amnesia by Chris Hedges http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/05-0 . Follow the Money Cure Millions of Leprosy -- or Just Give Hank Paulson a Tax Break? by Matt Bivens http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/05 . The National Parks: America's Best Idea? by Scott Klinger and Rebecca Adamson http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/05-6 . Getting Past the Smoke and Mirrors by Sarah Anderson and Sam Pizzigati *Making CEO chicken salad out of corporate chicken shit Your tax dollars at dirty work http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/05-3 . Lack of Universal Health Care Is a Mass Killer by Deb Richter *Insuring the pain and death inflicted on the uninsured http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/05-2 . Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch and BP Whistleblower to Specify Environmental and Health-Related Risks of Gulf Coast Atlantis Oil Platform http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/05-9 . Institute for Public Accuracy White House Cherry-Picking Doctors for Meeting *Is there a doctor in the White House (who gives a damn about true reform)? http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2089 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya Speaks from the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/5/ousted_honduran_president_manuel_zelaya_speaks 10/2 How to Sustain a Local Economy: From PB&J to Regional Currencies by Mary Morgan The Ann Arbor Chronicle (Michigan) http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/01-6 . Wall Street's New Halloween Trick by Jim Hightower *Death, where is thy sting? Wall Street will be making a mint off your ass! http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/01-2 . Amazon Watch Indigenous Blockades Escalate After Police Violently Attack Protest in the Ecuadorian Amazon One Confirmed Dead and Dozens Injured in Unprovoked Attack on Demonstrations About Proposed New 'Water and Land Rights Laws' *Pretty words - deadly actions http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/01-17 . Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Don't Expect New Marine Sanctuaries Under Obama NOAA Chief Says No Plans to Even Begin Considering New Ocean Reserves *No sea change we can believe in http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/01-0 . DEMOCRACY NOW! Sportswriter Dave Zirin on Obama's Olympic Error *Just do it (To whomever gets in your way) http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/2/sportswriter_dave_zirin_on_obamas_olympic Rethink Afghanistan: Filmmaker Robert Greenwald Launches Film Opposing Escalation of War *Again, not a goddamn thing about pipelines or "Grand Game" geopolitical strategy - and it you're not going to talk about that, how the fuck can you claim to be "educating" folks about this horror? http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/2/rethink_afghanistan_filmmaker_robert_greenwald_launches Pittsburgh Police Challenged over Use of Sound Cannons During G-20 and for Wrongfully Arresting Dozens of University of Pittsburgh Students http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/2/pittsburgh_police_challenged_over_use_of 10/1 Institute for Public Accuracy Iran Nuclear Story "Doesn't Add Up" http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2087 . Scanning the Horizon of Books and Libraries by Amy Goodman *Sounding the bugle on Google http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/09/30-2 . California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) California Nurses Association/NNOC Issues Policy on H1N1 Flu Vaccination: Encourage, Don't Mandate http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/09/30-20 . Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) Is Taxpayer Money Subsidizing the "Too Big to Fail" Banks? Gap in interest rates between TARP recipients and smaller banks rises to extraordinary level over the past year. http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/09/30-27 . FAIR Blog 'Top Things You Think You Know About Iran That Are Not True' *Comment left at link http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/10/01/top-things-you-think-you-know-about-iran-that-are-not-true/ . DEMOCRACY NOW! Supreme Court to Take Up PATRIOT Act with Review of Case on Humanitarian Assistance to Groups on Terror List http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/1/supreme_court_to_take_up_patriot Mother Speaks Out on Insurance Giant CIGNA's Denial of Healthcare to Cancer-Stricken Twin Daughters *Think of this the next time (and it will be a very short time) you see one of those "We Care" ads for an insurance corporation. And hope you can keep from wretching. http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/1/mother_speaks_out_on_insurance_giant South Africa's Poor Targeted by Evictions, Attacks in Advance of 2010 World Cup *Cults of personality and party north and south http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/1/south_africas_poor_targeted_by_evictions