Some fascinating background on the Citizens United case and the attorney behind it all.
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/james-bopp-citizens-united
Greece has stopped growing a form of GM corn that was approved for the EU. Since 1995, a former pesticide salesman has been collecting traditional seed that goes back generations to maintain the plant and crop diversity that is key to Greece's agricultural heritage. Monsanto and other biotechs continue to mount legal pressure on the EU to allow more GM varieties but, so far, the EU has refused these pressures and stated that there is no benefit in allowing these crops.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jnfiR9EOf2CY5BKgM5I5HN4pnpaw?docId=CNG.d6b33dbd6cbec1036d87f814a9179ab7.441
A Media Matters report on the advertisers that fled Glenn Beck's show and how Fox News continues to air extremist commentary in its other offerings.
http://mediamatters.org/research/201105160002?utm_source=feedburner&utm
The Defend Wisconsin website reports on the May 14th protests at the Capitol in Wisconsin, where tens of thousands gathered, as the recall battle heats up. There are several links on the page with additional information of the populist movement to recall GOP state senators who supported legislation that promotes the wealthy and business agenda at the expense of ordinary citizens.
http://www.defendwisconsin.org/2011/05/14/third-month-of-wisconsin-capitol-protests-unions-smell-blood-in-recalls/
Currently only 19 states states have recall laws and this page gives the details. I think recalls are one of the most powerful tools the public can use to shape policy and I'd like to see more states add these provisions to their constitutions.
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16581
In this short TED Talk, the Executive Director of MoveOn.org reveals how website filters on sites like Facebook, Google and Yahoo News function to invisibly customize the information we see on the Internet. Google, for example, uses 57 different algorithms to tailor your search results according to their pre-conceived notion of what you want to see. This means that two people who Google "Egypt" will receive entirely different results to a query, and not necessarily receive important critical information if they have not shown an interest in such content previously. And so, the Internet is already not as free and open as we are led to believe.
http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html
The Fukushima Plate would enable you meter radiation levels in your food. Food & Water Watch then riffs on other potential products the the future may hold.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/desperation-is-the-father-of-invention/
It's good to see a tangible effect from healthcare reform. Though the bill did not go anywhere near far enough in failing to adopt a single payer system, this is something positive.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/14/973087/-Hundreds-of-thousands-of-young-people-insured-because-of-Affordable-Care-Act?utm
A roundup of all the legislation restricting abortion access and health care options for women across the land. It's pretty scary stuff. The post also considers compensation discrimination against women and the impact that has on social security down the road.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/14/976094/-This-week-in-the-War-on-Women?utm
Eleven devastating and revealing charts that 'explain everything that's wrong with America,' from Mother Jones. These are worth a good look...
http://beta.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph
Ten CEOs Who Got Rich by Squeezing Workers
http://beta.motherjones.com/mojo/2011/05/ceo-executive-pay-layoffs
This is an important story about the institutional bias of the FDA, and its pro-pharma policies, as revealed in an interview with the current Associate Director for Science and Medicine in FDA's Office of Drug Safety.
http://www.naturalnews.com/011401_Dr_David_Graham_the_FDA.html
An inspiring story of an ordinary citizen becoming outraged at the deleterious health impact of high fructose corn syrup and it's connection to diabetes in America, who decided to fight and get information out to the public. He launched a FB page about HFCS and managed to get a lot of people interested and active in opposing this common additive that has zero nutritional value. I think this is a great example of the kind of citizen-led activism that we need to change things for the better in this country.
http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/2011/05/leading-the-fight-against-corn-sugar/
Here's a petition site to register disapproval of the plan to relabel HFCS as "corn sugar," which is an attempt to mask its presence in so many industrial food products.
http://www.stopcornsugarnow.com/
Passage of this Texas bill, in a state with a Republican super-majority in the legislature, would be a tremendous victory for the public's right to know what chemicals are being put into their water. The law would require gas companies to identify all of the 900 chemicals used in the fracking process and would send a very strong signal to industry and politicians that the hydraulic fracture process needs to be regulated responsibly to protect health and drinking water supplies.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/12/texas-fracking-bill-chemical-disclosure_n_861286.html
Farming and Fracking Don’t Mix: A Farmer Speaks Out
If you're against genetically modified foods and animal feed then this consumer action is calling your name. Land O Lakes has partnered with Monsanto through its' wholly owned subsidiary Forage Genetics International, to produce Roundup Ready Alfalfa seeds. Activists are calling for a boycott of Land O Lakes because of its role in promoting and profiting from the new GM Alfalfa crops that could ultimately threaten the viability of the organic food industry.
http://farmwars.info/?p=5376
A new law introduced in Florida could make it possible for employers to deny unemployment benefits to workers who are fired based on no work-related wrongdoing. If passed it would constitute a serious erosion of civil rights and could ultimately restrict free speech on political issues that are not aligned with employers.
http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/fired-for-your-personal-life-a-new-law-could-make-it-possible/
As many folks who were in large part responsible for the financial meltdown in 2008 continue to rake in profits while much of the country suffers high unemployment and foreclosure, this piece urges Americans to get involved and show some passion in the fight to reform Wall Street, and maybe even put a few culprits in jail.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/dont-let-go-of-the-anger/?ref=opinion
An immensely important Grand Jury has convened to determine whether WikiLeaks and Julian Assange will be charged with violating the Espionage Act and other possible laws. Such charges against Daniel Ellsberg failed in 1971, but the US was a much different country forty years ago with a Supreme Court committed to the defense of civil liberties. The Obama Administration is currently investigating five leak cases in a crackdown against whistleblowers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/11/us-opens-wikileaks-grand-jury-hearing
This is a fascinating breakdown of the laws and treaties that govern wartime killing as applied to the recent operation that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death. It's a detailed and well-reasoned analysis, and an extremely informative read.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150911/was_the_killing_of_osama_bin_laden_legal/?page=1
