Hell and High Water: As wildfires and floods ravage the country, Masters says, “We Have Never Seen a Year Like This Before”

ClimateProgress presents compelling evidence that the recent spate of extreme weather is the result of global warming that has raised sea levels and increased capacity of clouds to store and release water, thereby causing severe droughts and massive flooding .  

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/07/239084/wildfires-floods-masters/

Companies like Mattel are still pushing Sumatran tigers to the brink through deforestation

The destruction of rainforest contributes mightily to global warming by burning carbon in the clearing process and eliminating carbon consuming plant life. Wildlife habitats are also destroyed and tremendous amounts of pollution are created. Greenpeace recently mounted an action action Mattel because the paper used in their Barbie packaging comes from Indonesian rainforests that are critical to maintain. Check out their hilarious video from Ken & Barbie of this dramatic action.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/campaign-blog/companies-like-mattel-are-still-pushing-sumat/blog/35245

FDA Roadblocks Revolution in Nutrition

Compromised by deep ties to the industries that it's supposed to oversee, the FDA has aggressively embarked on the persecution of innovative and effective natural health remedies as well as traditional herbal and vitamin therapies that would dramatically improve health and reduce sickness in the American population. This Alliance for Natural Health piece provides background and excellent detailed examples of FDA's obstruction and bias, and is part of the organization's campaign to reform the FDA.
http://www.anh-usa.org/fda-roadblocks-revolution-in-nutrition/

Here is a link the the "Reform FDA" resource page from the ANH ebsite
http://www.anh-usa.org/reform-fda-2010/

Wash. Times Uses E. Coli Outbreak In Germany To Spread Fear About Organic Food

Prepare for a barrage of speculation that organic foods are somehow more risky than conventional produce, even though the FDA says there is no data showing that organic has different risks than other food. The conservative Washington Times has begun this misinformation campaign, according to Media Matters.
http://mediamatters.org/research/201106100026?utm

Getting personal: Feds pursue top execs in health care fraud cases previously settled for cash

The Health and Human Services agency has decided to adopt a much more aggressive legal stance against corporate healthcare fraud which is estimated to cost the government $60 billion a year from medicare fraud and put Americans at risk with unscrupulous drug claims and illegal marketing. Moving forward the CEOs of companies that engage in these practices can be held personally responsible for the actions of their employees, whether knowledgable of specific acts or not, face jail time and a lifetime ban from the industry. This is the sort of compliance incentives that we need to restore corporate integrity and protect the public interest. Bravo!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/getting-personal-feds-pursue-top-execs-in-health-care-fraud-cases-previously-settled-for-cash/2011/05/31/AGg6QHFH_story.html

Ex-N.S.A. Aide Gains Plea Deal in Leak Case; Setback to U.S.

The Obama Administration's prosecution of NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake turned on a single ruling by a district court judge. When Richard D. Bennett declared that prosecutors would have to show the jury some of the 'classified' documents that were key to the case, the government withdrew several and redacted others before offering Drake a plea bargain on a minor charge. The outcome of this draconian legal preceding, Drake faced 35 years in prison under the Espionage Act for exposing massive NSA mismanagement, is a hopeful demonstration of the potential of the law to serve legal principles of fairness involving powerful interests, such as the US Government. But, in the end, it all depends on the judge.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us/10leak.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Bruce Babbitt Says Congress, Led By GOP House, Has ‘Declared War On Our Land, Water And Natural Resources,’ Then Slams White House ‘Munchkins’ For Bartering Away Public Lands

The former Secretary of the Interior delivered a scathing speech at the National Press Club attacking the Congressional GOP and the Obama White for ransacking the environment and public lands in blind support of industry at the terrible expense of the public interest. It's good to see some fire and passion on this topic!
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/09/240739/bruce-babbitt-congress-gop-house-declared-war-on-land-water-natural-resources-munchkins/

From Dodd-Frank to Dud: How Financial Reform May Be Going Wrong

Implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms is running into problems due to the fact that Congress left it to regulators to write many of the most contentious regulations. In April regulatory agencies missed all 26 deadlines, and there are regulators and politicians who are now advocating to weaken some of the most important features of the reform law.
http://www.propublica.org/article/from-dodd-frank-to-dud

Russ Feingold Leads Thousands in Budget Protest at Wisconsin Capitol

An update on the scene in Wisconsin where former Senator Russ Feingold seems to be a possible challenger to Scott Walker in the next gubernatorial election, and inspiring protests against fundamentally unfair budget cuts attacks on labor and the middle class continue.
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/06/10796/russ-feingold-leads-thousands-budget-protest-wisconsin-capitol

Twitter the Winner in Weinergate

Perspective from PR Watch on Weinergate and what it says about the power of Twitter to spread all things, good and bad, like wildfire. Of course, this scandal and all the hoopla is a major distraction from the pressing issues that face the nation and yet another emphatic confirmation that salacious news rules the media. 
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/06/10801/twitter-winner-weinergate

In Fight Over Debit Card Fees, a Loss for the Banks

Yay! The banks finally lose a point in the ongoing battle to bring their business under control and better protect the rights and interests of consumers. In this case, the Senate refused a motion to delay implementation of a Dodd-Frank law to reduce debit card fees charged to merchants. This is a step in the right direction.
http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/in-fight-over-debit-card-fees-a-loss-for-the-banks

Clarence Thomas' Legal Challenges Continue to Build -- Will the Next Come From Congress?

This is the first I've heard about it but Anthony Weiner and other Congressional Democrats are said to be preparing demands that Thomas by disbarred in Missouri for perjury and investigated by the DOJ for bribery. Wow! I certainly hope that Weiner can weather the calls for his resignation and help press this issue forward. The bombshell bribery charge includes the allegation that a $100k ad campaign from Citizen's United during his 1991 confirmation was repaid in his ruling for the conservative group in Citizen's United vs. FEC. I don't think we want to lose Anthony Weiner's voice in Congress.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-reinbach/clarence-thomas-legal-cha_b_835956.html?ref=fb&src=sp

For those of you who missed Weiner's shouting match with Fox News' Megyn Kelly, here's the link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/megyn-kelly-anthony-weiner-clarence-thomas_n_830506.html

Christie Slashes NJ Renewable Targets Set by Corzine, After Attacking Him in 2008 for Not Doing “much of anything” for Renewables

Gov. Chris Christie is speaking out both sides of his mouth again, this time cutting subsidies for developing sustainable technology for solar, reducing long-term sustainable goals for the state, and pushing more subsidies for mature industries like natural gas and nuclear energy. Who says all the climate deniers are in the conservative midwest and south? We've got one right across the river.
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/08/239869/christie-slashes-nj-renewable-targets-set-by-corzine/

The Bernanke Scandal: Full-Frontal Cluelessness

The Fed Chairman recently spoke about the slow growth of the economy and joblessness but offered no solutions to the housing crisis while implicitly supporting a broad policy in which taxpayer money has been  made available to corporations whose investments and job creation benefits foreigners at the expense of US workers. Oh yeah, he also claimed that all TARP money had been paid back but failed to note the cost of other programs that will not be paid back and $5 trillion in additional debt that resulted from ineffective Fed policy under his watch.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_bernanke_scandal_full_frontal_cluelessness_20110608/?utm

IEA’s “Golden Age of Gas Scenario” Leads to More Than 6°F Warming and Out-of-Control Climate Change

Climate change is rapidly invaded our daily consciousness and the havoc that an over-heated earth is ravaging on populations around the world is startling. This story puts a point on the planet-warming attributes of natural gas, not to mention the dangers posed to drinking water from fracking, and argues convincingly that more gas production is not going to help fight global warming.
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/07/238578/iea-golden-age-of-natural-gas-scenario-warming-climate-change/

ESTIMATED 1 IN 4 U.S. HACKERS WORKING FOR THE MAN

The infiltration of  the hacking community by the FBI and Secret Service, aided by threats of long prison sentences, has created widespread mistrust and paranoia among hackers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jun/06/us-hackers-fbi-informer

Don Whirtshafter of Hemp Oil, Canada on History and Health Benefits of Hemp

Not only does industrialized hemp agriculture make good common sense as a sustainable alternative to petrochemical based production, but hemp is also a remarkable source of nutrients in the form of hemp seed and oil. Both are extremely high in protein and essential fatty acids that are easily absorbed into the body. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/012726.html

Hemp Seeds Are Full of Health
http://www.naturalnews.com/029729_hemp_seeds_health.html

E. Coli: Blame the Meat, Not the Sprouts

Authorities in Germany have been blaming one organic vegetable after another, inflicting enormous damage of farmers and the organic market, despite the fact that no link has yet been found. This article points out that E coli. originates in meat production, not in the plant kingdom, because of factory farming methods used to grow livestock quickly with little regard to safety. It's a good read though the piece fails to consider the likelihood that the particular strain causing death and sickness in Europe was bioengineered to be antibiotic-resistant to eight different drug classes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/e-coli-vegetables-blame-meat_b_872055.html

GM wheat trial begins amid secrecy

Secret trials of 14 new strains of genetically modified wheat in Australia represents another attack on the natural order and organic food production. As with GM crops introduced in the United States, and more surreptitiously in South America, these bioengineered patent-protected seeds will grow to inevitably contaminate non-GM crops through natural pollination. 
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/gm-wheat-trial-begins-amid-secrecy-20110527-1f8hl.html

Hemp - Could Save America

Check out this remarkable list of characteristics and uses for industrialized Hemp, which is currently grown in all industrialized nations with the exception of the United States. One of the most significant aspects of growing this crop is that it requires no herbicides, fungicides or pesticides to flourish. This information will blow your mind.
http://www.rense.com/general49/could.htm

A ten-minute excerpt from the documentary, "Hemp and the Rule of Law," that reveals fascinating details about the crop and its superior strength and ability to biodegrade. Included are a completely biodegradable car made by Henry Ford which led presumably to the fact that Mercedes now has Hemp 'plastic' car bodies for one-third of new cars. 
http://farmwars.info/?p=6084&utm