Don’t ban raw milk because of the E. coli outbreak

CNN just came out with an editorial suggesting that raw milk and vegetable juices be banned as an e coli threat, even though these foods have rarely ever been the culprits in disease outbreaks. The author fails to examine the open questions about the source of the current e coli outbreak but effectively defends the scientific basis of health benefits related to raw foods and urges an easing of restrictions on nutrient-rich foods.  
http://www.grist.org/food-safety/2011-06-16-dont-ban-raw-milk-europe-e-coli-outbreak-cnn-food-borne-illness

The Wisconsin Supreme Court Crisis – Far More Serious Than The Ruling On Walker’s Anti-Collective Bargaining Law

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, with a conservative majority of 4-3, recently overturned a lower court ruling that had barred the implementation of Governor Walker's anti-collective bargaining law. That disgraceful legislation, enacted without the required two hours of public notice, has now taken effect. The bombshell development is that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court accused the majority jurists of "fudging the facts" to reach a decision they had already decided they wanted to make. This sort of thing is exceedingly rare and is further indication that the turmoil in Wisconsin is far from over.
http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/06/15/the-wisconsin-supreme-court-crisis-far-more-serious-than-the-ruling-on-walkers-anti-collective-bargaining-law/

The WH/Politico attack on Seymour Hersh

The Obama White House has participated in an anonymous attack on Seymour Hersh' latest New Yorker piece that debunks the Iranian nuclear threat. 
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/06/02/hersh?utm

Unfortunately, the following is only a short excerpt from the New Yorker story...
Iran and the Bomb - Seymour Hersh
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/06/06/110606fa_fact_hersh

Millers Association VP blasts GM food regulations

This is the kind of leadership we need in the battle to maintain and support the diversity and integrity of our food supply. The North American Millers Association came out for a comprehensive restructuring of regulations for GM crops. It calls for a proper risk assessment for GM crops, access to lab data, and liability for biotech companies in contamination events, among other reforms. The liability is the key - if the penalty is severe enough it will effectively deter these willful practices by threatening the bottom line.
http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/june2011/gmfoodregulations.php

Ex-Spy Alleges Effort to Discredit Bush Critic

The hypocrisy of the New York Times in failing to credit source material to WikiLeaks, signaled in this case by the euphemism that the Times, "learned of the episode elsewhere," is disgraceful. Cases like this allegation that the CIA illegally sought to obtain damaging information on an American professor cry out for greater transparency in the US government. The CIA denies everything and there are no available documents or records to contradict the agency's word. The other issue that comes to mind in this piece is that there is no mention of the FBI and it's retroactively legal warrantless surveillance of Americans. Is this serious journalism or carefully controlled messaging that we're getting from the NYT? 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/us/politics/16cole.html?hp

Raw Food Diet Offers Considerable Benefits

I have recently come to the realization that much of the disease that we are constantly suffering in American society is caused by chemical and additives as well as reduced nutritional levels in processed foods. Yet, it wasn't until I learned that natural remedies, including a raw foods diet and high dose vitamin therapies with zero side effects, have been successfully used by thousands of people to treat and cure disease, that I flipped. For the past two weeks I have been on a 50% raw foods diet and I believe the powerful health benefits of these vegetables should not be ignored. Read this short piece for some of the peer-reviewed science that supports the Raw Foods diet. One interesting thing that I've noticed since I began juicing a couple of meals a day is that I almost never drink coffee anymore. I used to have five or six cups before going to work and now I no longer have the urge. The nutritional boost from the juices, and other things like hemp seed, have raised my energy levels so that I don't feel as tired after a late night as I used to. We're not really supposed to be tired all the time like we seem to be in this country. If you eat foods with high levels of unadulterated nutrients then your fatigue will go away and your overall health with improve.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026238_food_diet_raw.html

Raw Food Treatment for Cancer

http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/RawFood.html

Grow a Medicinal Herb Garden; Help bees

A sampling of five therapeutic medicinal herbs that can be easily grown in a garden. This story is only the tip of the ice berg representing the wealth of natural fruits, vegetable and herbs that have legitimate medicinal value and work to support human health and fight disease. Shouldn't we, as a society, celebrate the miraculous gifts that these plants provide rather than forcing purveyors of natural remedies to conduct 'drug' trials for plants that have been safely used for hundreds of years as the FDA proposes?
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/grow-a-medicinal-herb-garden/

7 Foods So Unsafe Farmers Won’t Eat Them

Various experts comment on which pesticides used commercially in food production are so dangerous that they should be avoided by those who wish to avoid the effects of their industrial chemical components. There are some surprises on this list and the explanations are fact-based and compelling.
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/7-foods-so-unsafe-even-farmers-wont-eat-them/

Weaponized E coli used to destroy organic foods? A Detective Starts a ‘Food Safety’ Investigation

Whoa. This is a heavy, well-reasoned and credible piece that should be enough to scare the hell out of any reasonably thoughtful person.
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/weaponized-e-coli-used-to-destroy-organic-foods-a-detective-starts-a-‘food-safety’-investigation/

National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society Skewered in New Book by k by Leading Cancer Expert

I believe the serious allegations made in a new book by longtime cancer critic and scholar, Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, are not only damning but totally accurate. Take a look and decide for yourself.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032700_National_Cancer_Institute_Dr_Samuel_Epstein.html

Raw Food Treatment for Cancer
http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/RawFood.html

10 Most Influential People in the Alternative Media (2011)

The Activist Post lists the ten most influential people in the alternative media world and it is a fascinating read that gives confidence to those who are sick and tired of the status quo and want to make some noise in the hopes of changing things in our world. The key is information and that is the focus of all the people on this list; the dissemination of hardcore fact-based analysis and information that contradicts much of the reporting we see in mainstream media venues.
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/06/10-most-influential-people-in.html

For Pesticides: Apples Are Worst, Onions The Best

If you're struggling to determine where best to spend your organic dollars then this guide to pesticide levels in produce can be of assistance. It turns out that apples, strawberries, celery, peaches and spinach have the highest levels of pesticide residue and you should go with an alternative organic variety if you can. Nonetheless, the EWG states that the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables outweighs the risk from pesticides, so you should keep eating them even if you can't get or afford organic produce. Ugh.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/06/13/137149149/for-pesticides-apples-are-worst-onions-the-best?ft=1&f=1001

Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

Organic Agriculture's Resilience Shows Untapped Potential
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=bfd6o5dab&v=0015XVNn_3fRZVY3xoyNeOIQV2LaB4Db06J9AKT4TuW_8fHS_K0J0Hb69x1w9oiHhFJO1V0PlVHdK0uUOf4MwyhnApUgvto2xbdoJkUsq8drUTPXJ8RZmXTk9jDoyPO1kZcn8jE78dZw_EHbCPocdYuuA==

Maine GOP Chair: We Must Make It Harder To Vote Because ‘Democrats Intentionally Steal Elections’

The GOP push to restrict voting rights continues in the state of Maine where the Tea Party Gov. LePage has pushed a bill through the legislature to end same-day voter registration. Despite the absence of data demonstrating voter fraud of any significant level in the country, similar measures are being instituted in more than a dozen GOP-controlled states. In Maine, there is a "peoples veto" law that may be used to overturn the legislation.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/06/13/243178/maine-gop-war-on-voting/

What’s wrong with the USDA’s new MyPlate graphic? Plenty

This article reviews the USDA's redesign of the old food triangle and the hypocrisy of the exercise when the government subsidizes unhealthy food production and allows predatory marketing of junk food to children. While 63% of federal subsidies go to meat and dairy, fruits and vegetables get less than 1%. A flawed chart will not change the health of Americans, only a dramatic change in policy will get it done.
http://www.grist.org/food/2011-06-08-whats-wrong-with-the-usdas-new-myplate-graphic-plenty

When Food Kills

This is an important piece pointing out the origins of many deadly antibiotic-resistant strains of E coli. bacteria, factory farm animals systematically treated with antibiotics. Eighty percent of antibiotics used in the US go to livestock living in CAFOs under unsanitary and cramped conditions, and over 325,000 Americans are hospitalized and 5,000 die from food-borne illnesses.
 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/opinion/12kristof.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

This Week in the War on Women

This Daily Kos weekly update is a harsh reminder of the persistent and twisted persecution that women face in many states around the country. It's enough to take your breath away and all of these events and legislative indignities are occurring in the United States of America.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/11/984231/-This-week-in-the-War-on-Women?utm

Fukushima Already Ten Times Worse than Chernobyl in Ocean Waters, According to Data

An alarming report on the severity of radiation contamination of the ocean from the out-of-control nuclear melt-throughs of three reactors at Fukushima. The impact of the radiation release on ocean life is uncertain at the moment, but it can't be good. Meanwhile, radiation levels in milk and vegetables in the US are elevated due to this catastrophe but there is little mainstream coverage of the issue these days. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/032678_Fukushima_ocean.html

Protests Challenge Japan's Use of Nuclear Power
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/world/asia/12japan.html?ref=asia

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

Is American law enforcement colluding with Cisco?

There is a Supreme Court in Canada that believes in the unfettered rule of law, and has slapped down the US government's attempt to railroad a former Cisco exec turned whistleblower. Our democracy has become corporatism and there is increasingly evidence that the country is morphing into a Corporate Police State. Where are the heros we need in America to fight this battle and tell it like it is to the powerful and unscrupulous when they trample the law?
http://www.salon.com/news/david_sirota/2011/06/06/cisco_law_enforcement/index.html

Judge Blasts Cisco's "Unmitigated Gall" in Ex-Exec's Arrest
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/03/cisco_charged_with_duplicity/

Canada Blocks Extradition of Cisco Suspect
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9217300/Canada_blocks_extradition_of_Cisco_suspect?taxonomyId=16&pageNumber=1

STORMS BREWING

A short and sour recap from the New Yorker on Obama's record on climate change since he took office, and a call for him to do the right thing now before it's too late.
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/06/13/110613taco_talk_kolbert

The New Yorker Slams Oil-Centric Obama For Letting The Planet Burn
http://www.grist.org/climate-change/2011-06-06-new-yorker-elizabeth-kolbert-president-barack-obama

Weiner Confesses, Will Not Resign - Video of Press Conference

I'm embarrassed to admit that I only discovered the combative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) a few months ago despite the fact that he is a six-term congressman from NYC where I live. Nonetheless, I admired his forceful advocacy of issues that I believe are critical to the country. So, naturally, I was dismayed to learn of the mess he got into this week and his apparent dalliances with the truth. Well, Anthony Weiner just came clean a few minutes ago in a heartfelt and sincere statement to the press in which he said he would not resign. Good. Let's get past this major mistake and the Rep's admission of other inappropriate online or phone contacts with women over the past six years, and get back to fighting for the interests of the nation's people.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/06/weiner_confesses.php?utm

Forensic Evidence Emerges That European E coli. Superbug Was Engineered

Okay, I'll admit to having my doubts when the reports came out that an extremely rare and deadly E coli. contamination had sprung from an organic farm in Spain. The Spanish had no incidence of E coli. infections while the bug was spreading through Germany and had infected over 700 and killed 22 people. Spain was later exonerated but enormous damage was done to its organic farmers and the reputation of the industry. I was also worried about the possibility of deliberate contamination but didn't want to voice my concerns because it was speculative and might be taken as paranoid. Now, after reading this piece, there is scientific evidence from a reliable source that this new bug is resistant to 8 classes of antibiotics and 14 different antibiotic drugs. The article steps through the science involved in what it takes to make E coli. antibiotic resistant and concludes that it is highly unlikely that this outbreak of E coli. developed its terrifying resistance to antibiotics as a happenstance event of nature. Most of the mainstream is not talking about the critical issue: how did the 0104 E coli. develop its antibiotic-resistant characteristics? Where did these killer microbes come from?
http://www.naturalnews.com/032622_ecoli_bioengineering.html

German E coli. Outbreak Caused by Previously Unknown Strain
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110602/full/news.2011.345.html

E Coli. Outbreak: Bean Sprouts May Not Be To Blame
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/06/e-coli-bean-sprouts-not-cause

The Next E coli. Outbreak

It's hard to believe that deadly the Jack-in-the-Box E coli. outbreak in the US was all the way back in 1993. That event sickened over 750 children and resulted in four deaths while alerting the public because of massive news coverage that dangerous E coli. bacteria was commonly found in US meat products. As a result, that deadly strain of E coli. was declared an adulterant in food and regular testing was instituted to prevent a recurrence. Yet, since then, six new deadly E coli. strands have been identified by our government that we do not test for at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05Benedict.html

Scientists Reverse Stance on Sun and Cancer: They Now Admit That Sunlight Can Help Prevent Skin Cancer

I never got caught up in all the hysteria about exposure to sunlight and rarely use sunscreen when I'm out and only a bit when I'll be on the beach for a good stretch trying to catch a fish. By chance, I recently got a thumbs up from a skin doc at a free clinic. Now, it turns out that scientists have determined that sunlight is an important source of vitamin D, which protects against skin cancer as well as osteoporosis, prostate, bowel, cervical cancers and rickets. So, lighten up on the sunscreen and go for natural products if you can to avoid the chemicals in most sunscreen products.
http://www.naturalnews.com/032533_sun_exposure_skin_cancer.html

NY Times Bombshell: “The latest scientific research suggests” climate change is “helping to destabilize the food system”

ThinkProgress calls the front page story from the NYT today a bombshell because it brings the cataclysmic message regarding the implications of climate change into the mainstream. This story add depth to the Times' important piece and I've posted a link to the NYT piece as well.
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/05/236805/research-climate-change-destabilize-food-system/

A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/science/earth/05harvest.html?scp=4&sq=climate%20change&st=cse

Keep Calm and Carry On - Bill McKibben

If you've been wondering about all of the weather related natural disasters that have wreaked havoc with the earth recently then this op/ed piece by Bill McKibben from 350.org will put our nation's ignorant approach to these questions in revealing perspective.
http://action.350.org/signup_page/connections

Cuomo and Legislative Leaders Strike Deal on New Ethics Rules

This is certainly good news for New York politics as there will now be external oversight of the state legislature and lawmakers will be required to disclose clients who have business before the state. However, in order to get it passed, Cuomo gave the Senate Majority Leader veto power over investigations and all votes for or against investigations will be kept secret.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/nyregion/cuomo-and-albany-legislators-in-deah-on-ethics-overhaul.html?hp

Obama Administration Decides to Drop Prosecution of Illegal Wiretapping Whistleblower

I'm a little late on this one but it's important to acknowledge this man. Thomas Tamm demonstrated remarkable courage and integrity by leaking details of illegal wiretapping by the US government to the press. His action was taken on behalf of all Americans and the supposed rule of law that governs our democracy. One wonders why it took Obama two years to drop the prosecution of the man he championed on the campaign trail, and why we cannot guarantee the well-being of whistleblowers in this country, past, present and future.
http://www.openthegovernment.org/node/3089

US Opens WikiLeaks Grand Jury Hearing
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/11/us-opens-wikileaks-grand-jury-hearing

Underground Environmentalism in Former Communist East Germany

This is a very interesting piece from Dave Roberts at Grist. He recalls that environmentalism was initially a high priority for the communist state and that quality of life, represented by clean working conditions, air and water, were supposed to distinguish East Germany from the capitalist West. As the need for increased industrial capacity grew and a dependence on dirty lignite coal brought brown smog the environmental standards went by the wayside. The State eventually declared all environmental information to be state secrets and an underground resistance developed.
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-04-21-underground-environmentalism-in-communist-east-germany

Opposition to Elizabeth Warren extremely well funded, inherently sexist

Prominent GOP lawmakers beholden to the financial industry, and the US Chamber of Commerce, have declared all-out war on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and its yet to be formerly appointed administrator Elizabeth Warren. It seems that the only constituents these players care about are their friends in the banking and financial industry, rather than the citizens whom the wizards of Wall Street prey upon with shocking alacrity.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/03/981720/-Opposition-to-Elizabeth-Warren-extremely-well-funded,-inherently-sexist?utm