The Law for Big Bankers Is Different than for the Rest of Us

The bankers are gaming the system in business as usual. 

http://www.alternet.org/news/150328/the_law_for_big_bankers_is_different_than_for_the_rest_of_us/?utm_

Bingaman Tells The Truth About Gas Prices, Is Lonely Doing So

Puts all the hoopla about US policies impacting gasoline prices to rest. 
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-22-bingaman-tells-the-truth-about-gas-prices

The Republicans Big Lies About Jobs (And Why Obama Must Repudiate Them

Reich hits on a lot of familiar rhetoric coming from the GOP and refutes them all.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-republicans-big-lies-_b_839341.html

Settling the Afghan War

It's time to bring our troops home and negotiate an end to the war in Afghanistan. I watched the documentary, Restrepo, recently and that brought the war much closer to home in these days of media control of images from American battlefields.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/opinion/23brahimi.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

"The US Chamber of Commerce Doesn't Speak for Me" - Small Businesses Take A Stand

A scathing historical review of the anti-regulatory activity and lobbying of the US Chamber of Commerce. Fascinating piece.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-mckibben/the-gang-that-couldnt-lob_b_839047.html

Jeremy Scahill on America's Covert War in Yemen - Video

I admit this was news to me; that the US is deeply entrenched militarily in Yemen and has conducted secret bombing missions there. The covert relationship began under Bush after 9-11 and has been accelerated under the Obama Administration. 
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/jeremy_scahill_on_americas_covert_war_in_yemen_20110322/?utm_

Raytheon, AT&T and Koch Industries Lobbying Highlighted by OpenSecrets Blog

A daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/03/ceo-3-21-2011.html

The Daily Show and Jon Stewart Reporting on Humanitarian Interventions

Jon Stewart and Daily Show Correspondent John Oliver deliver a hilarious segment illuminating the hypocrisy of the US in responding to humanitarian disasters around the world.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/john-stewart-not-intimida_b_839064.html

The Hypocrisy of War

This piece presents a compelling critique on the Libyan military action in the context of the budget turmoil going on all over the US. There always seems to be money for war...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/the-hypocrisy-of-war_b_839178.html

Gov. Kasich's Plan: Drink More Booze and Hand the Profits to a Private Development Company

Privatizing strikes again, as Ohio Governor Kasich pushes to sell state alcohol leasing rights to JobsOhio at a steep discount of $4.5 billion. Wall Street and private industry may benefit but the people of the state will lose, again.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/kasich-jobs-plan-booze/

Haphazard Government Approach Undermines Undermines National Strategy of Food Regulation

The Center for Public Integrity's report details how US food safety system is fragmented among 15 different regulatory agencies.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/daily_watchdog/entry/3060/

Behind the Battle Over Hidden Debit Card Fees - Propublica Backgrounder

Banks are fighting retailers to continue transaction fees on debit card purchases. The Dodd-Frank bill was to reduce these charges from 44 cents per transaction to 12 cents. There is virtually no risk to banks in these transactions and their fees amount to gouging retailers who then pass costs onto consumers.
http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/backgrounder-behind-the-battle-over-hidden-debit-card-fees

Chemical Security Bills Fail To Remove Chemicals From Terror Targets

It is incomprehensible to me that we so readily strip civil liberties from Americans to 'fight' terror but because of the power of the Chemical Lobby we do nothing about the threats to the population of unsecured chemicals and water treatment facilities. It's another clear example of how profits trump common sense in industry and politics.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Republican-Led-Chemical-Security-Bills-Fail-To-Remove-Nations-Chemical-Plants-From-Terror-Targets/

Three States Propose Massive Tax Cuts for Millionaires, Tax Hikes for Middle Class

More evidence of conservative efforts to further shift the tax burden from corporations and the wealthy to middle class and poor families. 
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/estate-tax-vs-middle-class-report/

Rally for the Right to Know - Millions Against Monsanto

The Center for Responsible Technology is supporting the Rally for the Right to Know on March 26 in Washington D.C. and many other US cities. The simple goal of this group is to insist that genetically modified foods are labeled as such for the public. It's a huge issue. Check out the site for a rally near you.
http://responsibletechnology.org/rally-for-the-right-to-know

Facebook has a group page as well for this cause and the rally.
http://www.facebook.com/rallyfortherighttoknow2011?sk=info

Obama's Counterterrorism Advisor Slams Congressional Efforts To Block Closing of Guantanamo

This is a battle that is critical to civil liberties and transparency in the fight against global terrorism. Conservatives want to keep these proceedings out of public sight and under the purview of military law.
http://www.propublica.org/article/obama-counterterrorism-adviser-slams-efforts-to-block-guantanamos-closure

Court Revives Lawsuit Challenging Broad Government Surveillance and Eavesdropping Powers

This is one of the few remaining lawsuits challenging the legality of the FISA Amendments Act which allowed covert agencies broader powers to monitor international communications without a court order. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/us/22fisa.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

House Committee Looks to Cut Food Stamps While Continuing Massive Subsidies to Factory Farm Industry

We're cutting Supplemental Nutrition programs in this recession but are still providing tens of billions of subsidies to industrial agriculture.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/21/ag-prices-subsidies/

Fed Loses in Court, Must Make Bailout Data Public

After a two-year delay the public will get the details on the TARP bailout, thanks to a Bloomberg News case and a Supreme Court ruling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/business/22bizcourt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Do You Respect the Elixir of Life?

This is a beautiful peace by Brian Fagan that explores the significance of water historically and how so many take it for granted in society today. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-fagan/do-you-respect-the-elixir_b_838757.html