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