France Bans Fracking Nationwide

Food & Water Watch reports on the vote by the French Senate to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing in that nation, and to revoke all existing permits. Meanwhile, the state of New Jersey has voted to ban fracking but it remains to be seen whether Governor Christie will sign it into law, a big question indeed. In North Carolina Gov. Perdue vetoed a bill that would have opened that state to fracking. In Texas, Gov. Perry signed a bill that requires oil and gas companies there to reveal ALL of the chemicals used in fracking within the state. Hallelujah! In New York, however, after a DEC report on fracking the state is banning it from the NYC and Syracuse watersheds but allowing it under more rigorous regulation in 85% of the marcellus shale region. Not good enough so we'll have to keep pushing for a statewide ban.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/freedom-fracking-in-the-u-s-a/

France Vote Outlaws ‘Fracking’ Shale for Natural Gas, Oil Extraction
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-01/france-vote-outlaws-fracking-shale-for-natural-gas-oil-extraction.html

NYS - New Recommendations Issued in Hydraulic Fracturing Review
http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/75403.html

New York Proposes Permanent Ban on Fracking Near Watershed and State Land
http://www.propublica.org/article/fracking-still-on-hold-in-new-york-pending-environmental-review

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Opens Fracking Floodgates
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/06/10869/new-york-governor-andrew-cuomo-opens-fracking-floodgates

When Scientists Take to the Streets It’s Time to Listen Up

Climate Scientists in Australia are taking to the streets to combat the persistent non-science claims of climate deniers. Many Australian scientists have received death threats for work that documents the evidence that global warming is severely disrupting weather patterns throughout the world.
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/07/02/257869/when-scientists-take-to-the-streets-it’s-time-to-listen-up/

NPR Violates FCC Rules, Promotes Interests of its Sponsorship Donor Monsanto

I have noticed in several NPR pieces that I've read that the public radio organization seems to be a proponent of industrial agriculture and GMOs, and that they frequently air industry claims that industrial ag is the only way to 'feed the world.' Now it appears that this bias may have been institutionalized due to Monsanto's programming support for the show, Marketplace. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/032868_NPR_Monsanto.html

Harvard Punishes 3 Psychiatrists Over Undisclosed Industry Pay

Three psychiatrists from Harvard have been accused of accepted $4.2 million from drug companies from 2000 to 2007, and failing to report these payments as required by the university medical school, Mass General Hospital and the NIH. Harvard has taken disciplinary action that includes barring any such payments for a year, stricter reporting guidelines and conflict-of-interest training (ha!) for the doctors. The most disturbing aspect of this case is that Dr. Biederman is a leading child psychiatrist whose teachings have led to an explosion in prescriptions to young children for treatment of ADHD, that has benefitted the very companies who paid him for services that he did not report.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/07/02/137572941/harvard-punishes-3-psychiatrists-over-undisclosed-industry-pay?ft=1&f=1001

Nebraska Nuclear Plant Threatened by Flooding is Safe, According to Union of Concerned Scientists

There has only been modest coverage recently of ongoing flooding in the midwest, but this it is shaping up to be the worst flooding that has ever occurred in the US. Two nuclear power plants in Missouri are threatened by flood waters and Fort Calhoun, in particular, is at risk as it is completely surrounded by the flood waters. The NRC, state officials and now the Union of Concerned Scientists all claim that the situation is under control and that there is no threat of a meltdown at this point. Fortunately, the flood is not expected to reach the height where it could shut down cooling generators in the plant, another six feet or so, but the current crisis is another sobering example of how vulnerable we all are to catastrophic nuclear events that could result in massive and damaging radiation contamination.
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/28/2981543/nebraska-nuclear-plant-threatened.html

Nuclear Plants Vital Equipment Dry, Officials Say
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/us/28nuke.html

Mindful of the misinformation released by TEPCO and government officials in Japan, NaturalNews.com points out that we run the same risks in the US as several nuclear plants are in peril due to flooding. While the berm that broke and allowed the flood waters to surround the actual plant was a redundant voluntary system, it is still cause for concern. It's also interesting to note that none of the other stories I read about this event mentioned the 10-mile evacuation zone that's been put in place.

Fukushima in the US? Flood Berms Break around Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant, Ten Mile Evacuation Zone Declared
http://www.naturalnews.com/032870_Fort_Calhoun_nuclear_power_plant.html

50 U.S. Health Care Statistics That Will Absolutely Astonish You

You'll be feeling a little woozy after swallowing these bright and colorful granules of revealing data on the massive doses of pharmaceuticals that Americans consume, on top of the mountainous piles of evidence that remind us that the US healthcare system is grossly inefficient and lavishly expensive. 
http://coto2.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/50-u-s-health-care-statistics-that-will-absolutely-astonish-you/

This story shoots holes through the promise of Obama's health care reform legislation, pointing out myriad ways in which the bill serves corporate interests at the expense of citizen's financial and health interests.   
Fact Sheet: The Truth About The Health Care Bill
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/19/fact-sheet-the-truth-about-the-health-care-bill/

Nuclear industry suffers major defeat in Iowa

Despite major lobbying of politicians and efforts to sway public opinion in favor of new nuclear power plant construction guarantees by MidAmerican Energy, the Iowa Senate failed to pass the bill. This follows other developments which indicate that Americans are not comfortable with the Obama Administration's push for more nuclear energy construction at the public's expense, including the demise of the South Texas Project and a cost-recovery bill in Missouri as well as the NRC's decision to delay licensing for the new Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design pegged for use in South Carolina.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/9549778-nuclear-industry-suffers-major-defeat-in-iowa

Less than 2 percent of 'Sarbox' corporate whistleblowers win inside federal bureaucracy

Federal laws designed to protect corporate whistleblowers who come forward to report criminal fraud and other wrong-doing have so far largely been ineffective due to weak enforcement efforts in various government agencies. This situation demonstrates, once again, that it is not enough to pass legal reforms to protect the public interest; there must also be equally rigorous enforcement power written into the legislation.
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/07/01/5091/less-2-percent-sarbox-corporate-whistleblowers-win-inside-federal-bureaucracy

Feds Raid Amish Farm for Crime of Selling Raw Milk

When over 100,000 die of drug interactions each year in the US, and no one is getting sick from consuming raw milk, it is intolerable that the FDA is using public funds to persecute raw milk farmers with secret undercover investigations and armed raids. I think these actions also speak volumes about the industrial corporate influence on FDA policy.
http://www.naturalnews.com/032859_raw_milk_Amish.html

Story of the raid and yearlong investigation from the Washington Times.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/28/feds-sting-amish-farmer-selling-raw-milk-locally/

RawMilkFacts.com
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html

RealMilk.com
http://www.realmilk.com/

MIT’s Fracking Report Backs its Donors: Gas Companies

You know things are really getting bad when supposedly independent academic institutions release research of great importance to public health that is demonstrably influenced by the agenda of big corporate donors. Check out ProPublica's story on the recent MIT fracking report that claimed hydraulic fracturing for natural gas does not threaten to contaminate water supplies.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/mits-fracking-report-backs-its-donors-gas-companies/

Bank Errors Continue to Cause Wrongful Foreclosures

With regulations due to go in effect later this summer that will prohibit banks from selling a home in foreclosure before a final decision on a mortgage modification, banks are rushing to foreclose on as many homes as possible. Thousands of people engaged in loan modification efforts have seen their homes sold before the process was completed and for far less than they were worth. It's a senseless situation that's causing terrible disruptions throughout the country. Regulators acknowledge that these banks are breaking rules in this practice but so far have done little to stop it. ProPublica has been investigating these ongoing  foreclosure scams aggressively ever since the bubble burst in 2008.
http://www.propublica.org/article/bank-errors-continue-to-cause-wrongful-foreclosures

Los Alamos Lab Under Siege From Wildfire

This is a story that I only heard about today from a co-worker, but apparently there is an unbelievable amount of deadly nuclear and other types of waste stored at the WWII era Los Alamos site. The lack of controls and prudent safety measures taken by our government with regard to storing spent nuclear fuel rods and other potentially devastating and catastrophic contaminants is astounding. When are we, as a nation, going to come to terms with the risks posed by massive radiation and chemical vulnerabilities? We cannot afford to play the riverboat gambler on public health issues that could poison millions and cripple the country. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/28/los-alamos-lab-wildfire_n_886610.html

As Obama Quietly Pushes for a Nuclear Weapons Renaissance, Wildfire Threatens Los Alamos Nuclear Lab
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/28/as_obama_quietly_pushes_for_a

FDA Unfairly Maligns Tobacco Plant With Graphic New Cigarette Warning Labels

Read the title of this piece by Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com carefully before you dismiss it. I didn't even read the piece for several days, because I didn't understand where he was coming from. The pint is that tobacco by itself, without hundreds of chemical additives, is far less dangerous than conventional cigarettes. There are 599 chemical additives that produce over 4,000 chemicals that are inhaled when the user lights up. Smoking the tobacco plant is not a safe practice, due to the naturally produced chemicals released when burning substances, but it does not deliver the toxic cocktail you get with processed cigarettes. The FDA refuses to acknowledge this distinction and as such is being intellectually bankrupt in its duties to ensure the safety of food and drugs in our society. The FDA refuses to put warning labels pointing out the dangers of chemical additives in processed food, such as sodium nitrate, aspartame, MSG, partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils, and artificial food colors, all known to cause diseases that are a common cause of human suffering and burdensome expense in America. This is a contradiction that citizens should no longer tolerate and it's got to change.
http://www.NaturalNews.com/032795_tobacco_warning_labels.html

A nuclear-free future for America

Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, writing for the Guardian, reviews the mounting problems, conflicts and safety issues facing the nuclear energy industry in this country. She also points out that the public in Georgia has already paid $1 billion in increased rates for the Vogtle plant there, despite $8.3 billion in federal guarantees awarded by the Obama Administration to the project. We learn some details about Obama's connections to the industry and more on the lax regulatory culture promoted by the NRC. Goodman argues that we should scrap nuclear energy altogether and begin a public works program to retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient as we continue develop alternative energy capabilities, and I agree. Let's create some jobs that benefit society as a whole and can't be outsourced!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jun/22/nuclearpower-nuclear-waste

U.S. Regulators Opening Up on Flawed Nuclear Power Plant Policing

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-center-for-public-integrity/us-regulators-opening-up_b_881154.html

Bribery, but Nobody Was Charged

When a manager in a Mexican livestock operation owned by Tyson Foods uncovered payments to the wives of staff veterinarians tasked with ensuring the safety of food processing there, executives decided to pay the vets directly through honorariums so that they would continue to overlook regulatory abuses at the plant. These payments represented bribery and the practice put public health at risk, but when the company finally came clean they only paid a fine and no prosecutions resulted. A new writer for the NYT, James B. Stewart, author of Den Of Thieves, does an excellent job of running down clues and clarifying issues of effective enforcement of corruption laws, pointing out the value of prosecution of executives as a deterrent, in his very first article for the paper.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/business/25stewart.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Fracking In California Prompts State Legislators To Introduce Regulation Bill

It turns out that there has been a frack well operating in a wine region of California, unbeknownst to the public and many government officials, and the discovery has lead state legislators to introduce more stringent laws to govern or restrict the activity. Man, these greedy bastards are not only reckless but brazen as hell too. The law, if passed in the State Assembly, would be one of the toughest in the country and require operators to disclose the chemicals they use as well as the vast amounts of water require in the process.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/06/fracking-california-regulation-bill_n_872170.html

Gov. Perdue vetoes voter ID bill

This is welcome news as the Governor of North Carolina pushes back against a restrictive Voter ID bill that would disenfranchise many eligible voters in her state. Unfortunately, it also appears that Perdue would be willing to sign a less restrictive Voter ID bill. There's a flurry of such activity around the country in response to the US Supreme Court upholding Indiana's voter ID bill in 2008. The post also details many of the intricate legislation tactics that are being employed in the effort to reduce democratic-leaning voters.
“The right to choose our leaders is among the most precious freedoms we have – both as Americans and North Carolinians. North Carolinians who are eligible to vote have a constitutionally guaranteed right to cast their ballots, and no one should put up obstacles to citizens exercising that right.

“We must always be vigilant in protecting the integrity of our elections. But requiring every voter to present a government-issued photo ID is not the way to do it.  This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters.  The legislature should pass a less extreme bill that allows for other forms of identification, such as those permitted under federal law.

“There was a time in North Carolina history when the right to vote was enjoyed only by some citizens rather than by all. That time is past, and we should not revisit it.

“Therefore, I veto this bill.”

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/27/988275/-Gov-Perdue-vetoes-voter-ID-bill?utm

Eric Cantor's glaring conflict of interest

This is rather unbelievable: Eric Cantor, the #2 Republican in the House, has an investment that profits when US debt becomes undesirable, say in the case of Congress voting NOT to increase the debt ceiling. Of course, conflicts of interests are rampant in our government and academic institutions but that doesn't make it right. Check it out.
http://www.salon.com/news/eric_cantor/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/06/27/eric_cantor_conflict_of_interest

What will replace oil?

This is a thoughtful and I think quite fair discussion of the prospects for energy production thirty years from now, when oil and gas will most certainly be largely phased out due to global warming concerns as well as supply issues. The author claims that without technological advancements related to storage and a new integrated energy grid that solar and wind are likely to produce only about 4% of world energy (from 1%) by 2041. Let's get going on that new energy grid!
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/06/27/energy_future/index.html

Idaho Will Defy No Child Left Behind, Schools' Chief Luna Tells Duncan

The state of Idaho has fired a shot across the bow of the Obama Administration's NCLB education policy by declaring that it will ignore the federal law without applying for an exemption as required. Many educators believe the misplaced emphasis on standardized testing in this Bush era law is counterproductive, and by flouting it Idaho hopes to add momentum to a national movement to have it repealed.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/06/idaho_will_defy_nclb_state_chi.html