March 2006 ~ A
The leaders of the religious right have long preached against the moral evils of gambling. But now James Dobson, Lou Sheldon and Ralph Reed have been exposed as base hypocrites, knee-deep in the muck of the Jack Abramoff scandal -- they took millions of dollars of Abramoff's gambling money to lobby against his clients' competitors. It's time for the hypocrisy to end. Millions of Americans have taken their moral cues from these men, only to find out now that they are in bed with the very interests they've earned their living condemning. These so-called leaders need to stop telling others how to act, and start practicing what they preach.
Jack Abramoff was a "Pioneer" fundraiser for President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, raising at least $120,000 -- and probably a great deal more -- by bundling together contributions from other individuals and political action committees. Bush knows keeping donations collected by Abramoff is dead wrong -- in fact, he already donated to charity the $6,000 the Republican operative contributed to his campaign coffers. But despite the fact that Abramoff has pled guilty to multiple felony charges of bribery and corruption, the President still refuses to publicly identify -- or return -- the vast majority of the campaign funds that Abramoff collected for on his behalf as a favored "Pioneer" fundraiser. Abramoff's guilty pleas have made clear that the public has a powerful interest in knowing the details of Mr. Abramoff's bundled fundraising activities for President Bush. Did Abramoff's clients seek or receive special treatment from the White House in return for these contributions? The President needs to come clean about the money Abramoff raised for him. Tell President Bush to publicly identify all of the campaign funds raised for him by admitted felon Jack Abramoff.
The President's latest "emergency" request for funding to continue the occupation of Iraq stands at $72 billion. Along with another request anticipated later this year, this will bring the total cost for the invasion and occupation of Iraq to more than $400 billion. And what have we achieved so far? Almost 2,300 American soldiers killed, and more than 9,000 wounded. Untold tens of thousands of Iraqis killed. Violence and sectarian conflict on the rise in Iraq, bordering on open civil war. And no exit strategy in sight. Despite a Senate resolution last November that passed 79-19 calling on the Bush administration "to explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for the successful completion of the mission in Iraq," this administration has not yet explained how they plan to get us out of the quagmire. There is neither a plan nor a timeline for American withdrawal from Iraq. Our representatives in Congress must refuse to grant the White House a blank check for the occupation until a swift and enforceable strategy for exit is proposed. Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Since the Bush Administration continues to "stay the course" with no plan and no strategy, it's up to Congress to break us out of the vicious circle -- starting with a vote to stop funding the occupation. Tell your representative and senators to vote no on the supplemental appropriations request, and demand that the Bush Administration provide an exit strategy to get us out of the Iraqi quagmire.
S. 471, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, was introduced last year by Senator Specter of Pennsylvania. We urge you to contact your Senators and ask them to support a full Senate vote on this bill. Embryonic stem cell research holds enormous promise in the search for cures for ailments that afflict millions of Americans, including spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Regrettably, a small group of religious conservatives and anti-choice extremists have (so far) managed to hold this potentially life-saving scientific research hostage to their narrow views. In 2001, President Bush announced a policy that banned federal funding of research on all embryonic stem cell lines, excepting only a handful that had been created before that announcement. However, scientists have found that most of those cell cultures are unviable or contaminated, making them unusable for research. Last May, the House of Representatives stood up to the White House and passed a bill that will allow for federal support of research on stem cell lines taken from surplus embryos created at fertilization clinics -- embryos that would otherwise be discarded. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced his support of stem cell research, but he has inexplicably refused to get the bill out of committee. Numerous countries around the world are already supporting stem cell research, achieving landmark advances, and getting farther and farther ahead of the United States. If we want to maintain our role as a global leader in scientific progress -- and offer hope to those suffering from debilitating ailments that could benefit from this research -- our policies on funding stem cell research must change. Urge your senators to ask for a full floor vote on S. 471, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
In the wake of the Abramoff scandal, Congress is racing to enact lobbying reform measures. But lobbying reform alone cannot fix our broken democracy. Again and again, we see how financing elections with private money has led to corruption and lack of public confidence in the Congress. There is a solution to the problem of influence peddling in Washington. We know what it is and we know how to make it happen. The time has come to implement voluntary public funding of all federal elections. Sign the petition and we will make sure that your representative knows that you stand with Just $6 in favor of public funding.
After three years and more than 2,300 American soldiers dead, there's no end in sight. President Bush just asserted that U.S. forces are likely to remain in Iraq through 2009. Yet, Congress has done little beyond rubber-stamping the President's requests for more and more money to support the occupation. Ask your representative to vote to allow open discussion of the situation in Iraq. It's time for Members of Congress to hold an open debate on the occupation of Iraq. Regrettably, the Republican leadership in the House refuses to allow this -- so now a bi-partisan group of representatives are supporting a legislative maneuver called a "discharge petition." If a majority of representatives sign the petition, Speaker Hastert will have no choice but to allow a 17 hour debate on the Iraq occupation -- split equally between both sides of the aisle. This is a topic of the highest national importance. Tell your representative you support full and fair debate on the floor of the House. The families who have lost soldiers in Iraq, the veterans returning with debilitating injuries, and the taxpayers who are asked to pay for this ever-expanding war all deserve a frank discussion of our country's role in Iraq.
Immediate help is needed as the Senate prepares to consider immigration bills that would increase racial profiling and lay the groundwork for a new national ID database. Anti-immigrant forces are mounting a fierce battle in Congress to push through these and other heavy-handed “reform” measures. Anti-immigrant sentiment is no excuse for creating laws that are completely inconsistent with American values and would violate civil rights and civil liberties.
Exxon posts record profits, tries to avoid EVOS spill penalties Record Profits Spark Backlash Against Big Oil.
Serious questions about 9/11 received ten minutes of excellent coverage on CNN's ShowBiz Tonight last night. This crucial story is one of the features on CNN's homepage even as this is being written. If you go to http://www.cnn.com right now and look in the top right column of the webpage, the ninth bullet is a link with the title "Watch: Charlie Sheen: I'll be 'demonized' for 9/11 theory." This CNN video clip is 3:37 in length. Both this shorter clip and a longer 10 minute version of the show are available at the links below.
For an even more revealing, 40-minute compilation of major media video footage filled with witness testimony and astounding shots which raise serious questions, see the third link below. This news may be quite shocking to those who have yet to seriously investigate 9/11, yet it is vitally important that we open to the possibility the 9/11 Commission did not complete its mission. For an excellent two-page summary of these many questions with links to major media sources for easy verification, please visit http://www.WantToKnow.info/9-11cover-up.
The next campaign for the White House happens in 2008 … but we don’t have to wait to bring responsible leadership back to America. This year in 36 states across the country, voters have the chance to choose Democratic Governors to lead their states forward. We have the power, working together in 2006, to elect the Democratic Governors we need to put our country back on the right track. Let’s get to work -- there’s no time to wait. I won’t wait for 2008. This year, by working to elect more Democratic Governors, I will make change happen in my community and in my state.
The public backlash over same-sex marriage has receded since a controversial decision by the Massachusetts supreme court in 2003 to legalize those marriages stirred strong opposition, says a poll released Wednesday.
March 21 ~ A law President Bush signed on Feb. 8 is invalid because he signed a version of the bill that was passed by the U.S. Senate but not the U.S. House of Representatives, Public Citizen told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed today.
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives removed from consideration H.R. 1606, a bill that would have blown a huge loophole in campaign finance law. Thank you to everyone who sent messages to their Representatives. Your actions have strengthened the stature of campaign finance law in the United States.
SAT Problems Even Larger Than Reported. The College Board disclosed that after rechecking additional tests, it found 400 more students whose scores were too low.
There are more than double the number of people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in England and Wales than the government has estimated, delegates at the British Society of Gastroenterology's Annual Scientific Meeting were warned.
There could be five times the number of people infected with hepatitis C than current estimates suggest, an expert warned yesterday.
You might be subsidizing Tom DeLay's legal defense when you buy an airline ticket, make a phone call or have a happy hour cocktail.
Keep the Pressure on: Tell Corporate America to Drop the Hammer. An ethical government is the foundation of any functioning democracy. All citizens, including corporate citizens, should do everything in their power to make sure our government is clean and accountable. Over the last several years high profile corporations have been donating thousands to Tom DeLay's legal expense trust so that he can avoid responsibility for his unethical conduct. Consumers should contact these companies and tell them their conduct is unacceptable.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is widely regarded as the most powerful member of Congress. DeLay's abuse of this power has encircled him in a web of scandal. He has already been admonished four times by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee and a political action committee he set up in Texas is currently the subject of a grand jury investigation. A network of large corporate backers have come, cash-in-hand, to DeLay's defense. Companies like Bacardi USA and RJ Reynolds have contributed thousands to Tom DeLay's Legal Defense Fund. Join the 21,449 people who have already sent a message. Let these corporations know that unless they stop supporting Tom DeLay, you'll stop supporting them.
Join the American Progress Action Fund in signing an open letter telling AOL to abandon their “pay-to-send” email system. This system would bypass SPAM filters and guarantee delivery for cash, creating a two-tiered Internet where giant emailers can buy preferential service.
ExxonMobil recently announced the highest annual profits in the history of American business. Tell new CEO Rex Tillerson that now is the time to invest in cleaner, safer energy solutions.
In order to protect their profits, big telecom companies are attempting to block community Internet, which would provide faster, more affordable service for communities.
Is socially responsible investing possible? The perennial question comes to the fore once again with news that Colgate-Palmolive has purchased a controlling stake in little Tom's of Maine, a brand known as much for its personal-care products as for its social conscience.
"The heart of the Gospel is one of inclusion. Whenever Jesus was given the opportunity to exclude somebody, he included all people," Donley, pastor of University Baptist Church in Minneapolis said. "I think what the supporters of this amendment are trying to do is … write one interpretation of the Scripture into the constitution."
"I think people have assumptions about religion these days that religious people are politically conservative and are opposed to GLBT rights. I think that's a stereotype," said Daniel Libenson, of Minneapolis, who plans to come to the Capitol on Thursday to join with anti-amendment religious leaders. "As a Jew, I feel that our tradition of seeing every person as created in the image of God means that we have to be very cautious about anything that could be discriminatory."
If you favour meat over carbohydrates in an effort to keep your weight down, you might want to rethink your dinner plate. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, vegetarians gained less weight over a five-year period than did meat-eaters. In fact, the lowest weight gain was seen in people with a high intake of carbs and a low intake of protein. In the study, researchers from the University of Oxford examined the eating habits of 22,000 people over five years, including meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans (vegetarians who shun all animal foods). On average, study participants gained 4.4 pounds, with vegans gaining the least and meat-eaters gaining the most. Fish-eaters and other vegetarians fell in the middle. (Exercise was another important factor in controlling weight.)
PETA Calls on Middle Eastern Governments to Adopt More Humane Trade; Australian Government Sends Delegation to Middle East to Investigate Animal Abuses. Soon after the Australian government acknowledged the abuses of Australian animals in a Cairo slaughterhouse and suspended the export trade to Egypt, PETA released additional footage from the investigation of live Australian sheep as they were being mishandled and crudely slaughtered in Oman, Kuwait, and Egypt. As a result of the release of this footage, the Australian government has sent a delegation to the Middle East to investigate the abuses inflicted on Australian sheep there. PETA has sent the undercover footage to the ministers of agriculture in these three countries, along with a plea to accept only chilled meat from Australia.
Animal welfare activists have called for a boycott of the Body Shop after its founder Anita Roddick and fellow shareholders sold out to French cosmetics giant L'Oreal for £652m. The boycott was called by Naturewatch and backed by Uncaged. The animal welfare groups oppose L'Oreal's policy on the testing of cosmetics ingredients on animals. Body Shop made its name championing ethical consumerism and opposing animal testing and went on to make a fortune of £130m for Mrs Roddick and her husband Gordon.
Other countries are beginning to eat like us, live like us, and die like us. It's time to start exporting healthier ways of living. The United States spends considerably more on health care (actually, disease care) than any other country in the world. So, is all this money buying us the best health in the world? No. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report showing that recent immigrants reported significantly better physical and mental health (such as lower rates of obesity and high blood pressure) than their U.S.-born counterparts, despite having limited access to health care and little or no health insurance. The study found that people from other countries (African-American, Asian and Hispanic) who move to the United States become progressively less healthy the longer they stay in the country. Those who were U.S. residents for five years or more were 54 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and 25 percent more likely to have cardiovascular diseases, for example, than those who lived here less than five years. In other words, moving to the United States can make you sick.
Study suggests increased cancer risk in young. Families 'should consider switch to organic diets' Parents were yesterday warned by researchers that levels of pesticides previously thought to be harmless could cause cancers in babies and young children. Liverpool University scientists argue that low levels of chemicals from pesticides and plastics could affect the development of babies before they are born and increase their likelihood of developing cancer later in life. The organochlorines also accumulate in breast milk, raising the possibility that babies are vulnerable while breastfeeding, Professor Vyvyan Howard and John Newby say.
The research will prove controversial as the link between low levels of pollutants and cancers has been disputed in the past. Cancer Research UK urged people to be cautious about the paper, which involved a systematic review of all the evidence to date, and called for further thorough investigation. But the researchers claim the evidence suggested the link was "feasible" and enough for parents to consider switching to organic diets to avoid contamination. The authorities should revisit regulations on acceptable levels of chemicals, they argue. Writing in the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, they say that research indicates that the dangers of pesticides for children have been underestimated. "We're talking about chemicals which could potentially cause cancer in children at parts per billion and parts per trillion levels, rather than parts per million and thousands," Professor Howard, who is on the government's advisory committee on pesticides, told the Guardian. "Preventative measures for these types of cancer have focused on educating the public about the danger of tobacco smoke, improving diet and promoting physical activity. We should now, however, be focusing on trying to reduce exposure to problematic chemicals."
Man arrested after allegedly handing pipe to cops for an authenticity check. A man is behind bars in Tampa after allegedly asking two uniformed officers to test a crack pipe. Police say the man doubted whether he was being sold actual crack cocaine, so he approached the officers and asked them to test his pipe so he could be sure. Turned out it was the real thing. Authorities say the man was arrested after the residue in his pipe tested positive for crack cocaine. He's listed in jail records as a security worker at MacDill Air Force Base.
A diet rich in almonds, oatmeal and fish can be as good as clinically prescribed statins for reducing levels of cholesterol, researchers say in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition today. Their study found high levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were reduced by up to 20% among people on a diet of lean meats, tofu, barley and fruit and vegetables. "This study is exciting because it shows an effective dietary approach to lowering cholesterol isn't as hard or as intimidating as we previously thought," said David Jenkins, one of the authors of the research, based at the University of Toronto.
This website is dedicated to the coalition servicemen who have lost their lives in the War with Iraq started by George Bush on March 19, 2003.
Low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins plan, can lead to life-threatening conditions, a medical journal warned yesterday. The Lancet described the case of an obese woman who had adhered strictly to the high-protein diet for a month before being admitted to hospital as an emergency. The 40-year-old, who had taken vitamin supplements recommended by the Atkins plan, needed treatment in the intensive care unit of a New York hospital. She had ketoacidosis, a condition triggered by the liver's production of ketones, the acids which appear during periods of starvation or when there is a lack of insulin in the body due to diabetes. When first admitted the patient felt nauseous and was dehydrated after vomiting for several days. She was short of breath and in "moderate distress". Four days later, after a dextrose drip, she was well enough to be discharged. The doctors said the Atkins diet was largely to blame.
The Scientific Advisory Committee of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) has today approved six new alternative testing methods that will reduce the need for certain drugs and chemicals to be tested on animals. The new tests use cell cultures rather than animals to establish the toxicity of cancer drugs and identify contaminated drugs.
In the last few weeks, thousands of gay and lesbian couples expressed their love and commitment to each other in San Francisco, California, in the ceremony of marriage. How does President Bush react to these celebrations of love and familial stability? By proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning marriage for gays and lesbians. That's right: President Bush wants to write discrimination against and estimated 10% of the U.S. population into our Constitution. We oppose this amendment because:
1. Constitution is to protect our freedoms, not impose discrimination.
2. Bush argues that the institution of marriage is religiously "sacred" which violates the covenants of separation of church and state.
3. Bush has bigger problems that he needs to address!
Instead of addressing major problems with the US economy, unemployment, the war in Iraq, climate change, terrorism, and the global AIDS crisis; the Bush administration would rather play political games with the lives, relationships and rights of these American citizens.
Please join us in urging Bush to stop wasting the country's time and drop his proposed ban on gay marriage!
Last year, despite obscene profits, Wal-Mart failed to provide health care for 5,249 of its Massachusetts workers and their dependents. Instead, these employees were forced to rely on government programs costing Massachusetts taxpayers over $20,281,735. At the end of 2005, Wal-Mart ranked #2 on the Fortune 500 with sales of $312 billion and net profits of $11.2 billion, and was America's largest employer with 1.39 million workers. Yet Wal-Mart still failed to provide company health care to over 300,000 of its employees and their dependents. Wal-Mart's greedy ways left nearly 1 out of every 2 children of its workers either uninsured or on public assistance at a cost of $1.4 billion to taxpayers. Wal-Mart ranks #1, among all companies in America, with the highest total number of employees without company health care insurance and is the #1 abuser of taxpayer funded public health care in 18 of the 19 states where statewide data has been reported. You have the power to hold corporations responsible for their actions and to stop this blatant corporate abuse.
SOURCE: http://www.care2.com ~ All information contained in this newsletter is available in Wake Up Wal-Mart's new report "America Pays, Wal-Mart Saves" - available at www.wakeupwalmart.com
Ask Garth Brooks to Give Wal-Mart the Boot! Country star Garth Brooks has signed an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart. But it's likely that he, like most Americans who shop at Wal-Mart, has no idea about Wal-Mart's utter lack of respect for its workers and their rights. Take this opportunity to let Garth know that when Wal-Mart workers try to form a union to negotiate for better wages, more affordable health care, and basic job protections, they often face threats, discrimination, intimidation, and even firings.
The right to safe water must be enshrined in international law and policed by the United Nations if millions of people are to be spared death from want of water or from water-borne diseases, activists told governments and business at international talks ending Wednesday.
Speaking about water. the Nestle' Company is pushing the word "commoditiy" in describing bodies of water, so it can be sold and bought, and is no longer considered a "given" or neccesity. You may say "But we already pay for things like bottled water".....this I know and I am not speaking about taxable water, but I am speaking of the change in dscriptiopn of bodies of water like the Great Lakes. Appatrently, in one country, the govenrment had tried to charage people for the water that ran off their own roofs, ofcourse there was a revolt, but the fact that the government tried to charge for the rain is just plain ridiculous. It seems it is starting in the United States of America. Or has been, and I am just finding about it now.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- An Afghan man facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity may be mentally unfit to stand trial, a state prosecutor and presidential adviser said Wednesday. Abdul Rahman, 41, went on trial last week in Kabul. He was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian. The conversion is a crime under Afghanistan's Islamic laws, and a death sentence is possible. But prosecutor Sarinwal Zamari said questions have been raised about his mental fitness. "We think he could be mad. He is not a normal person. He doesn't talk like a normal person," he told The Associated Press.
LGBT teens who face homophobic bullying are among the U.K.'s most at risk of being disadvantaged, says a government-commissioned study. Lesbian and gay students who face homophobic bullying are one of the most vulnerable groups in the United Kingdom to becoming disadvantaged, according to a new government-commissioned study.The report, released Monday by the Equalities Review, says LGBT teenagers in school are likely to be disadvantaged members of society because of the bullying they may face. The report follows previous surveys that found young LGBT people were leaving school early and not continuing further education because of homophobic abuse they suffered at school. The Equalities Review says that LGBT young people are not the only group to be at risk of "chronic and persistent" disadvantage.According to its interim report released Monday, boys from ethnic minorities who have been excluded from school are also set to be disadvantaged, as are disabled people looking for work.
Lone and partnered women looking for work are struggling as well, the interim report says. There will be a consultation period before the Equalities Review, an independent panel commissioned in February 2005 by the British government to investigate the causes of all forms of discrimination and inequality in British society, gives a final study later this year. But its chairman, Trevor Phillips, say the results so far lead to a somber reading of life for many vulnerable people in the U.K. "This review shows where we need to focus our efforts to ensure that all of those who are disadvantaged in some way are given the opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to a vibrant and successful U.K. economy," Phillips said. Only 6 percent of schools in England and Wales have policies aimed at protecting gay students from bullying, though the majority have campaigns against racist bullying.
So Gov. Mitt Romney of Boston Massachusetts, decided there was not enough evidence to hold DSS responsible for the beating of this 11 year old, with a baseball bat. The story states; "She was the subject of multiple child-abuse reports before she was pummeled into a coma, allegedly by her stepfather and adoptive mother."
Is this not enough evidence? I would think just ONE report of child abuse of a child in a home would be enough evidence to remove that child, unless the assumed abusers are found innocent. DSS needs to do a better job, this happens all too often !!!
Children’s advocates yesterday lambasted Gov. Mitt Romney after his hand-picked panel cleared DSS officials of blame in the botched Haleigh Poutre child abuse case. “The harm is unacceptable, but . . . punishment is not the answer.” a three-member investigative panel appointed by Romney concluded. “We did not find carelessness or a failure to make best efforts to meet Haleigh’s needs.” That finding - which let social workers and supervisors off the hook in the horrific beatings that left the 11-year-old girl near death - infuriated child advocates. “They’re damned right there was no ‘carelessness’ - there was criminal recklessness,” said Wendy Murphy, lawyer for Allison Avrett, Haleigh’s biological mother.
Haleigh, now 12, of Westfield, is medically stable today, but suffers from brain damage, the extent of which has not been made public. She was the subject of multiple child-abuse reports before she was pummeled into a coma, allegedly by her stepfather and adoptive mother. She was nearly removed from life support by the state but showed hopeful signs just in time to be spared. “Haleigh (Poutre)’s case highlights a frightening confluence of a health care system ignorant of abuse, and a child protective system ignorant of medicine,” Romney’s panel said.
Romney said he had no plans to remove Department of Social Services Commissioner Harry Spence or any DSS staff. That decision comes in sharp contrast to this year’s shakeup at New York City’s Administration for Children’s Service after the fatal beating of a 7-year-old girl by her stepfather. “Even if Haleigh had been causing her own injuries, she should have been removed from her home. But the report never gets to the bottom of things,” said Maureen Flatley, a lobbyist specializing in child welfare and adoption.
“This is a recycling and rehashing of recommendations that have been made over the last 15 years. And still, no one is being held accountable. At what point do we say enough is enough?” she said. In the three years before her brain injury, DSS received 16 reports of abuse or neglect about Haleigh. But caseworkers believed that all her injuries were either self-inflicted or accidental, and allowed her to remain with her stepfather and adoptive mother, Jason and Holli Strickland, on the advice of medical professionals.
Last September, the Stricklands allegedly beat her into a coma with a baseball bat. Eight days later, DSS sought a court order allowing Haleigh to be removed from life support. Jason Strickland objected, but in January, the state’s highest court ruled in the department’s favor.
The next day DSS announced that Haleigh was breathing on her own, and it had halted plans to remove her feeding tube. Romney’s panel said DSS should in the future obtain a second opinion from both the ethics committee of the hospital treating the child and from an outside physician. Its 27-page report also recommended that DSS:
Keep on retainer medical professionals in the areas of child abuse and psychiatry. Help major pediatric hospitals form child abuse teams.
Not dismiss reports of abuse or neglect solely because a family is already receiving help and appears to be cooperating.
Take this fun little quiz.....tells me I am a "Centrist".
Back in 1999, Senators Kennedy & Kerry co-sponsored a resolution to censure President Clinton for his conduct in the Lewinsky affair. Now, Senator Feingold of Wisconsin has introduced a resolution in the Senate to censure President Bush over his illegal wiretapping program. Unfortunately, Senators Kennedy & Kerry have not yet come out in support of this resolution -- a position that seems deeply hypocritical.
While deplorable from a moral standpoint, President Clinton's actions did not deprive Americans of their civil liberties. On the other hand, President Bush has openly violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as well as the Fourth Amendment to our Constitution. Bush lied to the public on several occasions about his warrantless wiretapping program -- and it's recently been revealed that the program may include warrantless physical searches as well.
Congress simply must hold the President accountable in this case. If it abdicates this duty, the governmental system of checks and balances crafted by our nation's founders has effectively been thrown out the window -- and we will have taken a very big step down the road to dictatorship.
The National Guard plays a valuable role in protecting America. During times of crisis, as we saw following Hurricane Katrina, the National Guard was the first to respond. And they continue to make sacrifices, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. We can count on the National Guard - so why can't they count on the White House to provide adequate financial support? The purpose of the National Guard is to respond to national emergencies, and state governors understand how vital having an adequately funded and readied National Guard is to our security and emergency preparedness. They are also outraged that the White House has proposed budget cuts that would eliminate 17,000 National Guard troops. This threatens our security and undermines our ability to respond to emergencies. Let's respect the servicemen and women, and the sacrifices they are making to keep America safe and secure. Send a message to preserve the National Guard - tell the White House that it is time protect the people that protect America.
Budget constraints limit e-mail accounts, New York official says. Tight budgets are “forcing some local Federal Bureau of Investigation agents to operate without e-mail accounts.” “As ridiculous as this might sound, we have real money issues right now, and the government is reluctant to give all agents and analysts dot-gov accounts,” said the FBI’s top official in New York.
An FDA advisory panel has unanimously recommended that the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri be returned to the market. The drug was withdrawn about a year ago after it was found to cause a deadly brain ailment. It is expected that the FDA will follow the recommendation, making Tysabri the second instance ever of a drug returning to the market after being withdrawn for safety reasons. Shares in Elan and Biogen, the manufacturers of the drug, jumped upward in response to the news. About one in 1,000 people who took Tysabri during clinical trials developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare brain disease that results in death or severe disablement. There is no treatment for PML.
The increase in reported cases of autism has not only slowed, but actually reversed now that thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative, has finally been removed from childhood vaccines. Studies of two government databases indicate that autism rates went up as thimerosal dosages increased, then began to decline as thimerosal was removed.
The average exposure of a young child to thimerosal dropped from 240 micrograms in 1999 to almost nothing four years later. Autism rates among children declined at a similar rate. Dr. Robert Davis, director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) immunization safety group, argues that this cannot "... really be taken to provide any evidence one way or the other." Solid evidence of a link between thimerosal and autism could result in serious repercussions for government agencies and drug companies. If new recommendations requiring annual influenza vaccinations for children are followed, their average dose could increase back to 60 micrograms.
Documents newly released under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the CDC was actually discouraging thimerosal's removal behind the scenes, despite their public call for removal. The CDC at one point rejected a proposal by drugmaker SmithKline Beecham to produce thimerosal-free vaccines, and the CDC's commitment to banning thimerosal has often seemed half-hearted since that time. A federal health official, who has requested anonymity, believes that there were other considerations besides safety guiding the CDC's actions, including protecting the economic interests of drug industry partners. The industry's stockpiled thimerosal-based vaccines would have become worthless had there been an immediate ban on the substance.
An Afghan man is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death on a charge of converting from Islam to Christianty, a crime under this country's Islamic laws, a judge said yesterday.
Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the daily Christian radio show 'The Albert Mohler Program', defended Pat Robertson's recent claim that Muslims are "motivated by demonic power," and expanded on Robertson's comments, saying: "Well, I would have to say as a Christian that I believe any belief system, any world view, whether it's Zen Buddhism or Hinduism or dialectical materialism for that matter, Marxism, that keeps persons captive and keeps them from coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, is a demonstration of satanic power."
'Autum Ashante' has told the 'Westchester Journal News', a 7-year-old New York girl, who garnered public attention after reading a controversial poem -- titled "White Nationalism Put U In Bondage" -- to a February 28 Black History Month assembly at a public school in Peekskill, New York.
Rush Limbaugh instructed his listeners to disregard Zogby International poll results -- showing that a large majority of U.S. troops in Iraq think the United States should withdraw from that country within a year -- because the poll was funded by the Le Moyne College Center for Peace and Global Studies. Limbaugh stated: "[A]nytime an organization has the word 'peace' in it, throw it out. It's just a bunch of long-haired, maggot-infested, dope-smoking, FM peace-types that have an agenda."
March 20, 2006 (ENS) – A federal appeals court on Friday blocked the Bush administration from implementing a regulation that would have eased clean air requirements for some 17,000 industrial facilities, including coal-fired power plants and oil refineries. The court handed down a stinging rebuke of the regulation, which it said is "contrary to the plain language" of the Clean Air Act.
The science of genetics tells us that, strange as it may sound, most of us are related to anyone that was alive anywhere on Earth two thousand years ago. There's no evidence that Jesus had children, but there is plenty of evidence that he existed, and had cousins. That makes most of us His cousins a few million removed - and therefore, of course, each other's. "Yeah," some people might say, "but just on his mother's side." Steve Olson explains the science in discussing the Da Vinci Code, and the possibility that Jesus has living descendants. There's no scholarly evidence to suggest that he does, since there's no record of marriage or children. But there's decent documentation of kinship structures in Jewish villages, and the probability that Jesus of Nazareth had cousins on his mother's side is very high. As for other side of His family: Christian belief says that Jesus is the Son of God, but also says "The kingdom of God is within us." Not that it will be within us if we believe x, y, and z, but that it's there already, waiting to be discovered. That leaves us with a lot in common, doesn't it?
The Washington Post writes that the U.S. government is increasingly relying on contractors to carry out intelligence duties. As a result, government agencies lose control over those doing this sensitive work and instill profit-making motives into the work being done.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a blow to the Bush administration last Friday when it said that the Environmental Protection Agency unlawfully exempted power plants from the Clean Air Act. In striking down the “new source review” rules, the court required industrial sites to upgrade their facilities.
Many of these fines are part of “large, highly publicized penalties for wrongdoing.” “White-collar crime cases account for the largest amount of uncollected debt.”
Gender Equality Law To Be Adopted Soon. Slobodan Lalovic, Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Policies, said that the Law on Gender Equality should be adopted by the end of the summer session of the Skupstina (Serbian Parliament). Lalovic said, in his address to the Towards the Law on Gender Equality conference, that the the essence of the problem surrounding gender equality in the moral and social system, and the regulations should just assist the achieving of full equality.
The case studies prove that the conservation and sustainable management of species and their habitats means better protection of forests, freshwater and marine areas. As a result, the rural poor who depend on these areas will have more access to goods and services they provide. This not only increases incomes, but access to freshwater, health, education and women’s rights often also improve. According to the report, some ecotourism projects based on the observation of species in the wild – such as marine turtles, pandas and mountain gorillas – generate significant amounts of money to communities. By applying knowledge of species movements in and across habitats, this can help implement sustainable land-use planning.......“Very often the issues that threaten species are the same which contribute to poverty, such as loss of habitats and natural resources,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF’s Global Species Programme. “This report provides evidence that when endangered species benefit, people benefit as well.”
Pink "iPods" for Democracy! The employees of Voice for Humanity, in a fever of righteous idealism, traveled six hours on donkeys and horses through the remotest parts of the Afghanistan countryside. They were on a mission: to deliver what they thought was an invaluable literacy tool for Afghans. Pink for women, silver for men. They were custom digital audio players which function like the trendy iPod although they look more like generic radios or MP3 players. They are made in China and filled with public service messages on topics including human rights, women’s rights, Afghanistan’s election process, and health.......The pseudo-iPods were funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The $8.3 million contract was granted to Kentucky-based Voice for Humanity, a small group run by two Lexington businessmen, to use its audio players to “promote democracy” in advance of the 2004 Afghan presidential election........The Women’s Affairs Directorate in Logar confirmed that the players had provided beneficial information before the election, but that it was an impractical means of educating their communities. At their offices, a child could be seen playing with one of the audio players, switching the buttons like it was a toy. In Khoshi, one of the districts in Logar where the player was distributed before elections, men in shops said they had listened to the material on the tape and gained some insight into the election process but afterwards, the digital device became a toy for their children.
The war in Iraq is the deadliest for journalists since World War II. A total of 86 journalists and media assistants have been killed since the war began on 20 March 2003 - more than the number killed during 20 years of war in Vietnam or the civil war in Algeria.
Attorney-General, Bob Debus, has declared his support for a charter of rights for the state that would allow courts to consider whether laws infringed basic human freedoms. Mr Debus told the Herald he would take a proposal to cabinet to invite public consultation on the values and rights Parliament should protect. It could guarantee freedoms such as the vote, a fair trial, freedom of assembly, property rights and freedom from torture and racial discrimination......."A charter would hopefully help to remind the community that all people in a society have equal rights.......The times we live in are causing us to pass some laws that intrude on traditional freedoms in ways that we have not experienced in recent times.........It is about improving government and preventing human rights problems......"
Israeli-Palestinian couple asks Court to let them live together. An Israeli resident of Jerusalem and her Palestinian husband from Ramallah petitioned the High Court of Justice on Sunday, requesting that it instruct the state to cease denying them the opportunity to live together as a couple. Israel has banned the Palestinian husband, Osama Zaater, a sculptor by trade, from entering the country proper while his wife, Yasmin Avisher, a ballet dancer, has been denied permission by the state to set foot in Palestinian territory. The couple met during the course of their activities in support of an animal rights group in Atarot near Jerusalem. They married in a traditional Muslim ceremony in East Jerusalem and subsequently flew to Cyprus where they exchanged civilian vows.
Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington has discovered at least 40 patients who received human tissue stolen from a New Jersey firm in the middle of in a widening health and criminal scandal, hospital and state health officials said Friday. Patients at Northwest Medical Center in St. Albans also received possibly tainted tissue from Biomedical Tissue Services Inc., the New Jersey company under investigation. BTS recovers bone and tissue from cadavers for use in transplant procedures. Federal officials said the company provided tissue that had not been properly tested and verified for diseases to hospitals nationwide. That means there is a slight risk that patients who received the transplants could have contracted communicable diseases. No illnesses have been reported in Vermont because of the BTS tissue, state health officials said. ..........The risk of illness is low because hospitals like Fletcher Allen, Northwest and other agencies process the tissue to reduce the risk of infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis. However, Fletcher Allen and Northwest Medical officials said Friday they are contacting or have contacted the patients involved to offer free screening.
"Washington, D.C., February 21, 2006 - The CIA and other federal agencies have secretly reclassified over 55,000 pages of records taken from the open shelves at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), according to a report published today on the World Wide Web by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Matthew Aid, author of the report and a visiting fellow at the Archive, discovered this secret program through his wide-ranging research in intelligence, military, and diplomatic records at NARA and found that the CIA and military agencies have reviewed millions of pages at an unknown cost to taxpayers in order to sequester documents from collections that had been open for years."
"Not that George W. Bush needs much encouragement, but Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a new target for the administration’s domestic operations -- Fifth Columnists, supposedly disloyal Americans who sympathize and collaborate with the enemy.......The President decided that he was no longer running the country as a civilian President,” wrote civil rights attorney Michael Ratner in the book Guantanamo: What the World Should Know. “He issued a military order giving himself the power to run the country as a general........In December 2005, NBC News revealed the existence of a secret 400-page Pentagon document listing 1,500 “suspicious incidents” over a 10-month period, including dozens of small antiwar demonstrations that were classified as a “threat......Given Bush’s now open assertions that he is using his “plenary” – or unlimited – powers as Commander in Chief for the duration of the indefinite War on Terror, Americans can no longer trust that their constitutional rights protect them from government actions."
Secret database obtained by NBC News tracks ‘suspicious’ domestic groups
Dec. 14, 2005
"A year ago, at a Quaker Meeting House in Lake Worth, Fla., a small group of activists met to plan a protest of military recruiting at local high schools. What they didn't know was that their meeting had come to the attention of the U.S. military. A secret 400-page Defense Department document obtained by NBC News lists the Lake Worth meeting as a “threat” and one of more than 1,500 “suspicious incidents” across the country over a recent 10-month period. “This peaceful, educationally oriented group being a threat is incredible,” says Evy Grachow, a member of the Florida group called The Truth Project."
by Bill Moyers - 2/27/06
"We are standing for the great fundamental rights upon which all successful free government must be based. We are standing for elementary decency in politics. We are fighting for honesty against naked robbery. It is not a partisan issue; it is more than a political issue; it is a great moral issue. If we condone political theft, if we do not resent the kinds of wrong and injustice that injuriously affect the whole nation, not merely our democratic form of government but our civilization itself cannot endure."
"Tell leaders at all levels of government to take immediate action to combat the threat of climate change. We need to reduce global warming pollution now. Warmer seas are producing more killer storms. Although no one can say for sure that global warming contributed to any of this season's many hurricanes, scientists are finding that warmer seas are producing much stronger storms. There also is a growing consensus among experts that the earth is getting warmer and that this warming is the result of the release of greenhouse gases from cars, power plants and other sources. The U.S. needs to take immediate, strong action to put a stop to global warming. Write the president and your members of Congress and tell them stop the increase in greenhouse pollution and begin the switch to solar and wind power and more efficient cars and trucks. Help wake up our leaders. Lives depend on it. "
"On January 30, 2006, ExxonMobil announced yet another record-breaking profit -- $36.13 billion in 2005! Outrageously, despite its enormous profits, ExxonMobil still refuses to invest in developing cleaner, safer energy solutions or to pay the money it owes to fishermen hurt by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The good news is that there's a brand new CEO over at ExxonMobil -- Rex Tillerson. Rex may be more responsive and environmentally-conscious than the old CEO. That's why you need to let him know your views on energy and the environment as a consumer and a citizen now. Fill out the form to send an email asking new ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to change the company's course before it's too late!"
"Tell the cosmetics industry that toxic chemicals don't belong in personal care products. Chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects do not belong in products we use on our bodies. However, some popular brands of shampoo, deodorant, face cream and other everyday products contain these dangerous chemicals. The European Union has a new law that requires cosmetics companies to remove reproductive toxins, mutagens and carcinogens from personal care products. This law went into force in September of 2004. Cosmetics companies need to make these safer products available for all of us. Help us give cosmetics companies a make-over! Please join our campaign by signing this petition and let cosmetics and personal care products companies know that their customers want safe products."
"The Toyota Prius has become an icon of the future of clean and efficient cars. But while Toyota takes one step forward toward that clean future, it quietly takes three steps back into business as usual. Toyota recently began offering two hybrid vehicles that, according to 'The New York Times', are gas guzzlers with possibly even worse fuel mileage than their non-hybrid versions. Bluewater Network - a division of Friends of the Earth published an ad in 'The New York Times' criticizing Toyota’s anti-environmental policies. Send a message to Toyota today and tell them to end their opposition to U.S. laws that would help protect the planet and reduce oil dependence!"
"Big oil is at it again. This time, they are in the process of cheating you and me out of billions of dollars in royalties they owe for drilling off our coasts. A technicality discovered in oil gas drilling contracts issued in 1998 and 1999 could cost the federal government as much as $9.5 billion. The discovery of the loophole comes at a time when oil and gas companies are posting record-setting profits while ordinary Americans are struggling with the high cost of energy."
"The last 100 Western Pacific Gray whales in the world are being threatened with destruction by a massive oil and gas project off the Russian coast. This huge $12 billion project would put at risk this endangered species’ only known feeding ground off Sakhalin Island in eastern Russia. One of the world's largest banks -- Credit Suisse First Boston -- is organizing the financing for this oil and gas project, despite the bank's recent commitment to environmental principles. If it's not forced to reconsider, Credit Suisse First Boston will provide the key financing that will move this harmful project forward. Help us save the Western Pacific Gray whales! Tell Credit Suisse First Boston to withdraw its support and assistance for the massive Sakhalin II oil and gas project."
"Last year Firestone earned record profits of billions of dollars while Liberians working on its rubber plantation suffer from appalling working and living conditions and environmental devastation. In response to this shocking situation, International Labor Rights Fund has filed charges against Firestone using laws that hold corporations accountable to international law. On April 3rd, Firestone will try and have this case dismissed. We can’t let Firestone get away with mistreatment of workers and destructive environmental practices in Liberia."
"Padre Island National Seashore boasts the longest remaining undeveloped barrier island in the world. This unique ecosystem along the Gulf Coast of Texas offers outstanding habitat for a wide range of marine and terrestrial wildlife, including five species of sea turtles. The National Park Service recently released an environmental study of jetskis at Padre Island. The study shows once again that jetskis impact air and water quality, natural sound, and wildlife, and threaten visitor enjoyment and safety."
Nine horses are dead after the final race at this year's Cheltenham Festival - the highest toll for 10 years.
Animal welfare campaigners want high risk races to be banned and are calling for the organisers to resign, but the racing industry insists horses are well-treated and enjoy the events. "This wasn't a freakish accident - it happens every day on British racing courses. It's endemic within racing. I don't think people are actually aware of what goes on within this industry.......These jumpers that are jumping fences are bred from flat horses. They're not designed to jump these fences - that is why we have got these horses dying." Dean Stansell - Horse racing consultant from animal charity Animal Aid www.animalaid.org.uk " ~ "Animal Aid's research into the racing industry has revealed that around 375 horses are raced to death every year."
More Info: Nine Deaths at Cheltenham: Boss Should Resign "Animal Aid has called for the resignation of Cheltenham's Managing Director, Edward Gillespie, following a catastrophic four days at the racecourse. The first two days of the festival each claimed one life. On Thursday, six horses perished - three in one race. Then another horse died during Friday's racing. This brings to nine the total number of equine casualties of the 2006 Cheltenham festival."
"It is also possible that this first trial in humans simply shows we are affected by the drug in a way that animals are not."........."Early trials......showed no adverse effects in previous studies with animals."
"On a request straight from the White House, the United States Senate voted yesterday to raise the federal debt limit by $781 billion to almost $9 trillion, to avoid the first-ever government default on U.S. Treasury notes. This makes the fourth time since just 2002 that George W. Bush has asked the Congress to raise the limit on how much the government can borrow to cover the cost of his war in Iraq and the massive tax breaks he gives the wealthiest Americans."
I dont watch televison, have my portible DVD and a Netflix membership, Sirius Satelite Radio and access to the WWW, thats enough fo me. But for those of us who like a good giggle once in a while, we come across television snippets from the past, found on the web. Here is one from Wanda Sykes on Jay Leno, at one point she says; "I sent them a fruit basket, did you send the White House something?
"In over 40 current conflicts around the world, 90% of the victims are civilians – the majority of whom are women and children. Of the over 100 million children who are out of school around the world, half live in the midst of conflict or in areas recovering from its devastation. In times of crisis and conflict, children lose access to the learning opportunities, social relationships, and daily structured routines that are vitally important for their development and security. In fact, whether in South Asia, Sudan, Nepal, Iraq or wherever a crisis hits, the instability that follows exposes children and women to trauma, violence and exploitation.
There is legislation in Congress right now that could help these children and others. The Women and Children in Crisis and Conflict Protection Act (H.R.1413) and its companion legislation in the Senate, The Protection of Vulnerable Populations in Humanitarian Emergencies Act (S. 559) will ensure the United States government -- in addition to providing emergency food, water, and shelter -- works to protect women and children from the violence, exploitation, family separation, and emotional distress that can occur during and after emergencies. Act now and send a message asking your members of Congress to co-sponsor this important legislation and to provide support for child protection in emergency funding." More info
"200 million people around the world have hepatitis C, and researchers expect that number to triple in the next decade. Indian medical researchers are close to a breakthrough in inventing Hepatitis C Vaccine. Hepatitis C is a contagious virus that travels through the bloodstream and infects the liver. A cure is badly needed to save millions. It is a silent killer."
"Background: the U.S. Forest Service is increasing clearcutting throughout the entire national forest system, including roadless areas and Ancient Forests. Current forest protection laws are simply not strong enough to protect our last virgin forests and endangered species, who are losing their forest homes. The Act to Save America's Forests is needed now more than ever to protect more than 200 million acres of our federal forest lands. The new version of the Act will protect the giant sequoias, the largest trees on earth, located in the Giant Sequoia National Monument high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Forest Service is aggressively logging in these Giant Sequoia groves of giant trees found nowhere else on earth. The Act was reintroduced in the US Senate and will soon be reintroduced in the US House of Representatives."
"Scientologist Tom-Cruise Blackmails and Threatened Viacom to cancel all publicity for Mission Impossible:3 if Comedy Central aired the episode that satirizes Scientology and mocks his sexuality again. Not only is this the first time that the South Park creators have been officially censored in their ten hit seasons with Comedy Central, Viacom officials also reportedly ordered Matt Stone and Trey Parker not to discuss the reason why their episode was cancelled. The South Park boys are said to be angry, but will probably get revenge with the manner in which they deal with Scientologist Isaac Hayes' departure from the show."
"Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is considering signing a bill that would criminalize abortion in the state of Mississippi. South Dakota has already banned abortion, and 10 more states are considering bans. This is an incredibly important time to get involved- even if you've never done anything like this before. Tell Gov. Barbour not to sign this dangerous ban by following the link below."
"One of the most fun antiwar events on the slate--the Bring 'Em Home Now! concert--takes place this Monday, March 20, at Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. Please join RadioNation's Laura Flanders, Cindy Sheehan, Susan Sarandon, Margaret Cho, Chuck D, Anthony Arnove and musical guests Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright, Peaches, Steve Earle, Bright Eyes, Fischerspooner, among many others."
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