Three Things that Won't Help the Foreclosure Crisis

By Liz Chimienti and Dean Baker

May 8, 2008

Center for Economic and Policy Research

www.cepr.net

Falling home prices, rising foreclosures rates, and a slowing economy have created a perfect storm for homeowners who bought in bubble-inflated markets, or used subprime, adjustable-rate mortgages to purchase their homes.

Members of Congress have responded to the crisis facing their constituents by proposing various measures, some strong, like amending the bankruptcy law to cover primary residences, and some misguided. The following are three majo...

'Idol' Carries a Shakier Tune

By Eugene Robinson

May 6, 2008, Washington Post

www.washingtonpost.com

WASHINGTON

It's time for the annual 'American Idol' column, written this year with a heavy heart. Let's not kid ourselves: Something's not right.

'Idol' remains, by far, the most powerful force in television. The show is such a ratings behemoth that Fox, for the first time, is likely to finish the season as the nation's most-watched network. Rupert Murdoch must be pleased that his plan for world domination is going so swimmingly.

Fox's success comes with an asterisk, since all the broadcast networks have seen their...

US Consumers Rank Last In World Survey of Green Habits

By Queenie Wong

May 8, 2008, McClatchy Newspapers

www.mcclatchydc.com

WASHINGTON - Americans rank last in a new National Geographic-sponsored survey released Wednesday that compares environmental consumption habits in 14 countries.

Americans were least likely to choose the greener option in three out of four categories - housing, transportation and consumer goods_ according to the assessment. In the fourth category, food, Americans ranked ahead of Japanese consumers, who eat more meat and seafood.

The rankings, called 'Greendex,' are the first to compare the lifestyles and behaviors of consumers in mul...

Platypus Looks Strange on the Inside, Too

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

May 8, 2008, The New York Times

If it has a bill and webbed feet like a duck, lays eggs like a bird or a reptile but also produces milk and has a coat of fur like a mammal, what could the genetics of the duck-billed platypus possibly be like? Well, just as peculiar: an amalgam of genes reflecting significant branching and transitions in evolution.

An international scientific team, which announced the first decoding of the platypus genome on Wednesday, said the findings provided "many clues to the function and evolution of all mammalian genomes," including that of humans, and should "inspire rapid advances in other investigations of mammalian biology and evolution."

The research is describe...

The US War on Journalists

By Amy Goodman

May 8, 2008 by TruthDig.com

www.truthdig.com

Sami al-Haj is a free man today, after having been imprisoned by the U.S. military for more than six years. His crime: journalism.

Targeting journalists, the Bush administration has engaged in direct assault, intimidation, imprisonment and information blackouts to limit the ability of journalists to do their jobs. The principal target these past seven years has been Al-Jazeera, the Arabic television network based in Doha, Qatar.

In November 2001, despite the fact that Al-Jazeera had given the U.S. military the coordinates of its office in Kabul, ...

It is Time to Unite Around Obama, Party Elder Tells Clinton as She Vows to Fight on

McGovern's call could prompt mass defection · Candidate forced to lend more money to campaign

Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg The Guardian (UK) May 8 2008
www.guardian.co.uk

George McGovern, a party elder who was one of Hillary Clinton's earliest and most prominent supporters, called on her yesterday to quit the Democratic race, raising the risk of further defections after her disappointing performance in North Carolina and Indiana.

McGovern, the former Democratic presidential candidate and a friend of both Clintons for more than 30 years, became the most si...

Autonomy Vote Threatens to Pull Bolivia Apart

Democracy Now May 05, 2008
www.democracynow.org

In Bolivia, President Evo Morales has rejected an autonomy vote by the country's richest region of Santa Cruz, calling the poll 'illegal and unconstitutional.' The proposals voted on Sunday include giving Santa Cruz more control over land distribution and rich oil and gas reserves.

Guest:

Jim Shultz, executive director of the Democracy Center in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He writes a blog on Bolivia that can be found at Democracyctr.org. He joins us on the line from Cochabamba.

Rush Transcript This transcript is available free of charge. However, don...

Underreported Struggles for April

Intercontinental Cry May 2, 2008
intercontinentalcry.org

The short-lived trend of corporate social responsibility came to a grinding halt in April, having been replaced with the usual set of words and distractions: "Our tailings pond is environmentally friendly." "Integrity? isn't that a new perfume?" "Don't worry, you can still give us your money."

And of course it was business as usual for Nation States, especially Canada, America, and Bangladesh. Each of them went out of their way to attack Indigenous people and illegally invade and usurp their lands.

The sad truth is it's going to keep happening. In the coming month...

Doing the Troops Wrong

Bob Herbert New York Times May 6, 2008
www.nytimes.com

At the top of the list of no-brainers in Washington should be Senator Jim Webb's proposed expansion of education benefits for the men and women who have served in the armed forces since Sept. 11, 2001.

It's awfully hard to make the case that these young people who have sacrificed so much don't deserve a shot at a better future once their wartime service has ended.

Senator Webb, a Virginia Democrat, has been the guiding force behind this legislation, which has been dubbed the new G.I. bill. The measure is decidedly bipartisan. Mr. Webb's principal co-sponsors include Republi...

Stop Nancy Pelosi's War Funding!

Call your Congressperson immediately.

The Network of Spiritual Progressives
www.spiritualprogressives.org

The House of Representatives will vote as soon as tomorrow (Thursday, May 8) on an additional $162.6 billion for the war and occupation in Iraq.

Sadly, the bill includes $66 billion for fiscal year 2009. This means the funds for the occupation will keep flowing well into the next administration, allowing the new president to continue the war and occupation with little or no accountability to Congress until next spring.

At a time when money is urgently needed in our communities, the new bill would bring the total for the wars in Iraq an...