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(Posted on Thu, 8 May 2008 20:26:34 -0400) 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...
------- (Posted on Thu, 8 May 2008 20:28:55 -0400) '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...
------- (Posted on Thu, 8 May 2008 20:27:51 -0400) 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...
------- (Posted on Thu, 8 May 2008 20:27:08 -0400) 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...
------- (Posted on Thu, 8 May 2008 20:25:51 -0400) 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,
...
------- (Posted on Wed, 7 May 2008 22:25:40 -0400) It is Time to Unite Around Obama,
Party Elder Tells Clinton as She Vows to Fight on
McGovern's call could prompt mass defection ยท
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...
------- (Posted on Wed, 7 May 2008 22:24:50 -0400) 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...
------- (Posted on Wed, 7 May 2008 22:24:26 -0400) 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...
------- (Posted on Wed, 7 May 2008 22:24:06 -0400) 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...
------- (Posted on Wed, 7 May 2008 22:22:53 -0400) 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...
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