Developing nations led by China and India pledged they’d work toward an agreement that would limit their fossil fuel emissions for the first time, the biggest advance in the fight against global warming in 14 years.
Envoys from more than 190 nations also extended the Kyoto Protocol, the only ratified treaty limiting greenhouse gases. They will develop document with “legal force” by 2015 that would curb pollution for all nations, according to a text adopted today in Durban, South Africa.
The move breaks a division enshrined in the United Nations- led discussions since 1992 that allowed the poorest nations to escape commitments on burning coal and oil while requiring industrial nations to clean up the atmosphere. That rift prevented the U.S. from ratifying Kyoto, which is the heart of the international effort to protect the environment.
“Historic is the word,” Grenadian ambassador Dessima Williams, lead negotiator for a coalition of 42 island nations, said in an interview. “The idea that we got everybody to agree to take some form of legal commitment is a major outcome.”
Social Justice: Current Affairs, Business, Politics, and all the reasons in the world to Thrive on Creative Discontent!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
‘Russia Without Putin’ Россия без Путина!
Russians rallied across the country against election fraud in the biggest protests faced by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in his 12 years in power.
Twenty-five thousand people gathered in the center of Moscow today in near-freezing temperatures and dispersed after 6 p.m. without detentions or violence, police said. Several thousand demonstrated in St. Petersburg and more than 15,000 in about 30 other cities across the world’s biggest country by area, RIA Novosti reported.
The swelling resentment threatens to weaken Putin’s bid to return to the Kremlin in a presidential contest in March. His United Russia party retained a narrow majority in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, amid accusations of vote rigging in the Dec. 4 parliamentary ballot.
“We are for free elections, we are for democracy,” Ilya Ponomaryov, a Duma lawmaker and one of the protest organizers, told the crowd in Bolotnaya Square, on an island just south of the Kremlin. “We want a recount of the vote.”
As many as 150,000 people turned out for the biggest rally in the capital in two decades, said Vladimir Ryzhkov, a former lawmaker. The organizers are planning to stage protests the next two weekends and will apply for a permit to hold a 500,000- person rally on Sakharov Prospekt, he said.
Twenty-five thousand people gathered in the center of Moscow today in near-freezing temperatures and dispersed after 6 p.m. without detentions or violence, police said. Several thousand demonstrated in St. Petersburg and more than 15,000 in about 30 other cities across the world’s biggest country by area, RIA Novosti reported.
The swelling resentment threatens to weaken Putin’s bid to return to the Kremlin in a presidential contest in March. His United Russia party retained a narrow majority in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, amid accusations of vote rigging in the Dec. 4 parliamentary ballot.
“We are for free elections, we are for democracy,” Ilya Ponomaryov, a Duma lawmaker and one of the protest organizers, told the crowd in Bolotnaya Square, on an island just south of the Kremlin. “We want a recount of the vote.”
As many as 150,000 people turned out for the biggest rally in the capital in two decades, said Vladimir Ryzhkov, a former lawmaker. The organizers are planning to stage protests the next two weekends and will apply for a permit to hold a 500,000- person rally on Sakharov Prospekt, he said.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The price of Oil = The price of War for citizens of Falluja, Iraq & their Babies...
As U.S. forces pull out of Iraq, residents and officials in Falluja say they leave behind bullet-riddled homes, destroyed infrastructure and a worrying increase in birth defects and maladies in a city polluted by weapons and war chemicals.
Amir Hussain and Awfa Abdullah got married in Falluja in 2004 but their lives were turned upside by the birth of their two babies.
Their first child, a baby boy born in 2006, had brain damage and died last year. The second, a baby girl who was born in 2007, suffers from severe skin rashes and has one leg longer than the other.
"We've decided to stop having babies. We don't want any more, because it means new suffering and a new battle against new diseases," Hussain said. "It is our bad luck. Maybe because we got married in the wrong time and in the wrong place."
Falluja, in the desert province of Anbar, served as a base for Iraqi fighters after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and witnessed two major conflicts in 2004. U.S. troops used overwhelming force, tanks, fighter jets and helicopter gunships to crush insurgents there.
Falluja's residents await the U.S. withdrawal by year-end with a mixture of relief and fear that al Qaeda militants might return. Some are still seeking compensation for the suffering they endured.
At Falluja Hospital, pediatrician Samira al-Ani said the most insidious legacy of the war is seen every day in a startling increase in deformed newborns since 2005.
Amir Hussain and Awfa Abdullah got married in Falluja in 2004 but their lives were turned upside by the birth of their two babies.
Their first child, a baby boy born in 2006, had brain damage and died last year. The second, a baby girl who was born in 2007, suffers from severe skin rashes and has one leg longer than the other.
"We've decided to stop having babies. We don't want any more, because it means new suffering and a new battle against new diseases," Hussain said. "It is our bad luck. Maybe because we got married in the wrong time and in the wrong place."
Falluja, in the desert province of Anbar, served as a base for Iraqi fighters after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and witnessed two major conflicts in 2004. U.S. troops used overwhelming force, tanks, fighter jets and helicopter gunships to crush insurgents there.
Falluja's residents await the U.S. withdrawal by year-end with a mixture of relief and fear that al Qaeda militants might return. Some are still seeking compensation for the suffering they endured.
At Falluja Hospital, pediatrician Samira al-Ani said the most insidious legacy of the war is seen every day in a startling increase in deformed newborns since 2005.
Republicans we only care for the poor and middle class if we can make the rich richer!!!
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are poised for a collision next week of their bids to extend or expand a payroll tax cut for workers.
House Republicans rallied yesterday behind a plan Boehner is preparing that would pair an extension of the current payroll tax cut with eased restrictions on some industrial emissions and expedited approval of an oil pipeline from Canada. Reid is focused on expanding cuts to the worker payroll tax and using a surtax on annual income exceeding $1 million to pay for it.
The biggest fights likely will center on a Republican demand that the bill include language that would expedite the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline in Canada. The proposed TransCanada Corp. (TRP) pipeline would carry oil from Canada to the U.S. The Obama administration has put off a decision on the pipeline until 2013. An independent study concluded that the pipeline would create no meaningful new jobs and pose an unacceptable risk to the USA’s environment as well as contributing to Canada becoming the largest GHG emitter per capita due to the extraction and processing methods used in the oil sands.
“House Republicans’ bill is a partisan joke that has no chance of passing the Senate,” the Nevada Democrat said in a press release. “Instead of playing political games, Congress should work to find common ground.”
House Republicans rallied yesterday behind a plan Boehner is preparing that would pair an extension of the current payroll tax cut with eased restrictions on some industrial emissions and expedited approval of an oil pipeline from Canada. Reid is focused on expanding cuts to the worker payroll tax and using a surtax on annual income exceeding $1 million to pay for it.
The biggest fights likely will center on a Republican demand that the bill include language that would expedite the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline in Canada. The proposed TransCanada Corp. (TRP) pipeline would carry oil from Canada to the U.S. The Obama administration has put off a decision on the pipeline until 2013. An independent study concluded that the pipeline would create no meaningful new jobs and pose an unacceptable risk to the USA’s environment as well as contributing to Canada becoming the largest GHG emitter per capita due to the extraction and processing methods used in the oil sands.
“House Republicans’ bill is a partisan joke that has no chance of passing the Senate,” the Nevada Democrat said in a press release. “Instead of playing political games, Congress should work to find common ground.”
Thursday, December 8, 2011
What led to the Russian Revolution of 2011? The possible return of Tsar Putin!!
Thousands of people have taken to Moscow streets to protest the result of the Dec. 4 parliamentary election, which was marred by complaints of violations and ballot-stuffing. The Solidarity movement, an umbrella opposition group, has planned a rally tomorrow near the Kremlin. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party lost 12 million votes, or more than a quarter of the support it garnered four years ago. Urals crude, Russia’s chief export blend, hit a two-week low.
“Russian politics has become an issue, and for investors, that’s something new, and for some people, it does create uncertainty,” Martin Diggle, director of the $70 million Vulpes Russian Opportunities Fund, said in a phone interview from Geneva. “Europe remains a drag on stocks, and oil is also down.”
“Russian politics has become an issue, and for investors, that’s something new, and for some people, it does create uncertainty,” Martin Diggle, director of the $70 million Vulpes Russian Opportunities Fund, said in a phone interview from Geneva. “Europe remains a drag on stocks, and oil is also down.”
Ahhh the great outdoors in Wyoming...just don't drink the water!!!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said for the first time it found chemicals used in extracting natural gas through hydraulic fracturing in a drinking-water aquifer in west-central Wyoming.
Samples taken from two deep water-monitoring wells near a gas field in Pavillion, Wyoming, showed synthetic chemicals such as glycols and alcohols “consistent with gas production and hydraulic-fracturing fluids,” the agency said today in an e- mailed statement.
The U.S. gets about one-third of its gas from fracturing, or fracking, in which millions of gallons of chemically treated water and sand are forced underground to break rock and let trapped vapor flow. The findings give ammunition to environmental groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, that have said the drilling risks tainting drinking water and needs stronger regulation.
“This is just evidence of why we need better rules,” Amy Mall, senior policy analyst for the group in Washington, said in an interview. “It’s a game-changer. EPA experts and scientists have recognized that there is real contamination, that there is a real scientific basis for linking it to fracking.”
After complaints from residents of Pavillion, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Salt Lake City, the EPA began investigating private drinking-water wells about three years ago. Calgary-based Encana Corp. (ECA), Canada’s largest natural- gas producer, owns about 150 wells in Pavillion, according to spokesman Doug Hock.
Samples taken from two deep water-monitoring wells near a gas field in Pavillion, Wyoming, showed synthetic chemicals such as glycols and alcohols “consistent with gas production and hydraulic-fracturing fluids,” the agency said today in an e- mailed statement.
The U.S. gets about one-third of its gas from fracturing, or fracking, in which millions of gallons of chemically treated water and sand are forced underground to break rock and let trapped vapor flow. The findings give ammunition to environmental groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, that have said the drilling risks tainting drinking water and needs stronger regulation.
“This is just evidence of why we need better rules,” Amy Mall, senior policy analyst for the group in Washington, said in an interview. “It’s a game-changer. EPA experts and scientists have recognized that there is real contamination, that there is a real scientific basis for linking it to fracking.”
After complaints from residents of Pavillion, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Salt Lake City, the EPA began investigating private drinking-water wells about three years ago. Calgary-based Encana Corp. (ECA), Canada’s largest natural- gas producer, owns about 150 wells in Pavillion, according to spokesman Doug Hock.
Republican gifts for the Xmas Holiday: No Consumer Protection, No Payroll Tax Cut and a Drive to Dump on the Environment... HO HO HO!!!
President Barack Obama said the Senate’s failure to confirm Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “makes no sense” and will leave middle-income Americas without protection from “unscrupulous” lenders.
“There is no reason why Mister Cordray should not be nominated and should not be confirmed by the Senate,” Obama said at a White House news conference, less than an hour after Republicans in the Senate blocked a motion to end debate on the nomination. He vowed to keep pushing for confirmation.
“We’re not giving up on this,” he said.
Asked whether he would consider using his authority to make a recess appointment of Cordray, bypassing the Senate, Obama said, “We’re going to look at all our options.”
The motion to end debate on the nomination failed with a vote of 53 in favor and 45 opposed. Sixty votes were needed to proceed.
Obama also pressed Congress to pass an extension of the temporary payroll tax cut before leaving for the holidays and without adding provisions that don’t directly apply.
House Republicans are proposing to add a provision to the tax legislation that would expedite approval of TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline that is under review by the State Department. A decision has been put off until early 2013 to address environmental concerns about the route.
“There is no reason why Mister Cordray should not be nominated and should not be confirmed by the Senate,” Obama said at a White House news conference, less than an hour after Republicans in the Senate blocked a motion to end debate on the nomination. He vowed to keep pushing for confirmation.
“We’re not giving up on this,” he said.
Asked whether he would consider using his authority to make a recess appointment of Cordray, bypassing the Senate, Obama said, “We’re going to look at all our options.”
The motion to end debate on the nomination failed with a vote of 53 in favor and 45 opposed. Sixty votes were needed to proceed.
Obama also pressed Congress to pass an extension of the temporary payroll tax cut before leaving for the holidays and without adding provisions that don’t directly apply.
House Republicans are proposing to add a provision to the tax legislation that would expedite approval of TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline that is under review by the State Department. A decision has been put off until early 2013 to address environmental concerns about the route.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A golden egg of opportunity falls into your lap this month.
Chinese technology companies that raised $7.8 billion from Wall Street investors in initial public offerings during the past 12 years have at least one good reason to delist in New York and take their business to Hong Kong.
Valuations appear to be significantly higher in Hong Kong. Perfect World Co. (PWRD), China’s fourth-biggest online games operator, trades at 3.9 times its estimated earnings in New York, while smaller rival NetDragon Websoft Inc. (777) is valued at 13 times in Hong Kong. Such disparities may push some technology companies to consider moving back east, said Victoria Mio, a senior portfolio manager at Robeco Group in Hong Kong.
More strict oversight by New York regulators and allegations of fraud from short-seller Muddy Waters LLC have suppressed the USX China Index of 174 Chinese stocks trading on Wall Street by 21 percent this year. The gauge trades at 12 times earnings, compared with 20 times for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Composite Information Technology Index. (HSCIIT)
“I am tired of the U.S.,” Yang Tianfu, chief executive officer of Harbin Electric Inc. (HRBN), said in a phone interview. “We just couldn’t communicate with the investors.”
The Harbin, China-based maker of electric motors delisted from the U.S. last month and can “easily” complete a listing in Hong Kong or Shanghai, Yang said.
Companies wanting to leave Wall Street may choose Hong Kong because listing in Shanghai or Shenzhen would require them to restructure into domestic Chinese firms, said Richard Lim, a Palo Alto, California-based partner at GSR Ventures, which invests in technology companies in China.
China Renaissance Partners, a Beijing-based investment bank that advised New York-listed E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. (DANG) and NetQin Mobile Inc., is working on potential deals that may result in listings in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Officer Bao Fan said. Some involve U.S.-listed companies that may be taken private, he said without naming them.
“Hong Kong, over time, will overtake the U.S. as the preferred place of listing for Chinese technology companies,” Bao said. “In the long term, the core group of holders in these Chinese technology firms will have to be Chinese,” rather than overseas, investors, he said.
In October, Shanghai-based Internet companies Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd. (SNDA) and China Real Estate Information Corp. (CRIC) unveiled plans to delist from the U.S. after their shares underperformed Hong Kong-traded rivals. They join 16 other U.S.- listed Chinese companies that announced delisting plans since 2010, according to data from Roth Capital Partners LLC, a Newport Beach, California-based financial firm.
The buyouts of Chinese companies from stock-market investors in New York, and relisting them in markets offering higher valuations, may generate profit for private-equity investors.
“There is a real interest among private-equity funds in these companies,” said Mark Tobin, co-director of research at Roth Capital. Some U.S.-listed Chinese companies are trading at valuations “far below” those of private companies in China, he said.
Shanda Interactive Chairman Chen Tianqiao’s group, which plans to buy out the company, discussed financing with JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), the company said Oct. 17. PAG Asia Capital, a Hong Kong-based alternative investment manager, helped fund the management-led buyout of Funtalk.
The Securities and Exchange Commission sent letters seeking explanation of corporate structures at U.S.-listed Chinese companies, including Shanda Interactive and Kongzhong Corp., said Paul Boltz, a Hong Kong-based partner at Ropes & Gray.
The SEC in June cautioned investors about buying shares in companies formed by reverse mergers, a maneuver used by more than 400 Chinese businesses to gain stock-market listings in North America while avoiding the scrutiny of a public offering.
Valuations appear to be significantly higher in Hong Kong. Perfect World Co. (PWRD), China’s fourth-biggest online games operator, trades at 3.9 times its estimated earnings in New York, while smaller rival NetDragon Websoft Inc. (777) is valued at 13 times in Hong Kong. Such disparities may push some technology companies to consider moving back east, said Victoria Mio, a senior portfolio manager at Robeco Group in Hong Kong.
More strict oversight by New York regulators and allegations of fraud from short-seller Muddy Waters LLC have suppressed the USX China Index of 174 Chinese stocks trading on Wall Street by 21 percent this year. The gauge trades at 12 times earnings, compared with 20 times for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Composite Information Technology Index. (HSCIIT)
“I am tired of the U.S.,” Yang Tianfu, chief executive officer of Harbin Electric Inc. (HRBN), said in a phone interview. “We just couldn’t communicate with the investors.”
The Harbin, China-based maker of electric motors delisted from the U.S. last month and can “easily” complete a listing in Hong Kong or Shanghai, Yang said.
Companies wanting to leave Wall Street may choose Hong Kong because listing in Shanghai or Shenzhen would require them to restructure into domestic Chinese firms, said Richard Lim, a Palo Alto, California-based partner at GSR Ventures, which invests in technology companies in China.
China Renaissance Partners, a Beijing-based investment bank that advised New York-listed E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. (DANG) and NetQin Mobile Inc., is working on potential deals that may result in listings in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Officer Bao Fan said. Some involve U.S.-listed companies that may be taken private, he said without naming them.
“Hong Kong, over time, will overtake the U.S. as the preferred place of listing for Chinese technology companies,” Bao said. “In the long term, the core group of holders in these Chinese technology firms will have to be Chinese,” rather than overseas, investors, he said.
In October, Shanghai-based Internet companies Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd. (SNDA) and China Real Estate Information Corp. (CRIC) unveiled plans to delist from the U.S. after their shares underperformed Hong Kong-traded rivals. They join 16 other U.S.- listed Chinese companies that announced delisting plans since 2010, according to data from Roth Capital Partners LLC, a Newport Beach, California-based financial firm.
The buyouts of Chinese companies from stock-market investors in New York, and relisting them in markets offering higher valuations, may generate profit for private-equity investors.
“There is a real interest among private-equity funds in these companies,” said Mark Tobin, co-director of research at Roth Capital. Some U.S.-listed Chinese companies are trading at valuations “far below” those of private companies in China, he said.
Shanda Interactive Chairman Chen Tianqiao’s group, which plans to buy out the company, discussed financing with JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), the company said Oct. 17. PAG Asia Capital, a Hong Kong-based alternative investment manager, helped fund the management-led buyout of Funtalk.
The Securities and Exchange Commission sent letters seeking explanation of corporate structures at U.S.-listed Chinese companies, including Shanda Interactive and Kongzhong Corp., said Paul Boltz, a Hong Kong-based partner at Ropes & Gray.
The SEC in June cautioned investors about buying shares in companies formed by reverse mergers, a maneuver used by more than 400 Chinese businesses to gain stock-market listings in North America while avoiding the scrutiny of a public offering.
Of "C" students yours is clearly the smartest.....
The U.S. receives its highest rating from international investors in more than two years on new optimism that the world’s largest economy will weather the financial crisis in Europe and avoid a recession in 2012, according to a Bloomberg poll.
More than two in five of those surveyed -- 41 percent -- identify the U.S. as among the markets that will perform best over the next year. That’s up from less than one in three who felt that way in September and is the biggest percentage for the U.S. since the survey began in October 2009. It’s also almost double that of the next two top-rated markets, Brazil and China, according to the quarterly Bloomberg Global Poll conducted Dec. 5-6 of 1,097 investors, analysts and traders who are Bloomberg subscribers.
The U.S. “may not be in the best shape ever, but compared to others it should outperform,” Alexis Laming, a poll respondent and associate director for Arab Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. in Geneva, says in an e-mail. It has “good growth potential for next year.”
More than two in five of those surveyed -- 41 percent -- identify the U.S. as among the markets that will perform best over the next year. That’s up from less than one in three who felt that way in September and is the biggest percentage for the U.S. since the survey began in October 2009. It’s also almost double that of the next two top-rated markets, Brazil and China, according to the quarterly Bloomberg Global Poll conducted Dec. 5-6 of 1,097 investors, analysts and traders who are Bloomberg subscribers.
The U.S. “may not be in the best shape ever, but compared to others it should outperform,” Alexis Laming, a poll respondent and associate director for Arab Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. in Geneva, says in an e-mail. It has “good growth potential for next year.”
Marijuana Facts: God gave it to us; it makes life better for some people; it is not a gateway drug; and doesn't lead to violence or increased crime = so why isn't it legal??
More than 70% of Americans support medical marijuana. Moreover, a recent Gallup poll found that marijuana legalization is supported by a majority of independent voters, a majority of people in Western states, a majority of people in Eastern states, a majority of people in the Midwest, and almost a majority of Americans in Southern states. 16 states have already legalized marijuana for medical use. 14 states have decriminalized marijuana for personal use. And two states (Washington, Colorado) could vote on legalizing and regulating marijuana like alcohol in November of 2012.
It is clear that federal law needs to be updated to allow states to go their own way on this issue and do what is best for their citizens without fear of federal intervention. Until Congress passes such legislation you should do whatever is in your power to stop wasting federal resources undermining the will of the voters in the 16 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana for medical use. Your original instinct on this issue was sound. Please end the assault on medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and dispensaries.
It is clear that federal law needs to be updated to allow states to go their own way on this issue and do what is best for their citizens without fear of federal intervention. Until Congress passes such legislation you should do whatever is in your power to stop wasting federal resources undermining the will of the voters in the 16 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana for medical use. Your original instinct on this issue was sound. Please end the assault on medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and dispensaries.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
London Police label UK citizens in Occupy London movement as Terrorists....blimey!!!
City of London Police have sparked controversy by producing a brief in which the Occupy London movement is listed under domestic terrorism/extremism threats to City businesses. The document was given to protesters at their “Bank of Ideas” base on Sun Street – a former site of financial corporation UBS. City police have stepped up an effort to quell the movement since they occupied the building on 18 November, with the document stating: “It is likely that activists aspire to identify other locations to occupy, especially those they identify with capitalism
99% get up off your sofa and take back your country....put down the 6 pack and get angry!
“This country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share and when everyone plays by the same rules,” Mr. Obama said in an address that sought to tie his economic differences with Republicans into an overarching message.
Infusing his speech with the moralistic language that has emerged in the Occupy protests around the nation, Mr. Obama warned that growing income inequality meant that the United States was undermining its middle class and, “gives lie to the promise that’s at the very heart of America: that this is the place where you can make it if you try.”
“This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class,” Mr. Obama told the crowd packed into the gym at Osawatomie High School.
“At stake,” he said, “is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, and secure their retirement.”
Mr. Obama purposefully chose this hardscrabble town of 4,500 people, about 50 miles south of Kansas City, Kan., where Theodore Roosevelt once laid out the progressive platform he called “the New Nationalism” to put forth his case for a payroll tax cut and his broader arguments against the Republican economic agenda in what his aides hoped would be viewed as a defining speech.
Infusing his speech with the moralistic language that has emerged in the Occupy protests around the nation, Mr. Obama warned that growing income inequality meant that the United States was undermining its middle class and, “gives lie to the promise that’s at the very heart of America: that this is the place where you can make it if you try.”
“This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class,” Mr. Obama told the crowd packed into the gym at Osawatomie High School.
“At stake,” he said, “is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, and secure their retirement.”
Mr. Obama purposefully chose this hardscrabble town of 4,500 people, about 50 miles south of Kansas City, Kan., where Theodore Roosevelt once laid out the progressive platform he called “the New Nationalism” to put forth his case for a payroll tax cut and his broader arguments against the Republican economic agenda in what his aides hoped would be viewed as a defining speech.
Congress & their staff are permitted by law to trade on insider information!!!!
"Insider trading" by members of Congress seems to cause similar reactions in most. "Isn't that already illegal?" is the common refrain. And why wouldn't it be, as insider trading lands everyone else in the U.S. -- and most industrialized countries -- in jail and slaps them with huge fines. The fact that a little-known loophole permits members of Congress and their staffs to buy and sell stocks using insider information they might obtain through their official work rightly strikes most citizens as outrageous.
The now infamous 60 Minutes documentary from earlier this month shone a bright light on the obvious opportunities members of Congress and their staffs have to use information gleaned in day-to-day business for personal gain in the stock and commodities markets. The increasing scrutiny seems to be providing the necessary energy to finally spur action on the STOCK Act, introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.). This legislation would increase disclosure and highlight conflicts of interests for lawmakers and ensure that they do not benefit from their insider knowledge.
The bill has languished since 2006 due to a lack of attention. However in just the few weeks since this issue was so publicly flagged, the number of co-sponsors in the House on the STOCK Act has grown from nine to 99, and both Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Kristen Gillabrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate that would change Senate rules to ban insider trading. "When members of Congress personally benefit from the legislation that they shape and vote on, there is a clear conflict of interest, and its effect on legislation can be corrosive," Brown wrote in a letter to his colleagues.
With Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) helding a hearing on the measure , and a Dec. 6 hearing in the House scheduled by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) (who chairs the committee and was one of the lawmakers who came under scrutiny from 60 Minutes, though he denied improper trading), the attention on the issue will likely continue to grow.
The attention is warranted, as a report released earlier this year by four universities found that on average, stock portfolios held by House members from 1985 to 2001 beat the market average by approximately 6 percent annually. In 2004, the same group of professors found that the average stock portfolios held by members of the Senate beat the market average by about 10 percent.
The now infamous 60 Minutes documentary from earlier this month shone a bright light on the obvious opportunities members of Congress and their staffs have to use information gleaned in day-to-day business for personal gain in the stock and commodities markets. The increasing scrutiny seems to be providing the necessary energy to finally spur action on the STOCK Act, introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.). This legislation would increase disclosure and highlight conflicts of interests for lawmakers and ensure that they do not benefit from their insider knowledge.
The bill has languished since 2006 due to a lack of attention. However in just the few weeks since this issue was so publicly flagged, the number of co-sponsors in the House on the STOCK Act has grown from nine to 99, and both Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Kristen Gillabrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate that would change Senate rules to ban insider trading. "When members of Congress personally benefit from the legislation that they shape and vote on, there is a clear conflict of interest, and its effect on legislation can be corrosive," Brown wrote in a letter to his colleagues.
With Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) helding a hearing on the measure , and a Dec. 6 hearing in the House scheduled by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) (who chairs the committee and was one of the lawmakers who came under scrutiny from 60 Minutes, though he denied improper trading), the attention on the issue will likely continue to grow.
The attention is warranted, as a report released earlier this year by four universities found that on average, stock portfolios held by House members from 1985 to 2001 beat the market average by approximately 6 percent annually. In 2004, the same group of professors found that the average stock portfolios held by members of the Senate beat the market average by about 10 percent.
A brief story of a man named Newt...
It would be an understatement to say that Newt Gingrich is a demagogue.
He lacks compassion for the less fortunate among us. He’s proposed cutting off aid to single mothers and sending their children to orphanages.
Last month, he called child labor laws “truly stupid” and said poor children should earn money cleaning bathrooms.
He’s downright Machiavellian. He blasted Democrats for taking money from mortgage giant Freddie Mac — while he was paid $25,000 a month by the same company.
He castigated then-President Clinton for his affair with a White House intern while he himself was having an extra marital affair with a Congressional staffer.
And his lack of ethics is no secret. His colleagues in the House of Representatives voted 395-28 to fine him $300,000 for ethics violations and for lying to them — the first time in history the House disciplined its own Speaker for ethical wrongdoing.
Eighty-four ethics charges were filed against Speaker Gingrich during his term, including claiming tax-exempt status for a college course run for political purposes.
Following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee Gingrich was sanctioned US$300,000. Gingrich acknowledged in January 1997 that "In my name and over my signature, inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable statements were given to the committee". The House Ethics Committee concluded that inaccurate information supplied to investigators represented "intentional or ... reckless" disregard of House rules.
Special Counsel James M. Cole concluded that Gingrich violated federal tax law and had lied to the ethics panel in an effort to force the committee to dismiss the complaint against him.
He lacks compassion for the less fortunate among us. He’s proposed cutting off aid to single mothers and sending their children to orphanages.
Last month, he called child labor laws “truly stupid” and said poor children should earn money cleaning bathrooms.
He’s downright Machiavellian. He blasted Democrats for taking money from mortgage giant Freddie Mac — while he was paid $25,000 a month by the same company.
He castigated then-President Clinton for his affair with a White House intern while he himself was having an extra marital affair with a Congressional staffer.
And his lack of ethics is no secret. His colleagues in the House of Representatives voted 395-28 to fine him $300,000 for ethics violations and for lying to them — the first time in history the House disciplined its own Speaker for ethical wrongdoing.
Eighty-four ethics charges were filed against Speaker Gingrich during his term, including claiming tax-exempt status for a college course run for political purposes.
Following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee Gingrich was sanctioned US$300,000. Gingrich acknowledged in January 1997 that "In my name and over my signature, inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable statements were given to the committee". The House Ethics Committee concluded that inaccurate information supplied to investigators represented "intentional or ... reckless" disregard of House rules.
Special Counsel James M. Cole concluded that Gingrich violated federal tax law and had lied to the ethics panel in an effort to force the committee to dismiss the complaint against him.
First Mortgage Corp takes home from the handicapped at Christmas......
Lesliane Bouchard, a disabled teacher in California, may lose her home because her mortgage company, First Mortgage Corporation, refuses to participate in some of the federal programs that could keep her in it.
She has been *approved* for the federal government's Hardest Hit State Fund, which would pay down enough of her principal balance enough to keep her in her home. But First Mortgage Corporation refuses to participate in the program, which is only optional for lenders.
She is completely bedridden due to a spinal injury that left her in constant excruciating pain. She had to stop teaching last year as a result, and her income dropped by 40%. Programs like the Hardest Hit States Fund exist to help people just like her, but they won't work if lenders won't participate in them.
Her current home is about the same distance from all of her adult children, enabling them to share the responsibility of caring for her. If she loses her home, it will be impossible to split duties, making her care much more difficult, and more expensive.
Her home was in foreclosure until HUD put a 90-day hold on the proceedings. Now the time is just ticking away until she is once again at risk of losing her home. Lesliane Bouchard should be able to live out her life with access to appropriate care and all her children. Please join me in demanding that First Mortgage Corporation keep her in her home.
She has been *approved* for the federal government's Hardest Hit State Fund, which would pay down enough of her principal balance enough to keep her in her home. But First Mortgage Corporation refuses to participate in the program, which is only optional for lenders.
She is completely bedridden due to a spinal injury that left her in constant excruciating pain. She had to stop teaching last year as a result, and her income dropped by 40%. Programs like the Hardest Hit States Fund exist to help people just like her, but they won't work if lenders won't participate in them.
Her current home is about the same distance from all of her adult children, enabling them to share the responsibility of caring for her. If she loses her home, it will be impossible to split duties, making her care much more difficult, and more expensive.
Her home was in foreclosure until HUD put a 90-day hold on the proceedings. Now the time is just ticking away until she is once again at risk of losing her home. Lesliane Bouchard should be able to live out her life with access to appropriate care and all her children. Please join me in demanding that First Mortgage Corporation keep her in her home.
From Russia with Love......or not
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Moscow for a second successive day on Tuesday to demand an end to Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, defying a crackdown by tens of thousands of police reinforced by crack Interior Ministry troops.
Police said they had detained about 250 people in central Moscow when they tried to stage an unapproved rally and held about 200 more in St Petersburg, where opposition forces have also been emboldened by the prime minister's worst election setback since he took power in 1999.
After permitting the biggest opposition rally in Moscow for years on Monday evening, the police were out in large numbers. The Interior ministry said about 2,000 special troops were supporting almost 50,000 police, and some moved through the city centre in armored vehicles in a show of force.
Police said they had detained about 250 people in central Moscow when they tried to stage an unapproved rally and held about 200 more in St Petersburg, where opposition forces have also been emboldened by the prime minister's worst election setback since he took power in 1999.
After permitting the biggest opposition rally in Moscow for years on Monday evening, the police were out in large numbers. The Interior ministry said about 2,000 special troops were supporting almost 50,000 police, and some moved through the city centre in armored vehicles in a show of force.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Want to build a nuclear power plant, then I hope your babies don't drink milk...
Radioactive cesium was found in milk powder made by a Meiji Holdings Co. unit in Japan, prompting a voluntary recall of 400,000 cans of the infant formula, Kyodo News said today.
Meiji shares tumbled the most in more than eight months after the report, which said the contamination may be the result of radiation leaked from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Products affected by the recall have the following expiry dates in 2012: Oct. 4, Oct. 21, Oct. 22. and Oct. 24, Kyodo reported.
Meiji slumped as much as 13 percent (2269) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The shares traded down 9.6 percent at a 30-month low of 3,025 yen at 2:28 p.m. local time, set for the biggest one- day slide since March 15.
Meiji shares tumbled the most in more than eight months after the report, which said the contamination may be the result of radiation leaked from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Products affected by the recall have the following expiry dates in 2012: Oct. 4, Oct. 21, Oct. 22. and Oct. 24, Kyodo reported.
Meiji slumped as much as 13 percent (2269) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The shares traded down 9.6 percent at a 30-month low of 3,025 yen at 2:28 p.m. local time, set for the biggest one- day slide since March 15.
NASA finds Earth 2 but with intelligent life v our petri dish of growing bacteria
NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has confirmed the discovery of its first alien world in its host star's habitable zone — that just-right range of distances that could allow liquid water to exist — and found more than 1,000 new exoplanet candidates, researchers announced Monday.
The new finds bring the Kepler space telescope's total haul to 2,326 potential planets in its first 16 months of operation. These discoveries, if confirmed, would quadruple the current tally of worlds known to exist beyond our solar system, which recently topped 700.
The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one that could conceivably harbor life, scientists said.
The new finds bring the Kepler space telescope's total haul to 2,326 potential planets in its first 16 months of operation. These discoveries, if confirmed, would quadruple the current tally of worlds known to exist beyond our solar system, which recently topped 700.
The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one that could conceivably harbor life, scientists said.
Now Mitt what are you trying so hard to hide???
Mitt Romney spent nearly $100,000 in state funds to replace computers in his office at the end of his term as governor of Massachusetts in 2007 as part of an unprecedented effort to keep his records secret, Reuters has learned.
The move during the final weeks of Romney's administration was legal but unusual for a departing governor, Massachusetts officials say.
The effort to purge the records was made a few months before Romney launched an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He is again competing for the party's nomination, this time to challenge Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.
Five weeks before the first contests in Iowa, Romney has seen his position as frontrunner among Republican presidential candidates whittled away in the polls as rival Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has gained ground.
When Romney left the governorship of Massachusetts, 11 of his aides bought the hard drives of their state-issued computers to keep for themselves. Also before he left office, the governor's staff had emails and other electronic communications by Romney's administration wiped from state servers, state officials say.
Those actions erased much of the internal documentation of Romney's four-year tenure as governor, which ended in January 2007. Precisely what information was erased is unclear.
The move during the final weeks of Romney's administration was legal but unusual for a departing governor, Massachusetts officials say.
The effort to purge the records was made a few months before Romney launched an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He is again competing for the party's nomination, this time to challenge Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.
Five weeks before the first contests in Iowa, Romney has seen his position as frontrunner among Republican presidential candidates whittled away in the polls as rival Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has gained ground.
When Romney left the governorship of Massachusetts, 11 of his aides bought the hard drives of their state-issued computers to keep for themselves. Also before he left office, the governor's staff had emails and other electronic communications by Romney's administration wiped from state servers, state officials say.
Those actions erased much of the internal documentation of Romney's four-year tenure as governor, which ended in January 2007. Precisely what information was erased is unclear.
Imagine an X-KGB operative rigging his election....doesn't require any imagination...
MOSCOW — Western election monitors said on Monday that they had observed blatant fraud, including the brazen stuffing of ballot boxes, in the parliamentary elections that delivered surprisingly big losses to United Russia, the party led by Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin.
The election on Sunday left United Russia clinging to a slim majority, and while the monitors declined to draw firm conclusions, it was clear from their report that vote stealing and other alleged malfeasance could have shifted the outcome in United Russia’s favor.
The scathing report by international observers, combined with dramatic, mostly amateur, footage of alleged election malfeasance posted on the Web, made clear that the authorities would face continuing questions about the fairness of the vote despite the main party’s steep losses.
On Monday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered on a promenade by the Chistye Prudy metro station in central Moscow, and voiced their opposition to the government at an event organized by the Solidarity Party. Throngs chanted “Russia without Putin!” and “Putin is a Thief.” Police officials estimated the crowd at about 2,000 though some participants said it was larger. There was a heavy police presence and some protesters were detained.
Earlier in the day, thousands of supporters of United Russia held a celebratory event in Revolution Square that took place without incident.
With more than 95 percent of the votes processed, United Russia led with a shade under 50 percent, trailed by the Communists with 19 percent, Just Russia with 13 percent and the Liberal Democrats with nearly 12 percent, according to the Central Election Commission.
After the redistribution of votes for parties that did not clear a minimum threshold to enter the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, United Russia will have 238 seats, or just under 53 percent, down from the 315, or 70 percent, that it holds now, election officials said.
The observers, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said their main concerns were about an overall flawed framework that marred the campaign, including no separation between the government and the main political party; the lack of independence for election administrators and the absence of a free, independent mass media.
Some opposition parties were prohibited from running in the elections at all, the observers said. Those that could run faced huge disadvantages as United Russia employed government resources in support of its political aim, the observers said.
Tiny Kox, a senator from the Netherlands and a leader of the monitoring mission, said he personally observed violations including a case at one Moscow polling station where first the voter lists disappeared and then the ballot boxes were opened and clearly stuffed.
“It’s a major violation of the protocol,” he said, “and I think it’s a major insult to all those who voted that day, all these millions of Russian voters.”
But Mr. Kox and other officials said they were precluded from rendering any judgments on how the irregularities might have influenced the results. Observers were not present for the 2007 parliamentary elections because of disputes with Russian election officials. And with tensions high this time as well, officials seemed to be taking extra care not exceed the basic parameters of their role as monitors under multilateral agreements.
Opposition leaders, however, were less circumspect in accusing United Russia of tilting the outcome. “These elections were unprecedented in their filth, pressure and falsification,” said Gennadi A. Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party, which finished second, winning about 90 seats.
Mr. Zyuganov said his party would immediately demand a greater say in the running of the government, including the installation of one of its members as deputy speaker of parliament.
Sergei Mironov, the leader of the Just Russia party, also leveled allegations of fraud. At a news conference, Mr. Mironov on Monday said the party was specifically intent on investigating a case of ballot-box stuffing in St. Petersburg, including reports of bundles of premarked ballots. He said the party also wanted an explanation of extremely high voter turnout in two regions, Chechnya and Mordova, southeast of Moscow.
Of United Russia, he said, “They were swindlers and committed gross violations.”
In response to the reports of voting irregularities, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sharply criticized what she called “troubling practices” before and during the parliamentary elections in Russia. She cited the harassment of Golos, Russian’s only independent election observer organization, reports of ballot stuffing and cyberattacks on Web sites on Election Day.
Golos was fined about $1,000 for violating the law by publishing reports of campaign abuses.
The election on Sunday left United Russia clinging to a slim majority, and while the monitors declined to draw firm conclusions, it was clear from their report that vote stealing and other alleged malfeasance could have shifted the outcome in United Russia’s favor.
The scathing report by international observers, combined with dramatic, mostly amateur, footage of alleged election malfeasance posted on the Web, made clear that the authorities would face continuing questions about the fairness of the vote despite the main party’s steep losses.
On Monday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered on a promenade by the Chistye Prudy metro station in central Moscow, and voiced their opposition to the government at an event organized by the Solidarity Party. Throngs chanted “Russia without Putin!” and “Putin is a Thief.” Police officials estimated the crowd at about 2,000 though some participants said it was larger. There was a heavy police presence and some protesters were detained.
Earlier in the day, thousands of supporters of United Russia held a celebratory event in Revolution Square that took place without incident.
With more than 95 percent of the votes processed, United Russia led with a shade under 50 percent, trailed by the Communists with 19 percent, Just Russia with 13 percent and the Liberal Democrats with nearly 12 percent, according to the Central Election Commission.
After the redistribution of votes for parties that did not clear a minimum threshold to enter the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, United Russia will have 238 seats, or just under 53 percent, down from the 315, or 70 percent, that it holds now, election officials said.
The observers, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said their main concerns were about an overall flawed framework that marred the campaign, including no separation between the government and the main political party; the lack of independence for election administrators and the absence of a free, independent mass media.
Some opposition parties were prohibited from running in the elections at all, the observers said. Those that could run faced huge disadvantages as United Russia employed government resources in support of its political aim, the observers said.
Tiny Kox, a senator from the Netherlands and a leader of the monitoring mission, said he personally observed violations including a case at one Moscow polling station where first the voter lists disappeared and then the ballot boxes were opened and clearly stuffed.
“It’s a major violation of the protocol,” he said, “and I think it’s a major insult to all those who voted that day, all these millions of Russian voters.”
But Mr. Kox and other officials said they were precluded from rendering any judgments on how the irregularities might have influenced the results. Observers were not present for the 2007 parliamentary elections because of disputes with Russian election officials. And with tensions high this time as well, officials seemed to be taking extra care not exceed the basic parameters of their role as monitors under multilateral agreements.
Opposition leaders, however, were less circumspect in accusing United Russia of tilting the outcome. “These elections were unprecedented in their filth, pressure and falsification,” said Gennadi A. Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party, which finished second, winning about 90 seats.
Mr. Zyuganov said his party would immediately demand a greater say in the running of the government, including the installation of one of its members as deputy speaker of parliament.
Sergei Mironov, the leader of the Just Russia party, also leveled allegations of fraud. At a news conference, Mr. Mironov on Monday said the party was specifically intent on investigating a case of ballot-box stuffing in St. Petersburg, including reports of bundles of premarked ballots. He said the party also wanted an explanation of extremely high voter turnout in two regions, Chechnya and Mordova, southeast of Moscow.
Of United Russia, he said, “They were swindlers and committed gross violations.”
In response to the reports of voting irregularities, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sharply criticized what she called “troubling practices” before and during the parliamentary elections in Russia. She cited the harassment of Golos, Russian’s only independent election observer organization, reports of ballot stuffing and cyberattacks on Web sites on Election Day.
Golos was fined about $1,000 for violating the law by publishing reports of campaign abuses.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Democracy is a never ending fight and responsibility....get started now for 2012; they're ahead of us
Soulless and insatiably greedy multinational corporations dominate our politics, our economics and our lives. The problems they’ve created for our people, our nation and the world are legion.
It’s enough to feel hopeless and helpless.
But there is hope. And you are helping.
All of us, working together, have more power than the corporate giants. We can and do make great things happen.
Think about all we’ve done together — as Public Citizen — over the past year.
Public Citizen massively expanded our Democracy Is For People campaign to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. More than a million people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment to keep corporate cash from overwhelming our elections.
Public Citizen helped launch the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, a broad alliance that is challenging the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s attack on fundamental consumer, health and safety protections.
Public Citizen petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove several dangerous drugs from the market. We are proud to be Big Pharma’s worst enemy.
Public Citizen forced Richard Nixon’s 1975 grand jury testimony — in which the former president discusses the infamous gap in his secret tapes — to be unsealed.
Public Citizen obtained leaked documents revealing that speculation by Goldman Sachs was the primary driver of inflated gas prices.
Public Citizen and our allies have continued to thwart expansion of the World Trade Organization, where giant corporations aim to extend rules that give them power to undermine consumer and environmental protections in the U.S. and other countries.
Public Citizen worked with allied organizations to delay approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline, which would cause more oil spills, drive up gas prices and dramatically worsen climate change.
Public Citizen issued a report proving that caps on medical liability in Texas do nothing to reduce the costs or improve the effectiveness of health care for the state’s citizens.
Public Citizen successfully defended a group of young climate activists who were sued by Koch Industries for the “crime” of exercising their First Amendment free speech rights.
Public Citizen issued a report showing that more than half of doctors disciplined by their hospitals are not subject to subsequent state action. We continue to be the leading advocates for physician accountability.
Public Citizen made major gains in our campaign to review and repair World Trade Organization rules that impose limits on financial regulation. All of the major developing countries asked for a review — only to be blocked by the United States and other rich countries.
Public Citizen helped pass 14 energy efficiency and renewable energy bills in the Texas legislative session.
Public Citizen generated a record number of comments submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators on CEO pay.
Public Citizen overcame White House delays to force issuance of an important new rule to protect child agricultural workers. We also petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a new rule protecting workers from excessive heat exposure.
Public Citizen worked closely with the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on nuclear disaster preparedness legislation.
After halting consideration of three Bush-era free trade agreements for four years, Public Citizen delivered the largest Democratic opposition vote to any Obama initiative in his presidency when Obama flip-flopped on his campaign commitments and pushed the deals for approval.
Public Citizen coordinated a large national coalition on shareholder protection — aiming to advance the modest principle that a corporation should not spend money on elections without authorization from its shareholders.
Public Citizen’s Solar Si, Nuclear No campaign resulted in all the major partners pulling out of the South Texas nuclear plant.
Public Citizen argued our 60th case before the United States Supreme Court. We are involved with nearly a third of Supreme Court cases.
Public Citizen led the push for tight restrictions on energy speculators, urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to establish firm position limits in energy derivative markets.
Public Citizen celebrated its first four decades as the people’s lobbyist with a series of events nationwide, culminating in our inspirational 40th Anniversary Gala in October.
All of that is merely a sampling of what Public Citizen did this year. Just think what we will do in 2012 and beyond! And there is nothing — nothing — that we accomplish without activists, members and supporters like you from coast to coast and from all walks of life.
It’s enough to feel hopeless and helpless.
But there is hope. And you are helping.
All of us, working together, have more power than the corporate giants. We can and do make great things happen.
Think about all we’ve done together — as Public Citizen — over the past year.
Public Citizen massively expanded our Democracy Is For People campaign to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. More than a million people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment to keep corporate cash from overwhelming our elections.
Public Citizen helped launch the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, a broad alliance that is challenging the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s attack on fundamental consumer, health and safety protections.
Public Citizen petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove several dangerous drugs from the market. We are proud to be Big Pharma’s worst enemy.
Public Citizen forced Richard Nixon’s 1975 grand jury testimony — in which the former president discusses the infamous gap in his secret tapes — to be unsealed.
Public Citizen obtained leaked documents revealing that speculation by Goldman Sachs was the primary driver of inflated gas prices.
Public Citizen and our allies have continued to thwart expansion of the World Trade Organization, where giant corporations aim to extend rules that give them power to undermine consumer and environmental protections in the U.S. and other countries.
Public Citizen worked with allied organizations to delay approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline, which would cause more oil spills, drive up gas prices and dramatically worsen climate change.
Public Citizen issued a report proving that caps on medical liability in Texas do nothing to reduce the costs or improve the effectiveness of health care for the state’s citizens.
Public Citizen successfully defended a group of young climate activists who were sued by Koch Industries for the “crime” of exercising their First Amendment free speech rights.
Public Citizen issued a report showing that more than half of doctors disciplined by their hospitals are not subject to subsequent state action. We continue to be the leading advocates for physician accountability.
Public Citizen made major gains in our campaign to review and repair World Trade Organization rules that impose limits on financial regulation. All of the major developing countries asked for a review — only to be blocked by the United States and other rich countries.
Public Citizen helped pass 14 energy efficiency and renewable energy bills in the Texas legislative session.
Public Citizen generated a record number of comments submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators on CEO pay.
Public Citizen overcame White House delays to force issuance of an important new rule to protect child agricultural workers. We also petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a new rule protecting workers from excessive heat exposure.
Public Citizen worked closely with the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on nuclear disaster preparedness legislation.
After halting consideration of three Bush-era free trade agreements for four years, Public Citizen delivered the largest Democratic opposition vote to any Obama initiative in his presidency when Obama flip-flopped on his campaign commitments and pushed the deals for approval.
Public Citizen coordinated a large national coalition on shareholder protection — aiming to advance the modest principle that a corporation should not spend money on elections without authorization from its shareholders.
Public Citizen’s Solar Si, Nuclear No campaign resulted in all the major partners pulling out of the South Texas nuclear plant.
Public Citizen argued our 60th case before the United States Supreme Court. We are involved with nearly a third of Supreme Court cases.
Public Citizen led the push for tight restrictions on energy speculators, urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to establish firm position limits in energy derivative markets.
Public Citizen celebrated its first four decades as the people’s lobbyist with a series of events nationwide, culminating in our inspirational 40th Anniversary Gala in October.
All of that is merely a sampling of what Public Citizen did this year. Just think what we will do in 2012 and beyond! And there is nothing — nothing — that we accomplish without activists, members and supporters like you from coast to coast and from all walks of life.
Russia votes for change from Putin!!!
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party may win a reduced majority in Russia’s parliament, partial election results show, forcing it to work with other political groups.
United Russia’s backing fell to 50 percent from 64 percent in 2007, the Moscow-based Central Election Commission said on its website, with votes from 72 percent of precincts counted. The party’s results at yesterday’s election had been estimated at 45.5 percent and 48.5 percent by two exit polls.
“Given the new composition of the Duma, on individual issues and on certain questions, we will have to enter into coalition bloc agreements,” President Dmitry Medvedev told supporters at the party’s campaign headquarters late yesterday. “This is normal, this is parliamentarianism. This is democracy.”
The loss of United Russia’s two-thirds majority, which allowed it to change the Constitution singlehandedly, is the first time the party’s support fell from one nationwide election to the next since it was set up 10 years ago. Putin, 59, next year may be forced to make unpopular cuts in social spending and raise the pension age to balance the budget.
The premier, who plans to return as president next year to give him potentially almost a quarter-century in power if he runs again in 2018, lost support as stalling wage growth and the government’s shortcomings in curbing corruption repelled voters.
United Russia’s backing fell to 50 percent from 64 percent in 2007, the Moscow-based Central Election Commission said on its website, with votes from 72 percent of precincts counted. The party’s results at yesterday’s election had been estimated at 45.5 percent and 48.5 percent by two exit polls.
“Given the new composition of the Duma, on individual issues and on certain questions, we will have to enter into coalition bloc agreements,” President Dmitry Medvedev told supporters at the party’s campaign headquarters late yesterday. “This is normal, this is parliamentarianism. This is democracy.”
The loss of United Russia’s two-thirds majority, which allowed it to change the Constitution singlehandedly, is the first time the party’s support fell from one nationwide election to the next since it was set up 10 years ago. Putin, 59, next year may be forced to make unpopular cuts in social spending and raise the pension age to balance the budget.
The premier, who plans to return as president next year to give him potentially almost a quarter-century in power if he runs again in 2018, lost support as stalling wage growth and the government’s shortcomings in curbing corruption repelled voters.
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