From Venture Capitalism to Vulture Capitalism
Former US government officials often become either lobbyists or high paid executives for corporations over whom they previously had some regulatory power. They then often return to government much richer than when the left to serve the interests of those corporations.
Latter Day Protest? Proposition 8 and Sports
As supporters of Gay Marriage are have discovered, it's never easy to be on the Mormon Church's enemies list. The Church of Latter Day Saints backed the anti-Gay Marriage Proposition 8 in California with out-of-state funds, and gave the right a heartbreaking victory this past election cycle.
Bailout Blackout: Demand Full Accounting
Some $350 billion in taxpayer cash has been handed over to the biggest banks in the country without oversight or even the slightest curiosity by the US government about what has been done with the money.
How Much Old Growth Forests Do We Have Left?
As crazy as it sounds, no one really knows how much old growth is left in America’s forested regions, mainly because various agencies and scientists have different ideas about how to define the term.
The Unfinished Line
Apparently one grand old racing car circuit is moving forward and another is moving backwards. Not surprisingly, it's the American circuit who's tires are stuck in reverse. I've been remiss on reporting on a Black driver in auto racing's most famous circuit, Formula One (F1) AKA the European Grand Prix.
Private Health Insurance is Bad For Public Health
It is important to include in our thinking about the US Health Care system that private health insurers are often multi-million dollar investors in some of the worst health-damaging industries, cigarette manufacturers most notably, but also tobacco pesticides, pesticides in general, chlorine, polluting smokestack industries, oil, unhealthy foods, mountaintop removal coal mining, and even military weaponry.
Can Reparations-for-All Replace the Failed Bailout?
Corporate Welfare, corporate communism, call it what you; let's not make a deal. Let's indict. The probelms that have led to today's recession were cause by bad regulators and the short-sighted members of Congress who enabled them.
Controversial Rev. Rick Warren to Speak at King Memorial Service in Atlanta
ATLANTA – Controversial pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, who at least once has compared homosexuality to incest, has been booked to be the keynote speaker at Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service
Mixed Thoughts on the NY Cop Killers
Usually whenever a member of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is angry, you can bet that's a good day for humanity. Recently FOP President Pat Lynch stood outside of Brooklyn Supreme Court and told the 12/18 New York Daily News: 'This mongrel today got away with murder.'
Obama Creates Historic White House Task Force
The Obama Transition Team announced the formation of an historic task force this week – the White House Task Force on Working Families. According to the transition team's announcement, Vice President-elect Joe Biden will head the task force.
