Green electricity by 2018?
In a dramatic speech recently, Al Gore upped the ante in the debate over oil prices, the economy and climate change. As Republicans tried to sell the public on handing over more public land to Big Oil drilling, Gore challenged the nation to take an immediate, giant step away from fossil fuels by producing all electricity from renewable, carbon-free energy sources within 10 years. Currently about 75 percent of our electricity is produced by burning coal and natural gas, spewing global warming carbon into the atmosphere.
U.S. expanding roster of foreign bases
Three U.S. foreign bases are in the works that portend far-reaching consequences. They warrant addition to the scorecard kept by analyst Chalmers Johnson as to the total of U.S. foreign bases. Last year Johnson counted almost 750 bases in over 130 countries.
Corruption charges roil politics in Miami
In June, months after reports surfaced that $500,000 the so-called Center for a Free Cuba took from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was missing, that agency temporarily suspended all its programs providing money and support for government opponents in Cuba. USAID’s 2008 budget for Cuba projects totaled $45 million. USAID was responding to a directive from Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The genius of Ewan MacColl, lifelong artist & activist
Ewan MacColl is best known as the writer of the Grammy-winning “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” the love song he wrote for his wife and musical partner, Peggy Seeger.
Challenging the Christian rights crusade
The Christian right claims that in speaking out against gay rights it only adheres to Biblical orthodoxy. After all, the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, doesn’t it? Daniel Karslake’s persuasive documentary “For The Bible Tells Me So” begs to differ, arguing that the religious right’s hatred of homosexuality is based on a flawed interpretation of the Bible.
This Jokers no joke
Heath Ledger as the “Joker” in “The Dark Night” has many speculating he may win an Academy Award posthumously for the role.
Fearing voter wrath, GOPers buck Bush on Medicare
Sen. Edward Kennedy’s appearance in the Senate recently, in the midst of his personal battle against brain cancer, to break a Republican filibuster against a bill to save Medicare will go down in history. Days later, on July 15, as the result of a 383-41 congressional vote to override a Bush veto the progressive measure became law.
Obama trip spotlights new direction for U.S. foreign policy
Barack Obama appeared to have scored a major success in projecting “commander-in-chief” ability and foreign policy savvy in his visits to Afghanistan and Iraq last week, and continued that path as he traveled to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and then on to Western Europe.
Economic meltdown: We need a new, green New Deal!
“Recession” just doesn’t seem to adequately describe the hits workers are taking today. In the old days “recession” meant an economic downturn, unemployment and scrimping and cutting back until better days returned. The current super-recession is putting us through much more hell than most of the “recessions” anyone can remember.
New scorecard flunks U.S. health system
A new national scorecard issued by the Commonwealth Fund’s Commission on a High Performance Health System gives failing scores to the U.S. health care system. The U.S. scores an average of 65 out of a possible 100 across 37 key indicators in the areas of health outcomes, quality of care, access, efficiency and equity.
