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California Carbon Trading Allows Timber Companies to Sell CO2 Credits for Their Worst Logging Practices

Eddie Scher, AlterNet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:00:01 -0800

California's race to be the first state to develop a carbon-trading program comes at an unacceptable cost for Sierra forests.

New York Times "Stands Behind" Its Contested Reporting on the ACORN 'Pimp'

Brad Friedman, Brad Blog — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:00:01 -0800

The Times maintains its claim that James O'Keefe wore a pimp suit into ACORN offices -- despite an attorney general's report that says otherwise, and no corroborating evidence.

Starbucks' Cop-Out to Gun Nuts: Customers Served Coffee While Strapped

Liliana Segura, AlterNet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:01 -0800

Starbucks has become a popular gathering spot for some Second Amendment crusaders, and the company is pretending it doesn't have the power to keep them out.

How a Foodie Got Duped and Seduced By Mass-Market Produced Fast Food

Deirdre Heekin, Chelsea Green Publishing — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:01 -0800

Seduced by KFC's Original Recipe, one foodie set out to discover the roots of this tasty chicken -- and the other ingredients on the KFC menu.

Will More Enforcement Staff Overseeing Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania Be Enough to Ensure Safety?

Sabrina Shankman, ProPublica — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:01 -0800

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection will double its enforcement staff, open a new office closer to the drilling action and release new drilling regulations.

Electing a New Mayor and Winning the Superbowl Aren't Enough to Rescue New Orleans

Jordan Flaherty, RaceWire — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:01 -0800

The city needs federal support and visionary leadership from all branches of government. Only time will tell if those needs will be met.

Insider Report Blames White House's First Year Failures on Emanuel and the Obama's Inner Circle

Steve Clemons, The Washington Note — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:01 -0800

Rahm Emanuel, Robert Gibbs, Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod are the subject of a juicy report on what's gone wrong in the Obama White House,

Vagina Monologues Author Begins Her Quest For a "Girl Revolution"

Marianne Schnall, The Women's Media Center — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:01 -0800

11 years after the launch of V-Day, Eve Ensler sets out to do for girls what she did for women -- uncover the truth of their experiences and create a global dialogue.

One Company Thinks They've Created Fast Food With a Conscience -- Are They Right?

Tara Lohan, AlterNet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

Chipotle has a great record when it comes to buying more sustainable ingredients, but it has done one thing that has human rights activists howling.

Our Democracy No Longer Works and the Problem Is Congress

Lawrence Lessig, The Nation — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

At the center of our government lies a bankrupt institution: Congress. The US Congress has become the Fundraising Congress.

False Profits: We Will Be Suffering from Greenspan and Bernanke's Ineptitude for a Long Time

Dean Baker, PoliPoint Press — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

An $8 trillion housing bubble fostered by the Federal Reserve has burst, and with it much of the wealth of America's middle class.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Racist

Sonia Scherr, SPLC Intelligence Report — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

Researches have found that kids don't necessarily get their prejudice from their parents -- it is the community that fosters tolerance or prejudice.

A Conspiracy Theory About a Secret Police Force Has Ignited a Firestorm of Right-Wing Paranoia

Stephanie Mencimer, Mother Jones — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

An obscure executive order has been misconstrued and now the blowback has reached all the way to Congress.

The Bizarre Terror Conviction of Pakistani Scientist Aafia Siddiqui, And Why There's a Good Chance She's Innocent

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now! — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:01 -0800

Human rights groups say that Siddiqui, who has been found guilty of attempted murder, was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani officials in 2003 and tortured at the behest of the U.S.

How Shopping Carts May Be Our Greatest Weapon in the Health Care Fight

Robyn O'Brien, AlterNet — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:01 -0800

Including the USDA in health discussions could lead to better subsidies for organic farms -- and healthier Americans.

ACORN Smear Collaborator Claims Persecution to Raise Money for Her Legal Troubles

Liliana Segura, AlterNet — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:01 -0800

In a bizarre fundraising appeal, James O'Keefe's co-conspirator Hannah Giles claims ACORN is trying to 'destroy' her -- and invites you to donate $35 to $5,000 to her legal fund.

Behind the Scenes, GEâ€™s Top Exec Confided Credit Woes

Jeff Gerth, ProPublica — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:01 -0800

Hank Paulson's new book details a very different recollection of events that persuaded FDIC Chair Sheila Bair to help guarantee over $70 billion in GE debt.

Bad Policies Are Really What's Driving California's Huge Prison Costs

Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, AlterNet — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

By opting for a policy of sending low-level offenders to state prison, California is far out of step with other states â€“ and out of time.

Obama Religious Adviser Wants President to Speak Against Ugandan 'Kill the Gays' Bill at Prayer Breakfast

Adele M. Stan, AlterNet — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

At a press conference where a gay Ugandan was too frightened to show his face to the media, a member of Obama's religion council and other clergy threw down the gauntlet.

Howard Zinn: "We Should Not Give Up the Game Before All the Cards Have Been Played"

Howard Zinn, ZNet — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:01 -0800

Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment but as an endless succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society.

Watch out Tea Party, Progressive Anger Is Alive and Kicking

Les Leopold, AlterNet — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:00:01 -0800

There's rising populist anger against the bailed-out billionaires -- they're only going to get more angry as the same folks who crashed the system are now making record bonuses.