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News and Analysis

Rachel Maddow Demolishes Therapist Who Claims He Can Make Her StraightRachel Maddow Demolishes Therapist Who Claims He Can Make Her Straight

AlterNet. December 10, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Richard Cohen claims his therapy can turn gay people straight -- an absurd theory debunked by all national psychological associations.

Hot, Steamy Mormons: Are the Latter Day Saints Getting Sexy?Hot, Steamy Mormons: Are the Latter Day Saints Getting Sexy?

By Liz Langley, AlterNet. December 10, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: Calendars and videos featuring scantily clad Mormons are helping redefine images of the Latter Day Saints -- but not everyone in the Church is happy.

12 Crazy Futuristic Water Buildings That May Help Humans Survive Climate Change Catastrophe12 Crazy Futuristic Water Buildings That May Help Humans Survive Climate Change Catastrophe

By * Staff, WebEcoist. December 10, 2009.
Water: Twelve prototype habitats are making a convincing argument for mankind's offshore living.

Pentagon's Advice to Traumatized Veterans: Think Happy Thoughts!Pentagon's Advice to Traumatized Veterans: Think Happy Thoughts!

By Penny Coleman, AlterNet. December 10, 2009.
World: Hey, all you quitters and whiners: If it’s bad and it hurts, you have to try harder, have faith, and above all, think positive!

The Reason for 15 Million Unemployed: Poor Thinking at the TopThe Reason for 15 Million Unemployed: Poor Thinking at the Top

By Dean Baker, TruthOut.org. December 9, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: It is absolutely unacceptable to have 15 million people unemployed just because the people who call the shots are too dumb to figure out how to get them back to work.

Far-Right Anti-Immigrant Groups Are Polluting the Health Care DebateFar-Right Anti-Immigrant Groups Are Polluting the Health Care Debate

By Jill Garvey, Imagine 2050. December 9, 2009.
Politics: Many nativist advocacy groups are twisting the facts about immigrants' access to health care.

Senate Passes Compromised Health Care Reform -- Will Progressive Dems Support the Final Bill?Senate Passes Compromised Health Care Reform -- Will Progressive Dems Support the Final Bill?

By John Nichols, TheNation.com. December 9, 2009.
Health and Wellness: Senate Dems cut a deal on the public option but also endorse expanding Medicare, leaving some liberals torn over whether they will support the final bill.

To the Hope and Change Crowd -- How's It Working Out for You?To the Hope and Change Crowd -- How's It Working Out for You?

By Joe Bageant, JoeBageant.com. December 9, 2009.
Politics: Obama promised change -- and sure enough, things are changing for the worse.

Meet the Billionaire Brothers Funding the Right-Wing War on ObamaMeet the Billionaire Brothers Funding the Right-Wing War on Obama

Think Progress. December 9, 2009.
Politics: They're the 9th richest people in America and they're pushing hard to upend President Obama's progressive agenda.

Iraq-WMD Claim Came from ... a Cab Driver?Iraq-WMD Claim Came from ... a Cab Driver?

By John Byrne, Raw Story. December 9, 2009.
World: News in the UK: Iraqi cab driver was source of an infamous claim made by Prime Minister Tony Blair that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

Copenhagen Won't Be Enough -- Only a 'Human Movement' Can Save Civilization from the Climate CrisisCopenhagen Won't Be Enough -- Only a 'Human Movement' Can Save Civilization from the Climate Crisis

By Fred Branfman, Sacramento News & Review. December 9, 2009.
Environment: A strange cloud envelops human civilization as its leaders fail to take the measures to protect it in Copenhagen that they themselves endorsed just five months ago.

Obama Far Outdoes Bush in Escalating War -- The Numbers Will Surprise YouObama Far Outdoes Bush in Escalating War -- The Numbers Will Surprise You

By David DeGraw, Amped Status. December 9, 2009.
World: Increasing numbers of deployed soldiers, mercenaries and drones all add up to Obama being more of a war president than Bush, in terms of hard numbers.

Homeland Security Embarks on Big Brother Programs to Read Our Minds and EmotionsHomeland Security Embarks on Big Brother Programs to Read Our Minds and Emotions

By Liliana Segura, AlterNet. December 9, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Half-baked Homeland Security is spending millions to develop sensors capable of detecting a person's level of 'malintent' as a counterterrorism tool.

Billions More in Easy Money for Wall Street -- Are We Too Ignorant About Finance to Stop It?Billions More in Easy Money for Wall Street -- Are We Too Ignorant About Finance to Stop It?

By William Greider, The Nation. December 8, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: A permanent security blanket for big boys of finance will further inflame public opinion. Only the public isn't likely to know.

The Public Option That Isn't Public At AllThe Public Option That Isn't Public At All

By James Ridgeway, Mother Jones Online. December 8, 2009.
Politics: As the Senate negotiates its health-care reform bill, liberals appear ready to throw in the towel on a real public option.

Is Erik Prince Threatening the U.S. Government?Is Erik Prince Threatening the U.S. Government?

By Jeremy Scahill, The Nation. December 8, 2009.
World: Did Blackwater's owner speak to Vanity Fair to send a message to the Justice Department about government secrets he can reveal?

Has the GOP Collapse Begun? Hypothetical Has the GOP Collapse Begun? Hypothetical "Tea Party" Outpolls Republicans

By Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. December 8, 2009.
Politics: Something is afoot among the conservative base -- voting Republican doesn't seem to cut it anymore, and incumbents are getting nervous.

Studies Show Latinos Are Climbing the Socio-Economic Ladder of SuccessStudies Show Latinos Are Climbing the Socio-Economic Ladder of Success

By Walter Ewing, Immigration Impact. December 8, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Understanding poverty as a racial issue, as some anti-immigration advocates do, is to ignore a host of other problems (and successes).

How Hyper-Capitalism May Hobble the Copenhagen SummitHow Hyper-Capitalism May Hobble the Copenhagen Summit

By Walden Bello, Foreign Policy in Focus. December 8, 2009.
Politics: Unless we re-think the export-oriented capitalism that's causing all of our climate problems, the Copenhagen conference will be nothing more than a Band-Aid.

At Least 127 Dead in Baghdad BombingsAt Least 127 Dead in Baghdad Bombings

Agence France Presse. December 8, 2009.
World: Five massive vehicle-borne bombs rocked Baghdad on Tuesday, killing scores, iincluding women and students. It was the third coordinated massacre in the city since August.

What the Frack? Poisoning our Water in the Name of Energy ProfitsWhat the Frack? Poisoning our Water in the Name of Energy Profits

By Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute. December 8, 2009.
Water: An estimated 77 billion barrels of contaminated water were generated worldwide in 2000 by oil and gas operations. In recent years this volume has increased.

Burn a Tree to Save the Planet? The Crazy Logic Behind BiomassBurn a Tree to Save the Planet? The Crazy Logic Behind Biomass

By Joshua Frank, AlterNet. December 8, 2009.
Environment: It might seem crazy that anyone would think the incineration of wood and its byproducts are a green substitute for toxic fuels such as coal. Think again.

Meet Stewart Resnick, Corporate Farming Billionaire and One-Man Environmental Wrecking CrewMeet Stewart Resnick, Corporate Farming Billionaire and One-Man Environmental Wrecking Crew

By Lance Williams, Center for Investigative Reporting. December 8, 2009.
Water: Thanks to his generous relationship with Dianne Feinstein, a corporate farmer is successfully crusading against environmental preservation in California.

Digital Dollars: Why the Marketing and Ad Industry Are Afraid of New Regulatory WatchdogsDigital Dollars: Why the Marketing and Ad Industry Are Afraid of New Regulatory Watchdogs

By Jeffrey Chester, AlterNet. December 8, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: The firms doing the spinning for some of the financial meltdown's biggest players have good reason to be worried. Their crimes, after all, went largely unnoticed.

Are Liberals Pathetic?Are Liberals Pathetic?

By Chris Hedges, Truthdig. December 7, 2009.
World: Sterile posturing and cowardice have hollowed out the liberal cause.

The Choice at Copenhagen: Heroism or Collective SuicideThe Choice at Copenhagen: Heroism or Collective Suicide

By Johann Hari, Independent UK. December 7, 2009.
Environment: We can make history -- or we can commit suicide. The choice really is that stark.

Four Men Leave Guantanamo; Two Face Ill-Defined Trials in ItalyFour Men Leave Guantanamo; Two Face Ill-Defined Trials in Italy

By Andy Worthington, AlterNet. December 7, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Last week, the Obama administration announced that it had transferred four prisoners from Gitmo: one to France, one to Hungary, and two to Italy.

Melting Himalayan Glaciers Threaten 1.3 Billion AsiansMelting Himalayan Glaciers Threaten 1.3 Billion Asians

AFP. December 7, 2009.
Environment: Glaciers in the Himalayas provide headwaters for Asia's nine largest rivers, lifelines for the 1.3 billion people who live downstream.

Historic Climate Conference Opens to Dire WarningsHistoric Climate Conference Opens to Dire Warnings

AFP. December 7, 2009.
Environment: "For the next two weeks, Copenhagen will be Hopenhagen. By the end, we must be able to deliver back to the world what was granted us here today: hope for a better future."

DEA Forced to Scrub Misleading Info on the American Medical Association's Position on MarijuanaDEA Forced to Scrub Misleading Info on the American Medical Association's Position on Marijuana

By Charmie Gholson, AlterNet. December 7, 2009.
DrugReporter: Activists get the DEA to remove obsolete information from its website claiming that the American Medical Association (AMA) still opposes medical marijuana

Over 1,000 Delegates for Peace Will Mark 1st Anniversary of Gaza Invasion, Protest Ongoing Israeli SiegeOver 1,000 Delegates for Peace Will Mark 1st Anniversary of Gaza Invasion, Protest Ongoing Israeli Siege

By Medea Benjamin, AlterNet. December 7, 2009.
World: Impressive international delegation coming from 42 countries signed up for the Dec. 31 Gaza Freedom March.

10 Biggest Sports Sex Scandals of All Time: How Does Tiger Woods Rate?10 Biggest Sports Sex Scandals of All Time: How Does Tiger Woods Rate?

By David Rosen, CounterPunch. December 7, 2009.
Sex and Relationships: Woods' sex scandal is the latest battleground for a media debate over moral order -- here are 10 others that captivated the press and public.

We're Doing a Heckuva Job Helping Those Devastated by the Economic MeltdownWe're Doing a Heckuva Job Helping Those Devastated by the Economic Meltdown

By Karen Dolan, Diana Pearce, AlterNet. December 7, 2009.
Rights and Liberties: Like the levees in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the safety net is failing Americans battered by the 'Great Recession' of 2008-2009.

What Happened When an Anti-Choice Catholic Woman Needed an Abortion at Dr. Tiller's ClinicWhat Happened When an Anti-Choice Catholic Woman Needed an Abortion at Dr. Tiller's Clinic

By Amanda Mueller, TruthOut.org. December 6, 2009.
Reproductive Justice and Gender: The Andersons were devastated to learn their unborn child wouldn't live. Dr. Tiller showed them the compassion they so badly wished they had from their friends.

America Without a Middle Class -- It's Not Far Away As You Might ThinkAmerica Without a Middle Class -- It's Not Far Away As You Might Think

By Elizabeth Warren, AlterNet. December 5, 2009.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: America today has plenty of rich and super-rich. But it has far more families who did all the right things, but who still have no real security.

The Other Occupation: Western Sahara and the Case of Aminatou HaidarThe Other Occupation: Western Sahara and the Case of Aminatou Haidar

By Stephen Zunes, AlterNet. December 5, 2009.
World: How long will U.S. authorities ignore the bleak realities of Moroccan repression?

The Secret to Legal Marijuana? WomenThe Secret to Legal Marijuana? Women

By Daniela Perdomo, AlterNet. December 5, 2009.
DrugReporter: Why women have signed onto marijuana reform -- and why they could be the movement's game-changers.

Copenhagen Climate Talks Set to Begin: What's Likely to Happen and What's at StakeCopenhagen Climate Talks Set to Begin: What's Likely to Happen and What's at Stake

By Bill McKibben, Yale Environment 360. December 5, 2009.
Environment: The planet's climate scientists, bureaucrats, activists, skeptics and journalists will descend on Copenhagen for a fortnight of meeting, marching, denying and most of all spinning.

Memo to Congress: Desperate Times Call for Faster MeasuresMemo to Congress: Desperate Times Call for Faster Measures

By Paul StarrDecember 5, 2009.
Politics: Health-care reform needs to kick in faster than the current bills allow. And Congress better pass some Main Street economic measures -- on the double.

What Happened to a Binding Treaty in Copenhagen? Uncovering Efforts to Undermine ActionWhat Happened to a Binding Treaty in Copenhagen? Uncovering Efforts to Undermine Action

By Brian Tokar, AlterNet. December 4, 2009.
Environment: For much of this fall, most public statements by both US and UN officials have been pointedly aimed at lowering expectations. How did we get to this point?