Friday, May 15, 2009

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Quinn Hedging On State Employee Firing Plan (VIDEO) Top
Gov. Pat Quinn is backing away from Speaker Michael Madigan's broad plan to "fumigate" the government's ranks with job cuts, the State Journal-Register reports . Madigan's bill would have purged as many as 3,000 state employees hired or appointed by disgraced former governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. He said the bill was meant to speed the pace of reform in the state. Quinn said Thursday that while he supports the intent of the law, the state risks potential lawsuits and drops in productivity from such a widespread clear out. "If you're honest and you're doing a good job, I don't want you to worry about your economic future," Quinn said . "If we disturb their work patterns, I think we're hurting ourselves." Capitol Fax has video of the governor's remarks:
 
Huff Radio: Left, Right & Center: Pelosi; Obama on Gitmo; Financial Reforms; Health Care Top
Pelosi twists and turns on what she knew about the CIA's methods and when she knew it: echoes of post-9/11 climate when Democrats voted for Iraq. Will this weaken the Speaker and the Democratic leadership's unity? How will this affect Obama's legislative agenda? Obama's reversal on military tribunals for detainees: a flip-flop or a measured look at the situation from a new vantage point -- the presidency? What is right and wrong with regards to the fundamental needs of democracy? Treasury pressures Wall Street on financial reforms.
 
Tim Meadows: Phone Sex Operator (VIDEO) Top
Tim Meadows is a dirty, dirty man. He tried to kidnap Beyonce for unsavory purposes, he has a frequent lap-dance-receiver card, and he works part time as a phone-sex operator. It's awesome. Partially because he reveals this while "reporting" for Craig Ferguson from our nation's capital. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! More on Craig Ferguson
 
Steve Parker: Our automotive talk shows this weekend on www.TalkRadioOne.com! Top
Just go to www.TalkRadioOne.com at 5pm Pacific every Saturday and Sunday to hear our live broadcasts. Podcasts of previous shows are available on the site, too, for downloading or real-time listening. And podcasts of this weekend's shows are available within ½-hour of the live shows' conclusions (that is, if my computer is working okay ...). SATURDAY, THE CAR NUT SHOW Join me, Steve Parker, live and worldwide Saturday at 5pm (Pacific) for THE CAR NUT, our weekly talk show where the issues affecting all drivers are brought to the fore. This week: Is the hydrogen craze over? Recently the Obama Administration quietly ended a government program begun under George W. Bush to develop hydrogen-fueled fuel cell EVs. The news didn't get a lot of publicity, but there's more than one car-maker and environmental group angry over this apparent change in government focus on these once highly-touted future vehicles, especially when Washington has unprecedented power over Detroit. Ron Cogan, editor/publisher of Green Car Journal joins us with the facts. Plus a review of a remarkable value, the all-new 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI with the revolutionary high-mileage clean diesel engine, and of course your phone calls at 213-341-4353. Honda has reportedly spent over $100 million developing their FCX Clarity hydrogen-fueled fuel cell EV, currently undergoing real world trials in the US as "members" of average families participating in the testing. What happens to the car - and the technology worldwide - now that Washington's focus is off using hydrogen as a fuel? ( www.SteveParker.com photo) SUNDAY, WORLD RACING ROUND-UP Sunday it's our weekly STEVE PARKER'S WORLD RACING ROUND-UP, the latest from the world of motor racing. On last week's show we spoke with Stanton Barrett, a successful NASCAR driver making his debut as a rookie in this year's Indianapolis 500, about his efforts to get into next week's race. Yesterday was Stanton's last shot at making the 33-car field and we'll find out from him how he and his Curb/Agajanian/3G motorsports team has fared. Did they make the show in their Honda-powered Dallara ... or not? Plus the new Brawn Mercedes Grand Prix Formula 1 team juggernaut keeps rolling along, decimating their still-shocked competition (next weekend is the Monaco Grand Prix, F1's signature event) and NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series, the Nationwide Series cars and Sprint Cup all ran this weekend at Charlotte. In fact, for the Sprint drivers it was the annual NASCAR All-Star Race. I enjoy this weekend because it includes the Pit Crew Competition held in an indoor arena in Charlotte, one of the strangest "sporting" events in the world. We'll talk about all that and more, with your calls at 213-341-4353. It's all at www.TalkradioOne.com ! See you there! More on Cars
 
Obama's Stock Portfolio: See His Top 10 Stocks Top
According to the latest disclosure from the White House, President Obama is a fan of index-fund investing. See the stocks in his main holding. More on Barack Obama
 
Islamists Linked To Al Qaida On Verge Of Toppling Somalia's Western-Backed Government Top
Insurgents linked to al-Qaeda are on the verge of toppling Somalia's Western-backed government amid the worst fighting in the country's capital in more than a year. More on Somalia
 
Electric Scooter Can Go 60MPH Top
When you think scooter, you might think of something a child would ride. electric scooter The Vectrix VX-1 maxi scooter, which weighs much more than a typical bike at 515 pounds, is anything but a kid's toy. It requires a motorcycle license to drive.
 
43 Kids Stun-Gunned At Miami Prisons' Take Your Kids To Work Day Top
A total of 43 children were directly and indirectly shocked by electric stun guns during simultaneous ''Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day'' events gone wrong at three state prisons, according to new information provided Friday by the Florida Department of Corrections. Also, a group of kids was exposed to tear gas during a demonstration at another lockup.
 
Polls Showing Pro-Life Shift Probably Meaningless: FiveThirtyEight Top
When Pew released a poll earlier this week suggesting that there had been a significant shift in public opinion on abortion in recent months, Nate did a fine post exploring the long-term trends on the subject, and expressing considerable doubt that Pew had discovered anything of great moment. Well, today Gallup released another survey that seems to parallel the Pew findings, such as they are. And since (1) Nate's on vacation, and (2) the two polls together are sure to get tons of play in conjunction with the anti-abortion protests at Notre Dame, not to mention Supreme Court speculation, I'll do a brief post raising a few questions to help tide us over for a while, with particular emphasis on the key questions that pollsters rarely ask on this subject.
 
Natalie Portman Slams Sean Penn Rumors: "Completely Untrue" Top
Natalie Portman has taken the unusual step of releasing a statement about her personal life to shoot down rumors that she has or has had a romantic relationship with Sean Penn, newly split from wife Robin Wright Penn. "Sean Penn is a friend and colleague. The reports that we are romantically involved are completely untrue. I normally do not respond to rumors about my private life, however, this repeatedly fabricated story has forced me to do so." The pair were both judges at Cannes in 2008, and Star Magazine and the NY Post have each linked the pair. More on Sean Penn
 
Brooke Shields: National Enquirer Checked My Mother Out Of Her Nursing Home Top
Brooke Shields's mother, who suffers from dementia, was checked out of a New Jersey nursing home Thursday by a journalist seeking a "tabloid story," the outraged actress tells PEOPLE. Teri Shields, 75, was later found unharmed at a restaurant next door to an assisted living center in Old Tappan, N.J., talking to a freelance reporter, according to police, who say no arrests have been made but the case remains under investigation.
 
Obama Wants $475 Million For Great Lakes Cleanup Top
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A budget proposal from the Obama administration would spend $475 million on beach cleanups, wetlands restoration and removal of toxic sediments from river bottoms around the Great Lakes. The spending represents a first step toward a multiyear campaign to repair decades of damage to the battered ecosystem. It also seeks to ward off new threats by preventing exotic species invasions and cutting down on erosion and runoff. Obama's 2010 budget released in February requested the $475 million for a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, focusing on the region's most pressing environmental problems. When added to existing programs such as sewer system upgrades, it would push annual federal spending on the lakes past $1 billion. The Environmental Protection Agency recently provided more details on how the new money would be used. Government officials and activists from the region analyzed the plan Thursday in a conference call with reporters. "These are exactly the kind of measures we need to return the Great Lakes to health," said Andy Buchsbaum, co-chairman of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. "This is not a long shot. This is the president putting the full weight of his office behind Great Lakes restoration." Supporters urged the region's congressional delegation to fight for complete funding, saying the backing of a popular president from a Great Lakes state _ Illinois _ has opened a unique window of opportunity. "It's very important and urgent to move forward right now," said David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. "The big thing about these problems is that they don't go away, they get worse." Obama's plan is designed to begin a $20 billion restoration plan crafted by government agencies and nonprofit groups in 2005. Much of the 2010 money would be funneled through state, local and tribal agencies. The biggest chunk _ about $147 million _ would clean up toxic spots in rivers and streams. Other spending would include $105 million for habitat and wildlife protection and restoration; $97 million for prevention of near-shore pollution such as farm runoff and erosion; $60 million to battle and prevent invasive species; and $65 million to evaluate and monitor the initiative's progress. Some of the specific goals include: restoring 23,000 acres of coastal, wetland, shoreline and upland habitat for wildlife and 1,000 miles of streams for fish passage; removing up to 1 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments; and cleaning up sources of contaminants at over 100 beaches that were closed five or more days in 2007. Other measuring sticks include the extent and severity of algae blooms that suck oxygen from the lakes and kill fish. Supporters dismissed suggestions that congressional approval of the spending might be hampered by the soaring budget deficit or opposition from other regions. The federal government has supported cleanups of numerous watersheds, such as Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay, said George Kuper, director of the Council of Great Lakes Industries. The initiative would give industry and job growth a boost in the Great Lakes region, home to about 40 million people, Kuper said. Studies estimate that every dollar spent on restoring the lakes will generate twice as much in long-term economic gains, he said. "It may not be obvious, but what is good for the ecosystem is also good for the economy," Kuper said. More on Obama's Budget
 
John Ridley: The Upside of the Minority Population Growth Top
Here's what we know about minorities in America: their names are too hard to pronounce , they're responsible for bringing in the Swine flu -- as devastating as that was -- and they single-handedly caused the financial meltdown . But here's the upside to minority population growth: America is the only western industrialized nation with a fertility rate above the 2.2 percent replacement rate. That means we have a healthy, growing pool among laborer and consumers. People to make stuff and people to buy the stuff being made, which is key for both short-term economic recovery and long term economic health. And also in that regard minorities, who traditionally lag in home ownership, will also fill the "home ownership gap" left between sellers and buyers as boomers continue to age and downsize. Also, as minorities are typically steered into higher priced loans , they will inadvertently and disproportionately help prop up the banking system. The minority population is also younger than the national median age by about ten years -- 27.7 years of age as compared to 36.8 years -- which means minorities will be shouldering social security and medicare as more and more of the current majority check out and cash in. But here's the bad news, 'cause there's always nasty weather ready to rain on our Juneteenth Day: stricter immigration laws and the lousy economy are slowing minority growth among Hispanics and Asians, the two fastest growing minority groups. And blacks aren't really pulling our weight. Despite the stereotypes, we're apparently procreating at a modest 1.3 percent rate. Not only is the slowing minority population growth putting our nation at risk, it's also delaying the "tipping point" at which minority and majority will reverse. The Census Bureau had previously projected that white children would become the minority in 2023 and the white population as a whole would do the same in roughly 2042. Well, now you can add at least ten years to that date. Which means the champagne will have to stay on ice a little longer, and I'm going to have to load up on HGH so I'll be able to party like it's 2052! More important than my party plans for the next 40+ years, all the previous is worth keeping in mind the next time someone starts bitching too loudly about immigration reform and how we're going to kick out 12 million of "those people." It is essentially the minority population growth that is keeping this country afloat. You're welcome. For more perspective please visit That Minority Thing.com
 
Louis Belanger: Diary of an Oxfam worker in Pakistan - "Going back home would be like going to heaven." Top
See below, the diary of Jonaid Jilani, an Oxfam colleague in Pakistan as he just came back from visiting camps packed with displaced people in Mardan, north west part of the country. Ironically, this is one of the most beautiful areas of Pakistan... ************************************** Ahmed Gul was in despair. He had lost five relatives in the conflict in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Now he had made it to the safety of a camp away from the fighting but the last of his rice was about to run out and he didn't know how he was going to feed his family of six. "We survived the shelling but now we've nothing to eat," said Mr Gul, a baker who fled Swat Valley three days ago. "The fighting was all around us. Five members of my family were killed in the attack. It was terrifying. We left everything and walked here. Now we've no food and not enough water." Mr Gul and his family fled with literally just the clothes on their backs and are crammed into a small tent without blankets or any possessions. "I've heard some wheat will be distributed tomorrow, but how can we cook it?" said Mr Gul, motioning around the bare tent. "We've no pots or pans, no utensils, no stove." A feeling of depression and listlessness hangs over the camp. Ten days ago it was a patch of bare ground wedged in between a market and a road within the town of Mardan. Now it's the new home to eight thousand civilians caught up in the fighting. They lay in the intense heat, struggling to get through the worst of the day as temperatures soared into the 40s. I was there for a day and I found it unbearable. Like Mr Gul and his family, most of them looked dirty and worn out. Water is short and they've not been able to wash for days. "I'm worried about the children," said Mr Gul. "They're already getting diarrhoea and allergies. I think they could easily get malaria. There's not enough water to keep them clean." Life is especially tough for the women. Many don't want to meet unfamiliar men and feel they must spend the day inside the roasting tents. There's nowhere private and secluded enough for them to wash. Some water is making it into the camp in tankers and Oxfam will start bringing more in over the coming days, as well as providing soap, buckets and cooking gear. But it's only a relief, not the solution. "The difference between home and here is the difference between the earth and the sky," said Roshana Bibi, one of a group of women huddling under a tree for shade. "Going back home would be like going to heaven." To donate to Oxfam or learn more on the ongoing crisis in Pakistan, please go to: http://www.oxfam.org.uk More on Pakistan
 
Renata Helfman: The Benefits of Natural, Chemical-Free Beauty Products Top
Being a celebrity makeup artist is an interesting job, to say the least. From models to actors to high-profile executives -- whatever is going wrong in their world at the moment, you are supposed to fix with concealer and powder so they can beam and glow with confidence on camera. What amazed me through my career was no matter how big a star, or how famous a celebrity...they would ask me what I thought the best makeup was, or the best skin care, as if I alone held the secret. Well, there is a secret, and when I learned what it was it ended my career as a makeup artist. There are some things a good under-eye cream and a fresh coat of lipstick just can't cover up. When you don't feel good, it is hard to conceal it. Although I had a great diet and had what I thought was a healthy lifestyle, I was tired, fatigued, and just felt "off." I went to my doctor, and after a series of blood tests she gave me a handful of recommendations, one of which was to "eliminate using personal products with chemicals." Sounded easy enough because I didn't use any personal products with chemicals. Or so I thought. What I discovered leveled me. Much like the big tobacco companies did for so many years, cosmetics, skin care and beauty product manufacturers products go virtually unchecked. There is a disconnect between why we use a product, and how we use a product. You can buy a nicotine patch, put it on your skin and what is absorbed into your blood stream curbs your craving for a cigarette. You can apply a birth control patch to your skin and the chemical released goes into your blood stream to prevent pregnancy. Yet we don't think that when we put mascara on our eyelashes, the carcinogenic coal tar gets absorbed into our system as well, or that a skin lotion with parabens puts harmful chemistry into our blood stream...but they do. Unfortunately the mega-corporations that put these products into the marketplace don't want their profits to be impacted by this scientific discovery. The industry being unregulated gives a free pass for these practices to continue. So when I took a look at the ingredients in my personal care products, I realized that virtually everything in my bathroom and makeup kit was laden with harmful chemicals. Slowly I began a search to replace these products with natural choices, and finding products that worked as effectively was no easy task. When I did discover them, not only were they as effective as my previous chemically laden products...they were far more amazing. And they made me feel good, because they were good. So how did this end my career as a makeup artist? After knowing what I now knew, and feeling what I felt, I couldn't perpetuate the cycle anymore, and certainly not on other people. I assembled the "best of the best" of all the products that I found and opened a store, dedicated to chemical-free, natural, eco-beauty products. My standards were high, coming from the world of high-end beauty compromising quality and effectiveness was a huge concern of mine, until I realized that I didn't have to compromise at all. After two years and a life-changing transition, the success of the store has brought me full circle with many of the stars, celebrities and Hollywood powerhouses that I had as clients. I still get that inevitable question, "what is the best skin care" or "what is the best makeup", and now I can honestly tell them the real secret. The most important ingredients are about what is not in the bottle, because whatever is in there, goes in you. While changing regulations may not be in the immediate future, the options to make a better choice, and an informed choice, are out there. Someone had to turn the lightbulb on for me, but once they did the impact it had on my health, and how I felt, and how I looked was so transformative -- it truly changed my life...and it is a secret that is not worth keeping.
 
Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh: She's Anorexic, and You're a Bad Mother Top
I was told in 2002 to stop feeding my child. She was anorexic and her young body was failing, but I was told it wasn't my business and it wasn't about food. They were wrong. They're still wrong. And they're still saying it. But why should the public care? If you don't have a loved one with an eating disorder you may think you know all you need to know about things like anorexia and bulimia and it isn't your problem. But you need to know this: you are next. The need for evidence-based treatment of all mental illnesses is urgent and the cost of business as usual lives and money and the silent hell of people you know. There are effective treatments for depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and eating disorders and there are parents fighting to get these treatments for their loved ones in vain. We are all paying the price. Eating disorders are brain disorders. This isn't opinion, it is fact. The head of the NIMH, Dr. Thomas Insel, says so, as do the leading experts. Eating disorders are biologically based and genetically transmitted. They are treatable, and yes, food plays a major role in recovery. But a parent seeking help for a loved one lost in anorexia or bulimia or a related illness isn't usually told these things. Parents are told to back off, read a book on "letting go," and prescribed an anti-depressant for their obvious distress. We are asked for insurance information, our own dieting history, and why we think our child has chosen to do this. But why? Modern researchers and research-based clinics now say that the food is medicine and parents need to deliver it. The Family-Based Maudsley approach shows the best results and the APA and our government health authorities acknowledge this. So why was I told to back off? The same reason the parents of autistic and schizophrenic children were once blamed for those illnesses: wrongly, unfairly and at great cost. No one talks about Refrigerator Mothers or Schizophrenogenic Mothers any more but we're still doing routine "Parent-ectomies" on eating disorder patients. We see patients as victims and look for abusers. Parents accept the blame because guilt is what we do . But I'm not doing guilt any more. I'm not doing shame or blame about this illness. Not blaming my child, not blaming the media, not blaming myself or her father or my own mother. My genes, well, that hand of cards had anorexia in it but also my daughter's curly hair and work ethic and artistic drive. I love this kid for her whole self, and admire the fact that she fought her anorexia and won when her brain was healed enough to take that on herself. And she did, she's fully recovered. Who does she blame for the illness that once threatened her life and estranged her from the world? Her genes. Who does she credit for her recovery? Herself, family, food, a good treatment team, and evidence-based treatment. And that's why I wrote a book, why I blog, why I started a nonprofit for parents of eating disorder patients: because parents are still being told they have to step back when they need to step forward. Because parents aren't told about evidence-based treatment. We need a worldwide movement to tell parents and caregivers they don't need to slink off in a corner and write penitent checks to people who aren't keeping up with their field. A few years ago I had a chance to interview Dr. Insel at NIMH on camera for a video I produced, called "Do Parents Cause Eating Disorders." I asked why eating disorders don't get the research and funding one would expect for an illness affecting at least 3% of the population. His answer was "parents." He's right: look at any powerful movement in healthcare and it is the patients and their parents who rose up and got it done. With child health, and mental health, it is parents who carry the pitchforks and the placards. I'm making it my business to foment revolutionary fervor in parents, not just of eating disorder patients but for all mental illnesses. Revolutions used to start around the hearth, but I'll settle for the warming fires of the blogosphere. Revolutionaries wanted: apply within.
 
Les Leopold: Fear and Looting in America: Krugman Takes on Globalization? Top
"Sooner than most people think, countries that refuse to limit their greenhouse gas emissions will face sanctions, probably in the form of taxes on their exports. They will complain bitterly that this is protectionism, but so what? Globalization doesn't do much good if the globe itself becomes unlivable." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/opinion/15krugman.html Paul Krugman argues that China must do something about its carbon emissions or we're all cooked. And he is willing to support carbon taxes on imports to get there, even if it violates free trade rules. This separates him from most economists and columnists who promote globalization at all costs. The proponents of unfettered globalization look upon "Buy-American" proposals with great disdain. They argue that tariffs merely raise the price of imported goods and in effect subsidize a few workers' jobs. Also, such protectionist tariffs supposedly will lead to retaliatory actions on our exports and thereby cut back the jobs of those who work in export-related industries. So overall, in theory, protectionism hurts more people than it helps, both here and abroad. (In practice, we're losing millions of manufacturing jobs while ballooning our financial sector that turned out to be full of... hot air.) In addition to climate change, Krugman is willing to make other exceptions as well. For example, he argues that protectionist measures may be necessary to ensure that stimulus money is spent at home. This will also force other countries to improve their stimulus efforts and this will have a positive impact on fighting the recession globally. http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/protectionism-and-stimulus-wonkish/ It would be good if he took the next step: recognizing that dislocated manufacturing workers in the Midwest have their own definition of an "unlivable globe." If you lose your job to low production costs in countries where workers have no unions, no health and safety protection, no environmental controls and where workers may get shot or arrested for organizing, you might question the wonders of free trade. If you lose your job and if you can't provide for your family, global warming may not be your first priority. Of course, we should embrace Krugman's proposal to tax imports from countries that don't reduce their carbon footprints, assuming that we finally start to do so as well. But we will also have to challenge the alleged blessings of free trade in order to support those who have been creamed by globalized production. In theory, those workers are supposed to find new work in new higher-value industries. In practice they end up, if they're lucky, stocking shelves at Wall Mart. In Denmark, such dislocated workers are given nearly full pay to go back to school for several years to prepare for new jobs. Here, they're on their own. They have a right to ask for tariffs to protect their livelihoods. But won't new green jobs create a new competitive industrial base? Won't workers be hired to build new wind turbines, solar panels and to construct a new smart electrical grid? Won't we need to manufacture high speed rails and trains in America? Won't we need to manufacture goods to weatherize homes? Surely, this will create more than enough high-paying jobs. Maybe. It's certainly possible, but right now there is no guarantee such production will take place in the US. Green manufacturing might also go off-shore to take advantage of low-wage labor. Don't be surprised if you see cargo ships carrying giant wind turbine blades chugging into port from around the globe... and belching up a lot of carbon to get here. We need to a new way to look at protectionism -- one that both protects the globe and that protects jobs. We should use precise boarder adjustment taxes to enhance home-cooked green industries. After all, "Globalization doesn't do much good if the globe itself becomes unlivable," either for the polar bears or for unemployed steelworkers. Les Leopold is the author of The Looting of America: How Wall Street's Game of Fantasy Finance destroyed our Jobs, Pensions and Prosperity, and What we can do about it. (Chelsea Green Publishing, June 2009) More on Paul Krugman
 
Blagojevich Lands R. Kelly's Lawyers Top
The theatrical father-and-son team Sam Adam and Sam Adam Jr., best known for defending R. Kelly, told me today they are officially on board Blago's case. More on Rod Blagojevich
 
Sheila Bair Predicts Bank Chiefs Will Be Replaced In Next Few Months Top
Bank chief executives will be replaced in the next couple of months as the U.S. scrutinizes financially troubled lenders, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair predicted. More on Bank Of America
 

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1 comment:

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