Thursday, June 11, 2009

Y! Alert: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Yahoo! Alerts
My Alerts

The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com


Paul Rieckhoff: Are We Poisoning Our Troops? Congress Takes Critical Step in Addressing Burn Pits in Iraq, Afghanistan Top
Veterans have heard time and again about their fellow troops falling ill after serving near burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan: Dennis Gogel was stationed in Balad twice between 2004 and 2006. He said he was in housing just a few hundred yards from the [burn] pit and would often jog past the pit. The 29-year old Gogel said that in the last two years he's had upper respiratory infections, skin irritation and he's lost 60 pounds since deployment. "I have blotchy spots on my face. I was treated for psoriasis, but it won't go way," he said. Gogel said his doctors do not know what caused the problems. Gogel said it has affected his fitness, too. "I used to run two miles in 10 minutes. I am up to 17," he said.       - CNN Already, seven class-action lawsuits are pending on behalf of troops and contractors who say they were sickened by burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.   And at least one servicemember, Air Force Maj. Kevin Wilkins, may have died as a result of the toxic exposure.     These reports are troubling, but they may be only the beginning. For years, the military has been using burn pits to dispose of hazardous waste at its bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pits burn everything from dining and maintenance materials to waste from medical facilities. T his practice has potentially exposed thousands of servicemembers to toxic air and poor health conditions.   Unfortunately, toxic exposure from the battlefield is not a new issue. Veterans of previous generations struggled for decades to have conditions such as Agent Orange exposure and Gulf War Syndrome recognized as service-connected. For decades, they were denied appropriate healthcare and benefits. Thanks to years of dedicated advocacy, these veterans now finally have the access to medical registries, treatment, and disability benefits they deserve. But our country cannot repeat this same pattern of denial and delay with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.   I first wrote about this issue a few months back, when IAVA launched a campaign demanding that the defense contractor KBR “come clean” about their involvement in chemical exposure cases.   We got dozens of reports from our members around the country who reported illnesses after serving near burn pits.   And thousands of Americans took action and stood up for our troops. Yesterday, we saw some results.     Congress took a critical step forward to identifying and treating troops that may be suffering as a result of these burn pits. IAVA joined members of Congress, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), veterans and their families in a press conference on Capitol Hill to express support for the “Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Act” (H.R.2419) , recently introduced by Representatives Tim Bishop and Carol Shea-Porter. This important legislation would establish a medical registry to help identify servicemembers exposed to toxins, and improve the care and benefits they receive. It would also limit the military’s use of burn pits, so that other servicemembers aren’t put at risk.       When our troops deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, they understand very well the dangers of combat.   These brave men and women have enough to worry about from insurgents, snipers and roadside bombs. They shouldn’t also have to worry about poison in the air they breathe. This legislation is the first step toward getting our veterans proper care. Congress must now move quickly to pass this legislation— every second they waste means more lives at risk.      Crossposted at IAVA.org . More on Afghanistan
 
Krugman Slams Glenn Beck, O'Reilly, Limbaugh: Right-Wing Extremism "Fed By The Conservative Media" Top
Back in April, there was a huge fuss over an internal report by the Department of Homeland Security warning that current conditions resemble those in the early 1990s -- a time marked by an upsurge of right-wing extremism that culminated in the Oklahoma City bombing. More on Paul Krugman
 
William Bradley: Obama's Crisis Management: North Korea, Again Top
 
Gay Marriage, State by State: A Tipping Point? Top
Jeff Lax and Justin Phillips put together a dataset using national opinion polls from 1994 through 2009 and analyzed several different opinion questions on gay rights. Here I'm going to talk about their estimates of state-by-state trends in support for gay marriage. More on Gay Marriage
 
Hate Websites Remove Online Traces Of Von Brunn Top
Shortly after authorities identified their suspect in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting Wednesday, the world began searching for traces of James W. von Brunn online. Those who Googled immediately were able to find him: a personal Web site claiming Jewish "conspiracies," diatribes posted on message boards. But those who started their hunt just a few hours later would have found only empty holes -- information that was scrubbed away as Web sites figured out how to address the fact that they had once hosted the words of an accused murderer.
 
Heidi Montag's Playboy Gig: Poses Naked For Magazine Top
Heidi Montag has gotten a lot of exposure lately -- but the newlywed is about to get even more: She has posed for the September issue of Playboy, PEOPLE has confirmed. More on Playboy
 
Denzel Washington On His Nosebleed Inauguration Seats And Playing Obama (VIDEO) Top
Denzel Washington talked about his trip to the inauguration and the idea he could play Obama in a biopic while on "The Late Show" Thursday night. After Dave Letterman held up a photo of Denzel sitting alone in a sea of empty chairs the day of the inauguration, the actor explained how his wife mistakenly told him they had to be there at 7 am. Worse, when he got there in the freezing cold, his family's seats were far from the action. Fortunately with his hours of extra time, he climbed barriers and skipped ahead to snag a better view of the ceremony. And while Denzel had heard his named has been bandied about for a possible Obama movie, it seemed the president may prefer Will Smith because of his more prominent ears. WATCH: More on Barack Obama
 
Obama Gives Up On Bringing Released Gitmo Inmates To U.S. Top
The Obama administration has all but abandoned plans to allow Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release to live in the United States, administration officials said yesterday, a decision that reflects bipartisan congressional opposition to admitting such prisoners but complicates efforts to convince European allies to accept them. More on Guantánamo Bay
 
Zachary Karabell: Youssou N'Dour and"I Bring What I Love": An elegaic meditation on faith, Islam and music Top
President Obama's speech in Cairo last week as well as the candid and heated debates in Iran during its contentious presidential election provide yet another opportunity to revisit the sterile images of Islam that dominate the discussion both in the West and throughout the Muslim world as well. That discussion is framed by Muslim terrorists or extremists on the one hand squaring off against secular but resentful populations on the other. That is one facet of a kaleidoscope, a potent one but in no way the only one. If there's any doubt on that score, a new documentary focusing on the career of Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour should dispel it utterly. "I Bring What I Love" is an elegiac, beautiful film, years in the making, and it will start playing in New York this week and then in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Like all documentaries, it will be dwarfed by the summer blockbusters that surround it, but this film deserves an audience. In 2004, N'Dour's album "Egypt" created a controversy in Senegal and among a vocal handful of his fans because he set verses of the Koran to music. One of the debates between more fundamentalist Muslims and much of Muslim society world-wide is over the proper role of music in worship - not unlike the struggles among Baptists about dancing. N'Dour was and is a hugely popular singer with a world-wide following and adored in Senegal, and the negative reaction of several key members of the religious establishment in his country saddened and surprised him. N'Dour speaks passionately in the film about his love of God and his devotion to the Koran, and explains that he could think of no better way to honor his faith and his God than by putting those verses to music, as generations of Sufi mystics have done. His album ultimately won a Grammy, and in 2008 N'Dour was named one of Time Magazine's most influential people. But even without that recognition, N'Dour, his music, and this film would stand as a testament to the immensely complicated tapestry of global Islam, which cannot be defined by what clerics in Saudi Arabia or the mountains of Afghanistan say, or by the rhetoric of angry parties in Lebanon and Iran. Youssou N'Dour lays as much claim to speaking for a true Islam, and he does so with poetry, grace and beauty. That not only deserves a place at the table; it must be there, and as long as individuals like N'Dour can pour forth their hope in humanity with such mellifluous joy, it will be. More on Iranian Election
 
WATCH LIVE: A Cause For Comedy! Top
Causecast , "a one-stop philanthropy shop" is hosting A Cause For Comedy, the first ever Internet comedy benefit series, tonight at 8pm PT. Proceeds go to NextAid (make a donation here .) Comedians include Ben Morrison, Dan Levy, Whitney Cummings, J Chris Newburg, and Sam Tripoli. WATCH: For more information check out this blog by Causecast's managing editor and watch the promo video below...
 
Tracy Hepler: You Are What You Eat: Food Inc. Brings Food to the Forefront Top
The film Food Inc premieres on June 12th in LA, SF and NYC and brings dinner and the food industry to the center stage of a serious debate that is happening across the country. The adage "you are what you eat" has been around for a very long time. However, it seems that during the last 50 years, a greater part of the American population has forgotten that. Food has become as simple as getting into your car, driving to your local super market and filling up your cart. Easy, but the question I pose is: what have we given up for that convenience? In a sense it seems as if we have lost touch with our food. You no longer buy a whole chicken -- you buy nicely cleaned extra large chicken breasts. Items such as cereals or peanut butter have a slew of ingredients that most individuals can't even pronounce (mostly derivatives of corn) and aren't even necessary ingredients for the final product. We have also developed the mindset that food should be cheap and balk at the idea of paying high costs for food, but will find value in buying a brand new car, plasma TV or designer clothes. Looking at today's society it seems clear that when it comes to our food and nutrition, our priorities are out of whack. We need a wake up call and Food Inc is just that. Director Robert Kenner and investigative authors Eric Schlosser ( Fast Food Nation ) and Michael Pollan ( The Omnivore's Dilemma ) bring their literary works to big screen and take us inside the corporate food world and show first hand what has been hidden from us for a very long time. The film takes you to a massive cattle feed lot/factory farm where cows are on top of one another and in their own manure 24/7. These animals are also feed corn (a carbohydrate that fattens them up quicker than grass which is their natural food source). Cows are not naturally designed for corn consumption and as a result their stomachs are creating new strains of E. Coli and passing it on to roughly 73,000 Americans each year. Cows aren't the only animals being mistreated. The pigs don't have it any better, nor do the chickens. Tyson farms, the largest producer of chickens in the U.S. have engineered their chickens to grow in 49 days (compared to 90 days for a normal chicken). These chickens grow so fast that their bones and muscles cannot keep up with their weight, they can only take a few steps before collapsing from exhaustion. The processing of these animals is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country and the meat processing corporations such as Smithfield's are actively seeking out and bringing in illegal immigrant labor from Mexico (these workers no longer have any work in their own towns because the Mexican farmers can't compete with subsidized American corn due to NAFTA.) The film also sheds light on a major Agribusiness company Monsanto . Monsanto was responsible for "Agent Orange" a chemical weapon that was used during the Vietnam War. They have since turned to the agriculture business and have created a genetically modified soybean crop. This crop has a patented gene that is now present in 90% of the nation's soybeans. Since Monsanto owns the patent, farmers are now forbidden to save and reuse their seed and must buy new seeds from Monsanto each season. What really angered me was the fact that, even if you never bought Monsanto seeds but say your neighbor did and through pollination some of the Monsanto seed got on to your property -- you are at fault for violating the patent. Monsanto uses its patents to bully these small farmers with lawsuits. These farmers don't have the funds to fight Monsanto legally and are often forced to settle. Basically Monsanto has eliminated most of the soybean diversity in the U.S. You would think that government organizations such as the FDA and the USDA are in place for consumer safety, rather that corporate profit but the film points out that it's unfortunately not the case. The film highlights a list of government employees and regulators in government office, departments and even on the Supreme Court, many whom were previous employees of the large corporations who they are now regulating. Unfortunately many of these former employees tend to be biased and in favor of the corporation -- not the consumer. The film continues to go into different aspects of how the food industry affects our day-to-day lives. One family who is struggling to pay the bills and cannot afford to buy fruits and vegetables specifically struck me. The father of the family has type two diabetes and has to spend a substantial amount of the family budget on his medication. They continue to buy fast food because it's cheap. While it is difficult to compete with a 99 cent burger, a bag of beans which today you can get three bags for $5 at the grocery store is much more affordable and a nutritious alternative. Perhaps if they began to eat healthier, he wouldn't have to spend so much of the family budget on medication -- fast food isn't the only option if you're on a tight budget, but it might be the easiest. Overall the information presented is really enlightening and if you didn't get to read In Defense of Food , The Omnivore's Dilemma or Fast Food Nation you can sort of get the gist of the message throughout the film. The message is not all doom and gloom. In fact we learn that Organics as a whole is the fastest growing food segment with a 20% growth rate each year. The most important message I took from film is that though we might feel helpless compared to these corporate giants -- we in fact have the power with what we chose to buy each day. So if the saying is true and you in fact are what you eat -- we can chose to be the GMOs from Monsanto, or the Factory Farmed chemically enhanced meats, or we can choose to be healthier, devote a little more to what goes inside and fuels us. Alice Water's recently put it best when she said, " You pay for it upfront, or you'll pay for it outback ." Visit this post from the Sierra Club Blog on how to eat well on a budget.
 
Oakland Police Investigate Beauty Salon Beatdown (VIDEO) Top
A vicious assault on an Oakland hair stylist was caught on camera and is now being investigated by the Oakland police department, reports KTVU . The video shows women kicking and beating Melissa Seals, who was convinced by family members to go to the police a month after the incident. Seals was busy with a customer when six women entered the salon and two of them commenced to attack her, reports the San Francisco Examiner . One of the six women reportedly videotaped the beating and posted it on YouTube. According to the San Jose Mercury News , Seals' mother wants the assailants to go to jail. The victim, 35-year-old Melissa Seals, was "held her against her will, imprisoned in her own shop," said her mother, Delois Seals today. "They stole all of her merchandise, and they raised the blinds so everybody walking by could see what they were doing." Watch the video:
 
Greg Dalton: Sometimes Oil and Water Do Mix Top
The chiefs of Chevron and The Sierra Club sat down in public yesterday for the first time ever and moments into the conversation the audience of nearly 700 people realized something amazing was happening. While many thought they were about to see a smackdown between Big Green and Big Oil, Chevron CEO Dave O'Reilly and Sierra Club Executive Director quickly struck a cordial and respectful tone. Prodded by the moderator, Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor of the Wall Street Journal , they both acknowledged the science of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which stipulates rising temperatures are in fact happening and are due to human activity. Secondly, O'Reilly said Chevron didn't join the United States Climate Action Partnership because he didn't want to be "hog tied." Pope quickly replied saying The Sierra Club didn't join for "exactly" the same reasons. The climate group, known as USCAP, is an alliance of about 40 large energy producers such as Shell and BP, manufacturers such as Dupont and Ford, and environmental groups including Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defence Council and others. They have been a major force in shaping the Waxman-Markey climate bill. Pope and O'Reilly disagree passionately about many questions, particularly the cost and pace of the transition from fossil fuels. Pope cited scientific suggestions that carbon pollution must be reduced by 80 percent by 2050 to avoid catastrophic consequences of severe climate change. "We'll be lucky if we can get 20 percent or 25 percent by 2050," O'Reilly countered, saying that pace is determined by turning over capital stock such as refineries. The unprecedented gathering happened as part of Climate One, a leadership dialogue I run in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club of California. It convenes thinkers and doers in public and private forums to advance the transition to a prosperous low carbon future. The climax occurred when they ganged up together on the coal industry. Agreeing with Pope that reducing coal is critical to carbon reduction, O'Reilly bemoaned the "coal lobby getting free handouts" in this "new crazy bill." Pope then invited O'Reilly to go to Washington together to push back against coal. After a pause, O'Reilly shook Pope's hand and nodded his head. But he didn't say a word. "The coal industry sent oil and gas its share of the dinner bill," Pope said, later. As O'Reilly listened intently, he praised the oil industry for greatly improving the technology and methods of drilling for oil and said the problem with oil is not extracting it, but burning it. And getting in one last, irresistible dig, Pope said: "We waste a lot of oil. That isn't your fault. It's General Motors' fault." Oh, how times are a changing. More on Climate Change
 
Rob Cohen: I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Episode 6 Recap: 2nd Hour Bonus, or 2nd Hour Curse? Top
It's hard to believe that I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! could reach new levels of absurdity and boredom at the same time. Usually something that's absurd is at least entertaining. This is a first for NBC. I'm not sure if the second hour Wednesday night was a bonus or a curse. Either way, here's the (extended) recap: Act One: In the opening montage, it looked like they showed us the women winning, and the announces saying "The women fight back." If the women do end up winning, that was a ridiculous spoiler. Daniel Baldwin's statement that "the opportunity to be immune is the best prize you can win in this competition." Really? I thought they're all trying to revive their sagging careers? Wouldn't that be a better prize? I've finally decided that alcohol is necessary for viewing this show. Consuming beer #1. Act Two: An entire segment on monkeys? Glad I have a beer in me. Janice is making me despise her. "Do I like doing dishes? No. I have been famous since 1974." Fact: famous people should never do dishes. Act Three: Do they really need to recap the second act at the beginning of the third act? We can't remember? Does NBC think they're really getting NEW viewers between each act break who will need to understand what's going on? We're stupid for watching this show, but we're not that stupid. The arrival of Holly Montag is the least interesting surprising thing that's happened yet. And if Janice is now allied with Holly, are we supposed to see Holly as an antagonist as well? Act Four: I love that Holly doesn't care if she shocks Janice a couple times on the path to victory. This show really thinks of great punishments for its villains. The "tie-breaker" round was extremely anti-climactic. They're really just making this up as they go along. Does anyone really care who wins a food trial? Food is something we can't experience as viewers. Why don't the challenges have meaningful consequences for us as viewers? The whole thing is pointless! Consuming beer #2. Act Five: Alright, Patti's trying to garner sympathy for her family again (Helicopters were flying over your house?! Oh no!). I think I need to fast forward. Patti, you're right, it is nice that the people on this show believe the crap you're peddling. It's nice for you. Too bad the viewers aren't buying it. Enjoy the good life in the jungle while it lasts. I shouldn't have stopped fast forwarding. An entire segment on food is pointless. It doesn't matter to viewers at home! How about we design a game with consequences that's interesting to watch? Consuming beer #3. Act Six: This act was spent on emotional stories about loved ones the celebrities knew who have died. Am I a bad person for thinking it's unbearable? I doubt it. I don't buy it for a second. Janice actually redeemed herself a bit when they cut to her sleeping through the whole thing. Act Seven: I really don't need to see Janice taking a piss right next to her bed. Dear God. I can't believe they spent an entire act discussing it and getting revenge for it. I really hope she takes a shit on one of the Baldwin's pillows like she promised. Act Eight: Janice's is a nut job. That comparison to Courtney Love was pretty applicable. I just wish I were actually interested in this conflict. Act Nine: Just finished beer #4 and nothing that's happening on the show is more interesting than that. Act Ten: No surprise that Patti was good with numbers. She must've been in charge of cooking the books somewhere at some time. Why is it not raining in camp when there's a torrential downpour through the rest of the forest? Is there a roof over their heads they haven't been showing us? I guess there must be -- and I should've realized it earlier. The lighting designer is very good. Act Eleven: As I listen to this ridiculous argument between Janice and the rest of camp, I can't pull my focus away from Janice: I understanding oiling up your legs, but do you really need the stuff all over your face? I'm strangely intrigued by this final conflict. Janice is absolutely insane to have stolen one of the granola bars. This would be legitimately entertaining if it didn't look so staged. I stopped counting how many beers I was drinking. It wasn't enough. More on NBC
 

CREATE MORE ALERTS:

Auctions - Find out when new auctions are posted

Horoscopes - Receive your daily horoscope

Music - Get the newest Album Releases, Playlists and more

News - Only the news you want, delivered!

Stocks - Stay connected to the market with price quotes and more

Weather - Get today's weather conditions




You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.

No comments:

Post a Comment