Catfish Wallow

02-25-09

US Lags 10 Years Behind Europe in Regulating Toxicity of Everyday Products (democracynow) "The stuff is an array of ingredients that . . . are determined to cause cancer, . . . reproductive damage, and . . . mutation of human genes. They’re called CMRs. . . . Back and forth, back and forth, there’s been massive lobbying by the American chemical industry to try to prevent the Europeans from moving forward. . . . We get the toxic toys . . . electronics . . . material that other countries around the world are protected from." America is now the dumping ground.

Report gives Texas schools failing grade in sex education (mcclatchydc) "The overwhelming majority of Texas schools use scare tactics and spread myths in place of teaching basic sex and health information that students can use to protect themselves and others . . . . Most Texas students receive no instruction about human sexuality apart from the promotion of sexual abstinence." -- The damage to these kids is incalculable and utterly shameful. I believe any Texas 'sex education' victim should have the right to sue the state for willful negligence in this crucial area of their education and should be able to sue for damages if an STD or unwanted pregnancy has occurred.

It's Not Universal Health Care, but… (politico) "To the casual listener, President Barack Obama's promises on health care Tuesday may have sounded like an unequivocal vow to get all Americans health insurance coverage by the end of 2009. But in reality, that's not exactly what he pledged Tuesday night. , , , Obama's speech contained several caveats and deliberately avoided language that could box in Obama . . . . Parsing his statements even more closely, Obama never actually said he would get insurance coverage for all, just 'quality, affordable health care.' . . . Already some who favor universal coverage are watching Obama's words - and actions - very closely."
Nobel Prize-Winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz: Obama Has Confused Saving the Banks with Saving the Bankers (democracynow)

Scientists Find Bigger than Expected Polar Ice Melt (commondreams) "These assessments continue to be refined, but it now appears that both the Greenland and the Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass and thus raising sea level, and that the rate of ice loss from Greenland is growing. . . . During the survey in 2007 and 2008, special expeditions in the Arctic also found an "unprecedented rate" of floating drift ice, providing 'compelling evidence of changes' in the region." Urgency is greater today than just two years ago.
Climate Change Risk Was Underestimated (commonground) "If the associated risks are larger, the necessity is also larger to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions . . . ."
Climate change timetable slips as Obama backtracks on 2008 deadline (guardian) "Campaign pledge to quickly pass laws to cut emissions faltering in the first weeks of his presidency" Robert Gibbs, also indicated on Monday that Obama was easing up on his timetable for climate legislation. He told reporters the president would support moves by Congress to act on global warming "whether that's this year or next year".

Sadists at Gitmo increase the abuse since December (reuters) -- Obama should crack down hard on these sadistic abusers NOW.
Report Contradicts Gov't Claims of 'Humane' Detention (ips) "A leading human rights organisation charges that contrary to recent U.S. government reports that found prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba being treated humanely, they are in fact 'deteriorating at a rapid rate' due to 'harsh conditions that continue to this day, despite a few cosmetic changes to their routines.'"
Greenwald: Was Binyam Mohamed brutalized at Guantanamo in the last month? (salon) "Binyam Mohamed will return to Britain suffering from a huge range of injuries after being beaten by US guards right up to the point of his departure from Guantánamo Bay [on Saturday. Feb 21], according to the first detailed accounts of his treatment inside the camp."

Guantánamo: We Need the Truth (guardian/uk) "Without transparency about Binyam Mohamed's torture, the damage done will linger for years after the camp's closure. ,,, We must not be squeamish or turn a blind eye to what has happened to him. Over seven years he has been shackled and blindfolded, flown to dark prisons across the world and kept incommunicado. He has made allegations of systematic torture, and says he had up to 20 or 30 cuts made into his penis and genitalia, with chemicals poured on the wounds for extra pain. In Guantánamo, reports suggest he was routinely humiliated and abused, resulting in long periods on hunger strike in protest. In all this time, Mohamed was never charged with a crime."

Congressman Brian Baird wants military aid to Israel reassessed (sanfranciscosentinel) "Rep. Brian Baird, a Democrat from Washington state, visited Gaza last week with fellow Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and was struck by 'the level of destruction, the scope of it, specifically the civilian targets - schools, hospitals, industry.' Baird also said Israel had 'apparently willfully destroyed any capacity of the Palestinians to rebuild their own infrastructure.'"

Wednesday, February 25, 2009