Jul 29 2008
What’s Behind the Bombings in Turkey?
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On Sunday two back-to-back bombs went off in the Turkish capital of Istanbul, killing 17 people. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately implied that it was the work of the Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK. But the PKK denied the accusations, and commentators agreed that the bombings were a departure from their usual tactics. According to the PM, the attacks were a “cost” of the military campaign against the PKK based in northern Iraq. The PKK is listed by the United States and Turkey as a terrorist group. They took up arms in 1984 ostensibly with the aim of creating an homeland in southeast Turkey. About 40,000 people have reportedly been killed in the conflict over more than two decades. There is speculation that the weekend’s …
As oil giant Conoco-Phillips reported a record-high profit, consumers are still suffering from steep gas prices at the pump. The third-largest oil producer in the US posted its laregst ever profits of $5.4 billion. Consumer Watchdog, a locally base organization, expects this to kick-off what they are calling a “profit-orgy” by the major oil companies. The group is calling on Congress to act swiftly to address the problem. Democrats have pursued two pieces of legislation focused on releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and placing restrictions on oil speculators, both of which Consumer Watchdog recommends. Meanwhile, Republicans continue to insist that offshore drilling will lower oil prices, contrary to much evidence in the opposite direction. 
The Senate approved the Housing and Economy Recovery Act of 2008 last Saturday as home foreclosures continue to mount. According to new data released by RealtyTrac Incorporated, foreclosure filings in the second quarter more than doubled compared to last year. Nearly 750,000 homes across the nation received foreclosure-related notices during the second quarter of this year. The housing relief bill, which now awaits a signature from President Bush, will apparently provide aid to an estimated 400,000 homeowners. However, critics contend that the actual number of those who will be able to save their homes in the form of new mortgages at 85% of the appraised value, is closer to 260,000. As many as 140,000 homeowners, who would bring their failing mortgages to the Federal Housing …
The House of Representatives last week passed legislation intended to separate airlines from its government oversight agency. Citing years of too-cozy-a-relationship between the airline industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the bill addresses a dangerous “revolving door” between the two groups and calls for a “whistleblower” office on safety matters. In March of this year, hundreds of aircraft with American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest were grounded for overdue safety inspections, frustrating thousands of passengers. In addition to safety, most airlines are charging passengers for every possible perk from food service, to checked-in bags. HR 6355, the “Air Service Improvement Act of 2008,” which is a Passengers’ Bill of Rights, is currently being considered by Congress. 
Less than two weeks after carrying out orders to lay off 150 newsroom workers, the publisher of the Los Angeles Times resigned earlier this month in protest. The Times now finds itself without a publisher, advertising director, foreign editor, editorial editor, or UN bureau chief. Sam Zell, owner of the Times, says the downsize results from “some of the worst advertising numbers in the history of the world.” The LA Times is owned by the Chicago Tribune, whose editor also resigned after seven years on the job after the paper announced that 80 positions would be cut. Newspapers across the country face similar troubles and readers worry that the journalistic quality will suffer. In his recent article “So Goes the Newsroom, the Empire and …
A new study released by the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice has found that mercury pollution from cement kilns is nearly double the level projected by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the environmental groups, 23,000 pounds of mercury emissions are released into the air every year. The report also claims that the EPA was negligent for over a decade in terms of imposing regulations on cement plants emitting thousands of pounds of toxic mercury annually. Two Northern California cement kilns are singled out as being among the nation’s worst mercury polluters. The emission rates from plants in Cupertino and Davenport make the Bay Area the highest mercury polluted region in the state. As a neurotoxin, mercury, in the smallest amounts, can cause adverse health …
