Nov
19
2009
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the entire program
Americans get half their electricity from coal-fired power plants, and globally about 40% of carbon emissions worldwide are attributable to coal. As the planet continues to precipitously warm, coal’s effects on global warming are becoming more apparent. The coal industry is worried about federal legislation aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as about …
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Nov
19
2009
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the entire program
The UN World Summit on Food Security in Rome wrapped up yesterday with little progress on how to tackle the problem of global hunger. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was the only major Western leader to make an appearance at the event his nation hosted. Even though food prices have temporarily fallen after a sharp increase last year, …
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Nov
19
2009
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the entire program
Buenaventura Durruti Falls in Battle
Back in the day on November 19th, 1936, a bullet struck Spanish revolutionary Buenaventura Durruti. As civil war engulfed his country, the dedicated anarchist arrived with a column to reinforce the defense of Madrid against the fascists. The wound Durrutti sustained during the ensuing street battles proved to be fatal as he died …
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Nov
19
2009
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” — Albert Einstein …
Nov
18
2009
We’ll have an in-depth conversation with Matthew Hoh about why he resigned from his Foreign Service position in Afghanistan to protest the war. And a new groundbreaking report on coal and human health reveals the ugly extent of damage by this fossil fuel. Plus, the UN World Summit on Food Security ends in failure – we’ll find out why. …
Nov
18
2009
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the entire program
Today, staff union members and students from the University of California system will descend upon UCLA in protest of proposed fee hikes. The UC governing Board of Regents is meeting this week on campus and is expected to issue a panel vote today on a proposal to raise student fees thirty-two percent over the next year. The student-led strike …
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Nov
18
2009
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the entire program
Going Rogue: An American Life, Sarah Palin’s first book, became a best-seller before it even hit bookstores yesterday. But news reports about it’s inaccuracies are coming thick, including her creative interpretations of various pieces of legislation. Some members of the media are questioning if the book really belongs in the fiction section. Others point out that it …
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Nov
18
2009
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the entire program
In it’s annual corruption report, Transparency International revealed that Afghanistan and Iraq, the two countries most recently occupied by the US, also suffer from among the worst levels of corruption. Iraq and Afghanistan are also recipients of billions of dollars in aid, while ordinary Afghans and Iraqis suffer from rampant poverty. Meanwhile, on a global …
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Nov
18
2009
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the entire program
U.S. Warships in Nicaragua
Back in the day on November 18th, 1909, President William Howard Taft ordered two U.S. warships to Nicaragua. The show of force was in response to the execution of two Americans, Lee Roy Cannon and Leonard Groce. The pair had joined the “Estrada Rebellion” that had broken out against Nicaraguan President Jose Santos Zelaya. …
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Nov
18
2009
“Poverty is the worst form of violence.” — Mahatma Gandhi …