[In case it needs to be said: I don't agree with every word of everything I link to. --L.]
- The Sun is changing the rate of radioactive decay, and breaking the rules of chemistry
- [io9 - Alasdair Wilkins]
The Sun is changing the supposedly constant rates of decay of radioactive elements, and we have absolutely no idea why. But an entirely unknown particle could be behind it. Plus, this discovery could help us predict deadly solar flares.
- The New Yorker Maps Koch Industries’ Right-Wing Creations
- [Crooks and Liars - karoli]
It’s really good to see a publication that circulates in print and online put the Koch family in the spotlight in this weeks’ cover story.
I’ve spent the past year researching the different tentacles of the Republican party and how the money flows, much of which I’ve reported here [link]. But it never seems to slide into the mainstream. Until today, when Jane Mayer put it all together for New Yorker readers.
The only thing she missed was this: FreedomWorks is also a Koch enterprise. She started to go there, then backed off, but it’s important to realize that both primary sources for teabagger funding come straight from the Koch family…
- The Limits of Advocacy: Lawyers for Terrorists/Lawyers for Torturers
- [ACLU Blog - Susan Herman]
When Liz Cheney released an ad charging that attorneys who had defended terrorism suspects were not fit to work in the Department of Justice, individual lawyers and the organized bar reacted with across-the-board outrage. Some, like former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, took the occasion to argue that the same protection and understanding is due the government lawyers who wrote the memos condoning torture by American agents, because the attacks on the lawyers are “all of a piece.”
In my essay, “The Limits of Advocacy: Lawyers for Terrorists/Lawyers for Torturers,” I discuss why the role of the defense attorney and the multifaceted role of the government lawyer are not equivalent…
- Sleep as Social Privilege
- [Global Sociology Blog - Soc Prof]
…this story is supposed to be inspiring: all these disadvantaged students, working their butts off in midnight classes, trying to offset some social disadvantages… privileged students get to sleep at night, and reap the benefits of rest for study and (maybe) work. Sleep deprivation is bad for one’s health. Individual “inspirational” stories do not make up for the lack of decent social and economic policy that would allow these students to complete their education without having to sacrifice valuable sleep time…
- Early Morning Swim: The Daily Show Exposes the Fox News Connection to Radical Islam!
- [Firedoglake - Blue Texan]
- Prop 23: California’s Future Fights Back Against Oil Money
- [Calitics - RLMiller]
This fall, California voters will vote on Proposition 23, officially termed a “suspension” of California’s global warming law (AB32) “until unemployment reaches 5.5%” and named by its supporters a “jobs initiative.”
…The shadowy interests behind Prop 23 are being exposed to the light. And Prop 23 is being opposed by clean technology investors who see a stark choice: build the future or burn the planet. [link]
…Who’s really paying for Prop 23? Short answer: Valero Energy of Texas, Tesoro of Texas, and Koch Industries of oil/gas/coal/Americans for Prosperity fame.
Valero has given over $4 million of the nearly $6.2 million received by the Yes on 23 campaign, and Tesoro is in for $525,000. A shadowy Missouri conservative group with ties to coal whose spokesman criticizes “liberal politicians” in California with “crazy radical ideas” has donated $500,000, even though last December it only had $109 in its bank account. A ThinkProgress blog post links Koch Industries to the “yes on Prop 23″ forces. [link linkety link]
…In 2009, 40 percent of cleantech venture capital went to California, where some 12,000 companies are working on ways that could help businesses and consumers reduce energy consumption. More than 500,000 people work in the industry, including 93,000 in manufacturing and 68,000 in construction. Clean energy jobs are growing in California at 10 times the statewide average. For job-related reasons, the San Jose Mercury News editorial page urges a no vote.
…In the meantime, courtesy of Climate Progress, here’s five actions to take…
- The hate is starting to flow from many different directions.
- [Hullabaloo - digby]
[Digby provides so many links and nested quotes I can't parse this on first reading, but I'm linking to it anyway because it has something to do with Teabagger Mark Williams referring to certain NY politicians as Judenrats. So I don't know what this is YET, but it looks important. -L]
- Mitch McConnell’s Con: Cut Social Security to Enable Tax Cuts to the Rich
- [Firedoglake - Scarecrow]
[Republican Senate Leader] McConnell repeatedly dodged and weaved to avoid answering a simple question from host David Gregory, which boils down to this: if you Republicans are so hysterical about the size of US budget deficits and cumulative debt, how do you avoid increasing them by a cumulative $3.2 trillion if you extend all of the Bush era tax cuts?
…As most macro economists have noted before, if you’re worried about the effect of taxes on aggregate demand during a recession, it matters where the money goes. Who gets the tax cut? And what would they do with it?
- The End of the Monopoly of Peer Review
- [Antitrust & Competition Policy Blog - JA Hodnicki]
Posted by D. Daniel Sokol Is peer review going the way of the dodo? The NY Times reports on some changes in the humanities. [link]
- Economic Report: Existing-home sales plunge 27.2% in July
- [MarketWatch]
The sale of existing U.S. homes sank 27.2% in July — the biggest one-month drop ever — largely because of the phase-out of a federal tax credit, according to an industry trade group.
- Astronomers discover planetary system containing at least five planets orbiting a Sun-like star
- [Science News]
Astronomers using ESO’s world-leading HARPS instrument have discovered a planetary system containing at least five planets, orbiting the Sun-like star HD 10180.
The Link(s): Tue, Aug 24th, 7am by Lee Salazar, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Terms and conditions beyond the scope of this license may be available at leesalazar.com.