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Another oil rig explodes in Gulf of Mexico raises more questions

September 2, 2010 by Tyson Slocum

Here’s what we know: On the morning of Thursday, Sept. 2, an oil and gas rig owned by Mariner Energy, Inc., operating in about 340 feet of water on the continental shelf experienced an explosion and subsequently caught fire, resulting in all 13 workers on board to flee into the water.

This incident is different from BP’s Mancondo disaster because BP’s fiasco occurred on a floating rig operating an exploration well in ultra-deepwater a mile deep, whereas this Mariner Energy operation was in shallow water (340 ft) on a rig that is permanently fixed to the ocean floor below (and not a floating rig).

While we wait for details, here are two things to think about: Continue Reading »

Posted in Energy, Workplace Health & Safety | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

What if we had fair elections?

September 2, 2010 by Rick Claypool

A new video from our friends at FairElectionsNow.com features real people describing in their own words the profound impact of corporate corruption in Washington. You can see from the video that big agriculture, corporate coal and BP are all playing the money game to make government work for them and not the American public.

As long as members of Congress must rely on donations from corporations and lobbyists to fund their campaigns, these special interests will continue to have a huge advantage over real people when it comes to finding policy solutions for the people’s problems.

After you watch the video, urge your members of Congress to end the political money chase by supporting public financing of elections via the Fair Elections Now Act at http://www.citizen.org/supportfairelectionsnow.

Posted in Activism, Campaign Finance, Congress, Energy, Environment, Ethics, Workplace Health & Safety | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Dorry’s Daily Digest for Sept. 2

September 2, 2010 by Dorry Samuels

A daily look at news from the Washington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal that caught our eye:

Health

Maker of Botox Settles Inquiry by Natasha Singer (NYT)

Study Sees Heart Risk in Meridia Diet Pill  (NYT)

Botox maker settles case for $600 million (WP)

Botox Allegations Settled with U.S. for $600 Million (WJS)

Financial Reform

The Real Say on Pay [NYT]

Financial Crisis Panel Lends Sympathetic Ear to Lehman’s Ex-Chief by Sewal Chan (NYT)

Stimulus Averted Depression, Romer Says (NYT)

Bernanke: Regulators fell short (WP)

Warren fuels speculation by dropping class (WP)

Departing Obama adviser urges more stimulus (WP)

U.S. auto sales hit a deep ditch (WP)

Lehman was forced into bankruptcy by regulators, former CEO testifies (WP)

SEC Probes Canceled Trades (WSJ)

Agency Targets Stoppages Due to Off-Exchange Trades (WSJ)

Clashing Testimony Over Lehman Bankruptcy (WSJ)

Toxic Debt Returns to Fashion  (WSJ)

Internet

FCC Seeks More Input on Wireless Internet Rules (NYT)

Ethics

Maryland Sen. Currie indicted on charges of bribery (WP)

The FEC answers a nagging question — sort of (WP)

Posted in Ethics, Financial Reform, Health, Internet Free Speech | Leave a Comment »

Government should limit medical resident work hours

September 2, 2010 by Angela Bradbery

Next time you are in a teaching hospital, consider this: The doctor-in-training swho are attending to you may be so exhausted that they are a danger to you and others.

Medical residents work shifts as long as 30 hours as frequently as three times a week. Extensive research shows that this leads to car crashes (they fall alseep at the wheel after leaving work), depression, needle sticks and pregnancy complications.

Enough is enough. The federal government is so concerned about the relationship between fatigue and safety that it limits the work hours of people in other industries, including long-haul truckers, pilots, barge captains and railroad engineers. Doctors should be similarly protected.

So say Public Citizen, the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare, the American Medical Student Association and several experts. Together, we petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration today to limit medical resident work hours.

OSHA responded quickly, issuing a statement later in the day acknowledging the link between sleep deprivation and an increased risk of needle sticks, puncture wounds, lacerations, medical errors and motor vehicle accidents.

Posted in Health, Workplace Health & Safety | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

New automobile standards help consumers choose wisely

September 1, 2010 by Anna Scalamogna

Consumers won’t have to look hard to see if their cars are making the grade. The Obama administration has proposed a new system of stickers for cars and trucks that identify not only a vehicle’s miles-per-gallon, but also an estimate of its green house gas emissions and annual fuel costs. The New York Times considers these stickers to be  “a symbol of how far this country has come in providing a wider range of environmentally responsible choices to help ensure cleaner air and a healthier planet.”

These stickers are a way for consumers to make more informed choices and also push auto manufacturers to evaluate their products.

By including green house gas emissions, consumers will be aware of their overall environmental impact and footprint. The standards cover the model years 2012 to 2016 and stricter standards could be proposed within the next couple of years.

Posted in Energy, Environment | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Astroturf alert: Rallies against oil spill bill represent industry views – not citizens

September 1, 2010 by Tyson Slocum

Slocum

Today marks the start of rallies across the country organized by the oil and gas industry to block Congress from passing much-needed measures to address problems that came to light during the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), which is organizing the events in Texas, Ohio, Illinois, New Mexico and Colorado, claims to speak not only for industry workers but for “countless consumers” who are concerned about the proposals.

Don’t be fooled. This is phony grassroots. Americans were aghast at the BP oil disaster and what they learned subsequently: that the government exercises little oversight over offshore oil drilling, that there is a ridiculously low Continue Reading »

Posted in Congress, Energy, Environment | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

Layoffs at these companies just meant more money available for CEO salaries

September 1, 2010 by Joe Newman

It’s always comforting to know that no matter how deeply we sink into recession, executives at America’s leading corporations continue to rake in obscene amounts of money in salaries and bonuses. According to Think Progress, The Institute for Policy Studies found that the 50 firms that laid off the most workers since the economy went into the tank are also, apparently, the companies most of touch with the rest of America. So, while you and I are were watching our expenses and cutting back, these firms continued to give exorbitant salaries to their CEOs, who averaged nearly $12 million in pay for 2009. From Think Progress:

Those CEOs’ combined compensation totaled $598 million, while at the same time, their companies eliminated 531,363 jobs despite reporting a 44 percent average profit increase for 2009.

Posted in Financial Reform | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Dorry’s Daily Digest for Sept. 1

September 1, 2010 by Dorry Samuels

A daily look at news from the Washington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal that caught our eye:

Energy

Annual rankings of federal workplaces puts Nuclear Regulatory Commission at top (WP)

Cleaner Cars, A to D (NYT)

Minnesota balks at health-law funds (WSJ)

Nuclear plant’s tear-down is template (WSJ)

Health

2,000 groups approved for early-retiree health-care funds (WP)

Dear patients: Vote to repeal ObamaCare (WSJ opinion)

Race on to prevent clots (WSJ)

Financial Reform

SEC won’t pursue fraud case against Moody’s (WP)

Better credit card rules for consumers (WP op-ed)

‘Systemic risk’ stonewall (WSJ opinion)

JP Morgan to exit proprietary trading (WSJ)

Ethics

Scholarships Are Focus of Questions on Ethics (NYT)

3 Congressmen May Face Further Inquiry (NYT)

Lawmakers face ethics probe (WSJ)

Offshore oil regulators are ordered to cut their oft-deep industry ties (WSJ)

Lawmaker steered money to relatives (WSJ)

Posted in Dorry's Daily Digest, Energy, Ethics, Financial Reform, Health | Leave a Comment »

A citizens’ rally against corporate control of our elections

August 31, 2010 by Editor

Our colleagues in Texas recently rallied against the U.S. Supreme Court’s horrible ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which opened the door for unlimited corporate spending to influence our elections. Learn more about what you can do to fight back against corporate power and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at DontGetRolled.org.

Posted in Campaign Finance, Social Justice, Texas | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Dorry’s Daily Digest for Aug. 31

August 31, 2010 by Dorry Samuels

A daily look at news from the Washington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal that caught our eye:

Climate and environment:

  • Lenders step away from environmental risks (NYT)
  • Report: Climate science panel needs change at top (WP)
  • Climate panel faces heat (WSJ)
  • Judge rejects Cuccinelli’s probe of U.Va. (WP)
  • Linking academic, private, public ideas on energy (WP)
  • Dark clouds boost natural gas (WSJ)
  • An unlikely general in climate-change war (WSJ)

Health and safety:

  • Companies race to develop drugs to reduce blood-clotting problems (NYT)
  • ‘Dear Dr.: I plan to sue you for malpractice’ (WP)
  • Will virtual medicine soon go viral? (WP)
  • Separating your Zantac from your Zyrtec (WP)
  • Be skeptical of health-care credit cards (WP)
  • Using implanted telescope, people with macular degeneration regain some sight (WP)
  • Coming soon: Theaters, airplanes to post calories (WSJ)
  • The jewelry prescription (WSJ)
  • Researchers beaming at light’s medical uses (WSJ)
  • Salmonella is no danger to vaccines (WSJ)

Congressional ethics and money in politics:

  • House travel stipends probed (WSJ)
  • Campaign cash: Who’s spending the most on the midterms (WP)

Trade:

  • Obama poised to loosen rules on export of technology (WP)

Financial Reform:

  • TARP and the continuing problem of toxic assets (WSJ opinion)

Posted in Dorry's Daily Digest, Energy, Environment, Financial Reform, Health, Open Government, Pharmaceuticals, Trade | Leave a Comment »

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