Think Progress » Gingrich: Obama cares more about ‘protecting the rights of terrorists’ than the ‘lives of Americans.’ The right wing’s response to the failed underwear bomber has been all too predictable — accusing liberals of being anti-patriotic and calling for greater ethnic profiling of Muslims, while ignoring the Bush administration’s failure to prevent terrorist attacks, catch Osama bin Laden, or distinguish real threats from imagined ones
Another Statistic | The Rick Smith Show
I am one of those workers. I have spent the last 16 years working for Roadway Express and it illegitimate spawn YRC. I knew back in 2003, when Yellow Freight, the nation’s number #2 LTL carrier at the time purchased number #1 Roadway Express, that my days were numbered. Yellow Freight had a big reputation of buying up profitable companies (Preston immediately comes to mind) bleeding them dry and cutting them off to die destroying numerous decent family sustaining jobs in the process.

Labor News Headlines December 30, 2009
Pennsylvania Supremes Hand Workers A Win
Big UFCW Organizing Election Coming In January
Teamsters Try To Salvage Car-Hauling Jobs –
South Africa Coke Workers Stick To Their Guns On Raise Demand –
Economic Report: U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Decline Projected To Continue –


WIN Looks Back At A Year Of Massive Jobs Loss As Workers And Unions Struggle For Change - 12/31/09Immense economic pain was inflicted upon millions of U.S. workers and their families in 2009 as Wall Street banks were bailed out with hundreds of billions of dollars. The banksters quickly returned to their old greedy ways. AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka led a protest at the banker’s convention in Chicago.

TSA leadership vacuum: Case of politics Think of it as FEMA in the middle of hurricane season without a FEMA director: the Transportation Safety Administration in high terrorism season without a TSA director

Fla. AG Wants to Review Federal Health Care Bill - ABC News Florida's attorney general said Tuesday that he is looking at possibly suing the federal government over concerns about proposed health care legislation moving through Congress. Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is running for governor in 2010, said he's particularly apprehensive about the constitutionality of a requirement in the federal bill that people pay a fine or tax if they don't obtain the required health insurance.

Tennessee ABC Leader Fired from N.Y. Project, Undocumented Workers Arrested Ernie Hartman, business manager of Elmira, N.Y., Local 139, had long advocated that Chemung County residents and others nearby should be given priority over out-of-state labor in local construction projects

The Cash Committee: How Wall Street Wins On The Hill The question was simple: Should the lending practices of auto dealers be regulated? It was already October and the 42 Democrats and 29 Republicans on the House Committee on Financial Services had spent the better part of the year hashing out the details of a new federal agency dedicated to protecting consumers from dangerous and deceptive financial products

SunCruz parent files for bankruptcy - Orlando Business Journal: The parent of SunCruz Casinos, which has a ship based at Port Canaveral, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on Monday. SunCruz owes the Canaveral Port Authority more than $302,000 in wharf and other fees, as previously reported by the Orlando Business Journal

Majority Of Tea Party Group's Spending Went To GOP Firm That Created It The political action committee behind the Tea Party Express (TPE) -- which already has been slammed as inauthentic and corporate-controlled by rival factions in the Tea Party movement -- directed around two thirds of its spending during a recent reporting period back to the Republican consulting firm that created the PAC in the first place

Tea party movement could become part of the political establishment -- It could be the birth of a party. Fueled by anger at politicians and distrust of the government, the rapidly growing tea party movement could upend the political establishment in the 2010 elections -- ultimately becoming a permanent, game-changing force in American politics. Or, it could fizzle.

Can Charlie Crist Survive Florida's Right-Wing Uprising? - TIME A new voter poll was released a couple of weeks ago that showed Florida Governor Charlie Crist dropping into a tie with former state House speaker Marco Rubio — an underdog Crist had led by more than 20 points last summer — in next year's Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate.

Jeff Cohen: New Year's Resolution: Don't Apologize for Democrats For the new year, let's resolve: Don't defend Democrats when they don't deserve defending. And that certainly includes President Obama

Think Progress » Republicans Who Opposed The Stimulus Continue To Pan It As A ‘Failure,’ While Also Taking Credit For Its Success Every Republican in the House and nearly every Republican Senator voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus). Although the Congressional Budget Office has credited the stimulus with creating up to 1.6 million jobs, the same GOP politicians who opposed the stimulus have attempted to justify their opposition to the policy by smearing it as a failure. But as ThinkProgress has documented, the same politicians are returning to their districts to take credit for the economic success of the stimulus.

Think Progress » Republicans Who Opposed The Stimulus Continue To Pan It As A ‘Failure,’ While Also Taking Credit For Its Success Every Republican in the House and nearly every Republican Senator voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus). Although the Congressional Budget Office has credited the stimulus with creating up to 1.6 million jobs, the same GOP politicians who opposed the stimulus have attempted to justify their opposition to the policy by smearing it as a failure. But as ThinkProgress has documented, the same politicians are returning to their districts to take credit for the economic success of the stimulus.
FOX News: Best year yet: The Swamp It's been a good year for FOX News: For many of its news and opinion shows, the best year yet. It may help the already No. 1-rated cable news channel to have a Democratic White House declare war -- or at least have the spokesmen and women of the Obama administration maintaining, as they did at one point this year
Orlando Sentinel - Central Florida Political Pulse – Florida Chief Justice issues foreclosure ‘mediation’ order TALLAHASSEE — Facing the nation’s worst foreclosure crisis, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince has Ok’d recommendations from a panel of experts to order foreclosure cases into a new “managed mediation” program where debtors could try to negotiate their way out of losing their homes.
Robert Reich's Blog: 2009: The Year Wall Street Bounced Back and Main Street Got Shafted In less than a year, Wall Street was back. The five largest remaining banks are today larger, their executives and traders richer, their strategies of placing large bets with other people's money no less bold than before the meltdown.
Starbucks Union | IWW Starbucks Workers Union Steamed Baristas Shut Down Fort Worth Starbucks Drive-Thru, Demand Affordable Healthcare and Paid Sick Days for those with H1N1

Orlando Sentinel - Central Florida Political Pulse – Resident flight means just 1 new congressional seat for Florida

Newly crunched population data shows the recent slowdown of Florida’s population growth — the state either lost population in the past year, or gained about 100,000 people, depending on who’s counting — could keep it from picking up the two additional congressional seats that had been forecast for the next decade.

WSLC Online -- 2009 Resolutions

SUPPORTING THE PAID VACATION ACT OF 2009, HR 2564 Resolution #5
Still Nervous, Many Businesses Are Hiring Temporary Workers - NYTimes.com
The hiring of temporary workers has surged, suggesting that the nation’s employers might soon take the next step, bringing on permanent workers, if they can just convince themselves that the upturn in the economy will be sustained
Think Progress » Health Insurance Industry Registers Its Disapproval Of Senate Health Care Bill
In the New York Times today, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman writes in defense of the Senate health care bill. “[F]or all its flaws and limitations, it’s a great achievement,” he says. “It will provide real, concrete help to tens of millions of Americans and greater security to everyone.” But the health insurance industry and business lobbyists weren’t quite as joyous in their reaction.

In Cleveland, Worker Co-Ops Look to a Spanish Model - TIME

While officials, pundits and the everyday folks who have to pay bills lament unemployment rates that won't go down and wages that won't go up, some Rust Belt planners and union leaders are feeling optimistic: they're taking inspiration from the Basque region of Spain, where a network of worker-owned cooperatives launched amid the rubble of the Spanish Civil War has grown to become the country's seventh-largest corporation, and among its most profitable

UCF loses to Rutgers in St Petersburg bowl | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY

ST. PETERSBURG — The UCF Knights got to sit at the adult table Saturday night, the plate in front of them full of everything they desire.

Do It Yourself: Building Your Own Bamboo Bike : NPR

The Bamboo Bike Studio is run by three men in their late 20s who know a lot about bamboo and a lot about bicycles. On a cool autumn morning, two of them are out on a bamboo harvest — in a dense grove near New Brunswick, N.J.

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Working More, Getting Paid Less Productivity rose 8.1 percent in the third quarter, the largest gain since 2003, as employers pile more on their staff. Meanwhile, pay is stagnating and worker stress increasing because of the larger workloads and the constant fear of being thrown out of a job to join the more than 15 million workers officially unemployed.

10 Greediest People of 2009 | Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace | AlterNet As ordinary Americans reel from the Great Recession, these gluttonous all-stars continue to claw in absurd amounts of money.

Gov. Charlie Crist aide departing to be Chamber chief - Florida - MiamiHerald.com A high-ranking state economic development official is leaving his post to become chief of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Matt Reed: Posey pushes funds, then votes them down | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY Here's one to chew on: U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, joined Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, in securing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal earmarks for Space Coast projects. Then, Posey joined all 174 other House Republicans and voted against the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill, giving a conservative-looking thumbs-down . . . to his own projects

Health plans on collision course - - POLITICO.com
Despite a last-minute weekend deal that put the Senate on the brink of passing health care reform this week, liberal and moderate Democrats remain on a collision course over the bill, as both sides dug in Sunday for the next phase of negotiations.

In Two Days Time, Health Care Reform Went From Uncertain, To A Foregone Conclusion At sundown on Friday, Democrats didn't have a lock on health care reform. That changed late Friday night over a handshake between Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. On Saturday, Reid signaled his confidence that his party was unified and ready to move forward by drawing the amendment process to a close and committing the Senate to voting on his bill.

Just Who Are Those Florida Swing Voters? A Closer Look at No Party Affiliation (NPA) Registrants and Self-Proclaimed Independents

Jobs outlook not expected to improve until second quarter | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee DemocratFlorida's unemployment rate rose last month to 11.5 percent, within a half-point of a state record, the state announced Friday. Rebecca Rust, chief economist for the Agency for Workforce Innovation, said the jobs picture isn't expected to improve until the second quarter of next year. Loss of construction work continued to spur the rising jobless rate, while employment in the Tallahassee and Gainesville areas was bouyed by government work rolls

PolitiFact | Rove says Obama's approval ratings after a year are worst of any president President Obama has "the worst ratings of any president at the end of his first year."

PolitiFact | And the runners-up ... PolitiFact readers overwhelming chose Sarah Palin's claim that the health care bill contains "death panels" as Lie of the Year. A resounding 61 percent of our 4,864 voters picked death panels as the top lie. No other finalist in the field of eight statements

SunCruz workers anxious floridatoday.com FLORIDA TODAY
PORT CANAVERAL — SunCruz's Surfside Princess casino ship hasn't budged for one week, and a group of employees plan to ask state lawmakers to pressure the company to brief workers on possible outcomes with the operation.
Tea Party More Popular than Dems, Repubs... and Other Utterly Meaningless News PEEK AlterNet
All indications suggest we've become a nation of hyper-polarized bickering lunatics, screaming at each other over issue after issue.
AFL-CIO NOW BLOG Trumka Takes on the ‘Neoliberalism’ that Broke U.S. Economy
In Tuesday’s live Web chat, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka talked about what we need to do to fix our economy in both the short term and the long term—and touched on a vital, too-infrequently discussed issue: the need to end the stranglehold neoliberal economic thinking has on our politics

Promising new jobs, Crist to sign rail bill | Ocala.com | Star-Banner | Ocala, FL
TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist, citing the prospect of "jobs, jobs, jobs," today will sign into law a sweeping measure meant to put in place the framework for a statewide rail system that will one day crisscross the state
DOT's "Wafflegate" needs a closer look -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
For all the good it promises, the rail legislation approved last week by the Legislature smacked of a sweetheart deal. Now there's controversy to back up that suspicion — roughly 8,000 e-mails between CSX officials and Florida Department of Transportation top administrators have come to light suggesting the freight line had a major role in crafting the bill.
Angry liberals: Why didn't Obama fight? - - POLITICO.com
More than anything else in Barack Obama’s presidency so far, health reform has exposed a get-a-deal-at-any-cost side of Obama that infuriates his party’s progressives
House Dems: Senate is 'dithering' - - POLITICO.com
House Democrats’ long-simmering frustration with the slow pace of the Senate has begun to boil over, with a broad swath of Democratic representatives accusing their Senate colleagues of failing both their party and their country
FloridaPoll
Florida likely voters have mixed opinion of President’s health reform proposal but majority hold favorable opinion of President; GOP leads generic Congressional ballot
Dozens rally in Orlando against health care legislation -- OrlandoSentinel.com
As President Barack Obama called Senate Democrats to the White House Tuesday to solidify support for health care reform, groups opposed to the legislation met in Orlando and in cities throughout the country for a "senate emergency rally."
Jobless Floridians encounter delays in getting extended unemployment benefits - St. Petersburg Times
Nearly six weeks after President Barack Obama extended unemployment benefits in hard-hit states like Florida, Janet Husted of St. Petersburg is still waiting for her first check
Brevard Commission OKs 13K new homes | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY
Developers can create new communities containing more than 13,300 homes across 36 square miles of Space Coast woodland and cattle pasture, the Brevard County Commission ruled Tuesday
Organizing for America | BarackObama.com | Join the team for the final push
Video about Organizing for America
Organizing for America | Event | Brevard Rapid Response Phonebank: Make your voice heard by ringing for reform!
Please come out and help to make your voice and the voice of Floridians across the state heard as we head into a critical moment in the fight for health insurance reform! As the debate around health insurance reform continues in the Senate,

14 DEC 09

Danish police arrest 1,225 protesters - - POLITICO.com COPENHAGEN — As heads of state begin arriving for climate talks in Copenhagen, jittery police have arrested 1,225 people during two days of demonstrations in the Danish capital, prompting criticism from activists and the press.

Paul Cottle: Being 'last in the nation' won't spark innovation tallahassee.com Tallahassee Democrat Florida students are pretty much last in the nation for science."

Water shortage: South Florida water fights resurface with dry weather -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com A return to dry weather is reigniting long-smoldering South Florida water fights, worsened by new strains on backup supplies that leave less water to go around.

Don't fall for it -- OrlandoSentinel.com Entrenched Florida politicians and their special interest allies in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., are getting nervous about a pair of proposals that could weaken their grip on power.

McCollum, Sink spar for control of Florida's investments, pension funds -- OrlandoSentinel.com TALLAHASSEE The fallout from the 2007 meltdown of Florida's Local Government Investment Pool is leaching into the political campaigns of two of the fund's trustees.

Michael Peltier: Conservative groups targets GOP rail backers» Naples Daily News TALLAHASSEE — When lawmakers successfully passed legislation last week that could bring more commuter and high speed rail to the state, 80 Republicans climbed aboard. Now conservative “Tea Party” activists who think the rail legislation amounts to a government-sponsored boondoggle say come election time, some of those GOP lawmakers may pay the price.

Are Americans a Broken People? Why We've Stopped Fighting Back Against the Forces of Oppression AlterNet
A psychologist asks: Have consumerism, suburbanization and a malevolent corporate-government partnership so beaten us down that we no longer have the will to save ourselves?

Marines looking for a few good toys to meet rising demand floridatoday.com FLORIDA TODAY
COCOA — Heidi Trentham knows that she's still short of toys to fill the need for this year's Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots distribution in Brevard County

Sparks of resistance in the labor movement? SocialistWorker.org
AFTER A grim year for organized labor, those committed to class-struggle unionism can find a few good reasons to be cheerful this holiday season

Dogs, cats and swine flu’s promiscuity « The Pump Handle
Swine flu started in pigs (although we don’t exactly when or where), adapted to and passed to humans who returned the favor and passed it back to pig herds. Then we heard that turkeys in Chile had contracted the virus, followed by ferrets and a house cat.

Alex Sink: Who's Jim Morrison? - The Fine Print
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink doesn't have much to say about whether Jim Morrison, the deceased singer of The Doors, deserves a posthumous pardon.

Transparency and Economic Recovery: What States Are Required To Do and Why They Should Do It Progressive States Network
The new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains significant funding for the states, but it also has tight new transparency rules requiring states to track how all federal funds are being spent and the number of jobs created

International Gun Ban Treaty? / Q: Has Obama found a "legal way around the Second Amendment"? A: The administration’s agreement to talk about writing a United Nations treaty to regulate arms exports and imports is a far cry from banning possession of firearms, which Obama says he doesn’t want to do and the Supreme Court has said can’t be done anyway.

Palm Bay tests community gardening idea FLORIDA TODAY PALM BAY — City leaders will plant a seed to see whether community gardens could be perennial favorites among green-thumbed citizens.

Brevard cat shooting a legal puzzler floridatoday.com FLORIDA TODAY Margaret Wetzel was leaving her house around sunset three weeks ago when she heard a loud metallic bang, "an ungodly cat scream" and five gunshots. It was the sound of her next-door neighbor, Bob Lester, a 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran, shooting her 20-plus-pound cat, Harry.

Take Action: Remembering Crystal Lee Sutton action. the eCard that goes to your members of Congress honoring Crystal Lee Sutton – the real "Norma Rae."

Take Action: Stop the Double Standard for T-Mobile Workers! action. Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, boasts about its respect for workers in its native Germany. But when it started T-Mobile USA, the company changed its tune - harassing and intimidating workers in America who try to form a union

PolitiFact Vote now for 'Lie of the Year'! You've heard of the Person of the Year and the Sportsman of the Year -- get ready for PolitiFact's Lie of the Year.

America Needs Jobs Now
Video from IAM network

Anti-Islam shirts draw ACLU suit The Gainesville Sun Gainesville,
UPDATE at 4:15 p.m. -- The American Civil Liberties Union has sued a central Florida school district. The lawsuit claims the Alachua County School District violated students' rights by not allowing them to wear T-shirts with an anti-Islamic message.
UFW: The Official Web Page of the United Farm Workers of America
Farm workers under UFW contract enjoy decent wages, benefits & working conditions. When you purchase agricultural products, please help farm workers maintain hard won victories in the fields by looking for these labels:
G.O.P. Considers ‘Purity’ Resolution for Candidates - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com
The battle among Republicans over what the party should stand for — and how much it should accommodate dissenting views on important issues — is probably going to move from the states to the Republican National Committee when it holds its winter meeting this January in Honolulu
Terminate Turner Construction from Jacksonville Courthouse Project
Sign this petition to show the City of Jacksonville and Mayor Peyton your support for firing Turner Construction from the Jacksonville Courthouse Project. Over one quarter of the employees that Turner Construction has employed on this contract were found to be illegal workers. This is wrong , and in fact a breach of contract between Turner and the City of Jacksonville
Florida mothers know best: Education needs help -- OrlandoSentinel.com
Normally, Florida politicians are among the least sympathetic creatures to inhabit the Sunshine State. Much like palmetto bugs, they are scavengers with primitive survival instincts, coming out from beneath their rocks only when they need votes or campaign donations
Senator Nelson slams Obama, Gulf drilling news-press.com The News-Press
1:10 A.M. — Florida's Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson didn't hold back on his criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the economic crisis, nor of his opposition toward any easing of Florida's offshore drilling ban in a Fort Myers speech Tuesday
Why I'm leaving the Democrats SocialistWorker.org
I WOULD like to say that I have been a lifelong Democrat since I was first eligible to vote in 1969

SunRail opposition gears up. Is FDOT union busting?
As a special session seems likely on rail issues, opponents of the proposed SunRail commuter system say it's the same old bad deal. The issues: cost, liability for taxpayers and federal protections for railroad workers on the tracks the state wants to buy from CSX for Central Florida commuter rail.

MoveOn.org Political Action: No to the Trigger The Senate is taking up health care reform tomorrow. But some conservative Democratic senators are still trying to kill the public health insurance option.

Take Action: Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform. We are further along in the process for real health care reform today than we have ever been. The historic House bill is truly a momentous achievement, but enormous challenges remain. To keep the process moving forward, it is critical that the Senate start to debate its health care reform bill now. Your signature will be delivered to your senators, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Homeless students in Brevard get aid FLORIDA TODAY The number of Brevard Public Schools students without a permanent place to call home more than doubled this year, reaching an all-time high for the district and signaling deeper economic troubles for the county.

Florida Today's Education Team Blog The Brevard School Foundation Take Stock in Children scholarship program will host a free luncheon on Dec. 2 for interested volunteers.

Charlie Crist loses his shine – Alex Sink, Bill McCollum finally do their jobs -- OrlandoSentinel.com
After nearly three years of wooing Floridians with doe-eyed gazes and pretty words, residents seem to have finally woken up to the fact that their charmer-in-chief has about as much substance as a bowl of Jell-O.
The public option mirage SocialistWorker.org
A plan that forces people to buy insurance, and then offers no affordable alternative, isn't reform at all, but the opposite.
Bank of America Case Study
Workers Lose Jobs, CEO Keeps His After Running Bank Into the Ground
Bank of America, bailout in hand, continues lobbying efforts
WASHINGTON — As Bank of America faces intensifying congressional oversight during the nation's worst economy since the Great Depression, the company has spent more than $1.5 million lobbying on Capitol Hill.
EFCA -- Banks use your money to lobby against pro-worker bill
Your tax dollars at work against EFCA MSNBC exposes Bank of America, Citigroup
Don’t Leave Health Insurance Oversight to the States
Leaving Health Insurance Oversight to State Regulators Is a Dangerous Idea
Palin to speak at CofC annual meeting
DAYTONA BEACH -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be the featured speaker for the Daytona Beach Area Chamber of Commerce's 90th annual meeting Feb. 15, executive committee chairman Ted Doran said Monday.
Biggest Executive Bonuses of the Past Decade - Slideshows - CNBC.com

Robert Reich's Blog: Health Care Reform is Critically Important, But Getting Americans Back to Work is More So
Presidents tend to overcompensate for the errors of their predecessors in the same party and in so doing sow seeds of their own mistakes.
MARITIME TRADES DEPARTMENT AFL-CIO : AFSCME Member Featured on Cover of Time Magazine for Heroism in Afghanistan
The heroism and sacrifice of a member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) recently was featured in Time magazine.

Take Action: Internet Access Denied? FactCheck.org

Q: Is Obama seeking power to "disconnect your computer, shut down your favorite websites, or block your email"? A: A Senate bill would allow the president to restrict access to government or "critical infrastructure" networks in case of a "cybersecurity emergency." But it has bipartisan support, and even critics admit it would not allow him to shut down all private Internet traffic.

The Obama Phone? FactCheck.org

Q: Has the Obama administration started a program to use "taxpayer money" to give free cell phones to welfare recipients? A: No. Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.

Take Action: Real Health Care Reform Now!

Nothing communicates better to a member of Congress than a short personal letter from a constituent. Mention that you are counting on your member of Congress to represent you and so many others who want and need health care reform.

House health-care reform bill includes public option, Medicaid expansion - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) unveiled a health-care reform bill Thursday that includes a government insurance option and a historic expansion of Medicaid, although sticking points involving abortion and immigration remain unresolved.

Sorry Deniers, There's No Such Thing as 'Global Cooling' Environment AlterNet

The latest plot by some global warming deniers is to push a bogus 'theory' that the earth is actually cooling, instead of warming. But the AP's Seth Borenstein took the hot air out of their sails.

Lieberman: Sure, I'd Filibuster A Health Care Reform Bill With A Public Option Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told reporters today that he would in fact filibuster any health care bill he doesn't agree with--and right now, he doesn't agree with the public option proposal making its way through the Senate

Sorry Deniers, There's No Such Thing as 'Global Cooling' Environment AlterNet

The latest plot by some global warming deniers is to push a bogus 'theory' that the earth is actually cooling, instead of warming. But the AP's Seth Borenstein took the hot air out of their sails.
Lieberman: Sure, I'd Filibuster A Health Care Reform Bill With A Public Option
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told reporters today that he would in fact filibuster any health care bill he doesn't agree with--and right now, he doesn't agree with the public option proposal making its way through the Senate
GOP lawmakers may be warming to changing Florida unemployment system to get more federal stimulus cash
TALLAHASSEE — With Congress poised to extend jobless benefits, the red ink flooding Florida's unemployment compensation system is deepening and now also spurring renewed calls for change from both Democrats and Republicans.

Facebook Home Space Coast AFL-CIO, Central Labor Council

SEIU.org Crash the Big Banks Party
This weekend, Wall Street CEOs are flying to Chicago to party it up on our dime. It's the American Bankers Association's annual conference - hosted by the lobbying group that takes millions of our tax dollars from America's bailed out banks. We may be paying for it, but we aren't invited.
The White House - Blog Post - Women, Mothers, Families and Reform
We've discussed health insurance reform from a lot of different perspectives here at WhiteHouse.gov, from doctors to seniors to small business owners. In a new video, First Lady Michelle Obama discusses it as a woman, and as a mom:
A decade of losses for working families SocialistWorker.org Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist at the Economic Policy Institute and co-author of The State of Working America 2008-2009, spoke to Lee Sustar about the problem of long-term unemployment that is gripping the U.S. economy.
Take Action: Real Health Care Reform Now!
Real Health Care Reform Now! Nothing communicates better to a member of Congress than a personal letter from a constituent. A short letter is fine. A few tips:
Buzz Aldrin: Mr. President, Will You Lead Us to Greatness in Space?
The roadmap is now complete. Today the commission formed to provide President Barack Obama with a series of potential pathways to America's future in space has delivered its final report. Officials in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP, as they say in Washington) received the report from my friend Chairman Norm
Robert Reich's Blog: Why Wall Street Reform is Stuck in Reverse
At a conference in London, a Goldman Sachs international adviser, Brian Griffiths, praised inequality. As his company was putting aside $16.7 billion for compensation and benefits in the first nine months of 2009, up 46 percent from a year earlier, Griffiths told us not to worry. “We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity and opportunity for all,” he said.
Augustine final report set for release today
The presidential committee reviewing options for NASA's human space exploration program is expected to release its final report today.
Richard Trumka: Showdown in Chicago
I'm going to Chicago next week for the American Bankers Association meeting. Oddly, I haven't been invited to the Roaring '20's dance party I hear they're having.
Glenn Beck Slams Obama Encouraging Volunteerism: "Almost Like We're Living In Mao's China" (VIDEO)
The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a Hollywood charitable organization, has helped to organize a push in the television industry to encourage volunteerism among the citizenry. The support for volunteerism will be spread across 60 shows, and in some cases woven into the plot lines.
Health experts say the swine flu vaccine is safe and effective, but many parents still think it's too risky for their kids - St. Petersburg Times
Thousands of American kids are getting sick from the swine flu epidemic, which has hit months before the traditional flu season

Hundreds of Brevard school employees protest insurance costs
In a last-ditch effort to get the Brevard County School Board to reverse a hike in health insurance costs, hundreds of employees dressed in all black and held up signs that read "You are bleeding teachers to death" or "Mourning the loss of respect to teachers."

Senate Finance Passes Health Care Reform Bill. Public Option Still AWOL
The Senate Finance Committee this afternoon approved what one panel member called “a down payment” on health care reform. By a 14-9 vote, the committee approved a bill that Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) says is ”a down payment and…the start of reforms.”
Join IWJ in National Day of Action to Stop Wage Theft

Wage theft is a national epidemic. A recent study found that low-wage workers in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles are routinely denied proper overtime pay and often are paid less than minimum wage

Dear President Obama and Vice President Biden,
We, the undersigned, are just a few of the more than 11 million artists living, working, and creating across the United States. Our work brings significant cultural and economic value to our society - and contributes $1.52 trillion to the nation's GDP. Yet that value is being disregarded as our rights and incentives to create are increasingly under threat.

Along With Layoffs, Recession’s Cost Can Be Seen in Pay Cuts
MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — The dark blue captain’s hat, with its golden oak-leaf clusters, sits atop a bookcase in Bryan Lawlor’s home, out of reach of the children. The uniform their father wears still displays the four stripes of a commercial airline captain, but the hat stays home. The rules forbid that extra display of authority, now that Mr. Lawlor has been downgraded to first officer

Federal Pay Czar Tries Again to Trim A.I.G. Bonuses
The federal pay czar is trying to force the American International Group to reduce $198 million in bonuses promised to employees of its trading unit, where problems posed a threat to the global financial system last year.

Lies, Damned Lies and a Health Insurance Industry Report Condemning Reform
With the prospect of Congress passing health care reform legislation becoming more likely each day, the nation’s health insurance industry has launched a new scare campaign to torpedo reform. Ironically, in doing so, Big Health Insurers also have shown why a public health insurance plan option is vital to real health care reform

Watering down the public option
Senate Democrats are growing increasingly bold in predicting a public health insurance option will pass Congress this year, defying months of pessimism and outright opposition from party moderates. But it’s not the “public option” you think.

Tea partiers turn on GOP leadership
While the energy of the anti-tax and anti-Big Government tea party movement may yet haunt Democrats in 2010, the first order of business appears to be remaking the Republican Party

77-Cent Increase Per Gallon of Gas? FactCheck.org www.factcheck.org/2009/10/77-cent-increase-per-gallon-of-gas/ Q: Will the House cap-and-trade bill raise the cost of a gallon of gasoline by 77 cents? A: That extreme estimate comes from the oil and gas industry’s lobby. Nonpartisan government
Editorial - View From the Bridge - NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/opinion/09fri4.html?th&emc=th Understanding the pace of our changing climate depends, to a large extent, on our ability to understand and model the climates of the past and their rate of change. These days we’re barraged by weather and climate data. But that is only a comparatively recent phenomenon. Scientists did not begin to gather accurate meteorological data until the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In Trial, 500,000 Homeowners Get Lower Mortgage Payments - NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/business/09home.html?th&emc=th For months, troubled homeowners seeking to lower their mortgage payments under a federal plan have complained about bureaucratic bungling, ceaseless frustration and confusion. On Thursday, the Obama administration declared that the $75 billion program is finally providing broad relief after it pressured mortgage companies to move faster to modify more loans.
U.S. Blocks Oil Drilling at 60 Sites in Utah - NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/science/earth/09leases.html?th&emc=th WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior has frozen oil and gas development on 60 of 77 contested drilling sites in Utah, saying the process of leasing the land was rushed and badly flawed.

Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts - NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/education/09dropout.html?th&emc=th On any given day, about one in every 10 young male high school dropouts is in jail or juvenile detention, compared with one in 35 young male high school graduates, according to a new study of the effects of dropping out of school in an America where demand for low-skill workers is plunging.
Despite Housing Slump, Mortgage Lenders Making Record Profits From Fees www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/08/mortgage-lenders-making-r_n_312973.html Never ones to let an opportunity go unexploited, mortgage lenders are taking advantage of a market fueled by low interest rates and massive government subsidies to turn record profits. Their secret: The return of "junk fees."
Politifact Micheal Moore: Capitalism, a Love Story
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/oct/02/michael-moore/michael-moore-says-young-people-are-increasingly-w/
Michael Moore says young people are increasingly warm to socialism Michael Moore movie says that top 1 percent owns more financial wealth than bott... http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/oct/01/michael-moore/moore-says-top-1-percent-owns-more-financial-wealt/
Take Action: Tell Red Cross: Don't Cut Corners with Our Blood Supply www.unionvoice.org/campaign/redcross The Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board released a report today on the steps of the Red Cross Blood Services headquarters in St. Louis that raises concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation's blood supply at the country's largest supplier of blood and blood products.

Op-Ed Columnist - The Wizard of Beck - NYTimes.com

Let us take a trip back into history. Not ancient history. Recent history. It is the winter of 2007. The presidential primaries are approaching. The talk jocks like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and the rest are over the moon about Fred Thompson. They’re weak at the knees at the thought of Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, they are hurling torrents of abuse at the unreliable deviationists: John McCain and Mike Huckabee.
Take Action: Another Reason for the California Employee Free Choice Act
Another Reason for the California Employee Free Choice Act Supposedly we have the water available, we have the shade available, we have bathrooms available but dare not use them for fear of being fired. It was as if we had none at all. -- Rigoberto Ramirez, Blueberry worker
AFL-CIO NOW BLOG Hotel Workers Fight Cutbacks with Peaceful Civil Disobedience
Nearly 300 UNITE HERE members protesting demands from major hotels in Chicago and San Francisco for cutbacks, and the firing of 100 housekeepers in Boston, were arrested in peaceful civil disobedience demonstrations in recent days
Taxpayer-Funded Destruction « The Pump Handle

Several years ago when I was writing an article about solar energy, I tried without success to find a reliable figure for how much the U.S. spent subsidizing fossil fuels. So I was delighted to see that the Environmental Law Institute has released a report that answers that very question

Take Action: Tell Congress: Jobs, Homes, Health Care - NOW!
Near record unemployment levels mean that 25 million Americans are out of work or forced to scrape by on part-time jobs.
Will Ferrell, Pygmy Horses and Health Insurance FactCheck.org#
MoveOn.org Political Action’s latest video is a satirical send-up of a public service announcement titled "Protect Insurance Companies."
Op-Ed Columnist - The Wizard of Beck - NYTimes.com
Let us take a trip back into history. Not ancient history. Recent history. It is the winter of 2007. The presidential primaries are approaching. The talk jocks like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and the rest are over the moon about Fred Thompson. They’re weak at the knees at the thought of Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, they are hurling torrents of abuse at the unreliable deviationists: John McCain and Mike Huckabee.

Think Progress » VIDEO FLASHBACK: GOP Lawmakers Repeatedly Said Americans Would ‘Die’ Under Democratic Health Plans
In a controversial speech on the House floor yesterday, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) said that the Republican alternative health care proposals would force sick Americans to “die quickly.” Grayson’s sadly accurate statement wasn’t meant to say that Republicans want people to die, but rather, as Igor Volsky explained, their opposition to meaningful health reform would lead to those very unfortunate circumstances.
Taxpayer-Funded Destruction « The Pump Handle
Several years ago when I was writing an article about solar energy, I tried without success to find a reliable figure for how much the U.S. spent subsidizing fossil fuels. So I was delighted to see that the Environmental Law Institute has released a report that answers that very question
Orlando Sentinel - The fraudulent reign of Charlie Crist
I was amazed listening to Charlie run around Michigan, taking credit for Florida’s education gains. "When I got elected governor, out of 50 states, Florida in K-12 education was ranked 31st — 31st out of 50. Not so good,'' Crist said. "Last year we went from 31st to 14 and this year, top 10. We're very proud of that,"
Poll: Wal-Mart is America's business icon - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
When you think of what business best symbolizes America today, do you think Wal-Mart
The rebellion in Minneapolis SocialistWorker.org
The year 1934 marked a turning point for the working-class struggle during the Great Depression, with three strikes in three cities--Toledo, San Francisco and Minneapolis--that showed workers could fight back and win. Clause 7(a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act, passed in 1933, had granted workers "the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing." But workers had to make the letter of the law a reality through their own battles with employers
Even in Capitalists’ Bad Times, Europe’s Socialists Suffer - NYTimes.com
PARIS — A specter is haunting Europe — the specter of Socialism’s slow collapse..
AFL-CIO NOW BLOG Hotel Workers Fight Cutbacks with Peaceful Civil Disobedience
Nearly 300 UNITE HERE members protesting demands from major hotels in Chicago and San Francisco for cutbacks, and the firing of 100 housekeepers in Boston, were arrested in peaceful civil disobedience demonstrations in recent days.

Whoops: Anti-ACORN Bill Ropes In Defense Contractors, Others Charged With Fraud
Going after ACORN may be like shooting fish in a barrel lately -- but jumpy lawmakers used a bazooka to do it last week and may have blown up some of their longtime allies in the process
Battle over wages brews at Wal-Mart - CNBC TV- msnbc.com
Bill, opposed by retailer, would make it easier for employees to organize
Senator Tries to Allay Fears on Health Overhaul - NYTimes.com
WASHINGTON — Senator Bill Nelson of Florida desperately wants to expand health insurance coverage because one in five Floridians is uninsured. As a former state insurance commissioner, he wants to crack down on insurers. And as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, he can shape legislation to achieve both goals.
Robert Reich's Blog: Why the Dow is Hitting 10,000 Even When Consumers Can't Buy And Business Cries "Socialism"
So how can the Dow Jones Industrial Average be flirting with 10,000 when consumers, who make up 70 percent of the economy, have had to cut way back on buying because they have no money?

Take Action to Help NY State Farm Workers Please help. In New York State, laws protecting workers categorically exclude farm workers from basic rights and protections leading to conditions that are one step from slavery.

Slogans aren't solutions Leave it to Bill McCollum to further cheapen a national debate on health care that already has been degraded by simplistic, inaccurate buzzwords. Florida's Republican attorney general Tuesday blasted the idea of a government-run health insurance option and tore a page out of the Washington GOP playbook

Meek criticizes LeMieux over firm's aid to foreign workers Although George LeMieux said he had nothing to do with the case, likely Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek blasted the interim senator for his firm's help to Mexican immigrant workers

CAPITOL HILL MANEUVERS• When Congress reconvenes Tuesday to consider overhauling the nation's health care system, few states will have more at stake than Florida. Of the 10 most populous states, Florida is alone in never having produced a Senate majority or minority leader; a House speaker or majority leader; a U.S. Supreme Court justice or a U.S. president or vice president. • In a 2008 analysis by the Washington-based news service Roll Call, Florida ranked 42nd among states in congressional influence. • Of the top 18 overall

Obama To AFL-CIO: Are You Fired Up?

Security union members to picket at Patrick on Tuesday Members of Security Police and Fire Protection of America Local 127 will conduct an informational picket in front of the main gates of Patrick Air Force Base starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday to protest an Air Force plan to shift the security force at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from civilian contracts to the purview of the Department of Defense

State asks feds for $270 million for commuter rail
The state is seeking $270 million in federal aid to help pay for the planned SunRail commuter train that would run through Central Florida.
Meek raps Crist on healthcare 'cockamamie'
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami, the leading Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, sent out a fundraising appeal today that aims to capitalize on Gov. Charlie Crist's recent description of health care reform legislation as "cockamamie
State Senate special election takes a racial turn
TALLAHASSEE - A stealthy group called the Conservative Voters' Coalition is sending out absentee-ballot requests that claim the Black Panthers, MoveOn.org, and ACORN might get involved in the state Senate District 8 primary on Sept 15
IRS gets anonymous complaint about Ray Sansom's spending
State Rep. Ray Sansom's lavish use of his Republican Party-issued credit card has triggered a complaint to the IRS.
Haridopolos backs drilling off Gulf Coast
Florida lawmakers should open the Gulf Coast to offshore oil drilling to help fund schools, State Sen. Mike Haridopolos believes
Motor vehicle services return to Merritt Island
If you live on Merritt Island, you once again can deal with your driver's license closer to home.

Why :Health Care Reform
When: Saturday, August 29th – 1:00 PM
Where: Downtown Orlando Rec. Center, 649 W. Livingston Street
Nationally recognized speakers to be announced.

Reforming Health Insurance (not Healthcare)
Both the Washington Post and the New York Times report that the Obama administration is signaling a new willingness to jettison the public plan element of healthcare reform legislation. Jonathan Cohn at The Treatment questions whether anything’s really changed, though, because Obama has consistently praised the public option as a good idea without insisting that it be included in the final bill.
Kosmas schedules tele-town hall for Wednesday night
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, has scheduled a tele-town hall meeting for Wednesday, Aug. 19th, from 6:20 p.m. to 7:20 p.m., to talk about health insurance reform. Constituents who want to listen in should call her office at 407-208-1106 and register their phone number to ensure that they are contacted to participate on Wednesday evening.
Grayson Pledges Town Hall Rd. 2 Before Final Health Care Vote
Moments after U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, wrapped up his first town hall meeting on health care issues Monday night -- one that Democrats held most of the seats to -- the freshman congressman vowed to hold another one.
How the Democrats sold out health care reform
THE RAUCOUS right-wing protesters who have stormed congressional town hall meetings have thrust the debate over health care reform into the 24-hour news cycle. As a result, the effort to overhaul the U.S.'s broken health care system has become bogged down in a surreal discussion about "death panels," forced euthanasia and Big Brother government.
Obama's healthcare gap: Persistent
The vocal few standing up at summer "town hall'' meetings with complaints about the president's proposed healthcare reforms aren't the only ones with concerns, polling shows.

Obama's healthcare gap: Persistent:
The vocal few standing up at summer "town hall'' meetings with complaints about the president's proposed healthcare reforms aren't the only ones with concerns, polling shows.

Senators propose changes to OSH Act
In the U.S. Senate last week, between the debate and the vote on judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced S. 1580, on behalf of Senator Edward Kennedy, a bill to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. As far as I can tell, its text is nearly identical to H.R. 2067 , the bill introduced in April by Cong. Lynn Woolsey.

Opinion Matters Will YOU resort to violence?
Will YOU resort to violence? Much has recently been said about the beating of a man by union "thugs" at a townhall meeting.
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Robert Reich's Blog: How the White House's Deal With Big Pharma Undermines Democracy
I'm a strong supporter of universal health insurance, and a fan of the Obama administration. But I'm appalled by the deal the White House has made with the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying arm to buy their support.

Reforming Defense Spending and National Guard Overseas Deployments
Since September 11, 2001 there has been an extreme increase in U.S. military activity abroad. Like most federal decisions, those concerning the military, both spending and deployment, affect the states.

Dissident Orange GOP Group Meets to "Take Over the Party"
A group of disaffected Orange County Republicans met at the Winter Park Civic Center Tuesday night to challenge the local group's current Chairman Lew Oliver and state party leader Jim Greer.

Taking on South Carolina's anti-union legacy
WHY VISIT a historic plantation when you can visit a working one?
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Don't Need To Be a Rocket Scientist
Once you thoroughly unfasten yourself from reality, truly all things are possible.

Mosquito-Free Naturally
Before you head for the hills or enjoy an outdoor evening BBQ, think twice about using DEET-based mosquito repellents. DEET, or diethyl-meta-toluamide, as its known in chemistry circles, has recently been linked to brain cell damage
Town halls gone wild l
Screaming constituents, protesters dragged out by the cops, congressmen fearful for their safety — welcome to the new town-hall-style meeting, the once-staid forum that is rapidly turning into a house of horrors for members of Congress
Who killed EFCA?
Adam Turl explains how big business and the politicians on their payroll conspired to block the Employee Free Choice Act--and why unions failed to challenge them
Findlay, Ohio, Chamber of Commerce Kills Parade Because Unions Backed It
The Chamber of Commerce—that’s the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—proved once again how anti-American it is when it comes to supporting U.S. industry.
Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man
A robot that can open doors and find electrical outlets to recharge itself. Computer viruses that no one can stop. Predator drones, which, though still controlled remotely by humans, come close to a machine that can kill autonomously.
Antitrust Chief Hits Resistance in Crackdown
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s top antitrust official and some senior Democratic lawmakers are preparing to rein in a host of major industries, including airline and railroad giants, moving so aggressively that they are finding some resistance from officials within the administration.
Posey on GOP 'vulnerable' list -- but why? ..
WASHINGTON -- National Republicans today plan to add U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, to their list of vulnerable incumbents that could need fund-raising help for the 2010 cycle, said one official with the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Important Meeting Concerning Space Coast Jobs
The Augustine Committee (The U.S. Human Space Flight Review Committee)
Will be meeting 30 July 2009, Thursday 8AM-4PM at The Cocoa Beach Hilton
1550 N. Atlantic, Cocoa Beach Fl. Please plan to attend this important event to express the importance
of the Space program to the life of Brevard County, the Space Coast of Florida.
Union members are asked to wear their union shirts to show the diversity of trades that will be affected by this issue

Rally for Health Care

A rally for Health Care will be held at Cocoa Village Wednesday 29 July 11A-2p 605 Florida Ave Cocoa Fl. Contact Josh Anijar cell 850-228-9841 e-mail janijar@flaflcio.org

Sen Al Franken
At a reception for AFL -CIO Senator Franken announces his support of EFCA

Independents begin to edge away from President Obama
In a potentially alarming trend for the White House, independent voters are deserting President Barack Obama nationally and especially in key swing states, recent polls suggest

Feds update Chinese drywall probe
MANATEE — Federal investigators plan to inspect more homes with Chinese drywall, but say it will be at least two more months before they can conclude whether it contains any potential health risks

Stimulus keeps rail hopes moving
TAMPA - The prospect of billions of dollars in federal stimulus money continues to stoke the idea of a high-speed rail project connecting Tampa, Orlando and Miami.
Progress Energy's proposed Levy County nuke plant hits another roadblock

Progress Energy's plans for its new Levy County nuclear plant hit another potential roadblock Wednesday when an arm of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled that the Green Party of Florida and two other groups can challenge the plant's federal permit.

Trumka Announces Candidacy for AFL-CIO President
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka this morning announced his candidacy for president of the AFL-CIO to succeed the retiring John Sweeney. Trumka has served as AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer since 1995.

Take Action Today to End Violence Against Guatemalan Trade Unionists
Since the Bush administration pushed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) through Congress in 2005, Guatemala has become the second most dangerous country for trade unionists in Latin America, trailing only Colombia, according to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Training, Quick Thinking by Union Crew Saved Boarded Ship, New Look Reveals
For several days in April, the nation waited for the latest news from a U.S. merchant ship off the coast of Somalia, where the captain of the Maersk Alabama was being held hostage in a small lifeboat by Somali pirates.
Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's'
Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say
Former Lawmakers and Congressional Staffers Hired to Lobby on Health Care
The nation's largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records
.Job Retraining May Fall Short of High Hopes
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — For the second time in three years, Mike Hutchins, a laid-off automotive engineer, is preparing to enroll in job retraining at a local community college, this time to become a civil engineering technician. But he has no idea if he has chosen the right path.
The Declaration of Independence :
The United States was born with a single document -- the Declaration of Independence. Have you actually read it? Few people get beyond "... Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
See video

Will the health care bosses get their way?
WARNING: THE federal government is poised to commit robbery. And the poor, defenseless victim is...the health insurance industry.

- A Win for Bank Customers - In the Bush years, federal regulators not only failed to protect borrowers, they aggressively prevented the states from doing it. New York’s attorney general sued, challenging the regulators’ interference. This week, the Supreme Court ruled that federal regulators cannot prevent the states from enforcing consumer protection and fair lending laws against national banks.

What’s So Super About a Supermajority? -
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are about to reach the magical threshold of 60 votes, allowing them in theory to sweep aside Republican delaying tactics. But the arrival of that 60th vote, in the person of Al Franken of Minnesota, is not likely to make the party’s very real difficulties in advancing contentious legislation disappear.

Stimulus or Not, States Are Cutting Summer School
COCOA, Fla. — A year ago, the Brevard County Schools ran a robust summer program here, with dozens of schools bustling with teachers and some 14,000 children practicing multiplication, reading Harry Potter and studying Spanish verbs, all at no cost to parents

Death by Bipartisanship
Health care reform is wildly popular. Three separate polls show over 70% of Americans favor a public insurance plan. Remarkably, the majority of us are even willing to pay higher taxes to provide health insurance for our uninsured compatriots.

The next FDR or the next Hoover? It would be hard to imagine Barack Obama acting like FDR did at the height of the New Deal. But then again, Obama doesn't face a mobilized and militant working class.

Take Action: Tell Congress: Wells Fargo is a Roadblock to Recovery Desperate for cash, Wells Fargo got $25 billion from US taxpayers to keep it open. The deal was simple: use our money to stay in business and help other businesses through the recession, too. Jobs would be saved and we'd all be on the road to economic recovery.

Ludlow Massacre Site Dedicated as National Landmark Today, Mine Workers (UMWA) leaders, union activists, lawmakers and historians will dedicate the site of the 1914 Ludlow Massacre—one of the bloodiest chapters in the nation’s labor history—as a National Historic Landmark.

IBEW, OPEIU Members Honored at Labor College Graduation Among the 103 union members who received their college degrees in ceremonies at the National Labor College (NLC) today, two were singled out for special recognition.
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Growth amendment fuels opponents' angst
Florida's Realtors, home builders and developers have some business decisions to make this fall as they ponder the next phase of a fight over development in the state

Two Former Labor Secretaries: Why We Support Employee Free Choice
Ray Marshall, secretary of labor from 1977 to 1981, and Robert Reich, secretary of labor from 1993 to 1997, have borne witness to a big shift in the economy and the power of workers over past decades. They’ve seen an economy weakened by inequality, corporate greed and the decreasing ability of workers to bargain for their fair

State GOP staffer sends racist image of Obama.
Over the weekend, a GOP official in South Carolina posted a comment to Facebook comparing Michelle Obama to an escaped gorilla. Now, in a second instance of Republicans playing the race card against the Obamas, Wonkette notes that a racist e-mail was sent out by a legislative staffer for Tennessee GOP state senator Diane Black. The staffer, Sherri Goforth, e-mailed this composite picture of the country’s 44 presidents, which represents President Obama with only a set of eyes:

Chicago pols hail retiring priest
A slew of high-ranking Democratic office holders showed up at St. Andrew Catholic Church on Chicago's North Side last week to wish a happy retirement to the Rev. Jack Farry, a local priest known for his involvement in civil rights and other social justice issues. It was a respectful nod to a popular figure and yet another demonstration that in Chicago anyway pols still pay more than lip service to the notion that 'all politics is local.'

Companies praise new law on construction safety
Union and construction companies today praised a new law they said aims to create a culture of safety on local work sites and make construction workers safer. The new bill, signed into law by Gov. Jim Gibbons on Wednesday, requires all construction workers and supervisors to attend health and safety course training within 15 days of being hired.

OSHA cites Wal-Mart in NY worker's '08 crowd death
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) — The death of a temporary employee who was crushed in a stampede of post-Thanksgiving shoppers at a Wal-Mart store could have been prevented, federal officials said Tuesday as they proposed fining the world's largest retailer $7,000 — as much money as it makes in about 18 seconds

The Healthcare War is Now Official
Yesterday the American Medical Association came out against a public option for health care. And yesterday the President reaffirmed his support for it. The next weeks will show what Obama is made of -- whether he's willing and able to take on the most formidable lobbying coalition he has faced so far on an issue that will define his presidency.

Green Jobs Programs to Drive Economic Recovery
Over the past few decades, the U.S. has failed to invest in the growth of both urban and rural America, leaving many families and communities struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, we face an environmental crisis in the form of global climate change and the challenge of reducing our dependence on fossil fuel.

How many more were wrongly jailed because of 'wonder dog'?
Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell today called on Gov. Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum and Brevard-Seminole State Attorney Norm Wolfinger to investigate how many more innocent people were put in Florida prisons because of the testimony of a now-discredited dog handler.

More Die on Job in New York State Because of Bush’s Safety and Health Cuts
Eight years of Bush administration cutbacks in funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), particularly for an adequate inspection force, puts New York state workers at greater risk of dying on the job, a new report reveals.

Obama Open to Reining in Medical Suits
WASHINGTON — The American Medical Association has long battled Democrats who oppose protecting doctors from malpractice lawsuits. But during a private meeting at the White House last month, association officials said, they found one Democrat willing to entertain the idea: President Obama.