Perspective on all things

Future NASA rocket to be most powerful ever built

To soar far away from Earth and even on to Mars, NASA has dreamed up the world's most powerful rocket, a behemoth that borrows from the workhorse liquid-fuel rockets that sent Apollo missions into space four decades ago.

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The Koch Whisperers » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

The reverse speak of the Koch brand of academic freedom became crystal clear this year with the leak of a contract the Charles G.

Reactions to DOJ suit against AT&T;, T-Mobile deal

Reactions to the Justice Department's decision to file a lawsuit in an effort to block AT&T; Inc.'s proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA:

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House freshmen push bills that benefit big donors

Five months after taking office, Rep. Stephen Fincher, a cotton farmer from a mostly rural swath of Tennessee, introduced a bill to mandate swift federal approval of genetically modified crops for commercial sale.

Government sues to block AT&T;, T-Mobile merger

The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday to block AT&T;'s $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile USA on grounds that it would raise prices for consumers.

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Copies of the Recent 800 "Model" Bills Voted Upon By Corporations @ Alex Convention - Alec Exposed

Through the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often dire …

Iowan Town Hall Constituents Tell Sen. Grassley To Raise The Payroll Tax Cap: 'We Want To Have Social Security!'

Constituents waved signs and gave boisterous applause when one Iowan after another stood up and urged Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to strengthen Social Security rather than cut the retirement program at a town hall in Carroll, Iowa on Monday.

Darrell Issa Steps in It, Inadvertantly Reveals Improper Use of Congressional Funds to Serve AEI | Emptywheel

Republicans are big fans of projection. When they’re neck-deep in conflicts of interest, they like to hide it by accusing Democrats of such conflicts. When they leak stuff, they accuse Democrats.

Phone hacking: 'orchestrated cover-up' of hacking at News of the World

Clive Goodman warned executives after he was jailed in 2007 that hacking had been “fully supported” by the tabloid’s editors, including Andy Coulson, who later became an adviser to David Cameron. In the letter, released by MPs, Goodman claimed that Mr Coulson h …

Texas on the Brink : How Texas Ranks Among the 50 States

In Texas today, the American dream is distant. Texas has thehighest percentage of uninsured children in the nation. Texas is dead lastin the percentage of residents with their high school diploma and near lastin SAT scores. Texas has America’s dirtiest air.

How ALEC Shapes States' Legislation Behind The Scenes : NPR

Republican legislators picked up 680 seats in state House and Senate chambers in the 2010 elections. "They now hold more state legislative seats than at any time since 1928, the year that Herbert Hoover came to the presidency," says reporter John Nichols.

How the Koch Brothers Are Blocking the Vote in Wisconsin | The Nation

The Koch Brothers have seemingly limitless funds to devote towards any measure of fraud to confuse, dissuade and ultimately frustrate Democrats away from the polls.

The Hidden History of ALEC and Prison Labor | The Nation

Secretive Corporate-Legislative Group ALEC Holds Annual Meeting to Rewrite State Laws

Hundreds of state legislators from all 50 states have gathered in New Orleans for the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC.

On the News With Thom Hartmann: Minnesota GOP Legislation Written by ALEC, Funded by Koch Brothers and Wal-Mart, and More

The Minnesota state government may be open for business again after a shut down a few weeks ago – but the legislators aren’t working on new laws.  Instead – transnational corporations are. 

Reminder: 44 Percent of Tea Partiers Are on Medicare

Many op-ed columnists are calling these attacks on entitlement spending a victory for Tea Partiers, whose beef with big government has shaped politics for several years now.

Cantor: Entitlement Promises 'Frankly, Are Not Going To Be Kept For Many'

During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said he is ready and willing to slash entitlements like Medicare, because, in his opinion, Americans have to “come to grips with the fact that promises have been made that frankly ar …

Eric Cantor intends to break America's promises

Say hello to the Promise Breakers. U.S.

Shareholder activism: A shocking D.C. court decision that stops shareholders from nominating independent, new corporate directors. - By Eliot Spitzer - Slate Magazine

It appears that while the attention has been focused on the political infighting in Washington,perhaps more insidiously far reaching and longer lasting assaults are being made within our justice system.

Alan Simpson Calls For Investigation Into Grover Norquist: 'Who Is He Slave To?'

As far as political personalities who hold no public office or have a job at a media association go, none seems to have skyrocketed to newfound popularity the way '90s staple and Americans for Tax Reform head Grover Norquist has during the debt crisis debate.

Now Two Murdoch Whistleblowers Dead

(YBH) – First it was Big George Webley who relayed a fear of the Murdoch machine and wound up dead.  Now it’s Sean Hoare.  Two British media whistleblowers.

Phone hacking: News International mass-deleted emails, tech firm says

HCL reveals News International's various requests for deletion but tells MPs it knew of nothing untoward

UK police add computer hacking allegations to Murdoch paper investigation

London police probing phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's defunct News of the World tabloid are broadening their investigation to allegations of computer hacking, they said on Saturday. A new investigative team will be set up to tackle the new allegations, reporting to Sue Ake …

Judge slams Comcast-NBC Universal deal

By Stephanie Gleason, Dow Jones Newswires Thursday 28 July 2011 A federal judge Wednesday criticized the antitrust settlement that allowed the merger of Comcast Corp. and General Electric's NBC Universal, threatening to reject the agreement.

FNC trails far behind rivals in Murdoch coverage

"Fox News dominates the ratings in prime-time cable, with popular hosts such as Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. How have they responded to their own parent company being in the news? The answer is they haven’t considered it nearly as much of a story as their rivals."