Charles Pierce | I No Longer Believe House Democrats Will Uphold Their Constitutional Duty

17 May 19 I Want a Budget for RSN, *&^%$#@! This is a great organization, with a great community. We are perpetually stymied by the lack of adequate funding. I have to fix that. It's not a job I relish, it is a job that I accept. Help us do this. Get behind this vital project. In peace and solidarity. Marc Ash Founder, Reader Supported News Sure, I'll make a donation! Update My Monthly Donation If you would prefer to send a check: Reader Supported News PO Box 2043 Citrus Hts, CA 95611

16 May 19

It's Live on the HomePage Now:
Reader Supported News

A DISDAIN FOR CONTRIBUTION: We are still struggling with a readership that values what we do but is, on the whole, looking for any way to avoid contributing financially. No it's not the ten dollars a month. That is for most of our readers easily manageable. Donations will grudgingly be given if the situation appears dire, but only then and reluctantly so. Often with significant resentment. Our overall rate of participation in the funding drives remains illogically poor, based on the enthusiasm the readers show for the content and issues. People seem to accept paying for telecommunication services, internet services and cable entertainment services. Not yet for a news agency that serves the public good. The future of Reader Supported News depends on our ability to change that. We will try. / Marc Ash, Founder Reader Supported News

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Charles Pierce | I No Longer Believe House Democrats Will Uphold Their Constitutional Duty 

Charles Pierce, Esquire
Pierce writes: "As John Mitchell, realizing that he was busted, once said to Carl Bernstein: 'Good god.'"
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Missouri governor Mike Parson. (photo: David A. Lieb/AP)

Missouri Could Be the Latest State to Pass an Extreme Abortion Ban
Lisa Ryan, The Cut
Ryan writes: "On the heels of Alabama's extreme abortion ban, which was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey this week, similarly harsh legislation was passed by the Missouri senate on Thursday - meaning it may soon become the latest state to enact a near-full ban on the medical procedure."
READ MORE

Anti-abortion protesters rally near a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia on 10 May. (photo: Matt Rourke/AP)

How a Right-Wing Group Accessed the White House to Spread Its Anti-Abortion Agenda
Julian Borger and Liz Ford, Guardian UK
Excerpt: "Last spring, Laurie Shestack Phipps, a diplomat at the US mission to the UN, received a set of talking points from the state department before an international women's conference, setting out clear red lines against mention of 'sexual and reproductive health' care."
READ MORE

Purdue Pharmaceutical is the maker of OxyContin. (photo: CBS News)

Five More States Sue Purdue Pharma for Opioid Crisis
Lenny Bernstein, The Washington Post
Bernstein writes: "Five states announced Thursday that they would sue Purdue Pharma and a member of the Sackler family that controls the drug company, accusing them of deceptively pushing powerful painkillers and misrepresenting the drugs' safety as they sparked the opioid crisis."
READ MORE

Protesters march across the Brooklyn Bridge to demand Governor Cuomo block the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline. (photo: Erik McGregor/Getty)

Controversial Pipeline Project Looms Over New York's Bold Climate Agenda
E.A. Crunden, ThinkProgress
Crunden writes: "A controversial pipeline has emerged as a major test of New York's clean energy ambitions, at a time when the state is marketing itself as a leader on climate action."
READ MORE

At least six civilians killed and dozens wounded as coalition jets strike residential areas in Yemen's capital. (photo: AFP)

Saudi-UAE Coalition Carries Out Deadly Air Raids on Yemen's Residential Areas of Capital
Al Jazeera
Excerpt: "At least six civilians, including women and children, were killed and dozens wounded in Saudi-UAE-led coalition air raids on residential areas and Houthi rebel military targets in Yemen's capital, Sanaa."
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Debris blankets the north side of one of the Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean. Researchers found a huge amount of plastic both onshore and buried in the sand. (photo: Silke Stuckenbrock)

Remote Island Chain Has Few People - but Hundreds of Millions of Pieces of Plastic
Christopher Joyce, NPR
Joyce writes: "When a marine biologist from Australia traveled to a remote string of islands in the Indian Ocean to see how much plastic waste had washed up on the beaches, here's just part of what she found: '373,000 toothbrushes and around 975,000 shoes, largely flip-flops,' says Jennifer Lavers of the University of Tasmania in Australia."
READ MORE

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Bill McKibben Calls FBI Tracking of Environmental Activists "Contemptible"

14 December 18 It's Live on the HomePage Now: Reader Supported News DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT TO DONATE - We tend to do better towards the end of the fundraising drives than we do at the beginning. It's a bad approach. It ensures that the fundraising drives will be longer and the stress for everyone will be greater. It never used to be this way and it doesn't need to be this way now. This is all about “reasonable donations.” #FundingMatters - Marc Ash, Founder Reader Supported News Sure, I'll make a donation! Bill McKibben Calls FBI Tracking of Environmental Activists "Contemptible"  Steve Hanley, Clean Technica Hanley writes: "As the result of a Freedom of Information suit brought by The Guardian, the FBI has revealed it maintained an open investigation of 350.org - the climate activism group founded by Bill McKibben - and its members as part of an ongoing anti-terrorism campaign." READ MORE Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, exits the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, February 28, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (photo: Drew Angerer/Getty) Paul Manafort Advised White House on How to Attack and Discredit Investigation of President Trump Murray Waas, Vox Waas writes: "We now have details as to how the indicted former campaign manager worked with the president to undermine federal law enforcement." READ MORE Jazmine Headley, 23, speaks to the media after she was released from Rikers Island in New York, December 11, 2018. (photo: WABC) Police Yanked a 1-Year-Old From His Mother's Arms During an Arrest. Prosecutors Dropped the Charges. Katie Mettler and Antonia Noori Farzan, The Washington Post Excerpt: "Five days after police arrested Headley - and after an investigation into an 'appalling' video that showed police pulling her child from her arms - authorities announced plans to drop all related charges against her." READ MORE Director of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. (photo: Win McNamee/Getty) Kirstjen Nielsen Decides to Blame Child's Death in Border Patrol Custody on Her Family Jack Crosbie, Splinter News Crosbie writes: "Nielsen chooses to blame the girl's family." READ MORE Cady Evans (left) and her sister, Crystal Deckard, surrounded by pictures of their mother, Darlene Coker, whose lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson 20 years ago was one of the first to allege that the company's Baby Powder caused cancer. (photo: Mike Blake/Reuters) Johnson & Johnson Hid Findings of Asbestos in Johnson's Baby Powder for Decades Lisa Girion, Reuters Girion writes: "Facing thousands of lawsuits alleging that its talc caused cancer, J&J insists on the safety and purity of its iconic product. But internal documents examined by Reuters show that the company's powder was sometimes tainted with carcinogenic asbestos." READ MORE Right-wing Israelis, mostly from settlements in the West Bank, protest outside the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, December 13, 2018. (photo: AFP) After Israeli Soldiers Killed, Netanyahu Punishes Palestinians by Approving 2,000 Illegal Settler Homes teleSUR Excerpt: "A day after two Israeli soldiers were killed in the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that his government will authorize thousands of the settler homes built illegally in the occupied West Bank, some of them decades ago." READ MORE Appalachian mountains. (photo: iStock) Court Tosses Controversial Pipeline Permits, Rules Forest Service Failed to 'Speak for the Trees' John Murawski, The News & Observer Murawski writes: "A federal appeals has thrown out another key permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, increasing the likelihood that work on the 604-mile multi-state project could be held up until this summer if not longer." READ MORE Contribute to RSN Update My Monthly Donation

SAPE: Urgent Help Needed to Stop Construction! Rally in Peekskill This Sunday, April 3!

We all know the environmental destruction caused by FRACKING, the drinking water contamination, increased earthquakes, the unexplained illnesses of those living nearby, the environmental disaster at Porter Ranch Gas Leak in California that spewed METHANE unabated.


FRACKED GAS PIPELINES are being proposed with some slick public relations gimmicks, all intended to conceal the overseas shipment of FRACKED GAS. 


Below is a map of proposed FRACKED GAS PIPELINES. 
Click on the image to enlarge. 

Dear Friends,

We URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP to send a message to decision makers that the Spectra Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) Fracked Gas Pipeline cannot go forward!

It cannot be allowed to proceed, because it is sited next to the aging Indian Point nuclear facility, (constructed on 2 earthquake faults). The addition of this fracked gas pipeline to the already dangerous nuclear plant puts the entire Hudson Valley in extreme jeopardy and would cause catastrophic, long-term damage to a widespread area, including New York City in the event of an accidental or terrorist-caused explosion.

PLEASE DON'T LET THE HUDSON VALLEY BECOME THE NEXT FOSSIL FUEL SACRIFICE ZONE! Come to the Rally presented by Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE) and Food and Water Watch to say NO to this very dangerous pipeline. And bring your friends and neighbors!

Where: Riverfront Green, Peekskill, New York

Date: Sunday, April 3, 2016

Time: 2pm - 4pm For more information, visit 

https://www.facebook.com/events/482075901917648/

If you will attend, please add your name to the attendees list on the above Facebook link. Governor Cuomo asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a stay of this fracked gas pipeline, until a risk analysis is completed by key NYS agencies. FERC denied the governor's request for this construction delay, thus refusing to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers. We need you to add your voice to say this is not acceptable.

Please help us to fight this dangerous pipeline and protect New York State residents.

Thank you!

SAPE Cofounder and Rally Coordinator, Paula Clair

Please contact pclair3@aol.com or (845) 739-2141 for more information 

Senator Edward J. Markey [D-MA]: DOE Approval of Nat Gas Exports Out of New England Will Be Devastating for Region

KINDER MORGAN is a SCAM! As are other pipelines that make phony promises. 

Massachusetts is blessed with a Congressional Delegation that works hard to protect our environment from such absurd Follies. 

Thank you Senator Markey!

Tea Bagger Guv Baker is Bought & Paid For!

Several pipeline execs maxed out Charlie Baker donations

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2014/11/several_pipeline_execs_maxed_out_charlie_baker_donations

Markey: DOE Approval of Nat Gas Exports Out of New England Will Be Devastating for Region

http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-doe-approval-of-nat-gas-exports-out-of-new-england-will-be-devastating-for-region

Senator Edward J. Markey

 

Today’s announcement appears to confirm my long-standing warnings that the ultimate goal of some natural gas pipeline proposals being made in New England is not to help our residents with expanded infrastructure but to use New England as a throughway to export U.S. natural gas to Canada and ultimately to overseas markets. The companies who are proposing these pipeline projects need to be fully forthcoming about the ultimate fate of the gas that would transported through these pipelines in order for these proposals to be examined in their entirety.

If we allow natural gas to be exported out of New England to foreign markets, it will only add to the hardship our consumers are facing from high prices and link us to higher-priced international markets. That would be a disaster for our consumers and our region. The U.S. Department of Energy hasn't met a natural gas export application it can say no to if it’s willing to approve natural gas exports out of New England, a region where we have seen price spikes and capacity constraints in recent years. That is why I have introduced legislation to turn the broken DOE process on its head in order to protect American consumers and businesses. http://bit.ly/DOE-NatGas-Exports

Markey: DOE Approval of Nat Gas Exports Out of New England Will Be Devastating for Region

If we allow natural gas to be exported out of New England to foreign markets, it…

MARKEY.SENATE.GOV

MASSterList: Trump passes to Tom Brady | Green Line Ext. worries await | Why convicted teachers keep pensions

****FRACKED GAS PIPELINES ARE PROPOSED ON THE PRETEXT THAT IT IS CLEAN ENERGY.

WE KNOW HOW FRACKING HAS DESTROYED COMMUNITIES, CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER AND IS BLAMED FOR CAUSING EARTHQUAKES IN OKLAHOMA. 

PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION OF FRACKED GAS. 


 
Thursday, November 19, 2015

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By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) with Keith Regan

Today: Gaming Commission; Facebook with Stan Governor Baker is traveling out of state with his family. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito gives remarks at the Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce, 58 East Grove St., Middleborough, 9 am. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission meets to discuss several agenda items, including Plainridge Park, MGM Springfield, and fantasy sports. It will be held at 101 Federal St., 12th floor, Boston, 10:30. Senate President Stanley Rosenberg hosts a Facebook Q&A at noon:https://www.facebook.com/senatorstanrosenberg   The Green Line Extension: The conundrum awaits Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack's appearance yesterday at the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assetswas a reminder that the Green Line Extension debate will soon resurface and there won't be any simple answers. In others words, making a $1 billion overrun estimate into a more a palatable number will be fraught with political considerations. That's why yesterday she was talking about the potential need for the Legislature to authorize addition bonding - it already authorized $1.2 billion. "As I've said repeatedly the option of halting the project remains on the table until or unless we can develop a fiscally-responsible approach to completing the project." The DOT and MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board will meet Nov. 30 to scrutinize the cost estimates for the project, and then again on Dec. 9 to explore options. Colin Young and Andy Metzger report on Pollack's Beacon Hill appearance. http://bit.ly/1MnQ6js   Late-night service on the T could soon fall victim to cuts, reports Nicole Dungca of the Globe, as ridership has been low. With about 13,000 weekend riders using extended hours to 2 am, the cost to subsidize each trip is over $13. More details on the cost-benefits here:http://bit.ly/1Haxi8L Public records law passes House; Senate will weigh it next year The House passed the first overhaul of the state's public records law in 40 years yesterday, but the measure won't be considered by the Senate until early next year. Overall, it represents a significant improvement, in the estimation of many, as current law is routinely abused by bureaucracies large and small because they can stonewall and overcharge with impunity. The fear of costing their agencies real money because of noncompliance should make record-keepers more diligent. Shira Schoenberg of MassLive gets into the nitty-gritty of the bill, including the cost per page, the timetable for answering requests and more.http://bit.ly/1HYPWQT   Healey jolts pipeline debate Debate on the need for additional natural gas in Massachusetts promises to become the commonwealth's most contentious issue.  Do we need additional capacity or can we manage with the natural gas supply we have by using less? On this question, Attorney General Maura yesterday sided with the environmental argument with a study that adds to the collection of energy reports that contradict each other. Massachusetts has four pipeline projects that would either widen existing pipes or create new ones, all inspired by utilities that say they need the gas. Here's a good overview of the pipeline situation in light of Healey's report by the Globe's Jack Newsham. http://bit.ly/1Nc9SCj   Donald Trump drags Tom Brady into his campaign "I have the temperament of someone that knows how to win. All you have to do is ask Tom Brady. Tom Brady always said Trump knows how to win. And he's a great guy and he's a friend of mine. But Tom Brady, will tell you, 'Trump knows how to win.' " - Donald Trump speaking to reporters last night in Worcester   Trying to make sense of Trump's appeal and durability has become a new genre of political writing, and the Globe's James Pindell has a good take today on Why Trump Won't Go Away. One reason, which isn't quite framed this way, is the media won't let him go away. "While his opponents struggle to raise money to get out their message, Trump is constantly on television news for free. He has only begun to air radio advertising in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina." http://bit.ly/1S66Z3P   Is Trump getting more measured as it looks more possible he could pull off the GOP nomination? It would not seem so to the casual observer, but the Herald's Howie Carr has a funny take about trying to draw out Trump to say outrageous things during a recent radio interview: http://bit.ly/1NF1JQZ   Hillary Clinton is Dick Cheney-esque So says Eric Fehrnstrom in a Globe op-ed, eagerly poking a stick into the beehive of Massachusetts Democratic hegemony with this critique: "... What makes Hillary Clinton the Dick Cheney of the Democrats is Libya. You heard that right - Clinton is to Obama in Libya what Cheney was to President Bush in Iraq." http://bit.ly/1kHaELa   Solar bill deal will have to wait An 11th-hour attempt to hammer out a solar energy bill between the House and the Senate failed to find common ground, pushing the effort to lift the net metering cap into next year. "House and Senate negotiators made a show of quickly assembling to take a swing at crafting a quick compromise, but 90 minutes later both sides acknowledged that it would take further discussions before a deal could be reached," Matt Murphy of the State House News Service reports. http://bit.ly/1MoFPno (paywall) MGM boosts Springfield investment bottom line  Seeking to allay fears about design changes to its Springfield casino, MGM now says it will spend $950 million to construct the downtown resort, $150 million more than originally planned, according to the Globe. MGM says the increased costs are mainly due to rising construction expenses since the casino was designed in 2012. http://bit.ly/1Yi3Qlc  Loophole means convicted teachers keep pensions  Five retired teachers are continuing to collect their state pensions despite convictions for child pornography, the Herald reports, due to a loophole in the current law that the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System is now seeking to fix. http://bit.ly/1QvQksK  T could ban political ads  The MBTA is poised to ban political advertising across the system after a dust-up over an anti-Israel ad, Boston.com's Adam Vaccaro reports. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo tells the site the ban could be in place in a couple months and is aimed at reducing "unnecessary litigation which can arise from issue-based ads of this nature." http://bit.ly/1HasMqz  In Townsend, small-town politics leads to recall effort Residents in Townsend are seeking to recall the two sitting members of the board of selectmen, saying they are guilty of misfeasance and numerous conflicts of interest that were disclosed after the fact, the Nashoba Valley Voice reports. The recall was driven largely by the board's decision to hire a private firm to conduct the search for a new police officer, a vote critics say was done in violation of the state's Open Meeting Law because it was never discussed in public session. The group pushing the recall has until the end of the month to collect 614 signatures to trigger the election.  http://bit.ly/1SGVrUO  Walsh wants to raise smoking age  Boston Mayor Marty Walsh wants the City Council to raise the minimum legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products to 21, the Globe reports. Boston would join 78 other communities in the Commonwealth to make the move, which drew criticism from retailers who want consistent rules statewide. http://bit.ly/1X0wzOk  A quick detour down Memory Lane Gov. Charlie Baker is on vacation now and on Monday he was taken on a trip down Memory Lane, back to his 2010 gubernatorial try when his role in financing the Big Dig was used as a cudgel by Democrats. A cheeky question from the Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh about how the state might pay for a North-South Rail Link - a proposed project that has inspired caution within the executive branch - even prompted Baker to name his predecessor who beat him to win a second term five years ago. LEHIGH: "Could you use that sneaky way you found of financing the Big Dig to get money for this?" BAKER: "You mean the way that 49 other states have used to fund a variety of really big projects including Governor Deval Patrick? Yeah. Maybe." -Andy Metzger, State House News Service TODAY'S DAY: Today is the Great American Smokeout Day, which challenges smokers to drop the habit for 24 hours. . REMEMBER: To send your tips to me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com. Op-eds and other commentary invited for publication on Massterlist. TODAY'S TOP STORIES National headlines  Trump supporters say he is the right man for America outside Worcester rally Donald Trump takes aim at refugees, mosques Seth Moulton opened his home, heart to a refugee - The Boston Globe Donald Trump holds rally in Worcester - The Boston Globe Republicans vie for Mass. primary (yes, Mass.) - The Boston Globe State headlines  Healey study on natural gas pipelines sees pros and cons - The Boston Globe MGM to announce boost in spending on Springfield casino - The Boston Globe House approves public records overhaul - The Boston Globe Late-night MBTA service on the chopping block again - The Boston Globe MBTA Budget Gap Threatens 'Extraordinarily Inefficient' Late Night Service MGM Springfield casino presentation draws applause, mostly positive reviews from near-capacity CityStage crowd Mass. Begins Certifying Sober Homes Lawmakers go home, turn lights out on solar bill - CommonWealth Magazine Massachusetts Attorney General's energy study 'seriously flawed,' Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. says Should a teacher ask a student for a Facebook password? Massachusetts Senate says 'no' Senate compromise on Massachusetts solar bill fails to pass before winter recess MBTA will ban political advertising on public transit after anti-Israel ad controversy Hands-Free Driving Bill Moves One Step Closer Grand Prix Racing Is Headed To Southie. Are Taxpayers Getting Taken For A Ride? State Auditor tracks impact of homeless families housed in local motels Local headlines  Wareham selectmen OK medical marijuana dispensary for town Spinners, for sale since September, could be headed to local investors Council shoot down Fiorentini's requested tax shift Taunton, Wampanoags strike deal over police on tribal land Audit reveals overpayment of former Brockton Housing director City Council Opens Arms To Syrian Refugees | Boston University News Service Longtime Quincy City Clerk Joe Shea to retire early next year Worcester officials to poll residents about early voting State police barracks in Brookfield to close Dec. 13 Mayor Walsh proposes raising age limit for buying cigarettes to 21 - The Boston Globe