Unearthed: The News Without the Chaff

This recurring blog series features a collection of recent news stories about threats to public health, our democracy and the planet which are ignored or underreported by the handful of corporate mainstream media conglomerates, TV pundits, and radio shock jocks who've turned the "news" into little more than an entertainment and product placement opportunity and let down the American public.

"Spoils of War:" Iraq Selling Oil Reserves to Western Oil Giants
The Iraqi government put 40 billion barrels of oil reserves up for sale this week and entered talks with ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell over developing eight oil fields representing forty percent of Iraq's reserves. The size of the sale is unprecedented, and confirms again the underlying motive behind Saddam Hussein's ouster. Shell has already entered an agreement potentially worth $4 billion to develop Iraqi gas fields, marking the beginning of the distribution of "the spoils of war" among western oil companies which stand to gain access to nearly half of Iraq's remaining reserves.

ABC Refuses to Air 'Repower America' Ad by Alliance for Climate Protection
ABC continues to refuse to run an ad designed by the Alliance for Climate Protection which challenges the massive advertising and lobbying campaigns by oil and coal companies and calls for a renewable energy future for America.

Major network coverage of recent presidential debates has been book-ended with ads by fossil fuel interests including Chevron (ABC), ExxonMobil (CBS), and the coal industry lobby (CNN). All of the other networks and several cable outlets ran the Repower America ad, except ABC, which claimed the ad failed to meet its "controversial issue advertising" rules because an image of the Capitol Building appears briefly in the ad. ABC told the Alliance that "the image of the Capital [sic] building is not incidental to this advertising."

An online petition circulated by the Alliance has garnered over 230,000 signatures calling on ABC to air the ad.

Bush Administration Memos Instruct Wildlife Officials to Ignore Global Warming Impacts
Memos sent earlier this month by top Bush administration lawyers to wildlife officials claim that the Endangered Species Act can't be used to regulate global warming emissions in order to protect dwindling species and their habitats. The memos, obtained by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), concluded that cumulative effects of global warming pollution "are of no relevance" under the Endangered Species Act.

One of the memos, authored by the Interior Department's top lawyer, claimed that agency officials do not have to consult with federal scientists and can decide for themselves whether timber sales, dam building or other projects might harm endangered wildlife. The memos instruct Interior Department officials overseeing natural resource development to ignore the threat of global warming emissions from a proposed project because the pollution from specific projects can't be proved to have an impact on species or habitat.

National Debt Clock Runs Out of Digits
A digital billboard chronicling the national debt ran out of room to account for the current debt of $10.2 trillion. The sign was originally mounted in Times Square in 1989 by the late Manhattan real estate developer Seymour Durst, who wanted to highlight the failure of Reaganomics by displaying what was then a $2.7 trillion debt. In a short term fix, the clock's digital dollar sign was hacked to add a '1' to make room for the skyrocketing $10 trillion figure. The national debt has nearly doubled in the past eight years under the Bush administration.

U.S. Mayors Predict Green Collar Jobs Will Double In Next Decade
A new report[PDF] by the US Conference of Mayors suggests that green collar jobs in the U.S. will more than double in the next 10 years, rising from a current level of roughly 750,000 green jobs to over 2.5 million by 2018. The majority of the current jobs the report classified as green are "indirect" occupations related to green energy, including engineering, legal, research and consulting work. But the second largest segment of jobs classified as green relate directly to renewable energy generation. Growth in direct green job employment is expected to expand rapidly and supplant the need for large numbers of indirect jobs.

Alaska Pollock Fishery Faces Collapse
Yearly catches of one million tons are exceeding the regenerative capacity of Alaska Pollock, threatening collapse of the staple fast food source found in fish sandwiches, frozen fish sticks, fish and chips and imitation crabmeat at McDonald's and elsewhere in the fast food industry.

NOAA biologists report that stocks of Alaska Pollock found in U.S. waters are half as large as last year, foretelling a collapse that would devastate Alaska's commercial fishermen and coastal communities. Greenpeace and other environmental groups blame the mismanagement of the Pollock fishery and say the yearly allowable catch of 1 million tons leaves the Pollock "on the cusp of one of the largest fishery collapses in history."

"Worst Year" for Violence in Afghanistan
2008 is the bloodiest year so far in Afghanistan since the Taliban was ousted in 2001. Violence is increasing as large numbers of foreign insurgents switch battlegrounds from Iraq to fight in Afghanistan. Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghanistan's Defense Minister, told reporters "the level of violence has increased every year and 2008 has been the worst of all," since U.S. forces overthrew the Taliban in 2001.

The number of coalition soldiers killed in Afghanistan so far this year already exceeds the number reached last year, and at least a third of the additional 3,800 killed were civilians, according to the United Nations.

Wardak said the militants are better-equipped, better-trained, and more coordinated in their attacks than ever before, echoing the findings of a US intelligence report earlier this month indicating that Afghanistan is in a "downward spiral."

Despite Ethics Rule, Congress Hid $3.5 Billion in Earmarks in Defense Spending Bill
An extensive investigation by the Seattle Times found that Congress inserted $3.5 billion in hidden earmarks in the 2008 Defense spending bill. Despite new ethics rules requiring members of Congress to disclose their earmarks publicly, the Times found that 40 percent of the $8.5 billion in earmarks inserted into the $459 billion defense spending bill were in fact hidden by lawmakers who exploited loopholes or disregarded the ethics rules entirely. The hidden $3.5 billion was traced to 155 earmarks which included some of the most costly expenditures in the defense spending bill. Since there are no penalties for disregarding the ethics rule, the practice is likely to continue.

The Seattle Times sifted through earmarks buried in difficult to find documents and compiled the information - including campaign donations and companies' lobbying efforts - into a searchable database located at seattletimes.com/favorfactory.

The investigation found that companies that benefited from the earmarks spent $141 million lobbying Congress last year alone, and that employees of the companies that benefited from the earmarks gave more than $60 million in campaign contributions to members of Congress over the past six years.

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Comments

[Norge]

The whole American military system operates and functions only with oil. The more available the longer
they will be able to operate. The values required to maintain the system functioning requires the middle east reserves and all others which remain lie in hostile territories which can be aquired at minimal costs.

Freedom, liberty and democracy and all such nice sounding words are for the claping crowd.
Patriotism is the last harbor of scoundrels and it is used whenever is necessary to maintain the military dictatorship of Rome.

[Infokronea]

Thank you for the heads up. This is important. I've never seen corruption taken to this level, not even under Nixon. Just yesterday morning, we had a conversation with an official who told us that the "war on terror" has become little more than a license to steal. The only cure? Elect Senator Obama.

[ConcernfromCanada]

If you have a mentality that is shared by half of the country that government is bad and should not collect taxes to provide for the public good, then without these earmarks, how do you get services at the local community level?

I don't understand how people complain that Obama wants to grab your wealth, from people who really don't have any to begin with, but then suffer because the basic services that provide for the public good are not available.

Mr. Kennedy, thank you for your attempts last night on Larry King to turn the spotlight back on the McCain/Palin ticket's connection to AIP, Liddy, ethics violation etc.... its too bad that CNN always seems to run out of time when these important issues come up.

[kae]

To ConcernfromCanada:

America seems confused because that is all our corporate-owned media provides! Please help, tell others! -and stop watching CNN

"[The corporate mass-media] serve to divert the unwashed masses and reinforce the basic social values: passivity, submissiveness to authority, the overriding virtue of greed and personal gain, lack of concern for others, fear of real or imagined enemies, etc.

The goal is to keep the bewildered herd bewildered. It's unnecessary for them to trouble themselves with what's happening in the world.

In fact, it's undesirable " if they see too much of reality, they may set themselves to change it."
" Noam Chomsky

[steamboat]

Why did you bring-up this was the bloodiest year in Afghanistan? Knowing Obama is going to send two more brigades there and do incursions in Pakistan. Next year and the year after will be the bloodiest.

[ThePeacemakers]

Steamboat,
US is already doing incursions into Pakistan. One main reason for incursions into Pakistan is because that's apparently were most believe Bin Laden is hiding.

What the article makes me think is now that the Bush Administration is close to securing oil for US oil companies in Iraq (the reason for OCCUPYING Iraq long after Saddam), the Administration is turning their attention back to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, which they've known all along is the main front (not the only one) for the "war on terrorismn". They are now making an attempt to get Bin Laden because of the election - the security of American people is the last thing on the Bush Administration and other neo-con minds.

If they were so concerned about terrorist attacks by foreigners in America the would secure the southern and northern borders with military personnel. But corporate concerns override that. They don't want to stop the cheap labor because the hard right thinks plantation system style economics is best for this country.

[sariel]

Uh, didn't McCain vow to do the same thing? Or would you rather we send no additional troops and the ones that are there already can get slautered?

[wagthedog1001]

News is news. I'm glad they bring up everything. This is one of the biggest issues our next president, Barack Obama, will need to face. It isn't a left/right issue. Your blue blood is showing.

[robbor]

yes, let the oil companies pay the Iraq tab.

[KayDGee]

According to the link to the Seattle Times article, what is really interesting about the earmarks that Sen Obama received is that they are principally (if not all) related to better or more armor for the troops, mental health issues related to combat, facial armor, biological defense - the list goes on. In each case, the military did not request this. Shame on the military; and if I'm reading it correctly it appears that Sen Obama and others listed as earmark recipients on his list (some Republican-just like he said about reaching across the aisle) are using this system to actually assist the military members that, as has become apparent in recent years, the System routinely steps around.
Sen Obama and Sen Clinton have supported legislation to make the earmarks more transparent... Doing so would solidify what Obama has steadfastly maintained - He is doing his best to protect the little guys - All of them.

[martinchill]

that's one way to look at it.

another is that chris dodd and his apparent buddy joe lieberman secured $588 million for a submarine that isn't needed and also wasn't requested.

and according to the times article - it isn't even an earmark. loophole.

my opinion of dodd is dropping fast.

[esquire07]

America is a failed democracy - its that simple. The Constitution does not work. It is just a matter of time before the US is completely Bankrupt. Then the real fun begins. Perhaps then at least the US will stop dropping bombs on people.

[Swerinjer2]

Capitalism is the cancer.

[UnknownSoldier]

Its not Capitalism that is the problem, its the lack of an informed and educated populace that is the main problem

[sariel]

The Constitution does work, but when you have Presidents who want to extend the executive powers by using presidential appointed lawyers to find loopholes in our constitution, well that's a failure and that's just wrong.

[Bitsko]

The Constitution works, when the citizens and politicians let it work.

[mouselion]

The only ethics reform that is going to work for both houses is to prohibit add-ons of non-related items to legislation. A bill before congress should be about one thing with no earmarks or "sweeteners", no "we'll give you that if you vote for this" kind of stuff. No amendments unless directly related to the subject of the bill. Spending should always up or down vote on only the spending with nothing else allowed.

Furthermore, the presidential signing statements should be prohibited. A president must sign a bill or send it back to congress. This would also eliminate presidents feeling the need for line-item veto power -- there would be no more unrelated line-items this way.

I am convinced this the only fair, democratic way to legislate and administrate our law-making. No more back-room deals involving unrelated issues. No more playing poker with the future of the America. Representatives, senators and the next president of the United States: do the right thing and make this process honest through restricting yourselves.

[avraamjack]

.
Also never mentioned is that gang stalkers, who are never arrested, are allowed to openly and notoriously poison people.
.
In other words, the government said, "Kill whomever you like, just leave us alone".
.

[3dtrix]

Eh?

[Bitsko]

Which Death Wish movie are you doing now, Mr. Bronson? Fifteen?

[demfriend]

Not all earmarks are bad. The one Obama supported to get the projection unit for the university helps many with research and education. There has to be oversight as the issues of the bridge to nowhere and things of that sort along with junk buying that goes on for local projects. Line item veto is what Obama says has to happen and I believe him on this. Earmarks should be posted for all to see and no longer hiddenas they still are. I am disappointed in Murtha unless we can see the list of what he got I will stay not really happy with what is obvious a lot of earmarks. That Palin has gone to lobbying for earmarks for huge amounts of bucks should nto be forgotten when you look at McCain. He shares the sin she has done.

[mouselion]

Earmarks should be eliminated from bills altogether, as well as unrelated measures. Everything should be an up or down vote for each item on its own.

[wagthedog1001]

Perhaps the line-item veto isn't such a bad idea. I know this is heresy to say on Huff-Post, but John McCain does seem right on this issue.

[Montanagramma]

Two more things not reported on the MSM to any great degree:

1. the prez added a signing statement eliminating a clause in the war funding bill that made it illegal for the US to take over Iraqi oil. So, what is the point of congress trying to do anything that is right with this prez???

2. the infant mortality rate for the US is number 29 in the industrialized nations. This is attributed to lack of health care available to expectant mothers. 29!! What is wrong with us?? How can we let this happen?

[sariel]

Bush has used more signing statements (to exclude laws he doesn't like or intend to follow) more than ALL previous presidents put together. That is scary. That is a dictator. I am tired of Bush the warmongering lying cheating greedy dictator.

[Veryangryleft]

Thank you, Bobby and Brendan, for courageously exposing the truth about matters that count in an election year.

[rsaillant1]

With an apology to Bill Maher, NEW RULE!

Any earmark attached to any bill that does not clearly indicate the author of said earmark, shall be summarily struck from said bill.

Plain language, he/she who writes it and attaches it, must show his/her face. Then the fun begins.

[urweatherman]

We need line item veto now!

As a 30 year meteorologist and climatologist, this global warming hysteria is a FARCE. Whether we were here or not, the same climate cycles would be occurring regardless!

Can't someone in the mainstream media report the successes in IRAQ and I have heard nothing about our closing a big base in Volusia! I wonder why the media is silent on this?

[CubanVoice]

What exactly does "success in Iraq? mean? what does "winning" in Iraq mean?
We've caused far more trouble than we've solved there. Stop using those words as if we're playing checkers. Many lives have been lost or negatively changed forever due to our arrogance.

[vegasjon]

You are obviously not a meteorologist. "Climate cycles" would be a term used by someone who doesn't understand climate whatsoever.

[pcplz]

I would like someone to define and outline the term "success in Iraq". It is so ambiguous that I have no idea if we have been close or if it has already happened.

Does "success in Iraq" mean that we have stripped it of all the obtainable oil? Is there to be a ship with a Sheik signing a surrender agreement and turning over his suicide bombers?

We have already had a ship with "Mission Accomplished" on it. How will we know if we win? What does it mean to lose......haven't we already lost enough of our young men and the innocent people of Iraq? The outsiders are now shifting to Afghanistan to continue.....not enough Iraqis left to make a statement. Is there enough oil in Afghanistan to continue???

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[3dtrix]

I disrespectfully disagree - no one disputes the cyclical nature of the global climate; those who dispute that atmospheric pollution is raising earth's ambient temp are just plain wrong and have been proven wrong twelve ways against the middle, and not by any coincidence, are almost exclusively conservative apologists for the polluters, such as yourself.

As for "successes" in Iraq - sigh. What a tragic concept.

[Amazed42]

this not not shocking to me at all, i mean since when do congressman and women care about their own constituents, they desire to leave a legacy of themselves or wanna help out their lobbyist buddies, so why not, it is only taxpayers money, and they make more everyday, so why not throw it to those who do not deserve it,

if these earmarks were for something that would help the taxpayers, then great I am all for them, however they most of the time benifit the lobbyist and the lobbyist's concerns only, or the congresspersons own agenda...

and we have to ask why this country is always broke and cannot help out it's own citizens????

not very surprising at all.... and completely sad