The Iowa caucus might have gotten too conservative for its own good: The 2012 presidential contenders are spending less time in the state than usual, and others are avoiding it altogether, the AP reports. Mitt Romney in particular is MIA, which makes sense, given that he spent $10 million and…
Continue reading …In Tuesday's Kansas City Star , reporter Aaron Barnhart revealed that Current TV, the cable channel launched in 2005 by Al Gore, would be the least missed, only managing to be viewed by 18,000 households in the forth quarter of 2010. Also on the list of “Cable's Least Wanted” were the DIY network, ESPN Classic, Fox Soccer Channel, Logo, and Sleuth. Despite such abysmal ratings for Current, Barnhart argued that the addition of former MSNBC Countdown host Keith Olbermann to the channel would turn things around: “The good news for Current is that it won’t be counting its audience in the high five figures, at least not when Olbermann is on the air.” He later remarked: “Unlike Current, the rest of Cable’s Least Wanted don’t have a ratings savior waiting in the wings.” Barnhart was speculating on which channels could be eliminated from the cable lineup to make room for Al Jazeera English. Making an exception for Current, which is independently owned, he lamented how the least popular channels “have been propped up by their parent companies for years….They have never, to my knowledge, contributed to our understanding of the Middle East….It’s worth asking why they continue to take up bandwidth in tens of millions of homes. It’s certainly worth asking if you’re one of the 7 million Americans who recently had to stream the unrest in Egypt on Al Jazeera English because it wasn’t on your cable system.” Concluding his piece, Barnhart continued to attack big media companies for preventing the Middle Eastern news channel from getting a place on cable: “…most low-rated cable channels are owned by media conglomerates that have included them as part of package deals with your cable or satellite provider. (Current and RFD are exceptions.) That’s why you hear cable companies continuing to insist that channel space is too precious to waste on adding a world news service. They couldn’t drop these losers if they wanted to. What was that thing Olbermann was saying the other day about cable TV content that was free from corporate interference?” — Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Continue reading …Two today on peak oil and how the big oil companies are finally publicly (if quietly) coming around to what peak oil researchers have been saying for a while: It’s here, or will be shortly. First, Wall Street Journal highlights how ExxonMobil is having a hard time finding new oil and has had a hard time for a while now. For the past 10 years for every 100 barrels it’s extracted it’s only been able… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …My closet is full of clothes. I hate throwing stuff away. I have clothes in various sizes in my closet. I have new clothes and old clothes. However unlike Joan Crawford, I do indeed have wire hangers in my closet. But despite despite having a couple of minidresses that are pre Roe v Wade, I agree with Joan Crawford ” No more wire hangers”. Wire hangers are cheap and easy to get. Let’s not have them substitute for access to safe and affordable abortions. If the crazy, but wily, Republican right gets their way, access for perhaps 90% or more of all women, will end with the passage of the trio of these three bill….The Pence bill which cuts off funding for Planned Parenthood’s women’s wellness programs from birth control to pap smears, the Smith bill which codifies Hyde, eliminate abortion coverage in private and employer insurance and the Pitts bill, aka the “Let Women Die” bill which eliminates it in under the new health care act. Both Smith and Pitts have hidden land mines, well, actually, they are hiding in plain sight. It’s why they won’t eliminate the Let Women Die provision. Because that gives them the right to have private parties go to court to get an injunction, from a friendly anti choice judge, to stop federal funds to health care entities that provide abortion. Essentially it gives anti choice zealots an veto over abortion. More on that in my next post. Here’s the MoveOn youtube with our favorite hospital administrator, Lisa Edelstein of the show House. MoveOn deserves our help in stepping up for women. Or as Anthony Weiner said at the HR #358 press conference last week “Anyone who knows a woman.” The new ad calls out the Republican efforts for what they are: an attempt to send women back to the back alley. But far too few people even know about their efforts. So to stop them, we’ve got to get this ad out far and wide, and make sure voters see just what Republicans are trying to do. To get the ad on the air on national television, we need to raise $160,000. Can you chip in $5 today? Just click here to see the ad and donate . Women’s rights leaders have warned that the Republican effort would be a radical, far-reaching rollback of women’s rights. Rep. Carolyn Maloney called it “the deepest attack on a woman’s right to choose in my lifetime.” Expert Jessica Arons said it would “accomplish the unstated end of making abortion as difficult to obtain as possible without actually criminalizing it.” One bill would effectively prevent women from purchasing insurance that includes abortion coverage in the new insurance exchanges even if they’re using their own money. Experts warn this type of restriction could lead to insurance companies dropping abortion coverage entirely. The same bill would also levy a tax on small businesses and individuals who purchase insurance coverage that includes abortion. Another bill would, incredibly, allow hospitals to turn away a woman seeking an abortion, even if she’ll die without it—a major change from current law. Republicans have a real chance of passing these bills—unless we sound the alarm right away. Can you help us get this new ad on the air? Just click here to donate and watch the new ad . Thanks for all you do. –Kat, Michael, Lenore, Tim, and the rest of the team
Continue reading …We heard the news was coming, and now it’s official — Borders , the second-biggest bookstore chain the U.S., has filed for bankruptcy. As expected, the company will continue to operate while it restructures, but it will hardly be the same company it once was. It’s being forced to close around 200 (or 30 percent) of its stores, and it may need to close another 75 if it’s not able to gain some concessions from landlords, according to Bloomberg . This is news on Engadget , of course, because Borders has also been trying to compete with Amazon and Barnes & Noble beyond its core brick-and-mortar bookselling business in recent years (and not exactly succeeding). While the company hasn’t produced its own e-book reader, it has partnered with Kobo to sell its device, and it has established its own e-book store that’s also used by its various e-reader apps for smartphones and tablets. There’s no indication as of yet that the bankruptcy will affect those endeavors. Borders files for bankruptcy, plans to keep operating but close 30 percent of its stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Photo credit: Terracycle Valentine’s Day is a wonderful excuse for loving partners, friends, parents, kids and teachers to show they care. And like jelly to peanut butter, candy is an integral part of that. But afterwords, there’s a little problem: What do you do with all that packaging the Valentine’s candy came in? Most of it is at this point difficult to recycle. I know you here reading Treehugger would like to take a different route than tossing your Valentine’s Day candy wrappers… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …The biggest threat to Planned Parenthood isn’t that ‘sting’ video , it’s Mike Pence. The Indiana Republican is on a one-man mission to cut off all the group’s federal funding. For three years in a row, he’s introduced legislation to ban any entity performing abortions from receiving funds from Title X,…
Continue reading …photo: Mat McDermott Ranking the greenest city anywhere is a complex thing, with so many factors playing a role, but nevertheless various people always try: In the latest effort by Siemens (and conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit) to rank Asia’s greenest cities , Singapore comes out on top. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …ADAM SCHRECK The Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan – The International Monetary Fund is pushing for Afghanistan’s troubled Kabul Bank to be placed into receivership and then quickly sold off as part of a broader effort to stabilize the country’s shaky financial system. The IMF made the recommendations Tuesday after a visit by fund officials to assess the Afghan economy and work through an impasse over extending Kabul further credit. It urged Afghan officials to put together a “transparent, credible and fully financed” plan to settle problems at the country’s largest bank, which came close to collapse last year after allegations of mismanagement, cronyism and questionable lending. The…
Continue reading …Greatest Lance Armstrong Commercial Ever – Nike Jerry Burns – Craig Armstrong / This Love Feat Jerry Burns AP Top Stories Lance Armstrong to announce retirement – Mike Allen – POLITICO.com The seven-time winner of the Tour de France, will retire to co-chair a campaign for cancer research. Armstrong officially off bike — 'Retirement 2.0' – Sports- NBC Sports Lance Armstrong is calling this one “Retirement 2.0.” Armstrong calls it quits, says he has no regrets – Other sports … Lance Armstrong is calling this one “Retirement 2.0.” This time, he’s leaving professional racing behind for good. Lance Armstrong announces official retirement AUSTIN, Texas (AFP) – Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong on Wednesday announced his retirment from professional cycling at the age of 39. Lance Armstrong retiring from cycling – This Just In – CNN.com Blogs Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong on Wednesday announced his retirement from professional cycling, saying he would devote his time to his family and his LIVESTRONG campaign to fight cancer. Yahoo says: #YSpiking am on @YahooSearch : Protests Bahrain/Yemen/Iran, Lara Logan, OJ Simpson attack, Lance Armstrong retirement: http://yhoo.it/hfU7F1
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