Unchecked Corporate Power Threatening Right To Sue And The Very Bones Of The Internet

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Sunday January 15, 2012 · 6:44 PM PST

2012/01/15 · 18:44

Two kind of totally unrelated stories here but they both illustrate the way corporate power in the U.S. is completely out of hand.

First up, the pox that calls itself "tort reform" but is really a hugely successful attempt to choke off access to the courts for ordinary citizens. Here's an op-ed by filmmaker Susan Saladoff about her new documentary "Hot Coffee":

Texas Nate

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Thursday December 01, 2011 · 4:52 PM PST

2011/12/01 · 16:52

Wireless For America is trying to get broadband spectrum increased, which the FCC has approved (as did the Obama and Bush Admins). But Senator Chuck Grassley (R- Iowa) is standing on the neck of innovation, choking off any chance of improving America's patheticly low rankings for broadband access.

Texas Nate

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Sunday November 06, 2011 · 5:26 PM PST

2011/11/06 · 17:26

Last year I posted about IBM's Smarter Cities challenge because I thought it was a really clever and positive program. Just wanted to post an update as they're launching their 2nd Smarter Cities Challenge for cities to get them grants for projects that improve transportation, government accountability, sustainability and create infrastructure and jobs.

Texas Nate

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Wednesday October 19, 2011 · 9:55 PM PDT

2011/10/19 · 21:55

One of the most annoying endangered creatures in the current political environment is the moderate Republican. These are the ones who claim to be somewhat civilized and yet, when push comes to shove, they always vote with the corporate bosses.

Some environmentalists in New Jersey are attacking the GOP at its most vulnerable point -- moderate congressional districts that strongly favor commen sense environmental solutions.

Texas Nate

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Tuesday October 18, 2011 · 2:25 PM PDT

2011/10/18 · 14:25

We've endured the atrocities that George Bush thought constituted "education reform" for almost a decade now and I think it's clear to everyone that "teaching to the test" has just made our already troubled educational system even worse.

I'm happy to say that I came across something that sounds like a promising alternative (via Al Jazeera):

Texas Nate

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Friday October 14, 2011 · 12:15 PM PDT

2011/10/14 · 12:15

One thing you can say about our friends at the National Rifle Association is that they're intellectually consistent. Ok, so they're not.

Here's the latest crazy-making example:

Texas Nate

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Friday October 14, 2011 · 9:03 AM PDT

2011/10/14 · 09:03

The secret: not investing in or even adequately maintaining our infrastructure and when we do invest, we invest in the wrong stuff.

A survey came out earlier this week that is pretty scarifying:

Texas Nate

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Wednesday October 12, 2011 · 1:06 PM PDT

2011/10/12 · 13:06

It's no secret that we've been waging a long uphill battle against corporate/right-wing control of media. Some outlets like cable news and talk radio may be hopelessly out of whack, but we've long had the edge online.

Here's a cool new way to expand that progressive info advantage into the mobile realm:

Texas Nate

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Wednesday November 11, 2009 · 8:53 AM PST

2009/11/11 · 08:53

In the full entry, I've posted a video that tells the story of Lauren Lollini of Denver, Colorado, one of the 98,000 Americans impacted by medical negligence every year.

Lauren went to a Denver hospital for kidney stone surgery in February of 2009. Six weeks later, Lollini’s health began to deteriorate with feelings of exhaustion and a loss of appetite. After a week of her illness, she became jaundiced and had an inflamed liver. The doctors at an urgent care clinic diagnosed her with hepatitis C. Thirty-five other patients became infected with Hepatitis C at the hospital. A state investigation revealed that the outbreak began with a hospital staff person who had used hospital syringes and painkillers for drug use. Her case is pending.

Because of "tort reform" it's become harder and harder for people like Lauren to get justice in the courts. Now thanks to Blue Dogs like Bart Gordon are trying to sneak "tort reform" into the health care reform package.

Disclaimer: I'm proud to be working with the American Association for Justice.

Texas Nate

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Thursday September 24, 2009 · 11:21 AM PDT

2009/09/24 · 11:21

You might have noticed the ads on this site and other blogs and news sites (especially if you're in the Washington, D.C. metro area where the buy is focused) pointing out the 98,000 Reasons not to throw out patients' rights in the process of reforming health care.

The 98,000 refers to an Institute of Medicine study showing that is the number of Americans who die needlessly every year due to avoidable medical error.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Disclosure: I'm proud to be working with the American Association for Justice to fight for patients' rights.

Texas Nate

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Friday March 20, 2009 · 7:29 AM PDT

2009/03/20 · 07:29

One of the most exciting things about finally having a Democratic administration in office is that it sets the right goals and hires the right people.

One of Barack Obama's most laudable goals is to have a government that is transparent to its citizens. His Recovery.gov site which promises to "track every last dime of the stimulus spending is one of the most laudable federal projects in recent memory.

Even better is the impressive public servant that President Obama has pegged to head up the operation, Earl Devaney:

Unfortunately, Mr. Devaney has been given a nearly impossible mandate. Read More

Bush, Bernanke About to Botch It

Texas Nate

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Thursday June 05, 2008 · 12:12 PM PDT

2008/06/05 · 12:12

Thi Associated Press story about the Federal Reserve's priorities shifting to controlling inflation instead of making more interest cuts. Chairman Bernanke acknowledged the weak economy but hoped for something better in the second half of the year:

Economic growth in the current quarter, he acknowledged, is "likely to be relatively weak." Even as he reiterated the Fed's hope for a pickup in growth in the second half of this year and into 2009, Bernanke said the economy continued to battle against a trio of negative forces - a housing slump, credit problems, and fragile financial markets.

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Unchecked Corporate Power Threatening Right To Sue And The Very Bones Of The Internet

Chuck Grassley Helping Big Telecom Choke Off Broadband Access & Innovation

Something Positive for a Change

Hitting The GOP's Weakest Link

An Alternative To Teaching To The Test

NRA For States Rights, Except When They're Not

How America Is Becoming A Third World Country And How To Slow The Slide

Fix Media Asymmetry: Get The Progressive Info You Need On Your Mobile Phone

Infected With Hep C By Drug Addicted Hospital Staffer

Bad Medicine Kills 200,000 Americans Every Year

Recovery.gov Won't Cut It

Bush, Bernanke About to Botch It