Daily Kos: Climate change will be much worse than you think

Daily Kos: Climate change will be much worse than you think: "Climate change will be much worse, much sooner than most people think. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC) recent report, while rather dire, is actually a best-case analysis. For example, the IPCC’s report did not include the effects of “amplifying feedbacks” such as melting permafrost releasing methane -- a powerful greenhouse gas -- which causes more warming, which melts more permafrost, and on and on. Including such effects leads to much more dire results than the UN presented."

Obama plots huge railroad expansion - David Rogers - Politico.com

Obama plots huge railroad expansion - David Rogers - Politico.com: "Railroads made Chicago, and now a Chicago-rich White House wants to return the favor: remaking rail with a huge new federal investment in high-speed passenger trains.

The $787.2 billion economic recovery bill — to be signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday — dedicates $8 billion to high-speed rail, most of which was added in the final closed-door bargaining at the instigation of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel."

Obama Gains G.O.P. Support From Governors - NYTimes.com

Obama Gains G.O.P. Support From Governors - NYTimes.com: "President Obama must wish governors could vote in Congress: While just three of the 219 Republican lawmakers backed the $787 billion economic recovery plan that he is signing into law on Tuesday, that trifling total would have been several times greater if support among the 22 Republican state executives counted."

U.S. war on terror eroded rights worldwide: experts | U.S. | Reuters

U.S. war on terror eroded rights worldwide: experts | U.S. | Reuters: "Washington s 'war on terror' after the September 11 attacks has eroded human rights worldwide creating lingering cynicism that the United Nations must now combat international law experts said on Monday. Mary Robinson who was the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights when al Qaeda militants flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001 said the United States caused harm with some of the ways it responded."

House GOP celebrates stimulus obstruction with Aerosmith tune and Flat-Out Lie | Crooks and Liars

House GOP celebrates stimulus obstruction with Aerosmith tune and Flat-Out Lie | Crooks and Liars: "It seems like the GOP thinks that its best shot at gaining back the majority is standing in unison against everything President Obama does, even if it means delaying much-needed government aid to drowning Americans. This Toutube put out by Eric Cantor's office? Really? Contains the frequently debunked flat-out lie about funding for Acorn in the stimulus bill -- um, there isn't any.

It's really awesome of you GOP dudes to fail to help Americans suffering in this economy, and then boast about it!"

Obama Pressures Wall Street Over Bonuses - NYTimes.com

Obama Pressures Wall Street Over Bonuses - NYTimes.com: "President Obama branded Wall Street bankers “shameful” on Thursday for giving themselves nearly $20 billion in bonuses as the economy was deteriorating and the government was spending billions to bail out some of the nation’s most prominent financial institutions."

Iran: Ready to work with Obama - CNN.com

Iran: Ready to work with Obama - CNN.com: "Tehran stood ready to work with U.S. President Barack Obama to establish better relations with Washington, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a CNN-hosted panel at the World Economic Forum."

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury - washingtonpost.com

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury - washingtonpost.com: "Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies."

TheDartmouth.com | Prof. discusses evolution of religion

TheDartmouth.com | Prof. discusses evolution of religion: "Religion owes its continued existence not to God, but to a form of evolution, Tufts University professor Daniel Dennett said at the Hardigg Family Fund Lecture held this Tuesday in Dartmouth Hall. Dennett, co-director of Tufts’ Center for Cognitive Studies, advocated studying religion as a “natural phenomenon” and compared religious ideas to viruses, which thrive by replicating and passing themselves from one generation to the next."

The Raw Story | Whistleblower: NSA spied on i>everyone, /i> targeted journalists

The Raw Story | Whistleblower: NSA spied on i>everyone, /i> targeted journalists: "Former National Security Agency analyst Russell Tice who helped expose the NSA s warrantless wiretapping in December 2005 has now come forward with even more startling allegations. Tice told MSNBC s Keith Olbermann on Wednesday that the programs that spied on Americans were not only much broader than previously acknowledged but specifically targeted journalists. 'The National Security Agency had access to all Americans communications -- faxes phone calls and their computer communications ' Tice claimed. 'It didn t matter whether you were in Kansas in the middle of the country and you never made foreign communications at all. They monitored all communications.'"

Rick Warren's inaugural invocation gets mixed reviews - Los Angeles Times

Rick Warren's inaugural invocation gets mixed reviews - Los Angeles Times: "'I don t think he acquitted himself very well ' said Randall Balmer a professor of American religious history at Columbia University who considers Warren a friend. 'To lead the nation in saying the Lord s Prayer which is so particularly Christian was a mistake.'"

Chicken McNugget, Step One [PIC]

Chicken McNugget, Step One [PIC]

Obama Reaches Out for McCain’s Counsel - NYTimes.com

Obama Reaches Out for McCain’s Counsel - NYTimes.com: "Not long after Senator John McCain returned last month from an official trip to Iraq and Pakistan, he received a phone call from President-elect Barack Obama.

As contenders for the presidency, the two had hammered each other for much of 2008 over their conflicting approaches to foreign policy, especially in Iraq. (He’d lose a war! He’d stay a hundred years!) Now, however, Mr. Obama said he wanted Mr. McCain’s advice, people in each camp briefed on the conversation said. What did he see on the trip? What did he learn?

It was just one step in a post-election courtship that historians say has few modern parallels, beginning with a private meeting in Mr. Obama’s transition office in Chicago just two weeks after the vote. On Monday night, Mr. McCain will be the guest of honor at a black-tie dinner celebrating Mr. Obama’s inauguration."

Omaha.com Metro/Region Section

Omaha.com Metro/Region Section: "Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said Tuesday's presidential inauguration will be an extraordinary moment in history, but he takes issue with one part of the ceremony.

The incoming president will use his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, when he is sworn in.

King is no stranger to controversial statements. He started a firestorm in the middle of the presidential campaign when he said terrorists would dance in the streets if Obama won."

8 Dumb Things George W. Bush Said About The Environment

8 Dumb Things George W. Bush Said About The Environment

Early bad behaviour predicts troubled path, according to study

Early bad behaviour predicts troubled path, according to study: "Ian Colman, an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health, has determined that people who exhibited bad behaviour in their early teenage years were far more likely than their well-behaved classmates to leave school early and experience problems as adults such mental illness, family conflict and financial troubles.

For his research, Colman utilized data from an ongoing, long-term study, known as the 1946 British Birth Cohort, which tracked 5,000 British citizens born within one week of each other in March 1946."

The Silver Bear Cafe

The Silver Bear Cafe: "Over the summer he was all the rage - a Texas oil billionaire ready to make a difference and get the U.S. off of foreign oil dependency. Pickens certainly advocates drilling more American oil but also came up with a reasonable-sounding plan to make wind power a reality. 'We re the Saudi Arabia of Wind ' he said. Then he spent $58 million to sell the idea to the American people and to force pro-wind legislation through Congress. People quickly responded to support his efforts. Environmentalists praised him. Pro- free market advocates have flocked to him invited him to address their conferences and hailed him as a hero. That s the Public Relations story. It s not the whole story."

Ted Nugent wants to be Obama's Drug Czar

The Raw Story | Ted Nugent wants to be Obama's Drug Czar: "What a difference 17 months can make. Ted Nugent the self-proclaimed 'rock legend ' said during an August 2007 concert as he was holding two assault rifles 'Obama he s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun ' seems to have had a change of heart."

Joseph A. Palermo Bush s Magical Mystery Tour: Talk About "Lipstick on a Pig "

Joseph A. Palermo Bush s Magical Mystery Tour: Talk About "Lipstick on a Pig ": "To the bitter end George W. Bush is proving to anybody willing to listen that he is not only the worst president in United States history but also just a horrible human being. Only a thoroughly rotten person would hand over the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department to a racist like Bradley Schlozman. Schlozman labeled anybody to the left of Joseph Lieberman a 'pinko' or a 'communist ' and he is emblematic of the kind of extremist right-wing douche bags Bush appointed throughout the federal agencies and departments and even to the courts."

To ban or not to ban: Bisphenol-A in food is OK with FDA but not with some scientists - Columbia Missourian

To ban or not to ban: Bisphenol-A in food is OK with FDA but not with some scientists - Columbia Missourian: "Over the years, the rise in obesity, heart disease and some cancers have been attributed to our food and drink intake. Routine visits to fast food drive-thrus for cheeseburgers and greasy fries clog our arteries. Not enough exercise and too many Little Debbies round out our tummies. But the use of Bisphenol-A, a chemical found in hard plastics and metal food cans, has significantly altered a contemporary cliche: It's not just what you eat, it's what you eat out of."

As Talks Falter, Israel Warns of More Extensive Attacks in Gaza - NYTimes.com

As Talks Falter, Israel Warns of More Extensive Attacks in Gaza - NYTimes.com: "Tank and artillery fire pounded Gaza all night and day with plumes of black smoke visible especially in the eastern part of Gaza City. A tank shell landed outside the home of a family in Jabaliya, northeast of the city, killing eight members of the same family who were sitting outside, hospital officials said, bringing the death toll to more than 820. Nearly half of them were reported to be civilians."

Behaviour link to lifelong health

BBC NEWS | Health | Behaviour link to lifelong health: "People who behaved badly at school are more likely to suffer mental health and social difficulties as adults, a 40-year-study of Britons suggests."

Bloomberg.com: U.S.

Bloomberg.com: U.S.: "George W. Bush is using the waning days of his presidency to implement a raft of pro-business regulations, triggering vows by the incoming Obama administration and congressional Democrats to gut the measures.

Bush is proposing changes to federal rules that critics say make it more difficult to protect U.S. workers from exposure to toxic chemicals, reduce the use of employee medical leave and open more land to oil and gas exploration. The effort is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and trade groups representing companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Dow Chemical Co."

Fatal Calif. train station shooting sparks anger

The Associated Press: Fatal Calif. train station shooting sparks anger: "Protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer turned violent Wednesday night with windows broken, fires set and train stations closed."

Nicotine gum effective for gradual smoking reduction and cessation

Nicotine gum effective for gradual smoking reduction and cessation: "Nicotine gum has been in use for over 20 years to help smokers quit abruptly yet close to two-thirds of smokers report that they would prefer to quit gradually. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare have now found that smokers who are trying to quit gradually can also be helped by nicotine gum. The results of the first study to test the efficacy and safety of using nicotine gum to assist cessation by gradual reduction are published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine."

Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40'

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Strike on Gaza school 'kills 40': "At least 40 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a United Nations-run school in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources have said."

suddenly.everything.sucks.

suddenly.everything.sucks.

Low vitamin D levels pose large threat to health | Eureka! Science News

Low vitamin D levels pose large threat to health | Eureka! Science News: "Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the most conclusive evidence to date that inadequate levels of vitamin D, obtained from milk, fortified cereals and exposure to sunlight, lead to substantially increased risk of death. In a study set to appear in the Archives of Internal Medicine online Aug. 11, the Johns Hopkins team analyzed a diverse sample of 13,000 initially healthy men and women participating in an ongoing national health survey and compared the risk of death between those with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D to those with higher amounts. An unhealthy deficiency, experts say, is considered blood levels of 17.8 nanograms per milliliter or lower."

Health Buzz: Smoking Bans Cut Heart Attacks, and Other Health News - US News and World Report

Health Buzz: Smoking Bans Cut Heart Attacks, and Other Health News - US News and World Report: "Hospitalizations for heart attacks fell sharply in Pueblo, Colo., after the implementation of a law that banned smoking in public places and workplaces, according to the January 2 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. There were 399 heart attack hospitalizations in the city in the 18 months before the smoke-free law went into effect on July 1, 2003, compared with 237 hospitalizations for heart attacks in the 18-month period that began a year and a half after the law went into effect. Researchers also studied two nearby areas that do not have indoor smoking bans and found that there was no significant decline in hospitalizations for heart attacks during the same time periods in those areas, the CDC reports."

Common food additive found to increase risk and speed spread of lung cancer

Common food additive found to increase risk and speed spread of lung cancer: "New research in an animal model suggests that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer tumors and may even contribute to the development of those tumors in individuals predisposed to the disease."