Banning Nuclear Weapons – Another Way to a Safer World by Lesley Docksey

Image by kalavinka via Flickr

by Lesley Docksey
Writer, Dandelion Salad
June 14, 2013

For some years an international campaign has been gradually building – ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The goal is a treaty banning nuclear weapons, a Convention such as the Landmine Convention and the Cluster Munitions Convention. It will follow the same process, and requires enough nations, supported by their citizens, to sign up to it, bring it into being and then to ratify it. Once ratified, the development, possession and use of nuclear weapons becomes illegal. The beauty of this approach is that it sidesteps the bogged-down Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in which states that have undertaken to get rid of their remaining nuclear weapons endlessly argue about ‘process’ with the aim of hanging on to their horrifically destructive toys.

Daniel Ellsberg: NDAA Indefinite Detention Provision is Part of Systematic Assault on Constitution + Kill List Exposed

Dandelion Salad

Image by Shrieking Tree via Flickr

democracynow·Feb 5, 2013

www.democracynow.org/

A lawsuit challenging a law that gives the government the power to indefinitely detain U.S. citizens is back in federal court this week. On Wednesday, a group of academics, journalists, and activists will present oral arguments in court against a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, authorizing the military to jail anyone it considers a terrorism suspect anywhere in the world without charge or trial.

Killing Bees: Are Government and Industry Responsible? + Hope for bees — 48 hours to act!

Dandelion Salad

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

Sep 20, 2012 by linktv

Honey bees, the essential pollinators of many major US crops, have been dying off in massive numbers since 2006. This threatens the American agricultural system and the one in twelve American jobs that depends on it. There is growing evidence that a new class of pesticides — nerve toxins called neonicotinoids, which are used on most US crops including almost all corn — may be toxic to bees. The Environmental Protection Agency allowed neonicotinoids on the market without adequate tests to determine their toxicity to bees. Environmentalists want neonicotinoids banned until needed safety tests are done. While the US government is slow to act and neonicotinoid sales reap billions for the chemical industry, bees continue to die. Earth Focus reports.

Federal Court In New York Just Ruled Indefinite Detention Unconstitutional and Issued A Permanent Injunction Against Use Of That Law

Dandelion Salad

Updated Sept 13, 2012

Image by watchingfrogsboil via Flickr

http://act.demandprogress.org
Sept. 12, 2012

We Won! Tell Obama: Don’t Appeal NDAA Court Ruling

We did it! But now we need your help putting pressure on Obama.

A federal court in New York just ruled indefinite detention UNCONSTITUTIONAL and issued a permanent injunction against use of that law. The provision would have allowed the military to detain civilians — even Americans — indefinitely and without trial if they’re accused of certain crimes or even just associated with certain criminals.

Trans-Pacific Partnership: Stop ‘NAFTA on steroids’! + TPP = Corporate Power Tool of the 1%

Image by IronCurtaiNYC via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

http://ran.org

Right now, negotiations for what’s being called ”NAFTA on steroids,” the Trans-Pacific Partnership, are being conducted in secret. The corporate lobbyists pushing this agreement include a who’s who list of Big Oil, Big Ag and Wall Street power brokers.

The US negotiators have granted approximately 600 corporate lobbyists access to the negotiating texts while flatly refusing to tell the public what they have been proposing in our names. Why the secrecy?

Kucinich Asks Inspector General to Review FDA’s Bungling of “Death Treats” + Action Alert

Dandelion Salad

by Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Aug. 24 2012

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

Five Year Investigation, Thousands of Sick and Dead Dogs, Tainted Jerky Still on the Shelves – FDA Refuses to Exercise Authority

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today asked the Inspector General to review the Food and Drug Administration’s handling of an investigation of tainted jerky treats for dogs made in China. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been investigating consumer complaints for five years while the death toll rises. The FDA has issued three low profile warnings, unbeknownst to the vast majority of dog owners. Dangerous products are still on the shelves and sold in markets across the country.

New CISPA in the Senate ready for a vote + Action Alert: Support Privacy Amendments To Cyber-Security Bill

Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

Jul 31, 2012 by RTAmerica

Congress is debating a new cybersecurity bill that has garnered the support of the White House. Does that mean it will ease the fears from Capitol Hill while still respecting concerns of privacy though? Aaron Swartz of Demand Progress joins RT’s Liz Wahl to talk about the latest efforts regarding the newest cybersecurity legislation being considered.

Josh Fox: The Sky Is Pink

Dandelion Salad

Image by ProgressOhio via Flickr

Jun 22, 2012 by TheMrSirCharles

Josh Fox on fracking.

Mirror from http://vimeo.com/44367635

Also: http://sites.google.com/site/frackingireland/the-sky-is-pink

Annotated documents featured in the film can be found here: http://www1.rollingstone.com/extras/theskyispink_annotdoc-gasl4final.pdf

Why The Yes Men Crashed the TPP Negotiations + TPP opening the back door for SOPA? + TPP: NAFTA on steroids?

Image by nznationalparty via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

Updated: July 5, 2012; added an article.

Jun 29, 2012 by yeslabmedia

http://www.tradewatch.org
http://www.yeslab.org/tpp

Fracking in Ireland and Being Dependent on Halliburton’s Mud by Greg Palast

by Greg Palast
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.gregpalast.com
written for No Fracking Ireland
July 3, 2012

Image by EnergyTomorrow via Flickr

No Fracking Ireland presents Greg Palast in Dublin, Today 3. July
Connolly Books, Temple Bar – 1pm
The Ireland Institute – 7.30pm
Full info here

On the 20th of April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oilrig blew out in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven men instantly, then destroying 600 miles of coastline. On 9 September 2010, a natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California, burning eight to death, one of several recent pipeline explosions in the USA. In 1992, in Chicago, a gas pipe leaked and 18 houses exploded, incinerating three people.

Julian Assange seeks political asylum in Ecuador + Julian Assange Show: Rafael Correa

Dandelion Salad

Updated: June 20, 2012 added more video reports plus an Action Alert.

Julian Assange (Photo credit: acidpolly)

Jun 19, 2012 by RTAmerica

On Tuesday, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, UK. At a press conference today in Quito, the foreign minister said to the media that the government is evaluating the request and looking into the rules of international law. Back in 2010 the country offered the whistleblower citizenship, but why is Assange seeking to depart to Ecuador now? RT America’s Web Producer Andrew Blake helps us answer some of these pressing questions.

Don’t 30 Million Workers Deserve 1968 Wages? by Ralph Nader

Dandelion Salad

Updated: added Action Alert June 18, 2012

by Ralph Nader
The Nader Page
June 7, 2012

Image by (Carrie Sloan) via Flickr

Thirty million American workers arise, you have nothing to lose but some of your debt!

Wednesday morning, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) introduced the “Catching Up to 1968 Act of 2012” (H.R. 5901) – legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $10 per hour. The present minimum wage is $7.25, way below the unrealistically low federal poverty definition of $18,123 per year for a family of three. Adjusted for inflation, the 1968 minimum wage today would be a little above $10 per hour.

NDAA unconstitutional: Federal judge bans Obama from indefinitely detaining

Dandelion Salad

Updated: June 8, 2012; added another video.

Image by World Can’t Wait via Flickr

Jun 7, 2012 by RTAmerica

On Thursday, District Judge Katherine Forrest finalized a ruling on the controversial National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Obama. Last month Forrest ruled the NDAA unconstitutional and now decided no American should be subject to indefinite detention. Since the beginning, NDAA was confronted with hefty criticism and caused of group of activists and journalists to sue the Obama administration over the act. One of the plaintiffs, Tangerine Bolen, executive director for Revolution Truth, joins us to discuss the court’s ruling.

Chris Hedges Hails “Monumental” Ruling Blocking NDAA Indefinite Detention

with Chris Hedges
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
May 17, 2012

Image by Shrieking Tree via Flickr

May 17, 2012 by democracynow

DemocracyNow.org – In a rare move, a federal judge has struck down part of a controversial law signed by President Obama that gave the government the power to indefinitely detain anyone it considers a terrorism suspect anywhere in the world without charge or trial — including U.S. citizens. Judge Katherine Forrest of the Southern District of New York ruled the indefinite detention provision of the National Defense Authorization Act likely violates the First and Fifth Amendments of U.S. citizens. We speak with Chris Hedges, a journalist who filed the suit challenging the NDAA along with six others, and Bruce Afran, the group’s attorney.

Rick Rozoff: U.S. Drone Attacks Are Targeted Assassinations + Reality of Obama’s killer drones exposed by Code Pink protest

by Rick Rozoff
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Stop NATO
May 1, 2012

Press TV
May 1, 2012

Rick Rozoff, manager of Stop NATO has criticized the U.S. drone campaign in other countries as “targeted assassinations” that aim “to kill particular individuals.”

Rozoff told Press TV’s U.S. Desk on Tuesday that the deadly airstrikes in Pakistan and Yemen are “a violation of every Geneva Convention.”