DARK Act passes Senate vote, proceeds to final debate

The Roberts/Stabenow bill to kill clear GMO labelling has passed the cloture vote in the Senate, 65 yes to 32 no. This means that there will be 30 hours of debate on the bill and then a simple vote, where they only need 51 yes votes, so this means the bill will undoubtedly pass. More stories on this tragic development: …

‘Quite Disturbing’: Leaked Docs Reveal How Easily FBI Can Spy on Journalists

Newly leaked documents published by The Intercept expose just how easy it is for the FBI to spy on journalists using so-called National Security Letters (NSLs). The classified rules, which had previously been released only in heavily redacted form, “show that the FBI imposes few constraints on itself when it bypasses the requirement to go to court and obtain subpoenas or search warrants before accessing …

Martin Guzman – Wall Street’s worst vulture hedge funds are making a killing by undermining the global economy

Recently, a resonant legal victory of hedge funds over Argentina has captured the attention of the global community. The hedge funds in this case aren’t run of the mill investment shops, however. Popularly known as vulture funds, their modus operandi is to buy up the debt of countries suffering crises at bargain prices, only to fiercely litigate with them afterwards. They …

Dave Johnson – Don’t Be Misled; The TPP Is Still Coming Full Steam

Recently there have been news reports that Republicans are going to delay TPP until after the 2016 elections. Do not be misled; this is a bargaining ploy. They want the Obama administration to make “side agreements” that give corporations even more. We have to keep up the fight, and keep getting the word out. People opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership …

Mark Hertsgaard – The Fate of the World Changed in Paris—but by How Much?

Thanks a lot, Republicans. You weren’t in Paris physically, but you still managed to prevent last week’s global climate summit from reaching an agreement that would give humanity a better than iffy chance of avoiding catastrophic sea-level rise, scorching temperatures, and killer floods and drought in the years ahead. An iffy chance is better than none, and government and civil-society …

The Mark Riley Show – 10.21.15

– New York officer killed after gunfight in East Harlem led to police chase. In addition to condolences to officer Holder, who was doing his job keeping this city safe, we need to know the origins of all the guns used in this incident. The Wisconsin case may have long arms.

– Police leaders join call to cut prison rosters. This is interesting, and includes NYPD Commissioner Bratton and Manhattan DA Cy Vance. More on this later….

– Assad makes unannounced trip to Moscow to discuss Syria with Putin. These two are united against US position that the terror war can be won without Assad. Problem is, anyone who opposes Assad is a terrorist, according to, guess, who?

– Republican voters, in focus group, express rage at career politicians. This is interesting only in that they somehow don’t think the people they support won’t end up being career politicians.

– Potential Speaker Paul Ryan just issued a list of demands to Republicans. The right wing isn’t happy. First question: Is the right wing happy about ANYTHING? Second question. This Freedom Caucus, the spear carrier for the right wing, numbers about 40. So does the Congressional Black Caucus. Has the CBC ever flexed its muscles the way the Freedom Caucus has?

– A big lesson American should learn from Canada’s new Prime Minister. The article says ranked voting is the lesson. Maybe the lesson is that properly focused, organized politics can really win.

– Pay up or go to jail: How a Mississippi town resurrected the debtors prison. While police and Das mentioned in earlier piece are looking at ways to decrease incarceration, maybe they need to get the State of Mississippi to start following the law.

– From Benghazi to Capitol Hill: Three years of accusations and investigations. Hillary’s getting ready to testify, and congressional committee Republicans are trying to figure out what and how they can something on her. Wanna bet they fail?

– House Democrats plot 2016 takeover. Great idea, and here’s hoping there’s some out of the box thinking from all involved.

‘A Great Day for Corporate America’: US Senate Passes Fast Track – Deirdre Fulton

The cloture motion to end debate needed 60 votes and it got just that, passing the chamber 60-37. The full roll call is here. A final vote will come on Wednesday. Having overcome the biggest hurdle, the legislation is expected to pass, and will then be sent to President Barack Obama’s desk to become law. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who campaigned vigorously against …

The Hidden ‘Betrayal’ In Obama’s Trade Agenda – Laura Barron-Lopez

As Congress prepares to give President Barack Obama expedited powers to “fast-track” trade deals through Congress, many U.S. steel mills and skeptics of Obama’s trade agenda are worried about steel dumping, the term commonly used to describe countries selling steel below market price. In an interview with The Huffington Post on Tuesday, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), one of the many …

The Liberal Apologies for Obama’s Ugly Reign – PAUL STREET

“Fact and Scrutiny” So this is how Barack Obama is moving into the final 20 months of his dismal neoliberal presidency, which he once (proudly) described as ideologically akin to the Eisenhower White House. He is nauseating much of his own Wall Street-captive party’s electoral base by trying to push through the absurdly regressive, secretive, eco-cidal, and global-corporatist Trans Pacific …

Patriot Act on life support – Julian Hattem

A stalemate in the Senate would leave the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA) without powers they have used to track terrorists for years, say supporters of the Patriot Act. Without action by the end of the month, key provisions of the Patriot Act will expire, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) argues would put the United States at …