The fracking industry is one of the most secretive and deceptive industries in the country. They've managed to operate with little to no oversight from the federal government, and they've kept their secret fracking formulas from being revealed to the public, even though the chemicals they're using are leaching into groundwater supplies and poisoning men, women, and children. Mike Papantonio talks about how the fracking industry is accomplishing all of this with Mike Ludwig, a reporter for TruthOut.org.

JULY 6, 2012 | BY MAIRA SUTTON

Today, two representatives of Public Citizen delivered the Stop the Trap petition—which has received over 90,000 signatures—to United States Trade Representative (USTR) officer Barbara Weisel. The petition is aimed at key government leaders and trade representatives of countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and it calls on them to drop all provisions in the agreement that would place heavy restrictions on the Internet and digital freedoms. We have endorsed this petition along with OpenMedia.Ca, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, ONG Derechos Digitales, Free Press, Internet NZ, and others.



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Jun 27, 2012

Washington, D.C. – Today, 132 Members of Congress delivered a letter to United States Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk pressing him to support transparency and openness in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. The Members called for stronger congressional consultations and access to documents, and greater public transparency on the proposals.
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In their letter to Ambassador Kirk, Congressional leaders noted that “under the current U.S. trade advisory system, hundreds of business representatives have cleared access to both USTR negotiators and the negotiating text. However, American small business, civil society, and other interests who have a direct and long-term interest in the outcome of these negotiations have little meaningful input…If Congress and the public are not informed of the exact terms of the agreement until the conclusion of the process, then any opportunity for meaningful input is lost. A trade agreement that cannot stand up to public scrutiny should not be negotiated in the name of U.S. citizens.” The letter signing was organized by House Democratic Leaders Rosa DeLauro (CT) and George Miller (CA),

This lack of transparency, accountability and public access has already raised serious concerns from labor, environmental groups and consumer organizations.

"The 1% has total access to all negotiating documents, while the 99% is shut out. This is not what democracy looks like," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "The 1% will lower labor standards and eliminate environmental safeguards, further chaining our economy to that of Vietnam which has one of the worst labor rights records in the world. It's important to negotiate a trade agreement that protects U.S. workers and our environment."
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by MARK VORPAHL
During the week of July 1st – 7th an international cabal of corporate lobbyists has been meeting behind closed doors in San Diego. Their aim is moving the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) towards completion. For over two years TPP negotiations have been in process, yet the proposals and agreements made so far have been carefully kept from public view, until recently.

A leaked TPP document, published at Public Citizen, has revealed what the 600 corporate advisers involved in the negotiations, including representatives from Verizon, FedEx, and Walmart, have been up to. Considering the contents of this document, it is no wonder why the public and even elected representatives have been kept in the dark.

Publicly the TPP is being described as a Free Trade Act (FTA). This understates its scope. While the FTAs already in existence have raked in giant profits for the corporate elite, for workers internationally they have resulted in lay offs and a race to the bottom in terms of living conditions and rights. The big business tops have been working hard to enhance the power of their moneymaking weapons of mass destruction. If NAFTA was a hand grenade, the TPP is a bunker buster.

What is perhaps most astonishing about the TPP is its architects’ disregard for the consequences of its destructive potential. Their greed has blinded them to the political instability and popular revolt the consequences of the TPP will create. The corporate elite imagines their rule to be absolute and eternal. Sheltered by these illusions and goaded on by the need to increase their riches regardless of social costs, they are creating a bomb that could blow them up as well.
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June 29, 2012, Severe Summer Storms
Update: 5:00 PM, 7/1/2012
GAHANNA, Ohio – AEP Ohio has restored power to more than 221,000 of the 660,000 customers affected by the catastrophic storms that moved through the state June 29. Approximately 436,000 customers remain without power at 4 p.m. today. At the peak of the storm on June 29, approximately 45 percent of AEP Ohio customers were without power.


AEP Ohio has more than 4,000 internal and external resources committed to restoring power to the customers who remain without service from the storm.


AEP Ohio is working around the clock to restore service to customers as safely and quickly as possible. Personnel dedicated to system repairs work 16 hours a day. Support resources work through the night to reconcile restoration completed during the day to prepare work packages, maps and instructions for the crews to use the following morning.

As the storm moved across Ohio, thunder, lightning and high winds of more than 80 mile per hour, knocked down transmission structures, poles, power lines and trees across AEP Ohio’s service territory. The central Ohio counties of Franklin, Delaware and Licking were the hardest hit, with approximately 345,000 customers affected.
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