What a slow day. It poured rain all day, but was especially heavy when I had to go out for a doctor's appointment. I thought I was going to have to swim there . . . and back! My "kids" were quiet and I even managed a short nap. Lona, did you send some cat naps my way? Being a late to bed gal, you're getting this early because I'll be at church tomorrow morning.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:43). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Alternet — Putting aside absurdities, what is the real threat of Iran that inspires such fear and fury? A natural place to turn for an answer is, again, U.S. intelligence. Recall its analysis that Iran poses no military threat, that its strategic doctrines are defensive, and its nuclear programmmes [with no effort to produce bombs, as far as intelligence can determine] are “a central part of its deterrent strategy”.
Who, then, would be concerned by an Iranian deterrent? The answer is plain: the rogue states that rampage in the region and do not want to tolerate any impediment to their reliance on aggression and violence. Far in the lead in this regard are the U.S. and Israel, with Saudi Arabia trying its best to join the club with its invasion of Bahrain to support the crushing of the reform movement by the dictatorship and now its murderous assault on Yemen, accelerating the humanitarian catastrophe there.
This is taken from the middle of the article. Read the rest at Alternet
Reading Chomsky, knowing some of the history of the Middle East, and knowing a fair amount of US history, is it any wonder that the Republicans do not support the Iran deal?! Their support of the agreement would mean no war which translates into no exorbitant profits for the military/industrial complex. This is not about nuclear weapons but about profits to be made from the sale of weapons and materiel. And you can believe that the likes of Chickenhawk Cheney and the other neocons are right in there stirring the witch's brew.
Mother Jones — Johnson County, Wyoming, is the kind of remote, quiet Western community where life revolves around cattle—it was the site of an infamous 19th-century armed battle between cowboys and suspected cattle rustlers. The county ranks only 11th statewide for oil production, but it holds the No. 1 ranking nationwide for a more ignominious distinction: It has 249 new, high-risk oil and gas wells that the federal government has failed to inspect for compliance with safety and environmental standards.
Johnson County may have the most uninspected wells, but it's far from the only place where the problem exists. In fact, of all 3,486 oil and gas wells drilled on federal and Native American land from 2009 to 2012 that were identified by the Bureau of Land Management as high risk for pollution, 40 percent were not inspected at the most important stage of their development, according to records the BLM provided to Climate Desk.
Where does your state stand? Check in Mother Jones
With budget cutbacks, the BLM is stretched too thinly. There just are not enough resources to get the job done. And who suffers . . . people and wildlife who are caught in the blowouts and politics. When it comes to budget cuts, who do you think is holding the axe?
Huffington Post — A judge in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of California has ruled that the organization behind undercover videos targeting Planned Parenthood cannot plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid handing over any materials related to a lawsuit filed against the organization.
A crack in the armour of Citizens United? Beats me, but if this is a crack, then there could be a real political fight down the road.
My Universe — It's Saturday and time to party! Oh the headache in the morning!