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LEGAL HEMP & MARIJUANA! are celebrated on this landmark Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Show as Harvey is joined by long-time hemp campaigners Anndrea Hermann and Tom Murphy. We celebrate electoral victories in Colorado, Washington State and elsewhere. Then we explore the deep details of legalized hemp, now a half-billion-dollar/year industry in Canada. Based in Manitoba, Anndrea explains the realities of a hemp industry that employs tens of thousands of Canadians for a crop that’s used in food, cleansers, construction, paper, rope, twine and much much more. From Maine, Tom tells us of federal legislation aimed at finally bring the hemp industry back in the US, where it might well outstrip its smokable cousin in terms of revenue and employment. The future of cannabis—industrial and otherwise—is the future of American health, economy and agriculture.
Listen to the full hour
Listen to the full hour
History is filled with examples of brave individuals who have broken the law to serve the greater good of humanity. In other words, whistleblowers expose crimes, even if they break a law in the process, and like a jaywalker who crosses street to stop a murder- they should be given medal for their heroism and pardoned the jaywalking ticket. Bradley Manning, who is alleged to have shared information with WikiLeaks that exposed spying, corruption, war crimes, among other tools of repression used by the global elite – is a shining example of one such individual who deserves to a ticker tape parade befitting a hero, not the over 900 odd days of imprisonment and torture that have lead up to his current hearing at Fort Meade.
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Fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS has been an uphill battle for over 30 years. This disease has disproportionally affected our community. 1 in 16 African American men and 1 in 32 African American women will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime. If Black America were its own country, it would rank 16th in the world for people living with HIV.
Earlier this year, the NAACP Health Department launched a HIV and AIDS awareness campaign and created a faith and social justice manual with faith leaders titled The Black Church and HIV: the Social Justice Imperative. For more information about this Initiative and the manual, please visit Initiative
We are committed to stopping the spread of the disease so we encourage you, your family and the community to get tested. Free testing is available in your area — go here for further information:
HIV Testing site locator
Earlier this year, the NAACP Health Department launched a HIV and AIDS awareness campaign and created a faith and social justice manual with faith leaders titled The Black Church and HIV: the Social Justice Imperative. For more information about this Initiative and the manual, please visit Initiative
We are committed to stopping the spread of the disease so we encourage you, your family and the community to get tested. Free testing is available in your area — go here for further information:
HIV Testing site locator
Heroes, parades, and much more for the men and women that serve in our Armed Forces as they first return. There is a neglected percentage that is swept under the rug and never is seen as they once were when we first returned. The men and women where the silent demons of years past come to haunt and destroy, as the faded glory once recognized by others gone. The commanding attitude with the suspicious survival instincts that civilized society sees as dominance and miss trust to justify under safety issues to ignore or isolate you. Incarceration rather than treatment for the medical conditions of war no one wants to see as the cause and effect of what happens. Combat fatigue, PTSD depending on the war how civilized society rates us for the useless life we have become. Homeless on the street because this nation will not recognize medical conditions that are not recorded in the time limit established by those that never serve. Politician’s refusal to listen and hear the bums sleeping under bridges in filth and shame because our uniforms are now dirty and the sins of our history clean citizens can and will not accept.
On November 30, the city of Cincinnati became the first in Ohio to pass a resolution to require the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, citing that consumers should have the right to know what is in their food. The consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch brought the resolution to city council as a part of their “Let Me Decide” campaign to make GE labeling the law. GE foods have not been fully tested for their impacts on human health and the environment.
Alison Auciello, Ohio-based organizer for Food & Water Watch said, “genetically engineered foods are potentially unsafe, and consumers should have the right to decide for themselves if they want to eat GE foods. It took regulation to get food processors to label ingredients and nutrition facts on labels, and now we’re calling for federal lawmakers to require the labeling of GE food.”
Alison Auciello, Ohio-based organizer for Food & Water Watch said, “genetically engineered foods are potentially unsafe, and consumers should have the right to decide for themselves if they want to eat GE foods. It took regulation to get food processors to label ingredients and nutrition facts on labels, and now we’re calling for federal lawmakers to require the labeling of GE food.”
With the news that the UN General Assembly has voted 138-9 to accept Palestine as a “non-member observer state,” fireworks erupted and horns honked in Gaza. Finally, Palestinians were feeling as if they were having their day in the sun.
First, Israel ended its latest attack – which some believe should be re-named “Operation Pillar of Shame” – just eight days after it began, agreeing to a ceasefire that actually offered some concessions and to continue negotiating in the coming weeks.
And then, a Palestinian state received overwhelming recognition and acceptance from virtually the entire rest of the world, with the United States, Israel and Canada now clearly alone and anachronistic. Yes, the U.S. is still able to limit that status to a symbolic one, but the writing is on the wall.
The surprise dividend from these two victories – however small — is a spirit of genuine unity not seen for years between the once-warring political parties – with Fatah cheering on Hamas while it launched a surprisingly strong show of resistance against Israeli drones and F-16s, and Hamas dropping its opposition to Fatah’s bid for UN observer status.
First, Israel ended its latest attack – which some believe should be re-named “Operation Pillar of Shame” – just eight days after it began, agreeing to a ceasefire that actually offered some concessions and to continue negotiating in the coming weeks.
And then, a Palestinian state received overwhelming recognition and acceptance from virtually the entire rest of the world, with the United States, Israel and Canada now clearly alone and anachronistic. Yes, the U.S. is still able to limit that status to a symbolic one, but the writing is on the wall.
The surprise dividend from these two victories – however small — is a spirit of genuine unity not seen for years between the once-warring political parties – with Fatah cheering on Hamas while it launched a surprisingly strong show of resistance against Israeli drones and F-16s, and Hamas dropping its opposition to Fatah’s bid for UN observer status.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Four days after U.S. President Barack Obama praised Thailand's democracy, the government clamped parts of Bangkok under an Internal Security Act on Thursday (November 22), allowing the military to handle an upcoming protest by people demanding an immediate coup.
"Based on our intelligence, the rally [on Saturday] will be intense with a huge turnout of protesters," the National Security Council's chief, Paradorn Pattanatabut, told reporters on Thursday.
"Security agencies report that there could be violence which could damage lives and property," Varathep Rattanakorn, a minister to the prime minister's office, also told reporters on Thursday.
Thousands of anti-riot police and other security forces were rushing to Bangkok to control the anti-government demonstration.
The Internal Security Act (ISA) will be in force in parts of Bangkok from Thursday until November 30.
The ISA allows the military, under the prime minister, to be in charge of internal security, overruling the police.
"Based on our intelligence, the rally [on Saturday] will be intense with a huge turnout of protesters," the National Security Council's chief, Paradorn Pattanatabut, told reporters on Thursday.
"Security agencies report that there could be violence which could damage lives and property," Varathep Rattanakorn, a minister to the prime minister's office, also told reporters on Thursday.
Thousands of anti-riot police and other security forces were rushing to Bangkok to control the anti-government demonstration.
The Internal Security Act (ISA) will be in force in parts of Bangkok from Thursday until November 30.
The ISA allows the military, under the prime minister, to be in charge of internal security, overruling the police.
The Middletown, Ohio story continues, like an old soap opera! In response to that city’s council action raising the city manager’s pay, the city’s unions have now pushed back, at least for now killing that increase.
Middletown’s city council had inspired last year’s attack on public worker’s bargaining rights by officially asking the Ohio state legislature to “take action to limit public union contracts, so local governments can control their finances.” After last year’s massive struggle by organized labor and regular Ohioans killed SB 5, the state’s attempt to destroy public worker bargaining rights, Middletown’s city voted two week’s ago to change the rules under which the city’s workers are compensated so that only the city manager could get a major pay increase. The council took this action after successfully urging that city’s unions to agree to a wage freeze through the lifetime of their contracts with the city.
Cheap clothes!
Their cost, it turns out, is beyond calculation.
“Babul Mia said he identified his wife Mariam Begum, 25, who was apparently burnt beyond recognition, but he could identify her bangles and her small teeth,” reported Bangladesh’s main English-language newspaper, The Daily Star.
“Zahera Begum, who worked on the fifth floor of Tazreen Fashions, too, was identified by her husband Iqramul from her nose ring, bangles and necklace.”
So a fire swept through a sweatshop in Bangladesh on Nov. 24, killing at least 112 people, nearly half of whom were unidentifiable and buried in a mass grave. The sweatshop, which produced brand-name garments for major retail outlets such as Walmart and Sears, has been described as a deathtrap: It lacked working fire extinguishers and external fire escapes; one of the exit doors was locked; and, oh yeah, when the fire alarm first went off, the bosses told everyone to go back to their sewing machines.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” the local fire department operations director said.
Their cost, it turns out, is beyond calculation.
“Babul Mia said he identified his wife Mariam Begum, 25, who was apparently burnt beyond recognition, but he could identify her bangles and her small teeth,” reported Bangladesh’s main English-language newspaper, The Daily Star.
“Zahera Begum, who worked on the fifth floor of Tazreen Fashions, too, was identified by her husband Iqramul from her nose ring, bangles and necklace.”
So a fire swept through a sweatshop in Bangladesh on Nov. 24, killing at least 112 people, nearly half of whom were unidentifiable and buried in a mass grave. The sweatshop, which produced brand-name garments for major retail outlets such as Walmart and Sears, has been described as a deathtrap: It lacked working fire extinguishers and external fire escapes; one of the exit doors was locked; and, oh yeah, when the fire alarm first went off, the bosses told everyone to go back to their sewing machines.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” the local fire department operations director said.
In the wake of this fall's election, the disintegration of America's decrepit atomic reactor fleet is fast approaching critical mass. Unless our No Nukes movement can get the worst of them shut soon, Barack Obama may be very lucky to get through his second term without a major reactor disaster.
All 104 licensed US reactors were designed before 1975---a third of a century ago. All but one went on line in the 1980s or earlier.
Plunging natural gas prices (due largely to ecologically disastrous fracking) are dumping even fully-amortized US reactors into deep red ink. Wisconsin's Kewaunee will close next year because nobody wants to buy it. A reactor at Clinton, Illinois, may join it. Should gas prices stay low, the trickle of shut-downs will turn into a flood.
But more disturbing are the structural problems, made ever-more dangerous by slashed maintenance budgets.
All 104 licensed US reactors were designed before 1975---a third of a century ago. All but one went on line in the 1980s or earlier.
Plunging natural gas prices (due largely to ecologically disastrous fracking) are dumping even fully-amortized US reactors into deep red ink. Wisconsin's Kewaunee will close next year because nobody wants to buy it. A reactor at Clinton, Illinois, may join it. Should gas prices stay low, the trickle of shut-downs will turn into a flood.
But more disturbing are the structural problems, made ever-more dangerous by slashed maintenance budgets.