Debunking the Texas Miracle

In a Forbes opinion piece last week Christi Craddick, one of Texas’ three elected members of the Railroad Commission, the public entity responsible for regulating the oil and gas industries, asked that presidential candidates spell out their national energy plan – and suggested that Texas would serve as a good model. In her words, “Texas has developed a globally renowned model that allows industry to flourish in an environmentally responsible way.”

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Industry Attacks Research Showing Risks from Pesticide Exposure

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer dropped a bombshell when it concluded the active ingredient in Roundup, a popular weed killer, probably causes cancer.

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Silencing Factory Farm Whistleblowers Violates the First Amendment

For decades, the meat and dairy industries have been subjected to undercover investigations by organizations and individuals who are concerned about inhumane and unhygienic conditions on industrial farms and in slaughterhouses. As a result of a 2008 investigation Americans witnessed the largest meat recall (143 million pounds of beef) in our nation’s history.

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Voting Rights: The Struggle Continues

Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, which many consider the most important civil rights legislation of the 1960s. The law gave the federal government oversight responsibility over elections in all or part of 15 states (including parts of New York, Michigan, and California) where there had been systemic exclusion of voters based on race, ethnicity, or economic status. Under the Voting Rights Act, states had to pre-clear any changes to voter eligibility rules or election conduct prior to implementing these changes.

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Airbags Have Saved Tens of Thousands of Americans… and Industry Obstruction Cost Three Times As Many

Currently, the total number of vehicles with potentially defective airbags that have been recalled has expanded to nearly 34 million – or about 18 percent of the more than 183 million cars on the road. So far, 8 deaths and over 100 serious injuries have been reported from defective air bags.

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The $13 Billion Bottled Water Industry vs. the National Park Service...and American Hikers, Campers, Hunters, and Nature-Lovers

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 “for the benefit and enjoyment” of the American people. It was the first of 59 national parks dedicated to the conservation of 'wild nature' for posterity, and it is a symbol of national pride. Almost 14 million people a year visit our national parks to camp, hike, and enjoy nature.

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Two Years Ago, President Obama Directed Federal Agencies to Prevent Chemical Disasters. Are We Any Safer Now?

In April 2013, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas killed 15 people, injured more than 200, and levelled nearby homes and schools. President Obama visited West in the aftermath and promised to improve our nation’s chemical safety laws. On Aug. 1, 2013, he issued an executive order directing federal agencies to revise their chemical safety policies to ensure that a West-type tragedy never happens again. But two years later, are we any safer?

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Medicare: Protecting Seniors for 50 Years

Fifty years ago, the United States created the Medicare insurance program – which has significantly increased the affordability of health care for America’s seniors, as well as those with certain disabilities and medical conditions. Today, close to 55 million people are covered by Medicare, and 60 percent of Americans say the program is working well for most seniors.

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Happy Birthday, NASA! We’re Celebrating the Thousands of Ways NASA Has Improved Our Lives.

One of my earliest childhood memories is of our mailman, Mr. Harmon, taking a break from his daily deliveries and joining my Mom and me to watch some of the early space launches. I didn’t know it at the time, but the influence of government filled my family’s living room – from the presence of our caring letter carrier to the visionary work of NASA scientists exploring the world far beyond Earth.

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New White House Initiative on FOIA Expands Government Transparency

In the days following the 49th anniversary of the nation’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on July 4, the White House announced a new FOIA-related pilot program involving seven federal agencies. Under the new policy, dubbed “release to one is release to all,” agencies would post information released in response to any FOIA request on its website for all to see. This is a big win for the transparency community, which has been asking for this for years.

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