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Obama Wants CNN's Sanjay Gupta to Be Surgeon General?
Posted by Nico Pitney, Huffington Post on January 6, 2009 at 2:31 PM.

President-elect Barack Obama has approached CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to be the country's next surgeon general, the cable news network said Tuesday. CNN said it has kept Gupta from reporting on health care policy and other matters involving the incoming Obama administration since learning he was under consideration for the post.

A Democrat with knowledge of the discussions over the surgeon general spot cautioned that there was not yet a final decision on who would fill the post. The person spoke on a condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter.

Obama's transition office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gupta hosts "House Call" on CNN, contributes reports to CBS News, and writes a column for Time magazine. He is a neurosurgeon and is on the faculty at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. During the Clinton administration, he was a White House fellow and special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The surgeon general typically isn't heavily involved in shaping an administration's policy, but it can be a very effective bully pulpit. Past surgeons general have proved instrumental in battling tobacco and AIDS.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Obama Wants CNN's Sanjay Gupta to Be Surgeon General?
Posted by Nico Pitney, Huffington Post on January 6, 2009 at 2:31 PM.

President-elect Barack Obama has approached CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to be the country's next surgeon general, the cable news network said Tuesday. CNN said it has kept Gupta from reporting on health care policy and other matters involving the incoming Obama administration since learning he was under consideration for the post.

A Democrat with knowledge of the discussions over the surgeon general spot cautioned that there was not yet a final decision on who would fill the post. The person spoke on a condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter.

Obama's transition office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gupta hosts "House Call" on CNN, contributes reports to CBS News, and writes a column for Time magazine. He is a neurosurgeon and is on the faculty at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. During the Clinton administration, he was a White House fellow and special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The surgeon general typically isn't heavily involved in shaping an administration's policy, but it can be a very effective bully pulpit. Past surgeons general have proved instrumental in battling tobacco and AIDS.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Holding TVA's Feet to the Fire in Coal Ash Spill
Posted by Bruce Nilles, Sierra Club on January 6, 2009 at 2:29 PM.

This post is co-written by Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club National Coal Campaign, and Lyndsay Moseley, associate Washington representative for the National Coal Campaign.

Today the Sierra Club will put the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on notice for its negligence surrounding the tragic December 22 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee. In collaboration with more than a dozen neighbors whose property was directly affected by the spill, along with a coalition of other environmental organizations, we are requesting that a federal court oversee the cleanup and remediation and that the responsible parties compensate local residents.

On December 22, 2008, an earthen dam for a coal ash waste impoundment failed at the Kingston Fossil Plant, releasing a billion gallons of coal ash sludge and contaminated water into the Emory and Clinch Rivers and onto more than 300 acres around the community of Harriman. 

We have Sierra Club members, staffers and volunteers living in this area and who grew up near Harriman - and we've also had some of our staff visit the spill site (including today’s blog co-writer Lyndsay Moseley). The feedback we’re getting from the people there is heart-breaking.

We've seen overwhelming sadness at the loss of their homes and their peaceful way of life. They are concerned about the health threats, and said that, with a few exceptions, they'd received very little information about the real threats from the coal sludge around their homes.

The residents say they are getting mixed signals. The TVA has issued delayed warnings on the health effects of the ash sludge, and cleanup workers are wearing hazardous material suits. The TVA is also telling people the water is fine, but the news reported that the schools will be preparing lunches with bottled water and the schools are encouraging parents to send bottled water with their kids.

On December 27, Appalachian Voices sampled several of the spill's piles and found elevated levels of toxins, including arsenic and lead. Most of this potentially toxic waste remains in or near those waters – both contaminating water and becoming airborne dust once it dries.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Holding TVA's Feet to the Fire in Coal Ash Spill
Posted by Bruce Nilles, Sierra Club on January 6, 2009 at 2:29 PM.

This post is co-written by Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club National Coal Campaign, and Lyndsay Moseley, associate Washington representative for the National Coal Campaign.

Today the Sierra Club will put the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on notice for its negligence surrounding the tragic December 22 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee. In collaboration with more than a dozen neighbors whose property was directly affected by the spill, along with a coalition of other environmental organizations, we are requesting that a federal court oversee the cleanup and remediation and that the responsible parties compensate local residents.

On December 22, 2008, an earthen dam for a coal ash waste impoundment failed at the Kingston Fossil Plant, releasing a billion gallons of coal ash sludge and contaminated water into the Emory and Clinch Rivers and onto more than 300 acres around the community of Harriman. 

We have Sierra Club members, staffers and volunteers living in this area and who grew up near Harriman - and we've also had some of our staff visit the spill site (including today’s blog co-writer Lyndsay Moseley). The feedback we’re getting from the people there is heart-breaking.

We've seen overwhelming sadness at the loss of their homes and their peaceful way of life. They are concerned about the health threats, and said that, with a few exceptions, they'd received very little information about the real threats from the coal sludge around their homes.

The residents say they are getting mixed signals. The TVA has issued delayed warnings on the health effects of the ash sludge, and cleanup workers are wearing hazardous material suits. The TVA is also telling people the water is fine, but the news reported that the schools will be preparing lunches with bottled water and the schools are encouraging parents to send bottled water with their kids.

On December 27, Appalachian Voices sampled several of the spill's piles and found elevated levels of toxins, including arsenic and lead. Most of this potentially toxic waste remains in or near those waters – both contaminating water and becoming airborne dust once it dries.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Holding TVA's Feet to the Fire in Coal Ash Spill
Posted by Bruce Nilles, Sierra Club on January 6, 2009 at 2:29 PM.

This post is co-written by Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club National Coal Campaign, and Lyndsay Moseley, associate Washington representative for the National Coal Campaign.

Today the Sierra Club will put the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on notice for its negligence surrounding the tragic December 22 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee. In collaboration with more than a dozen neighbors whose property was directly affected by the spill, along with a coalition of other environmental organizations, we are requesting that a federal court oversee the cleanup and remediation and that the responsible parties compensate local residents.

On December 22, 2008, an earthen dam for a coal ash waste impoundment failed at the Kingston Fossil Plant, releasing a billion gallons of coal ash sludge and contaminated water into the Emory and Clinch Rivers and onto more than 300 acres around the community of Harriman. 

We have Sierra Club members, staffers and volunteers living in this area and who grew up near Harriman - and we've also had some of our staff visit the spill site (including today’s blog co-writer Lyndsay Moseley). The feedback we’re getting from the people there is heart-breaking.

We've seen overwhelming sadness at the loss of their homes and their peaceful way of life. They are concerned about the health threats, and said that, with a few exceptions, they'd received very little information about the real threats from the coal sludge around their homes.

The residents say they are getting mixed signals. The TVA has issued delayed warnings on the health effects of the ash sludge, and cleanup workers are wearing hazardous material suits. The TVA is also telling people the water is fine, but the news reported that the schools will be preparing lunches with bottled water and the schools are encouraging parents to send bottled water with their kids.

On December 27, Appalachian Voices sampled several of the spill's piles and found elevated levels of toxins, including arsenic and lead. Most of this potentially toxic waste remains in or near those waters – both contaminating water and becoming airborne dust once it dries.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

A Pleasant Surprise: Jeb Bush Will Not Run for Senate
Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly on January 6, 2009 at 1:58 PM.

After gearing up for a likely Senate campaign in 2010, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) announced this afternoon that he's not running.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will not run for the open Senate seat of Sen. Mel Martinez, he announced in a statement released moments ago.

"After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010," said Bush. "While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office."

Bush's decision robs Republicans of a top-tier recruit who would have immediately been favored to hold Martinez's seat. Without Bush in the race, Republicans are almost certain to play host to a crowded and competitive primary.

This will, of course, put a crimp in his father's hopes to see yet another President Bush in 2016.

Jeb's announcement comes as something of a surprise. As recently as two weeks ago, it appeared that the former governor was poised to officially launch a campaign, lining up would-be contributors and picking up support from party leaders. Bush would have been handed the party nomination on a platter, and would have been favored to win the seat. Over the last 48 hours, however, Bush pulled back, leading to today's announcement.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Cop Shoots Helpless Man ... Did He Mistake His Gun for His Taser?
Posted by Digby, Hullabaloo on January 6, 2009 at 9:27 AM.

This is just unbelievable:

BART's police chief asked for patience from the public on Sunday after video footage surfaced showing one of his officers fatally shooting an unarmed man who was on the ground on a station platform on New Year's Day, and after an attorney for the dead man's family said he planned to sue the transit agency for $25 million.

Chief Gary Gee said he, too, had seen video images of the shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker from Hayward. But Gee said he found the footage to be inconclusive, and he said his investigators still needed to interview a key witness - the officer himself.

That officer, a two-year veteran, has not been publicly identified and has been placed on routine administrative leave. BART officials have said only that his handgun discharged at about 2:15 a.m. Thursday at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland and that the bullet struck the unarmed Grant, who had been detained with several others.

Officials have not said whether the officer intended to shoot Grant. One source familiar with the investigation said BART is looking into a number of issues, including whether the officer had meant to fire his Taser stun gun rather than his gun. Alameda County prosecutors are conducting their own investigation, as is standard in officer-involved shootings.

I wouldn't be surprised if he did. The police use their stun guns on people who are already on the ground and offering no threat all the time. It's no wonder that one of them would get confused and just start shooting people in the same position. They have no sense of what constitutes a real threat anymore.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Cop Shoots Helpless Man ... Did He Mistake His Gun for His Taser?
Posted by Digby, Hullabaloo on January 6, 2009 at 9:27 AM.

This is just unbelievable:

BART's police chief asked for patience from the public on Sunday after video footage surfaced showing one of his officers fatally shooting an unarmed man who was on the ground on a station platform on New Year's Day, and after an attorney for the dead man's family said he planned to sue the transit agency for $25 million.

Chief Gary Gee said he, too, had seen video images of the shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker from Hayward. But Gee said he found the footage to be inconclusive, and he said his investigators still needed to interview a key witness - the officer himself.

That officer, a two-year veteran, has not been publicly identified and has been placed on routine administrative leave. BART officials have said only that his handgun discharged at about 2:15 a.m. Thursday at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland and that the bullet struck the unarmed Grant, who had been detained with several others.

Officials have not said whether the officer intended to shoot Grant. One source familiar with the investigation said BART is looking into a number of issues, including whether the officer had meant to fire his Taser stun gun rather than his gun. Alameda County prosecutors are conducting their own investigation, as is standard in officer-involved shootings.

I wouldn't be surprised if he did. The police use their stun guns on people who are already on the ground and offering no threat all the time. It's no wonder that one of them would get confused and just start shooting people in the same position. They have no sense of what constitutes a real threat anymore.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Democratic Senators: Franken Won't Be Seated with New Class
Posted by Sam Stein, Ryan Grim, Huffington Post on January 6, 2009 at 9:16 AM.

Fallout from the surreal political scandal in Illinois has now wafted into Minnesota.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is refusing to seat Roland Burris, appointed by disgraced Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, for lack of state certification. That's a problem for Al Franken, who also lacks final state certification despite the fact that the state canvassing board declared him the winner Monday.

Will Senate Democrats seat Franken without official certification? "I don't think so," said Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois.

"Republicans will object to trying to seat him," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley. Later in the day, Manley said that Democratic leadership would not seat Franken when the new class of Senators was sworn in on Tuesday. "Now that the bipartisan state canvassing board has certified Al Franken as the winner, we hope Senator Coleman respects its decision and does not drag this out for months with litigation... However, there will not be an effort to seat Mr. Franken tomorrow."

The remarks from Senate's top two Democrats cast a shadow on what was an otherwise bright day for Franken's political objectives. The comedian-turned-Senate aspirant claimed victory on Monday after the Minnesota canvassing board's final tallies showed him with a 1,212,431 to 1,212,206 vote victory.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Democratic Senators: Franken Won't Be Seated with New Class
Posted by Sam Stein, Ryan Grim, Huffington Post on January 6, 2009 at 9:16 AM.

Fallout from the surreal political scandal in Illinois has now wafted into Minnesota.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is refusing to seat Roland Burris, appointed by disgraced Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, for lack of state certification. That's a problem for Al Franken, who also lacks final state certification despite the fact that the state canvassing board declared him the winner Monday.

Will Senate Democrats seat Franken without official certification? "I don't think so," said Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois.

"Republicans will object to trying to seat him," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley. Later in the day, Manley said that Democratic leadership would not seat Franken when the new class of Senators was sworn in on Tuesday. "Now that the bipartisan state canvassing board has certified Al Franken as the winner, we hope Senator Coleman respects its decision and does not drag this out for months with litigation... However, there will not be an effort to seat Mr. Franken tomorrow."

The remarks from Senate's top two Democrats cast a shadow on what was an otherwise bright day for Franken's political objectives. The comedian-turned-Senate aspirant claimed victory on Monday after the Minnesota canvassing board's final tallies showed him with a 1,212,431 to 1,212,206 vote victory.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Democratic Senators: Franken Won't Be Seated with New Class
Posted by Sam Stein, Ryan Grim, Huffington Post on January 6, 2009 at 9:16 AM.

Fallout from the surreal political scandal in Illinois has now wafted into Minnesota.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is refusing to seat Roland Burris, appointed by disgraced Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, for lack of state certification. That's a problem for Al Franken, who also lacks final state certification despite the fact that the state canvassing board declared him the winner Monday.

Will Senate Democrats seat Franken without official certification? "I don't think so," said Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois.

"Republicans will object to trying to seat him," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley. Later in the day, Manley said that Democratic leadership would not seat Franken when the new class of Senators was sworn in on Tuesday. "Now that the bipartisan state canvassing board has certified Al Franken as the winner, we hope Senator Coleman respects its decision and does not drag this out for months with litigation... However, there will not be an effort to seat Mr. Franken tomorrow."

The remarks from Senate's top two Democrats cast a shadow on what was an otherwise bright day for Franken's political objectives. The comedian-turned-Senate aspirant claimed victory on Monday after the Minnesota canvassing board's final tallies showed him with a 1,212,431 to 1,212,206 vote victory.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Mr. Burris Goes to Washington
Posted by Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake on January 6, 2009 at 9:02 AM.

The Secretary of the Senate turned Burris away.

Chris Cilizza is on my teevee saying "everything in the Senate is like high school."

No kidding.  The optics of this are just awful.

MSNBC is saying that they're trying to give Burris an ambassadorship or some other appointment in order to go away quietly, or that they're thinking of offering to seat him in the Senate if he agrees not to run in 2010.

One of the more irritating things I've heard all morning has been Sally Quinn and others saying that Burris is somehow not qualified to hold office because he thinks he was "ordained by God" for the seat.  Do they not remember this:

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Mr. Burris Goes to Washington
Posted by Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake on January 6, 2009 at 9:02 AM.

The Secretary of the Senate turned Burris away.

Chris Cilizza is on my teevee saying "everything in the Senate is like high school."

No kidding.  The optics of this are just awful.

MSNBC is saying that they're trying to give Burris an ambassadorship or some other appointment in order to go away quietly, or that they're thinking of offering to seat him in the Senate if he agrees not to run in 2010.

One of the more irritating things I've heard all morning has been Sally Quinn and others saying that Burris is somehow not qualified to hold office because he thinks he was "ordained by God" for the seat.  Do they not remember this:

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Gaza Update: Target Medics?
Posted by Siun , Firedoglake on January 6, 2009 at 8:38 AM.

Multiple sources are reporting that medics and ambulances have come under repeated attack in Gaza by Israeli forces. Aid workers are also reporting that even when Red Crescent ambulance teams contact the Red Cross and the Red Cross contacts the IDF to coordinate the ambulance mission, they are often prevented from reaching the injured.

Amira Hass in Ha’aretz told of one such case yesterday in “Wounded Gaza family lay bleeding for 20 hours." Oxfam reported the death of one of their medics on Saturday. Now Ma’an reports:

Midmorning on Sunday, Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the town of Beit Hanoun, where Palestinians were mourning the death of a paramedic who was killed on Saturday. Some 40 others were wounded in this most recent attack.

Rammatan (the source of CNN's footage from Gaza) adds:

Four Palestinian medical emergency members were murdered on Sunday night when an Israeli rocket hit their ambulance in the town of Beit Lahia, north of Gaza.

The death toll of the paramedics killed by the Israeli troops has climbed to 6 and more than 20 wounded.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Peter Gleick: How to Save California from Water Crisis
Posted by Jared Simpson, Waterblogged.Info on January 6, 2009 at 5:00 AM.

What do the water crisis, Dante’s Inferno, Hollywood movies, Sandra Bullock, the Mars Rover, cholera, have in common?  Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute , arguably America’s foremost water expert, connects the unlikely dots in this fascinating recent talk at UC Berkeley.

You can skip the introductory remarks and go to 20:00 to hear Gleick being introduced. While his talk focused on California, Gleick puts the state’s problem in a global context, which makes this a good general introduction world water woes.

The good news is that California has plenty of water–scarcity is not the problem. At about 38:30, Gleick starts identifying the factors standing in the way of assuring that all Californian’s have access to clean and affordable water.