rssPosts by Mike Lillis
Charges of Whitewashing Cloud Mine Safety Investigations
Massey Energy and mine safety advocates don’t agree on much these days. But as government regulators begin their closed-door probe into the cause of April’s deadly blast at a Massey mine in southern West Virginia, the two sides have united on one front: Both are questioning the willingness of the More…
There Went Florida
Oil suspected to be coming from BP’s Deepwater Horizon gusher is washing up on the white-sand beaches of western Florida today, scrambling clean-up crews who hope to prevent the disaster from fouling the state’s $60 billion per year tourism industry. The Wall Street Journal reports:
Officials on Thursday
Harry Reid: ‘U.S. Stands Firmly With Israel’ After Deadly Raid
Four days later, the Senate Majority Leader responds to Israel’s deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish-flagged ship shuttling aid to Gaza.
“Israel is one of our strongest and most important allies,” Reid said in a short statement, “and the United States stands firmly with Israel at this critical More…
Massey Trying to Kill Mining Reforms Before They’re Even Proposed
Lawmakers have only hinted at reforms to the nation’s mine safety laws in the wake of April’s deadly explosion at the Upper Big Branch in West Virginia. But Massey Energy, which owns the UBB, seems not to be taking any chances.
Paul Blasts U.S. Support of Gaza Blockade
The congressional reaction this week to Israel’s recent and deadly raid on an aid flotilla headed to Gaza has, for the most part, fit neatly into three camps: Most lawmakers have either (1) said nothing, (2) called cautiously for an investigation, or (3) staunchly More…
Unemployment Rate Drops to 9.7%, GOP Leaders Yawn
The economy added 431,000 jobs last month, dropping the national unemployment rate from 9.9 percent to 9.7 percent, the Department of Labor Statistics announced this morning.
But Republicans, who a month ago were saying that they’d recognize progress when the jobless rate fell, aren’t impressed. Indeed, Republican House More…
Congress Reacts to News of American Death in Israeli Raid With Silence
On Thursday, the world learned that one of the activists killed this week by Israeli commandos was a U.S. citizen. On Capitol Hill, the news seemed to raise no eyebrows at all.
Furkan Dogan, a New York-born student living in Turkey, was one of nine activists killed, according More…
House to Hold Hearing on Long-Term Unemployment
The Ways and Means subcommittee on income security will meet next Thursday to examine how Congress might better address the problem of long-term unemployment, Chairman Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) just announced.
“If we can afford wars, tax cuts, and bank bailouts, then we can certainly afford to maintain programs for workers who More…
But Really, Would Joe Lieberman Ever Criticize Israel?
The Connecticut Independent finally responded today to Israel’s attack Monday on an international aid flotilla making its way to Gaza.
Nothing shocking here.
“Israel exercised her legitimate right of self defense,” Lieberman said in a statement.
The Pollyannas of Offshore Drilling
President Obama’s call to expand offshore drilling just a few weeks before the Deepwater Horizon calamity — a call intended to rally Republicans behind a climate bill — will likely be remembered as one of the most poorly timed concessions to the opposing party in White House history. More…
