The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – The political left in America is being misled by a Presbyterian minister named Chris Hedges, who writes for the leftist blog Truthdig. In a column published on Valentines Day, this self-described socialist attacks Vermont Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Why? Because Sanders had the gall to…
By Glynn Wilson – Why would Congressman and Civil Rights Icon John Lewis of Georgia lie and taint his own reputation and legacy just to help Hillary Clinton beat progressive Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary race for President? At a press conference announcing the Congressional Black Caucus PAC’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton, Lewis told…
By Glynn Wilson – PORTLAND, Ore. – Nine additional individuals have been charged by federal indictment and seven were arrested Friday in connection with the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon. The defendants are scheduled to make appearances in federal court in six states over the next couple of days, according…
By Glynn Wilson – A significant group of climate scientists issued a dramatic editorial statement in the journal Nature Climate Change this week on the effects of human induced global warming from the burning of fossil fuels. They make the argument that we are making a mistake to only think about the effects of global…
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.†— William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2 – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – MOBILE, Ala. — It’s Joe Cain Day, the Sunday before Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras Day, when some people on the Gulf Coast feast before some Christians observe a…
By Frank Newport and Glynn Wilson – As New Hampshire takes over in the national spotlight this week as the presidential candidates focus on next Tuesday’s primary, Gallup released its latest survey showing the least and most religious states in the country. New Hampshire now tops the list as the least religious state, followed closely…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – It looks like the insurgent occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon is winding down. While it could be viewed as more tragic than funny, especially for the wildlife, it strikes me as bordering on hilarious that the remaining cowardly cowboys who are ready to…
By Glynn Wilson – MOBILE, Ala. — A federal judge grilled lawyers here Tuesday about the questionable legality of a plan put forward by the administration of Alabama Governor Robert Bentley to use BP oil spill environmental restoration money for economic development to build a hotel and convention center on the state park beach in…
Will they build them in Mobile? How will state and local officials and the local media respond? – By Glynn Wilson – MOBILE, Ala. — When Alabama officials celebrated the news that Airbus would open a plant to build planes and provide jobs here, little did they know one of the biggest customers would turn…
By Rebecca Riffkin and Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — A large majority of Americans, 63 percent, say they are dissatisfied with the size and influence of major corporations, according to the latest Gallup poll on the subject. “Americans have long been suspicious of the power of big corporations, but they have not been supportive…
By Walter Simon – BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The last time I was in the vicinity of the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham was in the winter of 2012 at the occupy camp we set up, wrapping around the corner sidewalk of 20th and 5th avenue north in front of the entrance to Regions bank. The bus…
Private Company Sues Park Service for $50 Million Claiming Ownership of Park Names, Including Yosemite – By Glynn Wilson – A private contractor running many of the operations in America’s national parks is now suing the federal government claiming it owns the intellectual property rights of famous names like Yosemite National Park, along with the…
By Jim Norman and Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Television viewing was once so beloved by Americans that nearly half said it was their favorite thing to do at night. The latest public opinion survey shows night time TV is now less popular than ever, even with all the new choices between the major…
WASHINGTON (NAJ) – The Obama administration filed its civil case in federal court against Volkswagen and its subsidiaries on Monday documenting multiple, willful violations of the Clean Air Act due to the company blatantly faking clean emissions tests and high gas mileage in its diesel automobiles sold to the public as clean and fuel efficient…
Following in the footsteps of his father, who made headlines in 2014 by leading an armed standoff between ranchers and the federal government over grazing rights in Nevada, Ammon Bundy and his fellow protesters are occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns Oregon demanding that the government surrender public control of a habitat preserve…
By Eugene Robinson – You probably noticed that 2015 was pretty weird. But hey, it’s a brand new year — a fresh start, a blank slate, an unwritten script. In 2016, what could possibly go wrong? Uh, where to begin? My fingers balk at typing the words “President-elect Trump” because I don’t think such a…
Environmental Group Pushes for Expedited Oral Arguments – By Glynn Wilson – The Bentley administration is stalling in federal court by opposing expedited oral arguments in a lawsuit filed against the proposed use of $58 million in BP oil settlement money — designated to restore the Gulf eco-system — to build a hotel and convention…
By David Underhill – MOBILE, Ala. – You must have been naughty children. Although you didn’t get a lump of coal in your stocking, you got a wad of glop. It’s your present from Alabama governor Robert Bentley, often confused with creepy Mr Burns in The Simpsons show. But that’s only because of their eerily…
By Art Swift and Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — The year 2015 was an “intriguing, complex and turbulent year,” according to Gallup. A politically independent Vermont senator surged in the Democratic presidential race. Same-sex marriage became law in all 50 states. Russia’s leadership received the lowest approval ratings worldwide for the eighth consecutive year.…
By Paul Brown – LONDON — After a decade of aggressive growth in demand, the market for coal has stalled and is unlikely to recover, according to the International Energy Agency. Its report on the medium-term coal market says that demand in China — which uses 50 percent of the world’s coal — has begun…
