The Media Freedom Foundation

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Exposes Dangers of OSHA Budget Cuts and Lack of Unions

Andy Roth — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:37:27 +0000

The explosion that killed 14 at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas in April 2013 raises new concerns over OSHA funding and the state of non-union workers in Texas. According to data on the Department of Labor’s website, the West Fertilizer Company had not been inspected since 1985, a lapse of 28 years. Labor reporter Mike Elk points out that most plant inspections occur when unionized workers call OSHA to report a deficiency in the way a plant is operating, and OSHA sends an inspector out. With a budget of $583 million for 2012, OSHA employed 2,305 full-time employees who are tasked with overseeing eight million workplaces and 130 million workers. OSHA would be able to inspect every plant once every 126 years, according to a report from the AFL-CIO.

While OSHA funding issues play a large part in the explosion, the track record of Texas as the least unionized state in the country also becomes an issue. Non-unionized workers are less likely to call and complain about working conditions, Elk said. Union membership comes in around 6 percent in Texas, as compared to around 12 percent nationally.

Sources:

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez and Mike Elk, “No OSHA Inspections at Texas Plant in 5 Years: Are We Doing Enough to Protect Workplace Safety?,” Democracy Now!, April 18, 2013, http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/18/no_osha_inspections_at_texas_plant

“Statement of David Michaels, Assistant Secretary Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, before the Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections,” OSHA, accessed May 1, 2013. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=TESTIMONIES&p_id=1482

“Union Membership in Texas – 2012,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed May 1, 2013, http://www.bls.gov/ro6/fax/union_tx.pdf

“Inspection: 1911015 – West Chemical & Fertilizer Co,” OSHA, accessed May 1, 2013, http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=1911015

“FY 2013 Congressional Budget Justification, Occupational Safety and Health Administration,” OSHA, accessed May 1, 2013. http://www.dol.gov/dol/budget/2013/PDF/CBJ-2013-V2-12.pdf

“2012 Death on the Job Report,” AFL-CIO, accessed May 1, 2013, http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/2012-Death-on-the-Job-Report

Student Researcher: Michael Canfield (SUNY Buffalo State)

Faculty Evaluator: Dr. Michael I. Niman (SUNY Buffalo State)Similar Posts:

Screen Propaganda, Hollywood and the CIA

staffwriter — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:42:10 +0000

Black Hawk Down, Zero Dark Thirty and Argo, those are only a few major recent productions showing how today’s movie industry promotes US foreign policy. But the motion picture has been used for propaganda since the beginning of the 20th century and Hollywood’s cooperation with the Department of Defense, the CIA and other government agencies is no modern trend.

Global Research brings to our attention the problem we face that George Orwell so clearly defined as rehistory. A process in which the government, through the means of Hollywood, are rewriting the facts of what has actually happened, to be more suitable to their own public perception. They believe that if they retell us stories like ARGO, a movie dealing with the Iranian hostage situation, we will more likely support the government in going to war with Iran.

“Michelle Obama awarding Ben Affleck’s Argo the Oscar for best movie, the industry showed how close it is to Washington.” Our government believes they can pull the wool over our eyes and show us only what they want us to see. There is hope for the internet brings us complete freedom to do as we please. Technology will become ever more immersive and as long and as no one is at the rains we will be fine. But once this power falls into the hand as the like of Hollywood, then we will be in trouble. If this article is aimed at doing anything it is this, do not support Hollywood blockbusters they are the ideals of the few meant to brainwash the many.

The latest award-winning movie productions show that the Manichean view of the world put forward by the US foreign policy agenda has not changed since the Cold War. The Hollywood-CIA alliance is alive and well and still portrays America as the “leader of the free world” fighting “evil” around the world:

The interlocking of Hollywood and national security apparatuses remains as tight as ever: ex-CIA agent Bob Baer told us, “There’s a symbiosis between the CIA and Hollywood” […] Baer’s claims are given weight by the Sun Valley meetings, annual get-togethers in Idaho’s Sun Valley in which several hundred of the biggest names in American media –including every major Hollywood studio executive– convene to discuss collective media strategy for the coming year.

Title: Screen Propaganda, Hollywood and CIA
Author: Julie Levesque
Source: February 28, 2013 Global Research
URL: http://www.globalresearch.ca/screen-propaganda-hollywood-and-the-cia/5324589

Student Researcher: Matthew Galvez, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Vi Eperson, Santa Rosa Junior College

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Australian Government Bans Political Comment on Twitter

Andy Roth — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:54:27 +0000

In January 2012, Twitter announced that it would censor tweets if a country’s government requested them to do so. In early 2013, Twitter began actively censoring Australian tweets at the direct request of the government, making Australia “the first modern democracy to identify, filter and ban free speech whilst not in a state of War,” according to a March 15, 2013 report from Polliter.com.

A subsequent Polliter report indicates that “the Prime Minister’s own ‘public record of communications via Twitter’ @PMOPressOffice has been proven to be filtering anti-Labor comment, and suspending users that interact on that site.”

Although outright suspensions appear to be unusual, content filtering, where certain terms or tweets sent are banned from the Australian public, appears commonplace. In these instances, content blocked from Australian sites can still be viewed when using Twitter from the US or elsewhere in the world, consistent with Twitter’s stated policies.

Regardless of Twitter policy, the manipulation of commentary and opinion with the express intent of identifying and neutralizing dissenting voices is deeply problematic in any democratic society. Moreover, the practice may be in breach of Australia’s privacy act and, possibly, the Wire Services & Carriage and Personal Surveillance laws, which forbid eavesdropping or manipulation of a carriage service, even a private one, without a court order.

Sources:

“Aust Gov’t bans political comment on Twitter,” Polliter, March 15, 2013. http://polliter.com/2013/03/15/exclusive-aust-govt-bans-political-comment-on-twitter/

W Dallas Brooks, “The Tweets The PM Says You Are NOT Allowed To See,” Polliter.com, March 27, 2013. http://polliter.com/2013/03/27/the-tweets-the-pm-says-you-are-not-allowed-to-see/

Danny Sullivan, “Twitter Now Able To Censor Tweets, If Required By Law, On A Country-By-Country Basis,” Marketing Land, January 26, 2013. http://marketingland.com/twitter-now-able-to-censor-tweets-by-country-4531

Bianca Bosker, “Twitter To Censor Tweets In Some Countries,” Huffington Post, January 26, 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/twitter-to-censor-tweets-in-some-countries_n_1235116.html

Faculty Researcher/Evaluator: Andy Lee Roth, College of MarinSimilar Posts:

Ecosystems in Upheaval: The “Cascading Effects” of Climate Change

Andy Roth — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:29:10 +0000

A July 2012 report documents how climate change is already causing rapid, massive changes with “cascading effects” on ecosystems and biodiversity. The report, led by the US Geological Survey, the National Wildlife Federation and Arizona State University, foresees a global loss of biodiversity and major shifts in ecosystems.

“These geographic range and timing changes are causing cascading effects that extend through ecosystems, bringing together species that haven’t previously interacted and creating mismatches between animals and their food sources,” states Nancy Grimm, a scientist at ASU and a lead author of the report.

And these changes will have direct consequences on humans, Amanda Staudt, a NWF climate scientist and a lead author on the report adds, as many ecosystems serve as a backbone in the defense of storm damage. ”Shifting climate conditions are affecting valuable ecosystem services, such as the role that coastal habitats play in dampening storm surge or the ability of our forests to provide timber and help filter our drinking water.”

Sources:

Andrea Germanos, “Ecosystems in Upheaval: New study documenting climate change shows sweeping changes happening faster than previously recorded and bringing ‘cascading effects,’” Common Dreams, December 20, 2012. https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/12/20

Michelle D. Staudinger, Nancy B. Grimm, Amanda Staudt, et al., “Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services: Technical Input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment.” Cooperative Report to the 2013 National Climate Assessment, July 2012. http://assessment.globalchange.gov

Faculty Researcher & Evaluator: Julie Andrzejewski, St. Cloud State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Laboratory Study of Rats Supports Dangers of GM Corn

Andy Roth — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:23:36 +0000

A study published in September in The Food & Chemical Toxicology Journal found that rats fed Monsanto’s genetically modified corn over several months showed significant health problems including premature death and tumors.

The study found that over half of the male rats and 70 percent of the females who were fed a lifetime of Monsanto’s corn died prematurely with significant liver and kidney damage. Scientists also found the rats to contain cancerous tumors so large they blocked organ function. While numerous studies have examined their short-term impact, this is the first ever study to examine the long-term effects of eating GMOs.

With over 80 percent of the corn in the United States being genetically modified, the environmental and health impacts of such a primary staple has become a major concern. Led by researcher Gilles-Eric Seralini, scientists at the University of Caen in France examined Monsanto’s commercialized maize NK603, an ingredient in many grocery store foods and a product fed to various livestock. With Monsanto and other major corporations profiting enormously from these dangerous foods, corporate media have been silenced regarding the issue.

Sources:

Gilles-Eric Séralinia, Emilie Claira, Robin Mesnagea, Steeve Gressa, Nicolas Defargea,

Manuela Malatestab, Didier Hennequinc, and Joël Spiroux de Vendômoisa,“Long Term Toxicity of a Roundup Herbicide and a Roundup-Tolerant Genetically Modified Maize,” Science Direct, 50 (2012): 4221-4231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2012.08.005

Mike Adams, “Shock Findings in New GMO Study: Rats Fed Lifetime of GM Corn Grow

Horrifying Tumors, 70% of Females Die Early.” Natural News, September 19, 2012, http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_GMO_study_cancer_tumors_organ_damage.html

Student Researcher: Devon Saccomanno, Florida Atlantic University

Faculty Advisor: James Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Pesticides May Lead to Cancer and Autism in Children

Andy Roth — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:21:39 +0000

Pesticides are harmful to the health and intelligence of America’s children, according to an October 2012 report released by the Pesticide Action Network of North America. Titled, “A Generation in Jeopardy,” the study notes how chemicals from pest control products are one key cause of a range of disorders such as ADHD, autism, cancer, disrupted metabolism, and even low IQs.

The report notes that since 1975 childhood cancer has risen 25% while autism is up 78% from 2002. The study shows that organophosphate pesticides block enzymes that control neurotransmitters. As a result, neurons misfire, inhibiting nervous system function and proper brain development.

The Pesticide Action Network of North America is an organization dedicated to replacing “the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives.” While PANNA and others continue to speak up about the dangers of pesticides, corporate media routinely dismisses the issue.

Sources:

Viji Sundaram, “Pesticides Harm Kids Health and Intelligence, Study Finds,” Truth-out.org, October 11, 2012, http://truth-out.org/news/item/12057-pesticides-harm-kids-health-and-intelligence-study-finds

“Mission,” The Pesticide Action Network of North America, last modified February 5, 2013, http://www.panna.org/about/mission

Student Researcher: Joe Raspolich, Florida Atlantic University

Faculty Advisor: James Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Antidepressant Drugs Pose Serious Health Concerns for Unborn Babies

Andy Roth — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:19:57 +0000

The world’s largest drug companies are encouraging pregnant women to take prescription drugs, get vaccine shots, and even have chemotherapy. Among these are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or antidepressants, which are causing miscarriages and a variety of birth defects.

Excessive prescription drug use in pregnant women is also linked to the increase of babies born with autism, preterm birth, newborn behavioral syndrome, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn and longer-term neurobehavioral effects.

Many feel that corporations are strongly pushing a distorted psychiatric view of drugs recommending that essentially everyone, including pregnant women, needs to be medicated in order to be normal. While antidepressants increase all different kinds of risks for pregnant women their dangers have been left largely unexamined. Corporate media downplay these serious risks as drug companies are major advertisers on corporate outlets and stand poised to make substantial profits.

Sources:

Mike Adams, “Antidepressant Drugs are Murdering Babies Before They’re Even Born: SSRIs Cause Birth Defects, Miscarriages and Complications,” Natural News, November 1, 2012. http://www.naturalnews.com/037789_antidepressants_pregnancy_birth_defects.html#ixzz2BIwaEKq8

Stephen Adams, “Thousands of Women at Risk from Antidepressants, Doctors Warn,” The Telegraph, October 25, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9632588/Thousands-of-pregnant-women-at-risk-from-antidepressants-doctors-warn.html

Student Researcher: Paulina Pezzo, Florida Atlantic University

Faculty Advisor: James Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

US Veterans Prescribed Lethal Drugs to Treat PTSD

Andy Roth — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:18:12 +0000

Evidence shows a number of US war veterans were issued a variety of potentially deadly pharmaceuticals to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including the dangerous antipsychotic drug Seroquel. Pleas from the families of deceased veterans finally persuaded the U.S. Central Command to remove the dangerous antipsychotic from the list of military PTSD treatments.

The decision came last March after stories of numerous veterans’ deaths could no longer be suppressed. One such example was former Sergeant Eric Layne who died from consumption of drug cocktails containing Seroquel. After serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom with his wife Janette, Sgt. Layne suffered an agonizing death from antipsychotic drug treatments. Though the decision to remove Seroquel from the list of often-prescribed PTSD medications is a step in the right direction, the potential impact of the drug has recently expanded to consumer markets.

In 2011, ABC News reported that AstraZeneca’s patent for Seroquel expired, allowing for generic versions of the powerful drug to be manufactured and sold throughout the country. Sadly, information about Seroquel and similar drugs is often kept hidden from the public, leaving consumers of generic brands unaware of corporate deceit and veteran deaths.

Sources:

Martha Rosenburg, “Controversial Drug Receives Military Restrictions and FDA Warnings as Its Patent Expires,” TruthOut, June 27, 2012, http://truth-out.org/news/item/9938-controversial-drug-receives-military-restrictions-and-food-and-drug-administration-warnings-as-its-patent-expires

Martha Rosenburg, “Are Veterans Being Given Deadly Cocktails to Treat PTSD?.” Alter Net, May 5, 2010, http://www.alternet.org/story/145892/are_veterans_being_given_deadly_cocktails_to_treat_ptsd

Student Researcher: Gina Onori, Florida Atlantic University

Faculty Advisor: James Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Mass Spraying of West Nile Pesticide Endangers Human Health

Andy Roth — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:16:18 +0000

With the most recent outbreak of the West Nile Virus American citizens are experiencing an increased amount of sickness and 41 deaths have been reported. In an attempt to address the issue the US government has been spraying a pesticide to destroy the infected mosquitoes. However, corporate media have left unexamined the pesticide’s effect on other animals and the human population.

The pesticide called Duet may also be contributing to the spread of the West Nile Virus rather than reducing it. Duet contains highly toxic chemicals such as sumithrin and prallethrin that can damage the human immune system including and cause organ failure and cancer.

In addition, there is no research to support the claim that Duet chemical is effective in battling the West Nile Virus. Officials maintain the chemicals are harmless and essential though they insist that residents stay indoors during sprayings.

Sources:

Ethan A. Huff, “Cities, Counties Nationwide Begin Mass Aerial Sprayings of Toxic ‘Anti-West Nile Virus’ Pesticides,” Natural News, August 20, 2012, http://www.naturalnews.com/036877_aerial_spraying_West_Nile_virus_chemicals.html

Student Researcher: Sarah Nance, Florida Atlantic University

Faculty Advisor: James Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Corporate Campaign to Stop California’s Proposition 37

Andy Roth — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:13:59 +0000

In order to stop Proposition 37 from passing, a group of the world’s six largest corporations including Monsanto and Dupont created the “No” campaign. Reports show that a number of corporate employees impersonated the FDA to misinform voters on GM foods, a stunt that is considered a felony and could cost those involved jail time.

Proposition 37 was created to impose mandatory labeling of all genetically modified (GM) foods sold within the state of California. The proposition was narrowly defeated at the polls in November and the stakes were considerable both for consumer advocate groups and the corporations profiting from GM foods.

Symptoms from consumption of GM food include allergies, inability to reproduce, inflammatory problems, cancer and many other health problems. However, that same food contributes to corporate coffers by creating foods impervious to bugs and pesticides.

Sources:

Jim Hightower,“Big Food Behemoths Embarrass Their Organic Offshoots, ” Truthout, October 10, 2012, http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/12025-big-food-behemoths-embarrass-their-organic-offshoots

Joseph Mercola,“ ‘Expert’ Detractors on California Prop 37 are Shills for Big Biotech, ” Mercola, October 30, 2012, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/30/prop-37-detractors.aspx

Zack Kaldveer,“Prop 37 and Corporate Lies in the Post Truth Era,” Truthout, November 5, 2012, http://truth-out.org/news/item/12531-prop-37-and-corporate-lies-in-the-post-truth-era

Student Researcher: Clair Masters, Florida Atlantic University

Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts: