The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a quasi-governmental agency in charge of coast land use. The CCC placed restrictions on the Navy's ability to conduct sonar test off the coast of San Diego. These restrictions were meant to protect marine mammals thought to be harmed by sonar and to comply with requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The U.S. 9th Circuit ruled with the CCC and placed an injunction against sonar use by the Navy.
Today's LA times (link) is reporting that Bush has over-ruled the court decision.
Darksyde announced this yesterday, but it seems worth some additional attention. There is a brewing movement for a presidential science debate. You can support the call at this website: Sciencedebate2008
Science Debate 2008 is a grassroots initiative spearheaded by a growing number of scientists and other concerned citizens. The signatories to our "Call for a Presidential Debate on Science & Technology" include Nobel laureates and other leading scientists, presidents of universities, congresspersons of both major political parties, business leaders, religious leaders, former presidential science advisors, the editors of America's major science journals, writers, and the current and several past presidents of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among many others.
I would like to point you to an interesting read. The Stranger, a free Seattle weekly paper, has a feature up with the colorful title Hillary Clinton Has a Vagina and So Do I.
Erica Bartlett is not happy about the assumption that she should support the woman in the race just because she is a woman.
As a progressive, a feminist, and a chick, my support for Clinton is presumed. After all, I have a vagina. So does she.
Clinton has released a new agenda to address the work/family imbalance. As always, Alegre covered it first here.
As for why it is so important, Broadsheet nailed it, using a quote from Obama no less:
A family work/balance agenda could be becoming, dare I say, a must-have. As Obama pointed out in a 2005 speech, "The other side ... make[s] sure that in any given campaign or debate, the only woman's issue that ever comes up is not equal pay or health care or family leave, but the narrowest, most divisive issues like late-term abortion." Perhaps no longer?
Here is a link to the speech that the Obama quote was taken from.
On March 28, the National Organization for Women (NOW) endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. From the statement of NOW PAC Chair Kim Gandy:
http://www.now.org/...
[Senator Clinton] has a long history of support for women's empowerment, and her public record is a testimony to her leadership on issues important to women in the U.S. and around the globe. She has eloquently articulated the need for full economic, political and social equality for women in every institution of society, taking action throughout her career — as a lawyer, community leader, First Lady, Senator and candidate for the presidency — to advance the civil and human rights of women and girls.
The American Prospect has just put out an entire issue about family/work balance. http://www.prospect.org/...
This is an issue that effects me very directly. I am a member of a dual career marriage, we are both at the start of our careers in science. We both have a tremendous amount already invested, and ambitions for successful careers. We also hope to have our first children in the next few years.
The prospect of balancing these goals is terrifying. Specifically, I am terrified that I will fail in my career not because I lack talent or a work ethic, but because I lack the support to do it all. My husband is terrific, I am confident I will get the support I need from him. But, I fear this will not be enough, the system is simply not designed for dual-career families.
The California Coastal Commision (CCC) is suing the U.S. Navy, pitting states rights against national security interests. The Navy contends that it is exempt from state environmental laws because it is pursuing the higher priority of national security. The CCC says: not so fast.
The California Coastal Commission today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Navy for rejecting its recommendations for additional safeguards to protect whales and other marine mammals from high-power sonar used by ships in training exercises planned for Southern California waters.
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The issue has surfaced because of increasing scientific evidence linking the powerful sonar to panicked behavior and even mass die-offs of whales and dolphins in the Bahamas, the Canary Islands and elsewhere after naval exercises.
There is a new HillCast up on her campaign site discussing the Walter Reed scandal in the context of veteran's rights. The video is longish, about 5.5 minutes.
