Thom Hartmann on The News 4/13/12 News

tom harkin here on the news you need to know this public airwaves are about to get inundated by corporate political hat answer court of appeals struck down an f_c_c_ ban on political advertising on public t_v_ and radio stations arguing that the ban violates the first amendment regionally ban was imposed to protect the educational nature of public broadcasting stations keeping the airways free from advertising for goods and services and issue advocacy but is judge carlos bailer wrote in his ruling public issue and political speech in particular are at the very core of the first amendments protection this is a sense the same reasoning at the supreme court the united states supreme court used to give corporations unlimited power to spend as much money as they want in our elections scenarios then p_r_ expect a wave of corporate ads pushing to reveal feel obama care expand frackie nc and cut down on wall street regulations public airways are about to become call rosa litter box this could also mean the death of investigative journalism as more more public media outlets become beholden corporate sponsors and decide not to bite the hand that feeds them public t_v_ and radio airwaves just the latest portion of our comments to be hijacked by corporations that are solely interested in boosting their profits rather than providing for the common good small businesses are screwed giant transnational corporate tax dodgers are costing small businesses thousands of dollars ballet twenty six major american corporations use tax loopholes avoid pain any federal taxes over the last four years roughly sixty billion dollars in revenues lost every single year thanks to corporations session cash in offshore bank accounts begets where money has to be recouped from working people in small businesses according to a new report by the u_s_ burger but published research group corporates cmm tax dodgers cause every small business more than two thousand dollars each year is that the report says instead of competing on a level playing field small businesses and those with out offshore tax havens has picked up the extra tab and compete against the artificially lower costs of multinational companies using tax havens you can see the effect of this unfair competition in main street across america responders assistive shuttered and massive corporate chains of set up shop giants are even our town does the reston is the national rifle association is meeting today in saint louis its annual conference this year's gather in a gun supporters takes place amid national outrage over the shoot first laws increased violence all across our nation and gave legal cover at people like george sermon n_r_a_ will help a wal-mart of the american legislative exchange council or alec was instrumental in getting shoot first laws passed in twenty five states since america uh... across america since two dozen five nearly tripling the rate of so-called justifiable homicide's in the state of florida law but despite the backlash against the n_r_a_ mit romney will be on hand at this year's conference to appeal to an important republican constituency gun owners expect a lot a lot is about how president obama's try to take away ever wants guns despite the fact that gun rights of actually expanded considerably under president obama's watch republicans lol of big government building up laws in florida and other states to force welfare recipients to submit a drug testing republicans and i all i got a step further iowa state senator mark shell grammy introduce legislation to require people who receive child support payments to be drug tested too children said he's introducing legislation on behalf of that are not a miss constituent who believes their ax is using child support money for drugs once again republicans hate the idea big government when it comes to keeping pollution levels down making sure our food is safe or providing seniors of health care but they just wall big government comes to analyzing the body fluids of poor people you're a first for jean wildfire season even though the wildfire season doesn't officially start until late spring as many as twenty states are already battle freak unseasonably wildfires in the last week cease-fires come on the heels the hottest march in american history err coupled with droughts and high winds weather channel meteorologist mikes side lsat environment america is a perfect recipe for pop for fire yet more evidence of a planet turning up on us as well behrens continue coating the skies of dangerous fossil fuel now america's wars abroad pakistan spelling united states to stop with the drone strikes on thursday pakistan's parliament unanimously approved a series of measures related to the united states military involvement in that area including in any new and to drones strikes in the country late last year inherent u_s_ drone strike in pakistan killed twenty four pakistanis soldiers it's our diplomatic relations with the so-called ally in the so-called war on terror at strike prompted the pakistani government a close u_s_ supply routes into afghanistan as when you thought the never ending war on terror couldn't get any messier it just did and rare troops home and the senseless feared return crusade against so-called terrorism around the world vermont nearly lost their governor interview with the valley news editorial board for not from our government peter shaman said he was chased by forebears outside as brent did not kill your home on wednesday night a game within three feet of bean i heard donor shuttle is currently driving his state the first without the single-payer statewide health care system so someone better check out those bears and see if they're out of the employment of blue cross blue shield of united healthcare and that's the way it is today friday april thirteenth twenty twelve i'm tom harkin