This Day in History

World War II's Yalta Conference; O.J. Simpson found
liable for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend; Patty Hearst
kidnapped; the Massachusetts gay marriage ruling; aviator Charles
Lindbergh born.

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Breakfast News

Almost 2,500 Now Killed by Covert US Drone Strikes Since Obama Inauguration Six Years Ago

At least 2,464 people have now been killed by US
drone strikes outside the country's declared war zones since President
Barack Obama's inauguration six years ago, the Bureau's latest monthly
report reveals.

Of the total killed since Obama took his oath of office on January 20
2009, at least 314 have been civilians, while the number of confirmed
strikes under his administration now stands at 456.

Research by the Bureau also shows there have now been nearly nine
times more strikes under Obama in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia than
there were under his predecessor, George W Bush.

And the covert Obama strikes, the first of which hit Pakistan just three days after his inauguration, have killed almost six times more people and twice as many civilians than those ordered in the Bush years, the data shows.

Final EPA Review Makes It Clear: 'Keystone a Climate Disaster'

In a letter to the State Department released
Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the Keystone XL
pipeline would "significantly increase" greenhouse gas emissions from
tar sands-a declaration environmentalists hope will serve as a final
nail in the project's coffin.

"The EPA's assessment is spot-on," said Danielle Droitsch, Canada
project director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "There should
be no more doubt that President Obama must reject the proposed pipeline
once and for all. If built, it would transport Canadian tar sands
oil-the dirtiest fuel on the planet-through America's heartland, only to
be refined and then shipped abroad. The pipeline would threaten our
waters, our lands and turbo-charge climate pollution. It's absolutely
not in our national interest."

In the letter (pdf), EPA said the recent drop in oil prices means that building
Keystone XL would promote further expansion of Canadian tar sands,
unleashing more greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating climate
change.

As California Water Resources Dwindle, New Fears Over Drilling Waste Contamination

With the blessing of California state regulators,
drilling companies have injected an untold amount of toxic wastewater
left over from fracking and other drilling operations into aquifers,
according to an investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle published
on Sunday.

In October, it was confirmed that nearly 3 billion gallons of oil
industry wastewater had been illegally dumped in aquifers through at
least nine disposal wells. According to data reviewed by The Chronicle,
it is now evident that more than 170 such wells injected a mix of
"briny water, hydrocarbons and trace chemicals," including acid, into
aquifers suitable for drinking and irrigation.

This information about the extent of the aquifer contamination
comes as the state's historic drought continues to push many desperate
municipalities to tap groundwater reserves for drinking water and
agricultural irrigation.

College Completion Gap Between Rich and Poor Has Doubled: Study

The college completion gap between rich and poor
students has doubled over the past four decades, according to a new
report published Tuesday.

Only 9 percent of students from the lowest-income families currently
earn bachelor's degrees by age 24, in contrast to the 77 percent of
students from the wealthiest families. While the number of wealthy
students obtaining bachelor's degrees has nearly doubled since 1970,
when it stood at 44 percent, it has inched only three percentage points
for low-income students-up from 6 percent-in forty years, according to
the report, Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States (pdf).

Moreover, the study found that the enrollment gap between rich
and poor students has narrowed across the board-indicating that more
low-income students are entering college, but far fewer are able to
finish.

FCC Poised to Protect Local Internet Alternatives Over Service Giants

In what could be a major victory for public
alternatives to internet service giants , the Federal Communications
Commission introduced a draft proposal to kill municipal broadband
limits in two states this week.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposal on February 26,
the same day they are likely to vote on net neutrality regulations. The
draft was introduced by FCC chairman Tom Wheeler.

If passed, the policy will preempt state laws that limit the
extent to which cities can buy and operate internet service-laws which
are reportedly preventing alternative, publicly-owned broadband
providers from competing with major ISP companies like Comcast and
Verizon. Local broadband operators petitioned the FCC to intervene on
their behalf.

Canada 'Can't Hide' From Climate Impacts of Energy East Pipeline, Groups Say

More than 100,000 messages from people across
Canada were hand-delivered on Monday to the National Energy Board's
office in Calgary demanding climate impacts be considered in the
agency's review of the proposed Energy East tar sands pipeline.

The largest petition ever delivered to the NEB-organized by
environmental and civil society groups including 350.org, Leadnow.ca,
the Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, and Avaaz-calls on NEB head Peter
Watson to "either include climate impacts and community voices in his
review, or lose all credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of the
Canadian people."

The Energy East pipeline would transport 1.1 million barrels per
day of toxic tar sands oil from Alberta to the Atlantic Ocean,
traversing at least 90 watersheds and 961 waterways between Alberta and
New Brunswick-including some protected by Indigenous treaty rights.

From scavenging seaweed to swearing, Rhode Island plans to ditch archaic laws

Rhode Island's gardeners, boxers and shameless swearers beware: you could be breaking the law and not even know it.

A law restricting the amount of seaweed Barrington residents can take
from the public beach to use as fertiliser has been on the books for
nearly 200 years. Since at least 1798 it's been illegal to arrange to
meet another person and engage in a fight - a deed punishable by jail
time of up to 10 years.

And drivers who pass another vehicle on the left are still
supposed to give a "timely, audible signal" - an easing of the original
1916 law specifying that a bell or horn should be used.

A Rhode Island lawmaker wants to repeal these outdated laws and
many others - a process that would happen every year if his proposal is
passed.

Freedom is not washing your hands? US senator picks bad day for health joke

If ever there was a good time to crack a joke
about dismantling the basic public health infrastructure of the United
States, it was not this week, with top Republicans on Capitol Hill
questioning the fundamental science of vaccines.

But newly minted Republican senator Thom Tillis jumped in anyway,
bragging at a public forum about a shining point he had made in a debate
about regulations on business. As the video that started to go viral on
Tuesday made all too clear, his not-too-serious idea involved employees
who might not wash their hands.

Tillis opposes regulations on business. To illustrate how much he
opposes them, he took up an example that, on a day when the speaker of
the House had to clarify that he supports vaccinations, could be seen as
unfortunate.

The senator said he would gladly abolish rules requiring food
service employees to wash their hands after using the toilet, so long as
businesses had to post a sign notifying the public.

Must Read Blog Posts

Blind Partisanship: Why US Peace Movement is So Small David Swanson, MyFDL

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U.S. Says Details of Aid to Afghan Army Now a Secret, from Americans at Least Peter Van Buren, FDL

"People could die and that's OK": Why the right's free-market health philosophy is ludicrous Heather Digby Parton, Salon

Rand Paul needs to be shushed: Why the confrontational brat is not ready for prime time Joan Walsh, Salon

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Obama Budget 'Partisan-Gridlock' Fake-Out! libbyliberal, Corrente

NYPD Commissioner: Because Terrorism And Protests Are Roughly The Same Thing, A New Special Unit Will Handle Both Tim Cushing, Techdirt

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