A report released last week – ‘Trading Away Democracy’ by Corporate Europe Observatory and others – looks at the experience of Canada. This is particularly relevant because, unlike Britain, Canada has actually shared such a system with the US for the last 20 years, under NAFTA (the North America Free Trade Agreement).

The report finds that, far from having nothing to worry about, Canada has faced 35 claims worth billions of dollars as a result of cases being brought by US transnationals. It’s already lost over $175million, but this could be the tip of the iceberg, as companies are suing Canada for such crimes as revoking drilling permits, subsidising renewable energy, placing a moratorium on fracking, questioning pharmaceutical patents, banning toxic additives in petrol and placing a temporary ban on the export of toxic waste. These cases cost Canada a small fortune just to fight, are held in secret, and give no right to appeal.

http://newint.org/blog/2014/11/26/ttip-transnational-suing/#sthash.V8w62bbY.gbpl

Republican lawmakers in Ohio are rushing through the most extreme secrecy bill yet attempted by a death penalty state, which would withhold information on every aspect of the execution process from the public, media and even the courts.

Legislators are trying to force through the bill, HB 663, in time for the state’s next scheduled execution, on 11 February. Were the bill on the books by then, nothing about the planned judicial killing of convicted child murderer Ronald Phillips – from the source of the drugs used to kill him and the distribution companies that transport the chemicals, to the identities of the medical experts involved in the death chamber – would be open to public scrutiny of any sort.

Unlike other death penalty states that have shrouded procedures in secrecy, the Ohio bill seeks to bar even the courts from access to essential information. Attorneys representing death-row inmates, for instance, would no longer be able to request disclosure under court protection of the identity and qualifications of medical experts who advised the state on their techniques.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/29/ohio-republicans-law-details-executions-secret#comment-44343225

(Apologies if previously posted, I didn't find it when I searched for this)

American arms company, Lockheed Martin, is targeting huge chunks of our NHS! If successful, the world's biggest weapons manufacturer could be in your GP's office, handling your records and scheduling your appointments.
Lockheed Martin isn’t content with raking in billions from selling weapons to countries right around the world -- now it wants a slice of our National Health Service.
Right now, it’s sniffing around a huge £1 billion contract to supply services to our GPs and family doctors. But the NHS hasn’t decided yet who will make it through the bidding process, so we’ve still got a chance to stop this arms company from profiting from the healthcare our families receive. But we don’t have long to make our voices heard.
Tell the government & NHS England to stop Lockheed Martin from bidding on the NHS contract. Gun-runners don't belong in the NHS!
The NHS has been delivering these services to GPs for decades, but the NHS has been banned from meetings about its own future and isn't even allowed to bid. The contract is also rumoured to be worth way more than the current cost of running these NHS services.
If this were really about saving the government money, bidding would be open to organisations that have already proven they can do the job. What's really happening is another step in selling off the NHS to the highest bidder.
The SumOfUs community has already fought back against the corporate vultures trying to put their profits before the needs of patients. Together, over 250,000 of us demanded that NHS England stop the sale of our medical records.
We’ve proven that we can challenge the corporate takeover of our NHS and now we need to step up and do so again.
Sign the petition to stop the government & NHS England from giving £1 billion to Lockheed Martin and giving arms dealers control of the NHS.
Thanks for all that you do,
Martin and the team at SumOfUs

Happening NOW: An Occupy group in Madison, Wisconsin just cut the ribbon to open a new community of tiny houses for the homeless. The community includes 9 tiny homes, a resource center, and a gardening space. No one should have to be homeless in the world's richest country. Pass this along if your city should follow Occupy Madison's inspiring example! Like our page US Uncut!

OM Build was only made possible by dedicated volunteers and generous donors from around the country. If you want to learn more and possibly contribute, please visit Occupy Madison's website: http://occupymadisoninc.com/

Story: http://bit.ly/1uxT25m
Photo: Architect Ed Kuharski

when he has said yes before. Good brief q&a session.

UKIP is very similar to our far right.

During a speech yesterday, Ed Miliband accused UKIP leader Nigel Farage of saying “working mothers aren’t worth as much as men”.
And so Farage decided to defend his record by being interviewed by Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman.

“A woman who has a client base, has a child, and takes two or three years off, is worth far less to her employer,” Farage said.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/sirajdatoo/farage-asked-if-women-are-worth-less-than-men

“All anyone wants is to be happy and to be fulfilled,” he added. “And it’s genuinely sad that [GamerGaters] (and, of course you could insert GOP, TeaParty, Rightwing tools here) feel so unfulfilled that they feel the drive to push their lack of fulfillment outwards. Right? ‘I want to deny things to you — because I feel denied.’ That’s terrible. The moment you’re trying to hurt other people, whether with words or physical violence — there’s something deeply wrong with you.”

i](and, of course you could insert GOP, TeaParty, Rightwing tools here) and emphasis added by me, but oh so applicable.