Articles by David Roberts
David Roberts was a staff writer for Grist. You can follow him on Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing.
All Articles
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‘Eco-terrorism’: A radio discussion
Your Call Radio hosted a discussion on "eco-terrorism" involving John Sellars of the Ruckus Society, Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Judith Lewis of L.A. Weekly.
It's really, really good -- an uncommonly hysteria-free discussion of the subject. You can listen to it here.
The SPLC, which has tracked far-right extremist groups for a long time, recently starting tracking "eco-terror" groups (some material here and here). Mark Potok makes no excuses for their behavior, but he makes it very clear that they are nowhere near the "top domestic threat." And Lewis makes some fantastic points, many of which I have made myself in my obsessive blogging on the subject, and provides some interesting historical context.
Recommended.
(via Judith herself!)
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Some predictions
I can't say I'm expecting much of substance from Bush's speech tonight. Is anybody?
I am, however, expecting some soaring rhetoric and empty promises. Let's talk about those.
One issue that Republicans very much want to control is energy independence, which is looming larger and larger in the public mind. They need to preemptively frame it to their advantage. With that in mind -- and a few oblique hints from the interview -- I'm hazarding a prediction: Tonight, Bush will unveil a splashy energy program.
It will have one of his patented Orwellian names: The Energy Strength and Independence Small Farmer 9/11 Protect American Children Act, now with Extra Freedom™!
It will have three parts:
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The joke makes itself
Two Fox News employees have filed a lawsuit claiming they were sickened by air contaminated with toxic molds and pesticides while working in the building where "The O'Reilly Factor" and "At Large with Geraldo Rivera" are produced.
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DeRosairo, a control booth graphics technician, and Clarke, a makeup artist, said they were made ill while working within the broadcasting complex that produces shows that also include "Hannity and Colmes" and "Dayside."
