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March 7, 2007 - When we consider pollution associated with burning coal for electricity, we typically think about the gases and particulate matter that go up the smokestacks and into the air we breathe. And it's true that air pollution from burning fossil fuels is an enormous problem for the United States, with the process emitting about 17 million tons of pollutants annually, according to federal data.

March 6, 2007 - A payday lender trade group launches a $10 million PR campaign to rehabilitate their image. In their TV commercials, they say "Please borrow only what you feel comfortable paying back when it's due."

March 5, 2007 - Humans have no more than a decade left to act before the ongoing loss of Louisiana's coastline becomes irreversible.

March 5, 2007 - Most of the controversy from last week's Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference has centered around Ann Coulter calling John Edwards a "faggot" (although many news accounts failed to mention it -- I guess gay-bashing isn't news?).

March 2, 2007 - The Academy Awards have come and gone, pulling in over 40 million viewers and proceeding without any noticeable glitches or controversy. As Robert Nathan and Jo-Ann Mort recently wrote in The Nation, it also passed without any films that made a strong political statement.

March 2, 2007 - As we show in our new report, A New Agenda for the Gulf (pdf), the single biggest issue holding back the post-Katrina recovery is lack of bold leadership in Washington. Given the scope of the problem, only thoughtful and effective action by Congress and the White House can turn things around.

March 2, 2007 - President Bush is touring the Gulf Coast and media coverage of his visit and the 18-month anniversary of Katrina has been generally done a good job at revealing the ongoing problems in the region. For example, a piece by Reuters yesterday contrasts Bush's sense of "hope" with the realities on the ground: