The New York Times reports: “More than two dozen residents of Michigan filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against top officials in the state, contending that a new law broadly expanding the powers of emergency managers in the most financially troubled cities violates Michigan’s Constitution. The lawsuit, filed in Ingham County Circuit Court, contends that the…

AP IMPACT began running a series of investigations into the safety of nuclear energy this week. The first part was titled “U.S. nuke regulators weaken safety rules” and stated: “Federal regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to keep the nation’s aging reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards,…

The New York Times reports in a piece titled “Obama to Announce Plans for Afghan Surge Pullout” that: “Even after all 30,000 troops are withdrawn, roughly 68,000 troops will remain in Afghanistan, twice the number as when Mr. Obama assumed office.” GARETH PORTER, porter.gareth50 at gmail.com Porter is an investigative journalist and historian specializing in…

CBS reports: “In one of the most closely-watched cases of the Supreme Court’s current term, the justices have delivered a huge victory to businesses trying to fend off costly class action lawsuit filed by employees. It says lower courts were wrong to certify a class action in a case brought by a handful of women…

MICHAEL RATNER, mratner at michaelratner.com Ratner is president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which just released a statement saying: “The Center for Constitutional Rights is deeply dismayed at the Obama administration’s claim that it can continue military attacks on Libya without Congressional approval as constitutionally required and in violation of the War Powers Resolution.…

MARK WEISBROT, weisbrot at cepr.net, also via Alan Barber, barber at cepr.net Co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Weisbrot wrote a column in The Guardian on Friday titled “Greece: Bond Slave to Europe,” which states that debt renegotiation “is going to happen even under the European authorities, but first, they are putting…

The Wall Street Journal reports today: “AARP, the powerful lobbying group for older Americans, is dropping its longstanding opposition to cutting Social Security benefits, a move that could rock Washington’s debate over how to revamp the nation’s entitlement programs.” DOUG HENWOOD, dhenwood at panix.com Editor of Left Business Observer, Henwood said today: “The news that…

CHIP WARD, wardchip at hotmail.com Ward writes regularly for TomDistpatch.com and is the author of Canaries on the Rim: Living Downwind in the West and Hope’s Horizon: Three Visions for Healing the American Land. He just wrote the article “How the West Was Lost: The American West in Flames” in which he examines the recent forest…

CNN reports: “A bipartisan group of House members [lead by Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Walter Jones (R-NC)] will file a lawsuit Wednesday challenging U.S. participation in the Libya military mission. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is set to defend U.S. military involvement in Libya to Congress, according to the White House. … House Speaker John…

Obama is visiting Puerto Rico today. ADRIANA MULERO CLAUDIO, la.luna.de.firmin at gmail.com SCOTT BARBES CAMINERO,  sbarbes at gmail.com Mulero is a student activist who was suspended for political activity several months ago. She states that though there are some rights for people in Puerto Rico, real freedom is limited in large part because it is…