ROBERT NAIMAN, naiman at justforeignpolicy.org, www.justforeignpolicy.org Robert Naiman is policy director of Just Foreign Policy. The group organized and delivered this appeal signed by prominent Americans urging Ecuador to accept Julian Assange’s asylum request in late June. Naiman said today: “As Americans who appealed to Ecuador to grant Julian Assange’s request for political asylum from…

At a meeting with Congressional leaders on September 18, 2008, then Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke famously broke the news to leaders of Congress that they would have to approve a giant bank bailout to avert a meltdown of the financial system. Since last weekend, reports have circulated that Congressman…

LEE SHEPPARD, via Wendy Harris, Wendy_Harris at tax.org Available for a limited number of interviews, Sheppard is a contributing editor at Tax Analysts, an influential provider of tax news and analysis. She just published Your Mitt Romney Tax Issues Cheat Sheet. Sheppard said: “It is often said that the rich get rich and stay rich…

VIRGINIA RENO, vreno at nasi.org, www.nasi.org Reno is vice president for income security policy for the National Academy of Social Insurance. Today they released the video Social Security: Just the Facts: HEIDI HARTMANN, via Caroline Dobuzinskis, dobuzinskis at iwpr.org, www.iwpr.org Dr. Hartmann is president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. She said today: “Social…

Nine Nobel Peace Laureates issued an open letter to the Chairman of NBC Entertainment, as well as General Wesley Clark and others involved in the new “reality” show that premiered on NBC last night — “Stars Earn Stripes” — calling on them to walk away from the show immediately. In the letter, the Laureates –…

WILLIAM HARTUNG, whartung at ciponline.org, www.ciponline.org William Hartung is a fellow at the Center for International Policy. He said today: “Over the next decade, Paul Ryan’s budget plan would throw hundred of billions of dollars at the Pentagon beyond what the department is even asking for. While posing as a budget cutter who makes the…

ROBERT KRAIG, robert.kraig at citizenactionwi.org, www.citizenactionwi.org Kraig is executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. He said today: “Paul Ryan is a smooth politician, but beneath the optimistic rhetoric, genial demeanor, and wonky reputation, the substance of his budget proposals would have devastating consequences for the freedom to have a fair shot at the American…

KnoxNews.com is reporting: “A federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment against three Y-12 protesters, consolidating the previous charges lodged against them and adding another felony count of ‘depredation’ of government property, involving cutting, painting and defacing that resulted in damages exceeding $1,000. The new charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in…

The journal Nature just released a study titled “Demand for Water Outstrips Supply.” WENONAH HAUTER, Kate Fried, kfried at fwwatch.org Executive director of Food & Water Watch, Hauter said today: “Nothing shows the dangerous connection between drought and fracking more than the study released by the journal Nature this week, which shows groundwater demand is…

AP reports: “Investigators were looking at how a small, seemingly insignificant leak at one of the country’s biggest oil refineries quickly unraveled into an intense fire that sent acrid black smoke into the sky and hundreds of people to hospitals with health complaints. “This latest disruption at Chevron’s refinery in this city about 10 miles…