I live blogged from G20 protest today. Here are the pics and stories...

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Thursday September 24, 2009 · 3:04 PM PDT

2009/09/24 · 15:04

So Brandon and I headed from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh last night to live blog the G20 protests today. We were armed with video iPhones, flip cams, digital SLRs, and an HD HVX camera. Since Web 3.0 is still pretty experimental for everyone, we didn't know how much success we'd have. So we got to Arsenal Park at 9am and began our coverage using Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook. Before we knew it, magazines in Europe were emailing us asking permission to use our pics and our blog posts. http://tinyurl.com/...

minorityfilms

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Monday August 24, 2009 · 9:21 AM PDT

2009/08/24 · 09:21

My friends and associates at the old American News Project (now Huffington Post Investigative Fund) sent me this story last night. It's absolutely mind-blowing. One of the nation's most widely-used herbicides has been found to exceed federal safety limits in drinking water in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kansas. But water customers have not been told and the Environmental Protection Agency has not published the results.

minorityfilms

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Monday July 13, 2009 · 6:58 AM PDT

2009/07/13 · 06:58

Now UPDATED with video of my experience with the Federal Reserve police below.

So, back in November, I was working at The American News Project and trying to pitch an investigative news piece on The Federal Reserve and HR 1207 (legislation for the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve). I couldn't seem to convince my superiors of two things: 1) that this piece wasn't just showing the fringe (conspiratorial?) sides of both parties and 2) that I could do the piece in video format in less than 8 minutes. With all the (spooky?) information behind the Federal Reserve, it seemed impossible to fit it into such a short time frame.

Ron Paul was heading the effort and I spoke with his office, and his bill was receiving a large bi-partisan support. I interviewed Dennis Kucinich and he lauded Paul's bill. (Snippets of his interview included below.) Well, shortly after this, The American News Project started to dissolve and become the Huffington Post Investigative Fund. The crew was re-organized and I moved to a different job here in DC. I thought the piece would never see the light of day.

minorityfilms

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Friday July 10, 2009 · 8:54 AM PDT

2009/07/10 · 08:54

Ron Paul was heading the effort and I spoke with his office, but his bill was receiving a large bi-partisan support. I interviewed Dennis Kucinich and he lauded Paul's bill. (Snippets of his interview included below.) Well, shortly after this, The American News Project started to dissolve and become the Huffington Post Investigative Fund. The crew was re-organized and I moved to a different job here in DC. I thought the piece would never see the light of day.

minorityfilms

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Tuesday March 31, 2009 · 8:16 AM PDT

2009/03/31 · 08:16

The documentary opens with former Surgeon General Richard Carmona giving a speech:

"I was at a press conference after 9/11 and everyone was talking about WMD and terrorists and chemical warfare. One reporter asked me, 'What is the most pressing thing threatening the country today?' and I said, 'Obesity.' Because obesity is the terror within."

"And if we don't do something about it, it will dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist event you can point out to me."

2 years ago, I was approached by a doctor who had spent 10 years studying obesity. He had seen my first documentary film and decided that he'd ask me to make one on the obesity epidemic. I said, "Uh, didn't Super Size Me basically cover everything?" He said, "There's a lot more. A lot. Plus, nothing's changed since Spurlock's film came out. It's gotten worse." So, I spent the next 6 months reading books, research, and conducting interviews.

My mind was blown.

So I started production on a documentary called "Killer at Large".

minorityfilms

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Monday February 23, 2009 · 8:28 AM PST

2009/02/23 · 08:28

Anyways, with all the news focused on Chimpanzees and the Economy lately, I felt like this is a story that went under the radar. And deserves to be seen to inform the public.

So, I've been tracking the wheelings and dealings of food and beverage lobbyists for 2 years now. I worked on a documentary about the obesity epidemic and learned statistics that blew my mind. For example, when offered "fast food" items at school lunch, teenagers consume an average of 1350 calories. Or that french fries and ketchup make up 46% of the "fruits and vegetables" teenagers consume each year.

I read Marion Nestle's "Food Politics", Ann Cooper's "Lunch Lessons", and Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" back-to-back, which further blew my mind.

So, when I learned that 2009 was the year Congress and the USDA would be renewing the National School Lunch Program, I decided that I would pay close attention to who the movers and shakers would be.

This lead me to a Jan 28 meeting at the Institute of Medicine. A team of scientists had been gathered to come up with revisions and updates to the vastly outdated lunch program. But when I went to the meeting, I looked at the name tags of those in the room and realized that science was in the minority...

minorityfilms

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Friday February 20, 2009 · 10:14 AM PST

2009/02/20 · 10:14

So, every 5 years the USDA and Congress have to reauthorize The National School Lunch Program, which feeds over 30 million students each year.

They have a chance to update and revise nutrition standards in order to address rising health issues with America's children.

But since the food and beverage lobbyists have long had a strong hold on politician in Washington, some nutrition standards haven't been updated for DECADES!

So, now in 2009, with childhood obesity on the rise, the USDA decided to delegate the school lunch revisions to the Institute of Medicine (IOM)for a "more science-based" approach.

The IOM held a "scientific discussion" on Jan 28th to analyze how to tackle this crucial element in the health of our kids.

But I went there to look at who was REALLY in that room.

minorityfilms

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Wednesday January 14, 2009 · 9:49 AM PST

2009/01/14 · 09:49

(VIDEO REPORT AT BOTTOM)

ANP has put together an in-depth investigation into just how much influence the Mormon Church had in passing Proposition 8.

When Prop 8 won by a razor thin margin, protesters saw Mormon donations as the deciding factor. And now, two contradictory stories have emerged:

The Mormon Church reported that they only contributed just over $2000 to the "Yes on 8" campaign. But beyond that amount, Mormon leaders clearly stated that they "did not contribute money".

But others claim that the church lied about its financial contributions, accusing them of bankrolling upwards of 70%, or $30 million, of the Prop 8 funds.

They cite an agressive door-to-door campaign, print and television ads, websites and internet videos as evidence of massive spending.

minorityfilms

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Tuesday November 11, 2008 · 10:38 AM PST

2008/11/11 · 10:38

Exactly one week ago, America experienced something truly special. And that night, I captured flowing tears of joy on camera.

I was in West Palm Beach, Florida covering election day and I followed Faye Bailey, an African American, to the polls at 5:00am in the morning.

You can watch that piece here:

http://newsproject.org/...

That night, I went to her house and filmed her and her friends and family watching the election night results come in.

During the course of the evening, they sat as a group and discussed the role Obama's run for President has had in generating new conversations on race relations in America.

Two of them said that, for the first time in their lives, they had experienced being called a "ni&&er". They said that they believed Obama's run had surfaced some buried pockets of racism in the country. Others said that they felt Obama was the beginning of racial "healing" in the country, claiming "the good old boy system" was now dead.

minorityfilms

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Wednesday November 05, 2008 · 10:14 AM PST

2008/11/05 · 10:14

Yesterday, the production team from the American News Project covered Election Day from all the over the nation.

We are not a large, corporate owned news agency. We do much of everything by ourselves and with minimal funds.

It's been amazing sharing our efforts with Daily Kos over the past weeks. Kossacks are some of the most thoughtful, humorous, and patriotic folks I've communicated with.

Our team at ANP did an amazing job yesterday covering the historical moment of Barack Obama's election on a shoestring budget and with little to no time. (We don't have gigantic, magic CNN maps)

I stayed up for 24 hours straight filming 2 stories in West Palm Beach, FL. I followed one woman from the moment she woke up at 5am until the moment she found out Barack Obama has been elected president. Part one of that story is below.

Please take this time to watch our reports:

minorityfilms

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Tuesday November 04, 2008 · 3:54 PM PST

2008/11/04 · 15:54

I posted this report this afternoon. I'm sorry I don't have much time to expound. I have to run and cover an Obama "victory" party in West Palm Beach at the house of the lady in this video.

She woke up at 5am to head to the polls. Afterwards, she was totally stoked.

Watch happy Obama supporters casting their ballots amid little-to-no big voting problems in Florida.

I was actually surprised this year. I was expecting a voting melt-down here in Florida. It didn't happen.

Yet.

P.S. Watch Mr. Jefferson, an old black man waiting in line, who claims Thomas Jefferson is his great, great, great grandfather.

minorityfilms

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Monday November 03, 2008 · 12:04 PM PST

2008/11/03 · 12:04

With all eyes on battleground states over the next 24 hours, not much attention is being paid to the "safe" red states.

Utah, a strong Republican enclave for 44 years has seen an unprecedented rise of Democrats statewide and a surging support for Barack Obama.

In the reddest state of the nation, Obama has out-risen McCain in campaign funds. Obama has gained 8 points in the polls and McCain slipped 7 over the last 2 months. And the number of Democrats in Utah County has DOUBLED since 2004.

But in an even WEIRDER twist, many Utah Republicans are actually hoping Obama wins. Why? Because they want Mitt Romney to run again in 2012.

In the video report below, you'll see an old Mormon prophecy that says, in the "last days", a Mormon will become President and save America from destruction. Many Utahns believe this and, for this reason, are hoping McCain loses.

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I live blogged from G20 protest today. Here are the pics and stories...

EPA fails to tell public about WEED KILLER in drinking water! WTF!

Damning video on Federal Reserve. (updated with police vid)

"The FED Under Fire" - this is a MUST SEE news piece I worked on. AMAZING...

UPDATED: "Obesity will dwarf 9/11" says former Surgeon General in new movie.

Updated: Video Exposing Food Lobbyists (no one covered this)

Food Lobbyists Exposed! Watch as they fill a "scientific" discussion on child nutrition.

MORMON CHURCH EXPOSED: New Prop 8 Evidence and IRS Loop Hole

VIDEO: Florida blacks called "NI&&ERS", react to Obama win

WATCH: ANP's Election Day Mini-Documentaries

VIDEO: Palm Beach Obama Supporters Today

Video: UTAH FOR OBAMA? McCain slipping in reddest state.