In my last diary, I made an elementary effort to apply game theory to a couple pervasive patterns of media failure we can easily observe today.  I left off in that diary absent any solution to these ails, hoping more inspiration would come from the comments.

Well, in a way they did.  Both here, where several experts in journalism and game theory provided input, and in the companion cross-post at Openleft.  It's there we begin to find the next step in fixing the broken media:

Well, fellow Kossacks, perhaps this diary from yesterday Pelosi had BETTER kill this bill worked, because according to the San Francisco Chronicle, Madame Speaker ain't putting up with crap like this:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, responding to pressure from California officials and environmentalists, has slapped down a new proposal by top House Democrats that would have wiped out California's ability to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.

In a brief but pointed statement Tuesday night, the San Francisco Democrat said, "Any proposal that affects California's landmark efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or eliminates the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions will not have my support."

John Dingell (D-Michigan) and Rick Boucher (D-Virginia) are divisive, obtuse, arrogant scumbags, pure and simple.

These two men are the prime movers behind a bill in the House Energy and Commerce committee, of which Dingell is the chairman and Boucher a subcommittee head.

Get this: The San Francisco Chronicle breaks the story and the draft legislation can be read here, supposedly and here.

This is an effort to thwart California and other states' attempt to lead the country in the right direction and it must not stand!

crossposted at five before chaos and Green Mountain Daily.

Had the mood to blog this morning, and thanks to this post from Julie at GMD, I've got plenty to chew on about some of the horrible energy proposals coming up in the U.S. Senate and Congress that you need to know about.

First off, there's a proposal to increase subsidies for coal liquification. Yes, you heard right, one of the dirtiest fuel sources on earth. There's an extensive post over at MyDD  that details the many ways that this is a bad, bad idea. Increased emissions, according to the EPA. More mountaintops destroyed and rivers clogged (have you seen how this has devastated West Virginia?), as well as the devastating poverty and health problems that are part and parcel of working in the coal industry.

[UPDATES AT END: 1) The FDA has appointed a "food safety czar," 2) FDA Coalition lobbies Congress -- support them!, and 3) VIDEO of Waxman's opening remarks, and The Gavel blog's report]

First, Henry Waxman's Oversight Committee is holding a live hearing on the "FDA's Vital Mission and Challenges for the Future."  Watch/listen here.  (NEW: Waxman's Opening Statement -- see latest update.)

BREAKING NEWS from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce:

Contamination of Chinese Wheat Gluten Widespread
Dingell, Stupak Dispatch Investigators to West Coast Ports

Reps. John D. Dingell, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today dispatched Committee investigators to the west coast to pursue reports of extensive melamine contamination of wheat gluten, rice protein, and other vegetable protein.

CALENDAR • YESTERDAY'S AUTO INDUSTRY HEARING • WATCH THIS HEARING LIVE

Thursday, March 15, 2007

11 AM: House Energy and Commerce Committee: Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Hearing on Climate Change: State and Local Perspectives 2123 Rayburn Witnesses Patrick McCrory, Mayor of Charlotte Linda Adams, Secretary, California EPA Ron Curry, Secretary, New Mexico Environmental Department Lisa P. Jackson, Commissioner, New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection Julie Caruthers Parsley, Commissioner, Public Utility Commission of Texas

11:16: The hearing is called to order.

Listen here!

Wednesday, Mar. 7, 2007

House Energy and Commerce Committee: Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet? Witnesses Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs, Princeton University Dr. John R. Christy, Professor and Director, Earth System Science Center, NSSTC, University of Alabama in Huntsville Dr. Gabriele Hegerl, Associate Research Professor, Earth and Ocean Sciences Division, Duke University Dr. James W. Hurrell, Director, Climate and Global Dynamics Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research Dr. Roni Avissar, Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University Also: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Hearing on Advanced Energy Technologies & Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Hearing on National Imperatives in Earth Science Research

I've signed up with the Congressional Committees project to monitor energy-related House activities, and here's another hearing that has not been reported elsewhere (also see my previous diary about a hearing on greenhouse gas emissions capping).

On Feb 28, Energy and Air Quality Subcommitee of the House Energy and Commerce Commitee held the hearing "A Review of the Administration's Energy Proposals for the Transportation Sector". There is a video transcript.

Summary: CAFE reform is overdue, so some movement in this direction is welcome. However, there are no specific goals in the proposal, and the implied goals are more faith-based than study-based, too radical for ones and too modest for others. At the end of the day, oil price shocks and a kind law are a better incentive than a kind law alone.

I've signed up with the Congressional Committees project to monitor energy-related House activities, and here's their first hearing that has not been reported elsewhere.

On Feb 13, Energy and Air Quality Subcommitee of the House Energy and Commerce Commitee held the hearing "Addressing Climate Change -- Views from Private Sector Panels". There is an audio transcript, and in 60-90 days (!) they promise a written transcript. By that time the legislation may be well under way.

The gist of the conversation was - we have to act now, both to reduce US emissions and to set example to other countries. The EU carbon cap-and-trade system is interesting but flawed (and, in some opinions, too expensive), so a US cap-and-trade system has to be better, including giving carbon credits to farmers. Domestic industry may suffer. However, investment in R&D by federal government and by private entities trying to reduce costs is both desirable and necessary. Tightening CAFE standards, doing carbon sequestration and increasing overall energy efficiency are important.

One of the key members of the Energy and Commerce Committe, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), talked on C-SPAN's "The Communicators" on January 8th. The video can been seen here.

Also posted at my personal blog.

Please forgive me for the use of CAPS in the title - I never do that.  But this is truly an urgent/breaking/desperate moment.  I am going to break another of my own rules by begging everyone who reads this to please recommend it.  Peoples' lives are at stake.  

How many people here are aware of the fact that the Ryan White Care Act is up for reauthorisation this week?

The Energy and Commerce Committee has had its vote on Congressman Markey's amendment to save the Internet, and we lost, 22-34. But it's not a total loss. The four Representatives targeted in my previous post all flipped, and voted for the Markey amendment. As Matt Stoller notes, the subcommittee defeated it 23-8, so that we narrowed the margin as much as we did is significant. Here's more from Matt:

There's a white hot firestorm on the issue on Capitol Hill.  No one wants to see the telcos make a radical change to the internet and screw this medium up, except, well, the telcos.  And now members of Congress are listening to us.  The telcos have spent hundreds of millions of dollars and many years lobbying for their position; we launched four days ago, and have closed a lot of ground.  Over the next few months, as the public wakes up, we'll close the rest of it.  

I watched the markup and the voting, and there was noticeable defensiveness among Congressmen on the wrong side of this.  They are wrong, they know it, and they are ashamed.  Now they know people are watching.  So we didn't win this vote, but this close margin was nonetheless a smack to the jaw of the insiders, and a clear victory for the people.  Now the battle moves out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and onto more favorable terrain.

As Sean-Paul [agonist.org] said to me over email, "today was a victory as a few key players on the full committee changed their votes. Important action is required heading into the Senate but we have created significant momentum and the telco cartel is very afraid of us now.

This is not how they wanted it to go down. They wanted this amendment to fail quietly, so the Senate would not take it up. We changed the rules today. Great work."

Thanks to all of you who wrote and called your Represenatives. Good job. Now we turn to the Senate, where we're on friendlier ground on this issue.

Update [2006-4-26 16:25:40 by mcjoan]: The Committee just rejected the Markey amendment to preserve net neutrality, 22-34. Democrats Rush, Green and Gonzales all voted no. Since we couldn't squash this telcom give-away in the House, next we'll focus on the Senate. We did manage to flip quite a few Democrats, however, so that's the good news, that and the Senate looks to be friendlier to us on this issue.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is in final mark-up of the COPE Act, that AT&T/Verizon/Comcast legislation that will give you about as much unfettered access to the Web as you have choice in cable providers.

Here are four representatives on the Energy and Commerce Committee that can be  convinced to vote with us if we apply some pressure.  If you live in the following districts, please call them. (Here's a full list of Representatives on the Energy and Commerce Committee, for the rest of us.)

When you call your Representative, here's what to tell them: "Please protect internet freedom from corporate interests by voting for Ed Markey's amendment on network neutrality."

Bart Stupak (D- Michigan, 1st)
http://www.house.gov/...
(202) 225 4735
(202) 225 4744 - Fax

Tom Allen, (D - Maine, 1st)
http://tomallen.house.gov/...
(207) 774-5019 (phone)
(207) 871-0720 (fax)

Mike Ross (D - Arkansas, 4th)
http://www.house.gov/...
1-800-223-2220
(202) 225-1314 (fax)

Jim Davis -- (D - Florida, 11th)
http://www.house.gov/...
tel: (202) 225-3376
FAX: (202) 225-5652