Okay, here’s one that’s not likely to make you breathe any easier–literally. This excerpt comes from the Asheville Global Report No. 278, May 13-19, 2004, and it was reported by Project Censored. For those of you unfamilar with Project Censored, their mission is to: Educate people about the role of independent journalism in a democratic society and to tell The News That Didn’t Make the News and why.

Basically, so much real news never gets reported or gets minimal coverage. And the same time, fluffy nonsense makes the front page. An example is the death of Laci Peterson. While her murder was tragic, as is all murder, did it really need to be front page news for weeks on end–especially in areas far removed from her hometown? Was it really relevant to people living in Seattle, for example, to be reading about Laci’s disappearance week after week, especially when there were local hometown murders and tragedies, as well as national news? At the same time Laci Peterson’s face was on the front page, news of a very tense situation with North Korea (ie, a nation run by an unstable fanatic and one that is equipped with nuclear weapons) was tucked away on page 16.

Anyway, Project Censored comes out with a book every year, listing the top stories which didn’t make the news, or make them in any sort of significant way. The real news which was snuffed out, in favor of the latest reports on Britney Spears marriage, or on who J. Lo was shacking up with.

This excerpt I found very interesting, especially for those of us suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems. That equals millions of Americans, all of whom can expect to breathe a little less easier during the next four years.

Corporations Granted Relief from Pollution Regulations

The thirty companies that own most of the dirtiest power plants in the country have raised 6.6 million for President Bush and the Republican National Committee since 1999, and were given relief from pollution regulations that would have cost them billions of dollars. This is because these companies hired at least sixteen lobbying firms, which met with Dick Cheney’s energy task force to help formulate the country’s energy and pollution policies. In addition, some plant industry executives were given key positions at the Environmental Protection Agency, which has attempted to exempt many of these corporations from the pollution control requirements by relaxing the rules. Some of the emissions that these companies release include sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, which pose higher risks to Americans in terms of asthma attacks, lung ailments, and premature death.

Source: Asheville Global Report No. 278, May 13-19, 2004