New Jersey Bridge Collapse And Train Derailment Leads To Chemical Spill

Unlike global warming, where no single storm event can be directly attributed to a warming planet, we can directly attribute infrastructure failures with lack of public and political will. No, we do not know the exact cause of today’s train derailment and bridge collapse in Paulsboro, NJ, but we do know that events like this will become more common if we continue to allow America’s infrastructure to deteriorate. The bridge collapse and train derailment resulted in a chemical spill of vinyl chloride into the Mantua Creek. Over 70 people received medical treatment due to the spill.

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Climate Change: Anti-Science, Anti-Fact, Anti-Intellectual – That’s How Republicans Roll

Who is the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology? That would be Representative Ralph Hall of Texas. He is a climate change skeptic. As you can probably guess, he is also a Republican. Who is likely to replace Hall as the House science chair in the 113th congress? That would be Lamar Smith, also a climate change skeptic, also from Texas, oh, and also a Republican.

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Eliot Spitzer – Number of the Day: Senate Filibuster Reform

Since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, Republicans have used the filibuster at an unprecedented rate. Take a look at this chart over at The Atlantic. There is no question filibuster reform is needed as both Democrats and Republicans have increasingly relied upon it when in the minority. But Republicans have taken reckless use of the filibuster to new heights since becoming the minority in the Senate in 2006.

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