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Irvine, California Threatened by Contaminated Water From El Toro Marine Base (VIDEO REPORT)

What happens when wealthy Republicans suddenly find out that the home they invested so much in, could be sitting on top of one of the most dangerous, polluted places in the nation?

(IRVINE, Calif.) - A number of government agencies deny that the city of Irvine has big, big problems from TCE, Trichloroethylene; a toxic chemical used in the maintenance of Marine Corps jet fighters at the former at the Marine Corps Air Station. They reject the notion that the TCE has penetrated the groundwater here and as a result, is a serious health hazard for residents in Irvine, California.

But large amounts of evidence tell another story.

Reports from the U.S. Navy indicate that TCE contamination stemming from the Marine base at El Toro is in fact a huge issue in this part of Orange County.

Life and God`s Will

The states of Colorado, Georgia, Montana and Oregon are asking voters to interpret God’s will in November based on the misguided and emotional givens of Evangelicals who pretend, but who cannot possibly know, God’s will.

(PASO ROBLES, Calif.) - Those who insist that life begins at conception argue that what God has wrought should not be destroyed, as if it is His will that all embryos created naturally or in-vitro should exist, and the potential of every embryo be realized. But logic suggests that what is presumed to be the will of God may not be an accurate representation.

The Christian Right takes literally the admonition that "Thou Shalt not Kill" and President Bush, a born again Christian, vetoed a bill that would legitimize funding of stem cell research because, as he put it, “even if I err, I prefer to err on the side of life.”

Marion County DA Statement on Police Officer Involved Shooting

Prosecutors explain the details in a recent shooting that has been the subject of much speculation.

(SALEM, Ore.) - A Marion County Grand Jury Thursday unanimously found that the police officer shooting of Andrew James Hanlon, which occurred on June 30th 2008, was a lawful use of deadly physical force.

Wyden Seeks Declassification of FISA Court Opinions

Senator calls opinions key to evaluating federal surveillance law.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - In an effort to better inform the ongoing congressional debate on intelligence surveillance law, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sent the below letter today to the Public Interest Declassification Board.

The letter asks the Board to review key opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and determine which portions of these opinions should be declassified and publicly released.

“It is impossible for Congress to evaluate the effectiveness of the nation’s surveillance laws without a thorough understanding of how the court is interpreting those laws,” said Wyden. “This is exactly the kind of issue that the Public Interest Declassification Board was created to tackle.”

El Toro Water Contamination Reports Will Continue

Technical delays have slowed down progress but a number of reports will soon be posted.

(IRVINE, Calif.) - I have spent the last several days in the area of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in what is now Irvine, California, investigating the status of the water contamination that stems from the former air base.

For those who not familiar. El Toro, in the heart of Orange County, California, is an EPA "Super Fund" site and contamination in the groundwater here is connected to TCE- trichloroethylene, perchlorate and other chemicals. The base is being developed into a public park under the "Great Parks Corporation" in Orange County and also is the site of new home construction.

Irvine, California's city staff says it is the safest city in America, but mounting evidence from a number of sources including the Navy and the EPA, tell a story of decades of environmental abuse. A "plume" of TCE has traveled several miles from the base and now occupies an area in one of California's most affluent neighborhoods.

Desegregation of the U.S. Military to Celebrate 60th Anniversary‏

Desegregation of the military had its roots in the historic formation in 1942 of minority military units, such as the 442nd Infantry Regiment and the Tuskegee Airmen.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Oregon Military Department will honor minority military veterans during a celebration ceremony, on July 26, to recall the 60th anniversary of the Desegregation of the United States armed forces.

The ceremonial event will be held Saturday, at 10 a.m., at the Oregon National Guard's Anderson Readiness Center in Salem.

Among the minority military veterans who will be present at the ceremony are original members of both the World War II U.S. Army's Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Army Air Corps' 332nd Fighter Group, later known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The keynote speaker will be the Oregon National Guard's first African-American general officer, U.S. Air Force Deputy Inspector General, Brig. Gen. Garry Dean.

Sick Marines and Contaminated Water: Questions Surround El Toro Marine Air Base (VIDEO REPORT)

Marines who served here need to know the possible health hazards so they can seek treatment. TCE causes mutations, intestinal disorders and cancer.

(EL TORO, Calif.) - El Toro Marine Air Station used to be the premiere Marine Corps aviation facility on the west coast. It closed in 1999 and is in the midst of big change; a park will soon occupy the land and new homes are being built. But while the politicians move forward and families move into new homes on the former base, contamination in the base's water system from a degreasing chemical is staying off the radar.

A group of veterans that growing quickly in number, say El Toro, along with the active Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune on the east coast, are major TCE contaminant zones. TCE, Trichloroethylene, was a chemical degreaser used to clean the parts off Marine Corps jet fighters.

Benny and Sid`s Your Public Service Announcement #4

Benny and Sid's Your Public Service Announcement #4

(Salem) - This week's public service announcements include messages regarding Outlaw Karl Rove, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore www.wecansolveit.org, and former Mr. Olympia, movie star, and Governor of California Arnold Schwartzenegger.

National Bush Legacy Bus Tour to Make Latest Stops in Portland and Salem

A 45-foot, 28 ton Rolling Bush Museum Makes Latest Stop on National Tour / Local OR Progressive Leaders to Hold Sen. Smith Accountable for Enabling Disastrous Bush/Conservative Policies That Have Harmed Our National Security, Ruined the Economy and Sacrificed Key Domestic Priorities.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - In what supporters of the President have dubbed his "legacy year," Americans United for Change, the progressive issue-advocacy group best known for leading the successful fight to beat back President Bush’s effort to privatize Social Security in 2005, has hit the road its latest effort -- the Bush Legacy Bus.

The 45-foot long, 28 ton, clean bio-diesel-powered museum on wheels features several interactive exhibits on how two terms of failed conservative policies supported by Bush and his allies – including Sens. John McCain and Gordon Smith – have weakened America’s security abroad while neglecting and undermining important priorities here at home.

Courtney Says Independent Security Assessment is Needed at Oregon State Hospital

A new state hospital facility is set to open in 2011, but Senate President Peter Courtney says the state can’t wait that long for peace of mind.

(SALEM, Ore.) - In the wake of two escapes from the Oregon State Hospital by forensic patients this month, Senate President Peter Courtney called today for an independent review of the security measures in place at the Oregon State Hospital.

“We must make the safety of the community, as well as the patients and staff at the hospital, a top priority,” said Courtney, D-Salem/Gervais/Woodburn. “The systems we have in place now aren’t working. We need a fresh set of eyes to assess the situation and show us how we can make the Oregon State Hospital more secure.”