Years 2009-2012 Breningstall.com

Iowa seeks to criminalize investigative journalism on farms

A proposed law HR 589 in Iowa is the latest effort by a state legislature aimed at preventing investigative journalists from reporting on farm practices. As Cody Carlson explains in The Atlantic, "HF 589 (PDF), better known as the "Ag Gag" law, criminalizes investigative journalists and animal protection advocates who take entry-level jobs at factory farms in order to document the rampant food safety and animal welfare abuses within. In recent years, these undercover videos have spurred changes in our food system by showing consumers the disturbing truth about where most of today's meat, eggs, and dairy is produced. Undercover investigations have directly led to America's largest meat recalls, as well as to the closure of several slaughterhouses that had egregiously cruel animal handling practices. Iowa's Ag Gag law -- along with similar bills pending in other states -- illustrates just how desperate these industries are to keep this information from getting out."

As a work-around to the obvious freedom of speech problems caused by censuring public scrutiny over agriculture, safety, and public health, this latest version of the legislation would make it illegal to make a false statement on a job application in the agricultural sector. Thus, if asked the question, "Are you a journalist?", undercover reporters would be legally obliged to say yes.

NYTimes.com wants you to pay your $120 contribution to Janet Robinson's $24Mil severance package

In an effort to coax occasional readers into contributing dollars, the New York Times announced today that it will now only be offering ten free articles a month instead of 20. The cheapest annual digital subscription is $120/year (iPad app not included).

I don't have a problem with the New York Times paying its hard-working journalists but I have a feeling that 200,000 of those digital subscriptions will be going to pay outgoing CEO Janet Robinson, who just left with a $24 million severance package. And that's a lot of subscribers to tack on! No wonder they're pulling in the guard gates. Considering that the New York Times had 406,000 digital subscribers at the end of 2011, I suspect they're going to have a tough time pulling in another 200,000, 10-article limit or no. Good luck to them.

Folk singer Todd Snider takes on the "hydrogen bomb made out of dumb"

"Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republican, Straight, White, American Males" by Todd Snider

Salon published an interview today with the underrated Todd Snider, one of my favorite singers. Snider had a brief pop culture moment back in the early 90's with the release of "Alright Guy," then has largely been forgotten by the mainstream even as he has continued to pour our a steady output of great albums and invigorating storytelling performances for a cult fan base.

In the interview, Snider discusses politics and songs from his new album, Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables. A comment to remember:

"I feel like I’ve always sung anti-suburban Christian songs. I grew up conservative Christian and all that, and now when someone tells me they’re conservative politically and also a Christian, I think, Why didn’t you just tell me that you’re a hydrogen bomb made out of dumb. Because those two ideas don’t gel. There’s one group that’s saying, Take everything you have and give it to the poor. And there’s another group that’s saying, Don’t tell me what to give to the poor. How can you join both groups? That’s like you’re joining Puppy Kickers Animal Rights of America. It just doesn’t gel, and that’s what I ran away from."

Salon writes: "Snider may be angry, but he’s also genuinely curious, perhaps even slightly bemused by the exaggerations and mutations of human greed and self-justification. 'At least it helps folk music, if nothing else,' he laughs at one point during our conversation."

Read the full interview here. More music videos after the jump.

My phone call with Dmitri Nabokov

Thirteen or so years ago, it was weekend morning and I awoke to the pounding of my door by a housemate. "Jeremy! There's some Russian guy on the telephone who wants to speak with you."

Russian guy? I reflected on this in my confused and possibly hung over state. Then I decided who it was- it must be a friend of mine calling to play a practical joke.

But no, it was Dmitri Nabokov.

Aside from targeting civilians, it looks like Syria is now also targeting journalists.

This blogger was sorry to hear the news about the death of Anthony Shadid. I plan to follow up with a more detailed report/memorial later in the week.

Finding 'Life, Death And Hope' In A Mumbai Slum | Fresh Air

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Katherine Boo spent more than three years in Mumbai's Annawadi slum to do research for her new book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers. Residents of the slum — which is located next to the Mumbai airport and in the shadow of several luxury hotels — live in devastating poverty. [NPR]

The Foxconn Jungle, otherwise known as Apple in China

Reports about Apple's behavior in China, conducted by way of its Taiwanese intermediaries at Foxconn, have been coming out for a number of years now. But perhaps none were as damning as the monster New York Times article that was just published. A few key allegations should be highlighted.

1) While Apple has been tediously slow to enforce its own worker guidelines at Foxconn, the leading supplier for iPad and iPhone assembly, lives have been needlessly lost.

"Two years ago, 137 workers at an Apple supplier in eastern China were injured after they were ordered to use a poisonous chemical to clean iPhone screens. Within seven months last year, two explosions at iPad factories, including in Chengdu, killed four people and injured 77. Before those blasts, Apple had been alerted to hazardous conditions inside the Chengdu plant, according to a Chinese group that published that warning."

2) While workers have been toiling at 72-hour work weeks, sometimes at less than Chinese minimum wage, Apple has posted record profits.

"Tuesday, Apple reported one of the most lucrative quarters of any corporation in history, with $13.06 billion in profits on $46.3 billion in sales."

3) Apple's complicity in Foxconn's abuse of its workers has not been incidental.

"We’ve known about labor abuses in some factories for four years, and they’re still going on,' said one former Apple executive who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements. 'Why? Because the system works for us. Suppliers would change everything tomorrow if Apple told them they didn’t have another choice... If half of iPhones were malfunctioning, do you think Apple would let it go on for four years?'"

4) Steve Jobs sought to mislead the public about the actual conditions at Foxconn (well-documented by Apple, which has regular audits) telling attendees at a conference, "I mean, you go to this place, and, it’s a factory, but, my gosh, I mean, they’ve got restaurants and movie theaters and hospitals and swimming pools, and I mean, for a factory, it’s a pretty nice factory."