Wall Street Journal: Debate heats up over commodities holdings - A battle is heating up over whether investors in oil and other commodities markets should be required to lift the veil of secrecy that shrouds their trading bets.

Jackson Sun: Stephen Fincher, other freshmen in House, push bills benefiting big donors - Several House freshmen who swept into power vowing to change Washington's ways are pushing legislation that could benefit some of their most generous campaign contributors, a USA TODAY review of legislative and campaign records shows.

National Journal: Generic risks should be reported, Public Citizen says - Food and Drug Administration regulations should be revised so generic drug manufacturers can update product labels to warn patients about risks, Public Citizen said in a petition on Monday.

Bilaterals.org: US: Analysts criticise proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership - Critics of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) gathered here Thursday to voice concerns over the U.S.’s stronghold on intellectual property rights.

Bangor Daily News: Most regerendums since '98 empower voters to reject state laws -  More than 14 months before the next general election, voters fed-up with state lawmakers are taking matters into their own hands, gathering signatures to repeal the most legislation in more than a decade.

Washington Post: House GOP revs up a repeal, reduce and rein-in agenda for the fall - House Republicans are planning votes for almost every week this fall in an effort to repeal environmental and labor requirements on business that they say have hampered job growth.

Council on Hemispheric Affairs: The U.S. whitewashes Panama's fatal flaws to champion FTA - The pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Panama, also known as the Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA), has remained in limbo since its initial signing on June 28, 2007.

Business Green: US environmental and taxpayer groups unite to push green cuts programme - In one of the more unlikely Washington DC alliances of recent times, Friends of the Earth has teamed up with two of the most high-profile right-wing lobby groups in the US to jointly call for spending cuts and the phasing out of subsidies accused of harming the environment and driving up the US deficit.

Associated Press: Advocacy group seeks ban on pelvic surgical mesh - A consumer advocacy group is calling on government regulators to ban a type of surgical mesh used to treat pelvic collapse, saying it exposes patients to serious risks.

Washington Post: Governor for sale - There’s a saying in Texas when someone has the swagger of success without the accomplishments to back it up: He’s all hat and no cattle. Put another way: he’s acting like Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R).

Consumer Affairs: Nexium, Prilosec called dangerous, habit-forming - Many widely prescribed stomach acid-reducing drugs can cause long-term dependence and should carry the strongest possible warning label, Public Citizen told the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a petition sent today.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Candidates tap new cash cow: super PACs - Michele Bachmann's powerful fundraising force has gained some superpower.

American Medical News: California slow to discipline physicians - More than 700 California doctors sanctioned for poor care by hospitals, HMOs and other private health care organizations during the last two decades have faced no disciplinary action from the state's medical board.

Accutane Lawsuit Center: A brief history of Accutane: side effects to settlements - According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), acne is a skin disorder affecting 40-50 million Americans, with 40 percent of adolescents having acne or acne scarring requiring treatment by a dermatologist.

Huffington Post: Child labor rule released by white house after 9 month delay - After much delay, the White House has finally released a proposed rule that would update child labor regulations in agricultural work.

Calgary Herald: U.S. senator's leak of oil trading information sparks concern- Oil trading data that exposed the extensive positions speculators held in run-up to record high prices in 2008 were intentionally leaked by a U.S. senator, sparking broader concern about industry confidentiality as Congress moves on Wall Street reform.

Louisville Courier-Journal: Kentucky House speaker Greg Stumbo seeks records on use of drug-tracking system- House Speaker Greg Stumbo filed an open records request Thursday seeking more information on why the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure has not used the state’s electronic drug-tracking system to investigate doctors who wrongfully overprescribe pain medications

GoMadden: Why Madden strategies are your right - Whenever football fans think of Madden strategy guides, they’re hardly thinking about how legal they are.

InjuryBoard.com: Public Citizen 30 year battle -- MDL established for Darvon and Darvocet - After a delay of several months, the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation announced this week the establishment of MDL proceedings in the Eastern District of Kentucky before District Court Judge Danny C. Reeves for the Darvon and Darvocet cases.

The Huffington Post: Rick Perry's K Street project sought earmarks, federal funds - In his 2010 book "Fed Up!" Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry explained his displeasure with what he called the spending culture in Washington over the previous decade, including the period of unified Republican control from 2003 through 2006.

The Wall Street Journal: As oil spiked, many traded - The world of oil investors reached far beyond Wall Street in recent years as foreign pension funds, corporate icons and even an Ivy League endowment placed big wagers on oil prices, according to a list compiled by U.S. regulators.

The Associated Press: Study: Only 1 in 5 medical malpractice cases pay - Only 1 in 5 malpractice claims against doctors leads to a settlement or other payout, according to the most comprehensive study of these claims in two decades.

Fox Business: Special interests are big backers of deficit 'Super Committee' members- Let the gridlock begin where it always does, with political donations.

The Nation: Rick Perry's polluter cronies- One of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s oft-touted strengths in the Republican primary is his demonstrated prowess at fundraising.

Crosscut: Super committee: results to match the name?- There's a surprise in what part of the country dominates the membership. Hint: Maybe the committe's motto should be "Cowboy up." But what's the evidence this group will live up to its name?

Santa Cruz Sentinel: County, cities weighing fight over cost of SmartMeter opt-out- All along, SmartMeter opponents have been thwarted by empty victories.

Occupational Health & Safety: Anti-regulatory rhetoric ignores regulations' benefits- A new report from Public Citizen answers the anti-regulatory rhetoric heard from some members of Congress this year as they have introduced measures to delay new regulations for years or, possibly, indefinitely.

Boston Globe: Dangerous diet regimen still on sale- Over-the-counter diet pills and tea that were banned from the market nearly two years ago because of contamination with dangerous chemicals remain widely available in Greater Boston and popular among Brazilian women seeking to shed pounds, according to a new study by Harvard Medical School researchers

Huffington Post: Child labor rules stalled at White House as farm accidents continue- Last week, two 17 year olds were critically injured in Oklahoma when they were pulled into a grain augur while on the job.

In These Times: Washington's anti-regulatory crusade, and why your job hasn't killed you yet- On the campaign trail, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry is spreading the gospel of Perrynomics—a magical job-creation formula based on minimal government regulation of industry, combined with tiny tax rates and tight controls on lawsuits.

American Medical News: HHS cutting red tape to speed clinical trials- Wide-reaching changes announced by the Dept. of Health and Human Services would speed up the process of approving and monitoring federally funded clinical trials.

The Jackson Sun: Doctor: Steroids can pose danger to eyes- Steroid drugs such as prednisone taken by 25.5 million Americans for arthritis, cancer, transplants and other conditions need stronger consumer warnings about a rare but possibly irreversible vision impairment, a University of Michigan eye doctor and the consumer Public Citizen organization said earlier this month in a federal petition for stronger warning labels on the drugs.

Salon: Big business has been very, very good to Mitt Romney- As the noted philosopher and rock 'n' roll irritant David Lee Roth once said, "Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it."

Antiwar.com: Robbing Peter to pay for Israel- Nearly 20 percent of the constituents of Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) live under the poverty line, and nearly 15 percent are unemployed.

El Paso Times: DA eyes Pastor Brown's tactics- District Attorney Jaime Esparza disclosed Friday that he has launched an investigation into allegations that Pastor Tom Brown and his church have acted illegally in their effort to recall Mayor John Cook and two city representatives.

The Hill: 'Supercommittee' members have busy fundraising calendar- Members of the new powerful “supercommittee” are scheduled to attend a slew of campaign fundraisers this fall when they return to Capitol Hill.

Economic Populist: Why is so much trade fiction published as fact?- It is disturbing the economic fiction that is touted about trade agreements.

San Antonio Express-News: Flawed free-trade deals will cost American jobs- The only thing Texas needs more than rain is jobs.

Monterey Herald: Brown asked to fix doctor discipline- A nonprofit consumer group asked Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday to accelerate California's process for disciplining physicians who have a history of providing poor care, some of whom it said may pose an immediate threat to patients' health and safety.

Business Times: S&P controversy fuels demands for ratings reforms-Concerns about S&P's downgrading of the U.S. credit rating and the resulting global stock sell-off are sparking urgent calls for investigations and reinvigorating ongoing efforts to reform the ratings agencies, which have been under fire since the Enron scandal of 2001.

Washington Independent: ALEC balks after experts say it should register as Minnesota lobbyist- The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a non-profit organization that brings corporations together with state lawmakers to create and advocate for model legislation.

The Republic: Off-road vehicle makers pleased at exemption from lead law-The law was meant to keep children from poisoning themselves by sucking on toys and jewelry containing lead.

Truth About It: Commonalities: Gilbert Arenas and Dan Snyder- On several planes, Gilbert Arenas and Dan Snyder are totally alike. On about a million they are not.

Mother Jones: Rick Perry to run for president; climate deniers cheer- The climate skeptics can finally get excited about the 2012 election: Rick Perry, their candidate of choice, is about to officially throw his hat in the ring.

Government Executive: SEC faces new calls for its reorganization- While busy writing regulations to implement the new financial reform law, the Securities and Exchange Commission after Labor Day will see its current management structure scrutinized by House Republicans skeptical of the independent agency's effectiveness.

National Review Online: Don't forget about the FDA- After Obamacare and entitlement reform, FDA reform should be the #2 priority for market-oriented health-care reformers.

Land Line: FMCSA's environmental assesment of cross-border program falls short- The timing and lack of options in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s environmental assessment of the cross-border trucking program raises serious questions about the agency’s true intention, according to OOIDA comments filed on Thursday.

Appleton Post Crescent: Thumbs up and down- To the U.S. Venture Open, for its continued success in raising money to help people in the area meet basic needs.

Austin Chronicle: Heat wave renews call for renewable energy- This past winter, Texas saw power blackouts during a cold snap that led to accusations – ultimately dismissed in state reports – of market manipulation à la the California Enron debacle more than a decade ago.

PressTV: Anti-nuclear groups shower NRC with legal challenges- More than two dozen groups will file challenges with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thursday calling for a moratorium on reactor licensing until the agency addresses a series of safety concerns laid out by a federal task force last month.

The Hill: Sen. Leahy calls for transparency in supercommittee negotiations- Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is calling on the debt-reduction supercommittee to avoid secrecy in its negotiations.

The Hill: Supercommittee member Rep. Becerra to be feted by lobbyists at DC fundraiser- Mere hours after House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) named Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) to the debt-reduction supercommittee, lobbyists were gearing up to fete him at a fundraiser later this month.

ProPublica: As side effect of fiscal constraints, dangerous docs go undisciplined in California- More than 700 doctors in California sanctioned for wrongdoing by hospitals and other health care organizations haven’t faced any disciplinary action from the California medical board.

The Nerve: Lobbyist-relative of S.C. congressman paid well by Charleston-A lobbying firm run by a cousin of Congressman James Clyburn has been paid $285,250, directly or indirectly, since 2006 by the city of Charleston to push Congress for federal dollars for The Holy City, a review by The Nerve has found.

Washington Post: House Republican calls for change don't hinder PAC fundraising- In his 2010 campaign for the U.S. House, Republican Steven Palazzo vowed to “ignore the special interests of Washington” if he defeated 10-term Democratic Representative Gene Taylor of Mississippi.

National Journal: Don't blame regulations for sour economy- There are many reasons why the U.S. economy is doing poorly.

The Hill: Groups call on Murray, 'supercommittee' colleagues to halt fundraising activities- A coalition of liberal groups is calling on Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to stop all fundraising while serving on the debt-reduction “supercommittee.”

Becker's ASC Review: 710 "dangerous" California physicians may have gone undisciplined- The California Medical Board failed to discipline 710 physicians, all of whom were disciplined for wrongdoing from Sept. 1990 through 2009 by other California healthcare entities, according to an analysis by the non-profit organization Public Citizen.  

Huffington Post: Mitt Romney raised more campaign cash from lobbyists than all other 2012 GOP candidates combined- While other GOP presidential candidates race to win Saturday's Ames Straw Poll, Mitt Romney is quietly racking up support among Washington power brokers and heavyweights in the Republican party.

Washington Post: Standard & Poor's, others lobby government while rating its credit- Standard & Poor’s Corp. has a major influence in Washington through its venerable bond-rating business, which helped rattle markets over the past week by downgrading U.S. debt for the first time.

Roll Call: ABA calls for tougher lobbying rules- The American Bar Association has urged Congress to require the registration of more lobbyists, compel the disclosure of lobbying activities in more detail and narrow the types of contributions federally registered lobbyists can make to lawmakers running for re-election.

Los Angeles Times: Troubled California doctors go undisciplined by state- Of the California doctors who escaped state discipline, 35% had more than one disciplinary action from another entity, according to the Public Citizen report.

Los Angeles Times: Legal challenge to licensing of U.S. nuclear plants- A group of 25 anti-nuclear organizations will file legal challenges today that aim to slam the brakes on licensing actions at the nation's commercial nuclear plants, based on preliminary reviews of the disaster at Japan's Fukushima plant this year.

Truthout: Unequal uses for the Bill of Rights- The statistic in this chapter’s epigraph is sobering indeed. It says corporations sought protection under the Fourteenth Amendment a hundred times more often than did the people it was intended to protect.

Uprising: Lawmakers push free trade deals that Americans overwhelmingly oppose- Americans may be divided on a number of issues, but when it comes to Free Trade it seems the nation is united, against it.

MarketWatch: Moody's, S&P lobbying spending on rise- Moody’s Corp. and the parent company of Standard & Poor’s have spent increasingly more money to lobby the U.S. government in recent years, data from a money-in-politics research group show, and political contributions from individuals connected to both companies are heavily tilted toward Democrats. 

Huffington Post: Panama trade deal would undercut efforts to get rich Americans to pay taxes-  During a Monday press conference addressing Standard & Poor's downgrade of U.S. debt, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to raising taxes on the wealthy.

Huffington Post: Joe Walsh financial disclosure forms show no delinquent child support: Ethics probe coming? - Over the weekend, freshman Tea Party Congressman Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) vowed to "privately and legally" fight claims by his ex-wife that he owes more than $100,000 in child support.

Medical Marketing and Media: Watchdogs bark as FDA relaxes rules on conflicts of interest- An FDA move to relax conflict-of-interest rules governing advisory panels is meeting with heated opposition from watchdog groups and medical societies.

Platts: Group says utilities the ones really lobbying for 'small business' bill-Republican lawmakers are touting the benefits to small business of a legislative proposal that would allow the US Congress to block new federal regulations, but it is large electric utilities and industry groups that are really pushing for the legislation, Public Citizen said Tuesday.

Associated Press: Consumer group asks Brown to fix doctor discipline-A nonprofit consumer group asked Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday to accelerate California's process for disciplining physicians who have a history of providing poor care, some of whom it said may pose an immediate threat to patients' health and safety.

The Washington Post: Maxine Waters's case punted to outside counsel- The House ethics committee is poised to pay a half-million dollars by year’s end to resolve the mess that remains of its three-year probe of Rep. Maxine Waters.

TIME: Could a no influence-peddling pledge block Washington's revolving door?- Over the weekend, the New York Times reported on the latest innovation in Washington's shameful influence-peddling industry.

TPMMuckraker: Tea Party-backed Rep. Walsh lists no child support debt on financial forms- Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), a Tea-Party darling who has made a name for himself on the talk show circuit lecturing Democrats to get the nation's finances in order, has been under fire in recent weeks over charges that he's a deadbeat dad, owing more than $100,000 in child support.

The Hill: Groups to Obama: use 'any legal means' to halt fracking- A coalition of environmental groups is pressing President Obama to use every tool at his disposal to halt the controversial natural-gas extraction method known as “hydraulic fracturing.”

SignOnSanDiego: Pfizer, UCSD collaborating on early drug discovery- A new drug research collaboration between pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the University of California San Diego could deliver up to $50 million to local scientists over the next five years, speed the delivery of promising therapies to patients and help refill the fast-depleting pipeline of the world’s largest drugmaker.

Businessweek: U.K. NHS, Beers, Righthaven: intellectual property- The U.K.’s National Health Service considers patents for diagnostics and genes “unacceptable, unenforceable and detrimental to the delivery of patient services” and is deliberately ignoring them, the U.K.’s Financial Times reported.

VEGAS INC: Medical boards too often give doctors a pass- How much do you know about your doctor? Maybe not much.

San Antonio Express News: Ozone standard may not be met- Expecting more stringent standards from the Environmental Protection Agency, a regional committee whose task is to help San Antonio meet federal air quality standards will soon be grappling with a massive cut to its budget — a combination of events that could push the city out of air quality compliance.

Bloomberg: Perry puts focus on sonograms, pat-downs after 'big issues' pass- Texas Governor Rick Perry won emergency passage of proposals including mandated sonograms for women planning abortion and a requirement for voters to show picture identification this year, even as lawmakers grappled with education funding and short-changed schools by $4 billion.

Star Tribune: Lead toy law now exempts ATVs- The law was meant to keep children from poisoning themselves by sucking on toys and jewelry containing lead

RenewablesBiz: EFH asks environmental regulators to reconsider new pollution rule- Energy Future Holdings asked federal environmental regulators Friday to reconsider a new pollution rule that, the company says, would limit electricity production from coal plants.

The Hill: Labor ramps up effort to stop trade deals- Organized labor and other opponents of three pending free-trade deals are ramping up grass-roots campaigns intended to pressure lawmakers to oppose the agreements.

Truthout: US pharmaceutical companies testing drugs on India's poor- U.S. pharmaceutical companies have moved their operations overseas in the past decade, testing their drugs on poor people in such lands as Russia, China, Brazil and Romania.

Democrat and Chronicle: Eric Massa in fight to clear name- Former U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, the embattled Corning Democrat who left office under a cloud of allegations about his behavior toward his staff, is in the midst of a campaign to clear his name.

Arizona Daily Star: AZ board to weigh new action vs. doctor deemed a 'predator'- The Arizona Medical Board this month will have another opportunity to stop a Tucson physician, deemed a "serious sexual predator" by a psychiatrist, from practicing medicine.

Economic Populist: More inane trade deals and lies- Are you aware in spite of the never ending trade deficit, and the jobs crisis Congress is going to pass more bad job killer trade deals?

Huntsville Times: Five Republican Party officials got $38,000 bonuses after $100,000 PAC donation from Cooper- Two days after Monica Cooper personally donated $100,000 to a Republican political action committee, five party officials received bonuses from the PAC of $38,000 each.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Finding middle ground on EPA-Texas electric squabble- Texas' grudge match with the Environmental Protection Agency is getting nastier and riskier, with the fallout threatening to reach the state's power grid.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Big energy users in DFW trying to conserve- A memo dubbed "Energy Alert!" went out late Thursday afternoon to the 900 or so workers in the 20-story Chesapeake Plaza in downtown Fort Worth, including employees of building owner Chesapeake Energy and of Pier 1 Imports, which has its headquarters there.

Political Lore Blog: Angry left will primary Obama, but he faces bigger problem- While the latest polls reflect the views of conservatives and independents that Barack Obama is a failed president due to overreaching and incompetence, a third demographic also sees the 44th president as incompetent and a failure, but for the opposite reason.

The Business Journal: Two views on exports and trade laws- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce had a reason for pulling together the data we used for this week's print edition story on the size of the triad's chemical manufacturing sector.

The Hill: Shock doctrine and the debt limit- Washington's recently staged drama of dysfunction over the federal debt limit sadly distracted attention from real crises occurring outside the beltway.

The Daily Caller: Nader rules out another run, but 'almost 100 percent' certain Obama will face primary challenge- Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate and perennial third-party presidential candidate, announced last month that he would work to find a Democrat to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012.

Washington Post: D.C. officials' use of lobbyists as their attorneys raise questions- The District is home to more lawyers per capita than any state in the union, yet when city officials or those aggrieved by the D.C. government find themselves in need of representation, they gravitate to a small, familiar fraternity.

In These Times: Will workplace safety become a casualty of the debt deal- This week, Congress passed a debt-ceiling deal that is expected to reduce the deficit by at least $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years. The debt deal sets up a “supercommitee,” which will identify $1.5 trillion in additional cuts by Thanksgiving.

FDA News: FDA denies re quest to expand PMA revocation authority- The FDA has turned down a request to expand the criteria it uses when revoking a PMA. The Public Citizen’s Health Research Group had sent a petition nearly six years ago asking the FDA to write a new regulation that enables the agency to withdraw approval for a device that has caused patients harm in cases where another marketed device is equally effective for the same use, but poses less risk.

Huffington Post: Conservative donor Bob Perry gives big to Pawlenty, Romney- One of the most prolific Republican money men, Bob Perry has played a critical financial role in elections from Houston mayor to the presidency.

The Republic: Obama's stands may help him in 2012, but not in Congress-President Barack Obama's performance in the recent debt ceiling drama may help him position himself as a centrist for the 2012 campaign, but it's strained his already-fragile relations with Congress.

The Hill: Watchdogs, liberal groups: Deficit committee should disclose meetings with lobbyists-More than two dozen watchdogs and liberal-leaning political groups want the members of the congressional "supercommittee" that will decide the next round of budget cuts to halt their fundraising and disclose meetings with lobbyists. 

TPMMuckraker: Watchdogs want bright light on 'Super Committee's' activities- Two dozen public interest, consumer, and government watchdog organizations want to shine a bright light on the activities of the newly established super committee tasked with finding $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction this fall.

Lexology: Institute of Medicine report: dead on arrival- On Friday, July 29, 2011, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) released its long awaited report on the premarket clearance process under section 510(k) of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.[1] The premarket clearance submission, commonly known as a 510(k), allows manufacturers to market a medical device based on its similarity, or “substantial equivalence,” to one or more marketed devices (called “predicate devices”).

Lexology: FDA may change conflict-of-interest rulesfor advisory panel members- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has reportedly told an advocacy group that scientists with financial ties to drug and device-makers may soon be allowed to advise U.S. regulators about those products.

Blog of Legal Times: Judge orders release of Richard Nixon's Watergate testimony- A federal trial judge today ordered the public release of former President Richard Nixon's grand jury testimony rooted in the Watergate investigation.

Reuters: Nixon's secret Watergate testimony ordered released-More than 36 years later, the secret grand jury testimony of President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal was ordered released on Friday by a federal judge because of its significance in American history.

Austin American-Statesman: LCRA cancels vote on water deal- Citing changes to a contract made by a proposed Gulf Coast coal power plant, the Lower Colorado River Authority on Wednesday indefinitely postponed a vote next week on the plan to send at least 8.3 billion gallons of water a year to the White Stallion Energy Center.

New America Foundation blog: Is there an independent unbiased expert in the house?-Last week, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the advocacy group Public Citizen that the FDA may loosen conflict-of-interest rules for experts who serve on the agency’s advisory panels.

Campus Progress: Transparency takes a hit at research universities-  A transparency drive by the US National Institutes of Health would have required universities and medican schools to publicly disclose financial arrangements which could create a conflict of interest in any NIH-funded work.

Salon: Obama's anti-jobs agenda- For months, polls have reported that reducing unemployment is Americans' top political priority -- and certainly a much bigger priority than reducing the deficit

Insurance News: Life settlement provider Coventry First drops Twitter trademark infringement suit- Life insurance settlement provider Coventry First has dropped a trademark infringement lawsuit it filed in federal court alleging anonymous defendants were posting false Twitter messages saying that it wants people to die quickly.

Huffington Post: This summer of our discontent emboldens activists nationwide- Those lazy, hazy summer days of relaxing and thinking about traveling to far-off destinations is but a distant memory this year as we have been shocked back to brutal reality by the theatre of the absurd being played out in the debt ceiling fight in our nation's capitol.

AboutLawsuits: Prednisone and Glucocorticosteroids need eye injury warnings- Public Citizen, a prominent consumer watchdog group, is calling for new warnings about the risk of eye problems to be added to some classes of steroids, saying that side effects of prednisone and other glucocorticosteroids could leave consumers with impaired vision. 

Chicago Sun Times: Watch use of steroids- they could damage eyes-  Steroid drugs such as prednisone taken by 25.5 million Americans for arthritis, cancer, transplants and other conditions need stronger consumer warnings about a rare but possibly irreversible vision impairment, a University of Michigan eye doctor and the consumer Public Citizen organization said last week in a federal petition for stronger warning labels on the drugs.

Politico: Watchdog group hits FDA on drug experts- Washington watchdog Project On Government Oversight plans to snap at the FDA on Wednesday, arguing in a lengthy missive that the agency must not loosen its conflict-of-interest rules for pharmaceutical industry scientists serving on FDA advisory committees and panels.

Out of the Storm News: Spending cuts that would also help the environment- In a few weeks, the new edition of The Green Scissors report will come out from Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Public Citizen and Heartland.

The Denver Post: Case dropped requiring ISP to reveal customer names- A Berthoud-based Internet service provider will not have to hand over customer names after the upscale fashion retailer suing for the information decided to drop the case.

The Georgetown Dish: Cheh speaks softly, but surely against Dan Snyder's suit- Councilmember Mary Cheh has signed on to an amicus brief filed by the ACLU and 14 media and public interest organizations countering Redskins owner Dan Snyder's defamation suit against Washington City Paper.

The Keene Sentinel: Fake bidder gets two years -  A Utah man lionized by environmentalists for crashing a 2008 government auction of energy leases near two national parks was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $10,000 last week.

Reuters: Lawmakers may relax drug conflict rules- U.S. lawmakers likely will change the criteria for advisers reviewing new medicines next year because of complaints that the rules meant to prevent conflicts of interest make it harder to find real experts.