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Homophobic, Climate Change Denialist Sacked from Oil Spill Panel

The Department of Energy has dumped a controversial physicist and self-described "proud homophobe" from the panel of “extraordinarily intelligent” scientists appointed to solve the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Jonathan I. Katz, a physics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, was sacked after his anti-gay writings surfaced over the weekend and became a "distraction."

OutQNews reports:

"According to a Department of Energy spokesperson, Jonathan I. Katz is no longer a member of the scientific team tasked with finding solutions to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The team was put together by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Stephanie Mueller told OutQ News: 'Dr. Chu has spoken with dozens of scientists and engineers as part of his work to help find solutions to stop the oil spill. Some of Professor Katz’s controversial writings have become a distraction from the critical work of addressing the oil spill. Professor Katz will no longer be involved in the Department’s efforts.'"

Katz is the author of several polemical blog posts, such as "In Defense of Homophobia" where he calls himself a "proud homophobe." AMERICABlog noted that one of the "best scientific minds" in the country blamed 'sodomites" for the deaths of "innocent people" who became HIV positive and wrote:

"Unfortunately, the victims are not only those whose reckless behavior brought death on themselves. There are many completely innocent victims, too: hemophiliacs (a substantial fraction died as a result of contaminated clotting factor), recipients of contaminated transfusions, and their spouses and children, for AIDS can be transmitted heterosexually (in America, only infrequently) and congenitally. The icy road was lined with unsuspecting innocents, who never chose to ride a motorcycle. Guilt for their deaths is on the hands of the homosexuals and intravenous drug abusers who poisoned the blood supply. These people died so the sodomites could feel good about themselves."

The  anti-gay professor—who also mocks the developmentally disabled—is a climate change denialist and once said "global warming is probably good for humanity." Probably not the best appointment for an Administration that wants to pass a climate change bill. BP is probably sorry to lose this "extraordinarily intelligent" mind, tho.

Much more at AMERICABlog, which also posted a petition calling for Katz's resignation ...

Report: Senate Democrats Tell Obama to "Give Up" Cap and Trade

Starting to see a pattern? Moderate and conservative Senate Democrats have told the White House to "give up" on any effort to pass a cap-and-trade bill in 2010. That's the heart of the Obama Administration's climate agenda and the opposition is lead by Sens. Conrad (ND), Landrieu (LA) and Nelson (NE) ... the same three senators who vehemently opposed the public option and Medicare expansion in health care reform and threatened to filibuster.

"I am communicating that in every way I know how," said Sen. Landrieu, one of at least a half-dozen Democrats who've told the White House or their own leaders that it's time to jettison the centerpiece of their party's plan to curb global warming.

The creation of an economywide market for greenhouse gas emissions is the heart of the climate bill that cleared the House earlier this year. But with the health care fight still raging and the economy still hurting, moderate Democrats have little appetite for another sweeping initiative — especially another one likely to pass with little or no Republican support. "We need to deal with the phenomena of global warming, but I think it’s very difficult in the kind of economic circumstances we have right now," said Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, who called passage of any economywide cap and trade "unlikely."

"I’d just as soon see that set aside until we work through the economy," said Sen. Ben Nelson. "What we don’t want to do is have anything get in the way of working to resolve the problems with the economy." "Climate change in an election year has very poor prospects," added Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.). "I've told that to the leadership."

The House passed its version of the cap and trade last summer. Republicans have vowed to make that and health care "reform" its primary lines of attack during next year’s elections. As a result, Democrats have reportedly told congressional leadership they want to avoid voting on climate and any other "controversial" legislation before the 2010 elections.

John Aravosis at AMERICAblog adds: "Don't expect the Democrats to touch any controversial legislation for the next three years. That includes DADT, DOMA, ENDA, immigration, climate change or any of their other promises. And yes, they appear to be moving ahead on immigration. Just wait and see what they come up with, during an election year. It's not going to be pretty and it's going to end up just like the health care reform bill. Except this time, the part of the unions and the health care reform groups will be played by the immigration and Latino groups. The WH will lecture them about accepting half a loaf and being too naively idealistic."

WATCH: Obama Urges UN to Embrace "New Era of Engagement"

In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Barack Obama sought to reset U.S. relations with the international community and called for a "new era" of global cooperation.

The President said: "The time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and respect, and our work must begin now." Obama also made an indirect criticism to the George W. Bush era of unilateralism, saying he is breaking with past U.S. policies on the use of torture, will close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and will combat terrorism "within the rule of law."

Here, here. A President who wants to "lead" the Free World ... as opposed to just being the world's police force. Watch two video clips, WHEN YOU JUMP.

Test your broadband speed

Anti-Gay Inhofe Calls Sotomayor a "Racist" ... But Racist Strom Thurmond is "A Great American"

As the Senate is poised to confirm confirms Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the nation's first ever Supreme Court justice of Hispanic descent, anti-gay, anti-science and pro-global warming Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma calls the new Supreme Court justice a "racist" on the Senate floor.

Think Progress reports the right-wing senator had "very different things to say about a fellow Southern white conservative", the anti-gay and pro-segregation former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS).

After Lott claimed that America would have avoided "all these problems" if it had put a segregationist in the White House, Inhofe quickly came to Lott’s defense: "In an effort to honor the life and service of Strom Thurmond, Senator Lott made some comments that he probably wishes he had phrased differently," Inhofe said. "I do not believe Senator Lott meant to be malicious or racist with the comments he made. I believe he was merely honoring a great American on his 100th birthday. "

AFTER THE JUMP, via Think Progress, watch right-wing anti-gay and global warming denier Inhofe call Supreme Court Justice a "racist." Projecting much, Jimbo?

Really? 50 Cent "Beards" with Gay Icon Bette Midler

And by "beard" of course we're referring to 50 Cent's butch, new facial hair. The campy gangsta rap superstar shows off his new beard ... and the fabulous Better Midler at last night's benefit for the Divine Miss M's New York Restoration Project.

The guest list included a who's who of gay fabulousity—such Andre Leon Talley and Tim Gunn, who probably approved of 50 Cent's Gucci shirt and belt. Oh and Dolly Parton, too. I'm loving this new look and crowd for Fiddy.

 

50 Cent and Bette collaborated on the development of a public garden in his childhood neighborhood in Jamaica, Queens. Bette Midler recently talked about going in the studio with Fiddy for another collaboration: To sing jazz duets. "It’ll be the little Jewish lady and the great big rapper. He’s such a doll. I love him. He’s gorgeous. I was hoping we’d sing songs from the Depression."

WHEN YOU JUMP, close-ups of 50 Cent's new beard, the menu and the invitation.

Right-Wing, Anti-Gay Palin Also Denies Global Warming is Manmade

More colorful details emerge on the extreme politics of Sarah Palin, the anti-gay, social conservative former small town Alaska mayor turned first term governor tapped for the number two spot on the Republican ticket. In an brand new interview released by Newsmax, the conservative news source, Palin was asked for her "take on global warming and how is it affecting our country."

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location," Palin says and adds, "I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."

NASA, the National Academy of Sciences and the United Nations disagree. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is more than 90 percent certain that human activity was "very likely" the cause of global warming.

Jarid Manos, the environmental advocate and author of Ghetto Plainsman, adds that Palin is "no moderate environmentalist" and actually wrote an op-ed in The New York Times arguing that it was the "wrong move" to list the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. When the Bush Administration announced its listing of the polar bear as a threatened species, Palin sided with corrupt, indicted and anti-gay Sen. Ted Stevens and filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse the decision.

Why waste time debating Palin's experience. Do we even want someone this extreme one heartbeat away from John McCain's 72-year-old heart?

Palin Speaks About McCain, Abortion, Climate Change [Nx]

More GLOBAL WARMING

Some Background .... "
Stevens: Pipeline More Important Than Polar Bears [R20]
News: Polar Bears, John Edwards [R20]
News: Polar Bears, Florida Primary [R20]
"International Polar Year" Begins [R20]
Only 13 Percent of GOP Believe Warming [R20]
Cheney on Global Warming [R20]
Environment: Pharrell Concert, Exxon [R20]
Warming "Very Likely" Caused By Humans [R20]
White House Pressures Scientists [R20]
GOP Names Climate Skeptic to Committee [R20]

Obama Speaks to 200,000 in Berlin, Urges Joint Fight Against Terror

Berlin, Germany is the location of the largest crowd of Barack Obama's campaign, as the Democratic presidential candidate spoke to an estimated 200,000 people and summoned Europeans and Americans together to "defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it" as they conquered communism a generation ago.

Speaking not far from where the Berlin Wall once divided the historic city, the Illinois senator said , "The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. "The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand."

Obama drew loud applause as he strode across a large podium erected at the base of the Victory Column in Tiergarten Park in the heart of Berlin. He referred repeatedly to the Berlin airlift, launched by the Allies 60 years ago when the Russians hoped to isolate the Western sector of the city, and drew loud applause by asking our European allies to fight against terrorism, radicalism, nuclear proliferation and global warming. "The burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden."

Full text after the jump.

Obama Uses Berlin Symbolism to Reunite Old Allies [CNN]
Obama Urges Germans to Work with US to Stop Terror [AP]

News: Demarco Majors, Marriage, Methodists, HIV, Kanye and Pharrell

· It's official. This fall, Californians will vote on the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry after "the state supreme court denied a legal challenge by gay and civil rights groups to remove a proposed amendment to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples, Proposition 8, from the November ballot." The court’s vote was unanimous.

· Los Angeles Times: "Scores of United Methodist pastors in California are putting their careers on the line in an open revolt against religious edicts that forbid them to conduct weddings for gay and lesbian couples. ... Pastors have been emboldened by United Methodist assemblies in California that declared their support last month for the state Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning a ban on same-sex marriage."

· Everything you always wanted to know about basketball player Demarco Majors.

· 50 Cent to hook up with Val Kilmer.

· Politico profiles Lane Hudson, the political strategist and blogger who exposed former congressman and GOPerv Mark Foley.

· ABC News features a report on LGBT youth and discrimination in middle schools. The Washington Post published a similar story Monday, on Saro Harvey, a 15-year-old black gay teen, which you can also watch. To add some context to the precarious position of gay youth, Pride Agenda reports "a North Carolina anti-bullying bill is stalled due to its inclusion of LGBT students."

· HIV/AIDS research is slowing. Swiss pharma giant Roche announces it will suspend its "HIV research because none of its pending medicines represents a significant improvement over existing drugs" and reassign its HIV research scientists to other projects. One recent advancement in HIV research is the announcement by pathologists at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston who believe they have found the Achilles Heel, the weakness that would keep the HIV virus from infecting new cells.

· Want a "RIM job"? Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion launches new career microsite. Pun intended. (via Queerclick)

· IBM Q2 profits jump 22%.

· The New England Blade: "Despite growing support for same-sex marriage in the United States as measured by several recent polls, black Americans remain steadfastly opposed to gay unions. According to research conducted by the National Black Justice Coalition and several other organizations, as many as two-thirds of black Americans are against gay marriage. Although the numbers vary by poll, research shows most blacks oppose both gay marriage and civil unions."

· Talk Left reports Rod 2.0 faves Pharrell Williams and Kanye West are among the hip-hop acts that will perform in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. Meanwhile, Pharrell and Kanye pushback against rumors on the internets that they employ ghost bloggers to publish their highly popular and frequently updated blogs. To squash the drama, Kanye publishes photos of himself at his computer and on his blog with some choice words (in all caps) for the haterz.

· New York Gov. David Paterson and the NAACP condemn the New Yorker's satirical cover depicting Barack and Michelle Obama.

· Intellectual Conservative, a right-wing blog that boasts "Extremism You Can Believe In," mocks Obama’s LGBT-inclusive policies and public mentions of gays and lesbians.

· Environmental Protection Agency says the value of an American life has decreased. Think Progress reports, "The EPA lowered its 'value of a statistical life' measure to $6.9 million in today’s dollars, which is 'a drop of nearly $1 million from just five years ago.' ... Critics say that the Bush administration is 'changing the value to avoid tougher [environmental] rules.' 'It’s hard to imagine that it has other than a political motivation,' said former senior EPA official Dan Esty."

Gore Speaks on Global Warming, Outlines Ambitious Energy Goal

Former Vice President Al Gore, the man who should be president right, delivers a major speech on global warming and challenges the nation to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other environmentally-friendly and renewable energy sources within 10 years. It's an audacious and ambitious goal he hopes the next president, whoever he may be, will embrace. Gore compared his challenge to John F. Kennedy's 1961 pledge to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade.

"This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative,” the Nobel Prize-winning Democrat said at an energy conference. "It represents a challenge to all Americans, in every walk of life—to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen."

Gore says fellow Democrat Barack Obama and Republican rival John McCain are "way ahead" of most politicians in the fight against global climate change.

In January, the former veep came out in support of same sex marriage.

Gore Sets Energy Goal for Next President to Heed [AP]

More AL GORE

Some Background ...
Gore on Iraq: "My Heart Goes Out to All Those Who Have Lost Partners" [R20]
Right-Wing Attacks Gore After Oscar [R20]
Right-Wing Attack After Gore's Nobel [R20]
Live Earth Brings Global Awareness to Warming [R20]

Massive Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapsing in the Middle of Winter

An update on a story we first reported in March. This week, scientists report a massive Antarctic ice shelf "the size of Northern Ireland" is on the verge of disintegration. The situation is especially troubling because this is the middle of the Antarctic winter and the rapid disintegration is undoubtedly a consequence of global warming.

The European Space Agency says new satellite pictures show that the Wilkins shelf – the largest to be threatened so far – is "hanging by its last thread". Extending for approximately 5,600 square miles, it has been held in place by a thin ice bridge connecting it to an island, but this is now fracturing.

The shelf, which lies near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula, had not been expected to collapse until the early 2020s. It provides further evidence that the planet is warming more quickly than predicted.

Scientists are stunned that it is continuing to melt in the depths of winter, and believe that warm water is welling up from the ocean to attack it from underneath. So far seven shelves on the peninsula have collapsed due to climate change.

The collapse of the entire ice shelf is now seen as "imminent."

On Friday, President George Bush left the G8 summit by quipping, "Goodbye from the world's greatest polluter!"

Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapse 'Imminent' [Independent]
Scientists Surprised by Midwinter Collapse [Age]

More GLOBAL WARMING

Some Background ....
Western Antarctic Ice Shelf Collapses, [R20]
News: Polar Bears, John Edwards [R20]
News: Polar Bears, Florida Primary [R20]
"International Polar Year" Begins [R20]
Only 13 Percent of GOP Believe Warming [R20]
Cheney on Global Warming [R20]
Environment: Pharrell Concert, Exxon [R20]
Warming "Very Likely" Caused By Humans [R20]
White House Pressures Scientists [R20]
GOP Names Climate Skeptic to Committee [R20]
NASA Says Global Warming "Not a Problem" [R20]