Tuesday 11 February 2014

Don't believe all you hear about 'sugar'


Andy Briscoe, head of the Sugar Association, says the media often confuse natural sugar for high-fructose corn syrup.


Andy Briscoe, head of the Sugar Association, says the media often confuse natural sugar for high-fructose corn syrup.






  • Andy Briscoe says media reports involving natural sugar are often misleading

  • Briscoe contends recent studies linking excess sugar to poor health are inadequate

  • Too often, he argues, headlines confuse sucrose -- or sugar -- with high-fructose corn syrup




Editor's note: Andy Briscoe is the president and CEO of the Sugar Association.


(CNN) -- Just about every time an article about "sugar" is published, I get frustrated because of the effort by some to falsely target sugar.


Although reporters often ask the Sugar Association for scientific facts and data regarding sugar to use in their stories, the information we provide is rarely included. Often, it's completely ignored because it does not support the preconceived focus of their article.


Thus, a tremendous amount of factual, scientifically verified information about all-natural sugar (sucrose) is being left out of today's conversation. And, sugar, the natural version, is too often confused with the more prevalent man-made sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup.


That's misleading for consumers. And it's bad for advancing a real debate about solving the serious problem of obesity in America.




Andy Briscoe



Opinion: The sweet secret that could kill you


I'm talking about a legitimate, credible discussion, supported by government data and independent scientific research, not hysteria and misinformation. Those using inflammatory and baseless phrases like "toxic" are often more concerned with a sound bite to sensationalize an article or TV appearance, and their claims have more to do with boosting their social media following or selling books than resolving genuine issues of public health. Targeting sugar alone is disingenuous, at best.


The most recent example of this trend is a study that appeared in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, and the media storm that ensued, condemning sugar as a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease.


Consider this: The authors of the study itself concede that an observational study like theirs is not proof of cause and effect. The authors fail to note the weakness of the self-reported data they used to estimate intake levels of "added sugar."


This inadequacy is demonstrated by the fact that study participants self-reporting higher levels of physical activity had a greater, not the expected lower, risk of cardiovascular disease. And the study's authors also simplistically lumped together all caloric sweeteners as "added sugar" rather than identifying them individually (more on this in a minute).


Yet that didn't stop headlines like "Sugar tied to fatal heart problems" or "Eating too much sugar may be killing you."





Report: Sugar raises heart concerns




Put down that sugar!




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Sugar not only makes you fat, it may make you sick


These headlines -- and many others resulting from the study -- underscore the problem consumers are facing when seeking factual information on health.


Having worked with the U.S. sugar industry for more than a decade, I am becoming more and more dismayed by those habitually providing a megaphone for what "some" folks are saying while barely giving a thought to whether these claims reflect a consensus view that is either prevailing among qualified experts or is scientifically correct.


Although obsessing about sugar as "the" problem in our diets gives headline writers everywhere the chance to grab our attention with provocative puns, it undermines the worth of important work regarding other dietary and health concerns. It takes the focus and resources away from us supporting scientifically verified, proven interventions dealing with obesity.


The fact is that American per capita consumption of real sugar (sucrose) is lower now than it was 40 years ago by approximately one-third (34%). So of all the things we need to worry about in this world, "higher" consumption of sugar is not among them. Because we've been consuming less of it for decades.


And when critics talk about consumption of "sugar-sweetened" or "sugary beverages," they are often inaccurately lumping sugar -- from sugar cane and sugar beets -- with man-made sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup.


Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, for example, are different sweeteners. They are molecularly different. With U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing that more than 90% of the caloric sweetener used in beverages in the United States is such corn syrup, not sugar, how can the media, or anyone, continue to call them "sugar-sweetened beverages"?


So Americans just need to remember: Only sucrose, or sugar, is sugar. Sugar has been consumed safely for centuries and, when consumed in moderation, has been and should continue to be part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. That's a fact.


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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Andy Briscoe.



'Batman' prequel casts roles


Actor Sean Pertwee has been cast as Alfred Pennyworth in Fox's Batman prequel,


Actor Sean Pertwee has been cast as Alfred Pennyworth in Fox's Batman prequel, "Gotham."






  • Fox's Batman prequel has cast four major roles

  • Robin Lord Taylor will portray Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin

  • "Event Horizon's" Sean Pertwee has been cast as Alfred Pennyworth

  • The new actors will join Ben McKenzie, who'll play Det. Gordon




(EW.com) -- Fox's Batman prequel "Gotham" has filled four major roles, including The Penguin and Alfred Pennyworth.


The following actors will join star Ben McKenzie ("Southland") as Det. Gordon in the pilot:


• Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot (a.k.a. the Penguin). He's described as having "the brains of a chess grandmaster and the morals of a jackal, Oswald Cobblepot is a low-level psychopath for gangster Fish Mooney who hides his sadistic lust for power behind an exquisitely polite demeanor." Taylor had appearances on several shows, most notably on AMC's "The Walking Dead" during season 4, playing a survivor named Sam who runs into Rick and Carol.


'Game of Thrones' star joins Fox's '24' in major role


• Next is Zabryna Guevara ("Burn Notice") as Captain Essen: "Gordon's boss at the GCPD Homicide Squad, Captain Essen balances the two worlds of police and politics with a Machiavellian skill that's as much corporate litigator as cop."


• Sean Pertwee ("Event Horizon") as Alfred Pennyworth: "A tough-as-nails ex-marine from East London, Alfred Pennyworth has loyally served the Waynes. Now, in the wake of their tragic deaths, he's fiercely protective of the young Bruce Wayne."


• Erin Richards ("Being Human") as Barbara Kean: "A sophisticated emergency room doctor, Barbara is the fiancĂ©e of James Gordon, joyful but with an edge of vulnerability. She stands by her future husband...which can be difficult in a world as corrupt as Gotham."


Death Watch 2014: TV show survival predictions


"Gotham" is billed as an origin-story prequel series to the Batman films from Warner Bros. TV. Bruno Heller ("The Mentalist") wrote the pilot script and will serve as executive producer. Danny Cannon ("Nikita") will direct and executive produce the pilot.


Thoughts? Those descriptions are pretty intriguing. Love the idea of Alfred as a tough solider rather than merely a genteel butler (the DC Comics have a few different versions of Alfred's backstory, but one is that he's a retired intelligence agent).


See the original story at EW.com.


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© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.



How do Americans get on U.S. 'hit list'?





  • Peter Bergen: U.S. officials reported to be considering targeting an American citizen

  • He says Obama authorized killing of Anwar al-Awlaki by U.S. drone in Yemen

  • Attorney general said U.S. citizens aren't immune to attack, put forth criteria for these cases

  • Bergen: Many Americans would argue such a decision requires review by courts




Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a director at the New America Foundation and the author of "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad."


(CNN) -- President Barack Obama is the first American president known to have authorized the assassination of a US citizen.


On September 30, 2011, Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen by virtue of his birth in New Mexico in 1971, was killed by an American drone in Yemen along with another U.S. citizen, Samir Khan, who grew up in New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina.


Al-Awlaki had played an operational role in al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- for instance, tasking the "underwear bomber," Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, to bring down an American airliner over the United States.



Peter Bergen


AbdulMutallab attempted to bring down Northwest Flight 253 over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, but luckily his underwear bomb didn't detonate correctly.


Khan had played more of a supporting role for AQAP as the editor of the group's online magazine, Inspire, which has inspired a number of terrorists, including the two brothers suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon last year.


The killings of two American citizens by a U.S. drone without a judicial process caused considerable outrage on both the left and the right.


Since then there has been far more public discussion of the secretive drone program, both by U.S. government officials, including President Obama, and at public hearings about drones in Congress. But will al-Awlaki and Khan be the last Americans to die in a U.S. drone strike?





U.S. citizen may be target of drone




U.S. might kill American terror suspect

U.S. officials are now debating whether to kill with a drone another American citizen who is part of al Qaeda and believed to be plotting attacks against the United States, a senior U.S. official tells CNN.


The Associated Press first reported this development but is withholding the name of the targeted individual.


There has been speculation but no confirmation about who the individual might be. At least a couple of other American citizens or permanent residents are known to play important roles in al Qaeda today.


One name that has been mentioned in media reports is that of California-born Adam Gadahn, who for the past decade has operated as a leading al Qaeda propagandist. In 2006 Gadahn was the first American charged with treason in more than half a century.


However, there is, at least so far, no public information that Gadahn has played an operational role in al Qaeda's terrorist plots, and therefore it is unlikely that he would be placed on a "kill list," unless his role in al Qaeda has changed of late from propagandist to operational planner.


According to a senior U.S. administration official, Gadahn is not the subject of the ongoing high-level discussions about whether a new name should be added to the kill list.


In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in May 2013, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder laid out the legal rationale the government uses to determine if an American citizen can be killed in a drone strike.


In the letter, Holder said that based on Supreme Court decisions during World War II, merely being an American citizen does not make one "immune from being targeted." Holder also asserted that an American who poses an "imminent threat of violent attack against the United States" and is in a location where capture "is not feasible" could be killed.


Holder explained that al-Awlaki "plainly satisfied all these conditions" as he had recruited the underwear bomber and instructed him to blow up an U.S. airliner "when it was over American soil." Al-Awlaki was also killed in a remote part of Yemen where a U.S. ground operation to capture him was deemed unfeasible by the Obama administration.


There is a certain irony in Holder's legal reasoning. The FBI was monitoring al-Awlaki's e-mail account for years before he was killed. To monitor his e-mail, the FBI had to get a court order.


Yet the decision to target al-Awlaki for death was made without any kind of judicial proceeding. As Vicki Divoll, a former assistant general counsel for the CIA, nicely put it a year before al-Awlaki was killed in the drone strike, "Awlaki's right to privacy exceeds his right to life."


Khan was killed in the same drone strike that killed al-Awlaki, but according to a senior U.S. official, that was unintentional and was merely a byproduct of Khan traveling in the same car as al-Awlaki when the drone strike occurred.


In sum, Khan's role as the editor of Inspire magazine was not enough to put him on a kill list.


When it comes to targeting a U.S. citizen for death, American officials, by their own account, will make particular efforts to determine how dangerous an al Qaeda operative that person really is. In the eyes of many Americans, however, a decision to kill one of their own should also be subject to judicial review.


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Should American Samoans be citizens?


Danny Cevallos says Congress has the power to decide whether to grant citizenship to those born in American Samoa.


Danny Cevallos says Congress has the power to decide whether to grant citizenship to those born in American Samoa.






  • Danny Cevallos: American Samoans are right to be frustrated

  • He says Samoans are suing the federal government to get citizenship rights

  • Constitution gives the power to make that decision to Congress, he says

  • Cevallos: It seems fair to change law so that American Samoans get citizenship




Editor's note: Danny Cevallos is a CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney practicing in the Territories of the United States, including the U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John; and the Federal District Court of Puerto Rico.


(CNN) -- American Samoans have every right to be frustrated.


The United States laid claim to these eastern islands of a South Pacific archipelago in 1900, and since that time, American Samoans have served in the U.S. military, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Yet, those born in American Samoa receive passports declaring the holder is only a U.S. national, not a U.S. citizen. Noncitizen residents complain they are unable to vote in national elections or to work in jobs that require citizenship status. They also claim their birth status renders them ineligible for federal work-study programs in college, firearm permits and travel/immigration visas.



Danny Cevallos


If they want to become citizens, American Samoans must relocate to another part of the United States to initiate the naturalization process, pay a $680 fee and be subjected to a moral character assessment, fingerprinting and the English/civics examination. Quite a process to become citizens of the nation that they consider their home.


American Samoans indeed have every right to be frustrated.


However, they have zero legal right to be U.S. citizens.


While it's true that they would likely win their case in nearly every court of public opinion, they will ultimately lose in all the courts that count: actual courts of law. As with many things, when it comes to citizenship, little is guaranteed to residents of the Territories.


American Samoans have challenged federal laws and policy that decline to grant citizenship. The federal district court in the District of Columbia granted the government's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but the D.C. Circuit, the appellate court, is giving the American Samoans another chance to argue their case.





Ted Cruz renounces Canadian citizenship

The last American frontier


The U.S. Territories are the last American frontier. They are as rugged as the Wild West and arguably as picturesque. Because of patchwork governance and varying isolation from the mainland, their outward appearances run the gamut: from teeming, vibrant quasi-state to desolated, sun-blasted rock, all scattered to the corners of the globe.


So what of the residents of these Territories? They are people like you or me. Are they U.S. citizens? Or -- like the soil on which they live -- are they considered another "possession" of the United States?


The short answer is: They are whatever Congress wants them to be. Whether that sounds fair or not, there's little to dispute legally.


Territorial residents are not without any constitutional protections. The Supreme Court defined the extent to which the Constitution applies in Territories in a series of cases known to those of us who live or work in the Territories as the Insular Cases. These cases held that only specific "fundamental" constitutional rights are guaranteed to Territorial inhabitants.


The question then is whether the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment applies to American Samoans. The Citizenship Clause provides that "[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."


American Samoa is certainly "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States. But residents must also be born "in the United States" for the constitutional right to attach. Unfortunately, for 14th Amendment citizenship purposes, the Territories have never been considered "in the United States."


No federal court has ever recognized birthright citizenship as a guarantee in unincorporated Territories. In fact, federal courts have held on many occasions that unincorporated Territories are not included within the "United States" for purposes of the Citizenship Clause. Because these residents have no Constitutional, automatic right to citizenship, Congress can pick and choose how they become citizens. In fact, it has done just that: granting citizenship at birth to residents of other Territories.


For example, residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are citizens if born there. But that citizenship does not flow from any constitutional right. Rather, Congress has chosen to pass independent legislation giving those residents citizenship.


Indeed, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court observed in one opinion that the only remaining noncitizen nationals are residents of American Samoa and Swains Island. When it comes to citizenship in the Territories, Congress can giveth or it can choose not to giveth, and the Constitution gives those residents no recourse.


Annexation and inconvenience?


The public policy is clear. Courts have been reluctant to force Congress to grant citizenship to persons merely because the U.S. has annexed their homeland. Courts and the legislature alike cite the practical inconvenience to the federal government.


The theory: If the practice of acquiring Territories required endowing the inhabitants with citizenship of the United States, this would be too great an inconvenience to the government. Then again, imagine the inconvenience to the newly annexed inhabitants who suddenly find themselves without citizenship anywhere.


American Samoans have fought in our armed services for over a century, so it feels fundamentally unfair that they get short shrift when it comes to citizenship. The problem is, fairness cannot overcome the language of the Constitution and centuries of legal precedent.


Fair or not, American Samoans will likely lose this legal battle, even though the Court of Appeals has given them a glimmer of hope and a second chance, of sorts. Citizenship for them is not a constitutional right; it cannot be grafted onto them by any court.


Only Congress can choose to grant citizenship to Territorial inhabitants.


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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Danny Cevallos.



Is a gold medal all that matters?






Sports fans have had plenty of exciting action to cheer at Russia's first Winter Olympics. Sports fans have had plenty of exciting action to cheer at Russia's first Winter Olympics.

"It's a great honor to represent my country and there's a great sense of pride when everyone back home sees the Cayman Island flag," says skier Dow Travers, who had the honor of leading his tiny nation's delegation at the opening ceremony. "It's a great honor to represent my country and there's a great sense of pride when everyone back home sees the Cayman Island flag," says skier Dow Travers, who had the honor of leading his tiny nation's delegation at the opening ceremony.

"It was the best feeling just to compete even though it didn't work out the way I wanted," says Austria's Anna Gasser, who qualified fastest for the women's snowboard slopestyle final but finished 10th after suffering two falls and a false start. "It was the best feeling just to compete even though it didn't work out the way I wanted," says Austria's Anna Gasser, who qualified fastest for the women's snowboard slopestyle final but finished 10th after suffering two falls and a false start.

"This will be vital to help popularize the kind of sport I participate in across my country," says Russian speed skater Ekaterina Lobysheva. "We used to be very good in these disciplines but did not always have the places to train or to compete in, but now we do!" "This will be vital to help popularize the kind of sport I participate in across my country," says Russian speed skater Ekaterina Lobysheva. "We used to be very good in these disciplines but did not always have the places to train or to compete in, but now we do!"

"This has been such a great opportunity for us," say unpaid volunteer workers Sarana, Ksenya and David. "It's been great to meet so many new people.""This has been such a great opportunity for us," say unpaid volunteer workers Sarana, Ksenya and David. "It's been great to meet so many new people."

"Sport crosses boundaries and there are very few truly global opportunities, but the Olympics is absolutely one of those," says Steve Easterbrook, McDonald's global chief brand officer of Sochi 2014 partner McDonald's."Sport crosses boundaries and there are very few truly global opportunities, but the Olympics is absolutely one of those," says Steve Easterbrook, McDonald's global chief brand officer of Sochi 2014 partner McDonald's.

"In Finland women's ice hockey is not that popular at the moment, so this will really help to inspire people to get interested in the sport," says Susanna Tapani, here celebrating with teammate Minnamari Tuominen after scoring a goal against the U.S. in a preliminary round Group A game."In Finland women's ice hockey is not that popular at the moment, so this will really help to inspire people to get interested in the sport," says Susanna Tapani, here celebrating with teammate Minnamari Tuominen after scoring a goal against the U.S. in a preliminary round Group A game.









  • Amy Bass: "You don't win silver, you lose gold" is the way some Sochi competitors feel

  • Bass: While some shed tears over getting a bronze, others like Jenny Jones are jublilant

  • She says Heidi Kloser broke her leg but still walked with her team as an Olympian

  • Bass: For others, no medal necessary, Olympic spirit is not winning, but just "to take part"




Editor's note: Amy Bass, a professor of history at The College of New Rochelle, is widely published on the cultural history of sports, including her book "Not the Triumph but the Struggle: The 1968 Olympics and the Making of the Black Athlete." She is a veteran of eight Olympics as the supervisor of NBC's Research Room, for which she won an Emmy in 2012. On Twitter @bassab1


(CNN) -- The look on moguls skier Hannah Kearney's face said it all: A bronze medal felt like a loss to the defending Olympic champion. After posting the top score in the qualifying round, it seemed her quest to become the first freestyle skier to win two gold medals was secure. But a mistake on the top of the course in the final round left her with a 21.49, a bronze medal score.


After finally regaining her composure, the 24-year-old American tried to find a bright side: "It's really unfortunate it's at the Olympics, but I'm sure something good will come of it. I'm just not sure what it is yet."



Amy Bass


At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Nike launched a controversial advertising campaign: "You don't win silver -- you lose gold." The company pulled the ads after many complained that it violated the Olympic spirit.


Kearney, it seems, would agree, as she later said she was proud to bring the Olympic medal home, albeit one of the wrong color. She is not alone. In 2008, a tepid controversy arose regarding who had "won" the medal count -- the unofficial tallying of medals that rose to prominence during the Cold War. At the Beijing Olympics, the United States figured itself atop the medal count with 45 total, 14 of which were gold; the Chinese -- with 41 total -- put itself on top with 26 golds.


Although the Olympic Charter states that competitions are between individuals and teams, not countries, a medal's worth depends on who is holding it. While Kearney shed tears over her bronze, British snowboarder Jenny Jones expressed jubilation over hers in slopestyle. Having won Great Britain's very first Olympic medal in a snow sport, Jones could barely contain her joy over her surprise third place finish, and the mayor of her hometown, Bristol, plans to welcome her back with a grand celebration.





Canadian speed skater Hamelin takes gold




Did Obama snub Putin?

But bronzes are not just happy occasions when they are surprises. Veteran Alpine skier Julia Mancuso arrived in Sochi as the most decorated American woman in Olympic Alpine history, 1 gold and 2 silvers, and added to that haul on her first day of competition a bronze in the Super Combined. Coming off a relatively miserable season, and always a question mark in slalom, Mancuso has been known to save her best for the most high-profile moments, exemplified by her silver in the same event in Vancouver.


Her successful debut in Sochi -- and she's by no means done -- gives Mancuso a medal of every color -- the bronze completed her set. Was she happy? "I got a medal today," she crowed afterward, looking just as ebullient as gold medalist Maria Hoefl-Riesch.


Mancuso's seasoned enthusiasm was equaled by the American figure skaters, who captured bronze in the inaugural team competition. With the exception of ice dancers Charlie White and Meryl Davis, predictions for U.S. skaters in Sochi have been gloomy, meaning that any medal -- bronze or otherwise -- was better than none at all.


The opposite could be said for snowboarding legend Shaun White. Some competitors met with vitriol his decision to withdraw from slopestyle to stay healthy and focus on halfpipe. Perhaps critics should give him a break. For White, it isn't about a medal of any color. It's about capturing that unprecedented third gold.


For others, of course, no medal is required: Mere participation at the Olympics is victory enough. The majority of the athletes who march in the Opening Ceremony will not spend time on a podium. We know it, and more important, they know it. For these athletes, the Olympic Creed has real meaning: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part."


The day before Opening, during the moguls qualifier in which Kearney did so well, teammate Heidi Kloser broke her leg in a nasty spill. While in the ambulance, she asked her father if she was still an Olympian, to which he replied "Of course you are." The next evening she made it so, getting to Fisht Olympic Stadium in a wheelchair, and then walking, albeit on crutches, with her team during the Parade of Nations.


In Sochi, Kloser had been a serious medal contender, but in the end it wasn't about competing, it was enough just to be there. For Hannah Kearney, at least initially, it wasn't.


Because she didn't win bronze. She lost gold.


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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amy Bass.



How to seize back democracy





  • Ben Cohen, Larry Cohen: 2014 elections will see huge campaign donations, spending

  • They say Citizens United ruling helped open gates to flood of outside spending to sway vote

  • They say citizens now think corporations, super PACs control democracy

  • Cohens: Public financing of campaigns would restore voice, trust of Americans




Editor's note: Ben Cohen is the co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and the founder of the StampStampede.org campaign, whose goal is to help build the movement to amend the Constitution to get money out of politics. Larry Cohen is president of the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America. CWA, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and the NAACP are conveners of the Democracy Initiative, with more than 40 organizations and 25 million members working for a 21st-century democracy.


(CNN) -- The 2014 midterm elections are quickly shaping up to be the most obscenely expensive ever. As more and more outside groups shell out an unlimited amount of campaign cash -- while accepting bottomless contributions from big business and anonymous wealthy donors -- stockpiling huge amounts of campaign cash has become a political arms race.


Even so, this is the year concerned Americans can begin to turn it all around and get big money out of politics. Together, "we the people" can stamp out big money in politics.


If we don't act now, we're in trouble. The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision was a key ruling in opening up the gates to a torrent of spending by super PACs. Outside groups spent a whopping $2 billion in the 2012 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission figures, compared with $298,549,659 in 2008.



Ben Cohen



Larry Cohen


According to the Center for Responsive Politics' analysis of super PACs and politically active nonprofits, by November of last year these groups had burned through $20.6 million, more than three times the $6.3 million they'd laid out by the same point in the last election.


"Dark money" organizations -- 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits such as Americans for Prosperity or The League of Conservation Voters, which aren't required to disclose the names of their donors -- have nearly quintupled their spending of two years ago.


And right now, the nation is awaiting the Supreme Court's decision in another case, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, which is challenging caps on the total amount that a wealthy donor can directly give to all PACs, campaigns and parties combined -- what's known as "aggregate contribution limits." If the court strikes down contribution limits, one affluent donor would be able to give more than $3 million in direct contributions. Currently, individual donor contributions are capped at $123,200 -- more than double the median family income in America.


What's one impact of all this money?


Many Americans are becoming convinced that their votes don't count, that our political process is controlled by the biggest bankroll, and that money, not the public interest, sets policies and priorities in government. Big money gives a big voice to the wealthy and corporations, at the expense of the rest of us. It threatens the democratic voice that is the foundation of our country. Freshman representatives in Congress are asked to spend nearly half their time raising money, many providing special interest lobbyists and elites with unprecedented access. These special interests can afford to pay $5,000 a plate for politicians' fund-raising breakfasts, or for such things as ski trips, pheasant hunts and luxury golf tournaments.





A new era in campaign finance




Money stamping campaign




Romney: Rules don't make a lot of sense

This access shapes the issues that members of Congress care about. It inevitably promotes a "pay to play" government that leaves other citizens out in the cold and makes the public increasingly cynical that elections matter.


What are the steps we must take to restore our political process to one determined by "we the people"?


Public financing of campaigns would restore the political voice of small contributors and the belief that the votes and voice of ordinary Americans count. Last week, Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Maryland, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, introduced "government by the people" legislation that will empower "we the people" as small donors to fight back against big money in politics.


With a "Freedom from Influence Fund," financed by closing corporate tax loopholes, the bill would give small donors a $25 refundable tax credit, and match contributions of $150 or less at a rate of 6 to 1. This effort is similar to a public finance measure introduced in New York state, and other jurisdictions also are looking at this public financing model. Already 16 states, 500 municipalities and over 140 members of Congress are on record in support.


While local and national advocates are driving key reforms, every citizen -- Democrats, independents and Republicans -- can help build the movement to get money out of politics by legally stamping messages like "Not to be Used for Buying Elections" on their paper currency. On average, a dollar bill stays in circulation for approximately two and a half years and is seen by 875 people. So as more stamped bills enter the marketplace, we can create a massive visual demonstration of support for reforms -- support that our elected representatives will no longer be able to ignore.


If we care about a truly representative government and political process, one that engages and encourages the electorate to participate, then we must take action to get big money out of politics.


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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ben Cohen and Larry Cohen.



Water may be flowing on Mars






Water-ice clouds, polar ice and other geographic features can be seen in this full-disk image of Mars from 2011. NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover touched down on the planet on August 6, 2012. Take a look at stunning photographs of Mars over the years. <a href='http://ift.tt/1b9i3IK' target='_blank'>Check out images from the Mars rover Curiosity</a>.Water-ice clouds, polar ice and other geographic features can be seen in this full-disk image of Mars from 2011. NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover touched down on the planet on August 6, 2012. Take a look at stunning photographs of Mars over the years. Check out images from the Mars rover Curiosity.

This image was captured in 1976 by Viking 2, one of two probes sent to investigate the surface of Mars for the first time. NASA's Viking landers blazed the trail for future missions to Mars.This image was captured in 1976 by Viking 2, one of two probes sent to investigate the surface of Mars for the first time. NASA's Viking landers blazed the trail for future missions to Mars.

The Valles Marineris rift system on Mars is 10 times longer, five times deeper and 20 times wider than the Grand Canyon. This composite image was made from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which launched in 2001.The Valles Marineris rift system on Mars is 10 times longer, five times deeper and 20 times wider than the Grand Canyon. This composite image was made from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which launched in 2001.

The Nili Fossae region of Mars is one of the largest exposures of clay minerals discovered by the OMEGA spectrometer on Mars Express Orbiter. This image was taken in 2007 as part of a campaign to examine more than two dozen potential landing sites for NASA's new Mars rover, Curiosity, also known as the NASA Mars Science Laboratory.The Nili Fossae region of Mars is one of the largest exposures of clay minerals discovered by the OMEGA spectrometer on Mars Express Orbiter. This image was taken in 2007 as part of a campaign to examine more than two dozen potential landing sites for NASA's new Mars rover, Curiosity, also known as the NASA Mars Science Laboratory.

NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander descends to the surface of Mars in May 2008. Fewer than half of the Mars missions have made successful landings.NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander descends to the surface of Mars in May 2008. Fewer than half of the Mars missions have made successful landings.

Phoenix's robotic arm scoops up a sample on June 10, 2008, the 16th Martian day after landing. The lander's solar panel is seen in the lower left.Phoenix's robotic arm scoops up a sample on June 10, 2008, the 16th Martian day after landing. The lander's solar panel is seen in the lower left.

In 2006, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured a 360-degree view known as the McMurdo panorama. The images were taken at the time of year when Mars is farthest from the sun and dust storms are less frequent.In 2006, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured a 360-degree view known as the McMurdo panorama. The images were taken at the time of year when Mars is farthest from the sun and dust storms are less frequent.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express captured this view of Valles Marineris in 2004. The area shows mesas and cliffs as well as features that indicate erosion from flowing water.The European Space Agency's Mars Express captured this view of Valles Marineris in 2004. The area shows mesas and cliffs as well as features that indicate erosion from flowing water.

This view is a vertical projection that combines more than 500 exposures taken by Phoenix in 2008. The black circle on the spacecraft is where the camera itself is mounted.This view is a vertical projection that combines more than 500 exposures taken by Phoenix in 2008. The black circle on the spacecraft is where the camera itself is mounted.

A portion of the west rim of the Endeavour Crater sweeps southward in this view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity in 2011. The crater is 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) across.A portion of the west rim of the Endeavour Crater sweeps southward in this view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity in 2011. The crater is 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) across.

A photo captured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor in 2000 offers evidence that the planet may have been a land of lakes in its earliest period, with layers of Earth-like sedimentary rock that could harbor the fossils of any ancient Martian life.A photo captured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor in 2000 offers evidence that the planet may have been a land of lakes in its earliest period, with layers of Earth-like sedimentary rock that could harbor the fossils of any ancient Martian life.

A U.S. flag and a DVD containing a message for future explorers of Mars, science fiction stories and art about the planet, and the names of 250,000 people sit on the deck of Phoenix in 2008.A U.S. flag and a DVD containing a message for future explorers of Mars, science fiction stories and art about the planet, and the names of 250,000 people sit on the deck of Phoenix in 2008.

A rock outcrop dubbed Longhorn and the sweeping plains of the Gusev Crater are seen in a 2004 image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit.A rock outcrop dubbed Longhorn and the sweeping plains of the Gusev Crater are seen in a 2004 image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit.

Although it is 45 kilometers (28 miles) wide, countless layers of ice and dust have all but buried the Udzha Crater on Mars. The crater lies near the edge of the northern polar cap. This image was taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey Orbiter in 2010.Although it is 45 kilometers (28 miles) wide, countless layers of ice and dust have all but buried the Udzha Crater on Mars. The crater lies near the edge of the northern polar cap. This image was taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey Orbiter in 2010.

NASA's Opportunity examines rocks inside an alcove called Duck Bay in the western portion of the Victoria Crater in 2007.NASA's Opportunity examines rocks inside an alcove called Duck Bay in the western portion of the Victoria Crater in 2007.

Pictured is a series of troughs and layered mesas in the Gorgonum Chaos region of Mars in 2008. This photo was taken by Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor.Pictured is a series of troughs and layered mesas in the Gorgonum Chaos region of Mars in 2008. This photo was taken by Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor.

An image captured in 2008 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows at least four Martian avalanches, or debris falls, taking place. Material, likely including fine-grained ice and dust and possibly large blocks, detached from a towering cliff and cascaded to the gentler slopes below.An image captured in 2008 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows at least four Martian avalanches, or debris falls, taking place. Material, likely including fine-grained ice and dust and possibly large blocks, detached from a towering cliff and cascaded to the gentler slopes below.

This 2008 image spans the floor of Ius Chasma's southern trench in the western region of Valles Marineris, the solar system's largest canyon. Ius Chasma is believed to have been shaped by a process called sapping, in which water seeped from the layers of the cliffs and evaporated before it reached the canyon floor. This 2008 image spans the floor of Ius Chasma's southern trench in the western region of Valles Marineris, the solar system's largest canyon. Ius Chasma is believed to have been shaped by a process called sapping, in which water seeped from the layers of the cliffs and evaporated before it reached the canyon floor.

Pictured is the Martian landscape at Meridiani Planum, where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity successfully landed in 2004. This is one of the first images beamed back to Earth from the rover shortly after it touched down.Pictured is the Martian landscape at Meridiani Planum, where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity successfully landed in 2004. This is one of the first images beamed back to Earth from the rover shortly after it touched down.

An image from the Mars Global Surveyor in 2000 shows potential evidence of massive sedimentary deposits in the western Arabia Terra impact crater on the surface of Mars.An image from the Mars Global Surveyor in 2000 shows potential evidence of massive sedimentary deposits in the western Arabia Terra impact crater on the surface of Mars.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures a dust devil blowing across the Martian surface east of the Hellas impact basin in 2007. Dust devils form when the temperature of the atmosphere near the ground is much warmer than that above. The diameter of this dust devil is about 200 meters (650 feet).The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures a dust devil blowing across the Martian surface east of the Hellas impact basin in 2007. Dust devils form when the temperature of the atmosphere near the ground is much warmer than that above. The diameter of this dust devil is about 200 meters (650 feet).

Soft soil is exposed when the wheels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit dig into a patch of ground dubbed Troy in 2009.Soft soil is exposed when the wheels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit dig into a patch of ground dubbed Troy in 2009.

An image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the floor of the Antoniadi Crater in 2009.An image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the floor of the Antoniadi Crater in 2009.

The larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, is seen in 2008 from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.The larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, is seen in 2008 from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Earth and the moon are seen in 2007 from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. At the time the image was taken, Earth was 142 million kilometers (88 million miles) from Mars.Earth and the moon are seen in 2007 from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. At the time the image was taken, Earth was 142 million kilometers (88 million miles) from Mars.








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  • Researchers found evidence of seasonal flows

  • Orbiter's spectrometer results did not directly find water

  • Variations in data from spectrometer suggest seasonal changes

  • Further research is needed to find out more




(CNN) -- The presence of water on Mars is often talked about in the past tense -- as in, billions of years in the past. But researchers have found clues that water could be flowing in the present, at least during warm seasons.


Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are looking at dark features on Martian slopes that are finger-shaped. They appear and disappear seasonally.


These flows represent the best suggestion we know of that Mars has water right now, scientists say. The study is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.


In 2011, Lujendra Ojha and his colleagues announced the evidence for possible saltwater flows on Mars. They published a study in the journal Science based on data from the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.




Arrows point to dark seasonal flows on Palikir Crater on Mars in this image from NASA\'s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Arrows point to dark seasonal flows on Palikir Crater on Mars in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



As an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ojha was the lucky one to spot irregular features in a Martian crater he was studying. He had no idea what they were. Researchers spent months figuring it out, and determined that the finger-like shapes could be briny water.


How an undergrad spotted possible water on Mars


"In HiRISE images, we see them forming, elongating and then fading over time," Ojha said Monday. "That's why they're called seasonal -- they form and flow when the temperature is right."


Since that study, Ojha has enrolled in graduate school at Georgia Institute of Technology, and continued studying the phenomena. He and Georgia Tech assistant professor James Wray looked more deeply at 13 sites with confirmed recurring slope features.


This time they found chemical evidence supporting their earlier findings that water flows may appear and disappear on Mars with the seasons.


In most cases, the possible water features appear to last for the equivalent of about two Earth months, Ojha said.


The researchers used the orbiter's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) instrument to see if they could find more clues of water. CRISM looks for chemical signatures based on the fact that different substances absorb light at distinct wavelengths.


Wavelengths can reveal a lot about what things are made of, Ojha said.


Mystery rock spotted on Mars




An image of seasonal flows is combined with colors representing minerals in the area.

An image of seasonal flows is combined with colors representing minerals in the area.



Ojha and colleagues did not find direct evidence of water using the spectrometer method. Instead, they found light absorption features consistent with "something iron in nature" at the flows. The light absorption varied with season, however. The absorption bands are stronger when the features are forming and growing, and weaker when they fade away.


"Something in these areas is actually causing the spectroscopic signature to fluctuate as well," Ojha said.


Water could explain these variations, Ojha said. Water in the seasonal flow would wash away small-sized grains -- dust -- and leave bigger grains. When water is not present, the bigger grains would remain, accounting for the changes in light absorption that researchers observed over time.


Grain sizes could vary without water, though. The Martian atmosphere could also be responsible for some variation in the spectrometer data, because one season is dustier than another, but Ojha thinks there is something else going on.


If there is water on Mars, it would be near to the surface and salty. Specifically, the flows may host an iron-containing mineral called ferric sulfate, a substance known to exist on Mars. Ferric sulfate would bring the melting point of ice down to a lower temperature, Ojha said.


More research needs to be done to confirm this idea, obviously, but if there is briny water on Mars, could we drink it?


No life on Earth could survive in water saturated with ferric sulfate, Wray said in an e-mail.


"But if there's enough water initially to form a dilute solution, maybe it would be OK," he said. "Personally I wouldn't want to risk it!"


Would you?


Water discovered in Martian soil


Follow Elizabeth Landau on Twitter at @lizlandau