People who care about the environment are screwed. Republicans are handing our Gulf of Mexico over to oil corporations. A new bill entitled the “Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act” passed out of the House of Representatives on Wednesday ending the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf and giving his oil corporations free reign to explore for new wells as if the BP oil spill last year never happened. But a sneaky little provision in the bill makes sure oil corporations will have a favorable audience in the courtroom if they should screw up again.

The bill says that any lawsuits against oil corporations in the Gulf MUST be brought in front of the Fifth Circuit court. Why the fifth circuit court? Because it’s bought off by big oil! Ten of the sixteen judges on the court have stakes in oil – including the Chief Judge who owns over $300,000 in oil investments. Other judges on that court have attended legal junkets sponsored by big oil companies.

Looks like we now have in America – three co-equal branches of government – each owned by big oil.

-Thom

(Do you think there should be any drilling in the Gulf? Tell us here.)

Hour Three: Conservatives say "raise the debt ceiling, but cut social services"...why not tax fat cats instead? Conservative Economist Laurence Kotlikoff.

Hour Two: "Where's the Birth Certificate?" Dr. Jerome Corsi.

Plus, Geeky Science Rocks - can your colleagues actually help you live longer?

Hour Three: Everything You Know is Wrong: will you know what to do 'When Aliens Attack'?! Engineer Travis Taylor.

"Brunch With Bernie". Senator Bernie Sanders, (I-VT) spends the hour with Thom discussing the issues and answering listener questions.

The Daily Stack

Quote: "Town meetings are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they bring it within the people's reach..." -- Alexander de Tocqueville.

Hour One: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joins Thom with all the news from our nation's capitol and as always he'll be spending the hour taking your calls and answering your questions too...
Follow Bernie: campaign site

Video: "Who's the Budget Hawk: Sanders vs Sessions".

Article: "Sanders, Paul clash on health care at Senate hearing" by Nicole Gaudiano.

Article: "The Path to Prosperity" by Chairman Paul Ryan.

Documentary: "Sick Around the World" by T R Reid.

Documentary: "Sick Around America" by T R Reid.

Book: "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care" by T R Reid.

Hour Two: Is Don Siegelman going back to prison? Governor Don Siegelman joins Thom.

Article: "Did Ex-Alabama Governor Get A Raw Deal?" by John Esterbrook.

Article: "Siegelman Convictions Hang On The Definition Of One Word" by RogerShuler.

Nuclear meltdown at Fukushima plant with Paul Gunter, Director, Reactor Oversight Project - Beyond Nuclear.

Article: "Nuclear meltdown at Fukushima plant" by Julian Ryall.

Article: "Fukushima reactor has a hole, leading to leakage" by Yoko Kubota and Scott DiSavino.

Video: "Fukushima #4 Reactor Leaning; High Radiation Beyond Exclusion Zone".

Article: "Nuclear Reactor Flaws in Disaster Readiness Found by U.S. NRC" by Bloomberg.

Article: "TEPCO drowning in dealing with tons of radioactive water".

Article: "Japanese finally admit nuclear plant meltdown" by Julian Ryall.

Article: "Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5bn" by Richard Blackden.

Article: "GOP Bill Shifts Oil Drilling Cases To Court Dominated By Judges With Oil Investments" by Ian Millhiser.

Article: "House Armed Services Committee Revives Redundant Fighter Engine Pentagon Doesn’t Want" by Alex Seitz-Wald.

Movie: "I AM", Directed by Tom Shadyac.

Book: "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Revised and Updated: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late" by Thom Hartmann.

Book: "Threshold: The Progressive Plan to Pull America Back from the Brink" by Thom Hartmann.

Book: "The New Golden Age: A Revolution against Political Corruption and Economic Chaos" by Ravi Batra.

Book: "Epic of Gilgamesh".

Talk Radio News Segment: Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief.

Article: "Dan Berrigan".

Article: "New GOP Proposal To Balance Budget In Five Years" by TRNS.

Article: "As US debt ceiling looms, Geithner prods Congress" by AFP.

Article: "JEC Report Shows Repealing Tax Breaks for Major Oil Companies Will Reduce the Deficit, Won’t Impact Prices at Pump" by Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

Article: "House Votes To Pass Intel Reauthorization" by TRNS.

Article: "U.S. Looking To “Pump Up” Navy SEALs’ Security Following Bin Laden Strike" by Justin Duckham.

Article: "White House: ‘We obviously feel that Massachusetts . . . took a smart approach towards health care reform’" by Ezra Klein.

Hour Three: Will Republicans blow up the economy? with Cliff Schecter, Progressive PR Strategist.

Book: "The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't" by Cliff Schecter.

Article: "Special Comment: Keith Olbermann Defends Michael Moore Over Osama Bin Laden Remarks" by Tommy Christopher.

Event: Saturday, May 14, "National Association of Letter Carriers' (NALC) Stamp Out Hunger campaign".

The good: "IRS is probing donors to non-profits that buy political ads" by Stephen Ohlemacher, AP.

The bad: "Beck Warns Of Nefarious Communist-Style Land Takeover Plot Involving Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac" by Media Matters.

The very, very ugly: "Hannity: "I Don't Think We Should Take Their Oil," But Iraqis "Should Pay For Their Own Liberation"" by Media Matters.

Article: "Germany powers eurozone growth" by Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt, Stanley Pignal in Paris and Chris Giles in London.

Article: "2nd Amendment".

Book: "The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule" by Thomas Frank.

Site: "Thomas Frank".

Site: "Conversations With Great Minds ... with Thom Hartmann".

Video: "Thom Hartmann: Conversations with Great Minds with Thomas Frank, Part 1".

Video: "Thom Hartmann: Conversations with Great Minds with Thomas Frank, Part 2".

Article: "John Boehner: Cut 'trillions' as debt limit nears" by Jake Sherman.

Article: "McConnell Ties Debt Limit to Spending Reductions" by Jennifer Steinhauer.

Article: "House passes bill to accelerate Gulf of Mexico drilling permit process" by Felicia Sonmez.

Article: "Egypt Brotherhood to expel any member who runs for president" by AFP.

Article: "Judiciary Republicans kill bill blocking gun sales to suspected terrorists" by Mike Lillis.

Read an excerpt here, and buy the book!