Protester Kate Rooth (R) holds a sign as Chairman and CEO of Massey Energy Company Don Blankenship (L) prepares to testify for a hearing before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee May 20, 2010 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was criminally indicted for being responsible for the deaths of 29 coal miners in 2010 and in the interest of ensuring a fair trial U.S. District Judge Irene Berger sealed all court records. However, several major media organizations are challenging the gag order. “The news outlets could have good chance, if not of overturning the gag order altogether, of at least getting it narrowed. As ThinkProgress’ Ian Millhiser noted last week, the most recent legal precedent on the issue states that these types of gag orders are not the easiest to legally justify. Among other things, the gag order must be ‘narrowly drawn’ and represent ‘the least restrictive means available…’Berger may have been right to issue some kind of gag order in the Blankenship case,’ Millhiser writes, ‘but it is far from clear that the order she actually handed down is acceptable.’” [Think Progress]
Canadian leaders have repeatedly said they would enact carbon emissions reduction policy at the federal level once other major emitters took similar action. With China and the US recently announcing climate commitments, Canada is feeling pressure to act. “’We’ve got very, very incomplete coverage,’ he said. ‘What you’d like to see both for efficiency reasons and fairness and competitiveness reasons is a unified kind of framework across different provinces in Canada.’ There is some indication that the federal government may be starting to budge. Earlier in November, the federal government made a surprise $300-million pledge to the Green Climate Fund to help developing nations address climate change.” [CBC News]
Oil prices bounced back up on Monday – with Brent and WTI both up over $2 per barrel – on dollar weakness and data that showed fewer permits were issued for new wells in October, which suggests a US production slowdown could be on the horizon. “Oil is still down about 10 percent since producer group OPEC’s decision last Thursday not to cut output despite fears of a supply glut. Both Brent and U.S. crude have fallen for five months in a row, marking the longest losing streak in oil since the 2008/2009 financial crisis. [Reuters and CNBC]
