• The Cal State University faculty authorized a strike this week due to stalled contract negotiations. Contract negotiations have been ongoing for over twenty months. CSU faculty, on average, are paid less than community college professors and in some cases less than high school teachers. Their salaries have been rising at a rate lower than inflation. Not to worry, CSU executive salaries continue to rise; in some cases, they are paid as they leave. Want the breakdown? The CSU faculty strike will be the first CSU strike ever and the largest university strike in US history.
• In similar education news, we forgot to tell you last week that the UC Regents voted to raise student fees in accordance with the UC Compact. Remember four years ago when fees were almost half of what they will be next year?
• John Edwards’ wife’s cancer has returned. Edwards is staying in the race.
• Al Gore lobbies Congress to take action to prevent (further?) global warming. Rep. Joe Burton remains convinced that global warming does not exist.
• Karl Rove, among others, has been subpoenaed.
• In more important news, it seems that the key to success is a British accent.

• Al Gore and the Oscars:

Colbert counters that Gore is not green.

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Has anyone noticed the recent trend of backlash directed at those fighting global warming politically, but not in their actions?

Both before and after the Oscars, Al Gore was criticized for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth—not merely for content, but for the way he raced around the globe in his jet in what can only be classified as environmentally unsustainable.

Similarly, during the elections last year, California Gov. Schwarzenegger was criticized for driving a Hummer while simultaneously supporting anti-emissions policies.

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