Four from Truthout:

Tuesday 14 June 2011
Ralph Nader: Koch Brothers Led Fight to Defend Formaldehyde Despite Carcinogenic Evidence (Video)
Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez and Ralph Nader, Democracy Now!: "The government has added formaldehyde to a list of known carcinogens, despite years of lobbying by the chemical industry. Formaldehyde is found in plastics and often used in plywood, particle board, mortuaries and hair salons. The government also said Friday that styrene, which is used in boats, bathtubs and in disposable foam plastic cups and plates, may cause cancer. The conservative billionaire Koch brothers have led the lobbying effort against labeling formaldehyde as a carcinogen. Georgia-Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, is one of the country's top producers of formaldehyde. We get reaction from longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader."
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Paul Krugman | Time to Challenge Convention at the IMF
Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: "I suspect that an endorsement from me may be the kiss of death - but, anyway, Stan Fischer, governor of the Bank of Israel, really would be the best choice to head the International Monetary Fund. The obvious disclosure: Mr. Fischer was my teacher and my colleague for many years, so of course I'm not objective. But personal ties aren't the issue. The point, instead, is that we're living in times that require creative, independent thinking. An I.M.F. managing director who serves as the front man or woman for the usual suspects, for conventional wisdom in unconventional times, is not what we need."
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Bachmann Calls for Huge Corporate Tax Cut Alongside Tax Increase for the Working Poor
Pat Garofalo, ThinkProgress: "Several of the 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls have laid out economic platforms that would include huge cuts in the corporate tax rate. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) called for lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent, while former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) went a step further, calling for a cut to 15 percent. In an interview published today by the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) decided to one-up both Romney and Pawlenty, calling for a reduction in the corporate tax rate to 9 percent. Adding insult to injury, Bachmann wants to pair that huge tax cut with giant tax reductions for the rich, as well as a tax increase on the working poor."
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America Needs Taxes
Carl Gibson, US Uncut: "Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said 'Taxes are the price we pay for civilized society.' Taxes have paid for everything from the interstate system to national parks, the moon landing and the liberation of France. In fact, Eisenhower, a Republican, presided over an era where corporate taxes accounted for a quarter of all federal tax receipts, and the richest Americans still enjoyed their wealth while paying a 90% top tax rate. Americans were never more prosperous as a whole than during that era. Now, loopholes and lobbying have lowered the top tax rate to its lowest point since the Truman era, and corporate tax dollars only count for 5-7% of all federal tax receipts. After the Great Depression, our leaders had a vision for America. They fought to see ours was a country where everyone was afforded the opportunity for free basic education, an affordable home, a steady income and free healthcare for the poor and the elderly."
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