California has big plans for the future. Last week, the Golden State made not one, but two, big announcements about how they will respond to the climate crisis. On Monday of last week, Governor Jerry Brown was praised for his proposal to get half of all California's energy from renewable sources by 2030.

And, only one day later, that state broke ground on our nation's first-ever bullet train project, which is expected to reduce the massive carbon footprint of California's transportation sector. Considering that state has about 32 million registered vehicles on the road, a high-speed rail system will be a great step towards reaching that 50% renewable goal.

As the environmental group Earthjustice said, “We applaud Governor Brown for working to secure a cleaner, brighter future for California and paving the way for the rest of the country and the world to follow.”

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Methane monsters and mass extinction... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

In for Thom tonight, please welcome America's Lawyer Mike Papantonio, Ring of Fire Radio.

Be sure to check out our new videos: CARBON, LAST HOURS & GREEN WORLD RISING - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio

Need to Know: GOP & banksters want you to "suck it up"
- Les Leopold, the Labor Institute / How to Make a Million Dollars an Hour

Screwed: REVEALED...Wall Street's war on pensions...
- Peter Mougey, Securities Attorney.

Soldier suicides...why are young vets most at risk
- Rick Outzen, The Independent Weekly

Green report: Methane monsters and mass extinction...
- Dahr Jamail, Truthout

Community Square

Wednesday's Daily Stack

In for Thom today, Progressive Commentators Danielle and Shane-O.

Hour One: Is it time to rethink our "tough on crime" stance?
- Maya Schenwar, Truthout / Locked Down, Locked Out

Article: "In a Safer Age, U.S. Rethinks Its ‘Tough on Crime’ System" by Erik Eckholm.

Plus, Is it time to rethink our "tough on crime" stance?
- Jeremy Travis, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY)

Article: "Rikers to Ban Isolation for Inmates 21 and Younger" by Michael Winerip and Michael Schwirtz.

Site: "The Zero Hour" (radio) - Richard Eskow.

Book: The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Hour Two: Did Scott Walker just save...Obamacare?
- Ian Millhiser, Center for American Progress / Think Progress

Book: Injustices: The Supreme Court's Nearly Unbroken History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted by Ian Millhiser.

Article: "Studies: 8 Million People Will Lose Health Care If Supreme Court Decides To Gut Obamacare" by Ian Millhiser.

Article: "Scott Walker’s Obamacare Video Kills The Case Against The Law. Gruber’s Video Is Irrelevant" by Ian Millhiser.

Case: "Dred Scott v. Sandford", 1857.

Book: "Tear Down This Myth: The Right-Wing Distortion of the Reagan Legacy" by Will Bunch.

Quote: "Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful" - Friedrich Nietzsche.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Article: "11th Circuit hears arguments in Former Alabama governor Don Siegelman's bid for new trial".

Article: "House Votes To Overturn Obama’s Immigration Actions" by Loretta Lewis.

Article: "House Judiciary Chairman: Not 'Necessary' To Fix Voting Rights Act" by Sahil Kapur.

Article: "Supreme Court Invalidates Key Part of Voting Rights Act" by Adam Liptak, June 25, 2013.

Case: "Shelby County v. Holder", 2013.

Article: "Rand Paul: Disability Insurance Wasted On People With Anxiety And Back Pain" by Igor Bobic, Arthur Delaney.

Article: "Obama Touts Municipal Web in Cedar Falls, Where Everyone’s Wired" by Todd Shields, Angela Greiling Keane.

Article: "Cruz: U.S. Should Lead World On Space Exploration" by TRNS.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 1/14" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 1/13" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Millionaire Renounces US Citizenship To Dodge Taxes, Whines When He Can’t Come Back" by Left Wing Nation.

Article: "Dems' House task force to hone 2016 messaging" by Lauren French and John Bresnahan.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

Why our beliefs make us vulnerable
- Brad Friedman, The Brad Blog

Site: "BradCast".

Article: "Why?" by Brad Friedman.

Article: "Peters: If They Had Any Guts, All U.S. Papers Would Print Muhammad Cartoons".

Book: Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff.

Site: ALEC Exposed.

Book: "Cracking the Code: How to Win Hearts, Change Minds, and Restore America's Original Vision" by Thom Hartmann.

Video: Austin Powers Steamroller Stop!

Site: OpenSecrets.org.

Site: GovTrack

Article: "A 2,500 Square-Mile Methane Plume Is Silently Hovering over Western US" by Jon Queally.

Article: "FCC Sets Deadline for Vote on Net Neutrality" by Nadia Prupis.

Article: "Republicans Lay Plans to Fight FCC’s Net-Neutrality Rules" by Gautham Nagesh.

Article: " Republicans To Push Controversial Fiscal Policy In 2015" by Kevin Drawbaugh.

Article: "GOP Rule Change in Congress Signals New Dawn for 'Voodoo Economics'" by Jon Queally.

Article: "CEO Who Said He’d Probably Have To Fire Employees If Obama Won Is Now Giving Them Raises" by Scott Keyes.

Article: "Bernie Sanders proposes big infrastructure spending bill" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "'Hostage-Takers': Republicans Go After Social Security on Very First Day" by Jon Queally.

Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 3-6pm ET

So...college women are to blame for campus rape?! I'll be disagreeing with Phyllis Schlafly

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

Please support the Hunter School, a unique therapeutic boarding school for young children diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety, Sensory, Mood and related conditions...

Should our banking system be nationalized?

Vote here!

How Big Pharma Pimps New Drugs

Demographics Could Doom the GOP

DuPont's Secret Toxins in YOUR Water

Full Show 1/13/2015: Big Pharma Pimping

In for Thom tonight, America's Lawyer Mike Papantonio talks with David Haynes, The Cochran Firm, about how Big Pharma pimps new drugs. Ned McWilliams, Attorney & Consumer Advocate, talks to Mike Papantonio about DuPont’s secret toxins in your water. Aaron Watson of the National Trial Lawyers Association talks elections demographics and how they could spell doom for the GOP. Farron Cousins of Ring of Fire Radio talks about what a progressive America would look like.

Thom Hartmann on Science & Green News - January 12, 2015