Dawn Johnsen was one of Barack Obama's most progressive nominees; a strong voice for the rule of law, her nomination to the Office of Legal Counsel would have been clear message to the world that the days of torture memos and overreaching executive power were behind the U.S.

As the community around the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia mourns its dead and papers report that miners are not being allowed to attend their friends' funerals, S&P Equity Research upgraded the company's stock from a "hold" to a "buy."

The announcement this week that labor's maverick leader, Andy Stern, is stepping down -- "very soon" in the words of a colleague -- will create a void in the country's labor movement at an awkward time.

Here in New York, we've seen several attempts, some more succesful than others, to ban different harmful ingredients from food available for purchase. The New York Daily News wrote of the latest, "If State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz has his way, the only salt added to your meal will come from the chef's tears."

Barack Obama already has the chance to nominate another justice to the Supreme Court with the retirement of the Court's oldest member, Justice John Paul Stevens. Stevens was appointed by Gerald Ford, a Republican, but was, as Elizabeth Holtzman says, a member of a long tradition of fair-minded independent justices.

Comedian Hari Kondabolu has some thoughts about what kind of starting place progressives should've chosen for health care negotiations. Here's a hint: it involves the phrase "Scalpel-wielding Robin Hoods of the night."

Barack Obama already has the chance to nominate another justice to the Supreme Court with the retirement of the Court's oldest member, Justice John Paul Stevens. Stevens was appointed by Gerald Ford, a Republican, but was, as Elizabeth Holtzman says, a member of a long tradition of fair-minded independent justices.

Bart Stupak is retiring. The man who earned the enmity of pro-choicers across America—and earned himself a primary challenge—with his grandstanding over the rights of women in health care reform has decided not to run for reelection, stating as his reason that the bill he did his best to kill got passed. Time to celebrate?

In Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat), committed vegan and multi-platinum recording artist Moby and Miyun Park of the Global Animal Partnership pull together a book for nonvegans on meat-eating.

This week's Got Doc feature uses one woman's story to tell the larger tale of the broken immigration system in the U.S. Elvira Arellano, a single mom in Chicago, fought deportation and became part of the larger struggle for comprehensive, humane immigration reform. Directed byEsaú Meléndez, the film has picked up recognition at several festivals and just won the Cine Latino award at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival.