It now appears plants do much more than add color to a room. According to a number of studies, having plants around could benefit your health.

A 15-year longitudinal study found that women who lived in greener spaces live longer than their plantless counterparts: Those who live in the greenest neighborhoods were 34 percent less likely to die of respiratory disease and 13 percent less likely to die of cancer.

Researchers believe that, beyond the air filtration plants provide, their existence offers people a reason to get out and exercise and socialize, two habits that contribute to healthy living. Other research has discovered that the greener your neighborhood, the more attractive your home is.

A study conducted in Philadelphia made it clear - increasing urban vegetation will a boost a home's property value by 2 percent. Also important - some studies have looked at the impact of greenery on crime.

It appears adding vegetation to vacant lots was associated with reductions in certain crime as well as gun violence. Go green - it works.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Why Prison Reform is Really Prison Expansion... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

    

Thursday's Daily Stack  

In for Thom today... Progressive Talkers Danielle & Shane-O.

 

Hour One: Why Do New Yorkers Hate Ted Cruz?
- John Nichols, The Nation Magazine    

Book: People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy by Robert W McChesney and John Nichols.

Article: "New York to Ted Cruz: Drop Dead" by John Nichols.

Article: "Elizabeth Warren slams Ted Cruz for 'whining' about 2016 race" by Daniella Diaz.

Article: "Former slave Harriet Tubman to be new face of US$20 bill" by ENCA.

Article: "Harriet Tubman" by Wikipedia.

Article: "The Trail of Tears " by PBS.

 

Article: "Fox & Friends defends genocidal Andrew Jackson: 'One of the best generals we ever had'" by Sarah K. Burris.

Article: "Ben Carson: Keep Jackson where he is, put Tubman on the $2 bill" by Hasan Khan.

Tweet: "The RW Twitterverse will tell you the reasons why Harriet Tubman shouldn't replace Jackson on $20 bill as soon as they find out who she was" Rocky Mountain Mike".

Site: Earth Day - April 22.

Book: 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup.

Article: "The War Against the Bank" by ushistory.org.

Article: "Robert V. Remini" by Wikipedia.

Article: "1960 Democratic Party Platform".

Article: "1988 Democratic Party Platform".

Article: "1992 Democratic Party Platform".

Article: "2008 Democratic Party Platform".

Article: "2012 Democratic Party Platform".

Article: "1944 State of the Union Address: FDR's Second Bill of Rights or Economic Bill of Rights Speech" (video).

Law: "Voting Rights Act of 1965".

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

Article: "10th Amendment" "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people".

Article: "Prince Dead: Legendary 'Purple Rain' Singer Dies at 57" by Stephanie Webber.

Article: "Prince Releases New Song About Baltimore, Freddie Gray", May 09, 2015.

Law: "DISCLOSE Act" (Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act).

Article: "Over 1,200 arrested at U.S. Capitol in 8-day protests against big money in politics" by Xinhua.

Article: "New York's Attorney General Just Announced an Investigation of the Primary Fiasco" by Rosette Newcomb.

Article: "New York Primary Results & New York Democratic Primary Exit Polls" by NBC News.

 

Talk Media News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief 

Article: "Quick Morning News - Sanders regroups after NY loss / Trump: Ch-ch-changes / Chyna dead at 45 - April 21, 2016" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Quick Morning News - Trump towers in New York / Clinton wins: "This one's personal" / Flint: Criminal charges today - April 20, 2016" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Poll: Clinton, Trump lead in Pennsylvania" by Justin Duckham.

Article: "Obscure GOP party meeting in limelight as turbulent convention looms" by Melanie Mason.

Article: "Senate confirms new Veterans Affairs watchdog" by TMN.

Article: "Denmark expands ISIS fight to Syria" by TMN.

Article: "Harriet Tubman to replace Jackson on the $20 bill" by Nick Salazar.

Article: "Senators close to proposal on Zika funds: Republican committee chairman" by Susan Cornwell.

Event: April 22 2016, NY: "High-Level Signing Ceremony for Paris Agreement" (Earth Day).

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman 

Hour Three: Why Life in The Gulf is Anything But Normal 6 Years After the BP Disaster
- Greg Palast, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How To Steal An Election In 9 Easy Steps      

Article: "BP's Secret Deepwater Blowout" by Greg Palast.

Video: Vultures and Vote Rustlers.

Article: "Exxon Valdez oil spill" by Wikipedia.

Article: "BP Oil Spill Trashed More Shoreline Than Scientists Thought" by Brian Clark Howard.

Book: Billionaires & Ballot Bandits by Greg Palast.

Book: Vultures' Picnic: In Pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates, and High-Finance Carnivores by Greg Palast.

Article: "6 Years After Gulf Oil Spill, Residents Demand 'No More Drilling'" by Antonia Juhasz.

Video: Is BP Oil Dispersant Causing Lung Damage?.

Article: "Jellyfish are dying from Deepwater Horizon cleanup efforts" by Kimberly Miller.

Audio: Left In Dixie Episode 5: Gulf Oil Spill Anniversary Show, 23 April 2011.

Article: "John Brown (abolitionist)" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Frederick Douglass" by Wikipedia.

Bill: "H.R.525 - Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015".

Law: "Controlled Substances Act", 1970.

Article: "Donald Trump says Caitlyn Jenner can use whatever bathroom she wants in Trump Tower" by Andrew Joyce.

Article: "Five women Hillary Clinton could pick for VP" by James Pindell.

Article: "Sentencing for Peter Liang" by J. Weston Phippen.

 

Do you have all the info you need to vote for @BernieSanders? Find it here.

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

We'll have the latest news and information...everything you need to know to win the water cooler wars...

 

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"

 

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