August 31, 2013

PERRspectives: Health Insurance "Coverage Gap" Coming to a Red State Near You

PERRspectives: Health Insurance "Coverage Gap" Coming to a Red State Near You
"The resulting Republican body count is staggering. Thanks to the GOP's rejection of Medicaid expansion, 1.3 million people in Texas, 1 million in Florida, 534,000 in Georgia and 267,000 in Missouri will be ensnared in the coverage gap.
Here's why."

The Poor and the Middle Class Will Save America Yet | Alternet

The Poor and the Middle Class Will Save America Yet | Alternet
"Why there's still reason to hold out hope for social justice in this country despite growing income inequality."

Why We Need To Help Our Labor Force

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Obama And U.S. Weigh Options On Syria Strike

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Looking At Syria, Can We Learn From The Past?

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Why Syria Intervention Plan Is Being Pushed by Oil Interests, Not Concern About Chemical Weapons | Alternet

Why Syria Intervention Plan Is Being Pushed by Oil Interests, Not Concern About Chemical Weapons | Alternet
"Massacres of civilians are being exploited for narrow geopolitical competition to control Mideast oil, gas pipelines"

The Liberal Case For War

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White House Officials Fret Over Britain's Syria Vote

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August 30, 2013

4 Consequences Of The Midwest’s Scorching Late-Season Heat Wave

4 Consequences Of The Midwest’s Scorching Late-Season Heat Wave: Much of the Midwest has been roasting in a late-season heat wave this week, catching residents off-guard and creating major headaches across the region.

How A Stupid Election Rule Could Reelect A Tea Party Governor That His Voters Hate

How A Stupid Election Rule Could Reelect A Tea Party Governor That His Voters Hate:
"Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) is not a beloved leader. Just 39 percent of Maine voters approve of his performance in office, and he would lose a one-on-one race against his likely Democratic challenger by a massive 54-39 margin. Nor are these numbers particularly surprising. Despite being the governor of a blue state, LePage supports cutting health and retirement benefits to pay for tax cuts for the rich, rolling back child labor laws, blacklisting journalists — all while making anal rape jokes and protesting a non-existent “tax on bull semen"."

Are We Being Ruled by Self-Centered Jerks? What New Studies Reveals About the Ultra Wealthy | Alternet

Are We Being Ruled by Self-Centered Jerks? What New Studies Reveals About the Ultra Wealthy | Alternet
"Two studies released last week confirmed what most of us already knew: the ultra-wealthy tend to be narcissistic and have a greater sense of entitlement than the rest of us, and Congress only pays attention to their interests. Both studies are consistent with earlier research."

GOP’s destructive grifter: Jim DeMint peddles political poison

GOP’s destructive grifter: Jim DeMint peddles political poison
"The Medicare-dependent seniors and military veterans who rely on government-run healthcare can’t be reassured by that kind of talk. It’s the sort of rhetoric that’s great for raising money from the rubes — sadly, probably even some rubes who don’t realize their healthcare is government-run — but terrible for the Republican Party."

In Effort To Woo Female Voters, Mitch McConnell Touts Women’s Law He Voted Against

In Effort To Woo Female Voters, Mitch McConnell Touts Women’s Law He Voted Against: A press release distributed by Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) campaign at a "Women for Team Mitch" event brags about the Senate Minority Leader's support for VAWA, even though McConnell voted against the measure in 1994, 2012, and 2013.

The Burrito Chain That Pays Entry-Level Workers $10 An Hour And Wants To Pay More

The Burrito Chain That Pays Entry-Level Workers $10 An Hour And Wants To Pay More: One restaurant that pays higher wages in order to make more profits.

Fast Food Workers Strike Across America

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Dedicated To Detroit

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Chronicling The Decline Of American Manufacturing

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Leaderless party endures humiliating week

Leaderless party endures humiliating week
"Republicans' flailing spectacle during the March on Washington anniversary displayed a party with no direction"

Feds Cede Ground To States In Pot Decriminalization

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UK Not Convinced Of Wisdom Of Syria Punishment

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Arkansas Aims To Hold Exxon Accountable For Spill

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Matthews: What's The Reason For The GOP's Brinkmanship

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Holder Gives Legal Pot Some Smoking Room | Alternet

Holder Gives Legal Pot Some Smoking Room | Alternet
"The Obama administration has said it will not sue to stop the states of Colorado and Washington from allowing recreational marijuana use."

Where Were The Republicans At The March On Washington

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NYC Mayor Race's National Implications

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Massive Nationwide Walkout By Fast-Food Workers Signals Growing Backlash Against Low-Wage Employers | Alternet

Massive Nationwide Walkout By Fast-Food Workers Signals Growing Backlash Against Low-Wage Employers | Alternet
"Thousands of fast-food workers in 60 cities from coast to coast walked off their jobs Thursday in an escalating nationwide protest. Strikers are seeking raises to $15 an hour, paid sick leave and the right to unionize America’s second-biggest employer, the restaurant industry, which is predictingits 2013 profits will “reach a record high of $660.5 billion"."

The Largest Fast-Food Strike To Date

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August 29, 2013

Senator Who Advocates for Arming Teachers Accidentally Shoots Teacher With Rubber Bullet | Alternet

Senator Who Advocates for Arming Teachers Accidentally Shoots Teacher With Rubber Bullet | Alternet
"A state senator who is advocating for arming teachers in the aftermath of Newtown accidentally shot a teacher with a rubber bullet during a training course."

Clarion Call Rings Throughout Nation: 'Low Pay Is Not OK' | Common Dreams

Clarion Call Rings Throughout Nation: 'Low Pay Is Not OK' | Common Dreams
"Fast food workers in over 50 cities across the nation are striking on Thursday in what organizers are touting as the largest ever strike to hit the industry."

A party full of rodeo clowns: GOP flips the bird to racial justice

A party full of rodeo clowns: GOP flips the bird to racial justice
"The fact that no leading Republican bothered to attend the 50thanniversary commemoration shows how far to the right they’ve moved on race. It’s not just that they’ve thrown in the towel when it comes to appealing to black voters. They also don’t think it’s worth it to make an extra effort to appeal to white voters who flinch at racism."

BREAKING: Justice Department Won’t Challenge State Marijuana Laws, Announces Major Shift In Law Enforcement Policy

BREAKING: Justice Department Won’t Challenge State Marijuana Laws, Announces Major Shift In Law Enforcement Policy: In a memo to prosecutors today, the Department of Justice called on prosecutors for the first time to avoid targeting state-compliant marijuana dispensaries, blunting its previously harsh law enforcement policy.

Maine Teabagger Gets Visit From Secret Service After Posting 'Shoot the N****' to Facebook

Maine Teabagger Gets Visit From Secret Service After Posting 'Shoot the N****' to Facebook
"When reading the background to this story one is struck by the fact that seemingly every grievance, every supposed slight suffered by those on the far right with Barack Obama as our president is pretty much embodied by this guy. First there's the obvious and overt racism. It's unabashed and unapologetic. But then you notice a few more things, such as a person who professes to honor the constitution is making a not so veiled threat against the president, or at least exhorting others to commit a violent act. There's really no joking around with that, especially given the history of the United States."

Banks Make Record Profits In Second Quarter

Banks Make Record Profits In Second Quarter:
"Banks marked another record profit period in the second quarter, clearing $42.2 billion after expenses in the three months from April to June. The figure is the latest confirmation that the financial industry has bounced back far faster than the rest of the economy."

Why I'm on Strike Today: I Can't Support Myself on $7.85 at Burger King | Alternet

Why I'm on Strike Today: I Can't Support Myself on $7.85 at Burger King | Alternet
"I've worked in fast-food for 15 years, and I can't even afford my own rent payments. We just want fairness and to be able to provide for our families. No one who works every day should be forced to be homeless."

Obamacare Myth Inspires Conservative To Post ‘Shoot The Ni**er’ On Facebook

Obamacare Myth Inspires Conservative To Post ‘Shoot The Ni**er’ On Facebook: A man in Maine took to the social media site after getting angry about his assumption that Obamacare will cause his wife to lose her health insurance. In fact, the law may actually help his family.

On the Anniversary of the March on Washington, a New Fight for Voting Rights | The Nation

On the Anniversary of the March on Washington, a New Fight for Voting Rights | The Nation
"In 2013, there’s a black president, but the right to vote is under the most sustained attack—in the states and the courts—since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965."

Every Republican That Was Asked Refused to Attend March On Washington Event

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/29/john-boehner-eric-cantor-refused-speak.html
"By refusing to even show up, Republicans sent the message to the country that only one party cares about inclusion and diversity, and it isn’t them. Their decision wasn’t just bad optics. It was bad politics.
Most of all, it was a completely unnecessary snub of the King family, and Martin Luther King’s legacy. The message has been effectively sent that Republicans don’t care about civil rights, equality, and inclusiveness.
Good luck running on that platform in 2016."

50 Years Later, What Things Have Changed?

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Continuing The Fight For Education In The South

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What Conservatives Are Saying About The March On Washington

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Posting Bail In Birmingham Became Metaphor For King

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King Advisor On The 'Dream' Speech Backstory

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Where Many Saw A Liberator, FBI Saw Threat In MLK

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National Review's Ugly Civil Rights History

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/08/28/national-reviews-ugly-civil-rights-history/195638
"National Review has published numerous articles this week marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s seminal "I have a dream" speech. Given its ugly history, the long-running conservative magazine is ill-suited for such transparent attempts to re-appropriate the civil rights movement. National Review opposed major civil rights legislation and published appallingly racist commentary during the height of the civil rights movement."

Pres. Jimmy Carter's Speech About Current Barriers To Dr. King's Dream

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Rep. John Lewis's Role In The Civil Rights Movement

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Republicans Hide Their Racist Disenfranchisement Efforts by Claiming MLK as Their Own

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/28/republicans-claim-mlk-jr-disenfranchisement.html
"With Republicans, everything is only skin deep. It’s all about appearances. That’s why they ran Sarah Palin to get women votes, and keep desperately trying to claim MLK, Jr. as their own, as if this would suddenly erase 60 years of racist Southern Strategy, actual policies that harm the poor, and racist efforts to steal the vote from minorities."

'I Have A Dream,' Then And Now

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When MLK's Speech Resonates In Today's Tense Politics

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The Future Of The Civil Rights Movement

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August 28, 2013

Florida Congressman Visits A Cancer Research Center, Gets An Earful About Damaging Sequester Cuts

Florida Congressman Visits A Cancer Research Center, Gets An Earful About Damaging Sequester Cuts: "Less money is less science. It's as simple as that," frustrated cancer researchers told Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL).

No, Martin Luther King Jr. Was Not A Republican — But Here’s What He Had To Say About Them

No, Martin Luther King Jr. Was Not A Republican — But Here’s What He Had To Say About Them: "The Republican Party geared its appeal and program to racism, reaction, and extremism," King wrote in his autobiography.

Faced With Budget Cuts, 99.5 Percent Of Teachers Spend Their Own Money On Supplies

Faced With Budget Cuts, 99.5 Percent Of Teachers Spend Their Own Money On Supplies: Last year, virtually every teacher in America spent an average of $485 on school supplies like books, furniture, printer ink, and copy paper.

Boehner Promises More Hostage Taking on the Debt Ceiling

Boehner Promises More Hostage Taking on the Debt Ceiling
"I don't know what's going to come of this, but as Ezra Klein explained in the second clip below, this is a very dangerous game we're seeing played out here."

Five Myths About Obamacare You Shouldn’t Believe

Five Myths About Obamacare You Shouldn’t Believe: Separate the facts from the fiction about the upcoming implementation of the health reform law.

US Neocon Hawks Take Flight Over Syria | Common Dreams

US Neocon Hawks Take Flight Over Syria | Common Dreams
"In an echo of the tactics they used to promote U.S. intervention in the Balkans, Iraq and Libya, a familiar clutch of neo-conservatives published a letter Tuesday urging President Barack Obama to go far beyond limited military strikes against Syria in retaliation for its government’s alleged use last week of chemical weapons that reportedly killed hundreds of people."

How Highly Paid CEOs Rip Off Their Companies and the Public Via Fraud and Walk Away With Their Pockets Bulging | Alternet

How Highly Paid CEOs Rip Off Their Companies and the Public Via Fraud and Walk Away With Their Pockets Bulging | Alternet
"Just one example of a corporate culture that rewards executives for behavior that hurts workers, taxpayers, and shareholders."

Banker Who Used Bailout Cash To Buy Luxury Condo Faces One Year In Prison

Banker Who Used Bailout Cash To Buy Luxury Condo Faces One Year In Prison: Tuesday's guilty plea is cold comfort for millions of homeowners.

Stories Of Racism Still Found Throughout The Country

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Ted Cruz Continues To Spread Falsities About Obamacare

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Congress Ominously Silent As Obama Weighs Syria Options

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Fast Food Workers Fight For A Living Wage

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The Other NRA: How the Insidiously Powerful Restaurant Lobby Makes Sure Fast-Food Workers Get Poverty Wages and Have to Work While Sick | Alternet

The Other NRA: How the Insidiously Powerful Restaurant Lobby Makes Sure Fast-Food Workers Get Poverty Wages and Have to Work While Sick | Alternet
"Fast-food workers feed their families on a pittance while the big corporations resist fair pay and sick leave."

August 27, 2013

Vermont's Yankee Nuclear Plant To Close In 2014

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Researcher controls colleague’s motions in 1st human brain-to-brain interface

www.washington.edu/news/2013/08/27/researcher-controls-colleagues-motions-in-1st-human-brain-to-brain-interface/
"University of Washington researchers have performed what they believe is the first noninvasivehuman-to-human brain interface, with one researcher able to send a brain signal via the Internet to control the hand motions of a fellow researcher."

Speaker Boehner Vows Fight On Debt Limit

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Fox News Feels The Hate From Young Viewers As Ratings Plummet to a 12 Year Low

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/27/fox-news-feels-hate-young-viewers-ratings-plummet-12-year.html
"Younger viewers (age 25-54) are avoiding Fox News like the plague. The reason why younger viewers don’t watch Fox mirrors the struggles of the Republican Party. Instead of embracing issues that matter to younger people, Fox News and the Republican Party have taken positions of opposition. It doesn’t matter how young the Fox News on air talent gets, as long as they cater to the old while male base of the Republican Party, younger people will not tune in." And it's the same trouble for the party on a national level. Losing large voting blocks like women and minorities as well the very large next generation. A dying party filled with ignorance, racism and hate is not attractive to most voters and is a real turnoff to young people.

Obama's Hardline On Debt Default

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A Dream Deferred: Minimum Wage Higher in 1963 Than It Is Today

A Dream Deferred: Minimum Wage Higher in 1963 Than It Is Today
"The minimum wage is lower today than it was in 1963."

Nuke Plant to Shut Doors: Environmental Victory But Vital Work Still Ahead | Common Dreams

Nuke Plant to Shut Doors: Environmental Victory But Vital Work Still Ahead | Common Dreams
"Communities celebrate, but demand corporate owners be held accountable for safe decomissioning process and 'just transition' for workers"

Congressmen Tells The Elderly ‘We Do Not Have The Money’ To Fund Meals On Wheels

Congressmen Tells The Elderly ‘We Do Not Have The Money’ To Fund Meals On Wheels: Funding Meals on Wheels is actually more cost effective than slashing the program through sequestration.

BuzzFeed Is Taking Trolling to a New Level by Pandering to Right-Wing Nuts | Alternet

BuzzFeed Is Taking Trolling to a New Level by Pandering to Right-Wing Nuts | Alternet
"Buzzfeed, a favorite site of Millennials and liberals, found itself at the center of the buzz for all the wrong reasons this past weekend. Personhood USA, a conservative anti- abortion propaganda group, published for free a listicle bashing Planned Parenthood under Buzzfeed's relatively new "Community" section. Rather than issue an apology, Buzzfeed insists their new Community section is an open platform where anything goes, even posts that alienate their biggest supporters or violate guidelines. Big mistake."

The Inside Story Of The World’s Biggest ‘Battery’ And The Future Of Renewable Energy

The Inside Story Of The World’s Biggest ‘Battery’ And The Future Of Renewable Energy:
"The largest battery in the world has sat quietly in George Washington National Forest along the Virginia-West Virginia border for nearly 30 years. A five-hour drive from the nation’s capital, it sits in the middle of the Appalachians, tucked behind the Blue Ridge Mountains."

Fox News expert: 'Women Have the Breasts' so Health Care Should Cost More Than Men

Fox News expert: 'Women Have the Breasts' so Health Care Should Cost More Than Men
"A Fox News medical expert on Tuesday argued that President Barack Obama's administration was wrong to force gender equality for health insurance rates because men "only have the prostate," while women "have the breasts, they have the ovaries"."

Child Hunger So Common That Three-Quarters Of Teachers Have Hungry Students

Child Hunger So Common That Three-Quarters Of Teachers Have Hungry Students:
"Three-quarters of America’s teachers have students whoroutinely show up to school hungry and half say hunger is a serious problem in their classrooms, according to No Kid Hungry’s annual educator survey."

House Republicans Have Collectively Voted To Repeal Obamacare Over 7,000 Times

House Republicans Have Collectively Voted To Repeal Obamacare Over 7,000 Times: Republican lawmakers have spent 15 percent of their time on the floor voting to dismantle Obamacare. And they're not done yet.

Ronald Reagan: Martin Luther King had It Coming

Ronald Reagan: Martin Luther King had It Coming
"Rick Perlstein gave Steve Kornacki a real insight into the way Conservatives thought about Martin Luther King back in his day. And after listening to Laura Ingraham's use of gun shot sound to denigrate Rep. John Lewis' speech, I think those sentiments still resonate today with most conservatives today."

Feeding the Homeless Is Now An Arrestable Offense | Common Dreams

Feeding the Homeless Is Now An Arrestable Offense | Common Dreams
"North Carolina, home of an ALEC-inspired GOP agenda on steroids and Moral Mondays in fervent protest of it, improbably just got worse. This weekend a charity that for years has been feeding the homeless in downtown Raleigh was told by police they faced arrest if they handed out one more coffee and sausage biscuit - this, as 70 hungry people watched and waited for breakfast, which isn't available anywhere else on weekends."

The right is wrong about rights

The right is wrong about rights
"The conservative theory of freedom is short-sighted and confused. This helps explain why they oppose so much"

US Attack on Syria Would Circumvent Constitution, Intl Law | Common Dreams

US Attack on Syria Would Circumvent Constitution, Intl Law | Common Dreams
"War drums grow louder as familiar tactics used to garner support for military action that only 9 percent of Americans support"

GOP Continues Full Assault Against Obamacare

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How To End Homelessness Among Military Veterans

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George Will And The Diluted GOP

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Hypnotized by Ayn Rand and Reaganomics, Republicans Have Completely Lost Touch with Economic Reality | Alternet

Hypnotized by Ayn Rand and Reaganomics, Republicans Have Completely Lost Touch with Economic Reality | Alternet
"The GOP doesn't understand how the economy works or the concerns of middle-class families."

Defense Of Voting Rights Spreads Nationally

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Glimmer Of Hope For Repair Of Voting Rights Act

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