December 31, 2013

Endangered Species Act Turns 40 Facing Environmental And Political Dangers

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/28/3106221/endangered-species-act-turns-40/
"Since then the ESA has been credited with saving a number of species from the brink of extinction, including the bald eagle, the American alligator, the grizzly bear and the prairie dog. The act has prevented the extinction of 99 percent of the more than 2,140 species it currently protects."

On Christmas, Republicans Quietly Declare War on Themselves

www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/on-christmas-republicans-quietly-declare-war-on-themselves-20131230
"The news came in the Wall Street Journal, where the Chamber of Commerce disclosed that it will be teaming up with Republican establishment leaders to spend $50 million in an effort to stem the tide of “fools” who have overwhelmed Republican ballots in recent seasons."

Overthrow the Speculators | Common Dreams

Overthrow the Speculators | Common Dreams
"Speculators at megabanks or investment firms such as Goldman Sachs are not, in a strict sense, capitalists. They do not make money from the means of production. Rather, they ignore or rewrite the law—ostensibly put in place to protect the vulnerable from the powerful—to steal from everyone, including their shareholders. They are parasites. They feed off the carcass of industrial capitalism. They produce nothing. They make nothing. They just manipulate money. Speculation in the 17th century was a crime."

Why "Fines" Don't Stop Bad Corporate Behavior

www.alternet.org/fines-corporate
"Unless the federal government actually threatens the executives of criminal corporations with jail time, nothing is going to change. Fear is the only thing that keeps a sociopath in line."

Mitt Romney Being Sued For Racketeering In Federal Court

www.samuel-warde.com/2013/12/mitt-romney-sued-racketeering-federal-court/
"One of the most ignored stories in the mainstream media will surely be coming to a television screen near you once the court proceedings commence. That lawsuit is none other than racketeering charges leveled against one Willard “Mitt” Romney and his co-defendants in Haas v. Romney."

Earthquakes Rattle Fukushima Region Once More | Common Dreams

Earthquakes Rattle Fukushima Region Once More | Common Dreams
"Once again revealing its perilous geographic location, a pair of earthquakes shook the ground near the damaged nuclear power plant at Fukushima on Tuesday."

Republicans Are Betting on a Losing Strategy in 2014 | Common Dreams

Republicans Are Betting on a Losing Strategy in 2014 | Common Dreams
"The shutdown, the sequester, and now the cruel cancellation of unemployment benefits during Christmas hurts many of the same people the Republicans want to court."

Tea Party activists discuss Obama’s plot with alien lifeforms to help his approval ratings

www.freakoutnation.com/2013/12/30/tea-party-activists-discuss-obamas-plot-with-alien-lifeforms-to-help-his-approval-ratings/
"Conservative activist Jim Garrow, who insists that he’s a former covert CIA operative, and knows that President Obama killed Andrew Breitbart (he knows it for a fact), appeared on Erik Rush’s radio show to promote the Operation American Spring rally, where he predicted the President is in touch with alien life forms."

Why Republicans Don’t Believe In Evolution Anymore

www.thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/12/31/3108741/republicans-evolution-demographics/
"There are two keys to understanding what the Pew poll teaches us about Republicans. First, the drop in belief in evolution is among Republicans and, more or less, Republicans only. Acceptance of human evolution was basically the same among Democrats and independents in 2013 as it was in 2009. Second, the share of the total population that believes in evolution hasn’t changed at all. The drop in Republican belief doesn’t appear to be people changing their minds about evolution so much as people who already didn’t believe in evolution becoming Republicans.
Why might that be? The obvious explanation is the changing character of the Republican base."

The National Memo » The Democrats’ Not-So-Secret Weapon For 2014? Raising The Minimum Wage

The National Memo » The Democrats’ Not-So-Secret Weapon For 2014? Raising The Minimum Wage
"In March of this year, the House GOP unanimously voted against raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour over three years."

The National Memo » Call It A Comeback: More Than 9 Million Americans Have Health Insurance Through Obamacare

The National Memo » Call It A Comeback: More Than 9 Million Americans Have Health Insurance Through Obamacare
"After two months of barely functioning, the federal online health care exchanges delivered, racking up 975,000 enrollments in the month of December. That brings the total number of people who have picked a plan through an exchange since October 1 to about two million. The administration reached about two-thirds of its goal of enrolling 3.3 million by the end of 2013 after being fully operational one-third of the time. And it turns out most of the enrollments came during the one-week extension the White House gave itself after the initial problems with the site became apparent.
Four million people have qualified for Medicaid, according to ACASignups.net. Another 3.1 million young adults are covered by their parents’ health insurance, thanks to a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
This means over nine million people have gained coverage through the ACA since it first became law."

Burning cows: Extreme weather and America’s perilous food supply

Burning cows: Extreme weather and America’s perilous food supply
"The United States leads the world in staples like corn, beef and soybeans. Because the vast majority of these US foodstuffs are produced in the heartland, changes to climate here can affect dinner tables around the world."

The National Memo » How The GOP Became A Party Of Benghazi ‘Truthers’

The National Memo » How The GOP Became A Party Of Benghazi ‘Truthers’
"From the night of the murders, Republicans have been shamefully trying to politicize the attack that killed four Americans including Ambassador Chris Stevens, first as a means of stopping the re-election of President Obama, and then to damage the reputation of former secretary of state and possible candidate for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton."

New Greenhouse Gas Proves More Powerful Than CO2

New Greenhouse Gas Proves More Powerful Than CO2
"The newly discovered gas, perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA), has been in use by the electrical industry since the mid-20th century."

The 8 Most Absurd Things the Right Wing Did This Year

www.alternet.org/8-most-absurd-things-right-wing-did-year
"From Megyn Kelly's freak out over Santa Claus to GOP efforts to kill Obamacare -- here's the worst of the worst."

The Worst Hoax Of 2013

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/12/31/the-worst-hoax-of-2013/197335
"Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media doubled down, spending much of the year trying to turn Benghazi into Obama's Watergate (or Iran-Contra, or both) and try to end any potential presidential run by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before it can begin.  And some mainstream outlets, more eager to win over a conservative audience than to check their facts, ran their own misleading, sketchily-sourced Benghazi exposés.
Much of the discussion has centered around two "unanswered questions" that in reality were answered long ago."

Bernie Sanders: Congress Is Dysfunctional and Putting the US at Risk

Bernie Sanders: Congress Is Dysfunctional and Putting the US at Risk
"There is no tax break for the rich or large corporations that they don't like. There is no program which protects working families -- Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, affordable housing, etc. -- that they don't want to cut."

Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus: My Hopes for 2014

Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus: My Hopes for 2014
"We have a chance now to renew our social contract and to make sure that hardworking Americans earn enough to support their families."

What The Hell Is Happening At Fukushima Reactor 3?

What The Hell Is Happening At Fukushima Reactor 3?
"We know that TEPCO has lied all along, and I don't think our own government is going to tell us even if something is going on (under the law, they have the authority to lie to us in order to prevent panic that would affect the food supply). So it's not unreasonable to assume that whatever's going on, it's usually a lot worse than what the Powers That Be will admit.
Because when corporate interests have become synonymous with those of a nation's government, the safety of the citizens is way down on the priority list."

You Won't Believe Conservatives' Absurd Theories They Think Will Cure Poverty

www.alternet.org/economy/conservatives-and-povety
"But the very same study shows that America’s deregulated, capitalism-gone-wild economy has done far less to lift people out of poverty during that same period. The facts demonstrate clearly that government services have made the difference in people’s lives, while America’s economic policies have failed."

December 30, 2013

If Memory Swerves: The 1 Percent Laughs Last, as Wall Street Wins Again | Common Dreams

If Memory Swerves: The 1 Percent Laughs Last, as Wall Street Wins Again | Common Dreams
"It was the unavoidable explosion after decades of deregulation and willful blindness. A kind of waste product had been deliberately moved through the bowels of a hundred shady mortgage outfits. It was then gilded by delusional ratings agencies and sold to the world by the most respected names in finance. Bribery and deceit and crazy incentives had been the laxatives that pushed this product down the pipe; money and bonhomie and reassuring economic theory had been the sedatives that put the regulators to sleep.
The industry would supervise itself, we were told — and we believed it. Instead our economic order turned out to be wobbly, even rotten. The great banks looked insolvent. The great capitalists looked like criminals."

Sen. Bernie Sanders On 2014: Seize the Moment | Common Dreams

2014: Seize the Moment | Common Dreams
"In my view, the main cause of congressional dysfunction is an extreme right-wing Republican party whose main goal is to protect the wealthy and powerful. There is no tax break for the rich or large corporations that they don't like. There is no program which protects working families -- Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, affordable housing, etc. -- that they don't want to cut."

The Republican Autopsy Report Revisited: 5 Ways The GOP Got Worse In 2013 | Right Wing Watch

The Republican Autopsy Report Revisited: 5 Ways The GOP Got Worse In 2013 | Right Wing Watch
"After a devastating loss in 2012, Republicans claimed that they didn’t need to change themselves or their platform, but only cosmetic attributes such as their rhetoric and presentation. Other right-wing activists simply pretended that Republicans actually won the last election.
But if the actions taken this year by Republican leaders are any clue, it looks like Republicans either ignored or outright rejected even the superficial recommendations made in the GOP’s plan to revive the party"

Neurotoxic "Bull's-Eye" Surrounds Canadian Tar Sands: Scientists | Common Dreams

Neurotoxic "Bull's-Eye" Surrounds Canadian Tar Sands: Scientists | Common Dreams
"Levels of mercury in a vast area surrounding the controversial Alberta tar sands oil fields are on the rise and have reached levels up to 16 times higher than 'background' levels—a toxic side effect of the extraction process—according to a group of Canadian governmental scientists."

Republicans Devastate The Lives of 1.3 Million Americans as the Media Stays Silent

www.politicususa.com/2013/12/30/republicans-devastate-lives-1-3-million-americans-media-stays-silent.html
"Republicans ended 2013 exactly the way they started it and have already indicated they are not about to change course in 2014.  Without their sequester, job killing cuts, and economy retarding austerity economics the 1.3 million unemployed Americans would likely have jobs, but like their promised $40 billion cuts to food stamps, threats to extract more cuts in the next debt ceiling crisis, and counsel to get more tax breaks for the rich, the economy and jobs are going to continue suffering if for nothing else than to increase the income gap creating a population living in poverty. Americans can depend on the corporate-owned media to continue keeping devastating economic news out of the public consciousness because there is a midterm election on the horizon. The media is not about to damage Republican’s electoral chances by telling Americans the reason they are in poverty, not finding good jobs, and losing their unemployment benefits is because Republicans in Congress successfully executed their economic agenda."

Occupy Madison Builds Tiny Homes for Wisconsin Homeless

Occupy Madison Builds Tiny Homes for Wisconsin Homeless
"Occupy Madison volunteers have been working to combat homelessness in Madison, Wisconsin. This year they launched an ambitious project to start building small, portable homes for Madison's homeless population. The first residents moved in on Christmas Eve."

Climate change by the numbers: The worst is yet to come

Climate change by the numbers: The worst is yet to come
"Only in the future, looking back, will we be able to recognize the true significance of many of this year’s big numbers"

The “middle class” myth: Here’s why wages are really so low today

The “middle class” myth: Here’s why wages are really so low today
"Want to understand the failures of the "free market" and the key to getting a decent wage? Here's the real story"

Elizabeth Warren: Every American Has the Right to Retire with Dignity—Why We Must Expand Social Security

www.alternet.org/economy/elizabeth-warren-its-right-every-american-retire-dignity-why-we-must-expand-social-security
"Social Security works; no one runs out of benefits and the guaranteed payments don't rise and fall with the stock market. Two-thirds of seniors rely on it for the majority of their income in retirement, and for 14 million seniors, this is the safety net that keeps them out of poverty. And yet, instead of taking on the retirement crisis, instead of strengthening Social Security, some in Washington are actually fighting to cut benefits."

Booming Solar Energy Halted by Hawaii Utility Because Sun Produces Too Much Power!

Booming Solar Energy Halted by Hawaii Utility Because Sun Produces Too Much Power!
"Now, a nation that cannot invest in fixing its electrical grid -- if you believe the utility company excuse for basically shutting down solar expansion in Hawaii -- is a nation that is not the greatest on earth, but one doomed to failure while its energy policy is dictated by the profiteering, environmentally toxic fossil fuel industry and utility companies."

Young Americans Can Buy Health Insurance For Under $100

www.genprogress.org/voices/2013/12/18/24221/young-americans-can-buy-health-insurance-for-under-100/
"From graduating college seniors to newlyweds to first-time parents to workers between jobs, Millennials have the most to gain from the ACA and with a bill that costs less than their cell phone one, it is no surprise the country’s enrollment numbers continue to rise."

The 10 biggest GOP rebranding fails of 2013

The 10 biggest GOP rebranding fails of 2013
"In March of this year, just a few months after the party’s drubbing in the 2012 elections, the Republican National Committee released its much-anticipated “autopsy” report. The goal of the report was to explain the GOP’s 2012 failure and to recommend changes the party could make to improve its chances in the future. On both counts, the authors concluded, the answer was inclusiveness — or the lack thereof. If the GOP were to stay competitive on the national level, it would be necessary to change the way many voters (young and Latino ones, especially) saw the party. And in order to do that, the Republican Party would, as the authors put it, have to “stop talking to itself.” It was time to rebrand.
Nine months later, however, it’s hard to conclude that the GOP’s rebranding effort has been anything other than an abysmal failure."

Coal Trains Run into Stiff Resistance in U.S. | Common Dreams

Coal Trains Run into Stiff Resistance in U.S. | Common Dreams
"Citizens and activists in the U.S. Pacific Northwest are fighting three different proposed coal terminals, including one in Oregon and two in Washington."

Do-Nothing Congress Even Better At Doing Nothing Than Last Year

Fukushima Responders Starting To Get Sick

Homeless Japanese Being 'Recruited' To Clean Up Fukushima Disaster | Common Dreams

Homeless Japanese Being 'Recruited' To Clean Up Fukushima Disaster | Common Dreams
"Private labor contractors in Japan are "recruiting" homeless individuals throughout the country, luring them to perform clean-up work in the areas near the destroyed nuclear power plant at Fukushima for less than minimum wage."

December 29, 2013

S.E. Cupp Tells Liberals Not to Get Excited About Pope's Economic Message

S.E. Cupp Tells Liberals Not to Get Excited About Pope's Economic Message
"So don't worry your pretty little heads conservatives. The pope is just like you -- and sadly, there's more where that came from in the column. It really is something to watch the lengths they'll go to in order to justify their views on trickle-down economics and unfettered capitalism."

Nearly One And A Half Million Workers Will Get A Raise On New Year’s Day

www.thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/28/3105581/minimum-wage-raise-year/
"Come January 1, over 1.4 million people — 1,441,000 to be exact — will get a raise thanks to increasing minimum wages in 13 states, according to an analysis by the National Employment Law Project (NELP)."

Federal Obamacare Enrollments Soar Past One Million Mark Through Christmas Eve

www.thinkprogress.org/health/2013/12/29/3106501/obamacare-enrollments-soar-past-million-mark/
"Some states — including California, New York, and Washington — have reported enrollment spikes similar to the federal marketplace in the last month."

Talking Heads Praise Pope's Concern for Poor, Ignore Own Part in Austerity Politics

Talking Heads Praise Pope's Concern for Poor, Ignore Own Part in Austerity Politics
"They probably weren't hired for their introspection, but it's still a little startling when you see how little responsibility Beltway media types take for pushing austerity politics."

Living in a red state is hazardous to your health

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/26/1256778/-Living-in-a-red-state-is-hazardous-to-your-nbsp-health
"Of the 25 states above the national average, 19 are blue and just six are red. Of the 25 states below the national average, 17 are red and just eight are blue.
Environmental policies, access to health insurance, workplace safety regulations ... these things matter. They are literally a matter of life and death. And it's clear that conservatism is hazardous to your health."

Seems like the Pope Has Conservative Paul Ryan Rattled

www.alternet.org/economy/paul-ryan-lectures-pope-about-capitalism
"Sure, a lot of Republicans share blame with Ryan. But he deserves extra-special (negative) credit for the deal, because he has lately had the audacity to depict himself as the new face of “compassionate conservatism,” insisting Republicans must pay attention to the problems of the poor. Friends say the man who once worshipped Ayn Rand now takes Pope Francis as his moral role model. Except he can’t help treating his new role model with arrogance and contempt."

Pope Francis Is Hated By Conservatives, But Americans Approve Of Him By A Landslide

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/12/24/pope-francis-is-hated-by-conservatives-but-americans-approve-of-him-by-a-landslide/
"Pope Francis has taken up the plight of the poor and immigrants. He supports protecting the environment. He has called for putting a stop to hating homosexuals. He has been a progressive on women’s rights. And he has attacked trickle-down economics as a “tyranny.” In addition, he has also condemned obsessive ideology and those Christians who think they are superior to others. In short, Pope Francis represents everything that conservatives hate."

What America Would Look Like If Libertarians Got Their Way

www.alternet.org/what-america-would-look-if-libertarians-got-their-way?paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark
"A North America dotted with Third World colonies. And a blighted landscape where Others are subjugated to Owners."

Ted Cruz Just Admits Outright that Blocking Immigration Reform in 2014 Is About Helping GOP

www.alternet.org/immigration/ted-cruz-just-admits-outright-blocking-immigration-reform-2014-about-helping-gop
"Cruz said he hopes that Speaker John Boehner will not take on immigration reform next year. Doing so, Cruz argued, would diminish the “incredible opportunity to retake the Senate in 2014.” Cruz emphasized that he is focused on winning the Senate majority from Democrats, and said passing immigration reform legislation would be the “number one thing Republicans could do to mess that up"."

Meet The Man Who Told The GOP How To Destroy America’s Middle Class

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/12/26/powell-memo-gop-blueprint/
"The Powell Memo came up with the plan, the blueprint. Based on the ideas presented in the Powell Memo, the Republican party created think tanks responsible for dispersing misleading information with a false cloak of authenticity. The Heritage Foundation is a classic example of this."

Darrell Issa Hid The Truth About Benghazi For a Year While Attacking President Obama

www.politicususa.com/2013/12/29/darrell-issa-hid-truth-benghazi-year-attacking-president-obama.html
"The current scandal in Washington is that slimy crook Darrell Issa who has had the same information the New York Times reported for over a year and sat on his ass wasting taxpayer time and money pursuing Barack Obama."

Rep. Castro rips Issa after Benghazi report: He 'crusaded for over a year on a fairy tale'

Rep. Castro rips Issa after Benghazi report: He 'crusaded for over a year on a fairy tale'
"Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) lashed out at House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) on Sunday for spending over a year on what he said was a crusade on a "fairy tale" after a New York Times report showed that Al-Qaeda had no role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks."

The National Memo » America’s Greediest: The Koch Brothers, The ‘Libertarians’ Who Hate The Free Market

The National Memo » America’s Greediest: The Koch Brothers, The ‘Libertarians’ Who Hate The Free Market
"While the Kochs insist that their goal is freedom, their agenda seems entirely based on policies that increase economic inequality and make it easy for carbon polluters like Koch Industries to continue their unfettered domination of energy markets.
Perhaps the best example of the Kochs’ hypocrisy comes in their war on solar power.
While the Kochs spent millions to try to put politicians in office who have vowed to never raise taxes on the rich or anyone, the billionaires are aiding efforts to “tax the sun” in an effort to squash the nascent solar industry."

NYT Benghazi Bombshell: Embassy Attack Spurred by Anti-Islam Video

NYT Benghazi Bombshell: Embassy Attack Spurred by Anti-Islam Video
"Right-wing conspiracy theorists were dealt a heavy blow today by The New York Times, as actual investigative journalism reared its head"

December 28, 2013

Detroit’s Deals with Financial Institutions Led to Disaster

Detroit’s Deals with Financial Institutions Led to Disaster
"Today’s New York Times published one of the most important stories yet about the Detroit bankruptcy, a story that shines a harsh light on the financial institutions whose tricky deal-making helped tank the city’s finances. At the heart of the story is Detroit’s decision to enter into swap contracts that were spectacularly ill-advised."

Robert Reich Takes on Ryan Adviser Who Claims Income Inequality is Not a Problem

Robert Reich Takes on Ryan Adviser Who Claims Income Inequality is Not a Problem
"Here we go again with another one of these Third Way flacks making their way onto our airways -- although this one has moved onto the Manhattan Institute and working as an economic adviser for Rep. Paul Ryan."

December 27, 2013

Investigation Reveals Rampant Fraud by Privatized Hospice Groups | Common Dreams

Investigation Reveals Rampant Fraud by Privatized Hospice Groups | Common Dreams
"Washington Post investigation into the world of hospice care published Thursday found that what was initially intended to be a peaceful end-of-life alternative led by religious and community organizations, has now evolved into a $17 billion for-profit industry ripe with scams and abuse.
Hospice care, which focuses on providing comfort to the terminally ill rather than finding a cure, is funded primarily by Medicare—which makes an estimated 85 to 90 percent of all payments to hospices."

Noam Chomsky: We’re no longer a functioning democracy, we’re really a plutocracy

Noam Chomsky: We’re no longer a functioning democracy, we’re really a plutocracy (via Raw Story )
The world faces two potentially existential threats, according to the linguist and political philosopher Noam Chomsky. “There are two major dark shadows that hover over everything, and they’re getting more and more serious,” Chomsky said. “The…

Inequality: An Essential Reader

Inequality: An Essential Reader
"How did we arrive at this new Gilded Age? And how might we create an economy of broadly shared prosperity?"

For-Profit Prisons: Eight Statistics That Show the Problems

For-Profit Prisons: Eight Statistics That Show the Problems
"States sign agreements with private prisons to guarantee that they will fill a certain number of beds in jail at any given point. The most common rate is 90%, though some prisons are able to snag a 100% promise from their local governments. Because of these contracts, the state is obligated to keep prisons almost full at all times or pay for the beds anyway, so the incentive is to incarcerate more people and for longer in order to fill the quota."

December 26, 2013

All In All-Star Show: Voting Rights Act

Thank a Postal Worker This Holiday Season | Common Dreams

Thank a Postal Worker This Holiday Season | Common Dreams
"Postal workers are still under assault from political slackers in Washington—like House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-California, and the wrecking crew he has assembled to diminish the United States Postal Service to such an extent that it can be bartered off to the highest bidder."

Moral Monday Movement Set To Spread Across South

Moral Monday Movement Set To Spread Across South
"Moral Monday protests in North Carolina against a raft of recent legislation targeting voters and teachers will continue in 2014. Reporting by the AP suggests that the protests will spread across the South."

Phoenix ends chronic homelessness among vets

Papers show Koch money behind economic study

December 24, 2013

Conservatives' Quagmire: The War on Christmas | Common Dreams

Conservatives' Quagmire: The War on Christmas | Common Dreams
"The annual "war on Christmas" took an unexpected twist this holiday season, when the UK-based website the Freethinker published the ironic headline "First known casualty in America's 2013 'War on Xmas' turns out to be a Salvation Army member". A woman attacked a bell ringer in Phoenix, Arizona because she was angry at being wished a "Happy Holidays" instead of honoring Jesus' birth by saying "Merry Christmas"."

News Video Catches Black Santa Being Shot by pellet gun during D.C. toy giveaway

News Video Catches Black Santa Being Shot by pellet gun during D.C. toy giveaway
"Fox News host Megyn Kelly recently told children that the only real Santa Claus was white."

Phoenix Reduces its Population of Chronically Homeless Veterans to Zero

Phoenix Reduces its Population of Chronically Homeless Veterans to Zero
"This could be a sign of things to come as the Obama administration aims to eradicate homelessness among veterans by 2015."

Cruelty, Corporations, Congress, and Christmas: Unhappy Holidays for the Poor & Unemployed | Common Dreams

Cruelty, Corporations, Congress, and Christmas: Unhappy Holidays for the Poor & Unemployed | Common Dreams
"It's the holiday season in the United States and members of Congress and corporate executives are home with their families.
Meanwhile, in a year that Congress decided to slash funds for the federal food stamp program while also refusing to extend unemployment benefits to millions of people still suffering from a financial crisis created by large banks and a corrupted government, working people and the nation's most vulnerable have been left to fend for themselves."

December 23, 2013

NC warns court about 'womanless' marriages to defend Gov. McCrory's ban on NAACP protests

NC warns court about 'womanless' marriages to defend Gov. McCrory's ban on NAACP protests
"A Superior Court judge in Raleigh on Monday gave the NAACP permission to rally at the State Capital building to protest the Republican-controlled legislature after Gov. Pat McCrory's (R) administration refused to approve a permit for the group."

'Gaffe-ing All the Way': Corporate Gluttony This Holiday Season | Common Dreams

'Gaffe-ing All the Way': Corporate Gluttony This Holiday Season | Common Dreams
"At a time of year when we're inclined to show empathy for people less fortunate than ourselves, some of our top business leaders are notable for comments that show their disdain for struggling Americans. Their words may seem too outlandish to have been uttered, or inappropriately humorous, but all the speakers were serious."

Record Radiation: Handling of Fukushima cleanup is 'comedy of errors'

Scientists Link Spike in Thyroid Disease to Fukushima Disaster

Millions in Dark Money Funding Climate Change Denial: Report | Common Dreams

Millions in Dark Money Funding Climate Change Denial: Report | Common Dreams
"The expansive misinformation campaign behind climate change denial is increasingly being funded in the dark, reveals a new report published Friday in the journal Climatic Change
According to the study titled "Institutionalizing Delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations," while the largest and most consistent funders of climate change denial are a number of well-known conservative foundations and industry groups, the majority of donations come from "dark money," or concealed funding."

Harvey Wasserman Wants You to Know the Truth About Fukushima

Harvey Wasserman Wants You to Know the Truth About Fukushima
"At Fukushima Unit 4, the impending removal of hugely radioactive spent fuel rods from a pool 100 feet in the air presents unparalleled scientific and engineering challenges."

December 22, 2013

WSJ Panel Celebrates 'Third Way' Attack on Elizabeth Warren

WSJ Panel Celebrates 'Third Way' Attack on Elizabeth Warren
"After they finished bashing Pope Francis for daring to speak up about income disparity and the need to take care of the poor, talking heads on Fox moved on attacking yet another of their favorite targets, Massachusetts Senator and progressive champion Elizabeth Warren."

10 Ways Right Wingers Went Cuckoo This Week -- 'Duck Dynasty' Meltdown Edition

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/10-ways-right-wingers-went-cuckoo-week-duck-dynasty-meltdown-edition?paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark
"How Chris Christie and a host of right-wingers went off the deep end."

Meet Larry SECEDE Kilgore: The Candidate For Texas Governor Whose Name Is His Platform

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/12/10/3040891/meet-larry-secede-kilgore-candidate-texas-governor-platform/
"Larry SECEDE Kilgore believes that gay people should be executed, but he’s willing to set this view aside to pursue a bigger goal. “If there was a homosexual running that was a secessionist,” Mr. SECEDE Kilgore told Long Star Q’s John Wright, “I would support him"."

Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Bemoans The End Of White Rule In The United States

www.thinkprogress.org/home/2013/12/21/3098361/wall-street-journal-bemoans-end-white-rule-united-states/

"In Saturday’s paper and online, author Joseph Epstein mourns the collapse of what he describes as the “genuine ruling class, drawn from what came to be known as the WASP establishment,” (WASP, the commonly-held acronym for White, Anglo-Sax...on Protestant). Instead, he argues, we are living in a meritocracy, governed not by an elite subset of the uppermost crust of society but rather by a group of people who overcame some kind of adversity and achieved success thanks to their own merits, not based on what family they were born into. This, according to Epstein, is a tragedy."

Fox's Henninger: 'Rookie Pope' Should Be More Careful About Choosing His Words

Fox's Henninger: 'Rookie Pope' Should Be More Careful About Choosing His Words
"The right wing and their cohorts in the media, really, really dislike this new pope. From this Saturday's The Journal Editorial Report on Fox "news," host Paul Gigot and his guests were all opining on how terrible it is that Pope Francis dared to speak up about taking care of the poor and income disparity."

December 21, 2013

Mitch McConnell Wants To Repeal Heath Care Of Over 92,000 Kentuckians

Mitch McConnell Wants To Repeal Heath Care Of Over 92,000 Kentuckians
"And when any Republican talks about repealing Obamacare, what they're really calling for is repealing health care insurance for every single person who has gotten their coverage on a health care exchange, and the number of people in that group is growing with each and every passing day."

How to Mess Up a Perfectly Good Democracy as Seen From Down Under

How to Mess Up a Perfectly Good Democracy as Seen From Down Under
"Living underneath the real world, as we do in Oz, we tend to do things back to front. For example, for us, voting is a tedious duty - but up there in the Greatest Democracy in the World, voters are exercising a privilege. That's why so many people in the United States have to struggle to get registered as voters, and their right to vote can be canceled at the stroke of a judge's gavel or a bureaucrat's whim. In fact, the right to vote was so restricted in some US states that the federal government had to step in and enforce fair voter-registration laws. Unfortunately, as you will know, the Voting Rights Act was recently emasculated by the Supreme Court which, on somewhat underwhelming grounds, decided that the discrimination that led to the original act had been overcome and so the act could be weakened. This has been greeted with hoots of delight in many states, which have immediately reintroduced the sorts of restrictions that brought about the VRA in the first place."

December 20, 2013

GOP gets ‘down the block’ tough

Fox's Steve Doocy Hides Extensive ACA Wellness Programs

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/12/18/foxs-steve-doocy-hides-extensive-aca-wellness-p/197332
"Fox News' Steve Doocy falsely claimed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) makes wellness programs "illegal" when, in fact, the law expands them."

Southern Republicans Drag the Rest of the Nation Down by Doing the Kochs’ Bidding

www.politicususa.com/2013/12/19/southern-republicans-drag-rest-nation-kochs-bidding.html


"One of the reasons America has become a third-world nation is three decades of Republican trickle-down economics, the monopolization, privatization and deregulation of industry, and decimation of labor protection has sent 50 million Americans into wretched poverty while all the wealth has risen to the top 1% of income earners instead of investing in America. In fact, the destruction of labor has gotten so bad that real first-world nations offshore their jobs to the American South making this country the new Indonesia because foreign corporations look at America as having one of the world’s cheapest labor forces on the planet; solely because of the non-unionized, right to work for less Southern states."

Here's the Jim Jones Kool-Aid the GOP is Serving...

National Paid Family Leave May Finally Be on the Horizon | Common Dreams

National Paid Family Leave May Finally Be on the Horizon | Common Dreams
"Any working parent will tell you that raising a family might as well be another full-time job—one that comes with no vacation days or health benefits. But millions of Americans don't get days off from their regular job, either, even for the sake of their health or their family’s."

Saudi Arabia Restored As Defendant In 9/11 Lawsuit By Appeals Court

Saudi Arabia Restored As Defendant In 9/11 Lawsuit By Appeals Court
"In a highly unusual move, a federal appeals court effectively acknowledged Thursday that its earlier decision to remove Saudi Arabia from the suit was mistaken."

December 19, 2013

Raising the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.10 Would Lift Wages for Millions and Provide a Modest Economic Boost | Economic Policy Institute

Raising the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.10 Would Lift Wages for Millions and Provide a Modest Economic Boost | Economic Policy Institute
"Every year that the minimum wage remains the same in nominal dollars, inflation slowly erodes its real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) value, leaving minimum-wage workers with a paycheck that cannot buy as much as it did in years past."

The GOP Is a Cult Worthy of Jim Jones

The GOP Is a Cult Worthy of Jim Jones
"From taking away health care and food, to failing to fight climate change or give unemployed Americans assistance, Republicans are effectively killing off the very people who have helped put them in positions of power.
 If that doesn't scream cult, I don't know what does..."

The Progressive Honor Roll of 2013 | The Nation

The Progressive Honor Roll of 2013 | The Nation
"This past year was about a lot more than Ted Cruz and the surreal shutdown politics of the Republican right. Across America, grassroots groups, bold unions, inspired activists, crusading editors and courageous elected officials did great things. They are the real heroes of 2013, and The Nation’s Progressive Honor Roll celebrates them for their accomplishments this year and their determination to do even more in 2014."

PERRspectives: House GOP Report Silent on Medicare's Use of Navigators for Over 20 Years

PERRspectives: House GOP Report Silent on Medicare's Use of Navigators for Over 20 Years
"Like GOP leaders in other states, Rick Perry has made the navigators' jobs virtually impossible. Georgia Insurance Commission Ralph Hudgens could have been speaking for Darrell Issa and the entire Republican Party when he described how his state was blocking access to navigators for Obamacare that the Medicare program had been using for over 20 years"

PERRspectives: GOP Releases Government, Takes U.S. Economy Hostage Again

PERRspectives: GOP Releases Government, Takes U.S. Economy Hostage Again
"That was quick. Just two days after he joined House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in lashing out against right-wing extremists who threatened to trigger another government shutdown by blocking his compromise budget, Rep. Paul Ryan on Sunday promised to support the Tea Party's other favorite act of national economic blackmail. Despite the fact that both Ryan and Boehner have admitted "we have no immediate debt crisis" and that "you can't not raise the debt limit" because that "would be a financial disaster, not only for our country but for the worldwide economy," Ryan on Sunday threatened to do just that."

Is Your Chicken Dinner Making You Sick? | Common Dreams

Is Your Chicken Dinner Making You Sick? | Common Dreams
"Two new reports may have consumers thinking twice about having chicken for dinner."

Study Shows Gulf Oil Spill Linked to Dolphin Disease and Death | Common Dreams

Study Shows Gulf Oil Spill Linked to Dolphin Disease and Death | Common Dreams
"In the year following the massive BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, dolphins in the area developed severe lung disease, hormonal abnormalities and other deadly health problems that are likely linked to the toxic oil contamination, according to a report published Wednesday."

Majority of Americans: Invading Afghanistan Was 'Wrong Thing to Do' | Common Dreams

Majority of Americans: Invading Afghanistan Was 'Wrong Thing to Do' | Common Dreams
"More than twelve years after the initial invasion, U.S. public opinion of the so-called Good War in Afghanistan appears to be souring."

Breach at Target stores may have hit 40 mn accounts

Breach at Target stores may have hit 40 mn accounts
"US retail giant Target said Thursday some 40 million customers may have had bank card data compromised by hackers who broke into its database as holiday shopping got underway."

December 18, 2013

Why Are Republicans Socking It to the Unemployed?

Why Are Republicans Socking It to the Unemployed?
"Paul and his colleagues think that by cutting off unemployment insurance to millions of Americans, they’re actually motivating them to get jobs.
 And that’s fine if there are jobs to get. But there aren’t.
 As of November, there were 10.9 million unemployed Americans. Yet, employers only added 203,000 jobs last month.
 While those new jobs might help the economy, they’re obviously not enough to put all unemployed Americans back to work.
 But Republicans don’t get that."

Republican To Concede In VA Attorney General Race

Republican To Concede In VA Attorney General Race
"Obenshain's concession means all statewide offices in Virginia will be held by Democrats, a welcome change from the administration of Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli."

Pope Francis: 'It's An Ugly Thing' When A Christian Won't Humble Himself

Pope Francis: 'It's An Ugly Thing' When A Christian Won't Humble Himself
"Pope Francis said a Christian who won't humble himself and serve others is no Christian at all."

Let the Sun Shine In: The Rightwing Attack on Our Solar Future | Common Dreams

Let the Sun Shine In: The Rightwing Attack on Our Solar Future | Common Dreams
"According to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative network better known as ALEC, our solar panels make us “free riders.” What?
 Yes, according to ALEC, an organization that specializes in getting the right-wing agenda written into state laws, people like me who invest in energy-efficiency and shrinking our carbon footprints ought to be penalized.
 Why does ALEC want us punished? Since it’s bankrolled by, among others, the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, it’s hard not to surmise that they’re worried about a threat to fossil fuels businesses. Koch Industries’ operations include refineries, oil and natural gas pipelines, and petrochemicals"

Sen. Warren Aims to Fix 'One More Way the System Is Rigged' | Common Dreams

Sen. Warren Aims to Fix 'One More Way the System Is Rigged' | Common Dreams
"Legislation introduced by Warren would prohibit employers from using prospective employees' credit scores as a basis for hiring"

December 17, 2013

Court Rules Gov. Nikki Haley Violated Civil Rights With Occupy Arrests

Court Rules Gov. Nikki Haley Violated Civil Rights With Occupy Arrests
"A federal appeals court ruled on Monday that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) could be sued for violating the civil rights of Occupy Columbia protesters who were removed from the Statehouse grounds and arrested in 2011."

Dean Baker | The End of the Assault on Social Security and Medicare

Dean Baker | The End of the Assault on Social Security and Medicare
"When Senator Elizabeth Warren came out for increasing Social Security last month it set in motion a remarkable turn of events."

Noam Chomsky Continues to Inspire | Common Dreams

Noam Chomsky Continues to Inspire | Common Dreams
"He’s one of the world’s best-known intellectuals and one of the least vain. Or elitist. Put him in a roomful of a thousand social activists (not uncommon surroundings for him) and you’ll see him attempt to meet each of them, one-by-one, until he’s physically removed to rush to the airport or next appointment."

Seven Ripoffs That Capitalists Would Like to Keep out of the Media | Common Dreams

Seven Ripoffs That Capitalists Would Like to Keep out of the Media | Common Dreams
"Tax-avoiding, consumer-exploiting big business leaders are largely responsible for these abuses. Congress just lets it happen. Corporate heads and members of Congress seem incapable of relating to the people that are being victimized, and the mainstream media seems to have lost the ability to express the views of lower-income Americans."

Pope Sacks Conservative Cardinal

Pope Sacks Conservative Cardinal
"The removal of Cardinal Raymond L. Burke from the Congregation for Bishops is being seen as a move that means Francis is willing to go beyond just a change in rhetoric to make the church more inclusive."

10 Greediest People in America | Alternet

10 Greediest People in America | Alternet
"Butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers. You won’t find any of them in this latest annual list of America’s most avaricious. You will find wheelers and dealers and even a candy store heiress."

US Sailors: Response to Fukushima Emergency Resulted in Cancer | Common Dreams

US Sailors: Response to Fukushima Emergency Resulted in Cancer | Common Dreams
"U.S. sailors who were part of the emergency response effort in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that led to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011 are now reporting numerous forms of cancers they say are a direct result of being exposed to radiation fallout from the disaster."

Goodies for the Rich, Pennies for the Poor

Goodies for the Rich, Pennies for the Poor
"Republicans don't give a rat's ass about working-class Americans, but they want you to think they do."

Study: Chemicals Linked to Cancer, Birth Defects in Water Near Fracking Hotspots | Common Dreams

Study: Chemicals Linked to Cancer, Birth Defects in Water Near Fracking Hotspots | Common Dreams
"The controversial oil and gas extraction process known as "fracking" employs dangerous chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, and infertility that then contaminate ground and surface water and may expose populations near sites to direct health risks."

Senate GOP Meeting Tuesday to Figure Out How to Block More Nominees | Alternet

Senate GOP Meeting Tuesday to Figure Out How to Block More Nominees | Alternet
"Senate Republicans aren't sure yet how they're going to try to continue to block President Obama's nominees, now that they can't filibuster them on the floor. But what they do know is that they want to keep blocking the nominations."

The Six Worst Attacks On Reproductive Freedom In 2013 | Alternet

The Six Worst Attacks On Reproductive Freedom In 2013 | Alternet
"GOP lawmakers certainly failed our women this year"

December 16, 2013

Experts: Japan 'Incapable' of Solo Decommissioning Effort | Common Dreams

Experts: Japan 'Incapable' of Solo Decommissioning Effort | Common Dreams
"Japan is "incapable" of safely decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant says a panel of experts who are calling for an international effort for the dangerous process, the Associated Press reported Sunday"

The Permanent Crisis at Fukushima | Common Dreams

The Permanent Crisis at Fukushima | Common Dreams
"Why isn’t the international community making more of a noise about Fukushima? Is it because the big voices on the international stage are all pro-nuclear power themselves?
Sooner or later, for all our sakes, our leaders are going to have to get their hands dirty at Fukushima."

December 15, 2013

Why Shopping at Walmart Is No Bargain | Alternet

Why Shopping at Walmart Is No Bargain | Alternet
"So that last great argument about Walmart being more affordable is dead in the water. Could a caring, sensible person continue to shop there, knowing all that we now know?"

America Is the Most Inhumane Developed Country on the Planet — Are We Going to Let It Stay That Way? | Alternet

America Is the Most Inhumane Developed Country on the Planet — Are We Going to Let It Stay That Way? | Alternet
"This week marked the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What would it be like if people in the U.S. knew they had these rights?"

Fox Panel Continues Push to Privatize the Post Office

Fox Panel Continues Push to Privatize the Post Office
"The more things change, the more they stay the same. It's been over seven years now since Congress voted do its best to destroy the United States Post Office by forcing the agency to over fund their pension plan and the right wing's been using it as an excuse to privatize them ever since."

When Will the Media Learn? Conservatives Are NOT “Centrists”! | Alternet

When Will the Media Learn? Conservatives Are NOT “Centrists”! | Alternet
"From Chris Christie to Third Way, the political class mislabels the political center. Here's why it's so dangerous."

10 Certifiably Insane Rants from the Right-Wing Fringe This Week: War on Santa Edition | Alternet

10 Certifiably Insane Rants from the Right-Wing Fringe This Week: War on Santa Edition | Alternet
"Megyn Kelly, Donald Trump and Pat Robertson vie for the craziest prize."

December 13, 2013

GOP losing patience with conservatives

Congress fails to tackle immigration reform

Rape victim battles ‘repugnant’ abortion law

GOP states falling behind on health coverage

Scrutiny of traffic jam made Christie squirm

$2.75 an Hour?! The Shocking Secret of Goodwill | Alternet

$2.75 an Hour?! The Shocking Secret of Goodwill | Alternet
"Goodwill CEOs make over $400,000 a year. But some of its disabled employees are paid less than $3 an hour."

Bad budget deal for all those out of work

Dems challenge Rick Synder’s anti-union policy

December 12, 2013

Japan's Deadly New 'Fukushima Fascism' | Common Dreams

Japan's Deadly New 'Fukushima Fascism' | Common Dreams
"Fukushima continues to spew out radiation. The quantities seem to be rising, as do the impacts.

The site has been infiltrated by organized crime.
There are horrifying signs of ecological disaster in the Pacific and human health impacts in the U.S.
But within Japan, a new State Secrets Act makes such talk punishable by up to ten years in prison."

Bill Moyers: 'We Are This Close to Losing Our Democracy to the Mercenary Class' | Alternet

Bill Moyers: 'We Are This Close to Losing Our Democracy to the Mercenary Class' | Alternet
"The historian Plutarch warned us long ago of what happens when there is no brake on the power of great wealth to subvert the electorate."

As It Turns Out, There Still Is a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - The Many Friends of ALEC

As It Turns Out, There Still Is a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - The Many Friends of ALEC
"Meanwhile, newly revealed documents show that legislators who co-chair ALEC committees must sign a State Chair Job Description and Agreement. Among other things, state legislator chairs agree to "act with care and loyalty and put the interests of the organization [ALEC] first." Another provision says: "Legislators must inform ALEC of any public records / FOIA requests that include ALEC documents"."

Teen DUI Killer Gets Off After Defense Claims 'Affluenza'

Teen DUI Killer Gets Off After Defense Claims 'Affluenza'
"A Texas teenager who killed four in a drunken driving accident was sentenced to probation after defense lawyers argued his wealthy parents never taught him right from wrong."

Private GOP civil war exposed by budget deal

NJ bridge story extending into scandal

Boeing is a Greedy, Freeloading Corporation That Screws American Taxpayers and Workers | Alternet

Boeing is a Greedy, Freeloading Corporation That Screws American Taxpayers and Workers | Alternet
"The aerospace company makes out like a bandit while sucking the lifeblood from the real economy."

6 Reasons There's No Such Thing As Compassionate Conservatism | Alternet

6 Reasons There's No Such Thing As Compassionate Conservatism | Alternet
"Conservatives worship Ayn Rand, who said it was morally wrong to help people. How's that for compassionate?"

December 11, 2013

Virginia Republican Leader Tries to Incite Assassination Attempt On President Obama

www.politicususa.com/2013/12/11/virginia-republican-party-incite-assassination-attempt-president-obama.html
"The threats against this President have become so frequent that statements such as Mullins must be taken seriously and investigated with extreme prejudice. His remarks are more than Republican losers bemoaning an electoral defeat and inform a desperate political party sending a literal call to arms against the President of the United States. Coupled with his claim Republicans have to lurch farther to the extreme fringes of the right wing because they are unhappy with healthcare insurance reform, it is a just a matter of time before violent rhetoric is embraced by national Republicans. Frankly, national or state Republicans’ unwillingness to condemn the preponderance of hate speech and violent rhetoric against this President is tantamount to their unconditional endorsement."

The Worst Climate Change Misinformer In America Is On CNN

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/12/11/the-worst-climate-change-misinformer-in-america/197230
"CNN gave a platform to "toxic and divisive" Marc Morano to dismiss global warming on its new program, The 11th Hour. But the network did not disclose that Morano, who has no scientific expertise, is paid by fossil fuel companies to cast doubt on the scientific consensus on climate change, as he did on CNN."

The ‘craziest political fundraising letter’

Highlights from Obama’s tribute to Mandela

There's A Federal Pension Grab In The Details Of New Budget

There's A Federal Pension Grab In The Details Of New Budget
"It's always about protecting the rich at the expense of the workers."

How to help on the Sandy Hook anniversary

Sandy Hook parents strive to ‘be loving’

Bailout of General Motors vindicated

Right wing rejects Mandela’s hero status

America’s Retirement Crisis Grows as Cities Raid Pension and Health Plans | Alternet

America’s Retirement Crisis Grows as Cities Raid Pension and Health Plans | Alternet
"Across America, states, counties and cities are taking steps that will make retirement for ex-public employees much harsher. Courts, politicans and corporations are all working together to chip away at deferred wages: reducing pensions or eliminating promised healthcare, or both. Said simply, they’re looting retirements and pushing people toward poverty."

December 10, 2013

U.S. Will Top Germany In Solar Installation For The First Time In 15 Years

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/10/3042001/us-solar-record-installation/
"By the end of the year, more than 400,000 solar projects will be operating across the U.S. and installations will have grown 27 percent over 2012, with a 52 percent growth rate in the residential sector alone, according to GTM’s forecast."

Nelson Mandela's Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Common Dreams

Nelson Mandela's Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Common Dreams
"The South African Constitution minces no words regarding access to medical care."

Obama’s grand exit from the car business

White noise for Rush in the Golden State

Sen. Bernie Sanders Continues Fight for Single Payer | Common Dreams

Sen. Bernie Sanders Continues Fight for Single Payer | Common Dreams
"Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) continued his push for a single-payer system healthcare system on Monday, introducing legislation that he says would allow for better care at lower costs."

Heartless’ Republicans on unemployment

GOP trying to appeal to women ‘emotionally’

Fox Piles On Big Business' Attempt To Smear Fast Food Protesters As "Rent-A-Mobs"

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/12/10/fox-piles-on-big-business-attempt-to-smear-fast/197222
"Fox News hyped baseless claims from fast food industry sources that the recent fast food protests were nothing but "rent-a-mob[s]" and misleadingly cited national labor statistics to minimize the fast-food workers' apparent need for increased wages."

Dubious traffic jam shows signs of politics

GOP hits Obamacare with ‘hearing’ road show

18 Cops At Abusive Sheriff’s Department Charged With Brutally Beating Inmates And Jail Visitors

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/12/10/3042261/lasd-indictment/
"More than a dozen officers at the nation’s largest sheriff’s department were indicted Monday for allegedly widespread abuse of inmates at Los Angeles County jails."

Robert Reich: American democracy is drowning in big money

Robert Reich: American democracy is drowning in big money
"The former Secretary of Labor on JPMorgan's bribery, and why the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act falls woefully short"

How Wall Street Bankrupted Detroit | Interview with Richard Wolff

PERRspectives: GM Bailout Produced a Windfall for U.S. Taxpayers

PERRspectives: GM Bailout Produced a Windfall for U.S. Taxpayers
"But thanks to the Bush and Obama administrations, the Upper Midwest did not enter an economic death spiral leading to a permanent depression."

Republican nightmare begins: Obamacare is 'a godsend' for people getting coverage

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/09/1256519/-Republican-nightmare-begins-Obamacare-is-a-godsend-for-people-getting-coverage
"That's precisely what Republicans have been fighting against so desperately for the past four years; people's lives being made fundamentally better. People realizing that government can be a direct force for good in their personal lives. It's every Republican's nightmare, and it's going to play out in every state until next November."

The Koch Brothers Are Still Trying to Break Wind | Common Dreams

The Koch Brothers Are Still Trying to Break Wind | Common Dreams
"The Koch network is fighting the wind industry on a number of fronts."

Sanders: GOP 'Just Factually Wrong' About Minimum Wage Hike

Sanders: GOP 'Just Factually Wrong' About Minimum Wage Hike
"Sanders destroyed every GOP claims against raising the minimum wage, while calling their position as 'just factually wrong"."

The Ayn-Rand Worshipping Sears CEO That Blew Up His Multibillion Dollar Empire | Alternet

The Ayn-Rand Worshipping Sears CEO That Blew Up His Multibillion Dollar Empire | Alternet
"Lampert is now known as one of the worst CEOs in America — the man who flushed Sears down the toilet with his demented management style and harebrained approach to retail. Sears stock is tanking."

December 9, 2013

Republican’s elitist view of minimum wage

Gearing up for a second shutdown

Put the "United" Back in the United States of America

Put the "United" Back in the United States of America
"Every time a state strikes a corporate welfare "megadeal," the American taxpayer is left to pay the price."

GOP Governors Who Refused Medicaid Expansion Are Screwing Over Their Constituents While Not Saving Money | Alternet

GOP Governors Who Refused Medicaid Expansion Are Screwing Over Their Constituents While Not Saving Money | Alternet
"No state, the study concluded, that is rejecting Medicaid will actually save money in the next decade, even after the federal reimbursement rate drops from 100 to 90 percent. That's because they're still on the hook for a lot of uncompensated care: paying for the health care of all those people who still aren't covered. The study also points out that the citizens of those states will be paying federal taxes that go, in part, to the expansion of Medicaid that they won't see the benefits from.
Between that, and the fact that hospitals are closing in these red states because they can't keep affording to provide uncompensated care, Medicaid refusal is going to become a potent political issue."

The Bankruptcy and Privatization of Detroit Is a Terrifying Preview of What Republicans Want to Do to the Rest of the Country | Alternet

The Bankruptcy and Privatization of Detroit Is a Terrifying Preview of What Republicans Want to Do to the Rest of the Country | Alternet
"The privatization of Detroit is about to begin, and there’s no way the billionaire class is going to miss it."

Three Ways the Super-Rich Suck Wealth Out of the Rest of Us | Common Dreams

Three Ways the Super-Rich Suck Wealth Out of the Rest of Us | Common Dreams
"The facts are indisputable, the conclusion painful. The wealthiest people in the U.S. and around the world have used the stock market and the deregulated financial system to lay claim to the resources that should belong to all of us."

Time to be Afraid in America: The Frightening Pattern of Throwing Police Power at Social Problems | Alternet

Time to be Afraid in America: The Frightening Pattern of Throwing Police Power at Social Problems | Alternet
"Policing overkill has entered the DNA of America's social policy"

December 7, 2013

Radioactive Fukushima Water Headed for US West Coast | Common Dreams

Radioactive Fukushima Water Headed for US West Coast | Common Dreams
"Radioactive water contaminated by Japan's ravaged Fukushima nuclear plant will soon reach the west coast of the United States, according to Chairwoman of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Allison Macfarlane, Bloomberg reports."

Families Exposed to Camp Lejeune Water At Risk For Birth Defects

Families Exposed to Camp Lejeune Water At Risk For Birth Defects
"Remember this the next time you see a congress critter who "supports the troops" being feted by defense contractors, while the underpaid troops who have to use food stamps live in such hazardous conditions -- with their families"

PERRspectives: Red States Face Triple Whammy from GOP Medicaid Rejection

PERRspectives: Red States Face Triple Whammy from GOP Medicaid Rejection
"In Ohio, Governor John Kasich's decision to take Washington's money will actually produce a $400 million surplus for the Buckeye State (one which Republican legislators want to give away in the form of more tax cuts). The simple math-and simpler consideration in insuring millions of indigent patients as the DSH funding is reduced over time is precisely why hospital associations in Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and every other state pleaded with Republican governors and legislatures to take Obamacare's money for Medicaid expansion."