The Neo-Confederate Supreme Court Gearing Up to Restore White Rule Over America | Alternet
"GOP desperation over U.S. demographic changes has spread to the U.S. Supreme Court -- a majority is ready to tear up the most important part of the Voting Rights Act."
February 28, 2013
Contrary To GOP Rhetoric, Low-Tax States Have Worse Economic Growth
Contrary To GOP Rhetoric, Low-Tax States Have Worse Economic Growth: Republicans love to claim that low-tax states such as Texas enjoy a disproportionate amount of economic success, while higher-tax states like California are economic basket cases. Republican governors in several states are using that rationale to propose gutting their state income taxes (and, in many instances, replacing them with regressive sales taxes). But a new [...]/p
Why Scalia’s ‘Racial Entitlement’ Quote Is Even Scarier Than You Think
Why Scalia’s ‘Racial Entitlement’ Quote Is Even Scarier Than You Think: Justice Antonin Scalia quite deservedly came under fire yesterday for his claim that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act is a “perpetuation of racial entitlement.” If the justice were looking to confirm every suspicion that conservative opposition to the law that broke the back of Jim Crow voter exclusions is rooted in white [...]/p
GOP Economic Sabotage Strikes Again with Sequestration | Economic Policy Institute
GOP Economic Sabotage Strikes Again with Sequestration | Economic Policy Institute
"And should sequestration take effect, this would not be an isolated case of economic policy malpractice: Congressional Republicans have consistently hamstrung efforts that economists overwhelmingly agree would have meaningfully helped lower the unemployment rate and instead advanced policies projected to decelerate near-term growth."
"And should sequestration take effect, this would not be an isolated case of economic policy malpractice: Congressional Republicans have consistently hamstrung efforts that economists overwhelmingly agree would have meaningfully helped lower the unemployment rate and instead advanced policies projected to decelerate near-term growth."
Since 2011, 105 Wage Supression Bills Have Been Introduced In State Legislatures
Since 2011, 105 Wage Supression Bills Have Been Introduced In State Legislatures: During his State of the Union address, President Obama called for raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour. Some Congressional Democrats have called to increase it all the way up to $10.10 (getting it close to the buying power it had in the 1960s). But at the state level, conservative lawmakers are trying to [...]/p
Bill Blum: The Political Forces Behind the Attack on the Voting Rights Act - Truthdig
Bill Blum: The Political Forces Behind the Attack on the Voting Rights Act - Truthdig
"Those organizations—whose ranks range from well-known right-wing think tanks such as the Federalist Society and the American Enterprise and Cato institutes to relatively obscure nonprofits such as the Virginia-based DonorsTrust foundation and the Project on Fair Representation—form a de facto alliance that aims at nothing less than a wholesale transformation of constitutional law to limit, if not altogether prohibit, the use of federal power on behalf of historically oppressed minorities. The Voting Rights Act is simply the target of the day."
"Those organizations—whose ranks range from well-known right-wing think tanks such as the Federalist Society and the American Enterprise and Cato institutes to relatively obscure nonprofits such as the Virginia-based DonorsTrust foundation and the Project on Fair Representation—form a de facto alliance that aims at nothing less than a wholesale transformation of constitutional law to limit, if not altogether prohibit, the use of federal power on behalf of historically oppressed minorities. The Voting Rights Act is simply the target of the day."
Winning Medicare for All? "I Like Our Chances" | Common Dreams
Winning Medicare for All? "I Like Our Chances" | Common Dreams
"In his recent Time magazine article, Steven Brill paints a vivid and rather depressing picture of the perverse malfunctioning of our health care system – overpriced and technology-addicted – and he acknowledges some of the advantages of Medicare."
"In his recent Time magazine article, Steven Brill paints a vivid and rather depressing picture of the perverse malfunctioning of our health care system – overpriced and technology-addicted – and he acknowledges some of the advantages of Medicare."
Trio Of Democrats Introduce Legislation To Tax Financial Transactions
Trio Of Democrats Introduce Legislation To Tax Financial Transactions: A trio of Democratic lawmakers today introduced legislation to institute a small tax on financial transactions, a proposal that would reduce volatility in financial markets and raise substantial revenue for the federal government. Under the plan from Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), financial trades would be subject [...]/p
Bob Woodward Embodies US Political Culture in a Single Outburst | Common Dreams
Bob Woodward Embodies US Political Culture in a Single Outburst | Common Dreams
"Bob Woodward fulfills an important function. Just as Tim Russert was long held up as the scary bulldog questioner who proved the existence of an adversarial TV press while the reality was that, as Harper's Lewis Lapham famously put it, he maintained "the on-air persona of an attentive and accommodating headwaiter", the decades-old Woodward lore plays a critical role in maintaining the fiction of a watchdog press corps even though he is one of the most faithful servants of the war machine and the national security and surveillance states. Every once and awhile, the mask falls, and it's a good thing when it does."
"Bob Woodward fulfills an important function. Just as Tim Russert was long held up as the scary bulldog questioner who proved the existence of an adversarial TV press while the reality was that, as Harper's Lewis Lapham famously put it, he maintained "the on-air persona of an attentive and accommodating headwaiter", the decades-old Woodward lore plays a critical role in maintaining the fiction of a watchdog press corps even though he is one of the most faithful servants of the war machine and the national security and surveillance states. Every once and awhile, the mask falls, and it's a good thing when it does."
Racial Politics In The Republican Party
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1,000 Gallons of Radioactive Sludge May Be Leaking a Year From Hanford: Governor | Common Dreams
1,000 Gallons of Radioactive Sludge May Be Leaking a Year From Hanford: Governor | Common Dreams
"Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday that as much as 1,000 gallons of radioactive sludge may be leaking a year at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, theAssociated Press reports."
"Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday that as much as 1,000 gallons of radioactive sludge may be leaking a year at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, theAssociated Press reports."
SCOTUS Inflames Civil Rights Activists
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The Double Standard Behind The Roberts Court’s Hostility To Voting Rights
The Double Standard Behind The Roberts Court’s Hostility To Voting Rights: WASHINGTON, DC — The Voting Rights Act did not have a very good day today. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested that a key provision of the law is rooted in the idea that “citizens in the South are more racist than citizens in the North.” Justice Antonin Scalia accomplished the unusual task of making Roberts [...]/p
10 Examples of Sean Hannity Telling Lies | Alternet
10 Examples of Sean Hannity Telling Lies | Alternet
"Rep. Keith Ellison is right. Hannity is a terrible 'excuse for a journalist'."
"Rep. Keith Ellison is right. Hannity is a terrible 'excuse for a journalist'."
Wall Street’s Bonus Pool Has Quintupled Since 1985
Wall Street’s Bonus Pool Has Quintupled Since 1985: 2012 was the second most profitable year in Wall Street’s history, with banks making north of $140 billion. Wall Street’s bonus pool, while not yet back to the heights it achieved before the financial crisis, is growing again, and the average cash bonus hit $121,900. This is part and parcel of a longer trend on [...]/p
SCOTUS Conservatives Signal Intention To Dismantle Voting Rights Act
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The Politics of Disimagination and the Pathologies of Power
The Politics of Disimagination and the Pathologies of Power
"We live in a time of deep foreboding, one that haunts any discourse about justice, democracy and the future. Not only have the points of reference that provided a sense of certainty and collective hope in the past largely evaporated, but the only referents available are increasingly supplied by a hyper-market-driven society, megacorporations and a corrupt financial service industry."
"We live in a time of deep foreboding, one that haunts any discourse about justice, democracy and the future. Not only have the points of reference that provided a sense of certainty and collective hope in the past largely evaporated, but the only referents available are increasingly supplied by a hyper-market-driven society, megacorporations and a corrupt financial service industry."
February 27, 2013
Scalia: Voting Rights Act Is 'Racial Entitlement'
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Rights Of Minority Voters Are Under Attack
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In Blind Poll, Republicans Choose Progressive Budget Solutions Over Their Own Party's | Common Dreams
In Blind Poll, Republicans Choose Progressive Budget Solutions Over Their Own Party's | Common Dreams
"When the Business Insider polled registered voters and asked for their preferences among three Congressional plans floated to avoid the looming "sequestration" cuts in Washington, they found that when stripped of their partisan labels, the policies most favorable to the majority were those offered by the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus."
"When the Business Insider polled registered voters and asked for their preferences among three Congressional plans floated to avoid the looming "sequestration" cuts in Washington, they found that when stripped of their partisan labels, the policies most favorable to the majority were those offered by the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus."
The Obnoxious Tea Party Leaders Have Vanished from the Political Stage -- Palin, Beck, DeMint, Paul, Bachmann... Poof! | Alternet
The Obnoxious Tea Party Leaders Have Vanished from the Political Stage -- Palin, Beck, DeMint, Paul, Bachmann... Poof! | Alternet
"Who are the names that come to mind when you think about leaders of the Tea Party movement? Maybe Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Jim DeMint, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann? Those were the most popular leaders listed by self-identified Tea Party activists in a 2010 Washington Post poll, at the height of the movement. You could add to that list a handful of other congressmen, especially outspoken Reps. Steve King, Allen West and Joe Walsh, among others.
"Who are the names that come to mind when you think about leaders of the Tea Party movement? Maybe Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Jim DeMint, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann? Those were the most popular leaders listed by self-identified Tea Party activists in a 2010 Washington Post poll, at the height of the movement. You could add to that list a handful of other congressmen, especially outspoken Reps. Steve King, Allen West and Joe Walsh, among others.
And then you’d realize that every single one of them either lost their job or abandoned being a voice of the movement."
The Nine Republican Men Who Won’t Consider Any Version Of The Violence Against Women Act
The Nine Republican Men Who Won’t Consider Any Version Of The Violence Against Women Act: Nine Congressmen — all male Republicans — voted Wednesday against a resolution to allow the U.S. House to consider re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The vast majority of House Republicans (214) and all 200 House Democrats voted for rule, which will allow votes Thursday on the watered-down GOP version of the bill [...]/p
The US Healthcare System - Government Sanctioned Extortion
The US Healthcare System - Government Sanctioned Extortion
"I've been calling the for-profit health insurance industry "government sanctioned extortion" for a few years now. It wasn't until I read Time magazine's cover story this week, "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills are Killing Us" that I realized that the whole medical industrial complex is complicit in the crime! And some of the worst offenders are the so-called "non-profit" hospitals that are raking in billions of dollars in profits and their obscenely paid executives."
"I've been calling the for-profit health insurance industry "government sanctioned extortion" for a few years now. It wasn't until I read Time magazine's cover story this week, "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills are Killing Us" that I realized that the whole medical industrial complex is complicit in the crime! And some of the worst offenders are the so-called "non-profit" hospitals that are raking in billions of dollars in profits and their obscenely paid executives."
GOP Senators: We’ll Hold Up Treasury Nominee Unless Obama Makes Medicare Cuts That He’s Already Made
GOP Senators: We’ll Hold Up Treasury Nominee Unless Obama Makes Medicare Cuts That He’s Already Made: In a letter sent to the White House on Tuesday, 22 Republican senators are demanding that President Obama propose Medicare cuts before the chamber considers Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew. The letter is part of an ongoing GOP smear campaign against Lew alleging that, during his tenure as director of the Office of Management and [...]/p
Hospital Bills Are Killing Americans
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Surreal Juxtaposition of the Day: Rosa and Scalia | Common Dreams
Surreal Juxtaposition of the Day: Rosa and Scalia | Common Dreams
"Even as a drunk-on-power Justice Antonin Scalia led his conservative cohorts in trying to gut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act by labelling it a “perpetuation of racial entitlement,” Obama and Congressional leaders unveiled a statue of civil rights icon Rosa Parks across town in the Capitol - a location that bears its own multiple ironies."
"Even as a drunk-on-power Justice Antonin Scalia led his conservative cohorts in trying to gut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act by labelling it a “perpetuation of racial entitlement,” Obama and Congressional leaders unveiled a statue of civil rights icon Rosa Parks across town in the Capitol - a location that bears its own multiple ironies."
Scalia Calls Voting Rights Act 'Perpetual Racial Entitlement'
Scalia Calls Voting Rights Act 'Perpetual Racial Entitlement'
"Today was the day that the Republican challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was argued before the Supreme Court. Arguments were fiery, but this particular quote from Justice Scalia was one worthy of Jim Crow. If ever there was a reason to preserve Section 5, Scalia articulated it." - See more at: http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/scalia-voting-rights-act-perpetual-racial#sthash.2YFbcj6U.dpuf
"Today was the day that the Republican challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was argued before the Supreme Court. Arguments were fiery, but this particular quote from Justice Scalia was one worthy of Jim Crow. If ever there was a reason to preserve Section 5, Scalia articulated it." - See more at: http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/scalia-voting-rights-act-perpetual-racial#sthash.2YFbcj6U.dpuf
PERRspectives: As Sequester Looms, GOP Governors Lament America's Incredible Shrinking Government
PERRspectives: As Sequester Looms, GOP Governors Lament America's Incredible Shrinking Government
"While Republicans in Congress seem increasingly committed to the sequester now less than 48 hours away, GOP governors are beginning to squeal. As Pew Research revealed (above), the impact of the sequester will hit some states harder than others. Many of them, like Virginia, are governed by Republicans. That's why its Governor Bob McConnell is pleading with Washington to find a way out its self-imposed sequester."
"While Republicans in Congress seem increasingly committed to the sequester now less than 48 hours away, GOP governors are beginning to squeal. As Pew Research revealed (above), the impact of the sequester will hit some states harder than others. Many of them, like Virginia, are governed by Republicans. That's why its Governor Bob McConnell is pleading with Washington to find a way out its self-imposed sequester."
ALEC-Backed Laws Promote Controversial Charter Schools | Common Dreams
ALEC-Backed Laws Promote Controversial Charter Schools | Common Dreams
"The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and private education management firms are pushing for new “parent trigger” laws in states across the U.S. by lobbying many Republican and some Democratic legislators to make it easier to convert more traditional public schools to charter schools."
"The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and private education management firms are pushing for new “parent trigger” laws in states across the U.S. by lobbying many Republican and some Democratic legislators to make it easier to convert more traditional public schools to charter schools."
Study: Over 100 Million Americans Drinking 'Toxic Trash' Water | Common Dreams
Study: Over 100 Million Americans Drinking 'Toxic Trash' Water | Common Dreams
"When you pour yourself a glass of tap water or even take a shower, you may be among over 100 million Americans exposing yourself to carcinogenic, "toxic trash"."
"When you pour yourself a glass of tap water or even take a shower, you may be among over 100 million Americans exposing yourself to carcinogenic, "toxic trash"."
Poll: The Most Popular Plan To Avert Looming Budget Cuts Is The Progressive Caucus’
Poll: The Most Popular Plan To Avert Looming Budget Cuts Is The Progressive Caucus’: There are several plans floating around to replace the so-called “sequester” spending cuts scheduled to kick in on Friday. Senate Democrats and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have both released their own plans, while House Republicans have not released a new plan, but point to one passed in the last Congress. According to a new poll [...]/p
Why We Still Need The Voting Rights Act: Perspectives From Supreme Court Spectators
Why We Still Need The Voting Rights Act: Perspectives From Supreme Court Spectators: The US Supreme Court heard a challenge to the 1965 Voting Rights Act today, attracting hoards of voting rights advocates, speakers, and a massive line of people vying for a spot in the courtroom. Today’s argument could lead to the elimination of Section 5, which protects minority voting rights in states with historically discriminatory election [...]/p
The Attack On Voting Rights
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How The Looming Sequester Will Have A Disproportionate Impact On Women And Children
How The Looming Sequester Will Have A Disproportionate Impact On Women And Children: In constructing the sequester — a series of automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that will go into effect unless Democrats and Republicans can come to an agreement on the federal budget — lawmakers intended to design cuts that would be equally painful for Democrats and Republicans, by mandating cuts to both social programs and defense spending. [...]/p
Deficit Reduction Equals Recession | Common Dreams
Deficit Reduction Equals Recession | Common Dreams
"The math is not difficult. The US has an annual GDP of $14 trillion, and the nation’s current $1 trillion in annual deficit spending is seven percent of its GDP. Growth in GDP has recently been running at about two percent annually (though in the last quarter of 2012 the economy actually contracted slightly). The relationship between deficit spending and GDP growth may not be exactly 1:1 but it’s probably quite close. The conclusion is therefore inescapable: doing away with a substantial portion of deficit spending would reduce GDP by a roughly corresponding amount, almost certainly causing the economy to tip over into recession."
"The math is not difficult. The US has an annual GDP of $14 trillion, and the nation’s current $1 trillion in annual deficit spending is seven percent of its GDP. Growth in GDP has recently been running at about two percent annually (though in the last quarter of 2012 the economy actually contracted slightly). The relationship between deficit spending and GDP growth may not be exactly 1:1 but it’s probably quite close. The conclusion is therefore inescapable: doing away with a substantial portion of deficit spending would reduce GDP by a roughly corresponding amount, almost certainly causing the economy to tip over into recession."
Mississippi Republicans Would Prohibit Towns From Establishing A Minimum Wage
Mississippi Republicans Would Prohibit Towns From Establishing A Minimum Wage: As President Obama pushes to increase the national minimum wage, Mississippi Republicans are digging in their heels to prevent any similar efforts in the Hospitality State. A bill working its way through the Republican-controlled Mississippi legislature aims to ensure that no local government enacts a mandatory minimum wage or other worker protections. Mississippi has no [...]/p
February 26, 2013
Everybody Listen Up! The Deficit Is Actually Shrinking, Despite the Beltway Propaganda | Alternet
Everybody Listen Up! The Deficit Is Actually Shrinking, Despite the Beltway Propaganda | Alternet
"There is no deficit problem. The deficit is down 50 percent as a share of gross domestic product just since President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 deficit and is falling at the fastest rate since the end of World War II. Yet the Washington debate is about how and where to cut us back into recession. Why?
"There is no deficit problem. The deficit is down 50 percent as a share of gross domestic product just since President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 deficit and is falling at the fastest rate since the end of World War II. Yet the Washington debate is about how and where to cut us back into recession. Why?
Congress should just repeal the sequester – we don’t need it. We have 10 years to fix the long-term deficit situation. We should not be stampeded by deficit-scare propaganda and instead take the time to carefully consider the right approach. That way we won’t make the mistakes that Europe is making."
GOP Relies On Public Ignorance For Deficit Scare Tactics
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Permamelt: 500,000-Year History of Permafrost Reveals Further Warming of 1.5°C Would ‘Thaw Significant Regions’
Permamelt: 500,000-Year History of Permafrost Reveals Further Warming of 1.5°C Would ‘Thaw Significant Regions’: Last fall, a major study found that the carbon feedback from thawing permafrost will likely add 0.4°F – 1.5°F to total global warming by 2100. That was based on climate modeling. A new study looks at the paleo-climate record and comes to an equally worrisome conclusion — JR. Caves point to thawing of Siberia Oxford [...]/p
John Boehner Talks Tough, Does Nothing
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BREAKING: Senate Confirms Chuck Hagel As The Next Secretary Of Defense
BREAKING: Senate Confirms Chuck Hagel As The Next Secretary Of Defense: The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Chuck Hagel to become the next Secretary of Defense, just hours after the upper chamber of Congress broke the Republican-led filibuster of Hagel’s nomination. The final vote was 58-41. Four Republicans joined the Democrats in voting for Hagel: Sens. Mike Johanns (NE), Thad Cochran (MS), Richard Shelby (AL), [...]/p
Black Lawmaker Receives Death Threat Over Gun Bill: ‘There Will Be Blood! I’m Coming For You, N—–’
Black Lawmaker Receives Death Threat Over Gun Bill: ‘There Will Be Blood! I’m Coming For You, N—–’: Late last week, police arrested a man for allegedly sending threatening messages to Colorado state Rep. Rhonda Fields (D), a supporter of gun safety laws featured in a recent ThinkProgress video. Fields sponsored bills banning high-capacity magazines in Colorado and requiring universal background checks for gun sales and transfers. According to police, a man named [...]/p
BP Trial Shows 'Culture of Greed' Led to Deepwater's 'Well from Hell' | Common Dreams
BP Trial Shows 'Culture of Greed' Led to Deepwater's 'Well from Hell' | Common Dreams
"BP failed to implement a safety plan on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig despite obvious risks of a blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the first witness in BP's civil trial for the 2010 disaster testified on Tuesday."
"BP failed to implement a safety plan on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig despite obvious risks of a blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the first witness in BP's civil trial for the 2010 disaster testified on Tuesday."
2012 Was Wall Street’s Most Profitable Year Since The Financial Crisis
2012 Was Wall Street’s Most Profitable Year Since The Financial Crisis: According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., banks in 2012 had their most profitable year since 2006 and their second most profitable year ever. Banks made nearly $35 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, bringing their yearly total to more than $141 billion: Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit [...]/p
Sequester: Obama Must Confront Republican Austerity Lies | Alternet
Sequester: Obama Must Confront Republican Austerity Lies | Alternet
"The first big lie is austerity economics – the claim that the budget deficit is the nation’s biggest economic problem now, responsible for the anemic recovery.
"The first big lie is austerity economics – the claim that the budget deficit is the nation’s biggest economic problem now, responsible for the anemic recovery.
Wrong. The problem is too few jobs, lousy wages, and slow growth. Cutting the budget deficit anytime soon makes the problem worse because it reduces overall demand. As a result, the economy will slow or fall into recession – which enlarges the deficit in proportion. You want proof? Look at what austerity economics has done to Europe."
The "Fix" Is In: Laying Bare Some Sequester Lies
The "Fix" Is In: Laying Bare Some Sequester Lies
"With the sequester ax trembling over the neck of the nation, everyone in the "news" media seems desperate to toss their two cents into the well...including, apparently, some who would be wise to remain in the children's pool, lest they drown trying to stroke out to deeper waters. Enter Chris Cillizza, keeper of "The Fix," perhaps the most useless corner of the Washington Post next to the ink that publication sadly donates to the incoherencies of Jennifer Rubin."
"With the sequester ax trembling over the neck of the nation, everyone in the "news" media seems desperate to toss their two cents into the well...including, apparently, some who would be wise to remain in the children's pool, lest they drown trying to stroke out to deeper waters. Enter Chris Cillizza, keeper of "The Fix," perhaps the most useless corner of the Washington Post next to the ink that publication sadly donates to the incoherencies of Jennifer Rubin."
Another 'Fix the Debt' Shill Gets Air Time With No Disclosure
Another 'Fix the Debt' Shill Gets Air Time With No Disclosure
"I guess PBS decided that "Fix the Debt" campaign's Steve Rattner wasn't getting quite enough air time, what with his near daily appearances on MSNBC's Morning Joe, because Charlie Rose and his producers gave him some unfettered air time Monday evening."
"I guess PBS decided that "Fix the Debt" campaign's Steve Rattner wasn't getting quite enough air time, what with his near daily appearances on MSNBC's Morning Joe, because Charlie Rose and his producers gave him some unfettered air time Monday evening."
McKibben Must-Read: The Case For Fossil-Fuel Divestment
McKibben Must-Read: The Case For Fossil-Fuel Divestment: How Long Will Colleges Keep Investing in Companies Whose Stock Price Is Based on the Destruction of a Livable Climate? CO2 emissions by fossil fuels [1 ppm CO2 ~ 2.12 GtC, where ppm is parts per million of CO2 in air and GtC is gigatons of carbon (via Hansen). Significantly exceeding 450 ppm risks several severe [...]/p
Oxfam: World's Largest Food Companies Creating Legacy of Destruction | Common Dreams
Oxfam: World's Largest Food Companies Creating Legacy of Destruction | Common Dreams
"The world's largest food and beverage companies may be profitable, but according to Oxfam International their practices are helping to destroy not only the natural resources that support a global food system but the lives of the people they depend on most: their employees and their customers."
"The world's largest food and beverage companies may be profitable, but according to Oxfam International their practices are helping to destroy not only the natural resources that support a global food system but the lives of the people they depend on most: their employees and their customers."
The State Impact Of The Sequester
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Senator Warren: Why Isn’t Wall Street Paying Back Taxpayers For Being ‘Too Big To Fail’?
Senator Warren: Why Isn’t Wall Street Paying Back Taxpayers For Being ‘Too Big To Fail’?: During a Senate Banking committee hearing today, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) grilled Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on whether Wall Street banks should have to pay back U.S. taxpayers for the implicit funding advantage those banks receive by virtue of being viewed as “too big to fail.” According to a Bloomberg News study, big banks [...]/p
Why Everything Republicans Are Saying About The Sequester Is Wrong
Why Everything Republicans Are Saying About The Sequester Is Wrong: Barring a last minute Congressional compromise, $85 billion in automatic across-the-board cuts will go into effect in the next 72 hours as a result of the sequester mechanism included in the 2011 Budget Control Act. Republicans — many of whom voted for the BCA and have for years championed deep spending reductions — are hoping [...]/p
Study: Climate Change May Dry Up Important U.S. Reservoirs Like Lake Powell And Lake Mead
Study: Climate Change May Dry Up Important U.S. Reservoirs Like Lake Powell And Lake Mead: As climate change makes the regions of the West, Southwest, and Great Plains warmer and drier, water demand will continue to increase, and the combined effect will place an ever greater burden on the country’s fresh water supplies — possibly completely draining important reservoirs in those areas, under some scenarios. That’s according to a new [...]/p
Pennsylvania GOP Trying To Rig The Vote
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Meet the Wall Street Billionaire Obsessed With Looting Social Security | Alternet
Meet the Wall Street Billionaire Obsessed With Looting Social Security | Alternet
"Now Peterson wants to loot Social Security. For decades he has warned of a “Pearl Harbor scenario” in which spending on Social Security and Medicare causes an epic economic meltdown. Fix the Debt is only his latest project pushing the message that the deficit poses a “catastrophic threat,” and the media have been content to echo his warnings. But people should know better than to be frightened by this chorus of calamity. Peterson is no master of prediction when it comes to economic crises. When an actual threat to the economy—the $8 trillion housing bubble—loomed ominously overhead, Peterson said nothing, even as credit markets froze, subprime lenders filed for bankruptcy and economists like Dean Baker shouted from the rooftops."
"Now Peterson wants to loot Social Security. For decades he has warned of a “Pearl Harbor scenario” in which spending on Social Security and Medicare causes an epic economic meltdown. Fix the Debt is only his latest project pushing the message that the deficit poses a “catastrophic threat,” and the media have been content to echo his warnings. But people should know better than to be frightened by this chorus of calamity. Peterson is no master of prediction when it comes to economic crises. When an actual threat to the economy—the $8 trillion housing bubble—loomed ominously overhead, Peterson said nothing, even as credit markets froze, subprime lenders filed for bankruptcy and economists like Dean Baker shouted from the rooftops."
House Republicans Won't Take 'Yes' For An Answer
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1 Day Late on Rent Can Land You in Jail? A Shockingly Draconian Renters Law (Hard Times USA) | Alternet
1 Day Late on Rent Can Land You in Jail? A Shockingly Draconian Renters Law (Hard Times USA) | Alternet
"Arkansas is the only U.S. state where tenants can wind up with a criminal record if they can’t afford to pay their rent on time. The state’s “failure to vacate" laws allow landlords, without independent investigation, to charge tenants with a misdemeanor offense and have them arrested if they fail to move out after receiving a 10-day eviction notice. Landlords can give tenants the notice after they are only one day late with their payment."
"Arkansas is the only U.S. state where tenants can wind up with a criminal record if they can’t afford to pay their rent on time. The state’s “failure to vacate" laws allow landlords, without independent investigation, to charge tenants with a misdemeanor offense and have them arrested if they fail to move out after receiving a 10-day eviction notice. Landlords can give tenants the notice after they are only one day late with their payment."
February 25, 2013
Americans Become Inured To Republican Self-Imposed Crises
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Five Ways The Sequester Will Harm Women
Five Ways The Sequester Will Harm Women: If sequestration is allowed to take effect as scheduled on March 1, $1.2 trillion will be automatically removed from the federal budget in across-the-board spending cuts that would potentially reverse our economic recovery. These cuts — which take money out of critical investments in education, public health services and research, disaster preparedness, and national security [...]/p
The 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' Is Running Dry | Common Dreams
The 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' Is Running Dry | Common Dreams
"The entire state has been covered drought for months, and its water supplies are being sucked away."
"The entire state has been covered drought for months, and its water supplies are being sucked away."
Bank Profits Are 'Almost Entirely' Taxpayer Money
Bank Profits Are 'Almost Entirely' Taxpayer Money
"I'm not surprised to learn that Wall Street and their wealthy investors are "too big" to earn their own profits, too. I just had no idea we were being fleeced on such a grand scale.
"I'm not surprised to learn that Wall Street and their wealthy investors are "too big" to earn their own profits, too. I just had no idea we were being fleeced on such a grand scale.
Full Bloomberg editorial here."
Breakthrough In Breast Cancer Treatment Could Increase Life Expectancy, Reduce Side Effects
Breakthrough In Breast Cancer Treatment Could Increase Life Expectancy, Reduce Side Effects: A breakthrough in cancer treatment could potentially have a big impact on the 1 in 8 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. The New York Times reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug that, when used in conjunction with the popular breast [...]/p
Federal Election Commission Republicans Block Enforcement Against GOP Donor
Federal Election Commission Republicans Block Enforcement Against GOP Donor: The Federal Election Commission deadlocked along party lines on whether to hold accountable a Republican contractor who blatantly circumvented campaign finance limits. While the three Democratic commissioners agreed that William A. “Aaron” Bennett had willfully violated federal election law by offering to reimburse friends if they donated to Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), the three FEC [...]/p
Guess What? The Debt Everyone Is Freaking Out About Does Not Exist | Alternet
Guess What? The Debt Everyone Is Freaking Out About Does Not Exist | Alternet
"Refusing to tackle that all-too-real crisis with the full range of economic resources at our disposal is a shameful moral and political failure. Especially when the reason we’re refusing is fear of shadows cast on the wall."
"Refusing to tackle that all-too-real crisis with the full range of economic resources at our disposal is a shameful moral and political failure. Especially when the reason we’re refusing is fear of shadows cast on the wall."
Putting Some Real Pop in Populism
Putting Some Real Pop in Populism
"While super-rich corporations are hoarding trillions of dollars in offshore accounts and refusing to invest in America, minimum-wage workers invest every extra dollar they get in America — spending it right where they live on clothing, food, health care, and other basic needs.This isn’t merely about extending a badly needed helping hand to people struggling to work their way out of poverty, but about letting them give a jolt of new energy to our economy, which it desperately needs."
"While super-rich corporations are hoarding trillions of dollars in offshore accounts and refusing to invest in America, minimum-wage workers invest every extra dollar they get in America — spending it right where they live on clothing, food, health care, and other basic needs.This isn’t merely about extending a badly needed helping hand to people struggling to work their way out of poverty, but about letting them give a jolt of new energy to our economy, which it desperately needs."
Caltech Physicist: If All Science Were Run Like Marijuana Research, Creationists Would Control Paleontology
Caltech Physicist: If All Science Were Run Like Marijuana Research, Creationists Would Control Paleontology: In the face of obstacles to marijuana research from both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Institute of Research, a theoretical physicist at the California Institute of Technology and one-time MacArthur Fellow is calling out the federal government on its obstruction of science. During an address before a medical marijuana conference Friday, John H. Schwartz explained how the Drug Enforcement [...]/p
Fix the Economy, Not the Deficit | Common Dreams
Fix the Economy, Not the Deficit | Common Dreams
"Whether they know it or not, those pushing for smaller deficits are promoting less growth and more unemployment. It would be the best possible outcome of the sequester debate if this simple point could be made in polite circles in Washington again. Until we have a reality based discussion of the budget and the economy, the only question will be how much we lose from the latest deal."
"Whether they know it or not, those pushing for smaller deficits are promoting less growth and more unemployment. It would be the best possible outcome of the sequester debate if this simple point could be made in polite circles in Washington again. Until we have a reality based discussion of the budget and the economy, the only question will be how much we lose from the latest deal."
A Better Plan Than 'Endless Growth': Enough Is Enough | Common Dreams
A Better Plan Than 'Endless Growth': Enough Is Enough | Common Dreams
"an economy founded on perpetual growth has no shot at being resilient. Maybe we could classify such an economy as dynamic, since it will continue to displace people and communities and erode the life-support systems of the planet. While the economic elites interpret "Resilient Dynamism" to fit their agenda, perhaps the rest of us should employ some plain language and let them know that enough is enough."
"an economy founded on perpetual growth has no shot at being resilient. Maybe we could classify such an economy as dynamic, since it will continue to displace people and communities and erode the life-support systems of the planet. While the economic elites interpret "Resilient Dynamism" to fit their agenda, perhaps the rest of us should employ some plain language and let them know that enough is enough."
40% Of Us Make Less Than 1968 Min Wage -- Who Got The Rest?
40% Of Us Make Less Than 1968 Min Wage -- Who Got The Rest?
"This means the gains went ... somewhere else. See if you can guess who got them? (Hint: it's the 1%; this is one driver of the terrible income and wealth inequality.) This breakoff of wages from productivity growth is partly (largely?) the result of trade agreements that pit Americans against exploited workers in non-democracies. This weakened the bargaining power of unions, moved factories and industries out of the country, devastated entire regions of our country -- and gave the giant multinational corporations, Wall Street and the billionaires the leverage they needed"
"This means the gains went ... somewhere else. See if you can guess who got them? (Hint: it's the 1%; this is one driver of the terrible income and wealth inequality.) This breakoff of wages from productivity growth is partly (largely?) the result of trade agreements that pit Americans against exploited workers in non-democracies. This weakened the bargaining power of unions, moved factories and industries out of the country, devastated entire regions of our country -- and gave the giant multinational corporations, Wall Street and the billionaires the leverage they needed"
5 Reasons Why The U.S. Needs A Financial Transactions Tax
5 Reasons Why The U.S. Needs A Financial Transactions Tax: A duo of Democratic lawmakers have spent the years since the financial crisis calling for a financial transactions tax, a small fee on individual trades that would slow down markets and make them safer for investors and the country as a whole. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced legislation that would [...]/p
Glenn Beck Wants To Make Cable Subscribers Pay For His Conspiracy Theory Channel
Glenn Beck Wants To Make Cable Subscribers Pay For His Conspiracy Theory Channel: Since Glenn Beck left Fox News in 2011 and founded his own web channel, TheBlaze, the former right-wing sensation has been less prevalent in the mainstream political conversation. Still, Beck has cultivated a substantial audience for his subscription-only programming, and is now using that following to pressure cable networks into carrying his channel. Beck started [...]/p
Michigan GOP Overwhelmingly Backs Election Rigging Plan
Michigan GOP Overwhelmingly Backs Election Rigging Plan: On Saturday, Republicans at the Michigan GOP’s convention in Lansing voted by an overwhelming 1,370-132 margin to back a plan that would “divvy-up 14 of the state’s 16 electoral votes according to which candidate got the most votes in each congressional district.” This is one of two election-rigging plans favored by Republicans in several key [...]/p
100 Years Worth of Federal Prison Charges for Alleged 'Hactivist'? | Alternet
100 Years Worth of Federal Prison Charges for Alleged 'Hactivist'? | Alternet
"Did he engage in a spree of murders? Run a child-sex ring? Not quite. His crime: making leaked e-mails accessible to the public—documents that shine a light on the shadowy world of intelligence contracting in the post-9/11 era."
"Did he engage in a spree of murders? Run a child-sex ring? Not quite. His crime: making leaked e-mails accessible to the public—documents that shine a light on the shadowy world of intelligence contracting in the post-9/11 era."
GOP Plan to Torpedo Economy With Sequester Could Backfire in 2014 | Alternet
GOP Plan to Torpedo Economy With Sequester Could Backfire in 2014 | Alternet
"It appears increasingly likely that congressional Republicans will allow the “sequester” of automatic, indiscriminate spending cuts to take effect on March 1. If so, they will cause a major economic and political crisis for the country."
"It appears increasingly likely that congressional Republicans will allow the “sequester” of automatic, indiscriminate spending cuts to take effect on March 1. If so, they will cause a major economic and political crisis for the country."
February 24, 2013
Crying Crocodile Tears for Standard & Poor’s | Common Dreams
Crying Crocodile Tears for Standard & Poor’s | Common Dreams
"S&P earlier this month was named in a Justice Department suit for its role during the financial crisis of 2008-09. The feds say the credit ratings company caused some banks and credit unions to lose $5 billion after they relied on its ratings of mortgage-linked securities. S&P gave those securities top ratings when, in fact, they were so risky that when they melted down a few months later they brought the country’s economy to its knees and lost billions for both institutional and individual investors who had trusted the firm’s ratings."
"S&P earlier this month was named in a Justice Department suit for its role during the financial crisis of 2008-09. The feds say the credit ratings company caused some banks and credit unions to lose $5 billion after they relied on its ratings of mortgage-linked securities. S&P gave those securities top ratings when, in fact, they were so risky that when they melted down a few months later they brought the country’s economy to its knees and lost billions for both institutional and individual investors who had trusted the firm’s ratings."
Billionaires Pouring Millions into LAUSD School Board Race
Billionaires Pouring Millions into LAUSD School Board Race
"Campaign disclosures for the last month have just been filed for the current elections to the Los Angeles Unified School District board and the numbers are obscene. Worse yet, the donors have no vested interest in Los Angeles schools, but they're ponying up the money anyway."
"Campaign disclosures for the last month have just been filed for the current elections to the Los Angeles Unified School District board and the numbers are obscene. Worse yet, the donors have no vested interest in Los Angeles schools, but they're ponying up the money anyway."
VIEWPOINT: The Debt Everyone Is Freaking Out About Does Not Exist
VIEWPOINT: The Debt Everyone Is Freaking Out About Does Not Exist: Between the new-and-improved Simpson-Bowles plan, Joe Scarborough’s feud with Paul Krugman, the relentless drumbeat of the entire Republican Party, and the media blitzkrieg launched by the billionaire-driven “Fix the Debt” campaign, one might think no serious and responsible American can ignore the unassailable truth: America faces a debt crisis, which we must act on immediately [...]/p
Wind, Solar, Biomass Provide All New U.S. Electrical Generating Capacity In January 2013
Wind, Solar, Biomass Provide All New U.S. Electrical Generating Capacity In January 2013: By Kenneth Bossong According to the latest “Energy Infrastructure Update” report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Energy Projects, 1,231 MW of new in-service electrical generating capacity came on line in the United States in January 2013 — all from wind, solar, and biomass sources. This represents a nearly three-fold increase in new [...]/p
John Nichols: 'Fix the Debt' Run by Billionaires Who Really Want Lower Taxes
John Nichols: 'Fix the Debt' Run by Billionaires Who Really Want Lower Taxes
"I hope everyone checks out the entire article and the rest of the resources at PRWatch and I wanted to share just one more item from there. From their SourceWatch page: Fix the Debt Leaders and Conflicts of Interest:"
"I hope everyone checks out the entire article and the rest of the resources at PRWatch and I wanted to share just one more item from there. From their SourceWatch page: Fix the Debt Leaders and Conflicts of Interest:"
Bobby Jindal: Republicans Can Continue Discriminating Against Gays And Still Win Elections
Bobby Jindal: Republicans Can Continue Discriminating Against Gays And Still Win Elections: Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) — a possible Republican candidate for president in 2016 — rejected former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s argument that conservatives must embrace marriage equality for gays and lesbians if they want to survive as a party and reiterated his support for “traditional marriage.” “Look, I believe in the traditional definition of marriage,” [...]/p
Nanoparticles Are in Our Food, Clothing and Medicine -- And No One Knows for Sure How Dangerous They Might Be | Alternet
Nanoparticles Are in Our Food, Clothing and Medicine -- And No One Knows for Sure How Dangerous They Might Be | Alternet
"So far the questions about whether nanoparticles are an environmental risk outnumber the answers, which is why the Duke scientists take the precaution of wearing clean-suits while dosing the boxes—no one’s sure what exposure to a high concentration of nanoparticles might do. Among the few things we do know about them are that they sail past the blood-brain barrier and can harm the nervous systems of some animals."
"So far the questions about whether nanoparticles are an environmental risk outnumber the answers, which is why the Duke scientists take the precaution of wearing clean-suits while dosing the boxes—no one’s sure what exposure to a high concentration of nanoparticles might do. Among the few things we do know about them are that they sail past the blood-brain barrier and can harm the nervous systems of some animals."
4 Bogus Right-Wing Theories About Poverty, and the Real Reason Americans Can’t Make Ends Meet | Alternet
4 Bogus Right-Wing Theories About Poverty, and the Real Reason Americans Can’t Make Ends Meet | Alternet
"But one part of the equation is the existence of a long-standing and ideologically informed project by the right to portray the burden of living in or near poverty as a liberal delusion. In these narratives, which come in a variety of forms, the poor have it pretty darn good – good enough that we really shouldn't spend much time thinking about them.
"But one part of the equation is the existence of a long-standing and ideologically informed project by the right to portray the burden of living in or near poverty as a liberal delusion. In these narratives, which come in a variety of forms, the poor have it pretty darn good – good enough that we really shouldn't spend much time thinking about them.
For these conservative think-tankers, pundits and politicians, obscuring America's grinding poverty and spiraling inequality is an exercise in service of a status quo that works pretty well for them, but not for most families."
February 23, 2013
The Sequester And The Failure Of Google Searching
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How the Religious Right Is Helping De-Educate America's Youth | Alternet
How the Religious Right Is Helping De-Educate America's Youth | Alternet
"One can trace the development of today’s right wing Christian think takes to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Religiously conservative people, motivated by their perceived degradation of society, quietly perfected their skills, all the while grooming their own young adherents, played an effective long-game that continues to win (and corrupt) the hearts and minds of a significant segment of our youth. Indeed, there is no better way to affect the future than by propagandizing the young. In this current post election season, the Biblically driven, often racist, members of society are once again regrouping to fight another day."
"One can trace the development of today’s right wing Christian think takes to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Religiously conservative people, motivated by their perceived degradation of society, quietly perfected their skills, all the while grooming their own young adherents, played an effective long-game that continues to win (and corrupt) the hearts and minds of a significant segment of our youth. Indeed, there is no better way to affect the future than by propagandizing the young. In this current post election season, the Biblically driven, often racist, members of society are once again regrouping to fight another day."
Right-Wing Smear Machine Kicks Into Overdrive
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Ted Cruz, Radical McCarthy Conservative, Accuses Harvard Law Of Harboring Communists On Faculty
Ted Cruz, Radical McCarthy Conservative, Accuses Harvard Law Of Harboring Communists On Faculty
"A Reagan Conservative refutes everything he says. Hah! But that's inconsequential. To the extreme right, reality means nothing. The fact that Cruz is willing to act like McCarthy in a Senate hearing is music to their ears. And he's framing every incendiary thing he says as an attack on liberals. The Tea Party revels in that kind of behavior."
"A Reagan Conservative refutes everything he says. Hah! But that's inconsequential. To the extreme right, reality means nothing. The fact that Cruz is willing to act like McCarthy in a Senate hearing is music to their ears. And he's framing every incendiary thing he says as an attack on liberals. The Tea Party revels in that kind of behavior."
Dust Bowl Days: Historic U.S. Drought Projected To Persist For Months, Worsened By Thin Western Snowpack
Dust Bowl Days: Historic U.S. Drought Projected To Persist For Months, Worsened By Thin Western Snowpack: By Lauren Morello and Andrew Freedman via Climate Central. See also the NY Times piece, “Thin Snowpack in West Signals Summer of Drought” Time is running out to avert a third summer of drought in much of the High Plains, West and Southwest, federal officials warned Thursday. Without repeated, significant bouts of heavy snow and [...]/p
Facts And Fiction Blurred On Sequestration
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Now Six - Not One - Hanford Tanks Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
Now Six - Not One - Hanford Tanks Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
"The seeping waste adds to decades of soil contamination caused by leaking storage tanks at Hanford in the past and threatens to further taint groundwater below the Columbia River, officials said."
"The seeping waste adds to decades of soil contamination caused by leaking storage tanks at Hanford in the past and threatens to further taint groundwater below the Columbia River, officials said."
13 GOP Pennsylvania Senators Introduce New Plan To Rig The Electoral College For Republicans
13 GOP Pennsylvania Senators Introduce New Plan To Rig The Electoral College For Republicans: Earlier this year, Republican National Committee Chair urged Republican lawmakers in states “that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red” — i.e. blue states with Republican legislatures and governors — to enact a plan rigging the Electoral College so that it would be almost impossible for a Democrat to win the White House. [...]/p
February 22, 2013
No Stigma For Cruz Among Right For McCarthy Similarities
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Meet The Congressmen Who Favor A Broken Plane Over Saving The Economy
Meet The Congressmen Who Favor A Broken Plane Over Saving The Economy: As mandatory budget cuts loom, a group of Congressional Republicans has cheered the coming reductions in federal spending — so long as federal funding for a plane that is years behind schedule and doesn’t fly is protected, that is. The Department of Defense announced on Friday afternoon that it has grounded the entire fleet of [...]/p
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