'Prince' Has Died
"A legend has died today and shattered the music world in the process. "Prince," was only 57 years old."
April 21, 2016
April 19, 2016
Hello 2016: Obama's polling numbers spike as the GOP takes a dive
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/30/1507825/-Hello-2016-Obama-s-polling-numbers-spike-as-the-GOP-takes-a-dive#read-more
"1) While Congressional approval ratings have remained almost uniformly abysmal for a handful of years now, Independents' view of Congress began to absolutely tank at the beginning of February; 2) McConnell issued his No-SCOTUS-vote edict on Feb. 13; 3) by early March, PPP found that only 10 percent of voters approved of McConnell's job performance, while 59% disapproved; 4) Obama announced Merrick Garland on March 16 and by March 21, Gallup found 52 percent of Americans favor Senate confirmation, while 29 percent oppose."
"1) While Congressional approval ratings have remained almost uniformly abysmal for a handful of years now, Independents' view of Congress began to absolutely tank at the beginning of February; 2) McConnell issued his No-SCOTUS-vote edict on Feb. 13; 3) by early March, PPP found that only 10 percent of voters approved of McConnell's job performance, while 59% disapproved; 4) Obama announced Merrick Garland on March 16 and by March 21, Gallup found 52 percent of Americans favor Senate confirmation, while 29 percent oppose."
Exposed: Most CEOs Support Paid Sick Leave, Increased Minimum Wage, and More But Chamber Lobbyists Told How to "Combat" These Measures
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13075/top-gop-pollster-chamber-commerce-lobbyists-poll-shows-your-members-support
"Video footage of a closed-door webinar provided to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) reveals top GOP pollsters instructing Chamber of Commerce lobbyists to ignore internal survey data showing that Chamber members across the country overwhelmingly support progressive workplace policies including raising the minimum wage, providing paid sick days, and increasing paid family leave. (These and other materials are available here.) In the video, pollsters with LuntzGlobal, the survey research firm of noted GOP pollster Frank Luntz, coach lobbyists from state and local Chambers on how to thwart the "empathy" that Chamber members feel for their employees in order to advance an anti-worker agenda aligned with the Koch Brothers and other corporate interests."
"Video footage of a closed-door webinar provided to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) reveals top GOP pollsters instructing Chamber of Commerce lobbyists to ignore internal survey data showing that Chamber members across the country overwhelmingly support progressive workplace policies including raising the minimum wage, providing paid sick days, and increasing paid family leave. (These and other materials are available here.) In the video, pollsters with LuntzGlobal, the survey research firm of noted GOP pollster Frank Luntz, coach lobbyists from state and local Chambers on how to thwart the "empathy" that Chamber members feel for their employees in order to advance an anti-worker agenda aligned with the Koch Brothers and other corporate interests."
Highlights of Luntz Poll of American CEOs Shows Broad Support for Progressive Policies
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13074/luntz-poll-american-ceos-shows-deep-support-progressive-policies
"LuntzGlobal is a prominent GOP polling and communications firm headed by Frank Luntz. Their website states: "Our analysis of the results will help you learn exactly what your target audience wants and needs to hear." David Merritt is the Managing Director for LuntzGlobal. Merritt previously worked for Newt Gingrich and for John McCain in 2008. There is no force in America that has spent more time and effort to keep wages low than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the state chambers that aggressively lobby against increasing the minimum wage. The U.S. Chamber is a $165 million dollar lobby shop (2013 990), which raised and spent $35 million in the 2014 election cycle, according to Open Secrets. The Chamber has lobbied on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country to block, federal, state and local wage hikes. It has been active in states like Wisconsin to preempt local minimum wages ordinances. It has lobbied against paid sick days in many states, including recently in New Jersey. At the federal level, the Chamber has lobbied against the "Minimum Wage Fairness Act," which gradually raises wages to $10.10."
"LuntzGlobal is a prominent GOP polling and communications firm headed by Frank Luntz. Their website states: "Our analysis of the results will help you learn exactly what your target audience wants and needs to hear." David Merritt is the Managing Director for LuntzGlobal. Merritt previously worked for Newt Gingrich and for John McCain in 2008. There is no force in America that has spent more time and effort to keep wages low than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the state chambers that aggressively lobby against increasing the minimum wage. The U.S. Chamber is a $165 million dollar lobby shop (2013 990), which raised and spent $35 million in the 2014 election cycle, according to Open Secrets. The Chamber has lobbied on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country to block, federal, state and local wage hikes. It has been active in states like Wisconsin to preempt local minimum wages ordinances. It has lobbied against paid sick days in many states, including recently in New Jersey. At the federal level, the Chamber has lobbied against the "Minimum Wage Fairness Act," which gradually raises wages to $10.10."
Donald Trump is the pinnacle of American stupidity: Why his campaign consummates decades of rising anti-intellectualism
Donald Trump is the pinnacle of American stupidity: Why his campaign consummates decades of rising anti-intellectualism
"Since 2008, ignorance has increasingly become a political principle in Republican circles"
"Since 2008, ignorance has increasingly become a political principle in Republican circles"
Revealed: The Chamber of Commerce Strategy to Kill Empathy of Its Members
Revealed: The Chamber of Commerce Strategy to Kill Empathy of Its Members
"During the webinar, Luntz himself explained to the participants the reasoning behind the results and how they could potentially be combated. "So what do these results all have in common?" he asks. "Well quite frankly they are all empathetic. If you ask about them in isolation, of course we want to give folks more benefits, or more leave, or more income..." But then, exposing the real purpose of the presentation, he adds, "So what we'll try and do is actually give you a few helpful hints on how to actually combat these in your states." In other words, how to suppress the "empathy" of your members or distract them with other issues."
"During the webinar, Luntz himself explained to the participants the reasoning behind the results and how they could potentially be combated. "So what do these results all have in common?" he asks. "Well quite frankly they are all empathetic. If you ask about them in isolation, of course we want to give folks more benefits, or more leave, or more income..." But then, exposing the real purpose of the presentation, he adds, "So what we'll try and do is actually give you a few helpful hints on how to actually combat these in your states." In other words, how to suppress the "empathy" of your members or distract them with other issues."
There's a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy Afoot, Fueled by Dark Money
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/35472-there-s-a-vast-right-wing-conspiracy-afoot-fueled-by-dark-money
"it's coming from right-wing libertarians and ultra-conservative nationalists who have billions of dollars to spend and are willing to do whatever it takes to win. Their agenda includes a desire to reduce government's function to a single item: Protection and promotion of business interests by eliminating things they consider roadblocks, such as taxes, unions, minimum wage laws, overtime protections and environmental regulations that limit toxic dumping and air and water pollution. To say that they're harkening back to the Gilded Age is an oversimplification, but it's close to the ideal put forward by a small cohort of unimaginably rich white men, and a handful of unimaginably rich white women, who are plotting to turn the US into a land of serfs and lords, with themselves in complete control of everything. Jane Mayer's exhaustively researched look at this network makes for an essential though terrifying read. She begins with a profile of the ringleaders, brothers Charles and David Koch, and offers a savvy history of sibling rivalry and competition for parental approval that pitted brother against brother and left two of the family's four children, Bill and Frederick, on the sidelines. After David and Charles joined forces to run the family's oil and gas companies, the pair -- whose combined worth is estimated by Mayer to be $41 billion -- developed into public figures, becoming Society Page regulars and conservative movement stalwarts. Their roots, however, rest with the racist John Birch Society, where, as 20-somethings, they were exposed to the anti-government economic theories of extreme laissez-faire capitalism. Classes at the Freedom School, founded by Robert LeFevre -- a man who had previously been indicted for mail fraud and who became an FBI informer at the height of the McCarthy witch hunts -- in the late 1950s cemented their ideology and fomented their longstanding hatred for Social Security and other New Deal programs."
"it's coming from right-wing libertarians and ultra-conservative nationalists who have billions of dollars to spend and are willing to do whatever it takes to win. Their agenda includes a desire to reduce government's function to a single item: Protection and promotion of business interests by eliminating things they consider roadblocks, such as taxes, unions, minimum wage laws, overtime protections and environmental regulations that limit toxic dumping and air and water pollution. To say that they're harkening back to the Gilded Age is an oversimplification, but it's close to the ideal put forward by a small cohort of unimaginably rich white men, and a handful of unimaginably rich white women, who are plotting to turn the US into a land of serfs and lords, with themselves in complete control of everything. Jane Mayer's exhaustively researched look at this network makes for an essential though terrifying read. She begins with a profile of the ringleaders, brothers Charles and David Koch, and offers a savvy history of sibling rivalry and competition for parental approval that pitted brother against brother and left two of the family's four children, Bill and Frederick, on the sidelines. After David and Charles joined forces to run the family's oil and gas companies, the pair -- whose combined worth is estimated by Mayer to be $41 billion -- developed into public figures, becoming Society Page regulars and conservative movement stalwarts. Their roots, however, rest with the racist John Birch Society, where, as 20-somethings, they were exposed to the anti-government economic theories of extreme laissez-faire capitalism. Classes at the Freedom School, founded by Robert LeFevre -- a man who had previously been indicted for mail fraud and who became an FBI informer at the height of the McCarthy witch hunts -- in the late 1950s cemented their ideology and fomented their longstanding hatred for Social Security and other New Deal programs."
California, New York Launch 60 Million Americans Into A $15 Minimum Wage Economy
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/04/04/3766176/15-dollar-minimum-wage-new-york-california/
"With the strokes of two pens on opposite sides of the country on Monday, nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population began walking toward a $15 minimum wage."
"With the strokes of two pens on opposite sides of the country on Monday, nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population began walking toward a $15 minimum wage."
Wash. Post Report: Leaked Poll Proves Most Businesses Support Raising Minimum Wage
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/04/04/wash-post-report-leaked-poll-proves-most-busine/209733
"On April 4, The Washington Post reported on a leaked poll conducted for the Council of State Chambers of Commerce, which shows that the vast majority of business executives who were questioned said they support raising the minimum wage. The poll, conducted by Republican pollster Frank Luntz, found that "80 percent of respondents said they supported raising their state's minimum wage, while only eight percent opposed it." An advocate quoted in the Post's piece noted that other polls have found similar results to the findings uncovered by the Center for Media and Democracy.The advocacy organization Small Business Majority found that 60 percent of small-business owners supported raising the minimum wage to at least $12 per hour, and the American Sustainable Business Council also found that a majority of businesses support raising the minimum wage. Right-wing media have repeatedly pushed the myth that businesses are opposed to raising the minimum wage while spreading debunked claims that raising the minimum wage leads to job losses. In one instance, Fox Business host Stuart Varney claimed that a minimum wage increase in Seattle had cost the area 1,000 jobs in food services in the month after the increase went into effect, when in reality 1,800 jobs had been created since the start of the year, regardless of the wage change. But economists have also repeatedly debunked the claim that raising the minimum wage would kill jobs. Researchers at Cornell University found that raising the regular and tipped minimum wages for workers in the restaurant and hospitality industries has "not had large or reliable effects" on the number of people working in the industry and concluded that business groups opposed to wage increases should just embrace "reasonable increases." Recent strong job data out of Washington state, where the cities of Seattle and SeaTac are in the process of phasing in the highest municipal minimum wages in the country, undermined right-wing media claims that raising the minimum wage kills jobs."
"On April 4, The Washington Post reported on a leaked poll conducted for the Council of State Chambers of Commerce, which shows that the vast majority of business executives who were questioned said they support raising the minimum wage. The poll, conducted by Republican pollster Frank Luntz, found that "80 percent of respondents said they supported raising their state's minimum wage, while only eight percent opposed it." An advocate quoted in the Post's piece noted that other polls have found similar results to the findings uncovered by the Center for Media and Democracy.The advocacy organization Small Business Majority found that 60 percent of small-business owners supported raising the minimum wage to at least $12 per hour, and the American Sustainable Business Council also found that a majority of businesses support raising the minimum wage. Right-wing media have repeatedly pushed the myth that businesses are opposed to raising the minimum wage while spreading debunked claims that raising the minimum wage leads to job losses. In one instance, Fox Business host Stuart Varney claimed that a minimum wage increase in Seattle had cost the area 1,000 jobs in food services in the month after the increase went into effect, when in reality 1,800 jobs had been created since the start of the year, regardless of the wage change. But economists have also repeatedly debunked the claim that raising the minimum wage would kill jobs. Researchers at Cornell University found that raising the regular and tipped minimum wages for workers in the restaurant and hospitality industries has "not had large or reliable effects" on the number of people working in the industry and concluded that business groups opposed to wage increases should just embrace "reasonable increases." Recent strong job data out of Washington state, where the cities of Seattle and SeaTac are in the process of phasing in the highest municipal minimum wages in the country, undermined right-wing media claims that raising the minimum wage kills jobs."
The Conservative Plan to Fix the VA Has Vets Hopping Mad
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/04/veterans-groups-really-dont-idea-privatized-va-system
"Some members of the commission established by Congress to evaluate the Department of Veterans Health Administration have proposed drastically reducing the size of the VHA by closing its health facilities and transferring the care of the nation's millions of military veterans to the private sector. But in a letter sent to the chair of the Commission on Care, leaders of eight of the country's most prominent veterans' advocacy organizations blasted the proposal."
"Some members of the commission established by Congress to evaluate the Department of Veterans Health Administration have proposed drastically reducing the size of the VHA by closing its health facilities and transferring the care of the nation's millions of military veterans to the private sector. But in a letter sent to the chair of the Commission on Care, leaders of eight of the country's most prominent veterans' advocacy organizations blasted the proposal."
PERRspectives: The Hilariously Horrible Mr. Hatch
PERRspectives: The Hilariously Horrible Mr. Hatch
"So the debasement of the Party of Lincoln has come to this. While short-fingered Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump sought to reassure Americans by declaring "I guarantee there's no problem" with his schlong, his nearest GOP rival Ted Cruz (R-TX) nevertheless told all who would listen that "I have no desire to copulate with him." But it shouldn't have taken these two newcomers to make Republicans feel embarrassed by their party and its 2016 nominating process. After all, many of the party's longest-serving legislators in Washington and shooting stars in the states have been at the forefront of the GOP's perpetual campaign of disinformation, denialism and unprecedented obstructionism. And in recent years, Utah's senior Senator Orrin Hatch has been pathetically prominent. As a quick glance at his record shows, the 39-year Senate veteran is a fervent practitioner of the cartoonish nihilism that now passes as Republican orthodoxy. A supposed deficit hawk who has been advocating a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution since 1979, Hatch defended President Bush's unfunded $400 billion Medicare prescription drug plan because "it was standard practice not to pay for things." In 2010, Hatch promised a "holy war" to defeat the Obamacare bill he called unconstitutional despite having co-sponsored almost identical legislation in 1993 as an alternative to Bill Clinton's health care proposal. A supporter of stem cell research who voted to legalize the use of fetal tissue for that very purpose, Senator Hatch led the bogus Republican witch hunt into Planned Parenthood in 2015. A year ago, Hatch was one of 47 GOP Senators who signed a letter to the regime in Tehran warning Congress would block a nuclear deal despite his Iran-Contra defense of Ronald Reagan in which he proclaimed the President is the "the sole person to whom our Constitution gives the responsibility for conducting foreign relations"."
"So the debasement of the Party of Lincoln has come to this. While short-fingered Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump sought to reassure Americans by declaring "I guarantee there's no problem" with his schlong, his nearest GOP rival Ted Cruz (R-TX) nevertheless told all who would listen that "I have no desire to copulate with him." But it shouldn't have taken these two newcomers to make Republicans feel embarrassed by their party and its 2016 nominating process. After all, many of the party's longest-serving legislators in Washington and shooting stars in the states have been at the forefront of the GOP's perpetual campaign of disinformation, denialism and unprecedented obstructionism. And in recent years, Utah's senior Senator Orrin Hatch has been pathetically prominent. As a quick glance at his record shows, the 39-year Senate veteran is a fervent practitioner of the cartoonish nihilism that now passes as Republican orthodoxy. A supposed deficit hawk who has been advocating a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution since 1979, Hatch defended President Bush's unfunded $400 billion Medicare prescription drug plan because "it was standard practice not to pay for things." In 2010, Hatch promised a "holy war" to defeat the Obamacare bill he called unconstitutional despite having co-sponsored almost identical legislation in 1993 as an alternative to Bill Clinton's health care proposal. A supporter of stem cell research who voted to legalize the use of fetal tissue for that very purpose, Senator Hatch led the bogus Republican witch hunt into Planned Parenthood in 2015. A year ago, Hatch was one of 47 GOP Senators who signed a letter to the regime in Tehran warning Congress would block a nuclear deal despite his Iran-Contra defense of Ronald Reagan in which he proclaimed the President is the "the sole person to whom our Constitution gives the responsibility for conducting foreign relations"."
A Secure Retirement Demands Limiting Conflicts of Interest
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/news/2016/04/06/134883/a-secure-retirement-demands-limiting-conflicts-of-interest/
"Can you trust your financial adviser? Many Americans aren’t so sure. Thanks to a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor, however, the answer may soon be “yes.” Today, the Department of Labor announced its final rule on conflicts of interest in retirement investment advice, also known as the fiduciary rule. Fiduciary is a five-syllable legal concept, but in practice, the intended effect of the rule is quite simple: All financial professionals selling retirement products will be legally required to act in the best interests of their clients rather than their own. The only reason why financial professionals are not required to do this currently is because of a 40-year-old loophole in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, that the Department of Labor is now closing. This effort has the potential to return at least $17 billion a year to savers and retirees through lower fees, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers."
"Can you trust your financial adviser? Many Americans aren’t so sure. Thanks to a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor, however, the answer may soon be “yes.” Today, the Department of Labor announced its final rule on conflicts of interest in retirement investment advice, also known as the fiduciary rule. Fiduciary is a five-syllable legal concept, but in practice, the intended effect of the rule is quite simple: All financial professionals selling retirement products will be legally required to act in the best interests of their clients rather than their own. The only reason why financial professionals are not required to do this currently is because of a 40-year-old loophole in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, that the Department of Labor is now closing. This effort has the potential to return at least $17 billion a year to savers and retirees through lower fees, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers."
Nashville Voted To Give Poor People, Locals New Construction Jobs...But the State GOP Blocked It @alternet
Nashville Voted To Give Poor People, Locals New Construction Jobs...But the State GOP Blocked It @alternet:
"within weeks of the ordinance passing into law, Republicans in the state legislature introduced a bill to roll back Nashville’s new law and prevent other cities in the state from implementing anything like it."
"within weeks of the ordinance passing into law, Republicans in the state legislature introduced a bill to roll back Nashville’s new law and prevent other cities in the state from implementing anything like it."
Ben & Jerry Get Arrested At Capitol Hill Protests @alternet
Ben & Jerry Get Arrested At Capitol Hill Protests @alternet:
"Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, more popularly known as Ben and Jerry, the guys behind the ice cream, were among hundreds of protesters arrested at the Democracy Spring rallies at the United States Capitol Building on Monday."
"Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, more popularly known as Ben and Jerry, the guys behind the ice cream, were among hundreds of protesters arrested at the Democracy Spring rallies at the United States Capitol Building on Monday."
April 16, 2016
Senate Republicans willing to use the filibuster to make a deadlocked Supreme Court permanent
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/4/14/1514920/-Senate-Republicans-willing-to-use-the-filibuster-to-make-a-deadlocked-Supreme-Court-permanent
"Republicans are talking filibuster again—and out both sides of their mouths. If they keep the Republican majority and by some miracle gain the White House, they'll happily go nuclear and get rid of the filibuster for a Republican nominee. If, however, things don't go their way in November, they're considering blocking a nominee indefinitely, never mind what the voters have to say about it."
"Republicans are talking filibuster again—and out both sides of their mouths. If they keep the Republican majority and by some miracle gain the White House, they'll happily go nuclear and get rid of the filibuster for a Republican nominee. If, however, things don't go their way in November, they're considering blocking a nominee indefinitely, never mind what the voters have to say about it."
The Panama Papers Are The Tip Of The Iceberg
The Panama Papers Are The Tip Of The Iceberg
"but the Panama papers revelations are just the tip of the iceberg, so before I get there I have to spend some time talking about an array of other members of the .1 of the 1% who apparently have no concern whatsoever about breaking the law. I want to highlight this issue not only because I am angry to hear about all this cheating, but because we as a society have to do something serious about it: the costs are just too huge. It is bad enough that governments all over the world are shorted hundreds of billions of tax dollars owed, and the rest of us taxpayers have to bear the consequences. What is just as bad is that legitimate, law-abiding businesses who are doing the right thing are having to compete against the cheaters, making it less likely that good businesses succeed, and making it less likely that most businesses will play by the rules and be good corporate citizens. When governments allow lawbreakers to go unpunished, there will be a lot more law breaking. Let's start with the Koch brothers and their circle of friends who give big checks to organizations that hate government. You don't have to get very far in Jane Mayer's superb book Dark Money to find a list of hyper-wealthy corporate conservatives who are (a) willing to invest money in far right causes, and are (b) lawbreakers on a massive scale."
"but the Panama papers revelations are just the tip of the iceberg, so before I get there I have to spend some time talking about an array of other members of the .1 of the 1% who apparently have no concern whatsoever about breaking the law. I want to highlight this issue not only because I am angry to hear about all this cheating, but because we as a society have to do something serious about it: the costs are just too huge. It is bad enough that governments all over the world are shorted hundreds of billions of tax dollars owed, and the rest of us taxpayers have to bear the consequences. What is just as bad is that legitimate, law-abiding businesses who are doing the right thing are having to compete against the cheaters, making it less likely that good businesses succeed, and making it less likely that most businesses will play by the rules and be good corporate citizens. When governments allow lawbreakers to go unpunished, there will be a lot more law breaking. Let's start with the Koch brothers and their circle of friends who give big checks to organizations that hate government. You don't have to get very far in Jane Mayer's superb book Dark Money to find a list of hyper-wealthy corporate conservatives who are (a) willing to invest money in far right causes, and are (b) lawbreakers on a massive scale."
Is the U.S. Postal Service the Next Target for Corporate Plundering?
Is the U.S. Postal Service the Next Target for Corporate Plundering?:
"big business is the driving factor behind efforts to weaken public agencies like the postal service. The ultimate goal? To privatize them and eliminate good paying union jobs to fatten corporate profits."
"big business is the driving factor behind efforts to weaken public agencies like the postal service. The ultimate goal? To privatize them and eliminate good paying union jobs to fatten corporate profits."
Pfizer Deal Dead as Treasury Cracks Down on Corporate Tax Dodgers
Pfizer Deal Dead as Treasury Cracks Down on Corporate Tax Dodgers
"Issuing what some called a death blow to the proposed $150 billion merger between pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Allergan, the U.S. Treasury Department late Monday proposed new tax regulations aimed at cracking down on so-called corporate inversions."
"Issuing what some called a death blow to the proposed $150 billion merger between pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Allergan, the U.S. Treasury Department late Monday proposed new tax regulations aimed at cracking down on so-called corporate inversions."
We Stopped Pfizer’s Giant Tax Dodge, Now Let’s End the Stock Market Manipulation @alternet
We Stopped Pfizer’s Giant Tax Dodge, Now Let’s End the Stock Market Manipulation @alternet:
"Now that new Treasury Department rules have effectively thwarted Pfizer's attempt to evade its U.S. tax obligations by using its proposed merger with Allergan to do a tax inversion, it's time policymakers turned their attention to a far more common, and even more damaging corporate practice: stock buybacks. This mode of distributing corporate cash to shareholders helps pump up the pay of Pfizer's senior executives, while, as President Obama said of the tax inversion, "it sticks the rest of us with the tab"."
"Now that new Treasury Department rules have effectively thwarted Pfizer's attempt to evade its U.S. tax obligations by using its proposed merger with Allergan to do a tax inversion, it's time policymakers turned their attention to a far more common, and even more damaging corporate practice: stock buybacks. This mode of distributing corporate cash to shareholders helps pump up the pay of Pfizer's senior executives, while, as President Obama said of the tax inversion, "it sticks the rest of us with the tab"."
SEC charges Republican Texas attorney general Ken Paxton with security fraud
SEC charges Republican Texas attorney general Ken Paxton with security fraud
"Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been charged in federal court with allegedly misleading investors in a technology company. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed the charges Monday in a Sherman-based court. They are similar to the allegations Paxton faces in a pending indictment handed up by a Collin County grand jury last year."
"Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been charged in federal court with allegedly misleading investors in a technology company. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed the charges Monday in a Sherman-based court. They are similar to the allegations Paxton faces in a pending indictment handed up by a Collin County grand jury last year."
'Just the Beginning' as 400 Arrested on Capitol Steps Protesting Big Money in Politics
'Just the Beginning' as 400 Arrested on Capitol Steps Protesting Big Money in Politics
"The coalition, which includes members of over 100 pro-democracy, civil rights, environmental, and peace organizations, says that more than 3,700 people have pledged to risk arrest, which would make Democracy Spring "the largest American civil disobedience action in a generation." Newkirk said that it took hours to process the nearly 500 arrests and that there will be even more people joining the sit-ins Tuesday."
"The coalition, which includes members of over 100 pro-democracy, civil rights, environmental, and peace organizations, says that more than 3,700 people have pledged to risk arrest, which would make Democracy Spring "the largest American civil disobedience action in a generation." Newkirk said that it took hours to process the nearly 500 arrests and that there will be even more people joining the sit-ins Tuesday."
Major redistricting lawsuit could spell the end of unfair partisan gerrymanders
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/4/11/1513964/-Major-redistricting-lawsuit-could-spell-the-end-of-unfair-partisan-gerrymanders
"Put more concretely, every time a Republican legislator or member of Congress wins with 55 percent of the vote but a Democrat in the same state wins with 85 percent, far more votes are "wasted" on behalf of the Democrat—exactly what Republican cartographers want, and exactly what they’ve achieved in Wisconsin, where the GOP holds 62 percent of seats in the legislature even though Barack Obama carried the state twice."
"Put more concretely, every time a Republican legislator or member of Congress wins with 55 percent of the vote but a Democrat in the same state wins with 85 percent, far more votes are "wasted" on behalf of the Democrat—exactly what Republican cartographers want, and exactly what they’ve achieved in Wisconsin, where the GOP holds 62 percent of seats in the legislature even though Barack Obama carried the state twice."
There's a Dark Future for America Coming If We Let the Middle Class Disappear @alternet
There's a Dark Future for America Coming If We Let the Middle Class Disappear @alternet:
"America's Founders understood the relationship between the middle class—what Thomas Jefferson called the yeomanry—and democracy. Jefferson's greatest fear for the young American nation was not a new king but a new economic aristocracy. He worried that if a small group of citizens became too wealthy—if America became polarized between the very rich and the very poor—democracy would vanish. Our democracy depends upon our ability to play referee to the game of business and to protect labor and the public good. It is both our right and our responsibility, Jefferson insisted, to control "overgrown wealth" from becoming "dangerous to the state," which is, so long as we are a democratic republic, We the People. When wealth is concentrated in the hands of the few and the middle class shrinks to the point where it's no longer a politically potent force, democracy becomes a feudal aristocracy: the rule of the elite. As Franklin D. Roosevelt pointed out in 1936, the rule of the many requires that We the People have a degree of economic as well as political freedom. When We the People are given the opportunity to educate ourselves, earn a living wage, own our own homes, and feel confident that we have good child care, health care and care in our old age—in short, when America has a thriving middle class—America also has a thriving democracy."
"America's Founders understood the relationship between the middle class—what Thomas Jefferson called the yeomanry—and democracy. Jefferson's greatest fear for the young American nation was not a new king but a new economic aristocracy. He worried that if a small group of citizens became too wealthy—if America became polarized between the very rich and the very poor—democracy would vanish. Our democracy depends upon our ability to play referee to the game of business and to protect labor and the public good. It is both our right and our responsibility, Jefferson insisted, to control "overgrown wealth" from becoming "dangerous to the state," which is, so long as we are a democratic republic, We the People. When wealth is concentrated in the hands of the few and the middle class shrinks to the point where it's no longer a politically potent force, democracy becomes a feudal aristocracy: the rule of the elite. As Franklin D. Roosevelt pointed out in 1936, the rule of the many requires that We the People have a degree of economic as well as political freedom. When We the People are given the opportunity to educate ourselves, earn a living wage, own our own homes, and feel confident that we have good child care, health care and care in our old age—in short, when America has a thriving middle class—America also has a thriving democracy."
Yes He Can: Obama Presides Over Record Setting 73rd Month of Job Growth
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/04/01/can-obama-presides-73rd-month-private-sector-job-growth.html
"U.S. businesses have now added 14.4 million jobs over 73 straight months, extending the longest streak on record."
"U.S. businesses have now added 14.4 million jobs over 73 straight months, extending the longest streak on record."
Job killing? Obamacare? Bwahahahahah
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/4/4/1509064/-Job-killing-Obamacare-Bwahahahahah
"Hospitals, doctors' offices and other healthcare settings added 36,800 jobs in March, representing roughly 1 out of 6 jobs that were created in the entire U.S. economy last month. That's after an amazing February, with 38,100 new jobs in the sector. So it's creating healthcare jobs, and it's not killing any other jobs. That's pretty cool! And one of the reasons why you just aren't hearing many Republicans uttering that "job-killing" phrase all the time now."
"Hospitals, doctors' offices and other healthcare settings added 36,800 jobs in March, representing roughly 1 out of 6 jobs that were created in the entire U.S. economy last month. That's after an amazing February, with 38,100 new jobs in the sector. So it's creating healthcare jobs, and it's not killing any other jobs. That's pretty cool! And one of the reasons why you just aren't hearing many Republicans uttering that "job-killing" phrase all the time now."
NY Times Report On Employer-Provided Insurance Puts Another Nail In The Coffin Of Conservatives' ACA Fearmongering
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/04/05/ny-times-report-on-employer-provided-insurance/209753
"Right-wing media have relentlessly hyped debunked myths and evidence-free claims about the ACA since its passage"
"Right-wing media have relentlessly hyped debunked myths and evidence-free claims about the ACA since its passage"
Idaho governor on not expanding Medicaid: People with insurance 'still die'
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/29/1507746/-Idaho-governor-on-not-expanding-Medicaid-People-with-insurance-still-die
"if you could secretly survey Republicans everywhere on what they think about poor people and health insurance, this is what you'd hear back: They're all going to die anyway—might as well be sooner as later."
"if you could secretly survey Republicans everywhere on what they think about poor people and health insurance, this is what you'd hear back: They're all going to die anyway—might as well be sooner as later."
Arizona Secretary Of State: I Know For A Fact That Voter Suppression Happened
http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/03/30/arizona-secretary-state-know-fact-voter-suppression-happened/
"Thousands of angry Arizonans complained that their voting registries had mysteriously changed to “independent” in the system, even though they’d been lifelong Democrats, as reported by the Tucson Weekly"
"Thousands of angry Arizonans complained that their voting registries had mysteriously changed to “independent” in the system, even though they’d been lifelong Democrats, as reported by the Tucson Weekly"
Michigan's 1 Percent Just Endorsed the Flint Water Crisis @alternet
Michigan's 1 Percent Just Endorsed the Flint Water Crisis @alternet:
"With that standing ovation, Michigan’s one percent effectively endorsed the poisoning of Flint and closed ranks around its chief perpetrators. Their message is clear: there will be no concessions, no reprieve from lethal austerity measures, not even in the wake of the greatest public health disaster in recent U.S. history."
"With that standing ovation, Michigan’s one percent effectively endorsed the poisoning of Flint and closed ranks around its chief perpetrators. Their message is clear: there will be no concessions, no reprieve from lethal austerity measures, not even in the wake of the greatest public health disaster in recent U.S. history."
Flint Is a Casualty in the Right Wing's War on Local Democracy
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13064/flint-casualty-right-wing-government-experiment
"the real culprit in the debacle: Governor Snyder's "emergency manager" law that stripped Flint of any local democratic control and put its fate in the hands of unaccountable executives hand-picked by Snyder. "Did that emergency management system fail under your leadership in this matter?" asked Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), demanding a yes or no response from Snyder. "That would be a fair conclusion," Snyder eventually conceded. "This is a failure of a philosophy of governance you advocated," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). "A city in America... is on its knees because of your emergency manager's decision to save $4 million. And now it's going to cost a lot more to clean up." Is this really happening in the world's leading republic? Governor Snyder's controversial emergency manager law is a cornerstone of the right wing's war on labor and local democracy in Michigan, which has been orchestrated by a network of "think tanks" and committees backed by the billionaire DeVos family, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Kochs, and other conservative politicos."
"the real culprit in the debacle: Governor Snyder's "emergency manager" law that stripped Flint of any local democratic control and put its fate in the hands of unaccountable executives hand-picked by Snyder. "Did that emergency management system fail under your leadership in this matter?" asked Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), demanding a yes or no response from Snyder. "That would be a fair conclusion," Snyder eventually conceded. "This is a failure of a philosophy of governance you advocated," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). "A city in America... is on its knees because of your emergency manager's decision to save $4 million. And now it's going to cost a lot more to clean up." Is this really happening in the world's leading republic? Governor Snyder's controversial emergency manager law is a cornerstone of the right wing's war on labor and local democracy in Michigan, which has been orchestrated by a network of "think tanks" and committees backed by the billionaire DeVos family, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Kochs, and other conservative politicos."
America is no model state: U.S. elections rank worst among Western democracies
America is no model state: U.S. elections rank worst among Western democracies
"the role of money in American campaigns has become progressively deregulated in recent decades, thanks in part to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, while election costs have spiraled."
"the role of money in American campaigns has become progressively deregulated in recent decades, thanks in part to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, while election costs have spiraled."
Arizona Hit With Lawsuit Over Its Disastrous Primary Day
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/04/14/3769482/arizona-lawsuit-voting/
"The case demands the U.S. District Court of Phoenix review why the county cut the number of available polling places from 200 to 60, leaving only one voting center for every 21,000 voters, and ensure there are adequate polls open for this November’s general election, which will have even higher voter turnout. Even in the lower-turnout March primary, some polling places ran out of ballots."
"The case demands the U.S. District Court of Phoenix review why the county cut the number of available polling places from 200 to 60, leaving only one voting center for every 21,000 voters, and ensure there are adequate polls open for this November’s general election, which will have even higher voter turnout. Even in the lower-turnout March primary, some polling places ran out of ballots."
What Happens To Democracy After You Gut The Voting Rights Act, In One Map
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/04/12/3768441/voter-suppression-map/
"This year marks the first presidential election in 50 years without a functioning Voting Rights Act — and it’s not going well. Republican lawmakers have been devising efforts to make it harder for Americans to vote for many years, since the GOP took over statehouses across the country in 2010. Those efforts culminated in 2013 with the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down key portions of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a formerly untouchable cornerstone of civil rights. For the past three years, states and jurisdictions have no longer had to clear potentially discriminatory laws with the Department of Justice — at least not as long as a Congress controlled by radical, right-wing factions continues to sit on the rewrite of the VRA."
"This year marks the first presidential election in 50 years without a functioning Voting Rights Act — and it’s not going well. Republican lawmakers have been devising efforts to make it harder for Americans to vote for many years, since the GOP took over statehouses across the country in 2010. Those efforts culminated in 2013 with the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down key portions of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a formerly untouchable cornerstone of civil rights. For the past three years, states and jurisdictions have no longer had to clear potentially discriminatory laws with the Department of Justice — at least not as long as a Congress controlled by radical, right-wing factions continues to sit on the rewrite of the VRA."
The GOP’s worst kept secret: More people voting hurts Republicans — so they’re openly trying to prevent it
The GOP’s worst kept secret: More people voting hurts Republicans — so they’re openly trying to prevent it
"The GOP is engaged in one of the most Orwellian schemes ever to hit the mainstream. While appearing to stand up against fraud, which only exists about 0.00000013 percent of the time — that’s 26 cases out of 197 million votes cast according to a Bush administration investigation — the Republican Party is stripping millions upon millions of Americans of their right to vote. Heaping more tragedy onto the fire, there’s really nothing that’s being done to hold Republicans accountable, in a legal sense, for this obvious party-wide conspiracy."
"The GOP is engaged in one of the most Orwellian schemes ever to hit the mainstream. While appearing to stand up against fraud, which only exists about 0.00000013 percent of the time — that’s 26 cases out of 197 million votes cast according to a Bush administration investigation — the Republican Party is stripping millions upon millions of Americans of their right to vote. Heaping more tragedy onto the fire, there’s really nothing that’s being done to hold Republicans accountable, in a legal sense, for this obvious party-wide conspiracy."
Kansas secretary of state's Spanish-language voter guide misleads voters
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/4/11/1513810/-Kansas-Sec-of-State-s-Spanish-language-voter-guide-misleads-voters
"Kobach, of course, has a longstanding history of pushing a racist agenda, from talking to white nationalist groups, to authoring Arizona's nativist "papers please" law, to actively working to suppress the vote of people of color and Latino voters, in particular."
"Kobach, of course, has a longstanding history of pushing a racist agenda, from talking to white nationalist groups, to authoring Arizona's nativist "papers please" law, to actively working to suppress the vote of people of color and Latino voters, in particular."
To Save Democracy, We Need To Make Voting Much, Much Easier
To Save Democracy, We Need To Make Voting Much, Much Easier
"In the U.S., not only have elites plotted a coup in the past, but a case can be made that a coup occurred with the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision in 2000: Gore won the election by any reasonable analysis, but a 5 to 4 decision divided down political lines and engineered by Republican operatives overturned the result. Today, business people plainly say they prefer undemocratic politics, and fascism is growing among Silicon Valley technocrats who use technology as cover for disgust of institutions influenced by the public."
"In the U.S., not only have elites plotted a coup in the past, but a case can be made that a coup occurred with the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision in 2000: Gore won the election by any reasonable analysis, but a 5 to 4 decision divided down political lines and engineered by Republican operatives overturned the result. Today, business people plainly say they prefer undemocratic politics, and fascism is growing among Silicon Valley technocrats who use technology as cover for disgust of institutions influenced by the public."
No One Is Better At Voter Suppression Than Kris Kobach
No One Is Better At Voter Suppression Than Kris Kobach
"His is a life truly dedicated to keeping his fellow GOPigs feeding at the (99%) taxpayers' trough."
"His is a life truly dedicated to keeping his fellow GOPigs feeding at the (99%) taxpayers' trough."
Democrats Crush Plot To Steal The 2016 Election With Lawsuit Against Arizona GOP
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/04/14/democrats-crush-plot-steal-2016-election-lawsuit-arizona-gop.html
"Arizona is the first is what is expected to be a series of lawsuits against state Republican plots to rig the vote."
"Arizona is the first is what is expected to be a series of lawsuits against state Republican plots to rig the vote."
The GOP Is Now Bragging About Voter Suppression
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/35539-the-gop-is-now-bragging-about-voter-suppression
"This conservative war on voting has taken on a number of different forms, Jim Crow being just the most obvious example, but it has always been based on one simple idea: conservatives lose elections when more people vote, and win elections when fewer people vote. As American Legislative Exchange Council founder and Reagan advisor Paul Weyrich put it back in 1980, "our leverage in the elections… goes up as the voting populace goes down." This has been the thinking behind every conservative voter suppression effort in history. But conservatives are smart. They've always been careful to disguise their war against voting in language that makes it sound acceptable, at least to the minimally informed. But every once in a while the mask slips, and conservatives tell the truth about their voter suppression accomplishments. Well, the mask slipped last night in Wisconsin."
"This conservative war on voting has taken on a number of different forms, Jim Crow being just the most obvious example, but it has always been based on one simple idea: conservatives lose elections when more people vote, and win elections when fewer people vote. As American Legislative Exchange Council founder and Reagan advisor Paul Weyrich put it back in 1980, "our leverage in the elections… goes up as the voting populace goes down." This has been the thinking behind every conservative voter suppression effort in history. But conservatives are smart. They've always been careful to disguise their war against voting in language that makes it sound acceptable, at least to the minimally informed. But every once in a while the mask slips, and conservatives tell the truth about their voter suppression accomplishments. Well, the mask slipped last night in Wisconsin."
Robert Reich: The Republicans Are Determined to Suppress the Vote @alternet
Robert Reich: The Republicans Are Determined to Suppress the Vote @alternet:
"A crowning achievement of the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech, was pushing through the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Recognizing the history of racist attempts to prevent Black people from voting, that federal law forced a number of southern states and districts to adhere to federal guidelines allowing citizens access to the polls. But in 2013 the Supreme Court effectively gutted many of these protections. As a result, states are finding new ways to stop more and more people—especially African-Americans and other likely Democratic voters—from reaching the polls."
"A crowning achievement of the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech, was pushing through the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Recognizing the history of racist attempts to prevent Black people from voting, that federal law forced a number of southern states and districts to adhere to federal guidelines allowing citizens access to the polls. But in 2013 the Supreme Court effectively gutted many of these protections. As a result, states are finding new ways to stop more and more people—especially African-Americans and other likely Democratic voters—from reaching the polls."
April 15, 2016
Arizona’s Primary Voting Was Such A Mess That DOJ Is Opening An Investigation
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/04/05/3766508/doj-investigation-maricopa/
"The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation to find out why voters were forced to wait up to five hours to vote in Maricopa County, Arizona’s presidential primary last month, an issue that only existed because the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 2013. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to the largest county in the state on Monday, demanding that it provide information so that the government can determine if the county complied with federal voting rights statutes. This appears to be the first major DOJ investigation into election issues since the presidential primary season began. Before the Supreme Court eliminated the requirement with its Shelby v. Holder decision in 2013, Arizona was one of nine states subject to the VRA’s Section 5 preclearance requirement. Any changes to election law in those states had to be approved by the DOJ because of their histories of racial discrimination."
"The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation to find out why voters were forced to wait up to five hours to vote in Maricopa County, Arizona’s presidential primary last month, an issue that only existed because the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 2013. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to the largest county in the state on Monday, demanding that it provide information so that the government can determine if the county complied with federal voting rights statutes. This appears to be the first major DOJ investigation into election issues since the presidential primary season began. Before the Supreme Court eliminated the requirement with its Shelby v. Holder decision in 2013, Arizona was one of nine states subject to the VRA’s Section 5 preclearance requirement. Any changes to election law in those states had to be approved by the DOJ because of their histories of racial discrimination."
Long lines, confusion and suppression: Here’s who’s preventing Americans from voting
Long lines, confusion and suppression: Here’s who’s preventing Americans from voting
"North Carolinians had fewer days to vote after the elimination of a week of early voting under the state’s monster voting law, H.B. 589. The 2013 law imposed a laundry list of regulations on how, when and where voters could cast a ballot—in particular, voters of color."
"North Carolinians had fewer days to vote after the elimination of a week of early voting under the state’s monster voting law, H.B. 589. The 2013 law imposed a laundry list of regulations on how, when and where voters could cast a ballot—in particular, voters of color."
Watch Giddy Republican Congressman Confirm Voter ID Is Meant To Hurt Democrats (VIDEO)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/04/06/watch-giddy-republican-congressman-confirm-voter-id-is-meant-to-hurt-democrats-video/
"This confirms what many political observers have been saying all along. The Republicans who push for stronger voter ID laws under the pretext to stop (nonexistent) voter fraud are using it as a cudgel to strongarm Democratic voters out of the voting booths. Given the fact that these laws almost invariably affect poor, often minority voters, this means two things: Democrats are being prevented for voting for the candidates who they would like to, and Republicans can continue to ignore the plight of the poor because they have been systematically disenfranchised. It’s particularly unsurprising that a state run by a guy like Gov. Scott Walker (R) would have lawmakers actively salivating about disenfranchising people. His administration has never been one to dwell on actual democracy.
"This confirms what many political observers have been saying all along. The Republicans who push for stronger voter ID laws under the pretext to stop (nonexistent) voter fraud are using it as a cudgel to strongarm Democratic voters out of the voting booths. Given the fact that these laws almost invariably affect poor, often minority voters, this means two things: Democrats are being prevented for voting for the candidates who they would like to, and Republicans can continue to ignore the plight of the poor because they have been systematically disenfranchised. It’s particularly unsurprising that a state run by a guy like Gov. Scott Walker (R) would have lawmakers actively salivating about disenfranchising people. His administration has never been one to dwell on actual democracy.
If You Think Voter ID Is About Voter Fraud, This Republican Congressman Has News For You
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/04/06/3767043/glenn-grothman-voter-id-wisconsin-partisan/
"The voter ID bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Scott Walker is a solution in search of a problem, as study after study shows voter fraud isn’t a real issue in Wisconsin or elsewhere. But as another recent paper indicates, voter ID laws do have one benefit, at least for Republicans — suppressing reliably Democratic votes."
"The voter ID bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Scott Walker is a solution in search of a problem, as study after study shows voter fraud isn’t a real issue in Wisconsin or elsewhere. But as another recent paper indicates, voter ID laws do have one benefit, at least for Republicans — suppressing reliably Democratic votes."
April 9, 2016
Tesla’s Model 3 Is Already Shattering Expectations
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/06/3766982/next-apple-tesla-model-3-presales/
"The Model 3 could end up as the best-“selling” vehicle this year — or at least the most ordered."
"The Model 3 could end up as the best-“selling” vehicle this year — or at least the most ordered."
One Fact About Climate Change That’s Worth Repeating
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/06/3766659/fact-97-percent-climate-scientists-climate-change/
"the ongoing disinformation campaign funded by the fossil fuel industry (together with false balance by the media) has left the public with the impression that there is considerable scientific debate on a subject where there isn’t."
"the ongoing disinformation campaign funded by the fossil fuel industry (together with false balance by the media) has left the public with the impression that there is considerable scientific debate on a subject where there isn’t."
Update: Twenty-nine men died and Don Blankenship sentenced to one year in prison
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/4/6/1511317/-Don-Blankenship-gets-punished-today-but-not-nearly-enough
"If there’s such a thing as corporate murder—and there should be—Don Blankenship is guilty. He not only did it, he did it willfully, with full knowledge of the risk. One year and $250,000? Why that’s less money than Blankenship spent taking a Supreme Court justice to Monte Carlo for hookers and gambling (in exchange for a little help with overturning a $50 million jury verdict). Blankenship spent $3 million just getting another justice elected to the West Virginia Supreme Court so he could get the outcome he wanted. And he did. You want to think that men like Blankenship don’t really exist. First, because you want to think that no one could be this selfish, merciless, abusive, and vile. Second, because you want to think that such a monster wouldn’t be allowed to not simply operate, but flourish, despite flouting the law and squandering the lives of his workers. However, it probably won’t surprise you that Blankenship is a big contributor to Republican candidates, including his fellow worker in the war on safety and the environment, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)."
"If there’s such a thing as corporate murder—and there should be—Don Blankenship is guilty. He not only did it, he did it willfully, with full knowledge of the risk. One year and $250,000? Why that’s less money than Blankenship spent taking a Supreme Court justice to Monte Carlo for hookers and gambling (in exchange for a little help with overturning a $50 million jury verdict). Blankenship spent $3 million just getting another justice elected to the West Virginia Supreme Court so he could get the outcome he wanted. And he did. You want to think that men like Blankenship don’t really exist. First, because you want to think that no one could be this selfish, merciless, abusive, and vile. Second, because you want to think that such a monster wouldn’t be allowed to not simply operate, but flourish, despite flouting the law and squandering the lives of his workers. However, it probably won’t surprise you that Blankenship is a big contributor to Republican candidates, including his fellow worker in the war on safety and the environment, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)."
House Republicans Say Oil Spill Prevention Rule Should Be Easier On Oil Companies
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/04/3766124/offshore-drilling-republican-revision/
"Almost five years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill sent millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration announced a set of new offshore drilling rules that it hoped would prevent another massive oil spill. Now, as those rules appear to be racing towards finalization, House Republicans are asking the administration to revise the rules to lessen the burden on the oil industry."
"Almost five years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill sent millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration announced a set of new offshore drilling rules that it hoped would prevent another massive oil spill. Now, as those rules appear to be racing towards finalization, House Republicans are asking the administration to revise the rules to lessen the burden on the oil industry."
Report: Health Impacts from Climate Change a 'New Kind of Threat' (with No Easy Cure)
Report: Health Impacts from Climate Change a 'New Kind of Threat' (with No Easy Cure)
"The report was produced by eight government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It comes just ahead of the April 22 meeting between world leaders in New York, where they are expected to formally sign the landmark climate agreement finalized in Paris in December."
"The report was produced by eight government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It comes just ahead of the April 22 meeting between world leaders in New York, where they are expected to formally sign the landmark climate agreement finalized in Paris in December."
Melting ice sheets changing the way the Earth wobbles on its axis, says Nasa
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/09/melting-ice-sheets-changing-the-way-the-earth-wobbles-on-its-axis-says-nasa?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+USA+-+Version+CB+header&utm_term=166240&subid=14675834&CMP=ema_565
"Since 2003, Greenland has lost on average more than 272 trillion kilograms of ice a year, and that affects the way the Earth wobbles in a manner similar to a figure skater lifting one leg while spinning, said Nasa scientist Eirk Ivins, the study’s co-author. On top of that, West Antarctica loses 124 trillion kgs of ice and East Antarctica gains about 74 trillion kgs of ice yearly, helping tilt the wobble further, Ivins said."
"Since 2003, Greenland has lost on average more than 272 trillion kilograms of ice a year, and that affects the way the Earth wobbles in a manner similar to a figure skater lifting one leg while spinning, said Nasa scientist Eirk Ivins, the study’s co-author. On top of that, West Antarctica loses 124 trillion kgs of ice and East Antarctica gains about 74 trillion kgs of ice yearly, helping tilt the wobble further, Ivins said."
New Report Details Big Oil's $500 Million Annual Climate Obstructionism
New Report Details Big Oil's $500 Million Annual Climate Obstructionism
"The dark channels through which corporations influence legislation are notoriously hard to trace, but a new detailed report estimates that the world's largest fossil fuel companies are spending upwards of $500 million per year to obstruct climate laws"
"The dark channels through which corporations influence legislation are notoriously hard to trace, but a new detailed report estimates that the world's largest fossil fuel companies are spending upwards of $500 million per year to obstruct climate laws"
Toxic Teflon Chemical, C8, Found In Tap Water in Several States @alternet
Toxic Teflon Chemical, C8, Found In Tap Water in Several States @alternet:
"New information emerged last month about toxic contamination from chemicals used to manufacture Teflon pots and pans and many other consumer, military, and industrial products. Water tests in several states have revealed a growing number of sites where the groundwater is polluted by the most well studied of these chemicals — C8 or PFOA — prompting calls from a group of state governors for federal action. Meanwhile there are new indications that another perfluorinated chemical (PFC), heavily promoted by chemical manufacturers as a safer substitute for C8, is also toxic and just as persistent in the environment as C8"
"New information emerged last month about toxic contamination from chemicals used to manufacture Teflon pots and pans and many other consumer, military, and industrial products. Water tests in several states have revealed a growing number of sites where the groundwater is polluted by the most well studied of these chemicals — C8 or PFOA — prompting calls from a group of state governors for federal action. Meanwhile there are new indications that another perfluorinated chemical (PFC), heavily promoted by chemical manufacturers as a safer substitute for C8, is also toxic and just as persistent in the environment as C8"
Last Month Was The Hottest March In The Global Satellite Record, And The Arctic Is Still Sizzling
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/04/3765965/hottest-march-satellite-record/
"as Arctic warming speeds up, it boosts global greenhouse gas levels, which leads to even more warming of the Arctic and so on."
"as Arctic warming speeds up, it boosts global greenhouse gas levels, which leads to even more warming of the Arctic and so on."
Florida Will Vote This Year On Measure That Would Block Solar Leasing In The State
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/01/3765695/florida-voters-are-going-to-be-confused/
"Sponsored by utility companies and other groups tied to the Koch brothers, the measure will prevent people from selling their electricity to third parties."
"Sponsored by utility companies and other groups tied to the Koch brothers, the measure will prevent people from selling their electricity to third parties."
British Columbia’s Carbon Tax Has Been So Successful That Businesses Want To Increase It
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/03/31/3765312/canadian-business-support-carbon-tax-increase/
"A carbon tax may be a controversial topic in the United States, but in one Canadian province, this eight-year-old policy has been such a success that on Wednesday more than 100 businesses said they support a tax increase."
"A carbon tax may be a controversial topic in the United States, but in one Canadian province, this eight-year-old policy has been such a success that on Wednesday more than 100 businesses said they support a tax increase."
Meet The National Federation Of Independent Business, The Corporate Front Group Claiming It's The Voice Of Small Business
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/30/meet-the-national-federation-of-independent-bus/209632
"Media outlets are adopting the National Federation of Independent Business' (NFIB) claim that it is speaking for the small business community in its opposition to Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination. In reality, NFIB is a front group that has received millions of dollars from the Koch brothers network and other large corporate interests, and its opposition to Garland is part of a campaign against environmental, labor and healthcare policies that most small businesses support."
"Media outlets are adopting the National Federation of Independent Business' (NFIB) claim that it is speaking for the small business community in its opposition to Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination. In reality, NFIB is a front group that has received millions of dollars from the Koch brothers network and other large corporate interests, and its opposition to Garland is part of a campaign against environmental, labor and healthcare policies that most small businesses support."
In other news, Donald Trump may just kill us all
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/30/1508051/-In-other-news-Donald-Trump-may-just-kill-us-all
"This isn’t substantively different from Paul Ryan pooh-poohing the great gobs of experts who note that his budget ideas are predicated on finding money-pooping unicorns, it’s just that Trump doesn’t even know the proper buzzwords to eject as chaff when some reporter gets too close to saying so. The base, though, continues to love this stuff. They don't want nuclear expertise, they want a man who says the opposing president is bad. They don't want an immigration "plan," they want the man who says he'll just round up all the millions of people in question and put them on trains to the Texas border. They. Want. This. Because the last two decades of conservative punditry has primed them to believe Angry Shouting White Guy is the pinnacle of American political thought, and all the government experts and scientific experts and economic experts and so forth are merely obstacles Angry Shouting White Guy has to overcome in order to set things right around here."
"This isn’t substantively different from Paul Ryan pooh-poohing the great gobs of experts who note that his budget ideas are predicated on finding money-pooping unicorns, it’s just that Trump doesn’t even know the proper buzzwords to eject as chaff when some reporter gets too close to saying so. The base, though, continues to love this stuff. They don't want nuclear expertise, they want a man who says the opposing president is bad. They don't want an immigration "plan," they want the man who says he'll just round up all the millions of people in question and put them on trains to the Texas border. They. Want. This. Because the last two decades of conservative punditry has primed them to believe Angry Shouting White Guy is the pinnacle of American political thought, and all the government experts and scientific experts and economic experts and so forth are merely obstacles Angry Shouting White Guy has to overcome in order to set things right around here."
Climate Disruption in Overdrive: Submerged Cities and Melting That "Feeds on Itself"
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/35398-climate-disruption-in-overdrive-submerged-cities-and-melting-that-feeds-on-itself
"A major study published in Nature Climate Change shows that the planet is warming a stunning 50 times faster than when it comes out of an ice age. The implications of the rapidity of this warming, for those who care to digest it emotionally, are horrifying. The study shows that even if carbon reduction targets are achieved and the planet's temperature is kept below the 2 degree Celsius warming threshold, sea-level rise will still inundate major coastal cities around the world, forcing one-fifth of the total world population of humans to migrate away from the coasts. New York, London, Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta, Cairo, Kolkata and Shanghai will all be underwater. As though to reinforce this point, NASA recently released data confirming that February was the warmest month ever measured globally, at 1.57 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline temperature average. The new record easily smashed the old global temperature record, which was set just one month before, in January. This means that while it took from the advent of the industrial age until October 2015 to warm the planet 1 degree Celsius, humans have managed to warm the planet another .57 degrees Celsius in just the next four months since then. Let that sink in for a moment before reading further. As if that isn't enough, a study recently published in the journal Nature Geoscience revealed that carbon emissions are now the highest they have been since the age of dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. According to the study, the current pace of emissions is even beyond the highest-known natural surge of carbon that exists in fossil records, an event that occurred 56 million years ago that was believed by many to be caused by the release of frozen stores of greenhouse gases from the seabed."
"A major study published in Nature Climate Change shows that the planet is warming a stunning 50 times faster than when it comes out of an ice age. The implications of the rapidity of this warming, for those who care to digest it emotionally, are horrifying. The study shows that even if carbon reduction targets are achieved and the planet's temperature is kept below the 2 degree Celsius warming threshold, sea-level rise will still inundate major coastal cities around the world, forcing one-fifth of the total world population of humans to migrate away from the coasts. New York, London, Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta, Cairo, Kolkata and Shanghai will all be underwater. As though to reinforce this point, NASA recently released data confirming that February was the warmest month ever measured globally, at 1.57 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline temperature average. The new record easily smashed the old global temperature record, which was set just one month before, in January. This means that while it took from the advent of the industrial age until October 2015 to warm the planet 1 degree Celsius, humans have managed to warm the planet another .57 degrees Celsius in just the next four months since then. Let that sink in for a moment before reading further. As if that isn't enough, a study recently published in the journal Nature Geoscience revealed that carbon emissions are now the highest they have been since the age of dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. According to the study, the current pace of emissions is even beyond the highest-known natural surge of carbon that exists in fossil records, an event that occurred 56 million years ago that was believed by many to be caused by the release of frozen stores of greenhouse gases from the seabed."
This is the Seth Meyers piece that best explains Donald Trump’s buffoonery
This is the Seth Meyers piece that best explains Donald Trump’s buffoonery
"Seth Meyers took a “Closer Look” at Donald Trump’s comments made during an MSNBC town hall Wednesday that abortion should be punishable."
"Seth Meyers took a “Closer Look” at Donald Trump’s comments made during an MSNBC town hall Wednesday that abortion should be punishable."
Arizona bill that waters down dark money regulations is on its way to Gov. Ducey's desk
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/30/1507906/-Arizona-bill-that-waters-down-dark-money-regulations-is-on-its-way-to-Gov-Ducey-s-desk
"When she campaigned for the office of Arizona secretary of state in 2014, former Republican state Senator Michele Reagan said she intended to dilute the influence of dark money in state politics. She must have known that her party’s nominee for governor, Doug Ducey, had taken gobs of money from the Koch network, which he continues to do, so it wasn’t clear just how serious her anti-dark money campaign was. Now we know. Not so much. Actually, it’s the opposite."
"When she campaigned for the office of Arizona secretary of state in 2014, former Republican state Senator Michele Reagan said she intended to dilute the influence of dark money in state politics. She must have known that her party’s nominee for governor, Doug Ducey, had taken gobs of money from the Koch network, which he continues to do, so it wasn’t clear just how serious her anti-dark money campaign was. Now we know. Not so much. Actually, it’s the opposite."
April 7, 2016
Obama Kills Largest Corporate Attempt Yet To Flee Overseas And Dodge Taxes
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/04/06/3767056/pfizer-pays-150-million-escape-merger/
"The largest-ever corporate merger to skip out on American tax obligations is now kaput."
"The largest-ever corporate merger to skip out on American tax obligations is now kaput."
Unmasking the Chamber of Commerce Networks
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13077/unmasking-chamber-commerce-networks
"new documents showing the role that lobbyists for state chambers of commerce play in thwarting measures that American workers and, as it turns out, the overwhelming majority of CEOs support. Who are these state chamber lobbyists and what are the trade groups they lead? In 1971, when tobacco lawyer Lewis Powell penned his infamous memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, he not only called upon the national Chamber to unify and strengthen corporate power in U.S. politics, he also identified other untapped potential for his corporate coup. "Also," the soon-to-be Nixon nominee to the Supreme Court noted in his memo, "and this is of immeasurable merit — there are hundreds of local Chambers of Commerce which can play a vital supportive role." Forty-five years later, many state and local chambers are doing just that: supporting a policy agenda set by the U.S. Chamber and its biggest bankrollers to the detriment of the deep economic concerns of local communities that sustain state businesses. Powell understood that "strength lies in organization," and set out a broad list of targets, from the country's universities to its national media to the judicial branch, that the U.S. Chamber could infiltrate and organize. The vast network of state and local chambers, however, could not organize themselves. And so the U.S. Chamber set out to develop an array of groups to unify them. Some of these entities are special projects of the U.S. Chamber; others are individually incorporated but interconnected to it. All of them are components of a network of special interests that has largely displaced the voices of ordinary people in policymaking in what is supposed to be a representative democracy of one person, one vote. These special interests routinely press elected officials to protect corporate profits from public policies sought by citizens that would make our economy and our environment healthier for all."
"new documents showing the role that lobbyists for state chambers of commerce play in thwarting measures that American workers and, as it turns out, the overwhelming majority of CEOs support. Who are these state chamber lobbyists and what are the trade groups they lead? In 1971, when tobacco lawyer Lewis Powell penned his infamous memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, he not only called upon the national Chamber to unify and strengthen corporate power in U.S. politics, he also identified other untapped potential for his corporate coup. "Also," the soon-to-be Nixon nominee to the Supreme Court noted in his memo, "and this is of immeasurable merit — there are hundreds of local Chambers of Commerce which can play a vital supportive role." Forty-five years later, many state and local chambers are doing just that: supporting a policy agenda set by the U.S. Chamber and its biggest bankrollers to the detriment of the deep economic concerns of local communities that sustain state businesses. Powell understood that "strength lies in organization," and set out a broad list of targets, from the country's universities to its national media to the judicial branch, that the U.S. Chamber could infiltrate and organize. The vast network of state and local chambers, however, could not organize themselves. And so the U.S. Chamber set out to develop an array of groups to unify them. Some of these entities are special projects of the U.S. Chamber; others are individually incorporated but interconnected to it. All of them are components of a network of special interests that has largely displaced the voices of ordinary people in policymaking in what is supposed to be a representative democracy of one person, one vote. These special interests routinely press elected officials to protect corporate profits from public policies sought by citizens that would make our economy and our environment healthier for all."
Wall Street Won’t Be Able To Bilk Retirees Anymore
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/04/06/3766942/fiduciary-rule-final/
"Up until now, the financial advisers who help retirees decide where to put their investments could legally steer clients toward decisions that made themselves more money at their clients’ expense. Now that practice will be against the rules."
"Up until now, the financial advisers who help retirees decide where to put their investments could legally steer clients toward decisions that made themselves more money at their clients’ expense. Now that practice will be against the rules."
Dark Money Doesn't Buy Freedom, It Stifles It
Dark Money Doesn't Buy Freedom, It Stifles It:
"Money, according to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, should be considered merely a tool that facilitates "free speech" under the First Amendment. The decision infamously extended unlimited dark money political spending even to corporations. In her prodigiously documented and riveting book, Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, Jane Mayer provides an historical account of how Charles and David Koch tenaciously built a network among the wealthiest people in the United States to buy elections and influence public policy. In just one telling fact, Mayer provides a glimpse into the oligarchical impact on elections that the Koch network and other rich individuals and corporations are having: The 100 biggest known donors in 2014 spent nearly as much money on behalf of their candidates as the 4.75 million people who contributed $200 or less. On their own, the top 100 known donors gave $323 million. And this was only the disclosed money. Once the millions of dollars in unlimited, undisclosed dark money were included, there was little doubt that an extraordinarily small and rich conservative clique had financially dominated everybody else. As a "former family friend" of the Koch brothers said of Charles (as quoted by Jane Mayer), "Maybe he confused making money with freedom." The Kochs are self-styled libertarians. David even ran for vice president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1980. This was an indicator of how extremist the Kochs and their billionaire and multi-millionaire cohorts are. After all, David was running on a ticket that was opposing Ronald Reagan, the successful Republican candidate that year and the reigning presidential deity of the GOP. The Kochs were well-positioned to take advantage of the 2010 Citizens United ruling, having for years championed and donated to right-wing think tanks, public policy front organizations and academic "free market" learning centers and legal scholarship."
"Money, according to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, should be considered merely a tool that facilitates "free speech" under the First Amendment. The decision infamously extended unlimited dark money political spending even to corporations. In her prodigiously documented and riveting book, Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, Jane Mayer provides an historical account of how Charles and David Koch tenaciously built a network among the wealthiest people in the United States to buy elections and influence public policy. In just one telling fact, Mayer provides a glimpse into the oligarchical impact on elections that the Koch network and other rich individuals and corporations are having: The 100 biggest known donors in 2014 spent nearly as much money on behalf of their candidates as the 4.75 million people who contributed $200 or less. On their own, the top 100 known donors gave $323 million. And this was only the disclosed money. Once the millions of dollars in unlimited, undisclosed dark money were included, there was little doubt that an extraordinarily small and rich conservative clique had financially dominated everybody else. As a "former family friend" of the Koch brothers said of Charles (as quoted by Jane Mayer), "Maybe he confused making money with freedom." The Kochs are self-styled libertarians. David even ran for vice president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1980. This was an indicator of how extremist the Kochs and their billionaire and multi-millionaire cohorts are. After all, David was running on a ticket that was opposing Ronald Reagan, the successful Republican candidate that year and the reigning presidential deity of the GOP. The Kochs were well-positioned to take advantage of the 2010 Citizens United ruling, having for years championed and donated to right-wing think tanks, public policy front organizations and academic "free market" learning centers and legal scholarship."
Watch: Elizabeth Warren Pulls No Punches Calling GOP out on 2008 Crash @alternet
Watch: Elizabeth Warren Pulls No Punches Calling GOP out on 2008 Crash @alternet:
"She wondered why Republicans chose Chanin as their witness, saying, “of all the people who might be called on to advise Congress about how to weigh the costs and benefits of consumer regulations, I am surprised that my Republican colleagues would choose a witness who might have one of the worst track records in history on this issue"."
"She wondered why Republicans chose Chanin as their witness, saying, “of all the people who might be called on to advise Congress about how to weigh the costs and benefits of consumer regulations, I am surprised that my Republican colleagues would choose a witness who might have one of the worst track records in history on this issue"."
This is the Kochs’ right-wing coup: Deny voting rights, flood politics with dark money, capture the courts
This is the Kochs’ right-wing coup: Deny voting rights, flood politics with dark money, capture the courts
"The funders bankrolling efforts to undermine voting rights are some of the same people behind the push to preserve and expand the outsized political influence of billionaires and corporations. The right-wing Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation, for example, provided funding for the activist who organized the challenge to the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court case that gutted a key provision of the law in 2013. The Foundation has paid for billboards in minority communities with the message “Voter Fraud is a Felony,” condemned as voter intimidation, and has awarded grants to organizations with seemingly virtuous names like True the Vote, a group that raises the specter of “voter fraud” to push for more restrictive voting rules. At the same time, the Foundation has also funded groups like the Center for Competitive Politics, which despite the name advocates against limits on big money in politics. Organizations like the Bradley Foundation are taking aim at representative democracy from multiple angles, funding both efforts designed to make it easier for the most powerful among us to buy more influence and to make it harder for the most marginalized among us to vote. Or take a look at the Heritage Foundation, which has received significant funding from the Koch network and has been a major player in the right’s effort to dismantle democracy. When the Senate was considering a constitutional amendment to overturn cases like Citizens United in 2014, the Heritage Foundation was busy pushing myths characterizing the amendment as a way to “silence free speech"."
"The funders bankrolling efforts to undermine voting rights are some of the same people behind the push to preserve and expand the outsized political influence of billionaires and corporations. The right-wing Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation, for example, provided funding for the activist who organized the challenge to the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court case that gutted a key provision of the law in 2013. The Foundation has paid for billboards in minority communities with the message “Voter Fraud is a Felony,” condemned as voter intimidation, and has awarded grants to organizations with seemingly virtuous names like True the Vote, a group that raises the specter of “voter fraud” to push for more restrictive voting rules. At the same time, the Foundation has also funded groups like the Center for Competitive Politics, which despite the name advocates against limits on big money in politics. Organizations like the Bradley Foundation are taking aim at representative democracy from multiple angles, funding both efforts designed to make it easier for the most powerful among us to buy more influence and to make it harder for the most marginalized among us to vote. Or take a look at the Heritage Foundation, which has received significant funding from the Koch network and has been a major player in the right’s effort to dismantle democracy. When the Senate was considering a constitutional amendment to overturn cases like Citizens United in 2014, the Heritage Foundation was busy pushing myths characterizing the amendment as a way to “silence free speech"."
Republican Lies About Social Security Debunked Again: So Why Does Mainstream Media Keep Repeating Them? @alternet
Republican Lies About Social Security Debunked Again: So Why Does Mainstream Media Keep Repeating Them? @alternet:
"Republicans have been gunning for Social Security for decades. This is understandable, as an ideological matter, because Social Security’s very existence undermines the anti-government mythology on which the modern conservative movement thrives."
"Republicans have been gunning for Social Security for decades. This is understandable, as an ideological matter, because Social Security’s very existence undermines the anti-government mythology on which the modern conservative movement thrives."
Ten Huge Drug Rip-Offs -- and Big Pharma's Massive Price-Gouging Campaign
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/35390-ten-huge-drug-rip-offs-and-big-pharma-s-infuriating-campaign-to-keep-on-price-gouging
"PhRMA, which spent $18.4 million lobbying lawmakers last year and BIO which spent $8.4 million, are among the top lobby groups on the Hill. Until 2010, PhRMA was headed by former Louisiana Rep. Billy Tauzin who resigned from Congress where he chaired the committee which oversees the drug industry only to immediately reappear as the leader of PhRMA where he drew a $2 million salary. Who can say revolving door?"
"PhRMA, which spent $18.4 million lobbying lawmakers last year and BIO which spent $8.4 million, are among the top lobby groups on the Hill. Until 2010, PhRMA was headed by former Louisiana Rep. Billy Tauzin who resigned from Congress where he chaired the committee which oversees the drug industry only to immediately reappear as the leader of PhRMA where he drew a $2 million salary. Who can say revolving door?"
The Panama Papers: 'Biggest Leak in History' Exposes Global Web of Corruption
The Panama Papers: 'Biggest Leak in History' Exposes Global Web of Corruption
"An anonymous source, an enormous cache of leaked documents, and a year-long investigative effort by around 400 journalists from more than 100 media organizations in over 80 countries have yielded the Panama Papers, an unprecedented look at how the world's rich and powerful, from political leaders to celebrities to criminals, use tax havens to hide their wealth."
"An anonymous source, an enormous cache of leaked documents, and a year-long investigative effort by around 400 journalists from more than 100 media organizations in over 80 countries have yielded the Panama Papers, an unprecedented look at how the world's rich and powerful, from political leaders to celebrities to criminals, use tax havens to hide their wealth."
The Panama Papers Show it’s Time for ‘No Representation Without Taxation’
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/04/06/panama-papers-show-time-no-representation-taxation.html
"The 1 Percent have shown how much they object to being taxed, while perfectly willing to levy taxes on people they deny representation by obstructing their voting rights."
"The 1 Percent have shown how much they object to being taxed, while perfectly willing to levy taxes on people they deny representation by obstructing their voting rights."
The Lessons in the Panama Papers
The Lessons in the Panama Papers
"The Panama Papers reveal the widespread use of shell corporations in the British Virgin Islands, the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, and Panama. Historically, North American investors prefer tax havens in the Caribbean or Panama, with an estimated 54 percent of offshore investments going to those areas. Other popular tax dodging destinations were Switzerland, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, off the coast of England. Transnational corporations also have an estimated $2 trillion in assets hidden in offshore tax havens or stashed in subsidiary corporations in countries with minimal or no corporate taxation."
"The Panama Papers reveal the widespread use of shell corporations in the British Virgin Islands, the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, and Panama. Historically, North American investors prefer tax havens in the Caribbean or Panama, with an estimated 54 percent of offshore investments going to those areas. Other popular tax dodging destinations were Switzerland, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, off the coast of England. Transnational corporations also have an estimated $2 trillion in assets hidden in offshore tax havens or stashed in subsidiary corporations in countries with minimal or no corporate taxation."
The Panama Papers Problem
The Panama Papers Problem
"The worst criminals on earth are not the poor who sit behind bars in jails and prisons. The biggest thieves are found among the rich. The 1% can buy legislation, politicians and the media to carry out and hide their dirty work. If they can’t change the laws to benefit themselves in their homelands they simply send their money elsewhere through shell holding companies. This transfer of wealth, much of it diverted from what ought to be tax payments, is an open secret. Panama, the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg and Switzerland are known for securing the money and secrets of the rich and the well connected. The leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panama based Mossack Fonseca law firm brings into the light of day what was long known but passively accepted."
"The worst criminals on earth are not the poor who sit behind bars in jails and prisons. The biggest thieves are found among the rich. The 1% can buy legislation, politicians and the media to carry out and hide their dirty work. If they can’t change the laws to benefit themselves in their homelands they simply send their money elsewhere through shell holding companies. This transfer of wealth, much of it diverted from what ought to be tax payments, is an open secret. Panama, the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg and Switzerland are known for securing the money and secrets of the rich and the well connected. The leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panama based Mossack Fonseca law firm brings into the light of day what was long known but passively accepted."
The Panama Papers Reveal all Our Worst Fears of the 1 Percent Are True
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/04/05/panama-papers-reveal-worst-fears-1-percent-true.html
"The 1 percent are not our friends, Corporations are not your friends. They have only their own interests at heart. The government is something you can at least vote out of office and get new people in who might or might not do better. With corporations, you lack even the possibility of influencing their actions. Republican voters, feeling oppressed and poor in their Red State hovels, might want to look long and hard at what these documents reveal about their would-be saviors."
"The 1 percent are not our friends, Corporations are not your friends. They have only their own interests at heart. The government is something you can at least vote out of office and get new people in who might or might not do better. With corporations, you lack even the possibility of influencing their actions. Republican voters, feeling oppressed and poor in their Red State hovels, might want to look long and hard at what these documents reveal about their would-be saviors."
Campbell Brown: The New Leader of the Propaganda Arm of School Privatization @alternet
Campbell Brown: The New Leader of the Propaganda Arm of School Privatization @alternet:
"Perhaps guided by the old adage that you have to spend money to make money, the champions of education "reform" have poured billions into the effort to privatize and profit from America’s schools. Those funds are used on multiple fronts: launching charter schools, underwriting the political campaigns of politicians, and of course, investing in media to propagate the free-market privatization vision. Among the most visible properties in this effort is the Seventy Four, the well-funded, power broker-backed education news website run by former journalist-turned-school privatization activist Campbell Brown. Launched last year, the site’s reported $4 million annual budget comes from a collective of school privatization’s big hitters: The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Jonathan Sackler (of OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma) and the Walton Family Foundation. Philanthropy of this sort has an endgame—the privatization of America’s public schools—and media manipulation is an essential part of a winning strategy."
"Perhaps guided by the old adage that you have to spend money to make money, the champions of education "reform" have poured billions into the effort to privatize and profit from America’s schools. Those funds are used on multiple fronts: launching charter schools, underwriting the political campaigns of politicians, and of course, investing in media to propagate the free-market privatization vision. Among the most visible properties in this effort is the Seventy Four, the well-funded, power broker-backed education news website run by former journalist-turned-school privatization activist Campbell Brown. Launched last year, the site’s reported $4 million annual budget comes from a collective of school privatization’s big hitters: The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Jonathan Sackler (of OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma) and the Walton Family Foundation. Philanthropy of this sort has an endgame—the privatization of America’s public schools—and media manipulation is an essential part of a winning strategy."
A Corporate/Billionaire Austerity Budget Or A People’s Prosperity Budget?
A Corporate/Billionaire Austerity Budget Or A People’s Prosperity Budget?
"Austerity - the current "donor class" budgeting that benefits billionaires, Wall Street and giant corporations through cuts in things government does to make our lives and economy better, combined with cuts in taxes for billionaires and giant corporations. Austerity literally takes money out of the economy and "eats the seed corn." When there are fewer jobs and people really need to find work, employers can pay as little as they can legally get away with, and pit the employees against each other. Meanwhile tax cuts defund our government's ability to regulate what corporations and Wall Street do."
"Austerity - the current "donor class" budgeting that benefits billionaires, Wall Street and giant corporations through cuts in things government does to make our lives and economy better, combined with cuts in taxes for billionaires and giant corporations. Austerity literally takes money out of the economy and "eats the seed corn." When there are fewer jobs and people really need to find work, employers can pay as little as they can legally get away with, and pit the employees against each other. Meanwhile tax cuts defund our government's ability to regulate what corporations and Wall Street do."
Paul Ryan is still a grifter: The GOP has become a tax-avoidance scam for the 1 percent
Paul Ryan is still a grifter: The GOP has become a tax-avoidance scam for the 1 percent
"The modern Republican Party has devolved into a tax avoidance scam for rich people. The scam is a masterpiece of psychological manipulation, in which the racial, cultural and economic anxieties of (mostly white) voters are exploited, in order to get those voters to support policies that transfer ever-greater percentages of wealth from themselves to the top 0.1 percent."
"The modern Republican Party has devolved into a tax avoidance scam for rich people. The scam is a masterpiece of psychological manipulation, in which the racial, cultural and economic anxieties of (mostly white) voters are exploited, in order to get those voters to support policies that transfer ever-greater percentages of wealth from themselves to the top 0.1 percent."
Ted Cruz’s Tax Plan For ‘Hard-Working Americans’ Is Really A Gift To The Wealthy
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/03/28/3763943/cruz-tax-plan-ad/
"Yet the details of Cruz’s plan would significantly skew the playing field in favor of the wealthy and corporate interests."
"Yet the details of Cruz’s plan would significantly skew the playing field in favor of the wealthy and corporate interests."
Rove Suggests Disregarding Millions Of Republican Voters, Nominating A ‘Fresh Face’ For President
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/04/01/3765610/rove-fresh-face-republican-nominee/
"Republicans have a big problem. The party’s two leading candidates for the GOP presidential nomination are both viewed unfavorably by a majority of the voting population and are only getting more unpopular."
"Republicans have a big problem. The party’s two leading candidates for the GOP presidential nomination are both viewed unfavorably by a majority of the voting population and are only getting more unpopular."
Coca-Cola Dumps Trump And Declines To Sponsor The Republican Convention
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/03/30/coca-cola-declines-sponsor-republican-national-convention-hate.html
"Hateful rhetoric has its costs, and one of them is that no matter how much money companies will pour into dark money outlets like SuperPACs, they don’t want to be publicly associated with the kind of hate speech and violence Donald Trump ignites."
"Hateful rhetoric has its costs, and one of them is that no matter how much money companies will pour into dark money outlets like SuperPACs, they don’t want to be publicly associated with the kind of hate speech and violence Donald Trump ignites."
Watch: Elizabeth Warren DESTROYS The Myth That Trump Is A Good Businessman
http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/03/31/watch-elizabeth-warren-destroys-myth-trump-good-businessman/
"The truth is, he inherited a fortune from his father, he kept it going by cheating and defrauding people, and then he takes his creditors through Chapter 11. He started out rich and cheated his way to getting richer” she said, then going on to insinuate that Trump has broken the law but just hasn’t “been caught.” Trump has been selling the American people the fiction that he is a “dealmaker” that can “fix” the economy, which is actually doing just fine. MarketWatch estimates that Trump has left some $13 billion on the table in his business dealings, underperfoming throughout his 40 years of “dealmaking.” He’s filed for bankruptcy four times and grossly overestimates his personal wealth at every turn. His tax plan would skyrocket our national debt to $34 trillion dollars. There’s nothing encouraging about any of that, and when taken in combination with his racism, narcissism, and ignorance, it’s clear he is the most unqualified man to run for President in the history of our nation."
"The truth is, he inherited a fortune from his father, he kept it going by cheating and defrauding people, and then he takes his creditors through Chapter 11. He started out rich and cheated his way to getting richer” she said, then going on to insinuate that Trump has broken the law but just hasn’t “been caught.” Trump has been selling the American people the fiction that he is a “dealmaker” that can “fix” the economy, which is actually doing just fine. MarketWatch estimates that Trump has left some $13 billion on the table in his business dealings, underperfoming throughout his 40 years of “dealmaking.” He’s filed for bankruptcy four times and grossly overestimates his personal wealth at every turn. His tax plan would skyrocket our national debt to $34 trillion dollars. There’s nothing encouraging about any of that, and when taken in combination with his racism, narcissism, and ignorance, it’s clear he is the most unqualified man to run for President in the history of our nation."
Fact Checkers Prove That 91% of the Things Donald Trump Says Are False
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/03/31/ninety-one-percent-donald-trump-false.html
"Think of the aging wealthy man who believes the young girl is with him because he’s so hot. That’s the base level deception and emotional motivation driving the Republican party voters – they want someone who makes them feel good about themselves, who holds up a mirror that makes them hot, right and rich. They love the lie because ideologies comfort the voter. Everyone wants to feel like they are right, righteous, and morally superior. The problem comes when people can’t accept reality because reality says they were not right. And instead of admitting that and adjusting course, they demand that everyone get blamed equally while still claiming they never made a mistake. (And the “fourth estate” not only allows this but plays dumb regarding basic facts in order to make this work.) This level of petulant avoidance of reality is what got the Republican party to the point where their base loves the biggest liar the best. They don’t care that Donald Trump lies; they love him because his lies soothe them. His lies appease them. His lies make them feel justified and righteous. His lies make them feel good about who they are. The voters are the children who do not want to be grown ups and the grown ups in the party have indulged them and fed them candy to keep from having to parent, and now they are stuck with a monster of a child."
"Think of the aging wealthy man who believes the young girl is with him because he’s so hot. That’s the base level deception and emotional motivation driving the Republican party voters – they want someone who makes them feel good about themselves, who holds up a mirror that makes them hot, right and rich. They love the lie because ideologies comfort the voter. Everyone wants to feel like they are right, righteous, and morally superior. The problem comes when people can’t accept reality because reality says they were not right. And instead of admitting that and adjusting course, they demand that everyone get blamed equally while still claiming they never made a mistake. (And the “fourth estate” not only allows this but plays dumb regarding basic facts in order to make this work.) This level of petulant avoidance of reality is what got the Republican party to the point where their base loves the biggest liar the best. They don’t care that Donald Trump lies; they love him because his lies soothe them. His lies appease them. His lies make them feel justified and righteous. His lies make them feel good about who they are. The voters are the children who do not want to be grown ups and the grown ups in the party have indulged them and fed them candy to keep from having to parent, and now they are stuck with a monster of a child."
April 6, 2016
NBC Publishes 23 Conflicting Positions By Donald Trump
NBC Publishes 23 Conflicting Positions By Donald Trump
"What cable news will never acknowledge, however, is that the definition of Republican has morphed in the past thirty years into "someone who denies facts in favor of whatever Fox and Rush Limbaugh tell them to believe." You really think a group that is convinced Barack Obama is a Kenyan Muslim Usurper who wants to Destroy America" (tm) is going to care that their Great White Hope Trump has, as he calls it "flexibility" when it comes to issues? You really think people who are fed a media diet of sixteen lies an hour care if Trump is telling the truth?"
"What cable news will never acknowledge, however, is that the definition of Republican has morphed in the past thirty years into "someone who denies facts in favor of whatever Fox and Rush Limbaugh tell them to believe." You really think a group that is convinced Barack Obama is a Kenyan Muslim Usurper who wants to Destroy America" (tm) is going to care that their Great White Hope Trump has, as he calls it "flexibility" when it comes to issues? You really think people who are fed a media diet of sixteen lies an hour care if Trump is telling the truth?"
Leaked Emails Reveal How White Supremacy Groups Are Plotting To Help Trump
http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/04/05/leaked-emails-reveal-white-supremacy-groups-plotting-help-trump/
"the white nationalist American Freedom Party (AFP) have decided to “tone down” the rhetoric in order to get Trump elected"
"the white nationalist American Freedom Party (AFP) have decided to “tone down” the rhetoric in order to get Trump elected"
White nationalists robocall “every Wisconsin landline” with promises Donald Trump “will respect all women”
White nationalists robocall “every Wisconsin landline” with promises Donald Trump “will respect all women”
"It apparently only cost 6,000 bucks to reach every landline left in Wisconsin and that is exactly how much one of Donald Trump’s top white nationalist supporters paid to encourage Wisconsinites to support his guy in Tuesday’s Republican primary."
"It apparently only cost 6,000 bucks to reach every landline left in Wisconsin and that is exactly how much one of Donald Trump’s top white nationalist supporters paid to encourage Wisconsinites to support his guy in Tuesday’s Republican primary."
GOP Hate Exacts a Toll @alternet
GOP Hate Exacts a Toll @alternet:
"They condemn marriage equality. They throw a hissy fit about what bathroom transgender people use. They try every dirty trick in the book to prevent black people from voting. They blame undocumented immigrants for crime and unemployment. They actually suggest armed patrols of American Muslim communities. And then something unexpected happened. Corporations started getting squeamish about all that hate. Big, burly, traditionally GOP-donating corporations! Corporations warned some governors that they’d withdraw investment if the states didn’t reverse gay-bashing legislation. And now corporations are telling Republicans they’re not so sure they’ll pony up for the 2016 GOP convention because they don’t want to be associated with the Republican candidates’ hate mongering. Hate may have brought the GOP a load of publicity but it lost the party a bushel of bucks."
"They condemn marriage equality. They throw a hissy fit about what bathroom transgender people use. They try every dirty trick in the book to prevent black people from voting. They blame undocumented immigrants for crime and unemployment. They actually suggest armed patrols of American Muslim communities. And then something unexpected happened. Corporations started getting squeamish about all that hate. Big, burly, traditionally GOP-donating corporations! Corporations warned some governors that they’d withdraw investment if the states didn’t reverse gay-bashing legislation. And now corporations are telling Republicans they’re not so sure they’ll pony up for the 2016 GOP convention because they don’t want to be associated with the Republican candidates’ hate mongering. Hate may have brought the GOP a load of publicity but it lost the party a bushel of bucks."
How Donald Trump is destroying the entire Republican Party
How Donald Trump is destroying the entire Republican Party
"The latest national poll showed that 73% of female voters dislike him, up from 57% in October . This is remarkable, because it would be difficult to imagine nearly three quarters of women, or men for that matter, agreeing on anything that didn’t involve violence or a virus. But the hatred is well-deserved. Throughout Trump’s entire campaign, he has made it clear that misogyny is his go-to position on women."
"The latest national poll showed that 73% of female voters dislike him, up from 57% in October . This is remarkable, because it would be difficult to imagine nearly three quarters of women, or men for that matter, agreeing on anything that didn’t involve violence or a virus. But the hatred is well-deserved. Throughout Trump’s entire campaign, he has made it clear that misogyny is his go-to position on women."
73 percent of women voters have an 'unfavorable' view of Donald Trump
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/25/1506168/-73-percent-of-women-voters-have-an-unfavorable-view-of-Donald-Trump
"To repeat that, according to the most recent CNN poll 73 percent of American women have an "unfavorable" view of Donald Trump. That poll is matched by an NBC poll putting the number at 70 percent, and even that may be underestimating the antipathy America’s women hold toward the walking septic tank that is Donald Trump."
"To repeat that, according to the most recent CNN poll 73 percent of American women have an "unfavorable" view of Donald Trump. That poll is matched by an NBC poll putting the number at 70 percent, and even that may be underestimating the antipathy America’s women hold toward the walking septic tank that is Donald Trump."
Donald Trump Really Doesn’t Like the First Amendment
http://inthesetimes.com/article/19002/donald-trump-v.-first-amendment
"Donald Trump is a man who has no respect for—or even much knowledge of—the document that founded the country he wants to lead. His policies and actions have indicated that the First Amendment will be no impediment to his hateful reign."
"Donald Trump is a man who has no respect for—or even much knowledge of—the document that founded the country he wants to lead. His policies and actions have indicated that the First Amendment will be no impediment to his hateful reign."
Donald Trump Is Dangerous to Women @alternet
Donald Trump Is Dangerous to Women @alternet:
"What’s more important is the fact that Trump either believes or plays to the most misogynist elements of this country, the consequences of which are very real. When asked about issues of importance—from women’s reproductive rights to whether he’s down with the KKK—he says yes and later sort of says no, a way of cynically and calculatedly playing both sides of the fence to be sure he doesn’t alienate those who see themselves in the mirror of his terribleness. (Case in point: His backpedalling on Wednesday's remarks.) He stokes anger and hatred toward women and then stands back and watches as his crowd—who were pretty hateful to being with—has their worst ideas of women confirmed and even applauded."
"What’s more important is the fact that Trump either believes or plays to the most misogynist elements of this country, the consequences of which are very real. When asked about issues of importance—from women’s reproductive rights to whether he’s down with the KKK—he says yes and later sort of says no, a way of cynically and calculatedly playing both sides of the fence to be sure he doesn’t alienate those who see themselves in the mirror of his terribleness. (Case in point: His backpedalling on Wednesday's remarks.) He stokes anger and hatred toward women and then stands back and watches as his crowd—who were pretty hateful to being with—has their worst ideas of women confirmed and even applauded."
Exclusive: Interview With Progressive Superstar Running For Congress, Zephyr Teachout
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/03/24/exclusive-interview-with-progressive-superstar-running-for-congress-zephyr-teachout/
"In January 2016, Ms. Teachout, currently as Associate Law Professor at Fordham University, announced she is running for New York’s 19 th Congressional District seat."
"In January 2016, Ms. Teachout, currently as Associate Law Professor at Fordham University, announced she is running for New York’s 19 th Congressional District seat."
Trump's favorability with American voters sinks to a new low
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/29/1507734/-Trump-s-favorability-with-American-voters-sinks-to-a-new-low
"Not bad—32 points underwater. We're actually betting he can do even worse if he makes it to the general election. But it does pose a challenge for Trump as he heads into contests in the next 17 states: The lower his numbers sink, the less likely he is to secure the 1,237 delegates necessary to avoid a contested convention."
"Not bad—32 points underwater. We're actually betting he can do even worse if he makes it to the general election. But it does pose a challenge for Trump as he heads into contests in the next 17 states: The lower his numbers sink, the less likely he is to secure the 1,237 delegates necessary to avoid a contested convention."
Trump Promises To Punish Women After He Outlaws Abortions (Updated)
Trump Promises To Punish Women After He Outlaws Abortions (Updated)
"Not only does he have no idea how the world works, how to run a company without massive start up capital from his father, answer a question directly, run an honest campaign or fix his mismatched concealer/foundation oompa-loompa situation, but now he wants to somehow take over running my uterus in addition to every other woman in the United States?"
"Not only does he have no idea how the world works, how to run a company without massive start up capital from his father, answer a question directly, run an honest campaign or fix his mismatched concealer/foundation oompa-loompa situation, but now he wants to somehow take over running my uterus in addition to every other woman in the United States?"
In Trump’s World, Women Have Always Been Objects
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/to-donald-trump-women-have-always-been-objects-hello-misogyny-2016_us_56f3f66ae4b02c402f66908a
"As far as Trump is concerned, women are objects — the shinier the better. He has said that it doesn’t matter what the media says about you “as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” He has spoken explicitly about how beautiful his daughter is and how she has “the best body,” even going so far as to suggest that if she wasn’t related to him, he would date her. He has implied that female journalists’ success hinges on their attractiveness, and called a member of The Washington Post’s editorial board “beautiful” just this week. And as much joy as Trump seems to take in linking women’s success and worth to their good looks, he has been equally, if not more, gleeful in his “take down” of women whose looks he doesn’t consider worthy of his approval."
"As far as Trump is concerned, women are objects — the shinier the better. He has said that it doesn’t matter what the media says about you “as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” He has spoken explicitly about how beautiful his daughter is and how she has “the best body,” even going so far as to suggest that if she wasn’t related to him, he would date her. He has implied that female journalists’ success hinges on their attractiveness, and called a member of The Washington Post’s editorial board “beautiful” just this week. And as much joy as Trump seems to take in linking women’s success and worth to their good looks, he has been equally, if not more, gleeful in his “take down” of women whose looks he doesn’t consider worthy of his approval."
5 Vilest Right-Wing Moments This Week: Trump and Cruz Blow Our Minds @alternet
5 Vilest Right-Wing Moments This Week: Trump and Cruz Blow Our Minds @alternet:
"The short version: Every woman Donald Trump has ever met or heard about he seems to have insulted or belittled or treated purely as a sexual object."
"The short version: Every woman Donald Trump has ever met or heard about he seems to have insulted or belittled or treated purely as a sexual object."
Global Forecasting Service Rates Trump As High Threat To World Security And Economic Stability
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/03/24/global-forecasting-service-rates-trump-as-high-threat-to-world-security-and-economic-stability/
"But this year, conservatives look determined to use Trump as their own personal battering ram to destroy the federal government even if it means bringing about perpetual war and the disintegration of the world economy in the process. And that’s why the Global Forecasting Service has officially rated Trump a high impact threat even though they believe it is unlikely he will beat his eventual Democratic opponent. But just in case he does win, the GFS analysed what is at risk if he should somehow ascend to the presidency."
"But this year, conservatives look determined to use Trump as their own personal battering ram to destroy the federal government even if it means bringing about perpetual war and the disintegration of the world economy in the process. And that’s why the Global Forecasting Service has officially rated Trump a high impact threat even though they believe it is unlikely he will beat his eventual Democratic opponent. But just in case he does win, the GFS analysed what is at risk if he should somehow ascend to the presidency."
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