CEOs Try to Shred the Safety Net While Pigging Out on Corporate Welfare

CEOs Try to Shred the Safety Net While Pigging Out on Corporate Welfare
"A gang of brazen CEOs has joined forces to promote economically disastrous and socially irresponsible austerity policies. Many of those same CEOs were bailed out by the American taxpayer after a Wall Street-driven financial crash. Instead of a thank-you, they are showing their appreciation in the form of a coordinated effort to rob Americans of hard-earned retirements, decent medical care and relief for the poorest."

Study: Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than Projected, Planet Keeps Warming As Expected

Study: Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than Projected, Planet Keeps Warming As Expected: A new study, “Comparing climate projections to observations up to 2011,” confirms that climate change is happening as fast — and in some cases faster — than climate models had projected. The news release explains: The rate of sea-level rise in the past decades is greater than projected by the latest assessments of the IPCC, [...]/p

Greetings from Crazyland! 10 Instances of Fox Nation's Departure from Reality | Alternet

Greetings from Crazyland! 10 Instances of Fox Nation's Departure from Reality | Alternet
"Fox Nation is a website integral to the Fox news family. And their abuse of reality and truth is truly breathtaking."

Corrections Corporation of America Used in Drug Sweeps of Public School Students

Corrections Corporation of America Used in Drug Sweeps of Public School Students
"An unsettling trend appears to be underway in Arizona: the use of private prison employees in law enforcement operations."

Watch: Bill O'Reilly-Loving Climate-Denier Breaks Down After Watching Documentary 'Chasing Ice,' Vows to Stop Climate Change | Alternet

Watch: Bill O'Reilly-Loving Climate-Denier Breaks Down After Watching Documentary 'Chasing Ice,' Vows to Stop Climate Change | Alternet
"Every now and then something comes along that can turn even the staunchest climate change denier into someone who finally sees the truth. Today that something is Chasing Ice , a moving documentary about a photographer trying to record the images of a fast-changing planet before it’s too late."

Right-Wingers File Suit to Delist Endangered Orcas

Right-Wingers File Suit to Delist Endangered Orcas
"When the resident orcas in the Puget Sound were listed as an endangered species back in 2005, it seemed inevitable that business interests -- who hate being restricted in their ability to ruin the environment at whim, including destroying the salmon runs on which the orcas' survival depends -- would try to overturn the ruling. And sure enough, within the year, the Building Industry Association of Washington filed a suit to try to delist them. It was thrown out in a matter of months.

Now comes yet another attempt, courtesy of a right-wing legal foundation filing another delisting attempt "

The Top 4 Whoppers Norquist Tells To Keep Republicans From Defecting

The Top 4 Whoppers Norquist Tells To Keep Republicans From Defecting: The anti-tax zealot uses his ubiquitous presence on cable TV, radio, and in print to publicly pressure Republicans from compromising on a balanced measure that includes increased revenue and spending cuts, using various scare tactics to keep the GOP in line. But his claims — which he dutifully reiterates in every media appearance — are often divorced from reality.

For Scott Walker, Walls Are Closing In

For Scott Walker, Walls Are Closing In
"According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the last player in the Walkergate case is his right-hand man, Tim Russell, who just reached a plea deal with prosecutors over his alleged embezzlement of funds from a veterans group."

GOP on post- election course correction

Rachel Maddow reports on what Republican leaders are saying they learned from the GOP's major 2012 losses, and what Republican lawmakers are actually doing that completely contradicts the rhetoric from the beltway.

Without Labor Protections, Domestic Workers Earn Low Wages And Receive No Benefits

Without Labor Protections, Domestic Workers Earn Low Wages And Receive No Benefits: America’s domestic home help workers, most of them female minorities, earn low wages and often receive no retirement or health benefits because they lack basic labor protections, according to a first-of-its-kind survey of more than 2,000 domestic workers in 14 American cities. The report from the National Domestic Workers Alliance and affiliated groups found that [...]/p

Lone Republican Still Gunning for Romney Victory | Alternet

Lone Republican Still Gunning for Romney Victory | Alternet
"One Idaho state lawmaker is still in denial over election results and would like to see states challenge the legitimacy of Obama’s reelection."

The Millennial Generation: Our Liberal Future

The Millennial Generation: Our Liberal Future
"How doomed are conservatives? Pretty doomed, if you look carefully at the Pew Research Survey’s close analysis of the youth vote in the 2012 elections. The Republicans’ long-term dilemma has generally been framed in racial terms, but it’s mainly a generational one. The youngest generation of voters contains a much smaller proportion of white voters than previous generations, and those whites in that generation vote Republican by a much smaller margin than their elders. What’s more, younger voters supported President Obama during the last two election cycles for reasons that seem to go beyond the usual reasons — social issues like gay marriage and feminism, immigration policy, or Obama’s personal appeal — and suggest a deeper attachment to liberalism. The proclivities of younger voters may actually portend a full-scale sea change in American politics."

Hey Donald Trump: You're Fired

If you’re wondering why half a million people have signed the petition urging Macy’s to stop spending the holidays with Donald Trump, this clip clears it up.

The Lucy Burns Institute (Publishers of Ballotpedia, Judgepedia and WikiFOIA) and Her Right-Wing Bedfellows

The Lucy Burns Institute (Publishers of Ballotpedia, Judgepedia and WikiFOIA) and Her Right-Wing Bedfellows
"As a consequence, when reporters and other users of LBI's resources cite the organization's work, they may not be aware of its close ties to right-wing funders and organizations including foundations and organizations associated with the Koch brothers. Below we use foundation annual reports, IRS 990 filings, archived materials, and other resources to detail these connections."

Grover Norquist, Enemy of the State? | Alternet

Grover Norquist, Enemy of the State? | Alternet
"Is it possible that Grover Norquist, the multi-millionaire K-Street lobbyist long funded by billionaires, is an enemy of the state? Pretty strong language, but consider that he has connived over the years to get hundreds of members of Congress to violate their own oath of office by pledging a higher oath to keep billionaires' taxes low than their pledge to the Constitution itself."

When Right-Wing Blather Killed | Alternet

When Right-Wing Blather Killed | Alternet
"Irish Catholics peddling nonsense about "dependency on government" need to read a new history of the Great Famine."

Why Even a Deal on the Budget is Bad for the American Economy | Alternet

Why Even a Deal on the Budget is Bad for the American Economy | Alternet
"Looking at the latest US data, business sentiment and capital spending have been eroding, and given the lagged impact of capital expenditure, that trend looks set to continue for the next few months. Against that, a number of consumer sentiment indicators remain upbeat and housing looks like it is in a firmly established uptrend, after a 5 year bear market.  In fact, the existing home inventory to sales ratio is as low as it ever gets, and that is with still very depressed sales. If sales pick up further, given low inventories and with new housing starts still below the replacement rate, home prices could lurch forward.

That said, the markets have been fairly upbeat given the rising perception of a deal to avert the US falling off the ‘fiscal cliff’."

Ousted Florida Republicans, including ex-Gov. Crist, say voter suppression was state GOP's goal

Ousted Florida Republicans, including ex-Gov. Crist, say voter suppression was state GOP's goal
"The former chairman of the Florida Republican Party and former Gov. Charlie Crist, along with two of the party's consultants, say the Grand Old Party curtailed early voting in the state for the express purpose of reducing turnout by Democrats."

Marine Life Disaster Portended: Ocean Acidification Eats at Heart of Food Chain | Common Dreams

Marine Life Disaster Portended: Ocean Acidification Eats at Heart of Food Chain | Common Dreams
"Ocean acidification, caused by human-induced rising CO2 levels, is hitting the base of the marine food chain in the Antarctic and stands as an ominous sign for widespread impacts on marine life."

How Increasing Infrastructure Spending Provides A Major Boost To Our Economy

How Increasing Infrastructure Spending Provides A Major Boost To Our Economy: The United States has a massive infrastructure deficit, with independent analysts finding that the country could need as much as $2 trillion in immediate investments just to bring its infrastructure up to date. With the economy recovering slowly and our nation’s roads and bridges crumbling, a new paper from the San Francisco Federal Reserve found [...]/p

Why the current GOP can't win Latinos

Why the current GOP can't win Latinos
"Or put another way, nearly 67,000 Latinos turn 18 every month according to Pew, with 93 percent of them U.S. citizens and eligible to vote. Couple that with the over 100,000 elderly (and predominantly conservative) whites who die each month, and you're looking at over 3 million new potential Latino voters, and nearly 5 million fewer white voters. In just four years.

Or put yet another way: Texas will be a swing state by 2024."

Fox News Abruptly Ends Interview After Guest Calls Out The Network For Hyping Benghazi Scandal

Fox News Abruptly Ends Interview After Guest Calls Out The Network For Hyping Benghazi Scandal: Tom Ricks, author and Pulitzer prize winner who has reported for the Washington Post, lambasted Fox News’s coverage of the Benghazi attacks in an interview with the conservative network on Monday. Ricks, who has written extensively on the American military, called the Fox an “operating as a wing of Republican Party” that “hyped” the Benghazi [...]/p

Mitt Romney '47 percent watch': 47!

Mitt Romney '47 percent watch': 47!
"So what drama is left? Well, if Obama surpasses 51 percent, he'll be just the fourth president in the last 100 years to do so twice, and the last since Ronald Reagan. That shouldn't be a problem given what's left to be counted."

How to End a Fox News Interview Abruptly: Call Fox 'A Wing of the Republican Party' | Alternet

How to End a Fox News Interview Abruptly: Call Fox 'A Wing of the Republican Party' | Alternet
"Now here's one of the few good reasons to go on Fox News. Thomas Ricks, a member of the Center for a New American Security, author of several books on the military, and a Pulitzer Prize winner, went on Fox to talk about Benghazi. But his interview didn't last long."

5 Obscenely Rich People Who Should Stop Whining About Taxes (and Listen to Warren Buffett) | Alternet

5 Obscenely Rich People Who Should Stop Whining About Taxes (and Listen to Warren Buffett) | Alternet
" Buffett slams the notion that the wealthy would stop investing if taxes went up on them, writing that we should “forget about the rich and ultrarich going on strike and stuffing their ample funds under their mattresses if — gasp — capital gains rates and ordinary income rates are increased"."

Romney's 47 Percent Chickens Come Home to Roost

Romney's 47 Percent Chickens Come Home to Roost
"As the final 2012 vote tallies come in from all over the country, it's clear that Barack Obama didn't just squeak by, but will win by over three percentage points, leaving Mitt Romney with 47 percent of the popular vote."

Florida Republicans Admit Voter Suppression Was The Goal Of New Election Laws

Florida Republicans Admit Voter Suppression Was The Goal Of New Election Laws: Floridians endured election chaos and marathon voting lines this year, largely thanks to reduced early voting hours, voter purges, and voter registration restrictions pushed by Republican legislators. In an exclusive report by the Palm Beach Post, several prominent Florida Republicans are now admitting that these election law changes were geared toward suppressing minority and Democratic [...]/p

The $250,000 Question: Poll Shows Obama’s Tax Plan Is Widely Misunderstood | Common Dreams

The $250,000 Question: Poll Shows Obama’s Tax Plan Is Widely Misunderstood | Common Dreams
"Here’s the Obama plan in brief. The Bush tax cuts would be extended for households with an annual income under $250,000 (or $200,000 for individuals), but the tax cuts would expire on any income above $250,000. That means, for example, if you make $300,000, your tax rate would rise a few percentage points, to the Clinton-era rates, but only on the portion above $250,000; in this case, only on $50,000. Bottom line: no one—not a billionaire, not someone making $251,000—would have to pay more taxes on that first $250,000.

There’s a widespread misconception, however, and it’s causing a lot of unnecessary fear. It’s the faulty belief that if your income is above $250,000, you’d have to pay the higher rates on all your income, as if you were suddenly being moved entirely into a higher tax bracket. That is wrong."

Dear Senator Inhofe: Listen To Your Military, Climate Readiness And Hoaxiness Don’t Mix

Dear Senator Inhofe: Listen To Your Military, Climate Readiness And Hoaxiness Don’t Mix: by Anne Polansky Conservative Republican Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, known internationally for his denialist viewpoint on climate change, and nationally for being a defense hawk, may soon be faced with the problem that his stubborn stance on the former conflicts with his ability to credibly pull off the latter. When he returns for [...]/p

Conservative Groups Team Up To Fight Renewable Energy: ‘We’re Going To See A Knock-Out, Drag-Out Fight’

Conservative Groups Team Up To Fight Renewable Energy: ‘We’re Going To See A Knock-Out, Drag-Out Fight’: Six months after rolling out a disastrous billboard campaign that linked people who care about global warming to the Unabomber, the Heartland Institute is looking for another project to boost its profile. And what better way for the organization to mend its tarnished image than to go after a policy that Americans overwhelmingly support? The [...]/p

3 Right-Wing Lies About Rich People and Taxes -- Debunked | Alternet

3 Right-Wing Lies About Rich People and Taxes -- Debunked | Alternet
"In an effort to discredit President Obama's plan to increase taxes on the wealthy, conservative media outlets have pushed a number of myths to suggest that a large number of Americans will be negatively affected. In reality, only a small percentage of taxpayers would be affected by Obama's proposals."

Media Present GOP’s Romney-Like Proposal On Revenue Increases As ‘Big Concession’

Media Present GOP’s Romney-Like Proposal On Revenue Increases As ‘Big Concession’: Since voters rejected Mitt Romney’s $5 trillion tax plan and President Obama won re-election earlier this month, Republicans have expressed interest in raising revenue to avert the coming fiscal cliff. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) immediately signaled that they are open to raising revenue and prominent Senators Lindsey Graham [...]/p

Stand Still For the Apocalypse | Common Dreams

Stand Still For the Apocalypse | Common Dreams
"Humans must immediately implement a series of radical measures to halt carbon emissions or prepare for the collapse of entire ecosystems and the displacement, suffering and death of hundreds of millions of the globe’s inhabitants, according to a report commissioned by the World Bank. The continued failure to respond aggressively to climate change, the report warns, will mean that the planet will inevitably warm by at least 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, ushering in an apocalypse."

Bangladesh Factory Fire Kills At Least 112 in Wal-Mart Sweatshop

Bangladesh Factory Fire Kills At Least 112 in Wal-Mart Sweatshop
"At least 112 employees of a Bangledesh garment factory perished in a blaze late Saturday after becoming trapped inside the building with no fire exits. The factory produced clothing for Wal-Mart, and other U.S. retailers. Were your Black Friday deals worth it?"

Marijuana Decriminalization Drops Youth Crime Rates by Stunning 20% in One Year | Alternet

Marijuana Decriminalization Drops Youth Crime Rates by Stunning 20% in One Year | Alternet
"Marijuana — it’s one of the primary reasons why California experienced a stunning 20 percent drop in juvenile arrests in just one year, between 2010 and 2011, according to provocative new research"

Walmart is downplaying it, but Black Friday protests were historic

Walmart is downplaying it, but Black Friday protests were historic
"Context matters. Walmart wants us to think of the context of its vast numbers of employees who didn't strike. That's a real context. But so is the fact that history was made in Octoberwhen Walmart workers staged a rolling series of one-day strikes, the first such strikes in Walmart's 50-year history. The Black Friday actions made history again, and they made it bigger. The question is whether this is the peak of worker activism at Walmart, or just the beginning."

PERRspectives: Why McCain Wants GOP to Leave Abortion Alone

PERRspectives: Why McCain Wants GOP to Leave Abortion Alone
"As it turned out, McCain's Republican Party had other ideas. In 2008 and again in 2012, the Republican National Convention ignored its nominee and adopted a platform endorsing a "human life amendment" which would prohibit all abortions in all cases.

It's no wonder John McCain doesn't want to talk about it."

McCain Backs Off His Criticism of Susan Rice

McCain Backs Off His Criticism of Susan Rice
"After formerly comparing the drummed up "Benghazi-gate" to Watergate, and demanding that Ambassador Susan Rice go on television and apologize for her remarks, it seems John McCain is finally getting tired of making a fool of himself and is backing off of his criticism of Rice a bit."

Drones Will Be The New Normal in The U.S. If We Let Them

Drones Will Be The New Normal in The U.S. If We Let Them
"Here's how it happens: The defense contractors see dollar signs, buy themselves a bouquet of Congress critters, and then suddenly we have an "urgent" civilian need for military equipment. It will keep us "safe". Sure, there'll be a few major collisions and "accidents," but it will become generally accepted as the New Normal. And once that's firmly ensconced in the public mind as necessary, we'll then develop an urgent need for armed drones.

Maybe voters need to rise up against this nonsense:"

CEO Council Demands Cuts To Poor, Elderly While Reaping Billions In Government Contracts, Tax Breaks | Common Dreams

CEO Council Demands Cuts To Poor, Elderly While Reaping Billions In Government Contracts, Tax Breaks | Common Dreams
"CEOs belonging to what the campaign calls its CEO Fiscal Leadership Council -- most visibly, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein and Honeywell's David Cote -- have barnstormed the media, making the case that the only way to cut the deficit is to severely scale back social safety-net programs -- Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security -- which would disproportionately impact the poor and the elderly."

John McCain is not very bright

John McCain is not very bright
"But men like McCain who are ruled by an overweening sense of personal privilege are not very bright. Though they sit on committees with the word "intelligence" in the name of the group, it doesn't seem to have rubbed off. In fact, all this macho posturing and bluster in front of the cameras may put the nation at risk. Loose lips sink ships."

Glenn Beck Has the Paranoid Conspiracy World Cowering with "Agenda 21" | Alternet

Glenn Beck Has the Paranoid Conspiracy World Cowering with "Agenda 21" | Alternet
"The point is, this latest scheme by the Corporate Elite to scare the hell out of all of us with Agenda 21 is just like every other scare tactic by the Corporate Elite – it's meant to distract us. It's a sleight-of-hand technique to keep us focused on bogeymen, while their ranks of Texas oilmen, outsourcing CEOs, and Wall Street banksters carry out the true destruction of the United States of America: the pillaging of the Middle Class at home and the construction of a WTO-style one-world corporate government to promote unfettered capitalism and free trade everywhere on the planet.

And in the process, useful quacks like Glenn Beck and Field Searcy can make a lot of money feeding the paranoid, Fox News-watching masses their latest conspiracy theories."

Only 3.6% Of 1% Are Entrepreneurs, And Other Useful Info

Only 3.6% Of 1% Are Entrepreneurs, And Other Useful Info
"According to both Marketwatch and economist Edward Wolff, over 90 percent of the assets owned by millionaires are held in a combination of low-risk investments (bonds and cash), personal business accounts, the stock market, and real estate. Only 3.6 percent of taxpayers in the top .1% were classified as entrepreneurs based on 2004 tax returns. A 2009 Kauffman Foundation study found that the great majority of entrepreneurs come from middle-class backgrounds, with less than 1 percent of all entrepreneurs coming from very rich or very poor backgrounds."

After the $6 Billion Election, Calls for Subpoenas and Amendments

After the $6 Billion Election, Calls for Subpoenas and Amendments
"Now that the most expensive election in history is over, an increasing number of Americans are demanding action to reduce the influence of money and corporations in our political system -- and reformers are offering solutions."

While Germany Is Headed for 80% Renewable Energy, We're Getting Left in the Dust | Alternet

While Germany Is Headed for 80% Renewable Energy, We're Getting Left in the Dust | Alternet
"When you think of places with great potential for solar energy, what comes to mind? Maybe the American Southwest, perhaps the Middle East. What probably doesn’t come to mind is Germany — and yet Germany is leading a global revolution in renewable energy, with solar playing a key part.

In the U.S., we now get 6 percent of our energy from renewables, which is exactly where Germany was in 2000. And then it passed the Renewable Energy Act and jumpstarted a movement known as Energiewende. Twelve years later, Germany gets over 25 percent of its energy from renewables and it is surpassing all of its benchmarks to be 80 percent renewable-powered by 2050."

David Brooks Still Peddling Lie That Bush Administration Invaded Iraq on Faulty Intelligence

David Brooks Still Peddling Lie That Bush Administration Invaded Iraq on Faulty Intelligence
"After watching this week's The PBS Newshour, it was really hard to decide which portion of this segment with David Brooks and his supposed "liberal" counterpart, Mark Shields, upset me the most. I think it would have to be the way Brooks almost nonchalantly brushed off the fact that the Bush administration did lie about the WMDs in Iraq and that it was not a failure by the intelligence agencies, but the Bush administration misrepresenting that intelligence."

With Biggest Strike Against Biggest Employer, Walmart Workers Make History Again | Common Dreams

With Biggest Strike Against Biggest Employer, Walmart Workers Make History Again | Common Dreams
"For about twenty-four hours, Walmart workers, union members and a slew of other activists pulled off the largest-ever US strike against the largest employer in the world."

Voting Rights Act To Go Before Supreme Court | Common Dreams

Voting Rights Act To Go Before Supreme Court | Common Dreams
"The Supreme Court announced Friday that it would decide whether an historic portion of the Voting Rights Act protecting against racial discrimination is constitutional."

Taming the Walmart Bully | Common Dreams

Taming the Walmart Bully | Common Dreams
"Walmart is notorious for forcing small retailers out of business, pushing suppliers to bankruptcy, depressing labor conditions and paying employees the barest minimum wage. And Walmart is a committed union buster – when workers in the USA and Canada tried to organize, Walmart closed entire stores to avoid setting a precedent. Now . . . finally . . . there's some blowback across the country, inspired by the workers at Walmart warehouses in southern California."

6 Reasons to Be Thankful About the Economy Today - The Atlantic

6 Reasons to Be Thankful About the Economy Today - The Atlantic
"U.S. housing is on the mend. It took four years, but the long swoon in housing has come to an end. Every housing market metric - new sales, new permits, existing home sales, housing starts and prices - has shown steady and consistent improvement over the past few months."

Walmart Retaliates Against Black Friday Activists | Alternet

Walmart Retaliates Against Black Friday Activists | Alternet
"With its own workers standing up against poverty wages and exploitation, Walmart is siccing the cops on past and present employees, allegedly on false pretenses."

6 Reasons the Fiscal Cliff is a Scam | Alternet

6 Reasons the Fiscal Cliff is a Scam | Alternet
"Stripped to essentials, the fiscal cliff is a device constructed to force a rollback of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as the price of avoiding tax increases and disruptive cuts in federal civilian programs and in the military.  It was policy-making by hostage-taking, timed for the lame duck session, a contrived crisis, the plain idea now unfolding was to force a stampede."

ThankProgress: 10 Things Progressives Can Be Thankful For

ThankProgress: 10 Things Progressives Can Be Thankful For: Following a long presidential campaign full of policy battles and disagreements, progressives have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Here are 10 things we can all celebrate: We are thankful for the millions of Americans serving our country at home and abroad. This includes 1.4 million Armed Services members, 80,000 AmeriCorps members, [...]/p

The GOP's Voter Suppression Strategy | The Nation

The GOP's Voter Suppression Strategy | The Nation
"After the 2010 election, in more than a dozen states Republicans passed voting restrictions aimed at reducing the turnout of Obama’s “coalition of the ascendant”—young voters, African-Americans and Hispanics. The strategy didn’t work as intended. Ten major restrictive voting laws were blocked in court over the past year, and turnout among young, black and Latino voters increased as a share of the electorate in 2012 compared with 2008. The youth vote rose from 18 to 19 percent, and the minority vote increased from 26 to 28 percent; both went heavily for Obama."

Soledad O'Brien Has GOP Rep Twisted in Knots Trying to Defend Hypocrisy on Benghazi

Soledad O'Brien Has GOP Rep Twisted in Knots Trying to Defend Hypocrisy on Benghazi
"These Republicans apparently haven't figured out yet that if they don't want their b.s. talking points challenged, they might not want to appear on Soledad O'Brien's morning show on CNN. Here she is with another one twisting himself in knots attempting to explain their latest witch hunt of Ambassador Susan Rice --CNN Host Exposes GOP’s Hypocrisy On Benghazi:"

Why Does The Working Class Have To Pick Up The Pieces Caused By Wall Street & Tea Party Deficit Hawks?

Why Does The Working Class Have To Pick Up The Pieces Caused By Wall Street & Tea Party Deficit Hawks?
"Are you sick and tired of listening to the Beltway villagers frame our economic plight as the end of the year looms? Whenever a Democratic politician comes out and says that we should let things play out until after January 1, and then start bargaining, they freak out. They have completely surrendered to the disaster-capital Republicans and are trying to help them force major cuts in the social safety net for all working class Americans, all in the name of a greedy Wall Street along with much-needed backup from the Tea Party Birchers."

The Truth About Raising The Social Security Retirement Age

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ezra Klein, filling in for MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell this Tuesday evening, ended this segment responding to Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein's assertion that the Social Security retirement age should be raised with a question that we all already know the answer to

Five Obamacare Provisions To Be Thankful For

Five Obamacare Provisions To Be Thankful For: After clearing significant hurdles over the past year — including repeated repeal votes in Congress, a Supreme Court challenge, and a presidential election — the future of President Obama’s landmark health reform law is finally secure. Now that it’s here to stay, Americans can expect to reap significant benefits as the Affordable Care Act continues [...]/p

A Thanksgiving Reminder That America Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Time Off For Vacations Or Holidays

A Thanksgiving Reminder That America Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Time Off For Vacations Or Holidays: Today, many workers at the nation’s largest retail stores, including Walmart and Target, will have to go to work instead of spending the entirety of the Thanksgiving holiday with their families. Many retailers have decided that Black Friday, the biggest retail day of the year, now needs to start on Thursday, despite workers complaints. Having [...]/p

Fox's Andrea Tantaros: Crippled Inside

Fox's Andrea Tantaros: Crippled Inside
"There will certainly be enough people pissed off at Andrea Tantaros for her astounding narcissism and lack of empathy toward her fellow human beings (although at Fox News, I'm sure such callousness puts you on the fast track). But I really and truly feel sorry for the woman. Imagine how her stunted emotions, her ability to compartmentalize other people's pain, must play out in every attempt at human intimacy. The woman is trulyto be pitied:"

Walmart and Black Friday protests | Common Dreams

Walmart and Black Friday protests | Common Dreams
"hey've finally had enough. After years of financial and emotional exploitation, Walmart workers, for the first time in the corporation's 50-year history, are striking on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. Workers will make history tomorrow by taking part in over 1,000 protests and civil disobedience actions across the country, from Richmond, California, to Miami, Florida."

How FOX News Is Destroying the GOP | Alternet

How FOX News Is Destroying the GOP | Alternet
"So yes, those are conspicuous handcuffs the GOP is wearing: Fox News has hijacked the party's communications apparatus and is pushing the type of paranoid,  blame-the-voter rhetoric that loses elections, and the type of rhetoric Romney's now being blamed for. But the GOP can't turn it off. In fact, most Republicans can't even work up enough courage to ask Fox News to turn down the volume.

Unwilling to acknowledge the GOP's future poses a long-term media problem (the topic is not to be discussed ), Republicans pretend they have a short-term Romney one."

Ingredients for a union-made Thanksgiving

Ingredients for a union-made Thanksgiving
"You can also use the UFCW's smartphone app to locate a nearby union grocery store. Drinking beer? There's a list for that, too."

Macy’s CEO to American People: Drop Dead | Alternet

Macy’s CEO to American People: Drop Dead | Alternet
"Macy’s is a powerful symbol of Thanksgiving, with its festive parade and freakishly large floats. But Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren is part of a group of greedy, unpatriotic CEOs who would like to seize this moment of American hardship and tear the rug out from under hard-working families. Moms, dads, grandparents, kids—he’d like to take a little something from each of you. Especially if you're poor: he’d really like to get into your purses.

Lundgren and a coalition of other big-time CEOs are lobbying Congress to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits so that they can enjoy tax breaks."

Can We Help the Would-Be Secessionists Pack?

Can We Help the Would-Be Secessionists Pack?
"The Tea Party folks -- to no one's great surprise -- are not taking their electoral defeat at the hands of a black man lying down. They're threatening to pack up their soccer ball and take it home."

Can We Help the Would-Be Secessionists Pack?

Can We Help the Would-Be Secessionists Pack?
"The Tea Party folks -- to no one's great surprise -- are not taking their electoral defeat at the hands of a black man lying down. They're threatening to pack up their soccer ball and take it home."

Putting Lipstick on a Pig: 4 Messes that Sink the GOP's Dreams of Regaining the Presidency | Alternet

Putting Lipstick on a Pig: 4 Messes that Sink the GOP's Dreams of Regaining the Presidency | Alternet
"In a nutshell, how does a party of insular, rigid true believers, thrusting warlike middle fingers towards modernity, talk itself into modernizing just because it lost one election? Aside from putting lipstick on a pig, where’s the miraculous (earthbound) agency that modernizes angry, resentful Tea Partiers whose outrage targeted the very diverse, younger, secular crowds now crowning the future?"

Walmart Tells Management to Threaten Workers Against Striking

Walmart Tells Management to Threaten Workers Against Striking
"And for all their pooh-poohing of the Walmart Black Friday strike, it does look like the suits are getting nervous about how this is playing to their key customer base:"

The Post-Election Myths Spun by Paul Ryan and Other GOP Liars

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

the vast disconnect between what actually happened during the 2012 presidential election and the “things people are saying about the election that are not true, but make people feel better to say them anyway.”

Research Points to Clear Benefits of MDMA for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Alternet

Research Points to Clear Benefits of MDMA for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Alternet
"Careful long-term studies are moving MDMA from being banned as a rave drug to being legal as prescription medicine.  New follow-up research shows its effectiveness, as an adjunct to psychotherapy, in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that have been resistant to other treatments."

McCain Backs Off Benghazi Conspiracies; Still Doesn't Like Susan Rice

McCain Backs Off Benghazi Conspiracies; Still Doesn't Like Susan Rice
"Despite being armed with information that exculpates Rice of his major criticism, McCain has not yet retracted his vow to block Rice's presumptive nomination to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Of course, it may be that the same man who thought Sarah Palin was imminently qualified to be one heartbeat away from the presidency still thinks that Harvard alum Rice is not 'qualified' to be Secretary of State."

Join the Rolling Jubilee: “You Are Not a Loan”

Join the Rolling Jubilee: “You Are Not a Loan”
"This is the idea behind the "Rolling Jubilee" being organized by "Strike Debt", an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Since November 15, 2012, they have raised over $350,000, enough to abolish over $7 million in debt."

Fox Pundit Jokes Food Stamps Could Be A Diet Plan

Fox Pundit Jokes Food Stamps Could Be A Diet Plan: Fox Business kicked off Thanksgiving eve with a joke about food stamps. Discussing Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker’s challenge to live on food stamps for one week, Fox pundit Andrea Tantaros said that living on a $133 monthly allowance for food would make her look “fabulous.” Meanwhile, a record number of Americans actually rely [...]/p

Walmart does damage control as Black Friday protests approach

Walmart does damage control as Black Friday protests approach
"If Walmart is so good to its workers, what's with all the gender discrimination lawsuits? Did the union put thousands of women up to falsely claiming discrimination? What about wage theft and safety violations all up and down Walmart's supply chain? Did the union get a wide range of government agencies to fine Walmart and the contractors it tightly oversees for stuff that never happened? For that matter, at Walmart's own stores? In recent years, Walmart has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle wage theft charges. Stand with Walmart workers this Black Friday."

Something's Very Wrong When Only the Rich get Richer | Alternet

Something's Very Wrong When Only the Rich get Richer | Alternet
"We’ve all heard plenty of chatter over recent years about the widening gap “between rich and poor.” But what about the gap between rich and middle? This divide seldom ever gets much media play, an inattention that makes no sense. The gap between America’s high-income and middle-income households, after all, has been growing almost as fast as the gap between rich and poor.

The latest evidence: a new income inequality study from two of Washington’s most respected research groups, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute."

New Report Ranks States in Efforts to Reduce Oil Addiction | Common Dreams

New Report Ranks States in Efforts to Reduce Oil Addiction | Common Dreams
"The report shows that the 10 states that do the most to implement policies that reduce fossil fuel usage are: #1 California, #2 Oregon, #3 Washington, #4 Massachusetts, #5 New York, #6 Connecticut, #7 Maine, #8 Maryland, #9 Rhode Island and #10 Vermont.

The 10 states that do the least to curb oil dependence are: #50 Nebraska, #49 Alaska, #48 Mississippi, #47 Idaho, #46 North Dakota, #45 Arkansas, #44 Indiana, #43 South Dakota, #42 Wyoming, #41 Kansas and #40 Utah -- typically Republican controlled states."

Austerity: A Violation of Human Rights? | Common Dreams

Austerity: A Violation of Human Rights? | Common Dreams
"ave you ever wished there was a set of standards by which budgets could be assessed that didn’t have to do with deficit hawks and stimulus sparrows pecking each other’s eyes out in the constricted ring of corporate opinion?"

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Smash Records Again: UN | Common Dreams

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Smash Records Again: UN | Common Dreams
"Greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere shattered all previous records in 2011,according to a new report by the UN World Meteorological Organization released Tuesday."

Wall Street, Coming to Your Town! (and Destroying It) | Alternet

Wall Street, Coming to Your Town! (and Destroying It) | Alternet
"Yet a closer look reveals that the future is already here. American austerity has largely taken the form of municipal budget crises precipitated by predatory Wall Street lending practices."

HHS releases draft rules on key elements of Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions

HHS releases draft rules on key elements of Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions
"This is the stuff health insurance reform was all about, the core regulations that will make health insurance affordable and accessible. They're also the parts of reform that will be most popular and important to the public. This is the stuff Republicans absolutely did not want to see implemented, and the stuff that will make "Obamacare" be as much an appreciated part of the nation's health care system as Medicare."

McCain Backs Away From Benghazi Conspiracies

McCain Backs Away From Benghazi Conspiracies: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) today issued a statement essentially conceding that he was wrong in accusing the White House of changing U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice’s talking points on Benghazi for political purposes. Former CIA Director David Petraeus told lawmakers last week that the CIA’s assessment that al Qaeda was responsible for the Sept. 11 attack [...]/p

Denny's CEO not happy about franchisee's Obamacare surcharge threats

Denny's CEO not happy about franchisee's Obamacare surcharge threats
"In short, if you have a hankering for Denny's but don't want to support Mr. Surcharge, find out if the Denny's you would be going to is owned by RREMC; if it's not in Florida, Georgia or Virginia, it's definitely not, and there are plenty of non-Metz Denny's in those states. Not that it's likely that any Denny's franchise is what you'd call a good, living-wage employer."

How Vulture Capitalists Killed the Twinkie | Alternet

How Vulture Capitalists Killed the Twinkie | Alternet
"The demise of Hostess is a story of management that boosted its own salaries, while failing to make agreed payments into workers’ pension funds."

5 Christian Right Delusions Busted by Romney and GOP Losses | Alternet

5 Christian Right Delusions Busted by Romney and GOP Losses | Alternet
"The Religious Right took a drubbing at the polls when voters rejected not only Mitt Romney but also some of the most extreme Republican candidates, even those in races that should have been easy Republican victories. Like other conservatives, many Religious Right activists  predicted a big victory for Romney and Republicans in the U.S. Senate based on five myths they hold about the electorate:"

Anonymous, Karl Rove and 2012 Election Fix?

Anonymous, Karl Rove and 2012 Election Fix?
"If this is true, then the implications are enormous and could take down the entire Republican Party and finally wake Americans up to the fact that our privatized vote system is shockingly flawed and insecure."

O’Reilly: Black Voters Don’t Believe In ‘Self Reliance’ Or ‘American Exceptionalism’

O’Reilly: Black Voters Don’t Believe In ‘Self Reliance’ Or ‘American Exceptionalism’: Since the night of the election, Bill O’Reilly has been looking for a scapegoat on whom he can blame Mitt Romney’s loss. He seems to have found one in African American, Latino, and female voters. Before all the votes were even cast on November 6, O’Reilly came out with the theory that “The white establishment [...]/p

Journalist Naomi Klein on Capitalism and Climate Change (VIDEO)

Journalist Naomi Klein on Capitalism and Climate Change
"But first, if you've been curious about why New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg endorsed Barack Obama for re-election, just take another look at the widespread havoc caused by the Frankenstorm benignly named Sandy. Having surveyed all this damage Bloomberg Business Week concluded: "It's Global Warming, Stupid: If Hurricane Sandy doesn't persuade Americans to get serious about climate change, nothing will"."

The War On Women Is a Class War | Alternet

The War On Women Is a Class War | Alternet
"Last week the voters delivered their verdict on what has come to be known as "the Republican War on Women": They're against it."

Barack Obama Defeats Ronald Reagan: Economic 'Neoliberalism' Rejected By Voters | Alternet

Barack Obama Defeats Ronald Reagan: Economic 'Neoliberalism' Rejected By Voters | Alternet
"The real story of election 2012 isn't the coalition that re-elected Obama: It's the rejection of Reagan-era 'free-market' policies by the majority of Americans"

Austerity: A Violation of Human Rights? | Common Dreams

Austerity: A Violation of Human Rights? | Common Dreams
"Have you ever wished there was a set of standards by which budgets could be assessed that didn’t have to do with deficit hawks and stimulus sparrows pecking each other’s eyes out in the constricted ring of corporate opinion?"

McCain no substitute for basic competence on foreign policy

Rachel Maddow reviews John McCain's record of bad advice and wrong facts on foreign policy and recommends the Republican Party, desperate for a foreign policy identity, look to someone else for leadership.