Rick Perry Appointee Tweets A Picture Of A Noose, Accuses Pro-Gun Regulation Senators Of ‘Treason’

Rick Perry Appointee Tweets A Picture Of A Noose, Accuses Pro-Gun Regulation Senators Of ‘Treason’: A Texas regulator, who has been appointed to several positions in the state government by Governor Rick Perry, recently tweeted a message accusing 16 Republicans who had voted for cloture on the Senate gun violence prevention bill of treason, and displaying their names next to a picture of a noose. Barry Smitherman currently serves as [...]/p

House Bill Would Give Employers 'Flexibility' to Take Away Workers' Overtime Pay

House Bill Would Give Employers 'Flexibility' to Take Away Workers' Overtime Pay
""Welcome, America, to the new Republican party." Which of course is exactly the same as the old Republican party before their ridiculous rebranding effort. This is the third time they've introduced legislation like this, only to have it fail time and again. Maybe they're hoping the third time's the charm."

What Actually Happened To That Same-Sex Couple In The Missouri Hospital

What Actually Happened To That Same-Sex Couple In The Missouri Hospital: There has been a lot of speculation as to what actually transpired when Roger Gorley was arrested away from his husband Allen’s bedside in a Missouri hospital earlier this week. Despite the fact Roger and Allen have granted each other power of attorney for medical decisions, the Research Medical Center claimed that Roger was “disruptive [...]/p

"Send 'Em To Jail That Day!” The Newest Frontier in the Drug War and the People Who Make Millions from It | Alternet

"Send 'Em To Jail That Day!” The Newest Frontier in the Drug War and the People Who Make Millions from It | Alternet
"The shady people and companies behind the push to expand drug testing."

North Carolina GOP Files Arizona-Style ‘Show Me Your Papers’ Bill

North Carolina GOP Files Arizona-Style ‘Show Me Your Papers’ Bill: Four North Carolina House Republicans filed a bill on Wednesday that notably introduces the “show me your papers” provision of Arizona’s anti-immigration law. Under the bill, H.B. 786, police can check the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest and detain them for “reasonable suspicion.” The bill also makes it easier for police to [...]/p

Administrators Intimidate Newark Students Protesting Education Cuts | Alternet

Administrators Intimidate Newark Students Protesting Education Cuts | Alternet
"On Tuesday, April 9, an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 students from at least a dozen public high schools in Newark, New Jersey, walked out of class to protest years of budget cuts, school closings and teacher layoffs by Governor Chris Christie. They marched to Rutgers Law School, where they demonstrated for hours in front of a State Assembly budget hearing on education.

The walkout was organized by the Newark Students Union (NSU) in response to a $56 million budget cut proposed by state-appointed Superintendent Cami Anderson. Rather than embrace student civic engagement, some schools reportedly responded with threats, intimidation and punishment to keep students from participating in constitutionally protected speech."

Organic Eden Foods’ Secretive Right-Wing Agenda | Alternet

Organic Eden Foods’ Secretive Right-Wing Agenda | Alternet
"The slogan for Eden Foods, which describes itself as the “oldest natural and organic food company in North America,” is “creation and maintenance of purity in food.” Its CEO and founder, Michael Potter, has been prominent in debates over labeling of organic food and GMOs. But the company has been quietly seeking in court another form of purity — to Catholic doctrine about sex being solely for procreation. That goes not just for Potter, but for all 128 of his employees."

Elizabeth Warren Tears Into Federal Regulators For Shielding Big Banks

Elizabeth Warren Tears Into Federal Regulators For Shielding Big Banks: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embarrassed government regulators during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Thursday morning as she demanded to know why they won’t reveal how frequently big banks illegally foreclosed on homeowners. In January, regulators abandoned a case-by-case review of foreclosure fraud conducted by some of the nation’s largest banks in favor of a [...]/p

Nike, Starbucks, Intel: “We Cannot Risk Our Kids’ Futures On The False Hope The Vast Majority Of Scientists Are Wrong”

Nike, Starbucks, Intel: “We Cannot Risk Our Kids’ Futures On The False Hope The Vast Majority Of Scientists Are Wrong”: The Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) coalition released a Declaration with the above headline. The full declaration by nearly 3 dozen brand-name companies is: What made America great was taking a stand. Doing the things that are hard. And seizing opportunities. The very foundation of our country is based on fighting for our [...]/p

Arctic Sea Ice: The Death Spiral Continues

Arctic Sea Ice: The Death Spiral Continues: The story of the decade is the collapse of Arctic sea ice and its impact on our extreme weather (see “CryoSat-2 Confirms Sea Ice Volume Has Collapsed“). That merits the latest monthly update of sea ice volume by creative tech guru Andy Lee Robinson showing that “death spiral” is the right visual metaphor: Many experts now [...]/p

The State of Nuclear Power in US: Bad and Worse | Common Dreams

The State of Nuclear Power in US: Bad and Worse | Common Dreams
"As operators at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant announce yet another radiation leak, US officials turn to the state of domestic nuclear plants only to find dangerous and widespread safety issues and "antiquated" emergency planning, leaving the US population open to "potentially devastating human consequences"."

Give The People What They Want! Taxes That Pay for Jobs, Education, Healthcare and Science | Alternet

Give The People What They Want! Taxes That Pay for Jobs, Education, Healthcare and Science | Alternet
"Despite near-constant news about how polarized our nation is, a careful look at opinion polls indicates that a strong majority of Americans actually have a coherent to-do list for Washington: we want more jobs, smaller deficits, more education funding, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, higher taxes on the wealthiest, plus -- the kicker -- Medicare and Social Security benefits preserved. You know, it’s the typical story of wanting to have our cake and gobble it down, too. Right?

Wrong. What’s virtually unacknowledged is that all these things could be done at once. Far from being an impossible set of demands, the collective opinion poll version of the wisdom of the American people is, in fact, a smart set of solutions -- or at least it would be, if we had a government capable of following our wishes."

Sen. Warren, Rep. Cummings Seek Docs To ID Mortgage Servicers

Sen. Warren, Rep. Cummings Seek Docs To ID Mortgage Servicers
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings sent a letter to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Comptroller Thomas Curry, challenging a decision by agency staff not to supply documents related to violations of federal and state law by mortgage servicing companies. This is why we wanted her, and by gum, it's good to have her!"

In Just Three Months, States Proposed An Astonishing 694 Provisions About Reproduction

In Just Three Months, States Proposed An Astonishing 694 Provisions About Reproduction: In the first quarter of 2013, states have proposed 694 provisions related to a woman’s body, how she gets pregnant, or how she chooses to end that pregnancy. A new report released on Thursday by the Guttmacher Institute takes a comprehensive look at how the War on Women has continued past the election cycle and [...]/p

Democrats Try To Force Republicans To Allow Vote On Pay Equity

Democrats Try To Force Republicans To Allow Vote On Pay Equity: Last summer, Republican senators filibustered the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have bolstered protections for women who are discriminated against in their paychecks and increased salary transparency to let women find out if they were being paid less than their male colleagues. The bill was filed again this year by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), with [...]/p

Building a Solar Economy: 4 Lessons from Hawaii

Building a Solar Economy: 4 Lessons from Hawaii
"The solar era has begun: the industry is booming, prices are dropping, and solar energy at last seems poised to help topple the climate-altering dominance of fossil fuels. But bringing it to the masses won’t be as simple as just soaking up the sun."

When It Comes to Tar Sands Pipelines, We're Not Risking a Disaster -- Disaster Is Certain | Alternet

When It Comes to Tar Sands Pipelines, We're Not Risking a Disaster -- Disaster Is Certain | Alternet
"It's now been almost two weeks since ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline spill put at least 500,000 gallons of tar sands crude and contaminated water into the Arkansas community of Mayflower. Many of the evacuated families still haven't been able to return to their homes."

The Southern State Fast Becoming Ayn Rand's Vision of Paradise | Alternet

The Southern State Fast Becoming Ayn Rand's Vision of Paradise | Alternet
"As you would expect, this translates into hard times for its public school systems, which rank 48th in school revenues per student and 45th in teacher salaries. The failure to invest in education also corresponds with poverty: the state has the 40th worst poverty rate (15%) and the 13th highest state percentage of poor children (26%). 

Employment opportunities also are extremely poor for the poor. Only 25% have full-time jobs, 45% are employed part-time, and a whopping 30% have no jobs at all. So what do you do with all those low-income folks who don't have decent jobs? You put a good number of them in jail. In fact, only Louisiana, Georgia and New Mexico have  higher jail incarceration rates."

22-Foot Gash in Pegasus Pipeline Puts Gaping Hole in Safety Claims | Common Dreams

22-Foot Gash in Pegasus Pipeline Puts Gaping Hole in Safety Claims | Common Dreams
"Dustin McDaniel, the Arkansas Attorney General announced on Wednesday evening that a "22 foot long and 2 inch wide" gash along the Pegasus pipeline allowed crude oil to flood the town of Mayflower with thousands of gallons of tar sands oil on March 29."

Rand Paul Struggles With Audience That Knows Better

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It's Not Your Imagination: Sunday Shows Do Need A Makeover

It's Not Your Imagination: Sunday Shows Do Need A Makeover
"Yes, it's true. With only a couple of exceptions, the Sunday shows are full of old conservative white men who outnumber progressive/liberal voices by a substantial margin. If one were to split the "neutral" classification down the middle on the graph at the top, it would still leave conservatives as the dominant voice on Sunday television."

5 Tax Breaks Corporations Get That You Don't | Alternet

5 Tax Breaks Corporations Get That You Don't | Alternet
"Corporations are quick to claim  “corporate personhood” and their First Amendment rights when it comes to their ability to donate to political candidates, influence elections, and lobby or when it comes to advertising their products, especially those deemed dangerous or socially destructive. But on tax day, corporations are quite content with a tax code full of perks and privileges for corporations that are not available to living, breathing human beings."

Where's the Cop on the Wall Street Beat? | Common Dreams

Where's the Cop on the Wall Street Beat? | Common Dreams
"Bankers gone wild! Let's tally some of their crimes"

Grassley Proposes Eliminating 3 Seats On Powerful Court To Keep Obama From Filling Them

Grassley Proposes Eliminating 3 Seats On Powerful Court To Keep Obama From Filling Them: As ThinkProgress has previously explained, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is the second most powerful court in the country. It’s also a bastion of right-wing jurisprudence thanks in no small part to Senate Republican filibusters. Two George W. Bush appointees on this court recently struck down clean air [...]/p

'There Are Now States Where It's Not Safe to Be a Woman' | Common Dreams

'There Are Now States Where It's Not Safe to Be a Woman' | Common Dreams
"Chalk another one up for the extremists. Three weeks after Arkansas’ legislature overrode a veto and prohibited most second trimester abortions, North Dakota’s Governor signed into law a ban that kicks in just six weeks after conception. As the Associated Press noted, both sides recognize the laws for what they are: “an unprecedented frontal assault” on the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade."

Five Ways Rand Paul Whitesplained Politics At Howard University

Five Ways Rand Paul Whitesplained Politics At Howard University: On Wednesday morning, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) gave an address at the historically-black Howard University designed to convince black voters to support Republicans. While some of his remarks, most notably on harsh drug laws and other civil liberties issues, were well-received, the majority of the speech consisted in Paul condescendingly explaining American racial history to [...]/p

Republican Congressman Says Appealing To ‘So-Called Hispanic Voters’ Is ‘Very Discouraging’

Republican Congressman Says Appealing To ‘So-Called Hispanic Voters’ Is ‘Very Discouraging’: Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) took issue with his party’s attempt to win over Latino voters after the drubbing it took in the 2012 election. “[It's] very discouraging,” Huelskamp told conservative radio host Steve Deace on Tuesday, that Republicans are trying “to win votes from the so-called ‘Hispanic voter.’” The conservative congressman argued that trying to [...]/p

Nearly 80 Percent Of Americans Hit By Extreme Weather Disaster Since 2007, Report Finds

Nearly 80 Percent Of Americans Hit By Extreme Weather Disaster Since 2007, Report Finds: The vast majority of Americans have experienced a weather-related disaster in the past six years, according to a report released today by the Environment America Research and Policy Center. The report, which is based on disaster declaration data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, found that 243 million Americans — nearly four out of five [...]/p

Arkansas Republicans Vote To Eliminate Sex Ed Program In Public High Schools

Arkansas Republicans Vote To Eliminate Sex Ed Program In Public High Schools: Abortion opponents in Arkansas are currently focused on targeting Planned Parenthood, apparently unconcerned about the fact that their crusade could actually have much broader consequences in areas unrelated to abortion care. On Tuesday, the state Senate voted to strip funding from the women’s health organization, advancing a measure that would effectively kill a comprehensive sex [...]/p

Private Sector Better, Cheaper? Not at All

Private Sector Better, Cheaper? Not at All
"It’s become popular among Republicans (and plenty of Democrats) to decry public workers as overpaid and inefficient. They love to contract out, claiming the private sector can deliver services more cheaply and cost-effectively.

But the reality is quite different."

I’m a Republican, Not an Idiot - Truthdig

I’m a Republican, Not an Idiot - Truthdig
"Parris tells The New York Times, when asked whether he thinks global warming is a threat. It’s not such a ridiculous question, when one considers the GOP’s long denial of climate change and its love affair with fossil fuels. This is no longer the party of Teddy Roosevelt, who loved the great outdoors and championed national parks, or Richard Nixon, another Californian and the president who created the Environmental Protection Agency."

Before Next Crash, Create Finance System That Serves Public, Part I: Shrink, Regulate Banks, and Enforce Law

Before Next Crash, Create Finance System That Serves Public, Part I: Shrink, Regulate Banks, and Enforce Law
"Big finance - the too-big-to-jail banks that dominate the economy and government - is designed for financiers and does not benefit most people. That is why many are in rebellion against the looting class of Wall Street."

The Real Monsanto Protection Act: How The GMO Giant Corrupts Regulators And Consolidates Its Power

The Real Monsanto Protection Act: How The GMO Giant Corrupts Regulators And Consolidates Its Power: Liberals and Tea Party members alike are up in arms over the so-called “Monsanto Protection Act,” a provision snuck into the emergency budget bill that essentially exempts biotech firms like Monsanto Company from judicial review. Now that President Obama has signed the law, Monsanto may plant genetically modified seeds even if a court of law [...]/p

Irrefutable Proof That Ted Cruz (R-TX) is Congress' Biggest Liar

Irrefutable Proof That Ted Cruz (R-TX) is Congress' Biggest Liar
"Guess you could say he's lying for Jesus."

GOP Official Apologizes To ‘Colored People’ For Using Racial Slur

GOP Official Apologizes To ‘Colored People’ For Using Racial Slur: Republican Saline County Commissioner Jim Gile used an offensive racial slur during an argument with a fellow commissioner, but he wants everyone to know that he isn’t a racist because he’s “built Habitat homes for colored people,” and also that he has a black friend: In a recording made by County Clerk Don Merriman of [...]/p

There's Only One Real Option for Averting Economic and Ecological Ruin -- So Why Aren't We Talking About It? | Alternet

There's Only One Real Option for Averting Economic and Ecological Ruin -- So Why Aren't We Talking About It? | Alternet
"The world will face limits to energy production in the decades ahead regardless of the energy pathway chosen by policy makers."

Leaked Tape: McConnell Considered Ashley Judd Personal Attack

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The Wall Street Ticking Time Bomb That Could Blow Up Your Bank Account | Alternet

The Wall Street Ticking Time Bomb That Could Blow Up Your Bank Account | Alternet
"The big risk behind all this is the massive $230 trillion derivatives boondoggle managed by US banks."

GOP vs 'Common Sense' On Guns

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Paul Ryan Stumped: Can’t Name A Single Area Of Compromise In His Budget

Paul Ryan Stumped: Can’t Name A Single Area Of Compromise In His Budget: The budget plan President Obama released this morning is squarely aimed at brokering a long-term fiscal compromise with House Republicans, who have demanded entitlement cuts and other spending reductions to reduce the nation’s deficit. Obama’s budget mirrors the compromise offer he made to House Speaker John Boehner (R) in fiscal cliff negotiations, offering less in [...]/p

Full Federal Appeals Court Unanimously Rejects Cuccinelli’s Bid To Reinstate Anti-Sodomy Law

Full Federal Appeals Court Unanimously Rejects Cuccinelli’s Bid To Reinstate Anti-Sodomy Law: Late last month, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) filed a petition asking the full United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to reinstate Virginia’s “Crimes Against Nature” law, which makes oral and anal sex a felony. A three-judge panel of that same court had struck down the law, noting that it cannot [...]/p

Working Family Tax Credits Kept Nearly 10 Million People Out Of Poverty 2011

Working Family Tax Credits Kept Nearly 10 Million People Out Of Poverty 2011: The combined punch of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) lifted almost 10 million Americans out of poverty in 2011, according to the latest round up of the numbers by the Center On Budget and Policy Priorities. Last year, the two programs kept almost 5 million women alone out of [...]/p

2M 'No Cuts' Signatures Delivered To White House Today

2M 'No Cuts' Signatures Delivered To White House Today
"Sen. Bernie Sanders delivered over two million signatures today on a petition protesting the president's budget plans to cut Social Security."

Thousands Rally To Protest Sequestration Cuts To Medical Research Programs

Thousands Rally To Protest Sequestration Cuts To Medical Research Programs: Thousands of researchers, patients, doctors, scientists, and advocates gathered rallied outside of Carnegie Library in Washington DC to protest sequestration cuts towards medical research. Organizers estimated that the Rally for Medical Research, protesting budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health, had around 10,000 attendees. “When [Congress] sees a grassroots movement rising up from doctors, [...]/p

Oregon May Lead The Way On Automatic Voter Registration

Oregon May Lead The Way On Automatic Voter Registration: Oregon may soon begin what is arguably the most innovative, progressive voting effort in the nation: automatic voter registration. Secretary of State Kate Brown (D) is leading a new effort — the first of its kind in the nation — to make registration as simple as possible in the Beaver State. Currently, voting for nearly [...]/p

PERRspectives: Will Max Baucus Betray Democrats on Taxes Again?

PERRspectives: Will Max Baucus Betray Democrats on Taxes Again?
"At the very start of his political career back in the 1970's, Montana Senator Max Baucus asked New Deal veteran James Rowe Jr., "Do you think I should run as a Republican or a Democrat?" Rowe's uneasy answer--"I sure hope you'll be a Democrat"--has defined Baucus' careerever since."

Winner Takes All: The Super-priority Status of Derivatives | Common Dreams

Winner Takes All: The Super-priority Status of Derivatives | Common Dreams
"Rather than banks being put into bankruptcy to salvage the deposits of their customers, the customers will be put into bankruptcy to save the banks."

Fukushima Disaster Continues: Third Radioactive Water Leak Found | Common Dreams

Fukushima Disaster Continues: Third Radioactive Water Leak Found | Common Dreams
"Yet another radioactive water leak has been detected at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, officials announced Tuesday, as the nuclear catastrophe continues to unfold more than two years after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns at the plant."

Global Wealth Inequality - What you never knew you never knew

Rape Culture Claims Another Victim: Teen Ends Life After Photo Of Her Alleged Gang Rape Goes Viral

Rape Culture Claims Another Victim: Teen Ends Life After Photo Of Her Alleged Gang Rape Goes Viral: Seventeen months ago a Canadian teen was allegedly gang-raped by four of her peers and the photo evidence of the rape spread across her community. But unlike the situation that unfolded in Steubenville, where the victim was at least given the comfort of knowing her assailants received some measure of punishment (even if the media [...]/p

Chris Christie & Wisconsin's Scott Walker Are Right-Wing Soul Brothers: What It Means for Unions and Progressives | Alternet

Chris Christie & Wisconsin's Scott Walker Are Right-Wing Soul Brothers: What It Means for Unions and Progressives | Alternet
"By Christie's deeds and his words, he is clearly committed to the death of the labor movement and every other sort of social progress."

New Hope For Solutions To US Election Problems

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Senate Elections An Unexpected Target Of GOP War On Voting

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Monsanto's Next Target: Democracy | Alternet

Monsanto's Next Target: Democracy | Alternet
"Big Food’s greatest fear is materializing. A critical mass of educated consumers, food and natural health activists are organizing a powerful movement that could well overthrow North America’s trillion-dollar junk food empire. Savvy and more determined than ever, activists are zeroing in on the Achilles heel of Food Inc. -- labeling."

Exxon Turns To Paper Towels For Oil Spill Clean-Up

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Daddy's Been Arrested: The Arrogance of America's Financial Criminals on Full Display | Alternet

Daddy's Been Arrested: The Arrogance of America's Financial Criminals on Full Display | Alternet
"At 6 a.m. last Friday, the FBI arrested Michael S. Steinberg, a 41-year-old stock trader for New York hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors, at his $8 million Manhattan co-op.

This brings to nine the number of SAC employees indicted in the investigation of its founder, Steven A. Cohen, whose net worth is around $10 billion. Four of them have pleaded guilty."

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Willing to Risk Arrest to Protect Public Education | Alternet

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Willing to Risk Arrest to Protect Public Education | Alternet
"Last Wednesday, thousands of Chicagoans turned out to demonstrate against school closures — 127 were detained and ticketed."

Why Americans Are So Ignorant -- It's Not Only Fox News, There Are Some Understandable Reasons for it | Alternet

Why Americans Are So Ignorant -- It's Not Only Fox News, There Are Some Understandable Reasons for it | Alternet
"Sure propaganda, government secrecy and Fox News have a lot to do with it. But there are broader societal pressures as well."

WikiLeaks Publishes 1.7M U.S. Records

WikiLeaks Publishes 1.7M U.S. Records
"WikiLeaks has published more than 1.7 million U.S. diplomatic records -- including cables, intelligence reports, and congressional correspondence -- from 1973-1976, the period during which Henry Kissinger was secretary of state and national security advisor. The collection is being released in a searchable database called the Public Library of U.S. Diplomacy (PlusD), and according to the Guardian is “the world’s largest searchable collection of confidential, or formerly confidential, diplomatic communications.” According to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the documents hint at the scope of U.S. intelligence activity around the globe at the time."

60 Minutes Talks To Sandy Hook Parents

60 Minutes Talks To Sandy Hook Parents
"If you don't at least get a lump in your throat at the raw pain and grief of these parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings, you don't have a heart."

How One Multi-Millionaire Is Turning North Carolina Into A Tea Party Utopia

How One Multi-Millionaire Is Turning North Carolina Into A Tea Party Utopia: In 2010, Republicans took over both houses of the North Carolina legislature for the first time since 1870, due in no small part to the spending of a single, very wealthy Republican. As Jane Mayer reported in 2011, “three-quarters of the spending by independent groups in North Carolina’s 2010 state races came from accounts linked [...]/p

The U.S. Collects Less In Taxes Than All But Two Industrialized Countries

The U.S. Collects Less In Taxes Than All But Two Industrialized Countries: President Obama and Senate Democrats have presented deficit reduction plans that would rely on both spending cuts and increased tax revenues, but Republicans continue to insist that the U.S. has only a “spending problem” and that deficit reduction does not require new revenues. The premise of the argument from Republicans is that Americans already face [...]/p

Law Enforcement More Likely To Be Killed In States With Weak Gun Laws, Study Finds

Law Enforcement More Likely To Be Killed In States With Weak Gun Laws, Study Finds: As wrangling over the outcome of gun safety legislation in the Senate reaches a fever pitch, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D) has been quiet on where she stands. Her home state, though, exemplifies the real risk weak gun laws pose–not only to residents, but also to the men and women charged with protecting them. Gun [...]/p

Morning Joe Host Blasts GOP For Putting ‘Rapists’ Rights Over Parents’ Rights’ In Gun Debate

Morning Joe Host Blasts GOP For Putting ‘Rapists’ Rights Over Parents’ Rights’ In Gun Debate: Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough tore into the growing number of conservative senators who have pledged to filibuster a comprehensive gun safety bill without reading the proposal. The 13 senators — including likely 2016 presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Rand Paul — will win support “from a segment of your voting population,” Scarborough reasoned, but [...]/p

How Big Pharma Lobbyists Are Bringing Mandated Drug Tests To A State Near You

How Big Pharma Lobbyists Are Bringing Mandated Drug Tests To A State Near You: In the Nation, Isabel Macdonald has an excellent long read on the history of U.S. drug testing, beginning with a government program to test returning Vietnam War veterans and the drug-testing provisions in President Ronald Reagan’s Drug Free Workplace Act as part of the misdirected War on Drugs. Even then, the medical industry dismissed the [...]/p

The Corporate Betrayal of America | Common Dreams

The Corporate Betrayal of America | Common Dreams
"Multinational corporations have built their businesses on the backs of American taxpayers. They've depended on government research, national defense, the legal and educational systems, and our infrastructure.
Yet they've turned around and mocked us with declining tax payments. They've cut workers. They've refused to invest their massive profits in job-producing research and development. And they've insulted existing employees with low wages and dwindling retirement support."

MT GOP Legislator Tells Tenants They Should Die ASAP

MT GOP Legislator Tells Tenants They Should Die ASAP
"Montana Street Fighter, which broke this story, now reports that the Helena Vigilante has picked it up. The guy sounds like your basic extreme dyed-in-the-wool teabagger nut, worried about the government "printing money" and making people weak and lazy. (Guess that's why he voted against providing affordable housing to returning vets.)"

Dear Tenn. Lawmakers, Encourage Education Policy That Supports, Not Shames

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Conservatives Are Morphing into the Party of Doomsday Preppers | Alternet

Conservatives Are Morphing into the Party of Doomsday Preppers | Alternet
"The ominous prophecies of government tyranny, financial meltdown and violent anarchy featured on  Preppers inform more than just the survivalist movement circa 2013. They’re also being absorbed into contemporary conservatism, which has increasingly bought into these same doomsday storylines hook, line and bunker."

Bank Of America To Pay $36.8 Million To Military Members For Improper Foreclosures

Bank Of America To Pay $36.8 Million To Military Members For Improper Foreclosures: Bank of America will pay $36.8 million to members of the military it improperly foreclosed on between 2006 and 2010, according to a settlement it reached with the federal government in 2011, the Justice Department announced this week. Bank of America was already paying 142 military members under the original 2011 agreement, but a further [...]/p

Is the GOP Sincere in Denouncing its Bigots? | Alternet

Is the GOP Sincere in Denouncing its Bigots? | Alternet
"There has been an outcry from some GOP members concerning GOP bigotry. But the sea change may be much less than meets the eye."

Why the Most Powerful Thing in the World is a Seed | Common Dreams

Why the Most Powerful Thing in the World is a Seed | Common Dreams
"Janisse Ray celebrates the local, organic food movement but fears we’re forgetting something elemental: the seeds. According to Ray, what is happening with our seeds is not pretty. Ninety-four percent of vintage open-pollinated fruit and vegetable varieties have vanished over the last century."

Rep. Louise Slaughter Wants Livestock Antibiotics Replaced

Rep. Louise Slaughter Wants Livestock Antibiotics Replaced
"This is pretty shocking news. (Scientists are currently investigating a possible link between antibiotics in the food supply and obesity in humans -- and by the way, animals are fed antibiotics to fatten them up.)"

Sequester's Consequences: 'Brain-Dead, Idiotic, Terrible'

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America Is Ruled by Billionaires, and They Are Coming After the Last Shreds of Our Democracy | Alternet

America Is Ruled by Billionaires, and They Are Coming After the Last Shreds of Our Democracy | Alternet
"The United States today qualifies as a plutocracy – on a number of grounds.  Let’s look at some striking bits of evidence. Gross income redistribution upwards in the hierarchy has been a feature of American society for the past decades. The familiar statistics tell us that nearly 80% of the national wealth generated since 1973 has gone to the upper 2%, 65% to the upper 1 per cent. Estimates as to the rise in real income for salaried workers over the past 40 years range from 20% to 28 %. In that period, real GDP has risen by 110% – it has more than doubled."

A 50-State Analysis of Gun Violence and Its Link to Weak State Gun Laws

A 50-State Analysis of Gun Violence and Its Link to Weak State Gun Laws
"Despite this complex web of factors that influence the rate of gun violence, this report finds a clear link between high levels of gun violence and weak state gun laws. Across the key indicators of gun violence that we analyzed, the 10 states with the weakest gun laws collectively have an aggregate level of gun violence that is more than twice as high—104 percent higher, in fact—than the 10 states with the strongest gun laws."

GOP Lost Without Bedroom Intrusion Agenda

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Iraq War Vet Prepares To Kill Himself

Obama Wants More Green Jobs? Let's Start with Hemp | Alternet

Obama Wants More Green Jobs? Let's Start with Hemp | Alternet
"Hemp could bring back sorely needed employment in the American heartland. But the drug warriors stand in the way."

Exxon Too Big To Care

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Tax Dodging By Corporations And The Wealthy Cost Each Taxpayer $1,026 In 2012

Tax Dodging By Corporations And The Wealthy Cost Each Taxpayer $1,026 In 2012: America’s largest corporations have stashed nearly $1.5 trillion in offshore tax havens like Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Ireland — countries where they do little business but claim massive profits due to low tax rates. As a result, corporate tax rates fell to a 40-year low in 2011 even as profits rose to a 60-year [...]/p

Report: Ohio Is Illegally Throwing Poor People In Jail For Owing Money

Report: Ohio Is Illegally Throwing Poor People In Jail For Owing Money: The Americans Civil Liberties Union on Friday revealed that courts in Ohio are illegally throwing poor people in jail for being unable to pay off a debt. In a report titled, “The Outskirts of Hope,” (PDF) the ACLU shines a light on a harrowing “debtors’ prison” system in Ohio — one that violates both the [...]/p

Republicans Criticize Government Spending Unless It Lowers Our Wages

Republicans Criticize Government Spending Unless It Lowers Our Wages
"So as the country converts from democracy (representative government for you nitpickers) to plutocracy, we should expect more of this. Or, alternatively, we can get corporate money back out of our politics, out of the think tanks, etc., and back into the corporations where it is only used to run the business. And then we can try to remember what a democracy is supposed to be like — where we do things to make our lives better."

Tyranny of the Reasonable: Popular Complacency in an Era of Economic Exploitation and Perpetual War | Common Dreams

Tyranny of the Reasonable: Popular Complacency in an Era of Economic Exploitation and Perpetual War | Common Dreams
"Throughout the course of human affairs, scheming elitists -- let's call them the Plundering Class -- have devoted their days conceiving strategies and executing agendas that serve to enrich the fortunes of a ruthless few (namely themselves) by an exploitation of the harried and hapless multitudes. They scheme, hire silver tongued flacks and muster soldiers to do their biding, while, all too often, the rest of us squander the fleeting days of our finite lives in their service. They plot while we hope. They hoard the bounty of the world while we hoard resentments (generally misplaced upon those equally as power-bereft as we are)."

#ChainedCPI? For Every Social Security Judas, a Primary Challenge | Common Dreams

#ChainedCPI? For Every Social Security Judas, a Primary Challenge | Common Dreams
"What if we all looked each other in the eye and made a pact: every Senator and Representative, Democrat or Republican, who supports cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits by imposing the "ChainedCPI" cut is going to face a primary challenge." Although President Obama might be looking to cut a "deal", let's remember that the party that is demanding this is the Republican Party. While we should hold Democrats accountable if a "deal" is reached. We must remind ourselves which party demands this in the first place.

Tennessee Clergy Speak Out Against Bill To Cut Welfare For Children Who Get Poor Grades

Tennessee Clergy Speak Out Against Bill To Cut Welfare For Children Who Get Poor Grades: As Tennessee prepares to consider two bills to reduce welfare assistance for needy families whose children are not doing well in school, a Change.org petition has popped up to fight the measure. The petition was started by Clergy for Justice, a Tennesse-based organization of clergy that has previously advocated for causes including immigration reform, health [...]/p

Conservative Groups Dominate Efforts To Convince Supreme Court To Hear Cases

Conservative Groups Dominate Efforts To Convince Supreme Court To Hear Cases: According to a study by appellate attorney Adam Chandler, conservative groups utterly dominate the game of seeking to influence which cases the Supreme Court hears. Although the Supreme Court receives about 9,000-10,000 petitions a year seeking their review of a case, only a tiny fraction of these petitions are granted — this year, for example, [...]/p

The 'War on Terror' - by Design - Can Never End | Common Dreams

The 'War on Terror' - by Design - Can Never End | Common Dreams
"There's no question that this "war" will continue indefinitely. There is no question that US actions are the cause of that, the gasoline that fuels the fire. The only question - and it's becoming less of a question for me all the time - is whether this endless war is the intended result of US actions or just an unwanted miscalculation.

It's increasingly hard to make the case that it's the latter. The US has long known, and itsown studies have emphatically concluded, that "terrorism" is motivated not by a "hatred of our freedoms" but by US policy and aggression in the Muslim world."

Nevada Lawmaker Gets Death Threats After Revealing Her Abortion at Sex Ed Talk

Nevada Lawmaker Gets Death Threats After Revealing Her Abortion at Sex Ed Talk
"The life of a Latina assemblywoman in Nevada has been threatened after she used a story about her own personal abortion experience at age 16 to make a point about the importance of sex education."

AG Holder: ‘We Will Not Sit By’ While Republicans Rig The Electoral College

AG Holder: ‘We Will Not Sit By’ While Republicans Rig The Electoral College: Attorney General Eric Holder has a solid record on voting rights, and he’s criticized Republican state lawmaker’s efforts to restrict the franchise in the past — at one point comparing voter ID laws to an unconstitutional poll tax. At a speech in New York yesterday, Holder added a new line to his previous attacks on [...]/p

Fox News Resurrects Death Panels: ‘This Is About People Dying As A Result Of Obamacare’

Fox News Resurrects Death Panels: ‘This Is About People Dying As A Result Of Obamacare’:Johnson’s conflation of the sequester’s ham-fisted spending cuts with Obamacare’s Medicare savings demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the sequester, Obamacare, and how federal budgeting works. Sequestration is causing cancer clinics to turn people away because they can’t afford to keep providing expensive chemotherapy drugs to patients in the face of a two percent cut to Medicare Part Bthat has to come entirely out of clinics’ overhead funding — making the sequester cut more akin to a double-digit pay cut.