Worst Drought in 1,000 Years Could Begin in Eight Years
"Beginning in just eight years, we could see permanent climate conditions across the North American Southwest that are comparable to the worst megadrought in 1,000 years."
Thursday, February 21, 2013
GOP Activists Behind Three Troubling Supreme Court Cases Aimed at Dismantling Our Democracy | Alternet
GOP Activists Behind Three Troubling Supreme Court Cases Aimed at Dismantling Our Democracy | Alternet
"Three troubling U.S. Supreme Court cases -- one that has already undermined public participation in elections and two new ones threatening to further tilt the balance toward wealthier and whiter slices of society—have all been brought by Republican activists who want to change the rules to benefit their shrinking political party."
"Three troubling U.S. Supreme Court cases -- one that has already undermined public participation in elections and two new ones threatening to further tilt the balance toward wealthier and whiter slices of society—have all been brought by Republican activists who want to change the rules to benefit their shrinking political party."
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
9 Economic Facts That Will Make Your Head Spin | Alternet
9 Economic Facts That Will Make Your Head Spin | Alternet
"How much will you need for medical expenses in retirement? What does it cost to keep 2.5 million Americans behind bars? Here are a few facts and figures that might surprise you."
"How much will you need for medical expenses in retirement? What does it cost to keep 2.5 million Americans behind bars? Here are a few facts and figures that might surprise you."
You've Heard of the Birthers, Now Meet the Simpson-Bowlers
You've Heard of the Birthers, Now Meet the Simpson-Bowlers
"Yesterday, the pair introduced a rebooted, or should we say, rebaked, version of the original Simpson-Bowles "Catfood Commission" idiocy. That original plan, you'll remember, was so bad that their own commissioners wouldn't vote for it."
"Yesterday, the pair introduced a rebooted, or should we say, rebaked, version of the original Simpson-Bowles "Catfood Commission" idiocy. That original plan, you'll remember, was so bad that their own commissioners wouldn't vote for it."
Cutting Government Jobs Wrong Remedy For Recovery
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The Wage Theft Epidemic - In These Times
The Wage Theft Epidemic - In These Times
"Former investigators interviewed for this article say that budget cuts over the past decade have impeded their ability to perform meaningful investigations. They paint a stark picture of weakened enforcement divisions, lacking both necessary staff and funding, that regularly close claims of wage theft that appear legitimate. Such closed cases represent de facto wins for employers."
"Former investigators interviewed for this article say that budget cuts over the past decade have impeded their ability to perform meaningful investigations. They paint a stark picture of weakened enforcement divisions, lacking both necessary staff and funding, that regularly close claims of wage theft that appear legitimate. Such closed cases represent de facto wins for employers."
Boehner Caught Red-Handed On Sequester Fib
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One Man's Story of What Wall Street Broke
One Man's Story of What Wall Street Broke
""100 Stories of What Wall Street Broke" is a project created by the Home Defender's League, which is collecting first-person accounts from homeowners around the country."
""100 Stories of What Wall Street Broke" is a project created by the Home Defender's League, which is collecting first-person accounts from homeowners around the country."
Coming Sequester Cuts Will Make Most of Americans' Lives Worse -– And People Are Mobilizing | Alternet
Coming Sequester Cuts Will Make Most of Americans' Lives Worse -– And People Are Mobilizing | Alternet
"In just over a week the government is probably going to enter full-scale austerity. Republicans are refusing to end tax loopholes for big corporations and billionaires, choosing to let the “sequester” occur instead. Unless something changes, and soon, $1.2 trillion in cuts to defense and domestic spending begin to kick in. This will hit jobs, growth, and above all it will hit real people."
"In just over a week the government is probably going to enter full-scale austerity. Republicans are refusing to end tax loopholes for big corporations and billionaires, choosing to let the “sequester” occur instead. Unless something changes, and soon, $1.2 trillion in cuts to defense and domestic spending begin to kick in. This will hit jobs, growth, and above all it will hit real people."
Capital Gains Tax Cuts ‘By Far’ The Biggest Contributor To Growth In Income Inequality, Study Finds
Capital Gains Tax Cuts ‘By Far’ The Biggest Contributor To Growth In Income Inequality, Study Finds: Changes in tax law that reduced the federal tax rate on capital gains income is “by far the largest contributor” to rising income inequality in the United States, according to a new paper from Thomas Hungerford, an economist at the Congressional Research Service. Capital gains and other investment income was taxed as regular wage income [...]/p
Private Prison CEO Assures Investors of ‘Strong Demand’ For Beds After Immigration Reform
Private Prison CEO Assures Investors of ‘Strong Demand’ For Beds After Immigration Reform: As the U.S. private prison industry has grown over the last several years, studies have shown that private prisons are incentivized to lobby for more incarceration. During an investor call this week, the CEO of private prison operator Corrections Corporation of America signaled that incarceration rates would remain high, assuring investors that immigration detention would be [...]/p
The Potential Effect Of The Sequester Budget Cuts
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PERRspectives: Memo to Media: GOP Debt Ceiling Hostage Taking Responsible for Sequester
PERRspectives: Memo to Media: GOP Debt Ceiling Hostage Taking Responsible for Sequester
"Never before has the threat to block a debt limit increase been coupled with one party's intent and ability to actually do it. The BCA's sequester process is the price America paid to the Republican extortionists.
"Never before has the threat to block a debt limit increase been coupled with one party's intent and ability to actually do it. The BCA's sequester process is the price America paid to the Republican extortionists.
So, to all of the so-called pundits and ersatz journalists out there, repeat after me. No Republican debt ceiling hostage taking, no sequester."
Why The Nation’s Biggest Banks Are Even Bigger Than You Thought
Why The Nation’s Biggest Banks Are Even Bigger Than You Thought: Already, the biggest banks in the U.S. are huge. The largest 0.2 percent of institutions — just 12 mega-banks — control 69 percent of total bank assets. The 20 biggest banks hold assets equal to 84.5 percent of the nation’s entire economic output. And if the U.S. accounted for bank assets (and risk) in the [...]/p
Monsanto Recieves Warm Reception in High Court | Common Dreams
Monsanto Recieves Warm Reception in High Court | Common Dreams
"Observations from Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing between the Monsanto corporation and Indiana soybean farmer Hugh Bowman, indicate that the sympathy of the nine justices leaned heavily towards the agro-chemical giant while heaping skepticism on the arguments made on behalf of the small farmer."
"Observations from Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing between the Monsanto corporation and Indiana soybean farmer Hugh Bowman, indicate that the sympathy of the nine justices leaned heavily towards the agro-chemical giant while heaping skepticism on the arguments made on behalf of the small farmer."
The F-35 Folly: How Our Own Fighter Jets Are Killing Us
The F-35 Folly: How Our Own Fighter Jets Are Killing Us
"When you combine the price tag of the program with Government Accountability Office estimated operating and maintenance costs of the planes– the total cost of the program reaches over $1 trillion."
"When you combine the price tag of the program with Government Accountability Office estimated operating and maintenance costs of the planes– the total cost of the program reaches over $1 trillion."
How EPA Climate Protection Can Be America’s Greatest Jobs Producer | Common Dreams
How EPA Climate Protection Can Be America’s Greatest Jobs Producer | Common Dreams
"As our country is devastated by more and more severe droughts, floods, fires, and superstorms, the public is demanding regulation of the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change. The corporations that profit from coal, oil, and gas fear such regulation will reduce their profits and the value of their investments. They and their political mouthpieces have a solution, however: persuade the public that regulation of greenhouse gasses will destroy American jobs. The truth? Climate change is destroying American jobs right now — but climate protection will produce millions of new jobs. Here’s why."
"As our country is devastated by more and more severe droughts, floods, fires, and superstorms, the public is demanding regulation of the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change. The corporations that profit from coal, oil, and gas fear such regulation will reduce their profits and the value of their investments. They and their political mouthpieces have a solution, however: persuade the public that regulation of greenhouse gasses will destroy American jobs. The truth? Climate change is destroying American jobs right now — but climate protection will produce millions of new jobs. Here’s why."
10 Things You Should Know About #TheRealTANF | Common Dreams
10 Things You Should Know About #TheRealTANF | Common Dreams
"With TANF authorization expiring at the end of March and needing to be renewed (and hopefully improved)—and over 46 million people still living below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four—here are ten things you should know about the program"
"With TANF authorization expiring at the end of March and needing to be renewed (and hopefully improved)—and over 46 million people still living below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four—here are ten things you should know about the program"
Your Guide To The Looming Spending Cuts: Where They Came From And What They Will Mean
Your Guide To The Looming Spending Cuts: Where They Came From And What They Will Mean: The United States is rapidly approaching March 1, the date on which the automatic spending cuts put in place by the summer 2011 debt ceiling deal will begin taking effect. There is little indication that Congress will avert the cuts as it did in January, as Republican leaders have thus far been unwilling to negotiate [...]/p
The Cooperative Way to a Stronger Economy | Common Dreams
The Cooperative Way to a Stronger Economy | Common Dreams
"Co-ops—just like people—can get more done together than anyone can do alone. The good news is that co-ops come in many forms and are more common than you might imagine. They are owned by workers, residents, consumers, farmers, craftspeople, the community, or any combination. What they have in common is that they circulate the benefits back to their member-owners, and these benefits ripple out to the broader community."
"Co-ops—just like people—can get more done together than anyone can do alone. The good news is that co-ops come in many forms and are more common than you might imagine. They are owned by workers, residents, consumers, farmers, craftspeople, the community, or any combination. What they have in common is that they circulate the benefits back to their member-owners, and these benefits ripple out to the broader community."
Republican Party 2013: D.O.A.? | Alternet
Republican Party 2013: D.O.A.? | Alternet
"There's the oft-mentioned electoral data—those vast demographic changes that are seeing the GOP's ability to win grossly compromised. Mitt Romney's strongest age demographic was seniors, his weakest was the youngest voters. The circle of life guarantees that Democrats will come out of that divide looking quite good. And of course, not entirely unrelated, is the rise of the Latino and Asian vote, as those young groups begin entering the voting age population in force. Remember, every month, 67,000 Latinos turn 18, while 100,000 (predominantly white and conservative) seniors die. Do the math."
"There's the oft-mentioned electoral data—those vast demographic changes that are seeing the GOP's ability to win grossly compromised. Mitt Romney's strongest age demographic was seniors, his weakest was the youngest voters. The circle of life guarantees that Democrats will come out of that divide looking quite good. And of course, not entirely unrelated, is the rise of the Latino and Asian vote, as those young groups begin entering the voting age population in force. Remember, every month, 67,000 Latinos turn 18, while 100,000 (predominantly white and conservative) seniors die. Do the math."
'Hubris': Rachel Maddow Presents Must-Watch Documentary on the Selling of the Iraq War | Alternet
'Hubris': Rachel Maddow Presents Must-Watch Documentary on the Selling of the Iraq War | Alternet
"For those who need a reminder on how the Bush administration scammed us into a war."
"For those who need a reminder on how the Bush administration scammed us into a war."
Obama Administration Aims To Fix Loophole Letting Home Health Workers Make Less Than Minimum Wage
Obama Administration Aims To Fix Loophole Letting Home Health Workers Make Less Than Minimum Wage: The Obama administration is reviving its push to provide labor protections to home health workers who are often excluded from traditional labor law. According to The Hill, the administration will offer a final rule governing the home health industry soon: Enactment of the regulations, which are under final review at the White House, would represent [...]/p
Union Busting 2.0: Wisconsin Republicans Target Private Sector Unions They Previously Praised
Union Busting 2.0: Wisconsin Republicans Target Private Sector Unions They Previously Praised: When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) initiated a high-profile effort to bust his state’s public sector unions in 2011, he said that he had no interest in pursuing similar efforts against private sector unions. “Private sector unions are my partner in economic development,” Walker has said. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that he “has consistently [...]/p
Former Republican: How the GOP Turned Into a Racket Ripping Off Vulnerable Americans | Alternet
Former Republican: How the GOP Turned Into a Racket Ripping Off Vulnerable Americans | Alternet
"As the GOP narrowed and hardened its dogma, the affluent, educated suburbs drifted away from the Church of Reagan, leaving the organization to an increasingly less educated, southern, rural, and downscale white voting base (needless to say, the executive wing of the party is decidedly not downscale in its personal finances; they know, just as surely as L. Ron Hubbard knew, that there is gold to be mined from the suckers). The slide among both voters and elected officials has been frighteningly steep since 2008. Compared to thecurrent crop of congressional GOP freshmen and sophomores, even George W. Bush looks like Henry Cabot Lodge. The party of Abraham Lincoln (a genuine architect of popular enlightenment through his establishment of land grant colleges) has degenerated into Scientology for rednecks who think embryology, evolutionary biology, and geology are lies from the pit of hell."
"As the GOP narrowed and hardened its dogma, the affluent, educated suburbs drifted away from the Church of Reagan, leaving the organization to an increasingly less educated, southern, rural, and downscale white voting base (needless to say, the executive wing of the party is decidedly not downscale in its personal finances; they know, just as surely as L. Ron Hubbard knew, that there is gold to be mined from the suckers). The slide among both voters and elected officials has been frighteningly steep since 2008. Compared to thecurrent crop of congressional GOP freshmen and sophomores, even George W. Bush looks like Henry Cabot Lodge. The party of Abraham Lincoln (a genuine architect of popular enlightenment through his establishment of land grant colleges) has degenerated into Scientology for rednecks who think embryology, evolutionary biology, and geology are lies from the pit of hell."
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
When Gas Bubble Explodes, Economy Could Implode All Over Again
When Gas Bubble Explodes, Economy Could Implode All Over Again
"If you haven't already, now would be a good time for you to go buy Matt Taibbi's book, "Griftopia". In the book, he explains with absolute clarity how bubbles are made and how they burst, and how Wall Street manufactures them in order to relieve ordinary people of their hard-earned money."
"If you haven't already, now would be a good time for you to go buy Matt Taibbi's book, "Griftopia". In the book, he explains with absolute clarity how bubbles are made and how they burst, and how Wall Street manufactures them in order to relieve ordinary people of their hard-earned money."
Strengthening Social Security for all | Economic Policy Institute
Strengthening Social Security for all | Economic Policy Institute
"Americans need Social Security more than ever, and they’re willing to pay for it. Rather than more cuts, we need higher benefits across the board."
"Americans need Social Security more than ever, and they’re willing to pay for it. Rather than more cuts, we need higher benefits across the board."
Independent Analysis: Sequester Spending Cuts Would Cost 700,000 Jobs
Independent Analysis: Sequester Spending Cuts Would Cost 700,000 Jobs: President Obama today called, once again, for Republicans in Congress to support a plan to void the so-called “sequester,” the automatic budget cuts scheduled for March that were set in motion by the 2011 debt ceiling deal. House Republicans responded by releasing a statement that called for eliminating job training and financial literacy programs and [...]/p
The New Know Nothing Party and the High Price of Willful Ignorance | Common Dreams
The New Know Nothing Party and the High Price of Willful Ignorance | Common Dreams
"Here in the 21st Century the Republicans have become the new Know Nothing Party. Just as the original Know Nothings employed fear, bigotry, ignorance and hate to motivate its base, so too does the Republican Party."
"Here in the 21st Century the Republicans have become the new Know Nothing Party. Just as the original Know Nothings employed fear, bigotry, ignorance and hate to motivate its base, so too does the Republican Party."
Secretive Donors Trust Pumps Far More Money Into Climate Denial And Inaction Than Kochs And Exxon Mobil Combined
Secretive Donors Trust Pumps Far More Money Into Climate Denial And Inaction Than Kochs And Exxon Mobil Combined: A secretive funding organization called Donors Trust spent the last decade funneling vast sums of money to an array of think tanks and activist groups, all dedicated to undermining the science of climate change and heading off the progress of climate policy. That’s according to reporting last week by The Guardian’s Suzanne Goldenberg and a [...]/p
The Wrecking Crew Is Winning | Common Dreams
The Wrecking Crew Is Winning | Common Dreams
"Once more, the Republican Congress is holding the economy hostage as “leverage” to extort deep and unpopular cuts in the core pillars of family security – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Not surprisingly, Americans disapprove in large numbers, with Congress in general and Republicans in particular setting new records in popular disregard.
But make no mistake; the wrecking crew is winning by defining what the national debate is about. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell calls the deficit the “transcendent issue of our time,” as if balancing the budget would fix our economy.
"Once more, the Republican Congress is holding the economy hostage as “leverage” to extort deep and unpopular cuts in the core pillars of family security – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Not surprisingly, Americans disapprove in large numbers, with Congress in general and Republicans in particular setting new records in popular disregard.
But make no mistake; the wrecking crew is winning by defining what the national debate is about. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell calls the deficit the “transcendent issue of our time,” as if balancing the budget would fix our economy.
No, the fundamental issue of our time is an economy that works only for the few, plagued by mass unemployment, declining wages and increasing insecurity. But despite the best efforts of the president in his State of the Union address, the fiscal hostage-taking by McConnell and the Tea Party Congress have made deficits the only subject in town."
Missouri Republicans Push Slew Of Union-Busting Proposals
Missouri Republicans Push Slew Of Union-Busting Proposals: Missouri Republicans this month touched off the latest push for a so-called “right-to-work” law, introducing legislation similar to the union-busting laws signed by Republican governors in Indiana and Michigan last year. The right-to-work proposal, which prohibits unions from requiring workers to join, is just one of multiple bills targeting unions that are making their way [...]/p
'Some Cuts Don't Heal!': Simpson-Bowles Face Protest for Attack on Medicare, Social Security | Common Dreams
'Some Cuts Don't Heal!': Simpson-Bowles Face Protest for Attack on Medicare, Social Security | Common Dreams
"the pair's recommended policies unfairly punish the sick, the elderly and working people in the name of a 'deficit reduction' plan backed by the nation's wealthiest beneficiaries and corporate elite."
"the pair's recommended policies unfairly punish the sick, the elderly and working people in the name of a 'deficit reduction' plan backed by the nation's wealthiest beneficiaries and corporate elite."
Exxon Pressures Network Into Pulling Climate Change Ad
Exxon Pressures Network Into Pulling Climate Change Ad
"Exxon Mobil gave a cease-and-desist order to Comcast, forcing the cable provider to pull an ad about climate change from Fox News' coverage of the State of the Union address in some areas, according to a press release from one of the groups responsible for the ad."
"Exxon Mobil gave a cease-and-desist order to Comcast, forcing the cable provider to pull an ad about climate change from Fox News' coverage of the State of the Union address in some areas, according to a press release from one of the groups responsible for the ad."
North Carolina Governor Signs ‘Unprecedented’ Gutting Of Unemployment Insurance
North Carolina Governor Signs ‘Unprecedented’ Gutting Of Unemployment Insurance: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) today signed a law that imposes severe cuts to his state’s unemployment insurance program, a change that will also cost jobless workers in the state access to the federal unemployment compensation program. McCrory’s signature earned him a rebuke from the National Employment Law Project, which said in a release [...]/p
The Supreme Court Will Hear A Republican Party Lawsuit To Make Citizens United Even Worse
The Supreme Court Will Hear A Republican Party Lawsuit To Make Citizens United Even Worse: The Supreme Court’s election-buying decision in Citizens United v. FEC enabled wealthy corporations to spend unlimited money to change the course of American elections, and a subsequent lower court decision gave the green light to super PACs funded by unlimited donations from millionaires, billionaires and corporations. Today, the Supreme Court announced it would hear another [...]/p
Texas City to Charge Car Accident Victims Up to $2,000 for the Cost of First Responders | Alternet
Texas City to Charge Car Accident Victims Up to $2,000 for the Cost of First Responders | Alternet
"A Houston suburb in Texas is set to implement a plan to charge drivers the cost of the first responders who come to the scene of car crashes. Missouri City will charge drivers up to a few thousand dollars to respond to crashes, according to a report by KHOU 11 News.
"A Houston suburb in Texas is set to implement a plan to charge drivers the cost of the first responders who come to the scene of car crashes. Missouri City will charge drivers up to a few thousand dollars to respond to crashes, according to a report by KHOU 11 News.
The plan will be instituted starting March 1, and residents of Missouri City are none too happy."
Democratic Senator Presses Regulators On Why Big Banks Can’t Be Broken Up
Democratic Senator Presses Regulators On Why Big Banks Can’t Be Broken Up: Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) gained a deserved amount of attention for grilling bank regulators on whether the nation’s biggest financial firms have become “too big for trial.” But she wasn’t the only one chasing regulators for answers on how to rein in the nation’s banking behemoths. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) wanted to know [...]/p
Bills to Label Genetically Engineered Foods Introduced in Illinois and Iowa
Bills to Label Genetically Engineered Foods Introduced in Illinois and Iowa
"Bills were introduced in the Iowa and Illinois state senates last week that would require genetically engineered (GE) foods to be labeled. Iowa's bill would require labeling if a food contains more than nine-tenths of a percent GE ingredients, whereas Illinois' bill has a one percent threshold."
"Bills were introduced in the Iowa and Illinois state senates last week that would require genetically engineered (GE) foods to be labeled. Iowa's bill would require labeling if a food contains more than nine-tenths of a percent GE ingredients, whereas Illinois' bill has a one percent threshold."
Moving The Goal Posts: Simpson And Bowles Renege On Their Own Plan For More Revenue
Moving The Goal Posts: Simpson And Bowles Renege On Their Own Plan For More Revenue: Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles will release a new plan today to reduce the deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. The pair of deficit hawks previously co-chaired a 2010 commission on fiscal reform (which failed) and then released a proposal for $6.3 trillion [...]/p
If Obama Likes It, GOP Hates It
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7 Craziest Fox News Attacks Against Its Critics | Alternet
7 Craziest Fox News Attacks Against Its Critics | Alternet
"Fox News is often the subject of well-deserved criticism due to its aversion to facts and a long record of strident bias. However, its first reaction to reasonable rebuttals is to go on the attack against its perceived enemies. This is behavior reminiscent of schoolyard bullies with marshmallow centers who struggle to mask hurt feelings with forced bluster. Some recent examples illustrate just how thin-skinned this allegedly powerful network really is, and how prone it is to whining when it gets smacked down."
"Fox News is often the subject of well-deserved criticism due to its aversion to facts and a long record of strident bias. However, its first reaction to reasonable rebuttals is to go on the attack against its perceived enemies. This is behavior reminiscent of schoolyard bullies with marshmallow centers who struggle to mask hurt feelings with forced bluster. Some recent examples illustrate just how thin-skinned this allegedly powerful network really is, and how prone it is to whining when it gets smacked down."
Four Years After Stimulus Worked, GOP Looking For More Cuts
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Kansas Bill Would Require Teachers To Misinform Students About Climate Change
Kansas Bill Would Require Teachers To Misinform Students About Climate Change: Last week, the Kansas House Education Committee introduced a bill that mandates teachers question the scientific basis of global warming, becoming the latest state to take up one of American Legislative Exchange Council’s “model bills” aiming to misrepresent climate change in schools. Kansas would join Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma as the fifth state to [...]/p
Monday, February 18, 2013
PERRspectives: Happy President's Day Abe, from the Party of Lincoln
PERRspectives: Happy President's Day Abe, from the Party of Lincoln
"But within the Party of Lincoln are many who are not so enamored with the GOP's namesake. One hundred and forty eight years after the end of the Civil War, the whitewashing of slavery, the resurrection of the "Lost Cause," the championing of states' rights and the casual endorsement of nullification and secession are among the modern Republican Party's tributes to Abraham Lincoln."
"But within the Party of Lincoln are many who are not so enamored with the GOP's namesake. One hundred and forty eight years after the end of the Civil War, the whitewashing of slavery, the resurrection of the "Lost Cause," the championing of states' rights and the casual endorsement of nullification and secession are among the modern Republican Party's tributes to Abraham Lincoln."
Meet the New CISPA. Same as the Old CISPA. | Common Dreams
Meet the New CISPA. Same as the Old CISPA. | Common Dreams
"Last year, thanks to a public outcry, the effort to pass overreaching cybersecurity legislationstalled in the Senate. Now supporters have reintroduced the House version of that legislation — the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).
The “new” version is in fact identical to the original CISPA — and poses the same threat to our digital civil liberties and our freedom to connect online."
"Last year, thanks to a public outcry, the effort to pass overreaching cybersecurity legislationstalled in the Senate. Now supporters have reintroduced the House version of that legislation — the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).
The “new” version is in fact identical to the original CISPA — and poses the same threat to our digital civil liberties and our freedom to connect online."
Fox Host Calls Universal Preschool ‘Immoral Crazy Talk’
Fox Host Calls Universal Preschool ‘Immoral Crazy Talk’: Last week, Fox News attacked President Obama’s proposal for expanding universal early childhood education by characterizing it as a government handout intended to extend “literally, the nanny state” and warned that the president is using preschool to entice a whole new generation of toddlers to vote for him. On Sunday, the network’s sister station, Fox [...]/p
USA! USA! America Now Has Less Class Mobility Than Most of Europe | Alternet
USA! USA! America Now Has Less Class Mobility Than Most of Europe | Alternet
"Social mobility is limited in the U.S. 58 percent of Americans born into the bottom fifth of income earners in the country move out of that economic strata--a rate lower than most of Europe."
"Social mobility is limited in the U.S. 58 percent of Americans born into the bottom fifth of income earners in the country move out of that economic strata--a rate lower than most of Europe."
Sunday, February 17, 2013
McDonough Pushes Back at Gregory's Assertion That Retirement Age Needs to be Raised
McDonough Pushes Back at Gregory's Assertion That Retirement Age Needs to be Raised
"Once again, David Gregory remained true to form, where he can't seem to manage to make it though an interview without askinghow much pain can be inflicted on the working class."
"Once again, David Gregory remained true to form, where he can't seem to manage to make it though an interview without askinghow much pain can be inflicted on the working class."
PERRspectives: Let's Make a Sequester Deal!
PERRspectives: Let's Make a Sequester Deal!
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all. And as theCongressional Research Service explained in a report Republicans tried to squelch:
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all. And as theCongressional Research Service explained in a report Republicans tried to squelch:
The evidence does not suggest necessarily a relationship between tax policy with regard to the top tax rates and the size of the economic pie, but there may be a relationship to how the economic pie is sliced.
As George W. Bush famously said, "We ought to make the pie higher." Unfortunately, right now the top one percent is eating it all."
Raising the Minimum Wage and the Forces Opposed to It
Raising the Minimum Wage and the Forces Opposed to It
"For the most part, Hayes' guests were outstanding and really informative to listen to, with the exception of the Hispanic Leadership Network's Jennifer Sevilla Korn. She may be the kinder, gentler face of the Republican Party with toned down rhetoric with respect to the immigration issue, but on Hayes' show, she was nothing but a right wing talking points regurgitation machine with little to no facts to back up her assertions.
"For the most part, Hayes' guests were outstanding and really informative to listen to, with the exception of the Hispanic Leadership Network's Jennifer Sevilla Korn. She may be the kinder, gentler face of the Republican Party with toned down rhetoric with respect to the immigration issue, but on Hayes' show, she was nothing but a right wing talking points regurgitation machine with little to no facts to back up her assertions.
If you listen to her carefully during her time on the show, she was challenged by Hayes quite a few times to give specifics for her claims about minimum wage supposedly causing businesses not to hire or that it might cause inflation. How often does that happen? And just like a typical conservative, she never answers him. The same can't be said for the others on the panel who were more than willing to talk about specifics and shoot holes straight through her talking points."
ABC News Calls Out Paul Ryan For Hypocrisy Over Looming Budget Cuts
ABC News Calls Out Paul Ryan For Hypocrisy Over Looming Budget Cuts: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl confronted Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) over his past support for the sequester, just as the one-time GOP vice presidential candidate sought to blame President Obama for the automatic across-the-board cuts scheduled to go into effect on March 1. During an appearance on This Week, Ryan argued that President Obama “proposed the [...]/p
Marco Rubio’s Impossible Task: Make Racism Palatable to Latinos | Common Dreams
Marco Rubio’s Impossible Task: Make Racism Palatable to Latinos | Common Dreams
"But for a speech from the man supposed to lead a fractured and beleaguered GOP into a more colorful America, it clung tightly to familiar Republican themes. Though the general consensus seems to be that a GOP shift on immigration led by a young Latino senator will be enough to show the country that not all Republicans are rich white men named Mitt, the opening acts from Rubio do not amount to a move to the center. In fact, on nearly every issue he’s remained quite tightly in line with the party’s far right.
"But for a speech from the man supposed to lead a fractured and beleaguered GOP into a more colorful America, it clung tightly to familiar Republican themes. Though the general consensus seems to be that a GOP shift on immigration led by a young Latino senator will be enough to show the country that not all Republicans are rich white men named Mitt, the opening acts from Rubio do not amount to a move to the center. In fact, on nearly every issue he’s remained quite tightly in line with the party’s far right.
This makes one wonder if the Florida freshman’s task as the GOP’s front man is less about leading the Republican party toward a rebirth and new constituencies, and more about testing exactly how much the party can manage to stay the same without dying."
How Congress Could Fix Its Budget Woes, Permanently | Alternet
How Congress Could Fix Its Budget Woes, Permanently | Alternet
"As Congress struggles through one budget crisis after another, it is becoming increasingly evident that austerity doesn’t work."
"As Congress struggles through one budget crisis after another, it is becoming increasingly evident that austerity doesn’t work."
Republicans Try To Intimidate Nonpartisan Accounting Office For Debunking Their Economic Theory
Republicans Try To Intimidate Nonpartisan Accounting Office For Debunking Their Economic Theory: Last September, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service released a report showing that tax cuts for the rich — contrary to GOP orthodoxy — have minimal effect on economic growth or job creation. Instead, they simply increase income inequality. Republicans pressured the CRS to pull the report down; it was eventually re-posted with the same conclusions. [...]/p
Gingrich: Republicans Will Oppose Any Immigration Plan Backed By Obama Because They Hate Obama
Gingrich: Republicans Will Oppose Any Immigration Plan Backed By Obama Because They Hate Obama: During an appearance on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) admitted that Republicans are likely to oppose any immigration reform proposal introduced by President Obama because they personally dislike the Commander-in-Chief. “An Obama plan led and driven by Obama in this atmosphere with the level of hostility towards the president [...]/p
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Elizabeth Warren's Big Moment
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Who would be affected by President Obama’s proposed minimum wage increase? | Economic Policy Institute
Who would be affected by President Obama’s proposed minimum wage increase? | Economic Policy Institute
"The minimum wage increase will not only help struggling families make ends meet in a difficult economic environment, it will also spur economic growth. Low- to middle-income individuals have a higher “marginal propensity to consume” than high earners, meaning they are more likely to immediately spend any additional pay than other income groups. This will further boost consumption and GDP, which is especially important given that weak consumer demand is the primary constraint in this slow and fragile recovery."
"The minimum wage increase will not only help struggling families make ends meet in a difficult economic environment, it will also spur economic growth. Low- to middle-income individuals have a higher “marginal propensity to consume” than high earners, meaning they are more likely to immediately spend any additional pay than other income groups. This will further boost consumption and GDP, which is especially important given that weak consumer demand is the primary constraint in this slow and fragile recovery."
Nine Bucks an Hour? A Call for a Living Wage at $10.50 or More | Common Dreams
Nine Bucks an Hour? A Call for a Living Wage at $10.50 or More | Common Dreams
"Catching up with a 1968 federal minimum wage of $10.50, inflation adjusted, should be a winnable goal this year. Once the media starts regularly reporting on the human consequences of unlivable wages, and once the entry of more and more of the thirty million workers to marches, rallies and town meetings grows, neither the Republicans nor the Blue Dog Democrats will be able to stop this drive. Congressional districts all have many such workers in their districts and polls show 70 percent popular support for raising the minimum wage. That includes millions of workers who call themselves conservatives."
"Catching up with a 1968 federal minimum wage of $10.50, inflation adjusted, should be a winnable goal this year. Once the media starts regularly reporting on the human consequences of unlivable wages, and once the entry of more and more of the thirty million workers to marches, rallies and town meetings grows, neither the Republicans nor the Blue Dog Democrats will be able to stop this drive. Congressional districts all have many such workers in their districts and polls show 70 percent popular support for raising the minimum wage. That includes millions of workers who call themselves conservatives."
Nuclear Dump in Washington Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
Nuclear Dump in Washington Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
"Reports that a storage tank for nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear facility in Washington state--one of the most contaminated nuclear waste sites in the country--is leaking radioactive waste were confirmed by that state's governor Friday."
"Reports that a storage tank for nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear facility in Washington state--one of the most contaminated nuclear waste sites in the country--is leaking radioactive waste were confirmed by that state's governor Friday."
PERRspectives: Income Inequality Data Show Reverse Robin Hood Recovery
PERRspectives: Income Inequality Data Show Reverse Robin Hood Recovery
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all."
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all."
Wal-Mart Execs Panic Over Falling Stock
Wal-Mart Execs Panic Over Falling Stock
"Could these greedy sobs be any more pathetic? Maybe if they paid all their employees a living wage, they could afford to do a little shopping."
"Could these greedy sobs be any more pathetic? Maybe if they paid all their employees a living wage, they could afford to do a little shopping."
America's Environmental Future Starts Now | Common Dreams
America's Environmental Future Starts Now | Common Dreams
"Drought-stricken farmers in Iowa get it. Homeowners from the Jersey Shore get it. Eroding Alaskan native communities get it. Flooded families in New Orleans get it. They will all be part of thousands of people here on Sunday who get it -- America's energy past is dead in the ground. Our energy future is in the air, with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. The Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring dirty tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. for export, will lead only to further darkness."
"Drought-stricken farmers in Iowa get it. Homeowners from the Jersey Shore get it. Eroding Alaskan native communities get it. Flooded families in New Orleans get it. They will all be part of thousands of people here on Sunday who get it -- America's energy past is dead in the ground. Our energy future is in the air, with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. The Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring dirty tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. for export, will lead only to further darkness."
The Fight Over The Minimum Wage
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The Great Wealth Robbery | Common Dreams
The Great Wealth Robbery | Common Dreams
"There’s a Great Robbery underway, although most of its perpetrators don’t see themselves as robbers. Instead they’re sustained by delusions that protect them from facing the consequences of their own actions."
"There’s a Great Robbery underway, although most of its perpetrators don’t see themselves as robbers. Instead they’re sustained by delusions that protect them from facing the consequences of their own actions."
The Planetary Crisis of Climate Change is Not Political... It's Physics | Common Dreams
The Planetary Crisis of Climate Change is Not Political... It's Physics | Common Dreams
"Let me be very clear. The issue that we are dealing with today is not political. It has nothing to do with Democrats, Republicans, Independents and all of the political squabbling we see here every day. It has everything to do with physics."
"Let me be very clear. The issue that we are dealing with today is not political. It has nothing to do with Democrats, Republicans, Independents and all of the political squabbling we see here every day. It has everything to do with physics."
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