Saturday, June 14, 2014
Two Years Early, Wisconsin Hits Goal To Get 10 Percent Of Its Electricity From Renewables
The state met its goal for renewable energy use two years before it
was supposed to. The post Two Years Early, Wisconsin Hits ... Read more
Michigan Lawmaker Wants Tar Sands Waste To Count As Renewable Energy
Petcoke is mostly carbon, so it emits more CO2 than coal does when
burned.The post Michigan Lawmaker Wants Tar Sands Waste To ... Read more
FCC to investigate Netflix-Verizon spat
Verizon and Netflix have been feuding in recent weeks over which company is to blame for slow streaming speeds. Now, government regulators are stepping in to figure out who's really at fault. Read more
CNBC Anchor Loses It: ‘I Don’t Know Who the Republican Party Is Anymore’
“As someone pretty much not religious, pro-same-sex marriage, pro-legalization of marijuana for the most part — what party is this? What party am I supposed to be in? When I’m a fiscal conservative who believes that small government can often be better — there are times for larger government.
“So we keep saying ‘The Republican Party.’ I don’t know who the Republican Party is anymore. I don’t know if the Republican Party knows who the Republican Party — because it’s not a party, unfortunately, that I can get on board with, because I don’t like the small-minded attitude of a lot of the far right wing stuff that comes out. I should go home now.”
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnbc-anchor-loses-it-over-gop-i-dont-know-who-the-republican-party-is-anymore/
“So we keep saying ‘The Republican Party.’ I don’t know who the Republican Party is anymore. I don’t know if the Republican Party knows who the Republican Party — because it’s not a party, unfortunately, that I can get on board with, because I don’t like the small-minded attitude of a lot of the far right wing stuff that comes out. I should go home now.”
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnbc-anchor-loses-it-over-gop-i-dont-know-who-the-republican-party-is-anymore/
Friday, June 13, 2014
Beyond Silicon Valley, Declining Entrepreneurship (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
The pride of the American economy from early days was the idea that
anyone could jump in, start their own business and make things happen.
And for a long time, American entrepreneurship drove the US economy and
American dreams. It still does in Silicon Valley and other hot spots.
But nationally, the numbers are down. American entrepreneurship is
sagging. That’s bad for innovation, for jobs, for dreams. Is it red
tape gumming up the works? Is it giant companies – Wal-Mart etc. –
blocking the way? This hour On Point: American entrepreneurship in
decline. We’ll ask why. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/05/15/small-business-jobs-regulation-entrepreneurship
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/05/15/small-business-jobs-regulation-entrepreneurship
'Uncertain Justice' And The Roberts Court (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
We are a nation of law. Change the law, change the country. The
ultimate arbiter is the Supreme Court. Under Chief Justice John
Roberts, the country is changing. On campaign finance. Money
politics. Corporate power. Unions. Guns. Health care. Gay marriage.
Race. In 5-4 decision after decision, the Roberts court is changing
the country. Critics call it a politicized high court, not above
polarization but part of it. My guest today, constitutional scholar
Laurence Tribe, says it’s more subtle than that. More interesting.
This hour On Point: the Roberts court, and where it is taking the
country. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/06/03/scotus-individual-rights-citizens-united
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/06/03/scotus-individual-rights-citizens-united
'Citizens United' And The Koch Brothers (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Everyone knows the story of big money blowing up in American
politics. It’s happening again right now, for mid-term elections and
the 2016 vote ahead. Filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin went out to
show how it really works, on the ground. Not just big money.
Super-sized money. They named their documentary “Citizen Koch” – as in
the billionaire Koch brothers. Then things really got hairy. Funding
pulled. Kickstarter to the rescue. The push for a constitutional
amendment on campaign spending. This hour On Point: giant money in our
politics and “Citizen Koch.” / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/06/04/koch-brothers-citizens-united-big-money
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/06/04/koch-brothers-citizens-united-big-money
Week In The News: Cantor Defeated, Iraq In Crisis, Teacher Tenure Turmoil (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Upset in Washington this week. Eric Cantor’s. And an astonishing unraveling in Iraq. Black-clad, harsher-than-al-Qaeda militants streaming in from civil war-wracked Syria. Taking Mosul, then city after city, sweeping toward Baghdad. Where US soldiers died by the thousands, now a collapse in days. Eric Cantor’s defeat by a Tea Party novice, an earthquake on Capitol Hill. GOP regrouping. Rethinking. We’ve got more, sickening school shooting. World Cup. Hillary Clinton on a big press tour. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/06/13/iraq-mosul-isis-eric-cantor-tea-party
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/06/13/iraq-mosul-isis-eric-cantor-tea-party
Friday News Roundup - Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s had a surprising loss in the Virginia primaries this week. At a congressional hearing, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel defended the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange. And a judge ruled California’s teacher tenure law is unconstitutional. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top news stories.
Interview:
Friday News Roundup - International (Diane Rehm Show)
Iraq scrambles to defend Baghdad as Sunni insurgents advance on the capital. While President Obama says the U.S. is looking for ways to help the Iraqi government, the White House rules out sending ground troops. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel defends the deal to secure the release of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. A friendly-fire airstrike kills five U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan. The U.S. resumes drone attacks in Pakistan. A Nigerian Islamic militant group kidnaps more girls. And the start of the world cup is marred by protests in the streets of Brazil.A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
Interview:
Where Congress Won't Tread In Benghazi Hearings
The noisy fight over Secretary of State John Kerry’s testimony about the Benghazi attack tells us the one thing we know about it: we’re no closer to the truth. That’s not likely to change, even with a fifth Congressional probe on the way.
... Read more
... Read more
Alex Jones & Larry Pratt: Obama Training Military To Attack Tea Party
Conspiracy nut Alex Jones says the Obama
administration has been hot on the heels of the Tea Party movement and
will use tanks, drones and everything else to mount an attack on them.
Shep Smith Attacks Iraq War Hawks: Same People Who Lied To Us Are Doing It Again
Shep Smith opened up his broadcast on Fox News Friday afternoon by asking serious questions about those who once told us it was the rigth thing to do ... Read more
Mika Brzezinski Dukes It Out With John McCain Over Iraq War
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski had a heated argument with Sen. John McCain over the Obama administration's handling of the Iraq war. McCain has been acting l... Read more
This Is Your Brain On Fox, Part The Infinity
This is what happens to your brain after either watching too much Faux "news" or listening to way too many hours of right wing hate talk radio... Read more
Elon Musk Destroys The Rationale For Patents, Opens Up All Of Tesla's
Elon Musk has now made the official announcement and it actually goes way beyond what was originally rumored. It's not just about the... Read more
Wingnuts Bully CNN Into Redefining Some School Shootings
So you can face much higher penalties for selling drugs near a school
-- but if you actively shoot someone in a school or on the school
grounds, CNN m... Read more
Cantor Loss May Temper House Leaders
WASHINGTON
— For all the talk of a lurch to the right after the primary election
defeat this week of the House majority leader, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the race to remake the Republican leadership may actually leave its top ranks more moderate...
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/us/cantor-loss-may-temper-house-leaders.html
WATCH: Stephen Colbert Eviscerates 'Justice' System that Imprisons People for Being Poor
What we can learn about gendered behavior by studying other primates
Looking at chimpanzees and bonobos demonstrates that the behavior of boys and girls is highly variable, depending on both ... Read more
Straight To Hell?: Texas Congressman Launches Inquisition During ‘Religious Liberty’ Hearing
Gohmert and his colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice were supposed to be discussing the state of religious liberty in America. But Gohmert, a staunch Religious Right ally who has said that his faith guides his political activities, used his allotted five minutes to grill Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn on his personal theological views. ... Read more
Stewart: Cantor's Loss Ends Congress' 'Golden Age Of Cooperation' (VIDEO)
Jon Stewart admitted on Wednesday's "The Daily Show" that for once, the 24-hour cable news cycle lived up to the hype when political newcomer David Br... Read more
The GOP’s New Reason For Refusing To Pass Immigration Reform: Bowe Bergdahl
The explanation is part of a long list of revolving excuses
Republicans have used to justify their inaction on the issue. The ... Read more
Eric Cantor’s Former Democratic Challenger On How To Turn The District Blue
Jim Nachman, an attorney and former Richmond City Democratic Chairman, was the 2006 Democratic nominee against then-Chief ... Read more
Big Lesson for Michigan 5th Graders
They come and go. It's noisy. But these 5th-graders still picked up some big lessons.
http://stateofopportunity.michiganradio.org/post/they-come-and-go-its-noisy-these-5th-graders-still-picked-some-big-lessons
http://stateofopportunity.michiganradio.org/post/they-come-and-go-its-noisy-these-5th-graders-still-picked-some-big-lessons
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Thanks To Obamacare, Minnesota’s Uninsurance Rate Has Dropped 40 Percent
The number of uninsured people in Minnesota has plunged to the lowest level in state history.The post Thanks To Obamacare, ... Read more
Michigan Lawmakers Introduce Radical ‘Heartbeat’ Bills To Ban Almost All Abortions
The legislation is so extreme that the state's leading anti-choice
group doesn't back it.The post Michigan Lawmakers Introduce ... Read more
Fracking Companies Used 45 Million Pounds Of Toxic Chemicals In Los Angeles Last Year
Chemicals used by the oil and gas industry can be toxic and even carcinogenic. The post Fracking Companies Used 45 Million ... Read more
Elizabeth Warren Goes After Mitch McConnell For Blocking Her Student Loan Bill
Sen. Elizabeth Warren didn't react kindly to the Senate Republicans and Mitch McConnell blocking her student loan bill, which would have "allowed an e... Read more
Texas GOP Lawmaker Defends Party Adopting Discredited 'Cure The Gay' Therapy
Despite warnings of the damage that it is eventually going to do to their party, the Texas GOP decided that this would be a good idea earlier this wee... Read more
Rick Perry Draws A Parallel Between Homosexuality, Alcoholism
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) raised eyebrows Wednesday at an event in San Francisco when he drew a parallel between homosexuality and alcoholism. Read M... Read more
Oklahoma GOP Candidate OK With Stoning Gay People To Death
A Republican candidate for the Oklahoma state House who boasts that he's looking forward to "applying Biblical principles to Oklahoma law" is okay with gay people being stoned to death -- even if he won't legislate the practice himself.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/scott-esk-stoning-gay-people
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/scott-esk-stoning-gay-people
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Could A Democrat Win Eric Cantor’s House District?
While the gerrymandered Virginia 7th Congressional District has a
distinct Republican tilt, a few signs suggest that the race ... Read more
House Republican Budget Would Cut $113 Million From Renewable Energy
In other news, the bill's proposed spending on non-renewable sources of energy went up $117.5 million over the president's ... Read more
David Brat: Embrace Christian Capitalism, Or Hitler Will Come Back
Brat claims to be a "fairly orthodox Calvinist," but several of his
published writings expose a unsettling core theology that ... Read more
Tens Of Thousands Of North Carolina Kids Will Get Free School Meals Next Year
A federal program to make free school meals available to all kids regardless of income is coming to one North Carolina ... Read more
If We Were Better At Preventing Bullying, Could We Prevent More School Shootings?
Research suggests that the kids who become bullies after being targets of bullying themselves are more likely to carry ... Read more
Push To Impose Extra Fees On Customers Who Install Solar Panels Sparks Outrage In Utah
"I've never seen such a hostility from residents as I have on this issue."The post Push To Impose Extra Fees On Customers Who ... Read more
Can A New ‘Magic School Bus,’ With Help From Netflix, Make America’s Kids Love Science?
Seatbelts, everyone! Netflix just ordered 26 episodes of a new,
computer-animated Magic School Bus series. Can the show get ... Read more
Finland Sets New, Ambitious Goal For Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions
It's the latest European nation, after Denmark, to do so, adding its
momentum to efforts in the E.U. parliament, China, and ... Read more
Trouble For Brat: Cantor’s District Supports Immigration Reform
A Public Policy Poll shows Cantor
lost because of how unpopular Republican leadership is. ... Read more
Brat Sought Endorsement Of Group That Believes Violence Could Be Needed To Stop Obama
William Gheen wants President Obama arrested for his immigration policies, possibly through a military coup . ... Read more
9 Reasons Why Eric Cantor's Primary Defeat Is Very Bad News for Everyone | The Daily Banter
...By any measure, David Brat’s victory was really, really bad news for
just about everyone, especially and specifically Normals in both
parties. I hate to be Debbie Downer, but here’s why Cantor’s loss is
everyone’s loss...
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/06/9-reasons-eric-cantors-primary-defeat-bad-news-everyone/
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/06/9-reasons-eric-cantors-primary-defeat-bad-news-everyone/
Indiana GOP Candidate: ‘No One Has The Guts To Just Let The Poor Wither And Die’
Indiana House candidate John Johnston made the denigrating remarks on
the social media site, where he said, "No one has the guts to just let
them [the... Read more
The Science of Receiving Feedback: Mentor Workshop Introduction
In this 8-part Big Think Mentor workshop Sheila Heen teaches you the art and science of giving and receiving feedback.
Heen is a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and a Founder of Triad Consulting. This workshop is an introduction / accompaniment to her latest book (co-authored by Douglas Stone), Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well
http://youtu.be/wnojHbEBGqU
Heen is a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and a Founder of Triad Consulting. This workshop is an introduction / accompaniment to her latest book (co-authored by Douglas Stone), Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well
http://youtu.be/wnojHbEBGqU
800 Dead Children Stuffed Into Septic Tank, You Know, For God
"In a town in western Ireland, where castle ruins pepper green landscapes, there's a six-foot stone wall that once surrounded a place called the Home. Between 1925 and 1961, thousands of "fallen women" and their "illegitimate" children passed through the Home, run by the Bon Secours nuns in Tuam.
Many of the women, after paying a penance of indentured servitude for their out-of-wedlock pregnancy, left the Home for work and lives in other parts of Ireland and beyond. Some of their children were not so fortunate.
More than five decades after the Home was closed and destroyed — where a housing development and children's playground now stands — what happened to nearly 800 of those abandoned children has now emerged: Their bodies were piled into a massive septic tank sitting in the back of the structure and forgotten, with neither gravestones nor coffins."
http://youtu.be/2g_3gg4wk8c
Many of the women, after paying a penance of indentured servitude for their out-of-wedlock pregnancy, left the Home for work and lives in other parts of Ireland and beyond. Some of their children were not so fortunate.
More than five decades after the Home was closed and destroyed — where a housing development and children's playground now stands — what happened to nearly 800 of those abandoned children has now emerged: Their bodies were piled into a massive septic tank sitting in the back of the structure and forgotten, with neither gravestones nor coffins."
http://youtu.be/2g_3gg4wk8c
Could The Texas GOP Platform BE More Anti-Democratic, Anti-Gay, Nuts?
"According to a draft party platform obtained by the Houston Chronicle, the Texas Republican Party is ready to support a sweeping right-wing agenda with planks related to the 'Benghazi cover up,' the elimination of the minimum wage and 'the myth of separation of church and state.'
http://youtu.be/nm95qjMEn_I
http://youtu.be/nm95qjMEn_I
Church Bosses Demand Bigotry & Teachers Say 'Hell No'
"Veteran teachers are leaving their jobs over the highly specific morality clause in their new contracts with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The revised contracts bars teachers -- whether they're Catholic or not -- from living with a partner or having sex outside of marriage, using in-vitro fertilization, living a gay "lifestyle," or publicly supporting any of those things.
First-grade teacher Molly Shumate, a lifelong Catholic, ended her 14-year career at the elementary school she attended rather than risk disciplinary action for supporting her 22-year-old son, who is gay."
http://youtu.be/ToRVeslxbVs
The revised contracts bars teachers -- whether they're Catholic or not -- from living with a partner or having sex outside of marriage, using in-vitro fertilization, living a gay "lifestyle," or publicly supporting any of those things.
First-grade teacher Molly Shumate, a lifelong Catholic, ended her 14-year career at the elementary school she attended rather than risk disciplinary action for supporting her 22-year-old son, who is gay."
http://youtu.be/ToRVeslxbVs
Neil DeGrasse Tyson Targeted By Fox News' House Racist
"On Tuesday night, Gavin McInnes spewed a hateful rant about "Cosmos" host and noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. McInnes, who was outed from Vice (which he co-founded), has a sordid history of racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments.
The segment was based on picking apart an interview of Neil deGrasse Tyson done by Chris Hayes. In the interview Tyson joked about his "greatest fear" being that intelligent life would steer clear of making contact with Earth because of the signals we unwittingly put out into space — including past TV and radio programs.
After playing a clip of the interview, host Greg Gutfeld started the Tyson bashing.'
http://youtu.be/Z-LqEKEjS78
The segment was based on picking apart an interview of Neil deGrasse Tyson done by Chris Hayes. In the interview Tyson joked about his "greatest fear" being that intelligent life would steer clear of making contact with Earth because of the signals we unwittingly put out into space — including past TV and radio programs.
After playing a clip of the interview, host Greg Gutfeld started the Tyson bashing.'
http://youtu.be/Z-LqEKEjS78
It's Great News, So Why Is Israel Upset?
"An announcement by the US that it will continue working with a new interim Palestinian unity government backed by Hamas, which was sworn in on Monday, has been condemned by Israel.
Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, had asked Washington not to rush into recognising the technocratic government, which is backed by two key Palestinian factions, Fatah and the Islamist group Hamas. He said on Tuesday he was "deeply troubled" by the decision.
Other ministers allied with Netanyahu described the announcement by US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki that the US "will work with this government" in far harsher terms."
http://youtu.be/5bKEWb4kkhA
Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, had asked Washington not to rush into recognising the technocratic government, which is backed by two key Palestinian factions, Fatah and the Islamist group Hamas. He said on Tuesday he was "deeply troubled" by the decision.
Other ministers allied with Netanyahu described the announcement by US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki that the US "will work with this government" in far harsher terms."
http://youtu.be/5bKEWb4kkhA
Christian Right Attacks Planned Parenthood For Praying
...The majority of white evangelicals, Mormons, and Hispanic Catholics believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, according to the Pew Research Center, while the majority of white mainline Protestants, white Catholics, black Protestants, Jews, and unaffiliated believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases...
http://time.com/2849281/planned-parenthood-christian-right-tony-perkins/
http://time.com/2849281/planned-parenthood-christian-right-tony-perkins/
America’s religious constriction
I am both shocked and fascinated by Americans’ religious literalism...
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/11/americas-religious-constriction/
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/11/americas-religious-constriction/
One life: the positive message of atheism
Oliver Shore argues that atheism is a better guide to life than any religion can be.
http://oxfordstudent.com/2014/06/11/one-life-the-positive-message-of-atheism/
http://oxfordstudent.com/2014/06/11/one-life-the-positive-message-of-atheism/
The Two Words John Boehner Can't Bring Himself To Say
"Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) was asked Tuesday if he considers the Las Vegas shootings on Sunday to be "an act of domestic terrorism."
"I -- I'm not sure how I'd describe it," he responded to reporters in the Capitol. "But clearly we had a couple of sick individuals who engaged in a horrific crime. And our hearts go out to those families, especially the families of those two officers who went down."
The perpetrators, identified as Jerad Miller and Amanda Miller, reportedly killed two cops and one civilian before taking their own lives. Jerad Miller appears to have harbored extreme animosity toward the federal government, mixing Second Amendment advocacy with violent rhetoric and open calls for armed revolution."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
http://youtu.be/VmAJiYvYAPc
"I -- I'm not sure how I'd describe it," he responded to reporters in the Capitol. "But clearly we had a couple of sick individuals who engaged in a horrific crime. And our hearts go out to those families, especially the families of those two officers who went down."
The perpetrators, identified as Jerad Miller and Amanda Miller, reportedly killed two cops and one civilian before taking their own lives. Jerad Miller appears to have harbored extreme animosity toward the federal government, mixing Second Amendment advocacy with violent rhetoric and open calls for armed revolution."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
http://youtu.be/VmAJiYvYAPc
Think Negotiating With Terrorists Is Bad? Try Paying Them Like Bush & Reagan
"We turn now to the Philippines, where the Abu Sayyaf terror network—Islamic fundamentalist, al Qaeda-linked, occupant of a slot on the State Department's official terrorist-organization list since Bill Clinton put it there in 1997—was rampaging around the southern archipelago and taking Westerners hostage. Two such hostages were an American husband-and-wife missionary team, Martin and Gracia Burnham. They were kidnapped in May 2001. Their captivity was a pretty big story for a while, but then came September, and the inferno of Lower Manhattan.
The Abu Sayyaf M.O. was the normal one—to demand large (or oddly not so large; the original demand for the Burnhams' safety was $1 million) sums of money for their captives' safe return. There were talks, and they bled into 2002. In April of that year, Bush gave a speech that included the line: "No nation can negotiate with terrorists, for there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death."
A nice line. But of course, at that exact moment, the United States was negotiating intently with Abu Sayyaf for the Burnhams' release."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
http://youtu.be/Xsfs73oBzMI
The Abu Sayyaf M.O. was the normal one—to demand large (or oddly not so large; the original demand for the Burnhams' safety was $1 million) sums of money for their captives' safe return. There were talks, and they bled into 2002. In April of that year, Bush gave a speech that included the line: "No nation can negotiate with terrorists, for there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death."
A nice line. But of course, at that exact moment, the United States was negotiating intently with Abu Sayyaf for the Burnhams' release."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
http://youtu.be/Xsfs73oBzMI
St. Louis Archbishop Carlson Uncertain If He Knew Sexual Abuse Was A Crime
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson claimed to be uncertain that he knew sexual abuse of a child by a priest constituted a crime when he was auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to a deposition released Monday.
Read more
Read more
Why The Terrorists Are Winning in Iraq
The Islamists too extreme for al
Qaeda have scored their biggest victory yet. But the price of victory
could be a giant target on their backs.
... Read more
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