DN Speak: 4/26/15

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Debate Over Fast-Track Authority For The Trans-Pacific Partnership

Negotiators from 12 countries have been meeting for more than a decade on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. As the meetings draw to a close, a bill in the Senate aims to give the president “fast-track” authority that would allow an up or down vote on trade deals that Congress can’t amend. Critics say that would be undemocratic and lets negotiators insert provisions favorable to big business. Supporters of trade promotion authority say countries won’t sign onto the TPP without it. Diane and guests discuss debate over granting fast-track authority to the president, and what the Trans-Pacific Partnership could mean for the U.S. economy and American workers.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-30/debate-over-fast-track-authority-for-the-trans-pacific-partnership

WikiLeaks Verges On Gossip Territory (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

WikiLeaks is at it again. This time publishing all of the documents hacked from Sony last November. Thirty thousand documents. Two hundred thousand private emails. And it’s not all business. Personal stuff like Amazon purchases, medical records, salaries are out there online. For everyone’s eyes. WikiLeaks famously blew the whistle on big government and a snooping NSA. Now is it a gossip rag? In this technology age, can we assume any privacy when we post, tweet, buy, share? This hour On Point: WikiLeaks, and what’s at stake for privacy, security, and journalism.
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/04/30/wikileaks-sony-hack-gossip-outrage

Streaming now on Netflix: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Eighth-grade Catholic school boys plan a prank on a mean, one-legged nun after she punishes them for having drawn an obscene comic book.
http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/60022987?trkid=13641790

Commander-In-Belief?: Americans Have A History Of Thinking The President Isn’t Christian Enough

Regardless of what the American people may think, religious belief (or lack thereof) should never be used to decide whether or not a candidate is fit to serve. After all, the U.S. Constitution specifically bars religious tests for office – and with good reason.
... Read more

Maher Slams Republican Chickenhawks For Having Learned Nothing From Invading Iraq

Real Time host Bill Maher went after Republicans during his New Rules segment for having learned absolutely nothing from our invasion of Iraq. Maher r... Read more

NY State Senate Leader To Be Arrested Next Week

The arrests will come three months after the Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested and charged. via The New York Times Dean G. Skelos, the le... Read more

Fox News Bullies Call For Cuts To Anti-Poverty Measures To Fix Baltimore

Brenda Buttner's Bulls and Bears segment begins with logical talk from House leaders and President Obama about the need for places for kids to play an... Read more

Cavuto And Crew Attack Bernie Sanders As A 'Kook'

As Fran noted this week in her post this week on Chuck Todd dissing Bernie Sanders back in 2010: When you're watching coverage of the Bernie Sanders ... Read more

Pope praises California priest: Saint or sinner to Native Americans?

Pope Francis lauded the work of Father Junípero Serra, an 18th century Spanish priest in California. Others disagree that Father Serra should be dubbe... Read more

Jimmy Carter calls situation in Gaza 'intolerable' in visit to Jerusalem

The former president remains determined to work for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza after brokering the first Israeli-Arab peace treaty ... Read more

Inside Chris Christie's No Good, Really Bad, Downright Terrible Day

Four hundred seventy-seven days after receiving a referral from the Inspector General of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the office of ... Read more

Bernie Sanders Plans To Dramatically Alter Social Security

See how the different proposals to alter Social Security would impact the program. ... Read more

https://youtu.be/GZWZUGXLbv4

Article: This Is the Key to Happiness, According to Psychotherapists

The story you tell yourself about your life. When your vision of your life story is inadequate, depression can result. Psychotherapists actually help "rewrite" that story and this process is as, if not more, effective than medication. Via The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human: Accord...

http://time.com/3842551/psychotherapists-key-happiness/

Article: GOP Prosecutor Defends Scott Walker Criminal Probe, Says "Let's Get the Truth Out"

Two career prosecutors--one a Republican, one a Democrat--just called Scott Walker a liar, and not a single national newspaper took notice. The comments came after Walker, an unannounced candidate for president, used an appearance on an Iowa radio show to publicly attack a bipartisan criminal inv...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-bottari/gop-prosecutor-defends-sc_b_7193252.html

Jindal blasts Obama’s ‘Mafia-style’ tactics to expand Medicaid

...Scott filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration this week for allegedly threatening to withhold more than $2 billion in hospital money if Florida refuses to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare.

“I'd call that kind of approach Mafia-style tactics, but to do so would be an insult to TV mob boss Tony Soprano,” Jindal wrote in an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel...
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/240764-jindal-blasts-obamas-mafia-style-tactics-to-expand-medicaid

Bobby Jindal Robs Louisianans Of A Chance At Higher Education

By Greg Molchan: "I am proud to have received a world class education at Louisiana State University, where I studied medieval Literature. I am not prou..." Read more

Record Police Misconduct And Send It To ACLU? There's An App For That

The ACLU is making it easier to record and send video of police encounters. I'm sure that disturbs the police, but it's a terrific tool in the hands o... Read more

Both Parties Unite In Move To Amend Patriot Act

The New York Times today has a story about the move to limit government surveillance in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. But there's a not-... Read more

5 Points On Most Significant New Developments In The BridgeGate Scandal

About 19 months after unexpected lane closures on the George Washington Bridge snarled traffic for several days in the town of Fort Lee, New Jersey, a... Read more

The Chief Justice Voiced An Absurd Argument Against Marriage Equality

Chief Justice John Roberts expressed concern about ending the debate on same-sex marriage, but it doesn't add up. ... Read more

Satanists Seize On Hobby Lobby To Test The Limit Of Religious Freedom

...Over the past several years, its adherents have used several creative campaigns to test the limits of religious freedom, like pointing out that laws allowing Christian prayer in school will also ensure that kids can pray to Satan... They're arguing that they should be exempt from waiting periods and counseling laws [for abortion]. ... Read more

Man Who Filmed Freddie Gray Reportedly Arrested Under Suspicious Circumstances

"They treat terrorists better than they treat us." ... Read more

Donald Rumsfeld Defends Riots As An Understandable Response To Political Repression

"While no one condones looting, on the other hand, one can understand the pent-up feelings that may result from decades of ... Read more

GOP House Leaders Create ‘Action Group’ To Seize And Sell America’s Public Lands

A group of Republican congressmen this week took an aggressive step in a campaign to seize and sell off America's national ... Read more

Church Of England Divests From Coal And Tar Sands, Citing ‘Moral Responsibility’

"Climate change is already a reality," a church leader said in a statement. ... Read more

Wisconsin Republicans Don’t Want Food Stamp Recipients Buying Beans, Potatoes, Pasta Sauce

A bill to prohibit shellfish purchases for food stamps recipients in Wisconsin would also make it harder for low-income ... Read more

Friday, May 1, 2015

Republican Shill Steve King Screws Workers!

Thom Hartmann comments on Republican Congressman Steve King's amendment to the 2016 Military Construction and Veteran's Affairs Appropriations act that prohibits fair pay for VA contractors.
https://youtu.be/1sUw2mUgJP8

10 Shocking Facts About Baltimore

A quarter of the city's inhabitants live in abject poverty... Read more

Rand Paul Blames 'Lack of Fathers' for Baltimore Unrest—But His Own Son Was Just Arrested for Drunk Driving

Does the presidential aspirant blame himself?
... Read more

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Eviscerates Same-Sex Marriage Opponents in Court

At 82, the supreme court justice cut through the question of gay marriage’s constitutionality in a way that seemed to move even her most conservative peers.
... Read more

8 Dangerous Side Effects of Fracking That the Industry Doesn't Want You to Hear About

...To help keep track of all the bad stuff, here's a roundup of the various nasty things that could happen when you drill a hole in the surface of the earth, inject toxic chemicals into the hole at a high pressure and then inject the wastewater deep underground. ... Read more

Week In The News: Baltimore Erupts, Nepal Disaster, Same-Sex Marriage At SCOTUS (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

It’s Baltimore above all, this week. The death. The anger. The protest and mayhem in the streets and what to call it. The long, long wait to know who or what killed Freddie Gray. At the Supreme Court, same sex marriage front and center, with a big decision on its way. High in Nepal, a terrible quake still rumbling. We’ve got TPP and the Prime Minister of Japan in the US. The PATRIOT Act and American surveillance getting scrubbed in Congress. The Iran deal getting a going over, too. And Bernie Sanders will run for the White House. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/05/01/same-sex-scotus-nepal-earthquake-freddie-gray-baltimore

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

The Justice Department announces a $20 million dollar pilot program for police body cameras. That news comes as peaceful protests in Baltimore and elsewhere continue over the death of Freddie Gray. The U.S. economy grew by just 0.2 percent in the first quarter, well below the one percent forecast by many economists. The Supreme Court hears arguments in a potentially historic same-sex marriage case. The Clinton Foundation’s fundraising efforts continue to dog Hillary Clinton’s early presidential campaign,as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) announces he’s seeking the Democratic nomination for president. A panel of journalists joins guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-05-01/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)

In a speech to the U.S. Congress, Japan’s prime minister presses for support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. The head of Nepal’s army says the death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake could rise significantly. It now exceeds 6,000. Saudi Arabia’s monarchy redraws the lines of succession to tap a younger generation of leaders. The U.S. Navy begins to accompany some American-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes a cargo ship. And U.S. officials acknowledge the FBI facilitated the ransom payment of an American held hostage by al Qaida. A panel of journalists joins guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-05-01/friday-news-roundup-international

The Christian god is a three headed monster

Did Thomas Jefferson say this?

"The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes: fools and hypocrites."[1]

The answer: https://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/christian-god-three-headed-monster

Every Time Ted Cruz Uses ‘Liberal Fascism’ He Proves He Knows Nothing About Politics

It can only be assumed Ted Cruz and his minions over at Fox News believe everyone they talk to is a moron... and based on the ... Read more

9 powerful photos that show the more peaceful side of Baltimore’s protests

The riots in Baltimore that started after Freddie Gray's funeral Monday, April 27, have produced dramatic, violent images: burning cars and buildings,... Read more

Obama says we need the TPP to compete with China. That argument has a big flaw.

President Barack Obama made one of his favorite arguments for the Trans- Pacific Partnership in an interview with the Wall Street Journal this week. "... Read more

The quiet global crisis that scares the State Department

A big new State Department assessment has identified a major threat to global security. It's not ISIS or Vladimir Putin. It's not a rickety global eco... Read more

College students are making global warming a moral issue. Here's why that scares people.

The Pope plans on delivering an encyclical on climate change this summer, and it has American conservatives freaking out. The Heartland Institute, a l... Read more

Watch Jon Stewart’s brutal segment on how America ignored Baltimore before the riots

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart on Tuesday slammed the decades of neglect that led Baltimore to erupt in protests and violence over the past week, suggesting that the crisis was decades in the making but went ignored by media and public officials until rioting began.
... Read more

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Hillary Clinton made a point about mental illness that every American needs to know

"Our prisons and our jails are now our mental health institutions," Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton declared in a Wednesday speech o... Read more

Roseanne Barr Is Going Blind. Here's What You Should Know

In an interview last week with The Daily Beast, actress Roseanne Barr revealed that she is slowly going blind. Barr, 62, hasn't lost her vision yet, b... Read more

Neil deGrasse Tyson on religious people

Excerpt from a speech at TAM 6 in Las Vegas. The whole speech can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlVm5x...

https://youtu.be/5xvILvxYbFA

Ted Cruz: Gay Activists and Marriage Equality Supporters Are 'Liberal Fascists'

Arguably the most ludicrous book to emerge during the George W. Bush era was hilariously titled, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American L... Read more

Love in Action: Robert Kennedy Jr.

This past week marked the 45 annual celebration of Earth Day. Robert Kennedy Jr., featured in this episode of "Love in Action" and nephew to the iconi... Read more

The Best Commentary Out Of Baltimore Is Coming Straight From The Mouths Of Its Residents

Baltimore residents were out in force on Tuesday, cleaning up their city and contributing a new round of diplomatic discourse to a tense debate that h... Read more

Football Fibs: Allen West Blames Sports Injuries On Church-State Separation

"West’s comments, which are devoid of facts and out of touch with reality, are so typical of the Religious Right. Find a problem, real or imagined, and blame it on lack of prayer. In this case, prayer is irrelevant. Football has gotten safer over time, and I doubt God had anything to do with that – unless you believe God invented shoulder pads..."
... Read more