Ted Cruz Lost This Man's Vote Because He Won't Do Enough About Drug Addiction | ThinkProgress

“I’m all for the borders being shut, but drugs are getting into the hands of addicts from drug dealers in lab coats,” he told ThinkProgress. “The pharmaceutical industry is complicit in killing people. It’s a business for them. I understand Cruz’s constitutional point, but that doesn’t outweigh all the people that are dying of overdoses. So Ted Cruz completely lost my vote today.”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/06/3746871/cruz-heroin-addiction-nh/

Knowing David Bowie (It's Crackers To Slip A Rozzer The Dropsy In Snide)

Penn talks about his time with David Bowie. Donald Trump sends money to Lawrence O'Donnell. Everything Penn said last week about Desert Bus was wrong.
http://www.podcastone.com/pg/jsp/program/episode.jsp?programID=336&pid=100600275

Week In The News: Cruz Wins Iowa, Clinton Edges Sanders, Zika 'Emergency' (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

You could feel the intensity this week, in every corner of the primary campaign. Ted Cruz celebrating his Iowa win. Trump trying to keep cool, then shouting fraud. Clinton claiming her win, but knowing it looked like a tie. With Sanders, throwing down last night over money, influence, smears and what it means to be progressive. And then: Zika, Shkreli, the draft for women, Obama at a mosque. This hour On Point, our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/02/05/iowa-caucus-cruz-clinton-sanders-zika

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show, 2016-02-05)

The Democratic presidential candidates hold their last debate before next week’s New Hampshire primary. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton clashed over their progressive bonafides, campaign finance, and foreign policy. The U.S. unemployment rate ticks down to 4.9 percent — the first time it’s been below five percent eight years. President Obama promotes religious tolerance in his appearance at a mosque and at the National Prayer Breakfast. A bi-partisan energy bill in the U.S. Senate is held up by Democrats who want funding to address the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. And Florida declares a state of emergency in counties with the Zika virus. A panel of journalists joins guest host Tom Gjelten for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-02-05/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show, 2016-02-05)

The head of NATO says Russian air strikes in Syria are undermining efforts to end the civil war. Syrian peace talks were suspended this week; they’re set to resume later this month. Saudi Arabia for the first time offers to deploy ground troops in Syria to join the fight against ISIS. Meanwhile, the strength of ISIS in Libya is forcing the Obama administration to weigh a larger U.S. presence there. The U.S. announces plans to quadruple military spending in Europe in response to aggressive moves by Russia. And a U.N. human rights panel calls for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to be freed immediately. A panel of journalists joins guest host Tom Gjelten for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-02-05/friday-news-roundup-international

Obamacare Enrollment Up About 15 Percent This Year

Add to that about 15 million people enrolled in Medicaid thanks to the Obamacare expansion, and the total number of people covered this year comes to 28 million or so. This means Obamacare has reduced the ranks of the uninsured from 19 percent to about 10 percent. Not bad...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/02/obamacare-enrollment-about-15-percent-year

Obama Wants to Raise Your Gas Prices to Pay for Trains

"The president will propose more than $300 billion worth of investments over the next decade in mass transit, high-speed rail, self-driving cars, and other transportation approaches designed to reduce carbon emissions and congestion. To pay for it all, Obama will call for a $10 "fee" on every barrel of oil, a surcharge that would be paid by oil companies but would presumably be passed along to consumers…The fee could add as much as 25 cents a gallon to the cost of gasoline."
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2016/02/obama-oil-tax

Ted Cruz Uses Rush Limbaugh in Radio Ad to Take Down Marco Rubio

Ted Cruz is hoping Rush Limbaugh can push him over the top in next Tuesday's New Hampshire Republican primary. Here's a spot that the senator from Texas is running on a Boston sports radio station, using the conservative yakker's words to brand Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who holds a slight edge in the race for second place, as a pro-amnesty hypocrite...
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2016/02/ted-cruz-radio-ad-slams-rubio-rush-limbaugh

Bernie Sanders: Americans "are working longer hours for low wages . . . and yet almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1 percent."

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/04/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-exaggerates-concentration-wealth-in/

The Story Behind Clinton's Jab At Sanders' One Wall Street Vote | ThinkProgress

Sanders voted in favor of passing Ewing’s original CFMA in October of 2000 and for the appropriations package that included Gramm’s end-around rewrite of it in December of that year. It’s that second vote that helped slam the door on regulations for derivatives. Again, such regulation wouldn’t have prevented the housing bubble, but it could at very least have put a canary in the mine on the elaborate system of interlocking wagers that investors placed on and around that bubble...
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/02/05/3746742/clinton-sanders-derivatives-regulation/

These House Representatives Just Did Something Amazing On Climate | ThinkProgress

Two congressmen — Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) and Rep. Theodore Deutch (D), both of Florida, filed paperwork this week to create the Climate Solutions Caucus...
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/05/3746212/house-climate-caucus/

How Satanists Trolled A Major City Into Submission

Phoenix, Arizona will no longer begin its city council meetings with a prayer, a reform the council adopted in order to prevent a Satanic Temple member from offering such an opening invocation...
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/02/05/3746252/the-hilarious-story-of-how-satanists-trolled-a-major-city-into-submission/

Outside Of The Debate, College Students Explain Why They Are Feeling The Bern

“I’m 100 percent Bernie,” freshman and first-time voter Emily Wilcox told ThinkProgress. “On education, women’s rights, equality, climate, and really everything, he’s great. He’s looking to the future and thinking about our generation.”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/04/3746580/bernie-sanders-nh-debate/

UN calls for Zika-hit countries to loosen abortion restrictions

UN asks how countries can ask women to avoid pregnancies but not offer ways to end them; Puerto Rico declares emergency...
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/2/5/un-calls-for-loosening-of-abortion-restrictions-in-zika-hit-countries.html

New report says the West Coast could cut its oil use in half by 2030 - CSMonitor.com

"We don't need a lot of fancy new technologies or breakthrough inventions to dramatically reduce our need for oil," said a UCS blog post announcing the report's release...
http://m.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2016/0205/New-report-says-the-West-Coast-could-cut-its-oil-use-in-half-by-2030

Scathing Study: La. Voucher Students Were Better Off In Public Schools

There is now solid evidence that vouchers do not improve student academic performance and are a bailout for academically weak sectarian schools. It is long past time to end the Louisiana Scholarship Program and this should be the nail in its coffin...
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/scathing-study-la-voucher-students-were-better-off-in-public-schools

Ted Cruz's Logo Is Hilariously Appropriate

An unfortunate pun for the Texas Senator.
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/ted-cruzs-logo-hilariously-appropriate

Controversial Israel Supporter Funneling Millions Into Clinton Campaign

While the contributions are not surprising from long-time Clinton-backers, $3 million of them notably poured in after the presidential hopeful authored a letter to Haim Saban in July of 2015, seeking advice on "how we can work together” to defeat the growing movement to Boycott, Divest from, and Sanction (BDS) Israel...
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/controversial-israel-supporter-funneling-millions-clinton-campaign

The Radical Out of Touch Republicans Offer a Proto-Fascist, a Christian Theocrat, and an Ayn Rand Neoliberal as Leading Candidates

Almost all of the 2016 Republican presidential primary candidates share the following beliefs...
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/radical-out-touch-republicans-offer-proto-fascist-christian-theocrat-and-ayn-rand

Report Cites Failure to Act Against Abusers of Juveniles in Detention

Amid significant reforms, federal officials worry that sexual abuse in juvenile justice system remains prevalent and too often unpunished.
https://www.propublica.org/article/report-cites-failure-to-act-against-abusers-of-juveniles-in-detention

The Consequences Of Defunding Planned Parenthood | ThinkProgress

Defunding Planned Parenthood clinics leaves some poor women unable to access the most effective forms of birth control, according to a new study from Texas-based researchers...
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/02/04/3746113/study-texas-planned-parenthood-defund/

Mr Deity and the Atheist

Richard Dawkins is mistakenly brought to the realm of the Deity.
https://youtu.be/bUFK0SrbaZs

10-Year-Old Credits 'Mario Kart' For Helping Him Save His Grandma's Life - Babunk

If you ever hear someone suggest that video games are bad for you, you might want to mention this little story. In 2013 a young boy’s skill playing “Mario Kart” helped save a Colorado family from disaster...
http://www.babunk.com/10-year-old-credits-mario-kart-for-helping-him-save-his-grandmas-life/

Elizabeth Warren to Democrats: Get Serious About Wall Street Prosecutions

Senator Elizabeth Warren is still fighting for the people and going against the big banks on Wall Street. Now, she rightfully wants the rest of the Democrats to step up and fight alongside her. Ring of Fire’s Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins discuss this.

https://youtu.be/NBaUxEuJrUs

Kenneth Copeland Says Ted Cruz Has Been 'Called & Anointed' By God To Be The Next President

Kenneth Copeland lays hands upon Rafael Cruz and declares that his son, Ted, has been anointed by God to be the next president of the United States.
https://youtu.be/J0_KKg6Wh3Q

Mr. Deity and the Donations

Mr. Deity asks Lucy's assistant about some suspicious donations.
https://youtu.be/lv8qkfJRPNk

Real Time with Bill Maher: Erin Brockovich – February 5, 2016 (HBO)

Consumer advocate Erin Brockovich joins Bill Maher to discuss how greed and corruption created a toxic water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and across the nation.
https://youtu.be/qI7p_cFtZ4w

Could The Future Of Urban Farming Be Found Inside Of An Old Shipping Container? | ThinkProgress

That’s because Bissanti is one of more than 50 farmers across the country growing produce in refrigerated shipping containers known as Leafy Green Machines, created by the Boston-based start-up Freight Farms. Outfitted with vertical hydroponics and LED light systems, the Leafy Green Machines are 320 square-foot self-contained farming units that can grow as much produce as two acres of farmland using less water per day than the average American needs for a single shower...
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/04/3742678/freight-farms-local-urban-farming/

A Proposed “Religious Freedom” Bill in West Virginia Would Let Believers Avoid All Sorts of Laws

...All of which effectively would effectively make saying “I believe…” the legal equivalent of having a “Get out of Jail Free” card in West Virginia...
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/02/05/a-proposed-religious-freedom-bill-in-west-virginia-would-let-believers-avoid-all-sorts-of-laws

Ted Cruz embraces apocalyptic preachers and anti-gay militants

One prominent end times-believing preacher who is active in the Cruz campaign is Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, who just happens to be the candidate’s father. The Rev. Cruz subscribes to Dominionist theology, a school of thought that says Genesis gives true men of faith the right to seize control of government and run the country by biblical mandates.

Is that vision shared by the younger Cruz?...
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-cruz-embraces-apocalyptic-preachers-20160205-story.html

Liberty Counsel: the law firm whose mission is to defend 'God's authority'

The evangelical firm, which relies on donations for its prosperity, rose to prominence after defending Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis and has taken up the mantle of ‘restoring the culture by advancing religious freedom’
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/03/liberty-counsel-law-firm-kim-davis-religious-freedom-abortion-same-sex-marriage-gay-conversion-therapy

"Slimy Pharma Executives Trying To Silence Bernie Sanders Health Care Ideas"

"In the world of business, there is no group more slimy and destructive than Pharma executives. With the recent Martin Shkreli debacle, we got a quick, inside look at just how corrupt these goons can be. So...what can we do to fix this?

America's Lawyer, Mike Papantonio, discusses this on The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann."
https://youtu.be/u49V-YAsnFI

Top U.S. & World Headlines — February 5, 2016

https://youtu.be/LiqHciu38Wc

Debate: Atheists vs Christians (Krauss + Shermer vs D'Souza + Hutchinson)(Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate)

Debate Topic: Science Refutes God

3:20 Introductions of the participants

Opening Statements:
8:24 Lawrence Krauss (Atheist)
15:45 Ian Hutchinson (Christian)
23:34 Michael Shermer (Atheist)
31:02 Dinesh D'Souza (Christian)

Q+A Period:
40:03 Question 1
54:11 Question 2
59:59 Question 3
1:05:45 Question 4 (audience)
1:09:50 Question 5 (audience)
1:11:13 Question 6 (audience)
1:12:11 Question 7 (audience)
1:14:44 Question 8 (audience) - Actor Andie MacDowell
1:16:54 Question 9 (audience)
1:18:16 Question 10 (audience)
1:22:41 Question 11 (audience)
1:24:25 Question 12 (audience)
1:28:35 Question 13 (audience)
1:29:44 Question 14 (audience)

Closing Statements:
1:33:24 Ian Hutchinson (Christian)
1:35:36 Michael Shermer (Atheist)
1:37:55 Dinesh D'Souza (Christian)
1:40:10 Lawrence Krauss (Atheist)

1:47:01 Debate Voting Results
https://youtu.be/L7vEB6FXtbs

Bill Maher Did NOT Disappoint In His Reaction To Sarah Palin’s Endorsement Of Trump (VIDEO)

"...There’s really no better person to roast Sarah Palin than Bill Maher, and he most definitely didn’t disappoint on Friday’s edition of his HBO show. After the failed vice presidential candidate and half-term governor of Alaska endorsed Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump this past week, it’s been pretty much nonstop coverage of her idiocy. After all, the woman showed up, dressed in wind chimes, and was clearly either drunk or overly caffeinated. Any way you put it, no one put it better than Maher when he stated:

“Trump and Gump. Fatman and Little Brain… it was really something. Did you happen to see any of her speech? Oh my God. It was like a crazy drunk bridesmaid grabbed the mic at a wedding reception. This woman has a thousand stupid clichés in her head, and when she opens her mouth, it’s like they’re all escaping a nightclub fire.”...
https://youtu.be/XY1R3TgkdiU

"Lunatic Bachmann Says Obama Is About To Reveal Himself As Anti-Christ"

"Yet again, Michele Bachmann is speaking complete nonsense. This time, she’s bringing back an old, hilarious talking point that Obama is the anti-Christ..."
https://youtu.be/7X7Dqj908-g

Colin Jost: A Pot Cookie Ruined My Date - Late Night with Seth Meyers

https://youtu.be/WJEtxEJkqSM

The Daily Show - Ted Cruz's Iowa Caucus Win

Fellow Republicans Ben Carson and Donald Trump lash out against Ted Cruz after the Texas senator wins the GOP Iowa caucuses.
https://youtu.be/CxhZU1K1vho

WATCH: Stephen Colbert Roasts the Republican Dropouts in the 2016 Race | Alternet

“People had such high hopes for Rand winning. In that those who hoped were clearly high.”
http://www.alternet.org/stephen-colbert-s-scalding-roast-election-dropouts

CDC alcohol recommendations criticized online

New guidelines from the CDC recommend women between 15 and 44 years old do not drink alcohol unless on birth control.
https://youtu.be/_nA9hduoLAU

Christian Singer Willing to Die for LaVoy Finicum's Beliefs

Victoria Sharp, an 18-year-old Christian singer, claims that Oregon militiaman LaVoy Finicum was murdered and that she is willing to die for his beliefs.
https://youtu.be/E6ryqbzNFWo

AlterNet Comics: Keith Knight on Chicago Police's Faulty Dash and Body Cams

Documents say the cams were damaged by the officers...
http://www.alternet.org/comics/alternet-comics-keith-knight-chicago-polices-faulty-dash-and-body-cams

Environmental Injustice: What the Candidates Missed in Flint — and the Rest of the Country

The EPA has never once made a formal finding of a civil rights violation in its 23-year history...
http://www.alternet.org/environment/environmental-injustice-what-candidates-missed-flint-and-rest-country

Cops Caught on Camera in Cowardly Gang-Style Beating of an Unarmed Man Lying Face Down

"Watch the video and then ask yourself why so many people, both innocent and guilty, so often run from police."
http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/cops-caught-camera-cowardly-gang-style-beating-unarmed-man-lying-face-down

8 Traits of Toxic Managers

In corporate culture, workplace bullies who use subtle tactics can climb the ladder...
http://www.alternet.org/culture/8-traits-toxic-managers

Creepy New Google Program Will Adjust Top Search Results to 'Combat Extremism'

ISIS panic further entrenches the partnership between governments and Silicon Valley...
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/creepy-new-google-program-will-adjust-top-search-results-combat-extremism

Ted Cruz off on claim that median African-American income rose $5,000 under Reagan

"During eight years under Ronald Reagan, African-American median income rose by about $5,000."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/03/ted-cruz/ted-cruz-says-median-african-american-family-was-5/

Cruz repeats False attack about immigration bill letting Syrians in U.S. without background checks

The 2013 immigration bill "expanded President Obama’s ability to bring Syrian refugees to this country without mandating any meaningful background checks."...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/03/ted-cruz/cruz-repeats-false-attack-about-gang-8-bill-allowi/

More Classified Emails Found on Private Server

The State Department’s Inspector General has found classified information sent to the personal email accounts of former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the senior staff of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, NBC News has learned...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/02/more-classified-emails-found-private-server

The Bizarre But True Story Of Abductions By North Korea (Diane Rehm Show )

Imagine walking on a beach in Japan with your girlfriend. Suddenly you’re being stuffed into a sack and taken to North Korea, where you’ll spend the next 25 years of your life completely cut off from the outside world. This actually happened. In the 1970s and ’80s, North Korean agents abducted dozens of people from Asia, Europe and the Middle East. A new book recounts the experiences of the few Japanese victims who were eventually allowed to return home. The bizarre but true story of North Korean abductions, and insights into the hermit kingdom today.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-01-14/the-bizarre-but-true-story-of-north-korean-abductions

Karl Rove On The Campaigns of 1896 And 2016 (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Talk about masterminds. Karl Rove was a big one for the Republican Party in the years of President George W. Bush. He’s still swinging a ton of Super PAC money and “dark money” in GOP politics right now. The front-runners may not be his best buds. Donald Trump tweeted that Rove was a “total moron.” But Karl Rove is taking the long view. All the way, right now, back to 1896 and the election of Republican William McKinley over young William Jennings Bryan. There are lessons there for the 2016 campaign, he says. This hour On Point, Karl Rove on Trump, Carson, 2016 – and how the GOP needs to change. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/24/karl-rove-jeb-bush-election-2016-william-mckinley

Can the Koch Brothers Stop Trump? | Vanity Fair

“Everything is on the table,” says one source. That includes sitting out 2016.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/02/koch-brothers-take-on-trump

This Is How Much the Koch Brothers Hate Donald Trump

If Trump performs poorly in New Hampshire, the Koch network may be able to avoid a damaging showdown. But if he wins, it may already be too late to halt the runaway Trump train, especially if there's no Trump-targeting campaign in the can. So what happens if Trump seizes the nomination? Here's where things get very interesting...
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2016/02/koch-brothers-have-donald-trump-problem

RWW News: Bryan Fischer Says All Islamic Charities Are Merely Fronts For Funding Terrorism

Bryan Fischer declares that there is no such thing as an Islamic charity, as all such organizations are really just front groups for financing terrorism...
https://youtu.be/wI5pQz6h5IY

Exclusive Report: How Long Did Flint's County Jail Inmates Drink Poisoned Water?

In a Democracy Now! exclusive, we hear from some of hundreds of prisoners in the Genesee County Jail in Flint, Michigan, who have had no option but to drink and shower in the contaminated city water. In October, after Flint’s newly elected Mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency over high levels of lead in the city water, the jail briefly switched to distributing bottled water. But five days later, the jail switched back to the city supply after the sheriff said a water quality test showed the water was safe. Finally, last Friday, the jail again switched to using bottled water. We hear the voice of former Genesee County Jail inmate Jody Cramer, who was just released from jail this week after serving two months. While inside Genesee County Jail, Cramer worked as a trustee in the kitchen and helped distribute food and, more recently, bottles of water to other inmates. He says that once water distribution began this past Friday, he was instructed to distribute two 12-ounce bottles of water twice a day to inmates—or a total of 48 ounces per day. That’s less than half the amount of water the Institute for Medicine recommends adult men drink daily. Cramer also says there are a number of pregnant women in the jail and that they, too, were drinking the tap water up until last Friday’s switch. Lead poisoning puts pregnant women at risk for miscarriages and can cause permanent damage to the brain, kidneys and nervous system of newborn children.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/boiG4VewSk4

"There's a Jim Jones in Michigan": Lawmaker Likens Flint Crisis to Cult Leader Who Poisoned Members

Congress held its first hearing Wednesday on lead poisoning in Flint’s water supply. The crisis began after an unelected emergency manager appointed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder switched the source of Flint’s drinking water to the corrosive Flint River. Flint’s former emergency manager, Darnell Earley, refused to testify at the hearing, despite a subpoena. On Tuesday, he announced he was resigning from his current position as emergency manager of the Detroit Public Schools. Republican Congressmember Jason Chaffetz of Utah, chair of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which convened the hearing, said of Earley that he would direct U.S. marshals to "hunt him down" and serve him with a subpoena. We play highlights from the hearing, including Flint resident LeeAnne Walters, who was one of the first to sound the alarm about lead contamination in the water. "Despite the evidence and the fact that my son had lead poisoning, the city and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality still continued to tell everyone that the water was safe," Walters said. Congressmember Sheila Jackson Lee raised the specter of a 1970s cult leader who led the mass murder-suicide of his more than 900 followers, nearly 300 of them children. "There is a Jim Jones in Michigan, who gave a poisoned concoction to children and their families," Lee said.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/IrWZPq7XacY

Lori Wallach: Signing of TPP Marks Only Beginning of the Fight, Trade Deal Could Still Be Stopped

One of the world’s biggest multinational trade deals, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, has been signed by 12 member nations in New Zealand and will now undergo a two-year ratification period in which at least six countries must approve the final text for the deal to be implemented. The Trans-Pacific Partnership encompasses 12 Pacific Rim nations, including the United States, and 40 percent of the world’s economy. Opponents say it will benefit corporations at the expense of health, the environment, free speech and labor rights. Activists have kicked off a worldwide series of protests around the signing of the trade pact, including a nonviolent blockade of the convention center in Auckland where the signing took place. A Maori tribe refused a request to perform at a welcome ceremony for trade ministers, saying the TPP threatens sovereignty. Meanwhile, the White House has warned Congress that a delay in ratifying the deal will cost the U.S. economy. Trade Representative Michael Froman said the Obama administration is doing everything in its power to move it forward. But our guest, Lori Wallach of Public Citizen, argues, "We have to make sure every member of Congress says there’s no way, we’re not meant to do this." The deal has also become a campaign issue, and Wallach notes, "There’s no presidential candidate in any state polling over 5 percent who supports the TPP."
Interview:
https://youtu.be/jwOVc-ifyic

Top U.S. & World Headlines — February 4, 2016

https://youtu.be/637EgOgfkbM

Kansas lawmakers push bill to enable prosecution of teachers

• Supporters: Measure needed to safeguard children from sexual material
• Opponents: Teachers could be prosecuted for lessons on controversial art, literature
• Spokesman for American Family Association blasts moral decay of cultur

http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article58038548.html

Five Dictators Of Rome (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

For centuries, Rome was a republic, with proud citizens and limits on the power of any individual. Then came Julius Caesar, across the Rubicon, civil war, and the age of the emperor. A dynasty. Five dictators in the House of Caesar: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero. Their names still bespeak power and excess. They came with the language of the Republic, but the reality of dictatorship. This hour On Point, historian Tom Holland on these five dictators of Rome. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/01/20/rome-dictators-nero-history

Ground Control To David Bowie: Remembering An Icon (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

David Bowie seemed ageless. An icon beyond the space and time he sang about. A pop artist who was always new, always changing. But he knew otherwise, finally. David Bowie died Sunday at 69 after a fight with cancer. He left new music that speaks directly to the death he faced. And a life’s work that speaks to much more. This hour On Point, beyond boundaries. We’re looking at the life and work of David Bowie. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/01/12/david-bowie-obituary

Stand Up. Right Now. (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

We all know that just sitting on our duffs at the office is no good for our health. But the news on just how bad it is just keeps coming. Get up, stand up is the word from all over now. And better yet – get up, stand up and move. Easy to say. Many are already well down this road. A lot of others, still on their keisters. To be the first one to start standing in the office can be awkward. First treadmill desk, can get crowded. First “walking meetings,” may challenge the culture. But it’s time! This hour On Point, all the latest how and why on the urge to get up, stand up and move at work. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/01/standing-desk-dangers-of-sitting

Ted Cruz's Health Care Deception: Asked How He'd Protect the Uninsured, He Dodges and Lies

Repealing Obamacare would leave lots of people uninsured, and Cruz would help them with free-market pixie dust...
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/ted-cruzs-health-care-deception-asked-how-hed-protect-uninsured-he-dodges-and-lies

Marco Rubio incorrectly says illegal immigrant population is higher than 5 years ago

"We have more illegal immigrants here" than we did five years ago.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/31/marco-rubio/marco-rubio-incorrectly-says-illegal-immigrant-pop/

Boutique Fitness Craze (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Once, working out meant sweatpants and jumping jacks. Or running shorts and the open road. Then came Jazzercise, Zumba, hot yoga, Pilates. Today, for a growing number of Americans, fitness has gone more grueling and more glam at the same time. Boutique fitness. High-priced. Intense. Quasi-spiritual. With followers who are almost religious in the fervor. SoulCycle. Core Power. Flywheel. Barre. This hour On Point, the boutique fitness craze, and what drives it. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/01/07/soul-cycle-crossfit-boutique-fitness

Chris Shelton, Former Scientologist (Hemant Mehta, The Friendly Atheist)

Chris Shelton spent 27 years in the Church of Scientology, where he attained those high levels you only hear about in HBO documentaries. But he got out about three years ago and is now a vocal critic of the Church.

He just published a book called Scientology: A to Xenu: An Insider’s Guide to What Scientology is All About.

We spoke with Chris about what tipped him off to the Church’s deceptions, what he was taught about Xenu, and what he believes would be the single biggest blow to the Church’s existence.
Interview:
http://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2016/01/17/chris-shelton-former-scientologist/

Ted Cruz's false claim that Trump, Clinton and Sanders 'have the identical position on health care'

"Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have the identical position on health care, which is they want to put the government in charge of you and your doctor."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/31/ted-cruz/ted-cruzs-false-claim-trump-clinton-and-sanders-ha/

Donald Trump falsely claims he 'never once asked' for Megyn Kelly's removal from debate

"I never once asked that (Megyn Kelly) be removed" as a debate moderator.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/29/donald-trump/donald-trump-falsely-claims-he-never-once-asked-me/

Ben Carson: Stacked up, total pages of regulations from 2015 are 3 stories high

"Last year, there were an additional 81,000 pages of government regulations. If you stack that up, it would be a three-story building."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/29/ben-carson/ben-carson-stacked-total-pages-regulations-2015-ar/

Sarah Palin Loses It When Asked About Blaming Obama for Son Beating Girlfriend

The “Today” show’s co-anchors made Sarah Palin squirm by asking her to explain why she appeared to blame President Barack Obama for her son’s domestic violence arrest...
https://youtu.be/hS6cdqYlmhc

Muslims in Gillette, Wyoming face Islamophobia

The town is home to a handful of Muslims, who opened their first mosque late last year and now they face intimidation.
https://youtu.be/CpeDzy2X5Pg

Ted Cruz's Pants on Fire claim that health care law is nation's 'biggest job-killer'

Obamacare "is the biggest job-killer in this country -- millions of Americans have lost their jobs, have been forced into part-time work."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/29/ted-cruz/ted-cruzs-pants-fire-claim-health-care-law-nations/