Police Threaten Children Singing Outside House Republican Leaders’ Offices With Arrest

Activists between the ages of three to 21 were threatened with arrest by Capitol police officers for singing to House ... Read more

Congressman Stands By Claim That The U.S. Should Consider Nukes If It Attacks Iran

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is standing by his claim that the U.S. should consider using nuclear weapons if it attacks Iran's ... Read more

How Your Tax Dollars are Subsidizing the Rich

"Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are lost each year because of a double standard in the tax code. Religious non-profits are not required to file the same forms as all other non-profits, so there is no way for the government to know where their money comes from, or where it is going. This costly loophole has allowed for clergy to live like rock stars without paying a dime in taxes...at American taxpayers' expense."

http://secular.org/video/how-your-tax-dollars-are-subsidizing-rich

RWW News: Schlafly & Solomon On Obama's Upbringing, Intelligence

RightWingWatch reports on how Phyllis Schlafly falsely claimed Obama omitted "God" from the Gettysburg Address, says he isn't smart, while Stan Solomon calls him a "foulmouthed, homosexual, drug-using, ne'er-do-well."

Doris Kearns Goodwin: The Power of the Bully Pulpit

More info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3YhruUmPAM&list=WL32F078D9EEEFBB36

Creationists and Climate Skeptics Unite

Watch politicians say there’s no such thing as climate change because of God.

 http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2013/12/creationists_and_climate_change_political_union_of_science_critics.html

Will IRS Crack Down on Church Politicking?

"Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has written a letter to acting IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfer, urging him to act on a long-languishing procedural change that could revitalize the agency's enforcement of a law prohibiting politicking from the pulpit..."

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/7424/will_irs_crack_down_on_church_politicking/

Rat Study Sheds new Light on Addiction

Thom Hartmann shares about a new study that could turn the war against drugs upside down.

Fighting for a Fair Wage (Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) discusses the minimum wage and health care with MSNBC's Thomas Roberts.





Interview:

Arkansas Senate GOP Campaign Defends Pryor After 'Offensive' NRSC Email

This post has been updated. A Senate Republican candidate in Arkansas defended Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) on Wednesday from an "incredibly bizarre and of... Read more

GOP Rep: Lying Part of Middle Eastern Culture

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) warns that lying is part of Middle Eastern culture. So Iranians can't be trusted. Watch. ... Read more

Report: States Opting Out Of Medicaid Expansion Will Lose Billions

States not expanding Medicaid under Obamacare will be collectively lose more than $35 billion in federal funds in 2022 alone, according to a new repor... Read more

The Defining Challenge of Our Time

Today, President Obama gave what some are are calling "one of the most important speeches of the Obama presidency." Just as he ... Read more



Interview:

How the Republicans Sabotaged Obama

Thom Hartmann says the Republicans have done everything they can to derail Barack Obama's presidency.

A Defense Of Liberty In Front Of UK Parliament

""On Tuesday, Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger went before an anti-terrorism hearing in the House of Commons. There, he was asked about information the newspaper had and published on the NSA from Edward Snowden and whether he loved his country." Cenk Uygur host of The Young Turks discusses."

Second Scott Walker Staffer Canned For Online Racism

"The campaign of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) fired deputy finance director Taylor Palmisano on Tuesday after learning that she'd tweeted out bigoted comments about Hispanics in 2011.

Shortly after Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Daniel Bice notified Walker's campaign of the tweets, which made derogatory comments about a housekeeper in a library and fellow patrons on a bus, Palmisano was ousted.

"I will choke that illegal mex cleaning in the library. Stop banging (expletive) chairs around and turn off your Walkman," said one of the tweets, posted on March 9, 2011."* The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down."

Obama on Economy: 'Government Can't Stand on the Sidelines in Our Efforts'

Transcript: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/obama-economy-government-stand-sidelines-efforts-21098483

Breaking News from ABC
|

Hey guys, remember to wear your helmets when you're on a bike. "Mine saved my life yesterday!"

Read more

FCC chair: ISPs should be able to charge Netflix for Internet fast lane

"Newly anointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said this week that it would be OK for Internet service providers to charge Netflix and other companies for a faster lane to consumers... Wheeler's stance is surprising given that it appears to contradict the FCC's Open Internet Order, passed under his predecessor in 2010..."


Read more

Obama: Forget Fiscal Deficits, Focus On ‘Relentlessly Growing Deficit Of Opportunity’

President Obama called for dropping the focus on austerity in favor of restoring America's lost economic mobility in a speech ... Read more

How President Obama’s Speech Today Explains His Presidency

Though Obama might prefer to be debating how much to raise the minimum wage by, he's stuck defending raising it at all. It's ... Read more

Negative numbers: The decline narrative reaches evangelicals

"For most of the latter half of the 20th century, religious life in the United States was marked by four consistent trends: oldline Protestant membership was declining; evangelical Protestants were growing; Roman Catholics were hovering just above the replacement level (with new immigrant growth slightly exceeding the amount of erosion in the white ethnic base); and each succeeding generation of adults was participating less in religious institutions..."

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2013-11/negative-numbers

The Intellectual Civil War within Evangelicalism: An Interview with Molly Worthen

"...While these are, in some sense, universal human questions that all human beings who care about the supernatural wrestle with at some level, they have a unique power over evangelicals because evangelicals don’t have a magisterial, central authority to guide them..."

http://religionandpolitics.org/2013/12/03/the-intellectual-civil-war-within-evangelicalism-an-interview-with-molly-worthen/

The bogus claim that Obama is ‘closing’ the Vatican embassy

"Jeb Bush’s tweet and a petition campaign by the NRSC (under the headline “Obama Closes Vatican Embassy”) suggest that the Obama administration is taking a dramatic diplomatic step because of some sort of animus or bias against Catholics. Bush is Catholic — but so is Secretary of State John R. Kerry..."

"...Both claim the embassy is “closing,” which suggests the ambassador is being withdrawn. Instead, the embassy building is simply moving — for both post-Benghazi security reasons and for budget savings, two issues that Republicans often have highlighted as important...."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2013/12/04/the-bogus-claim-that-obama-is-closing-the-vatican-embassy/

Do this before lending cash to family

Ah, the holidays. Time for gathering with family members—and getting hit up for loans....
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/encore/2013/11/18/do-this-before-loaning-cash-to-family/

Staying active all day linked to healthy aging

A generally active life, even without regular exercise sessions, was tied to better heart health and greater longevity in a study of older Swedes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/29/us-staying-active-idUSBRE9AS0QC20131129

 

Obamacare Alternative? Republicans Don't Have One

House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans in Congress are all about delaying or repealing Obamacare, but they aren't offering an alternative health care reform plan (as shown in this video mashup). Ana Kasparian, Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room) and comedian Jimmy Dore break it down on The Young Turks.

Why The GOP Is Freaking Out About Obamacare

"The rollout of President Obama's health care law may have deeply disappointed its supporters, but on at least one front, the Affordable Care Act is beating expectations: its cost. Over the next few years, the government is expected to spend billions of dollars less than originally projected on the law, analysts said, with both the Medicaid expansion and the subsidies for private insurance plans ending up less expensive than anticipated...".* Also, the Obamacare website issues also appear to be (largely) resolved, but Republicans continue bashing the law. Ana Kasparian, Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room) and comedian Jimmy Dore break it down on The Young Turks.

GOP Blasted for 'Fake' ObamaCare Site - Coveredca vs. coveringhealthcareca

"Republicans in Sacramento have wasted taxpayer dollars building a fake website in an attempt to sow confusion and fear, in a futile attempt to discredit the law.."
http://www.newser.com/story/178599/gop-blasted-for-fake-obamacare-site.html

Captain Picard sings "Let it Snow!"

The Banksters are now Setting up The Crash of 2016

Thom Hartmann exposes the big banks' latest scheme that will crash our economy.

Contraception Concerns?: If You Work For A For-Profit Company And Your Access To Birth Control Is Threatened, AU Wants To Hear From You

The Affordable Care Act's so-called contraception mandate, met with immediate outrage from the ... Read more

GOP Plan Would Save Military From Sequestration By Cutting Social Security Benefits

WASHINGTON -- A pair of House Republicans have a new bill that would spare the military from sequestration by cutting the ... Read more

How Cantor Distorted The Facts On Obamacare Scare

The following post first appeared on FactCheck.org. Rep. Eric Cantor distorts the facts when he says an Obama administration ... Read more

CBO: Extending Unemployment Benefits Would Help Economy

Extension of the unemployment benefits set to expire at the end of 2013 would boost the economy and create jobs, according to a Congressional Budget O... Read more

Congress Can Save Billions By Closing Guantanamo Bay

As Congress focuses on reducing spending, it routinely ignores the billions of dollars wasted keeping Guantanamo Bay open.The ... Read more

New Report Says Solar Will Achieve Near-Global Competitiveness With Natural Gas By 2025

The analysis found unsubsidized solar met or undercut natural gas' cost in multiple global regions and under two different ... Read more

Poll: Americans Oppose New Iran Sanctions, Support Geneva Nuclear Agreement

A new poll shows that Members of Congress pushing for more sanctions on Iran have limited public support. The post Poll: ... Read more

The Best Obamacare News That Nobody Is Talking About

Obamacare has already allowed nearly 1.5 million low-income people to gain public health insurance coverage under Medicaid.The ... Read more

Joe Kennedy to Fast for Immigration Reform - He'll join protest, abstain from food for 24 hours

He'll join protest, abstain from food for 24 hours

http://www.newser.com/story/178583/joe-kennedy-to-fast-for-immigration-reform.html

Country Split on Support for Assisted Suicides

"Doctor-assisted suicide remains a divisive issue in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center survey conducted last spring...."

http://wfin.com/country-split-on-support-for-assisted-suicides/

The Pope And The American Right

"...And the way in which market capitalism has become a good in itself on the American right is, well, perniciously wrong. As soon as a system ceases to be a means to a human good, and becomes an end in itself, it has become a false idol..."
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/12/02/the-pope-and-the-american-right/

Pterosaurs are Terrible Lizards

Explaining how human preconceptions, agendas, and biases have negatively impacted the study of evolution and the classification of life forms. This is to illustrate why we have the peer review process.

RWW News: A Contemporary History Lesson From Liberty Counsel

RightWingWatch reports that Matt Barber and Mat Staver explain that Obamacare is nothing more than communism that is doomed to fail, just like the efforts by the Pilgrims to practice socialism.

Health Care For All

When Religion and Liberty Collide

"...To put it mildly, our forbearers would be appalled by how right-wing conservatives are trying to use government to force their religious views on all of us..."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/12/03/how-right-wing-conservatives-are-using-hobby-lobby-to-force-their-religious-views-on-sex-on-the-nation.html

New City For Rich White People Only?

"The predominantly white and wealthy residents of the southern area of Baton Rouge have proposed seceding from the city proper and incorporating into a new one to be called "St. George." The movement began as an effort to create a new school district, but after the state legislature repeatedly mothballed its proposals — claiming that they could not approve an independent school district that was unaffiliated with a city — organizers shifted their energies to the creation of "St. George." The new city would be the fifth largest in the state, with over 107,000 residents, and would include two of the largest tax revenue bases in the state: Perkins Rowe and the Mall of Louisiana. A studyby the Baton Rouge Area Chamber concluded that Baton Rouge residents "will be disproportionately paying taxes to the proposed municipality," given city governance's reliance on sales tax revenues...".* Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room), Michael Shure and comedian Jimmy Dore break it down on The Young Turks.

Bishops Sued Over Policies on Abortion at Hospitals

"...In an unusual step, she is not suing the hospital, Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon, but rather the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Its ethical and religious directives, the suit alleges, require Catholic hospitals to avoid abortion or referrals, “even when doing so places a woman’s health or life at risk.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/03/us/lawsuit-challenges-anti-abortion-policies-at-catholic-hospitals.html

God, Bible Prove Climate Change A Hoax (Say GOP Reps)

"Can we look to God and The Bible to explain why climate change fears are unwarranted? Atheists are laughing (or maybe crying) at the suggestion, but a video on the Climate Desk YouTube channel features a mashup of some Republican Senators and Congressmen making the case."

Gravity Visualized

Dan Burns explains his space-time warping demo at a PTSOS workshop at Los Gatos High School, on March 10, 2012.


Read more

'Always a Marine': Homeless vets weather the holidays as national numbers dip

LOS ANGELES – The Navy veteran keeps his few possessions in shipshape order. Hidden on a girder ledge, five cans of chicken-enchilada soup flank an al... Read more

In such a diverse nation, there is no such thing as a ‘traditional’ family

"... What connects all American families together is not having the same family traditions or the same types of families, but a shared belief in the American tradition of freedom..." http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/11/in-such-a-diverse-nation-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-traditional-family/#.UpzUYuJjeM8

John Hagel: Move to the City, Learn Faster

RICHARD DAWKINS takes on religion on Al Jazeera TV

After a Reporter’s Biased Story of a Christian Politician’s High School Visit, a Student Who Was There Speaks Out

"...After the event, he added, students were discussing how Saccone was wrong — not just about this bill, but on statements he made during the event, like saying that the Founding Fathers never wanted separation of church and state. (Thomas Jefferson and James Madison may beg to differ…)..."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/11/29/after-a-reporters-biased-story-of-a-christian-politicians-high-school-visit-a-student-who-was-there-speaks-out/

Americans increasingly say patients can be sometimes let to die: Survey

"...At the same time, however, a growing minority says that medical professionals should do everything possible to save a patient's life in all circumstances...."

http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/americans-increasingly-say-patients-can-be-sometimes-let-to-die-survey-22590

No Cardinal Dolan, the Catholic Church Wasn't 'Outmarketed' on Gay Marriage

"...nor have you been 'caricatured' as anti-gay. The hard truth is that, while right on so many of the most important issues of our time, the Catholic Church leadership in America is wrong on the question of gay marriage and someday (probably centuries from now) you will have to own up to it..." 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/cardinal-dolan-gay-marriage-_b_4364273.html

Santorum: Denying women birth control coverage is a First Amendment right

"Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum (R) on Sunday insisted that President Barack Obama was imposing his beliefs on corporations and preventing them from exercising their “right” to deny women contraception coverage in health care plans..."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/01/santorum-denying-women-birth-control-coverage-is-a-first-amendment-right/

Randy Alcorn: In Hobby Lobby Case, Court Should Rule Freedom of Religion Has Limits

"...Freedom of religion should not mean unlimited optional compliance with the law, nor should it mean religious beliefs can be imposed on others. The thousands of employees who work for Hobby Lobby or any company may or may not subscribe to the religious beliefs of the company’s owners, but all of them would be subject to those beliefs if the court rules that corporations on religious grounds can be exempt from the law. In this current case they would be denied the same health-care benefits the law mandates for everyone else...."

http://www.noozhawk.com/article/randy_alcorn_hobby_lobby_freedom_of_religion_20131201

Contraceptive cases raise religious liberty issues

"The Supreme Court in early spring will hear two legal challenges to Obamacare’s contraception coverage requirement, a case that addresses a complex question that has never come squarely before the court: Can a for-profit company engaged in commercial activities declare religious beliefs?..."

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/supreme-court-contraceptive-case-religious-liberty-100512.html

Support for change in hospital certification

Testimony focuses on recent mergers that drew attention to Catholic hospitals and policies on abortion, suicide

http://www.theolympian.com/2013/11/27/2853845/support-for-change-in-hospital.html

 

Nation increasingly at odds over use of 'God'

"...Such commemorations appear to be at odds with the nation's growing population of atheists, skeptics and freethinkers, triggering constitutional challenges and updates to ceremonial details..."

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4984503-74/god-saccone-religious#axzz2mL8GcFRu

Atheist 'mega-churches' take root across U.S., world

"It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection.
The only thing missing was God..."

http://gazette.com/atheist-mega-churches-take-root-across-u.s.-world/article/1510290

Sacramento-area atheists launch ‘Out of the Closet’ billboard campaign

Gary Alexander gets into the mood for the holiday season by doing charity work – buying clothes for the homeless, donating to a shelter and, this year, as a gift to his mother, he’s paying off a layaway ticket for someone he doesn’t know.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/12/01/5961993/sacramento-area-atheists-launch.html

Is Strong Separation of Church and State a Good Thing?

All anybody has to do to understand that strong separation of church and state is important is to put on their thinking caps.
http://cjonline.com/blog-post/lucinda/2013-12-01/strong-separation-church-and-state-good-thing

Meaningful Progress on 23 Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence

"On January 16, 2013, President Obama announced 23 executive actions to reduce gun violence. Today, we have completed or made significant progress on every one of them. Take a look at what we've done -- and pass it on."

And now we need to get Congress to act.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/meaningful-progress-on-23-executive-actions?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email267-text2&utm_campaign=gunreform

Woman Sues Catholic Bishops Over Hospital Miscarriage - Catholic hospitals' abortion rule puts women at risk: lawsuit

A Michigan woman is suing US Catholic bishops after having a painful miscarriage at a Catholic hospital that did not offer her an abortion, the Detroit Free Press reports.

http://www.newser.com/story/178526/woman-sues-catholic-bishops-over-hospital-miscarriage.html

How Not to Die of Botulism

(Andrew Dinh/flickr) After tanking up on "pruno," a bootleg prison wine, eight maximum-security inmates at the Utah State prison in Salt Lake County ... Read more

Diplomacy Debacle: Religious Right Falsely Claims Vatican Embassy Will Be Shuttered

Officials call it a money-saving move, but fringe commentators rushed to argue it's an "egregious ... Read more

The Rise Of Obamacare McCarthyism

When House Republicans unveiled a proposal in the fall aimed at avoiding a dead-end government shutdown over Obamacare, the conservative backlash was ... Read more

The Most Banks Could Pay For Causing The Crisis Is Still A Fraction Of The Cost Of The Crisis

Even if a big new projection for banks' legal bills proves accurate, Wall Street will still have made more in profits.The post ... Read more

Private Prison Company Allegedly Put 73-Year-Old Grandmother In Solitary Confinement For 34 Days

Carol Lester says the privately-run prison denied her medical care and then stuck her in solitary confinement after she ... Read more

Senators Misrepresent U.N. Resolutions On Iran In Push For More Sanctions

Senators pushing more sanctions on Iran say allowing Iran to enrich uranium violates United Nations resolutions. Experts ... Read more

Catholic hospital's religious rules led to negligent care in miscarriage, ACLU says

A Michigan woman who suffered a dangerous, painful and prolonged miscarried when she was 18 weeks pregnant is at the center of a lawsuit that claims s... Read more

New Jersey Atheists Criticize Pope Francis and Other Christians for Responding to Natural Disasters With Prayer

A New Jersey-based atheist organization is castigating the work of Pope Francis and others who respond to natural disasters with prayer, Bibles and rosaries.

 

http://www.blackchristiannews.com/news/2013/11/new-jersey-atheists-criticize-pope-francis-and-other-christians-for-responding-to-natural-disasters-.html

 

 

RWW News: Daubenmire Warns That 'The Pedophines Are Coming'

The loathsome, lethal mosquito - Rose Eveleth

Los Angeles considers joining New York City and 50 other U.S. cities in banning public feeding of homeless people

As the number of homeless people in Los Angeles County continues to rise, the City Council is weighing a ban on feeding homeless people in public areas.


Read more

'Democrats Will Rue' Using 'Nuclear Option', Says Krauthammer

Shocking Government Waste at The Defense Department

Exorcisms On The Rise In Mexico, War On Drugs To Blame

What Is 'Petcoke'?

Primary Challenges Threaten Incumbent Republicans

15 powerful insights from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five

"There aren’t many writers who witnessed a 20th century apocalypse at first hand. But of those who have Kurt Vonnegut’s response, Slaughterhouse-Five, is arguably the most memorable. It was published in 1969, twenty-four years after Vonnegut, a 23 year-old American prisoner of war, survived the Allied firebombing of Dresden. This massive air attack, which killed 130,000 people and destroyed a city of no military significance was probably the most important thing, besides getting married and having children, which ever happened to him...

http://inktank.fi/15-powerful-insights-from-kurt-vonneguts-slaughterhouse-five/

The war on democracy | Nafeez Ahmed | Environment | theguardian.com

How corporations and spy agencies use "security" to defend profiteering and crush activism

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/nov/28/war-on-democracy-corporations-spy-profit-activism

 

 

GOP’s massive 2013 mistake: How the party ignored its terminal illness - Salon.com

Celebrating Obamacare's troubles, Republicans finish the year ignoring lessons it was supposed to learn from 2012

http://www.salon.com/2013/12/01/the_gop_ignores_its_terminal_illness/