Week In The News: Biden In Beijing, Pension Reforms And Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela over all the news this week.  South Africa’s great leader, emancipator, inspiration to the world, dead at 95 and celebrated as that rarest of figures – the moral hero.  In China, Vice President Joe Biden dances with Beijing over China’s expanded territorial claims.  Seeks to calm Japan, Korea.  In Detroit, a judge clears the way for bankruptcy and cuts to public pension plans.  Many cities take note.  We’ve got a train off the rails in New York.  Driver in a “daze.”  Healthcare.gov doing better.  The economy and job growth, too.  This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

– Tom Ashbrook

 http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/12/06/beijing-biden-south-china-sea-pension-detroit

 Interview:

Friday News Roundup - Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

Healthcare.gov sees an enrollment jump after repairs are made to the troubled website. Fast food workers across the country protest the federal minimum wage. And the Labor Department releases the November jobs report. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-12-06/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Interview:

Friday News Roundup - International (Diane Rehm Show)

Nelson Mandela has died at age 95. Former Ukraine presidents back ongoing protests over a rejected E.U. trade pact. And heavy violence rocks the Central African Republic. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-12-06/friday-news-roundup-international

Interview:

Santorum: Mandela Fought Injustice ... Like ObamaCare - Comment came within seconds of Bill O'Reilly calling Mandela a 'communist'

Comment came within seconds of Bill O'Reilly calling Mandela a 'communist'

http://www.newser.com/story/178791/santorum-mandela-fought-injustice-like-obamacare.html

The Copenhagen Wheel official product release

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S10GMfG2NMY&sns=em

Google And Facebook Join The Dark Side?

"At a recent forum on the Internet industry's support for green energy, Facebook and Google representatives could not explain why their companies are members of a powerful lobbying organization that opposes that mission. This year, Google and Facebook became members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nationwide lobbying group that links corporations and conservative foundations with Republican legislators at the state level...".* Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room), Michael Shure and comedian Jimmy Dore break it down on The Young Turks.

Obama: GOP should be 'embarrassed' by low productivity on Hill

Republicans ought to be "embarrassed" of their record low productivity during their time in charge of the House of Representatives, President Barack O... Read more

This Is How We Became Plagued By Perpetual Inequality, In 1 Flowchart

No other nation in the developing world creates income inequality quite like us, and that's possibly hurting economic growth, probably hampering econo... Read more

Pension Theft: Class War Goes to the Next Stage

"In the past two days we've seen a federal judge rule that Detroit can go bankrupt, putting its workers' pensions in jeopardy, and we have seen Illinois' legislature vote for substantial cuts in its retirees' pensions. Undoubtedly these two actions are just the tip of the iceberg. We have opened up a new sport for America's elite: pension theft..."
... Read more

Conservative Group Issued Horrific Anti-Gay Memo

More than two decades ago, the conservative public policy group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released anti-gay ... Read more

Stand Your Ground Law's Latest Victim: 72-Year-Old With Alzheimer's

Pelosi Makes Demand In Budget Talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — The leader of House Democrats says her rank and file won't support any year-end budget deal unless it ... Read more

The Right Reacts To Pope Francis On Capitalism

"Pope Francis called for renewal of the Roman Catholic Church and attacked unfettered capitalism as "a new tyranny", urging global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality in the first major work he has authored alone as pontiff.

The 84-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation, amounted to an official platform for his papacy, building on views he has aired in sermons and remarks since he became the first non-European pontiff in 1,300 years in March.

In it, Francis went further than previous comments criticizing the global economic system, attacking the "idolatry of money" and beseeching politicians to guarantee all citizens "dignified work, education and healthcare"."* Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola, Michael Shure and Jimmy Dore break it down on The Young Turks."

GOP Rep Wants To Abolish Minimum Wage

President Barack Obama's call to raise the minimum wage has long been met with resistance from congressional Republicans, ... Read more

GOP Governor Suggests Global Warming Could Be A Good Thing

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) suggested Thursday that global warming could actually be a good thing for his state, because the ... Read more

Teachers Union Dropping How Much On New Campaign?

The American Federation of Teachers union is unveiling a seven-figure advertisement campaign ahead of Dec. 9, a day that the ... Read more

Someone Put 2 Examples Of Anti-Science Politics Side-By-Side. The Results Are Damning.

"The video had me interested at the beginning, but it wasn't until 3:35 and the story of "Smokey Joe" that my ... "

http://www.upworthy.com/someone-put-2-examples-of-anti-science-politics-side-by-side-the-results-are-damning

Elizabeth Warren Hits Back At 'Flatly Wrong' Third Way

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took aim at the corporate-backed think tank Third Way on Thursday, deepening her feud with the group that attacked her Social Security plan in the Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ op-ed said that Warren was ignoring Social Security's "undebatable solvency crisis."

"It's just flatly wrong," Warren said of Third Way's critique. "We could make modest adjustments and make the system financially stable for a century, and we could make somewhat larger adjustments and make the system pay more for seniors who rely on it ... The conversation for too long has been about whether to cut Social Security benefits a little bit or a lot. And that is flatly the wrong debate to have in mind."
... Read more

Another Republican Forgot The Camera Was Rolling & Spoke His Mind

Georgia's Republican insurance commissioner is stepping back from his claim that pre-existing medical conditions are ... Read more

'MISINFORMED'

WASHINGTON -- It was just Wednesday night that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) railed against the Affordable ... Read more

Reddit needs more Far side comics.

Read more

President Obama Talks Inequality

Thom Hartmann shares his thoughts on President Obama's inequality speech at the Center for American Progress.

Don’t Fall For The GOP’s Fake Controversy Over Obamacare’s Expansion Of Abortion Coverage

Conservatives are outraged that Obamacare extends abortion coverage to lawmakers and their staff. Here's the whole story.The ... Read more

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
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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