A winning streak for Obama...... and for the Congressional Budget Office which predicted accurately the success of Obamacare during its first open enrollment period. 12.8 million is the number. Around 13 million was the prediction. So much for Republican denialistas. While we're at it, let's note that unemployment has dropped to about a percentage point short of what is … [Read more...] about Winning streak for Obama
No humane way to die
WASHINGTON -- No one who supports the death penalty should have the slightest problem with the way Clayton Lockett died. Lockett, a convicted murderer, spent 43 minutes in apparent agony Tuesday night as the state of Oklahoma tried to execute him by injecting an untested cocktail of drugs. Instead of quickly losing consciousness, he writhed in obvious distress and … [Read more...] about No humane way to die
Boehner launches special committee on Benghazi
Top Republican launches special committee on Benghazi (via AFP) House Speaker John Boehner said Friday that he is establishing a select committee to investigate the deadly 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya. President Barack Obama's foes in Congress have long accused the White House of misleading the… … [Read more...] about Boehner launches special committee on Benghazi
Journalists killed in conflicts: World Press Freedom Day
Journalists continue to be among the world's most vulnerable persons especially in situations of conflict. May 3 is World Press Freedom Day but the press remains far from free in a majority of countries. Fourteen journalists were killed so far this year adding to the 70 killed last year and 141 killed in 2012, many caught in the cross-fire of armed hostilities, UN Secretary … [Read more...] about Journalists killed in conflicts: World Press Freedom Day
Supreme Court Backs Coal Pollution Regulations
During his years in office, President Obama has done his best to make the United States a greener and cleaner place to live. One of his initiatives has been to reduce the amount of carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Many of these plants in the Midwest and Appalachian regions give off dangerous pollutants and smog. According to the Wall Street Journal, coal-fired … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Backs Coal Pollution Regulations
Cartoon: Don Sterling and his girlfriends
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Don Sterling and his girlfriends
Bogus GOP Report On Insurance Premiums Paid Shows How Conservative Misinformation Is Spread
On Wednesday the Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a bogus report which claimed that only 67 percent of those who purchased health care insurance under the Affordable Care Act have paid their first month's premium. This is despite numerous reports from insurance companies showing that over 90 percent have paid, providing a good example of how … [Read more...] about Bogus GOP Report On Insurance Premiums Paid Shows How Conservative Misinformation Is Spread
Penn State Steps In It Again. And Again.
One of the more consequential if under-reported aspects of the O.J. Simpson double murders and criminal trial was that, his proclaimed innocence notwithstanding (and the glove didn't fit because the defense team had shrunk it), bad things kept happening to the people who stood by him, something that I wrote about as one of the zillions of journalists covering this neutron bomb … [Read more...] about Penn State Steps In It Again. And Again.
Afghanistan: India and Russia move as Obama exits morass
How deeply President Barak Obama’s Afghanistan policy is mired was signaled again this week by reports of an Indian deal with Russia to supply weapons to the Afghan military after withdrawal of US and NATO troops at year-end 2014. The shipments would graduate from small arms to tanks, helicopters and heavy weapons. Russian involvement could also be an early sign of how … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: India and Russia move as Obama exits morass
So The Queen Gets Up One Morning And Decides To Dress Like An Aquarium
WHAT CAPTION WOULD YOU WRITE? … [Read more...] about So The Queen Gets Up One Morning And Decides To Dress Like An Aquarium
Justice Scalia
Now I have always considered Justice Antonin Scalia to be a sociopathic fascist. But is he now suffering from dementia as well? Antonin Scalia's Blunder Is Unprecedented, Legal Experts Say Justice Antonin Scalia's factual error in a dissenting opinion Tuesday has become the talk of the legal community as experts puzzle over the extraordinary nature of the Reagan-appointed … [Read more...] about Justice Scalia
Coming soon: a brain implant to restore memory
Coming soon: a brain implant to restore memory (via AFP) In the next few months, highly secretive US military researchers say they will unveil new advances toward developing a brain implant that could one day restore a wounded soldier's memory. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is forging… … [Read more...] about Coming soon: a brain implant to restore memory
Bundy, Sterling and America’s Race-O-Rama
America has just had its jolting Michael Corleone moment. In the third and least successful Godfather movie, bigwig crime boss Michael Corleone, who spent years trying to get his "family" into legitimate businesses, says: " Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in." He's sucked back into the overtly criminal practices of his family's sordid past, and in the end … [Read more...] about Bundy, Sterling and America’s Race-O-Rama
More Good News On Health Care Reform
With Republicans constantly putting out false ads and other misinformation regarding the effects of the Affordable Care Act, it is worthwhile to periodically look at the real news. As Politico points out, millions more people now have health care coverage: A panel of health insurers agreed Tuesday that the number of insured people in the country has climbed by millions, … [Read more...] about More Good News On Health Care Reform
Fox News vs. Science
Catherine Thompson describes Fox News censorship of a Scientific American guest on Talking Points Memo. The Scientific American editor who said a Fox News producer put the kibosh on his discussion of climate change told TPM on Wednesday he has no plans to make future appearances on the network. Michael Moyer appeared Wednesday morning on "Fox & Friends" to talk about the … [Read more...] about Fox News vs. Science
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford seeking treatment after second crack smoking tape surfaces
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford seeking treatment after second crack smoking tape surfaces (via FreakOutNation) Finally, according to the Toronto Sun, Mayor/Crackhead Rob Ford has decided he needs to “take a break” and “go get help”. This announcement follows reports of a new video which surfaced allegedly showing the embattled Mayor smoking crack.… … [Read more...] about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford seeking treatment after second crack smoking tape surfaces
Cartoon: Adam Silver
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Adam Silver
Syria: Obama makes small gain amid tatters and UN frustration
President Barack Obama’s sorely vexed Syria policy has scored a small gain. President Bashar al Assad’s military no longer has the capabilities to make or use chemical weapons. Just 7 percent of necessary components for weapons remain inside Syria but none is lethal on its own. The rest have been removed or destroyed. However, other more important humanitarian aspects of … [Read more...] about Syria: Obama makes small gain amid tatters and UN frustration
Dying to see our post-antibiotic future
The old diseases are coming back. We fought them to a standstill in the Twentieth Century and the Twenty-first seems ripe for their comeback. Staphylococcus (which means 'bunch of grapes' for obvious reasons) Just in time for Walpurgisnacht, The World Health Organization has released a chilling new report, the Washington Post reveals: Planet headed toward … [Read more...] about Dying to see our post-antibiotic future
Hall’s Solid Advancements For Oklahoma Will Be Forever Obscured By Conviction
Historic Quote: “The word is not covert, it’s overt. Covert means you’re out in the open. Overt is what I did. That means you’re undercover.” Ex-Nevada Senator Chic Hecht Unlike Ray Blanton, a fellow Democratic Governor in the 1970s who would also end up in jail, David Hall’s administration was far from mediocre. In fact, it was quite accomplished. But a scandal would not … [Read more...] about Hall’s Solid Advancements For Oklahoma Will Be Forever Obscured By Conviction