NYPD Back-Turning Protests Continue at Funeral for Slain Officer Thousands of law enforcement officers, family members, politicians and onlookers convened in Brooklyn on a drizzly Sunday morning to mourn the death of Wenjian Liu, 32, one of two New York City police officers murdered in late December by a gunman who said he was trying to kill police officers. Liu, who had been … [Read more...] about NYPD Back-Turning Protests Continue at Funeral for Slain Officer
Republican State Governments Expected To Renew The Culture Wars And Promote Conservative Pseudo-Science On Abortion
Democrats made a tremendous tactical mistake in the 2014 midterms. As the key Senate battles were in red states, Democrats ran as Republican-lite and Obama stayed quiet. As a consequence, turn out was at historic lows as Democratic voters saw no reason to turn out across the country, giving Republicans increased control in both Congress nationally along with in many state … [Read more...] about Republican State Governments Expected To Renew The Culture Wars And Promote Conservative Pseudo-Science On Abortion
The Gifts They Should’ve Gotten
The Gifts They Should've Gotten Raging Moderate by Will Durst Hey guys. Did this whole crazy holy daze madcap bedlam thing sneak up on you in 2014, making the world speed up like a maglev Bullet Train going downhill lit by a strobe, like it did us? There's a perfectly reasonable explanation. In 2014, Thanksgiving fell on November 27th: making it a mere 28 days between … [Read more...] about The Gifts They Should’ve Gotten
Mike Huckabee ends Fox show to weigh 2016 presidential run
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Saturday he would end his Fox News Channel show to consider a 2016 presidential run, the latest possible GOP candidate to emerge in a race that could include Gov. Chris Christie. In a message on his Facebook page, Huckabee said he wouldn't make a final decision about running until spring… … [Read more...] about Mike Huckabee ends Fox show to weigh 2016 presidential run
The ‘Ebola Fighters’ TIME Forgot
[icopyright one button toolbar] TIME Magazine selected the "Ebola Fighters" as their 2014 “Person of the Year.” In explaining the choice, TIME Editor Nancy Gibbs evokes the proverb that says, “Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero’s heart.” And, indeed, “the people in the field, the special forces of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans … [Read more...] about The ‘Ebola Fighters’ TIME Forgot
Mike Peters Cartoon: Sony and North Korea
OF RELATED INTEREST: --Is 'The Interview' a success for Sony? --'The Interview' lands on iTunes as Sony's best-selling online movie ever --Sony says 'The Interview' has already raked in $15 million online --Obama sanctions North Korea for movie hacking Mike Peters is recognized as one of our nation’s most prominent cartoon artists for his outstanding work as both a … [Read more...] about Mike Peters Cartoon: Sony and North Korea
Benefits From Decreased Arrests By New York Police
Police have come under increased criticism lately, from increased concerns over killings of minorities, sometimes in response to petty offenses, to abuse of police powers to raise money. This creates difficult problems to solve. Virtually nobody questions the need to have police, but there is no simple solution to stopping the excessive use of police power. In some cases the … [Read more...] about Benefits From Decreased Arrests By New York Police
2014’s dubious achievements
Long ago, my honored predecessor and friend John Hartl (who's been reviewing movies for Seattle Times readers for 48 years) began a tradition of wrapping up the movie year with a list of "Dubious Achievements." Following once more in his footsteps, here we go, for 2014: Best performance in a lost cause: Kevin Kline in "The… … [Read more...] about 2014’s dubious achievements
13 species we might have to say goodbye to in 2015
13 species we might have to say goodbye to in 2015 British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough once asked: “Are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?” This year marked the 100th anniversary of the death of the last passenger pigeon, Martha, who managed to survive only 14 years in captivity after … [Read more...] about 13 species we might have to say goodbye to in 2015
Stages of GOP Obamacare Grief
Dylan Scott outlines the five stages of Republican grief over the Affordable Care Act on Talking Points Memo. 1) We Have Our Own Health Care Plan! 2014 was the year of the disappearing GOP promise to propose a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. It was the only way that they could plausibly keep telling their base that they would repeal the thing...The … [Read more...] about Stages of GOP Obamacare Grief
Setting America’s Priorities for 2015
Marci Rosenberg, a senior speech language pathologist at the University of Michigan, earns about $73,000 a year. Desmond Patton, who studies the problems of gang violence, is a professor at the University of Michigan. He earns about $80,000 a year. Patricia Reuter-Lorenz, who works with cerebral palsy children, is a professor at the University of Michigan. She earns … [Read more...] about Setting America’s Priorities for 2015
Does Watching Fox News Make You Vote Republican?
Watching the Fox News Channel or MSNBC can persuade viewers to lean Republican or Democrat, economists have found. While most viewers know both these cable channels have certain political tendencies, the authors of a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have found that watching their broadcasts can actually change… … [Read more...] about Does Watching Fox News Make You Vote Republican?
Drum on Oil Prices
Kevin Drum analyses the recent drop in oil prices in Mother Jones. Keep in mind that US shale oil production has been growing steadily for the past five years, and during most of that time oil prices have been going up. It's only in the past six months that oil prices have collapsed. Obviously there's more going on than just shale. James Hamilton, who knows as … [Read more...] about Drum on Oil Prices
Ideological Republican Legislatures Blocking Attempts At Expanding Medicaid By More Pragmatic GOP Governors
Governors are often more pragmatic than other politicians, having to actually run the state government and consider fiscal realities. Accepting Medicaid expansion is an obvious decision for governors, as long as they consider economic factors rather than Republican ideology, as the federal government picks up most of the cost. The federal government pays 100 percent of the cost … [Read more...] about Ideological Republican Legislatures Blocking Attempts At Expanding Medicaid By More Pragmatic GOP Governors
Decapitation now cuts it with murderers across the spectrum
[icopyright one button toolbar] What more evidence do you need that Americans are easily imprinted then by the stories now popping up about murderers who've suddenly decided that decapitation is a method of choice. Before the screeching headlines showcasing the world's biggest and most successful producer of snuff videos -- ISIS -- cutting off the heads of journalists and … [Read more...] about Decapitation now cuts it with murderers across the spectrum
Adios, Rick Perry
Adios, Rick Perry By Jason Stanford To me Rick Perry will always be the guy who screwed up my book deal. Many will focus on his longevity in the Governor's Mansion and his rejection of Texas' bipartisan tradition. And it's going to be hard to write Perry's political eulogy without mentioning his penchant for malapropisms. "Oops," anyone? Heck, I used one of his quips of … [Read more...] about Adios, Rick Perry
Cartoon: Guns
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: Guns
Humoring the Headlines
Humoring the Headlines by Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO -- Republican Steve Scalise, the Majority Whip in the House of Representatives, claims he was unaware that David Duke’s European-American Unity and Rights Organization was a racist group when he delivered a speech at its annual conference in 2002. Critics wonder how he could have overlooked that the dress code for the event … [Read more...] about Humoring the Headlines
Questioning our questions
WASHINGTON -- It is a mark of our pluralistic moment that I learned of an old joke among rabbis from the writings of a great Christian scholar, Jaroslav Pelikan. In his book "Jesus Through the Centuries," Pelikan tells the story of a rabbi who is challenged by one of his pupils: "Why is it that you rabbis so often put your teaching in the form of a question?" To which … [Read more...] about Questioning our questions
Jeb Bush Severing All ‘Incriminating’ Connections
[icopyright one button toolbar] A sure sign that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is planning to do more than just “explore” a run for the White House in 2016 is the fact that he is severing ties, erasing connections and alliances that could “complicate” a presidential campaign. About a week ago Bush resigned from the board of Tenet Healthcare Corp., “the health care … [Read more...] about Jeb Bush Severing All ‘Incriminating’ Connections