Tenn. Criminalizes Pregnant Drug Use - The Daily Beast

Get in my Belly!

Tenn. Criminalizes Pregnant Drug Use - The Daily Beast: "It's about to become illegal to use drugs while pregnant in Tennessee. The state is the first in the country that will be able to charge women for harm done to their babies due to drug use during pregnancy. "

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For the first time, the U.S. high school graduation rate tops 80 percent, report finds

For the first time, the U.S. high school graduation rate tops 80 percent, report finds:



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The GOP's bad boys - John Bresnahan - POLITICO.com

The GOP's bad boys - John Bresnahan - POLITICO.com: "Not since the days of the Jack Abramoff scandal a decade ago have so many House GOP lawmakers garnered this many scandalous headlines in such a short a period of time. And while it hasn’t altered the overall political landscape for House Republicans — they are still expected to pick up seats in November — it is causing some nervous moments inside GOP leadership."



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Obamacare Enrollment Stats: How Many Signed Up On Last Day - Business Insider

Obamacare Enrollment Stats: How Many Signed Up On Last Day - Business Insider: "The 8 million figure significantly surpassed expectations from original predictions — the Congressional Budget Office predicted last year that 7 million would enroll by the end of the first open enrollment period. After a flawed and disastrous rollout, the CBO revised that number down to 6 million. The final number ended up at more than 8 million because of an incredible surge over the last month, and there's one stat that shows just how dramatic that final wave of enrollment was:"



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White House continues crackdown on campus sexual assault - Caitlin Emma - POLITICO.com

White House continues crackdown on campus sexual assault - Caitlin Emma - POLITICO.com: "The Obama administration late Monday put more pressure on colleges and universities to protect victims of sexual assault on campuses — the latest in a series of public steps the administration has taken as fresh accusations of incidents being mishandled emerge almost daily.

“Colleges and universities need to face the facts about sexual assault,” Vice President Joe Biden said. “No more turning a blind eye or pretending it doesn’t exist. We need to give victims the support they need — like a confidential place to go — and we need to bring the perpetrators to justice.”"

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SEC Is Probing Up To $1.8 Billion Of Chris Christie's Transport Funding - Business Insider

SEC Is Probing Up To $1.8 Billion Of Chris Christie's Transport Funding - Business Insider: "Federal securities regulators are probing whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration improperly diverted funds from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for use on transport projects in New Jersey, the publication Main Justice reported on Friday."



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Steve Stockman Faces Ethics Probe - Business Insider

Steve Stockman Faces Ethics Probe - Business Insider: "Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) -- whose long-shot primary campaign to unseat Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) failed spectacularly this year -- said Friday he's facing a congressional ethics probe."

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Congressman Michael Grimm Is Going To Be Indicted - Business Insider

Congressman Michael Grimm Is Going To Be Indicted - Business Insider: "Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) is imminently going to be indicted by a federal prosecutor, according to his attorney.

Patton Boggs LLP partner William McGinley issued a statement to Business Insider on Friday that accused the government of having a "politically driven vendetta" against Grimm. "

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Lance Armstrong Teaches Fans How to Change a Tire in Depressing Video | Bleacher Report

Lance Armstrong Teaches Fans How to Change a Tire in Depressing Video | Bleacher Report: "If you were wondering what embattled cyclist Lance Armstrong has been up to, the answer seems to be making fairly depressing how-to videos on changing bike tires.

So there's that. "



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Tucker Carlson: 'I Stopped Watching Oprah' Because She Attacks Men

Tucker Carlson: 'I Stopped Watching Oprah' Because She Attacks Men:



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Ex-Sheriff Wanted 'Women In Front' In Case Of Shootout With Feds

Ex-Sheriff Wanted 'Women In Front' In Case Of Shootout With Feds: "“We were actually strategizing to put all the women up at the front,” he said on Fox News, according to TheBlaze.com. “If they are going to start shooting, it’s going to be women that are going to be televised all across the world getting shot by these rogue federal officers.”"



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Nevada rancher standoff turns on a states’ rights debate - CBS News

Wait, how in the hell is this a state's rights issue.  Federal Supremacy Law!!

Nevada rancher standoff turns on a states’ rights debate - CBS News: "The several hundred cows gathered during the roundup were short of the BLM's goal of 900 cows that it says have been trespassing on U.S. land without required grazing permits for over 20 years.

The showdown over Bundy's cattle was the latest chapter in the Sagebrush Rebellion, which was launched by Nevada lawmakers in the 1970s in an attempt to turn control of federal land to the states."

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Cliven Bundy's fight in Nevada with federal government takes turn - CBS News

Pay your dang fee!  
Cliven Bundy's fight in Nevada with federal government takes turn - CBS News: "The Bureau of Land Management issued a statement Saturday afternoon after militia members and others gathered near the roundup site to protest the removal of hundreds of Cliven Bundy's cattle.

"Safety has always been our number one priority, and the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service appreciate the support of those who called for a peaceful conclusion to the operation," the statement read."



'via Blog this'

Twitter / tedcruz: Well this stinks... ...

Twitter / tedcruz: Well this stinks... ...:

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Justice Dept. Accuses Albuquerque Police of Excessive Force - NYTimes.com

Recall conversation with Tom about New Mexico police in 2007.

Justice Dept. Accuses Albuquerque Police of Excessive Force - NYTimes.com: "At least 37 times in the last four years, police officers here have responded to threats with bullets, killing 23 people and wounding 14 others. On Thursday, the Justice Department weighed in with a scathing assessment, accusing the Albuquerque Police Department of a “pattern or practice of use of excessive force” that routinely violated people’s constitutional rights."



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Romney gives $10,000 to McDonnell’s legal defense fund

Can that be written off on taxes?

Romney gives $10,000 to McDonnell’s legal defense fund: "Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, has made a personal donation of $10,000 to former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell's legal defense fund, a Romney aide confirmed Tuesday.
McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were indicted in January on federal charges of bribery and fraud involving their relationship with a prominent Virginia businessman and campaign donor. The McDonnells are scheduled to face trial in July."



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Enrollment in Medicaid, children's health program grows by 3 million - POLITICO.com Print View

Enrollment in Medicaid, children's health program grows by 3 million - POLITICO.com Print View: "About 3 million more people enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program from October through February, an increase tied to the opening of the Obamacare insurance marketplaces.

Figures released Friday by the Obama administration show that over that five-month period, a total of 11.7 million people were determined eligible for the two programs. Both numbers could rise further once all states finish reporting their data, officials said.

The uptake in Medicaid enrollment was especially driven by states that have expanded the program under the health care law, according to the new figures. Expansion states recorded an 8.3 percent jump in enrollment, while states that did not expand had a 1.6 percent increase."



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Marionville mayor resigns

Marionville mayor resigns: "Marionville Mayor Dan Clevenger resigned Monday night for making anti-Semitic comments in the wake of the arrest of white supremacist Frazier Glenn Miller and after aldermen voted 4-1 to start the impeachment process.

UPDATED STORY: Marionville mayor submits resignation letter

Clevenger, 59, said he was personally hurt to hear resident after resident say he was a local and national embarrassment to the city."

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Unlimited Food For NCAA Athletes? | Only A Game

Follow-up post to the comments by Napier.  The NCAA were updating this policy and working on the details for months based on years of requests from NCAA players!

This is a good thing.  Everyone gets fed!

Unlimited Food For NCAA Athletes? | Only A Game: "On Tuesday, the NCAA’s legislative council approved a proposal to expand the food allowances for all student athletes to include unlimited meals and snacks. That move occurred eight days after the NCAA men’s title game and UConn star’s Shabazz Napier’s post-game complaint that he sometimes went t0 bed starving because he could not afford food. Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples joined Bill Littlefield to discuss the possible consequences."



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What Russia’s invasion of Georgia means for Crimea

What Russia’s invasion of Georgia means for Crimea: "The crisis in Ukraine has a recent precedent: Russia’s aggression in Georgia in August 2008. For an insider’s view on what happened then and what the stakes are now, I talked via e-mail with Daniel Fata, deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy from September 2005 to September 2008."

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Marionville Mayor: I agree with Frazier Miller's beliefs, not behaviors | Local - Home

Marionville Mayor: I agree with Frazier Miller's beliefs, not behaviors | Local - Home: ""Kind of agreed with him on some things, but I don't like to express that too much," said Clevenger.

That hasn't always been the case.  Nearly a decade ago, Clevenger wrote a letter to the editor of the Aurora Advertiser.

"I am a friend of Frazier Miller helping to spread his warnings," wrote Clevenger. "The Jew-run medical industry has succeeded in destroying the United State's workforce."

The letter continued.

"Made a few Jews rich by killin' us off.""

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“We Could Be King” Trailer — Inspirational Sports Documentary on a Philadelphia High School Football Program

“We Could Be King” Trailer — Inspirational Sports Documentary on a Philadelphia High School Football Program: "When a high school is hit with drastic budget cuts, art programs are usually the first to go. But rarely do we hear about high school sports suffering the same fate.
Acclaimed documentarian Judd Ehrlich (Magic Camp) investigates one such case in the new fly-on-the-wall documentary "We Could Be King," which follows a Philadelphia football program that merges two rival high school teams together when one of their schools is forced to close down. At the center is an unproved rookie head coach who not only has to help curb their long-standing rivalry, but teach his kids the importance of teamwork and school spirit.
"We Could Be King" premieres this week at the Tribeca Film Festival and airs on ESPN2 this Saturday, April 26th."



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Eric Holder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reagan did what?

Eric Holder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: " In 1988, Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.[11]"



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Obama Signs Ted Cruz's Iran Bill - Business Insider

Obama Signs Ted Cruz's Iran Bill - Business Insider: "President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a bill that was sponsored by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and will effectively bar Iran's proposed United Nations ambassador from entering the United States. Though he signed the bill, Obama said he will use discretion in enforcing the law.

[...] The law prevents terrorists or others the President deems to be a national security threat to the United States from entering the country as ambassadors to the United Nations. Cruz formed the bill in response to Iran's selection of Hamid Aboutalebi as its ambassador to the U.N. Aboutalebi was allegedly involved in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis."



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Cliven Bundy to sheriffs: ‘Disarm’ the Bureau of Land Management - Tal Kopan - POLITICO.com

Cliven Bundy to sheriffs: ‘Disarm’ the Bureau of Land Management - Tal Kopan - POLITICO.com: "“I only want to talk to one person in each county across the United States, and here’s what I want to say: County sheriffs, disarm U.S. bureaucracy. County sheriffs, disarm U.S. bureaucrats,” Bundy said on Glenn Beck’s radio show on TheBlaze on Monday."

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Tennessee Is About To Turn Pregnant Women Into Suspected Criminals | ThinkProgress

Tennessee Is About To Turn Pregnant Women Into Suspected Criminals | ThinkProgress: "Tennessee is poised to become the first state in the country to subject women to criminal assault charges if they use drugs during their pregnancy. Last week, both chambers of the state legislature passed Senate Bill 1391, which would ultimately allow the state to scrutinize miscarriages, stillbirths, and birth defects to try to determine if drugs played a role."

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Prominent Republican: Women Need To Be Paid Less So They Can Find Husbands | ThinkProgress

Prominent Republican: Women Need To Be Paid Less So They Can Find Husbands | ThinkProgress:

Phyllis Schlafly — the founder of the Eagle Forum — maintained that increasing the pay gap will help women find suitable husbands:
Another fact is the influence of hypergamy, which means that women typically choose a mate (husband or boyfriend) who earns more than she does. Men don’t have the same preference for a higher-earning mate.

[...] Suppose the pay gap between men and women were magically eliminated. If that happened, simple arithmetic suggests that half of women would be unable to find what they regard as a suitable mate.

[...]

The best way to improve economic prospects for women is to improve job prospects for the men in their lives, even if that means increasing the so-called pay gap. via Blog this'

Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 1, Copa del Rey final: report, Gareth Bale winner - Telegraph

Copa del Rey - champs!

Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 1, Copa del Rey final: report, Gareth Bale winner - Telegraph: "Gareth Bale demonstrated last night precisely why he is the world’s most expensive footballer.
With extra time looming in the Copa Del Rey final, in an atmosphere boiling with tension and nerves, the Welshman picked up the ball just inside the Real Madrid half and simply ran at the Barcelona defence. And he kept running, sprinting around the centre-back Marc Bartra as if he were a training ground dummy. Then he advanced into the penalty area and slipped the ball under the keeper José Pinto into the corner of the net for the winning goal."

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New York Drops Unit That Spied on Muslims - NYTimes.com

New York Drops Unit That Spied on Muslims - NYTimes.com: "Demographics Unit, was a sign that the police viewed their every action with suspicion. The police mapped communities inside and outside the city, logging where customers in traditional Islamic clothes ate meals and documenting their lunch-counter conversations."

 After years of collecting information, however, the police acknowledgedthat it never generated a lead. Since The Associated Press published documents describing the program in 2011, Muslims and civil rights groups have called for its closing.

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Database: How much Medicare pays doctors - The Washington Post

Database: How much Medicare pays doctors - The Washington Post: "For the first time, the government is releasing detailed data about medicare payments to doctors, revealing what procedures doctors performed and what they were paid. The trove of billing records shows that thousands of physicians made more than $1 million each from Medicare in 2012. Dozens billed for more than $10 million. Billing for a large amount is not necessarily a sign of wrongdoing."



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Police find seven dead babies in Utah County home | The Salt Lake Tribune

The face of postpartum depression!

Police find seven dead babies in Utah County home | The Salt Lake Tribune: "On Saturday, police responded to a call from Huntsman’s estranged husband — who was initially identified by police as her ex-husband — about a dead infant found inside a Pleasant Grove home where Huntsman lived until 2011. Officers arrived and found the body of a newborn infant, who appeared to be full term, according to the release.

Police obtained a search warrant for the home and found six more babies packaged in separate cardboard boxes inside the garage, said police Capt. Michael Roberts."

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Man Kills 3 at Jewish Centers in Kansas City Suburb - NYTimes.com

Man Kills 3 at Jewish Centers in Kansas City Suburb - NYTimes.com: "The Southern Poverty Law Center said it sued Mr. Miller in the 1980s for intimidating African-Americans, and he has had several run-ins with the law since then. He served six months in prison after he was held in criminal contempt for violating the terms of the court order that settled that lawsuit. He also served three years in federal prison for weapons charges and for plotting robberies and the assassination of the center’s founder, Morris Dees. As part of his plea bargain, he testified against other Klan leaders in a 1988 trial."



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Kansas Shooting Suspect Appears To Shout 'Heil Hitler!' While In Custody (VIDEO) [UPDATE]

Kansas Shooting Suspect Appears To Shout 'Heil Hitler!' While In Custody (VIDEO) [UPDATE]: "Frazier Glenn Cross, the man suspected of killing three people in two separate shootings at Jewish centers in Overland Park, Kan., on Sunday was captured on camera making pro-Nazi comments.

The video, which was taken by Kansas City news station KMBC, shows the suspected gunman after he was taken into custody in the parking lot of an elementary school near the scene of the attacks at the Jewish Community Center and the Village Shalom assisted living center."



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The Problem With U.S. Tax Policies | Here & Now

The Problem With U.S. Tax Policies | Here & Now: "Tax expert David Cay Johnston says it’s easy to fool the IRS, but there’s one catch: “you have to be rich.”

Johnston says Congress keeps passing laws that make the tax code increasingly complex, while at the same time it’s cut funding for the IRS, making it very hard for the agency to inspect returns properly.

 Still, says Johnston, it’s almost impossible to cheat on your taxes if you earn your living in wages, because most taxes are deducted from your check before you are paid. On the other hand, people who own business and those who make most of their money from investment “self-report” their income, which creates many opportunities for mistakes and for cheating.

 Johnson says there is a fundamental problem with our tax code — it’s not structured for growth and job creation; it’s structured to reward speculation and cash hoarding."

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David Bossie: Boos in New Hampshire show Jeb Bush’s challenge - POLITICO.com Print View

David Bossie: Boos in New Hampshire show Jeb Bush’s challenge - POLITICO.com Print View: "“People actually booed Jeb Bush, which I was, quite frankly, not expecting,” he said. “He was very unpopular in New Hampshire and that caught me by surprise … it’s not a good thing if you’re part of the consultant class that are waiting in the wings for him to run, the Bush Industrial Complex that’s out there.”"

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New calls for Vance McAllister’s resignation - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman and James Hohmann - POLITICO.com

New calls for Vance McAllister’s resignation - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman and James Hohmann - POLITICO.com: "Prominent Republicans began deserting embattled Louisiana Rep. Vance McAllister on Thursday, as the freshman congressman’s prognosis for political survival became increasingly bleak.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) joined the chairman of the state’s Republican Party in calling for McAllister’s immediate resignation. Speaker John Boehner offered no support when asked about the so-called “kissing congressman” at a press conference. And former Rep. Rodney Alexander, who previously held the seat, told a local paper that he is open to coming back."

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Suspect in Kansas City shootings will face hate crime charges

Suspect in Kansas City shootings will face hate crime charges: "“This was a hate crime,” Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass told reporters at a news conference.
The suspect, Frazier Glenn Cross, who also used the name Frazier Glenn Miller, is believed to have links to various hate groups. He was a former “grand dragon” of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan."

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Justice Department to investigate whether Kansas shooting was a hate crime, Holder says | The Rundown | PBS NewsHour

Justice Department to investigate whether Kansas shooting was a hate crime, Holder says | The Rundown | PBS NewsHour: "Attorney General Eric Holder said.

Holder said, in a statement released Monday, that the department will support state and local authorities to “determine whether the federal hate crimes statute is implicated in this case.”"



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Cuba slashes more than 100,000 health care jobs - The Washington Post

Cuba slashes more than 100,000 health care jobs - The Washington Post: "The weekly labor newspaper Trabajadores said Monday that 109,000 health care positions have been cut.

 Two years ago, Cuba said more than 50,000 jobs in that sector had been slashed. Most of the cuts came in less-skilled positions such as ambulance drivers and hospital support staff."
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3 Dead After Shootings At Jewish Facilities Near Kansas City : The Two-Way : NPR

Very sad.  This sounds like a hate crime.

3 Dead After Shootings At Jewish Facilities Near Kansas City : The Two-Way : NPR: "Police confirmed that three people were killed after shootings that took place at a Jewish community center and another location near the Kansas City area on Sunday.

At a press conference a few hours after the shooting, Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass said two males were killed at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and one female was killed at Village Shalom, an assisted living center about a mile from the community center."



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Jeb Bush defends immigration remarks – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Jeb Bush defends immigration remarks – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs: "Jeb Bush is standing by recent comments on immigration reform that sparked a controversy among some conservatives.

At a speech Thursday night the former two-term Florida governor and possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate said that his words were nothing new, and made another pitch for reform saying that "comprehensive immigration reform is part of the answer.""



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Vance McAllister "Dishes"

No disrespect but his wife looks like his grandma!  It kind of explains a lot!

Rebounding economy fills state coffers with record tax revenues

Two neat charts below:

Rebounding economy fills state coffers with record tax revenues: "State governments collected more than $846 billion in tax revenue in the last fiscal year, the highest amount ever reported, as a rebounding economy boosted coffers hit hard by the recession.
The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that states collected $309 billion in individual income taxes last year, a 10 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. Income taxes make up more than a third of total state tax revenues. Corporate income tax collections rose to $45 billion, up almost 8 percent from the year before."

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Krauthammer Tells GOP To Drop Benghazi Issue - Business Insider

CK: It's not about getting to the bottom of the issue.  It's about making political points.  And the opposition (Republicans) have done that.  They've already gotten to the bottom of Benghazi, Libya.  

• Not enough security, (spending cuts to the State Department)
• military forces couldn't get there in time per Gen. Dempsey, (located in Stuttgart, Germany)
• the CIA was at the annex so they couldn't engage the threat without exposing their mission (Rep Jason Chaffetz let that slip early into this hearing strategy) 
• and 11 embassies and annexes were being protested against because of that movie.

Krauthammer Tells GOP To Drop Benghazi Issue - Business Insider: "on Wednesday told Republicans to give up on Benghazi.

"Politically speaking the administration has won. They ran out the clock. If we had a select committee from the beginning, really had coherent hearings unlike what we’ve had, which were disjointed hearings that let all things sort of slip away, we really would have been somewhere. We would have gotten to the bottom of this. But as a political fact, this thing is done," he said on Fox News about congressional Republicans' many investigations into how the Obama administration handled the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya."

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PG&E Offers $250,000 Reward In San Jose Substation Attack « CBS San Francisco

Domestic terrorism??

PG&E Offers $250,000 Reward In San Jose Substation Attack « CBS San Francisco: "PG&E announced Thursday a $250,000 reward for the capture and conviction of suspects responsible for damaging a substation near San Jose last year by using sniper rifles to knock out 17 transformers."



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O’Reilly: Eric Holder Uses Skin Color ‘As a Shield’ to Avoid Criticism | Mediaite

O’Reilly: Eric Holder Uses Skin Color ‘As a Shield’ to Avoid Criticism | Mediaite: "O’Reilly said Holder was “heavily implying” the race factor in not just how he’s treated, but in how President Obama is treated. He charged that Holder is “using his skin color as a shield to avoid explaining to the American people why he has been so ineffective on a variety of fronts.”"

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Marine Shoots, Kills Fellow Guard At Camp Lejeune - Business Insider

Marine Shoots, Kills Fellow Guard At Camp Lejeune - Business Insider: "Authorities at Camp Lejeune (luh-JERN') in North Carolina say a Marine standing guard at the main gate has shot and killed another guard.
A statement from the base said the shooting occurred at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The base provost marshal says the shooting isn't considered an act of terrorism and the gunman isn't "

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Vance McAllister Caught on Camera Kissing Staffer VIDEO | Mediaite

Vance McAllister Caught on Camera Kissing Staffer VIDEO | Mediaite: "Rep. Vance McAllister (R-LA) has been in Congress for less than six months and he already has a sex scandal on his hands. The self-described Christian conservative was caught on a security camera in his own office kissing one his Congressional staffers. The video, which was taken on December 23rd, 2013, was first posted online by The Ouachita Citizen.

The Louisiana paper identified the women in the video as 33-year-old Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, McAllister’s district scheduler. The 40-year-old congressman is married and has five children."



'via Blog this'

UConn Wins Women’s N.C.A.A. Title - NYTimes.com

U Conn rocks!

If you have a kid who plays basketball just send them there!

UConn Wins Women’s N.C.A.A. Title - NYTimes.com: "Connecticut routed Notre Dame, 79-58, Auriemma and the Huskies (40-0) completed their fifth undefeated season. He now has one title more than his former nemesis, Pat Summitt of Tennessee, and only one fewer than John Wooden, whose pyramid of success brought 10 national titles to the men’s team at U.C.L.A."

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A frightening map of where Kerr-McGee polluted

A frightening map of where Kerr-McGee polluted: " Anadarko Petroleum, reaching a $5.15 billion deal to clean up dozens of sites across the United States and compensate more than 7,000 people living with the effects of the contamination.
The accord arose out of a lawsuit in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court concerning Tronox, a paint materials manufacturer and unit of the company Kerr-McGee, an Anadarko subsidiary. Anadarko bought Kerr-McGee after it had spun off Tronox, but plaintiffs and Justice Dept. officials charged this was merely an attempt to avoid taking financial responsibility for the range of U.S. chemical, energy and manufacturing businesses Kerr-McGee operated over the course of 85 years."

'via Blog this'

Anadarko Petroleum to pay $5.15 billion to settle pollution case, Justice Dept. says - The Washington Post

Silkwood!

Anadarko Petroleum to pay $5.15 billion to settle pollution case, Justice Dept. says - The Washington Post: "The Justice Department announced the biggest environmental cash settlement in history Thursday, securing a $5.15 billion deal with Anadarko Petroleum to clean up dozens of sites across the country and compensate more than 7,000 people living with the effects of the contamination.

The agreement resolves claims stemming from the toxic legacy of one of the oil firm’s subsidiaries, Kerr-McGee, which operated a range of U.S. chemical, energy and manufacturing businesses over 85 years."

'via Blog this'

William Kyle Carpenter Medal Of Honor - Business Insider

William Kyle Carpenter Medal Of Honor - Business Insider: "Marine Corps veteran William Kyle Carpenter will become the Marine's third Medal of Honor recipient since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps Times writes, citing unnamed officials."

'via Blog this'

UConn Defeats Kentucky for Men’s Title - NYTimes.com

Stay for school - win a championship!

UConn Defeats Kentucky for Men’s Title - NYTimes.com: "All week, Shabazz Napier was asked about the Connecticut team of 2011, the team that began March as outsiders before rumbling through the N.C.A.A. tournament. He was a freshman on that team, as old as the five players in Kentucky blue joining him Monday for the opening tip-off in the national championship.

 He could not compare them; the teams, he said, were just different, but Napier at least had a frame of reference. Connecticut was the anti-Kentucky, with two seniors and two juniors in its starting lineup, players who affirmed their loyalty through conference realignment and sanctions and postseason bans.

 They stayed. They endured. They returned UConn to glory, a title just as improbable as Napier’s first."



'via Blog this'

New Republican

New Site - 
New Republican:


'via Blog this'

Jeb Bush Says Illegal Immigration Is Often 'An Act Of Love' - Business Insider

Jeb Bush Says Illegal Immigration Is Often 'An Act Of Love' - Business Insider: "on Sunday that illegal immigrants who come to the United States to provide for their families are not committing a felony but an "act of love."

In comments at odds with the views of many in his party, Bush, the son of the 41st president and brother of the 43rd, said of the divisive immigration issue: "I think we need to kind of get beyond the harsh political rhetoric to a better place."



'via Blog this'

4 dead, including shooter, at Fort Hood - CNN.com

Sad.  It may have been a normal disagreement.

4 dead, including shooter, at Fort Hood - CNN.com: "Authorities have identified the man who opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas on Wednesday, killing three people before committing suicide, as Specialist Ivan Lopez."



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Hobby Lobby's Hypocrisy: The Company's Retirement Plan Invests in Contraception Manufacturers | Mother Jones

If you don't like to ACA just say it.  Don't find a reason today, when it wasn't a reason before.

Hobby Lobby's Hypocrisy: The Company's Retirement Plan Invests in Contraception Manufacturers | Mother Jones:

These companies include Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which makes Plan B and ParaGard, a copper IUD, and Actavis, which makes a generic version of Plan B and distributes Ella. Other holdings in the mutual funds selected by Hobby Lobby include Pfizer, the maker ofCytotec and Prostin E2, which are used to induce abortions; Bayer, which manufactures the hormonal IUDs Skyla andMirena; AstraZeneca, which has an Indian subsidiary that manufactures Prostodin, Cerviprime, and Partocin, three drugs commonly used in abortions; and Forest Laboratories, which makes Cervidil, a drug used to induce abortions. Several funds in the Hobby Lobby retirement plan also invested in Aetna and Humana, two health insurance companies that cover surgical abortions, abortion drugs, and emergency contraception in many of the health care policies they sell.

In a brief filed with the Supreme Court, the Greens object to covering Plan B, Ella, and IUDs because they claim that these products can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in a woman's uterus—a process the Greens consider abortion. But researchers reject the notionthat emergency contraceptive pills prevent implantation the implantation of a fertilized egg. Instead, they work by delaying ovulation or making it harder for sperm to swim to the egg. (Copper IUDs, which are also a form of birth control, can prevent implantation.) The Green's contention that the pills cause abortions is a central pillar of their argument for gutting the contraception mandate. Yet, for years, Hobby Lobby's health insurance plans did cover Plan B and Ella. It was only in 2012, when the Greens considered filing a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, that they dropped these drugs from the plan.

'via Blog this'

Greenspan Concedes Error on Regulation - NYTimes.com

Greenspan Concedes Error on Regulation - NYTimes.com: "Mr. Greenspan conceded: “Yes, I’ve found a flaw. I don’t know how significant or permanent it is. But I’ve been very distressed by that fact.” 

 On a day that brought more bad news about rising home foreclosures and slumping employment, Mr. Greenspan refused to accept blame for the crisis but acknowledged that his belief in deregulation had been shaken."



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The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Deficits and Deceit

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Deficits and Deceit: "In the summer of 2001 he called plunging federal revenue "incredibly positive news" because it would "put a straitjacket" on federal spending. 


To keep that straitjacket on, however, those who sold tax cuts with the assurance that they were easily affordable must convince the public that the cuts can't be reversed now that those assurances have proved false. And Mr. Greenspan has once again tried to come to the president's aid, insisting this week that we should deal with deficits "primarily, if not wholly," by slashing Social Security and Medicare because tax increases would "pose significant risks to economic growth."

 Really? America prospered for half a century under a level of federal taxes higher than the one we face today. According to the administration's own estimates, Mr. Bush's second term will see the lowest tax take as a percentage of G.D.P. since the Truman administration. And don't forget that President Clinton's 1993 tax increase ushered in an economic boom. Why, exactly, are tax increases out of the question?"



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Greenspan in 2001: We're paying down the debt too fast! [VIDEO]

Greenspan in 2001: We're paying down the debt too fast! [VIDEO]: "Alan Greenspan told the Senate Committee that the government had TOO MUCH money and paying down the debt too quickly. Very different days. See below for transcript and video"



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Secret Service Agents Sent Home From Netherlands - Business Insider

Secret Service Agents Sent Home From Netherlands - Business Insider: "A Secret Service agent found drunk by staff at a Dutch hotel was recalled to the U.S. along with two of his colleagues, the day before President Barack Obama was set to arrive in the Netherlands."

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Obamacare enrollment period ends with massive surge - Joanne Kenen and Kyle Cheney - POLITICO.com

Obamacare enrollment period ends with massive surge - Joanne Kenen and Kyle Cheney - POLITICO.com: "The first open enrollment season of Obamacare ended at midnight Monday, a day that saw millions of Americans click onto Obamacare sign-up portals, dial into call centers and stand in long lines at assistance sites nationwide. The huge surge made it increasingly likely that enrollment would hit 7 million, the finish line that seemed out of reach during much of the often rocky six-month period.

Shortly after 10 p.m., the Associated Press cited two sources that said sign-ups were “on track” to hit 7 million. Administration officials wouldn’t confirm the number but said that signs were pointing in that direction."

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The Republican Who Saved Civil Rights - Todd S. Purdum - POLITICO Magazine

The Republican Who Saved Civil Rights - Todd S. Purdum - POLITICO Magazine: "Fifty years ago, the congressman from Piqua was an equally conservative fellow — but an altogether different man. His name was Bill McCulloch, and at the height of John F. Kennedy’s effort to pass the first comprehensive federal civil rights law since Reconstruction, it was McCulloch — a now forgotten figure — who rose above mere partisanship to give first Kennedy, and then Lyndon B. Johnson, the power to pass the single most important law of the 20th century."

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Obamacare Enrollment Surging With Last-Minute Sign-Ups

Obamacare Enrollment Surging With Last-Minute Sign-Ups: "On the last day to sign up for Obamacare, evidence appears to be mounting that what started as a disaster may turn out a success.

Monday is the deadline to enroll in health insurance for 2014 via the health insurance exchanges created by President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, and it's clear that many waited until the last minute. The looming deadline and fear of the penalty for not getting covered has driven millions of people to the exchange websites, enrollment events and health insurance companies over the past few days."

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Celebrities tweet Obamacare deadline - Natalie Villacorta - POLITICO.com

Celebrities tweet Obamacare deadline - Natalie Villacorta - POLITICO.com:

Sarah Silverman        ✔ 

RainnWilson        ✔ 

Zach Braff        ✔ 

John Legend        ✔ 

kerry washington        ✔ 

Russell Simmons        ✔ 

Connie Britton 

JARED LETO        ✔ 

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