Mike Carey, longtime NFL referee, avoided Washington’s games because of the name - The Washington Post

Mike Carey, longtime NFL referee, avoided Washington’s games because of the name - The Washington Post: "No one approached. His secret of almost eight years was safe, if for just a few more minutes.

“I’ve called them Washington all my life,” he said, when finally asked. “And I will continue to call them Washington.”

Unbeknownst to that studio full of cameras, media, analysts, play-by-play men and network executives, Carey’s feelings on the issue were established long before CBS sports chairman Sean McManus admirably gave his on-air talent the choice this year during NFL broadcasts of whether to use the team’s name — which in parts of desensitized Washington is akin to “Lions” or “Broncos” yet is a dictionary-defined racial slur, degrading tens of thousands of Native Americans now being spoken for and heard from for the first time in decades."
'via Blog this'

U. Michigan Consumer Confidence - Business Insider

U. Michigan Consumer Confidence - Business Insider: "CONSUMER CONFIDENCE UNEXPECTEDLY JUMPS TO A 7-YEAR HIGH"

'via Blog this'

The governor, the retail-therapy wife and the priest who likes men: Bob McDonnell knows how to do scandal | Jeb Lund | Comment is free | theguardian.com

The governor, the retail-therapy wife and the priest who likes men: Bob McDonnell knows how to do scandal | Jeb Lund | Comment is free | theguardian.com: "But McDonnell has managed to make the trial seem like a convoluted prelude to the revelation that, throughout the proceedings, he’s been living, while separated from his wife, with a priest who got busted for cruising dudes in parking lots."



'via Blog this'

A 9-Year-OldEnter a post title

Mr. Vacca – bad decision!

But on Monday, one family’s adventure went horribly wrong. A 9-year-old girl from New Jersey accidentally shot and killed her instructor with an Uzi submachine gun while he stood to her left side, trying to guide her. A video of the shooting, which her parents recorded on a cellphone, suggests that the girl, in pink shorts and with a braided ponytail, was unable to control the gun’s recoil; the instructor, Charles Vacca, 39, was rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas, where he died Monday night.

Darren Wilson’s first job was on a troubled police force disbanded by authorities - The Washington Post

Darren Wilson’s first job was on a troubled police force disbanded by authorities - The Washington Post: "The small city of Jennings, Mo., had a police department so troubled, and with so much tension between white officers and black residents, that the city council finally decided to disband it. Everyone in the Jennings police department was fired. New officers were brought in to create a credible department from scratch.

That was three years ago. One of the officers who worked in that department, and lost his job along with everyone else, was a young man named Darren Wilson.

Some of the Jennings officers reapplied for their jobs, but Wilson got a job in the police department in the nearby city of Ferguson."

'via Blog this'

Douglas McCain Killed Fighting Alongside ISIS - Business Insider

Douglas McCain Killed Fighting Alongside ISIS - Business Insider: "An American who grew up in Minnesota joined the Islamic militant group ISIS and was killed along with two other foreign fighters in Syria, NBC News reports, citing activists linked to the Free Syrian Army. 
Douglas McAuthur McCain, 33, was killed in clashes between ISIS and other Syrian opposition groups. McCain, who branded himself "Duale ThaslaveofAllah" on Facebook and "Duale Khalid" on Twitter, was considered an unlikely jihadi by those who knew him."

'via Blog this'

Obama Called Nine Foreign Leaders While on Vacation - NationalJournal.com

Obama Called Nine Foreign Leaders While on Vacation - NationalJournal.com: "Here's who Obama called and what they talked about:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, about Iraq
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan, about the leader's recent election
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, about Gaza
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, about the Ebola outbreak
Sierra Leonian President Ernest Bai Koroma, about the Ebola outbreak
Romanian President Traian Băsescu, about the crisis in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, about Russian intervention in Ukraine
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, about Georgia's growing partnership with NATO
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, about the crisis in Ukraine"

'via Blog this'

Rand Paul on Ferguson: "It is impossible for African-Americans not to feel like their government is particularly targeting them."

Rand Paul on Ferguson: "It is impossible for African-Americans not to feel like their government is particularly targeting them.": ""If I had been told to get out of the street as a teenager," writes Paul, "there would have been a distinct possibility that I might have smarted off. But, I wouldn’t have expected to be shot." Later, he sympathizes with blacks who "feel like their government is particularly targeting them." It's exactly what Paul does when he talks about drug laws and felonies, giving examples of how so many white people have escaped the life-changing criminal judgments of black people who behave the same way."

'via Blog this'

Beverly Hills police express regret for holding black producer before Emmys - LA Times

Beverly Hills police express regret for holding black producer before Emmys - LA Times: Beverly Hills police officials said Tuesday that it was "extremely unfortunate" that officers handcuffed and detained an African American film producer who was in the city to attend a pre-Emmy party.  Producer Charles Belk "matched the clothing and physical characteristics" of a suspected bank robber when he was pulled over by officers on Friday evening after he left a restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department.  Belk said on Facebook that he was walking to his car when he was confronted by police, handcuffed and forced to sit on the sidewalk. He said he was detained for six hours.

'via Blog this'

The Best Explanation I've Ever Heard Of Why Black People And White People See Cops Differently

The Best Explanation I've Ever Heard Of Why Black People And White People See Cops Differently:

https://storify.com/public/templates/slideshow/index.html?src=//storify.com/createdbyerica/why-black-and-white-people-see-the-police-differen#1

'via Blog this'

Tax avoidance: The Irish inversion - FT.com

Tax avoidance: The Irish inversion - FT.com: "The global headquarters of Endo International is so new that, apart from a few desktop computers, the most visible purchase to date is the Nespresso machine in the kitchen. Located in the basement of a Georgian house in central Dublin, the company, which makes branded and generic medicines, does not even have a brass plate on the door."

'via Blog this'

U.S. CORPORATIONS ARE USING BERMUDA TO SLASH TAX BILLS - New York Times

U.S. CORPORATIONS ARE USING BERMUDA TO SLASH TAX BILLS - New York Times: "DAVID CAY JOHNSTON
Published: February 18, 2002  A growing number of American companies, encouraged by their financial advisers, are incorporating in Bermuda to lower their taxes sharply without giving up the benefits of doing business in the United States.

Insurance companies led the way, but now manufacturers and other kinds of companies are following.

Stanley Works, for 159 years a Connecticut maker of hammers and wrenches, is among the latest with plans to become a corporation in Bermuda, where there is no income tax. The company estimates that it will cut its tax bill by $30 million a year, to about $80 million."

'via Blog this'

Tax Break ‘Blarney’: U.S. Companies Beat the System With Irish Addresses - Bloomberg

Tax Break ‘Blarney’: U.S. Companies Beat the System With Irish Addresses - Bloomberg: "The technique these companies use to lower their tax bills -- shifting legal addresses to low-tax Switzerland, Ireland, and Bermuda -- was in the spotlight last week. Pfizer Inc. (PFE), the largest U.S. drugmaker, said it’s seeking a British address, a move that might save more than $1 billion a year in U.S. taxes."

'via Blog this'

Report Says 26 U.S. Companies Have Negative Average Federal Income Tax Rate - ABC News

Report Says 26 U.S. Companies Have Negative Average Federal Income Tax Rate - ABC News: "In November, the liberal lobbying group Citizens for Tax Justice stirred controversy with a report highlighting 280 so-called corporate tax-dodgers, highlighting companies they said were paying under the 35 percent federal income corporate tax rate. This week, the group revised its list with new data and said most of the companies that paid no taxes previously repeated that in 2011.

The latest update estimates that all but four of the 30 Fortune 500 companies that paid an average negative federal income tax rate from 2008 to 2010 continued to do so for 2011. Among the companies listed are Pepco Holdings and General Electric."

'via Blog this'

These 26 Companies Pay No Federal Income Tax

These 26 Companies Pay No Federal Income Tax: "Many American companies are paying federal income taxes at far below the 35 percent rate often cited as the highest in the world. And many of the most profitable companies are effectively paying no taxes at all, according to a new report by the left-leaning Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), which advocates for tax fairness."

'via Blog this'

White-on-white murder in America is out of control - Vox

White-on-white murder in America is out of control - Vox:

"Blacks represent 13% of the population but commit 50% of the murders; 90% of black victims are murdered by other blacks," writes Time's Joe Klein, calling for "provocative" thinking on race in America. "The facts suggest that history is not enough to explain this social disaster."

Yet the disturbing truth, according to the FBI's most recent homicide statistics, is that the United States is in the wake of an epidemic of white-on-white crime. Back in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, a staggering 83 percent of white murder victims were killed by fellow Caucasians.

'via Blog this'

ACLU: Police incident report on Brown's shooting death incomplete | Al Jazeera America

ACLU: Police incident report on Brown's shooting death incomplete | Al Jazeera America: "The St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the Ferguson Police Department never filled out an incident report on the shooting death. The Prosecutor's Office said the case was turned over to county police almost immediately, and no details will be released while the grand jury reviews the case and decides whether or not to indict the officer, MSNBC reported Thursday.

After the police department withheld the report, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit to obtain the records. Late Wednesday, the ACLU of Missouri released what they said was the report, which lists only the date, time and location of the shooting."

'via Blog this'

Ferguson Cop Allegedly Hog-Tied, Choked 12-Year-Old - Business Insider

Ferguson Cop Allegedly Hog-Tied, Choked 12-Year-Old - Business Insider: "A Ferguson, Mo. police officer allegedly hog-tied and choked a 12-year-old boy who was checking the mail at the end of his driveway, according to a lawsuit filed in 2012 in Missouri federal court.
The Huffington Post reported Sunday on the lawsuit, which accuses Justin Cosma, who was with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office at the time, and another officer of using "unreasonable and excessive" physical force against the boy. The accusations came in September 2012, just after Cosma joined the force in Ferguson."

'via Blog this'

Rick Perry: ISIS Forces Crossing US-Mexican Border? - Business Insider

Another village idiot has escaped Texas!

Rick Perry: ISIS Forces Crossing US-Mexican Border? - Business Insider: "Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) believes the jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) may have already sent militants across the U.S.-Mexican border.
Perry was directly asked about this prospect Thursday afternoon after he gave a border-security speech at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank."

'via Blog this'

Bank of America Reaches $16.65 Billion Mortgage Settlement - NYTimes.com

Bank of America Reaches $16.65 Billion Mortgage Settlement - NYTimes.com: "Bank of America and the Justice Department have a reached a record $16.65 billion settlement, capping the most sweeping federal investigation into the sale of troubled mortgages by a Wall Street bank since the 2008 financial crisis.

The landmark settlement, announced by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in Washington on Thursday morning, requires Bank of America to pay a $9.65 billion cash penalty and provide about $7 billion in relief to homeowners and blighted neighborhoods."

http://nyti.ms/1pUUTi9

'via Blog this'

Suburban St. Louis cop suspended for threatening to kill, pointing gun at media in Ferguson, Mo. 'I will f***ing kill you': NY Daily News

Yes, the reporters are being stupid!  Not the point though!!
Suburban St. Louis cop suspended for threatening to kill, pointing gun at media in Ferguson, Mo.  - NY Daily News: "The St. Ann officer, identified as Lt. Ray Albers, was captured on video aiming his semi-automatic assault rifle at several media members and peaceful protesters just before midnight Tuesday during a demonstration along the streets of Ferguson. The 20-year veteran identified himself as 'go f--- yourself' to a reporter, among other inappropriate actions caught on video."

'via Blog this'

CHENEY: Obama Would 'Rather Be On The Golf Course' Than The Situation Room - Business Insider

Good point!

CHENEY: Obama Would 'Rather Be On The Golf Course' Than The Situation Room - Business Insider: "Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney strongly criticized President Barack Obama on Wednesday night for going golfing immediately after delivering a statement on the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

"Every day we find new evidence that he’d rather be on the golf course than he would be dealing with a crisis that’s developing rapidly in the Middle East," Cheney declared during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."

'via Blog this'

BofA set to face the music with $17B settlement

BofA set to face the music with $17B settlement: "Bank of America executives braced themselves Thursday morning for the public unveiling of a nearly $17 billion settlement with the Justice Department resulting from charges that the company misled investors about the quality and risk levels of mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis."

'vBlog this'

Video of St. Louis police shooting raises questions about officers’ story - Vox

View @ 1:00.
Video of St. Louis police shooting raises questions about officers’ story - Vox:

Ryan Hurst @captainhurst
If that is what a justified police killing looks like - there is something seriously wrong with the way we train police.

'via Blog this'

17 arrested, 8 cops injured as May Day protests turn violent

Seattle police say the revised number of people arrested in May Day violence is 17, earlier reported as 18.

Police continue to push the mob. Several windows on the Walgreens at Pine and Broadway have been shattered.

A protester stands in the middle of the street near a line of Seattle police. (Photo by Bettina Hansen / The Seattle Times)

Seattle Police moves crowd down Olive near 7th. (Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Seattle Police direct pepper spray at crowd near Olive and 5th. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Police make an arrest on Pine between 6th and 7th. (Photo by Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

A man who was pepper-sprayed is attended to near the intersection of Olive and 6th. (Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Seattle Police moves crowd down Olive near 7th. (Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Police form a barrier near Pine and Boren, pushing protesters toward Seattle Central Community College. (Photo by Bettina Hansen / The Seattle Times)

Seattle Police direct pepper spray at crowd near Olive and 5th. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Police make an arrest on Pine between 6th and 7th. (Photo by Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

A man who was pepper-sprayed is attended to near the intersection of Olive and 6th. (Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Flash bangs go off between police and protestors at 5th and Olive Way. (Photo by Bettina Hansen / The Seattle Times)

Flash bangs between police and protestors go off at 5th and Olive around 8:00. (Photo by Bettina Hansen / The Seattle Times)

George W. Bush Took The Ice Bucket Challenge

Mr. President taking the challenge!
George W. Bush Took The Ice Bucket Challenge: "Former President George W. Bush became the latest person to take the ice bucket challenge and he’s challenging former President Bill Clinton to take it himself."


'via Blog this'

The mystery of the falling teen birth rate - Vox

The mystery of the falling teen birth rate - Vox: "eenWise's calculations turned out to be accurate. Minnesota's teen birth rate fell by 10.5 percent in 2010. That same year, the national teen birth rate fell by 9.2 percent. That was one of the fastest annual declines on record until 2013, when the rate declined another 10 percent.

For five years now, America's teen birth rate has plummeted at an unprecedented rate, falling faster and faster. Between 2007 and 2013, the number of babies born to teens annually fell by 38.4 percent, according to research firm Demographics Intelligence. This drop occurred in tandem with steep declines in the abortion rate. That suggests that the drop isn't the product of more teenagers terminating pregnancies. More simply, fewer girls are getting pregnant."

'via Blog this'

Washington Players Pay Tribute To Michael Brown With 'Hands Up' Sign

Washington Players Pay Tribute To Michael Brown With 'Hands Up' Sign: "Before their preseason game on Monday night, Washington safety Brandon Meriweather and some of his teammates paid tribute to Michael Brown, the teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo. on Aug. 9."



'via Blog this'

Ferguson Protesters Guard Stores From Looters

Ferguson Protesters Guard Stores From Looters: "In the midst of it all, protesters took it upon themselves to guard stores against looting."


   
 
'via Blog this'

Revised loan form looms large in McDonnell trial as defense begins - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia Politics

Revised loan form looms large in McDonnell trial as defense begins - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia Politics: "the former governor and his wife, Maureen, prepare to present their defense, starting Monday, the faxed revisions to a federal credit union loan application loom large in the case the government presented over 13 days.
Bob McDonnell’s revisions to the refinancing application reflected, for the first time, $120,000 in loans from a wealthy executive"

'via Blog this'

Value Of 100 Dollars By State - Business Insider

Value Of 100 Dollars By State - Business Insider: "While the states with the largest relative value of $100 were:

Mississippi ($115.74)
Arkansas ($114.16)
Missouri ($113.51)
Alabama ($113.51)
South Dakota ($113.38)"

'via Blog this'

Missouri Cops’ License to Kill - The Daily Beast

There is a history of bad policing!

Missouri Cops’ License to Kill - The Daily Beast: "This other Michael Brown was 23 years old and riding with four friends in a pickup truck driven by 22-year-old Tyler Teasley when a sheriff’s deputy clocked them going well over the 55 mph speed limit. Deputy Nic Forler sought to pull them over, and Teasley tried to elude him by pulling into a driveway and shutting off the truck’s lights.

In his panic, Teasley apparently left the truck in neutral and it began to roll toward Forler down a slope of just 2.1 degrees as he approached. Forler fired repeatedly through the tinted back window, missing three of the occupants, but striking Brown and Teasley in the heads, killing them.

The shooting was not initially found justified and in civil court, Brown’s family subsequently won a $1.2 million settlement. Teasley’s family won $1.1 million at trial.

But after Forler was indicted on manslaughter charges, he was found not guilty in criminal court even though the truck was estimated by the FBI to have been rolling toward him at no more than 3.5 mph."

'via Blog this'

Rick Scott Pulls Ad In Which He's Endorsed By A Convicted Human Trafficker

Rick Scott Pulls Ad In Which He's Endorsed By A Convicted Human Trafficker: "Scott pulled an online ad featuring a South Bay city manager who had resigned over charges of grand theft, corruption and misuse of public office. This time, an ad featured an endorsement from a Tampa man convicted of human trafficking.

Cuban-born bodega owner Maikel Duarte-Torres gave Scott a "hug and plug" in the 30-second Spanish-language spot touting the governor's job-creation record. Local watchdog blog Broward Bulldog's Francisco Alvarado first reported the following:"

'via Blog this'

Why Do Voters Stick With Hypocrites Like Scott DesJarlais? - The Daily Beast

Why Do Voters Stick With Hypocrites Like Scott DesJarlais? - The Daily Beast: "ep. Scott DesJarlais—currently with a 38-vote lead over his opponent—will win the Republican nomination and a chance to continue representing Tennessee’s fourth congressional district. ... Because according to political watchers, DesJarlais’s political future was D.O.A. thanks to revelations linking him to not just one, but numerous scandals that involved sex and stuck a knife right into the heart of the conservative’s family-values posture.  

Democrats fought successfully to have DesJarlais’s divorce records unsealed—although a judge delayed the move until after Election Day in 2012. The documents painted a contradictory picture of a man who campaigned as a social conservative but behaved as anything but. According to the documents, DesJarlais supported his wife’s two abortions before their marriage – despite being vocally opposed to abortion in his political life. He also engaged in affairs, including with patients. "

'via Blog this'

Autopsy Shows Michael Brown Was Struck at Least 6 Times - NYTimes.com

Autopsy Shows Michael Brown Was Struck at Least 6 Times - NYTimes.com: "The bullets did not appear to have been shot from very close range because no gunpowder was present on his body. However, that determination could change if it turns out that there is gunshot residue on Mr. Brown’s clothing, to which Dr. Baden did not have access.

Photo

Dr. Michael Baden, right, and Prof. Shawn Parcells in Ferguson, Mo. Dr. Baden, based in New York, examined Michael Brown. Credit Eric Thayer for The New York Times
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Sunday that the Justice Department would conduct its own autopsy"

'via Blog this'

How Ted Cruz helped kill the GOP’s border bill - Vox

How Ted Cruz helped kill the GOP’s border bill - Vox: "On Tuesday, House Republicans finally unveiled their bill to respond to the child migrant crisis. The plan: pass the bill Thursday, then pressure the Senate and White House into accepting it, rather than allowing no bill to pass at all. By the time House Republicans went home for the August congressional recess, they'd either be able to brag about having fixed the crisis — or they'd be able to blame Barack Obama and Harry Reid for blocking their attempts to do so."

'via Blog this'

The Michael Brown shooting shows why police should have to wear cameras - Vox

The Michael Brown shooting shows why police should have to wear cameras - Vox: "If police officers were required to wear body cameras, questions about their conduct — like the ones that have arisen in the wake of  the Michael Brown shooting — could be avoided.

The devices are small cameras that can be attached to a police officer's uniform or sunglasses or worn as a headset. Such a camera could have fully captured the entire confrontation between Brown, an 18-year-old black man who was unarmed at the time of the shooting, and Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson.

But without the cameras, the public is left with conflicting accounts from police and eyewitnesses about what, exactly, happened. Police insist Brown physically assaulted Wilson and tried to grab the officer's gun prior to the shooting, while eyewitnesses say Brown didn't assault the cop and was actually trying to surrender before he was shot and killed."

'via Blog this'

Ferguson Protester Taking Selfies - Business Insider

Ferguson Protester Taking Selfies - Business Insider: "Perhaps no other photo captures the incredible change in mood than one tweeted by USA Today's Yamiche Alcindor, which shows an ideal interaction between community residents and the police:"

'via Blog this'

The US Economic Outlook Stinks Because We're Using An Obsolete Definition Of 'Working Age Adults'

Much of the pessimism about future growth stems from the aging of the U.S. population: the baby boomers, the largest generation in American history, are beginning to retire, leading to much lower labor force participation rates among adults, a trend that began even before the Great Recession and has accelerated since:

Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse suggests a different way of looking at this situation. They point out that the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be increasing numbers of older Americans continuing to work past traditional retirement ages.

This chart indicates that older Americans will be more willing to work through their sixties and into their seventies in 2022 than in 2012:

Credit Suisse argues that this change in the behavior of older Americans, and the increased desire of younger Americans to go to college, means that our current definition of "working age adults" is obsolete. If we change our definition of working age adults from the current standard of people between the ages of 15 and 64 to people between 20 and 69, growth rates in the working age population suddenly become far more promising over the rest of this decade:

Employers Having Trouble Finding Workers - Business Insider

We need to upgrade our skills!

Employers Having Trouble Finding Workers - Business Insider: "At 6.2%, the unemployment rate remains uncomfortably high.
And yet, companies are increasingly saying they're having a hard time finding workers."

NFIB owners increased employment by an average of 0.01 workers per firm in July (seasonally adjusted), the tenth positive month in a row and the best string of gains since 2006. Seasonally adjusted, 13 percent of the owners (up 1 point) reported adding an average of 2.9 workers per firm over the past few months. Fifty-three percent of the owners hired or tried to hire in the last three months and 42 percent (81 percent of those trying to hire or hiring) reported few or no qualified applicants for open positions. Twenty-four percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, down 2 points, but a solid reading. Fifteen percent reported using temporary workers, up a point. Job creation plans continued to strengthen and rose 1 percentage point to a seasonally adjusted net 13 percent, the best reading since September 2007. On a seasonally adjusted basis, job creation plans improved and job openings held at a solid level. Actual job creation remained positive, although modestly so. 'via Blog this'

The roots of unrest in Ferguson, explained in 2 minutes - Vox

The roots of unrest in Ferguson, explained in 2 minutes - Vox: "The residents of Ferguson, Missouri, have taken to the streets to protest the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed when he was killed by police on August 9. Demonstrations turned violent the day after Brown's shooting, with reports of looting in the area, but since then, protesters have remained largely peaceful. Nevertheless, police responded with military-grade equipment, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Vox's German Lopez explains how the response from law enforcement exacerbates long-standing tensions in this small St. Louis suburb."

'via Blog this'

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Israel’s invasion of Gaza means ‘it is time to bomb Iran’

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Israel’s invasion of Gaza means ‘it is time to bomb Iran’: "Just one day after international watchdogs said Iran was complying with demands to scale back its nuclear program, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) called for the country to be bombed because of the conflict in Gaza.

“Mr. Speaker, in Israel right now, there is a battle for peace,” he said Tuesday on the House floor. “They are being embattled by a group who teach their children, in the educational materials we help pay for, to hate Jews, to hate Israelis. They teach the people to hate Israelis as well. They name streets and holidays after people who kill innocent people.”"

'via Blog this'

GOP Congressman: People Crossing Border Could Have Ebola Or Be Terrorists

GOP Congressman: People Crossing Border Could Have Ebola Or Be Terrorists: "Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas says people crossing the border could be terrorists or have Ebola, adding the Obama administration won’t stop the border crossings because they view them as “undocumented Democrats.”
“This administration doesn’t have the desire, doesn’t have the will to actually stop it. Because…they saw people coming across as undocumented Democrats,” Gohmert said. “So they want to keep that surge of people coming in illegally. Even though it includes a big spike in other than Mexicans. OTM’s as we call them. It includes a spike in people from countries where terrorism abounds. We have people coming in from countries where Ebola is located.”'via Blog this'

U.S. IS EXPANDING AMNESTY PROGRAM FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS - New York Times

U.S. IS EXPANDING AMNESTY PROGRAM FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS - New York Times: "President Reagan's Administration, expansively interpreting the new immigration law, plans to offer legal status to illegal aliens who have been harvesting fruit, vegetables and ''other perishable commodities'' such as Christmas trees and tobacco.

The new law prohibits employers from hiring illegal aliens but offers legal status, or amnesty, to illegal aliens who have lived in the United States continuously since Jan. 1, 1982."

'via Blog this'

When is it legal for a cop to shoot you? - Vox

When is it legal for a cop to shoot you? - Vox: "In the 1980s, a pair of Supreme Court decisions set up a framework for determining when deadly force by cops is reasonable. Those decisions have governed how state laws are applied. Furthermore, many agencies simply use identical standards to the Supreme Court's for their own use-of-force policies — though some departments don't let officers use deadly force even when the Court decisions say they'd be allowed to.

Constitutionally, "police officers are allowed to shoot under two circumstances," says Klinger. The first circumstance is "to protect their life or the life of another innocent party" — what departments call the "defense-of-life" standard. The second circumstance is to prevent a suspect from escaping, but only if the officer has probable cause to think the suspect's committed a serious violent felony."

'via Blog this'

Barack Obama Is A Friend To Businesses - Business Insider

Barack Obama Is A Friend To Businesses - Business Insider: "His administration provokes quiet fury from many corporate leaders: even Democrat-voting bosses moan about a White House that "doesn't get it." Some cite a president bent on redistribution and red tape as a reason not to invest in America.

But who is correct? The president's strongest card is macroeconomic policy (see chart). Mr Obama points to such measures as high stockmarket values, record corporate profits and job growth. How much of this he can claim credit for is a question debated by economists (see "Presidents and growth: Timing is everything")."

'via Blog this'

June JOLTS Report August 12 - Business Insider

June JOLTS Report August 12 - Business Insider: "Job openings grew to 4.67 million in June, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, or JOLTS report, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "

'via Blog this'

Bush didn't know anything about Maliki, but put him in charge of Iraq anyway - Vox

That's right!

Bush didn't know anything about Maliki, but put him in charge of Iraq anyway - Vox: "Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has just lost the support of his party, and looks like he will soon be pushed out of office, barring a coup or wildly implausible political turnaround. Maliki's eight years in office have been a disaster for Iraq — his increasingly authoritarian rule and oppression of Iraq's Sunni minority bears no small amount of responsibility for the current Islamic State (ISIS) crisis, which is part of why the US and many others are pushing for him to go.

So maybe now's a good time to remember that the US put him in power in the first place.

An April 2014 piece in The New Yorker, by Dexter Filkins, lays the story out in all of its sordid details. In 2006, the Iraqi civil war seemed uncontrollable, and the Bush administration wanted incumbent Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari gone. "Can you get rid of Jaafari?", Bush asked US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad. "Yes," Khalilzad said, "but it will be difficult.""

'via Blog this'