In a Shift, Obama Extends U.S. Role in Afghan Combat - NYTimes.com

In a Shift, Obama Extends U.S. Role in Afghan Combat - NYTimes.com: " President Obama decided in recent weeks to authorize a more expansive mission for the military in Afghanistan in 2015 than originally planned, a move that ensures American troops will have a direct role in fighting in the war-ravaged country for at least another year.

Mr. Obama’s order allows American forces to carry out missions against the Taliban and other militant groups threatening American troops or the Afghan government, a broader mission than the president described to the public earlier this year, according to several administration, military and congressional officials with knowledge of the decision. The new authorization also allows American jets, bombers and drones to support Afghan troops on combat missions."

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Here’s what’s in Paul Ryan and Patty Murray’s mini-budget deal - The Washington Post

Here’s what’s in Paul Ryan and Patty Murray’s mini-budget deal - The Washington Post: "1. The total deal is $85 billion. About $45 billion of that replaces sequestration cuts in 2014. About $20 billion replaces sequestration cuts in 2015. About $20 billion is deficit reduction atop sequestration.

2. The sequestration relief is evenly divided between defense spending and non-defense discretionary spending. The sequester's cuts to mandatory spending are unaffected."



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Obama will address the nation on immigration tomorrow night - Vox

Obama will address the nation on immigration tomorrow night - Vox: "Barack Obama will address the nation Thursday night to discuss his plans for immigration.
The speech will coincide with the Latin Grammy Awards on Univision, which will cut away to air the president's address, thus guaranteeing excellent ratings among the Spanish language audience.
It's thought that he will protect about 4 million unauthorized migrants from deportation.
Several senior lawmakers have been invited to dinner at the White House for a briefing tonight."

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Fuel prices are lower. Why aren’t airline tickets cheaper? - Business - The Boston Globe

Fuel prices are lower. Why aren’t airline tickets cheaper? - Business - The Boston Globe:

Airfare is up 10.7 percent in the past five years, after adjusting for inflation, according to an analysis.

NEW YORK — US airlines are saving tens of millions of dollars every week because of lower prices for jet fuel, their largest expense. So why don’t they share some of the savings with passengers?

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Americans think the unemployment rate is 32 percent - Vox

Americans think the unemployment rate is 32 percent - Vox: "The latest jobs report showed the unemployment rate was at its lowest level in six years, 5.8 percent.

But Americans aren't convinced that things are nearly that good. In a recent Ipsos-MORI poll, 1,001 Americans were asked, "Out of every 100 people of working age, how many do you think are unemployed and looking for work?" Their average response was 32. That's almost 26 percentage points higher than the 6.1-percent jobless rate in August, when the poll was conducted."

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Costco vs. Wal-Mart: Higher Wages Mean Superior Returns for Investors

Costco vs. Wal-Mart: Higher Wages Mean Superior Returns for Investors: "Costco is not only beating Wal-Mart when it comes to stock market returns, which can at times be heavily influenced by subjective factors such as investors' opinions and perceptions about different companies. Costco is also doing much better when it comes to the cold, hard numbers of sales and net income."

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How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations - The Daily Beast

How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations - The Daily Beast: "On November 3, 1986, the world became aware of the shocking revelation that the United States had engaged in a covert deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran involving the sales of sophisticated weapons and the bartering for American hostages being held in Lebanon by Iran’s client, Hezbollah. A Lebanese news magazine had published the story, and identified former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane as having undertaken a mission to Tehran as part of the operation.

Just a month earlier, Washington had been rocked by the news that a cargo plane ferrying arms to Nicaraguan Contra rebels had been shot down over the jungles of Nicaragua. Congress had banned the Reagan administration from aiding the insurgents, and the White House had adamantly denied any U.S. connection to the flight"



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Boehner: We're defending the Constitution

I'm sure I posted this before.

Boehner: We're defending the Constitution: "aiving the work requirements in welfare — exceed his constitutional authority."

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Fox Pushes Debunked Myth To Attack Obama On Welfare Work Requirements | Blog | Media Matters for America

Fox Pushes Debunked Myth To Attack Obama On Welfare Work Requirements | Blog | Media Matters for America: "Fox News revived the debunked myth that President Obama "gutted" work requirements from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program despite the fact that the claim has repeatedly been shown to be false.

Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy hyped a bill introduced by House Republicans last week that seeks to block the administration from granting waivers to states under the TANF program. Doocy claimed the bill would "make work a condition for receiving welfare," and repeated the debunked myth that those requirements have been "gutted under President Obama.""

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"Death panel" architect a pro-life Republican from Georgia?

"Death panel" architect a pro-life Republican from Georgia?:

 He successfully offered an amendment in committee that allows funds for a government-funded program that provides in-home services to people with disabilities to be used for advance care planning, according to the national Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Isakson has been promoting advance care planning for years. In 2007, for example, he co-sponsored two bills to encourage such planning -- the Medicare End-of-Life Care Planning Actand the Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act.

In 2005, Isakson joined with state lawmakers.. 'via Blog this'

Undercover No More | National Review Online

Undercover No More | National Review Online: "Hurd, 37, heads to Capitol Hill from Texas’s massive 23rd district — the state’s largest, it shares 800 miles of border with Mexico — following his upset victory Tuesday over Democratic representative Pete Gallego. At a time when one of the GOP’s top priorities is broadening its appeal to blue-collar and minority voters, Hurd’s victory is instructive. He joins Utah’s Mia Love as one of two black Republican House members, and he won in a district whose residents are mostly Hispanic.

This isn’t Hurd’s first bite at the apple: He ran unsuccessfully in the 2010 GOP primary for the same seat. This year, in an election cycle in which immigration and foreign policy became key issues, Hurd’s national-security expertise proved crucial. Those credentials helped him unite establishment Republicans and grassroots voters in the general election to pull out a win."

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Telepathy is now possible using current technology - Vox

Telepathy is now possible using current technology - Vox: "Researchers at the University of Washington just demonstrated that two people could work together telepathically to play a video game.

ONE PLAYER COULD CONTROL ANOTHER PLAYER'S HAND WITH HIS THOUGHTS

How did that work? One of the subjects could see the game, but had no controller. His partner had a controller, but couldn't see the game. By using electrodes and electromagnets, the researchers created a way to allow the first person to control the second person's controller hand just by thinking about it."

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Voter anger extends to nation’s governors - The Washington Post

Voter anger extends to nation’s governors - The Washington Post: "In deeply Republican Kansas, GOP strategists feared that Gov. Sam Brownback was headed for defeat, after controversial tax cuts he passed caused a state budget deficit. In bright blue Connecticut, Gov. Dan Malloy (D) faced voter anger over a promised tax rebate that never materialized."

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DOJ reps are on watch for Election Day discrimination in 28 jurisdictions nationwide - Vox

DOJ reps are on watch for Election Day discrimination in 28 jurisdictions nationwide - Vox: "Duval County, Florida
Hillsborough County, Florida
Lee County, Florida
Orange County, Florida"

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Home Ownership and President Bush

President Bush Signs American Dream Downpayment Act of 2003

President Bush Signs American Dream Downpayment Act of 2003: "Last year I set a goal to add 5.5 million new minority homeowners in America by the end of the decade. That is an attainable goal; that is an essential goal. And we're making progress toward that goal. In the past 18 months, more than 1 million minority families have become homeowners. (Applause.) And there's more that we can do to achieve the goal. The law I sign today will help us build on this progress in a very practical way.

Many people are able to afford a monthly mortgage payment, but are unable to make the down payment. So this legislation will authorize $200 million per year in down payment assistance to at least 40,000 low-income families. These funds will help American families achieve their goals, and at the same time, strengthen our communities."

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Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph's, who has brain tumor, fulfills hoops dream - ESPN

Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph's, who has brain tumor, fulfills hoops dream - ESPN: "Hill, a freshman with inoperable brain cancer, took a pass in the post and hit a left-handed layup just 17 seconds into Sunday's game against Hiram College. The NCAA allowed the schools to move the game up two weeks in the hope Hill would be healthy enough to play. In September, doctors told her she has only a few months to live."

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Maine judge sides with science, lets nurse Kaci Hickox leave her house - Vox

Maine judge sides with science, lets nurse Kaci Hickox leave her house - Vox: "A Maine judge on Friday said state officials will need to prove the need for a mandatory quarantine if they want to enforce one for health-care workers returning from West Africa, CNN and the Associated Press reported. State officials were trying to constrain Hickox to her home and away from the public for 21 days, Ebola's incubation period. At one point, they even prevented a pizza delivery for about 20 hours.

Ebola is only contagious while a patient shows symptoms. Hickox has not shown any symptoms for Ebola, and she twice tested negative for the disease."

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