Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Nate Silver Nails it!!! The Real Republican Road to Recovery!!!
By Nate Silver of www.fivethirtyeight.com
The Republican "Road to Recovery" budget alternative, rolled out today by John Boehner, has been criticized by left and right for its lack of specificity and its promise to eliminate the national debt while significantly cutting taxes. FiveThirtyEight.com, however, has received an advance copy of additional details prepared by the Minority Leader's office. Although some elements of the proposal are still under discussion -- Eric Cantor is said to want to eliminate North Dakota rather than Idaho, while Thaddeus McCotter has suggested using the balance of TARP funds to purchase scratch-off tickets -- the final plan can be expected to contain most or all of these components.
The Republican "Road to Recovery" budget alternative, rolled out today by John Boehner, has been criticized by left and right for its lack of specificity and its promise to eliminate the national debt while significantly cutting taxes. FiveThirtyEight.com, however, has received an advance copy of additional details prepared by the Minority Leader's office. Although some elements of the proposal are still under discussion -- Eric Cantor is said to want to eliminate North Dakota rather than Idaho, while Thaddeus McCotter has suggested using the balance of TARP funds to purchase scratch-off tickets -- the final plan can be expected to contain most or all of these components.
The Republican Road to Recovery??? That is Hilarious!!!
For quite some time now, we have witnessed the severely damaged Republican party operating as nothing more than a group of close minded obstructionists. President Obama's new proposed budget is definitely not sitting well with the blue dog Democrats or the conservative right. The GOP is supposedly going to come forth with its proposed budget plan next week. Let me guess: more tax cuts for the wealthy and more cuts to social programs.
Many thought that they were going to reveal the plan today but all we got instead was a rather short and hollow pamphlet filled with nonsense, some of which stated a proposed tax cut of 10% more for the wealthy. The handful of GOP party leaders held a short press briefing that was nothing more than them playing musical chairs in front of a podium without presenting any detailed (numerical) information. It was just another instance of the Republican party spouting out criticism of the left without offering any type of substantive solution.
To the GOP, if you are going to criticize the left then at least have your plans ready to back up your mouths. Otherwise, SHUT UP!!! It is real simple!!! By the way, the "Republican Road to Recovery" is an absolute joke. In fact, it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people. More tax cuts for the wealthy??? Did you forget that we voted for change last November??? Simply put, your policies and current party ideology are toxic to the future of this country!!! If you want your party to recover then you better explore a new and much less conservative platform to stand on in the future.
Please type in "Republican Road to Recovery" in your browser to find the PDF of this ridiculous literature online. It will give you a good laugh!!!
Many thought that they were going to reveal the plan today but all we got instead was a rather short and hollow pamphlet filled with nonsense, some of which stated a proposed tax cut of 10% more for the wealthy. The handful of GOP party leaders held a short press briefing that was nothing more than them playing musical chairs in front of a podium without presenting any detailed (numerical) information. It was just another instance of the Republican party spouting out criticism of the left without offering any type of substantive solution.
To the GOP, if you are going to criticize the left then at least have your plans ready to back up your mouths. Otherwise, SHUT UP!!! It is real simple!!! By the way, the "Republican Road to Recovery" is an absolute joke. In fact, it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people. More tax cuts for the wealthy??? Did you forget that we voted for change last November??? Simply put, your policies and current party ideology are toxic to the future of this country!!! If you want your party to recover then you better explore a new and much less conservative platform to stand on in the future.
Please type in "Republican Road to Recovery" in your browser to find the PDF of this ridiculous literature online. It will give you a good laugh!!!
Senator Sanders Breaks it Down Again!!!
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) once agains tells us the truth as to what exactly is happening with the Obama budget battle and why it is a battle in the first place. Washington truly is Tinseltown!!!
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Jobless Claims Keep on Rising!!!
By Jeannine Aversa and Christopher S. Rugaber for the Associated Press
For a 10th straight week, the number of people who are continuing to claim jobless benefits increased, fresh evidence that the labor market remains weak despite other hopeful signs that the recession may be nearing a bottom.
New claims for unemployment benefits last week rose to a seasonally adjusted 652,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 644,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The total number of people claiming benefits jumped to 5.56 million, worse than economists' projections of 5.48 million, a ninth straight record and the highest total on records dating back to 1967.
The dismal job news is one indicator of the overall economic pain Americans have endured early in the new year. The Commerce Department said Thursday that the economy shrank at a 6.3 percent annual pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, and a bit faster than the 6.2 percent drop estimated a month ago.
Some economists project the economy is contracting in the current quarter at a 5 to 6 percent pace, still very weak by historical standards, but slightly better than the end of last year.
For a 10th straight week, the number of people who are continuing to claim jobless benefits increased, fresh evidence that the labor market remains weak despite other hopeful signs that the recession may be nearing a bottom.
New claims for unemployment benefits last week rose to a seasonally adjusted 652,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 644,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The total number of people claiming benefits jumped to 5.56 million, worse than economists' projections of 5.48 million, a ninth straight record and the highest total on records dating back to 1967.
The dismal job news is one indicator of the overall economic pain Americans have endured early in the new year. The Commerce Department said Thursday that the economy shrank at a 6.3 percent annual pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, and a bit faster than the 6.2 percent drop estimated a month ago.
Some economists project the economy is contracting in the current quarter at a 5 to 6 percent pace, still very weak by historical standards, but slightly better than the end of last year.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Shantytowns in Certain US Areas Surge!!!
By Jesse McKinley for the New York Times
As the operations manager of a outreach center for the homeless here, Paul Stack is used to seeing people down on their luck. What he had never seen before was people living in tents and lean-tos on the railroad lot across from the center.
“They just popped up about 18 months ago,” Mr. Stack said. “One day it was empty. The next day, there were people living there.”
Like a dozen or so other cities across the nation, Fresno is dealing with an unhappy déjà vu: the arrival of modern-day Hoovervilles, illegal encampments of homeless people that are reminiscent, on a far smaller scale, of Depression-era shantytowns. At his news conference on Tuesday night, President Obama was asked directly about the tent cities and responded by saying that it was “not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours.”
While encampments and street living have always been a part of the landscape in big cities like Los Angeles and New York, these new tent cities have taken root — or grown from smaller enclaves of the homeless as more people lose jobs and housing — in such disparate places as Nashville, Olympia, Wash., and St. Petersburg, Fla.
US House Passes Huge Wilderness Bill!!!
By Matt Canham for The Salt Lake Tribune
The House signed off Wednesday on legislation that protects more than a quarter-million acres of Utah's redrock country, allows St. George more land to expand and tamps down an often-contentious battle between developers and environmentalists.
The Washington County lands bill was just one of about 170 conservation proposals rolled into a huge package that gained final congressional approval on a vote of 285 to 140. Utah's Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson voted for the measure and GOP Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz opposed it. The legislation now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it.
The package designates more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, the largest expansion of wilderness protection in 25 years. It included a number of Utah-specific proposals, but none with more impact than the Washington County bill crafted by Matheson and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah.
"This is a great win for Utah," Matheson said. "It shows that if everyone sticks with it and comes to the table with good ideas you can reach consensus."
The bill, which is five years in the making, allows the Interior Department to sell between 5,000 and 9,000 acres of non-sensitive land for development around the St. George area, while designating 256,000 acres as wilderness, making it off limits to future oil exploration, roads or buildings.
The House signed off Wednesday on legislation that protects more than a quarter-million acres of Utah's redrock country, allows St. George more land to expand and tamps down an often-contentious battle between developers and environmentalists.
The Washington County lands bill was just one of about 170 conservation proposals rolled into a huge package that gained final congressional approval on a vote of 285 to 140. Utah's Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson voted for the measure and GOP Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz opposed it. The legislation now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it.
The package designates more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, the largest expansion of wilderness protection in 25 years. It included a number of Utah-specific proposals, but none with more impact than the Washington County bill crafted by Matheson and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah.
"This is a great win for Utah," Matheson said. "It shows that if everyone sticks with it and comes to the table with good ideas you can reach consensus."
The bill, which is five years in the making, allows the Interior Department to sell between 5,000 and 9,000 acres of non-sensitive land for development around the St. George area, while designating 256,000 acres as wilderness, making it off limits to future oil exploration, roads or buildings.
BRING THEM HOME!!!!!!!!!!!
As of Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at least 4,260 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,425 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is one fewer than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 179 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia and Georgia, three each; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand and Romania, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan and South Korea, one death each.
The latest deaths reported by the military:
The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,425 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is one fewer than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 179 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia and Georgia, three each; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand and Romania, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan and South Korea, one death each.
The latest deaths reported by the military:
Blacks 'Hurting Worse' in Grim US Economy
African Americans are far more likely than whites to be poor, out of work or in jail, and are "hurting worse" in the floundering US economy, a report published Wednesday showed.
"Ironically, even as an African American man holds the highest office the country, African Americans remain twice as likely as whites to be unemployed, three times more likely to live in poverty and more than six times as likely to be incarcerated," the State of Black America report said.
Blacks and whites have both made progress in educational attainment, but progress was slower for African Americans, the report, which tracks trends between 2001 and 2007, showed.
The number of white children enrolled in preschool increased by about three percent, while among black children, it fell by one percent, causing the education gap to grow.
Real median household income fell 1.7 percent for blacks and nearly four percent for whites during the period, the report said.
But the poverty rate for blacks increased nearly eight percent, while for whites it rose by around five percent.
"The election of the first black president does not mean we can all now close up shop and go home," said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League which published the report.
"President Obama has stressed that change comes from the bottom up, not the other way around," Morial said.
"It's more important than ever that the National Urban League and other organizations and individuals committed to positive change work even harder to lift up our communities and move this country forward," he said.
Martin Luther King III, the son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, urged black Americans not to rest on their laurels now that a fellow African American is in the White House.
"His election is not the fulfilment of the dream," King wrote in a foreword to the report, referring to his father's stirring "I have a dream" speech, which outlined a vision of an America in which racial barriers have been torn down and people are judged by their character, not skin color.
The report has been published annually since 1976.
"Ironically, even as an African American man holds the highest office the country, African Americans remain twice as likely as whites to be unemployed, three times more likely to live in poverty and more than six times as likely to be incarcerated," the State of Black America report said.
Blacks and whites have both made progress in educational attainment, but progress was slower for African Americans, the report, which tracks trends between 2001 and 2007, showed.
The number of white children enrolled in preschool increased by about three percent, while among black children, it fell by one percent, causing the education gap to grow.
Real median household income fell 1.7 percent for blacks and nearly four percent for whites during the period, the report said.
But the poverty rate for blacks increased nearly eight percent, while for whites it rose by around five percent.
"The election of the first black president does not mean we can all now close up shop and go home," said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League which published the report.
"President Obama has stressed that change comes from the bottom up, not the other way around," Morial said.
"It's more important than ever that the National Urban League and other organizations and individuals committed to positive change work even harder to lift up our communities and move this country forward," he said.
Martin Luther King III, the son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, urged black Americans not to rest on their laurels now that a fellow African American is in the White House.
"His election is not the fulfilment of the dream," King wrote in a foreword to the report, referring to his father's stirring "I have a dream" speech, which outlined a vision of an America in which racial barriers have been torn down and people are judged by their character, not skin color.
The report has been published annually since 1976.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Nearly All Native Hawaiian Birds at Risk of Extinction!!!!
By Audrey McAvoy for the Associated Press
Hawaii's native avian population is in peril, with nearly all the state's birds in danger of becoming extinct, a federal report says.
One-third of the nation's endangered birds are in Hawaii, said the report, issued Thursday by the Interior Department. Thirty-one Hawaiian bird species are listed as endangered, more than anywhere else in the country.
"That is the epicenter of extinctions and near-extinctions," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which helped produce the study. "Hawaii is (a) borderline ecological disaster."
Hawaii's native birds are threatened by the destruction of their habitats by invasive plant species and feral animals like pigs, goats and sheep.
Diseases, especially those borne by mosquitoes, are another killer.
One of those in trouble is the palila, a yellow-crowned songbird that lives on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea. Its population plunged by more than 60 percent from 6,600 in 2002 to 2,200 last year.
Habitat loss and predators are part of the problem, said Holly Freifeld, a vertebrate recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Honolulu.
Another is that grazing feral sheep ruin mamane trees, which provide palila birds with their preferred food: mamane seed pods. The trees are also being killed by disease.
The Fish and Wildlife Service plans to fence off an area on Mauna Kea, and remove sheep from the fenced area, to give the palila an environment where it can flourish, Freifeld said.
The restored habitat would also likely help other endangered birds which also have lived in the same forest ecosystem, she said.
Similar habitat restoration projects have worked in the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
Hawaii's native avian population is in peril, with nearly all the state's birds in danger of becoming extinct, a federal report says.
One-third of the nation's endangered birds are in Hawaii, said the report, issued Thursday by the Interior Department. Thirty-one Hawaiian bird species are listed as endangered, more than anywhere else in the country.
"That is the epicenter of extinctions and near-extinctions," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which helped produce the study. "Hawaii is (a) borderline ecological disaster."
Hawaii's native birds are threatened by the destruction of their habitats by invasive plant species and feral animals like pigs, goats and sheep.
Diseases, especially those borne by mosquitoes, are another killer.
One of those in trouble is the palila, a yellow-crowned songbird that lives on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea. Its population plunged by more than 60 percent from 6,600 in 2002 to 2,200 last year.
Habitat loss and predators are part of the problem, said Holly Freifeld, a vertebrate recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Honolulu.
Another is that grazing feral sheep ruin mamane trees, which provide palila birds with their preferred food: mamane seed pods. The trees are also being killed by disease.
The Fish and Wildlife Service plans to fence off an area on Mauna Kea, and remove sheep from the fenced area, to give the palila an environment where it can flourish, Freifeld said.
The restored habitat would also likely help other endangered birds which also have lived in the same forest ecosystem, she said.
Similar habitat restoration projects have worked in the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Be Good to Your Body this Spring!!!!!
Please visit the link below for information regarding dietary guidelines to help your body, especially your liver, operate at its best. Have a wonderful spring!!!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-patricia-fitzgerald/spring-cleaning-10-steps_b_177154.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-patricia-fitzgerald/spring-cleaning-10-steps_b_177154.html
Obama's Electric Vehicles Plan: $2.4 Billion in New Grants
By Dave Burdick for the Huffington Post
President Barack Obama announced $2.4 billion in new grants for electric vehicle developments, which will come from the $787 billion in stimulus funds.
"We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad or we can create them here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity," Obama said on the second day of a campaign-style swing in California.
He set a target of putting a million of the environmentally friendly vehicles on US roads by 2015.
President Barack Obama announced $2.4 billion in new grants for electric vehicle developments, which will come from the $787 billion in stimulus funds.
"We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad or we can create them here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity," Obama said on the second day of a campaign-style swing in California.
He set a target of putting a million of the environmentally friendly vehicles on US roads by 2015.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Please Visit the Link Below!!! You Will Find Info You Did Not Know!!!
If you are a healthy eater and like to support environmentally friendly products, businesses, etc. the you might want to visit the link below. It is so ironic how bigger companies that are responsible for manufacturing notoriously unhealthy products own and now manufacture some of the healthiest things you can buy. WOW!!!
https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/organicindustry.html
https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/organicindustry.html
They Could be Prosecuted??? The SHOULD be Prosecuted!!!!
By Amit R. Paley for the Washington Post
Thirteen of the largest recipients of the government's massive bailout failed to pay more than $220 million in federal taxes, congressional investigators said yesterday, prompting a new round of accusations that banks were abusing the financial rescue program.
The Internal Revenue Service said late yesterday that a portion of the money had been paid back since congressional investigators gathered their information. Still, many in Congress were furious, noting that firms with the largest tax liabilities owed $113 million and $102 million.
"This is shameful. It is a disgrace," said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's oversight subcommittee, which examined the IRS data. "The American people are fed up, and they are fired up. And they are not going to take it anymore."
The head of the federal watchdog agency charged with prosecuting fraud in the program said his office would investigate to see whether any crimes had been committed by the firms, none of which were named. Executives of banks receiving bailout funds had to certify that their firms did not owe taxes, and if they knowingly lied, they could be prosecuted.
Thirteen of the largest recipients of the government's massive bailout failed to pay more than $220 million in federal taxes, congressional investigators said yesterday, prompting a new round of accusations that banks were abusing the financial rescue program.
The Internal Revenue Service said late yesterday that a portion of the money had been paid back since congressional investigators gathered their information. Still, many in Congress were furious, noting that firms with the largest tax liabilities owed $113 million and $102 million.
"This is shameful. It is a disgrace," said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's oversight subcommittee, which examined the IRS data. "The American people are fed up, and they are fired up. And they are not going to take it anymore."
The head of the federal watchdog agency charged with prosecuting fraud in the program said his office would investigate to see whether any crimes had been committed by the firms, none of which were named. Executives of banks receiving bailout funds had to certify that their firms did not owe taxes, and if they knowingly lied, they could be prosecuted.
Friday, March 6, 2009
US Unemployment Rises to 8.1%...And Counting?????
By Agence France-Presse for Raw Story
The economy shed 651,000 jobs in February, pushing the unemployment rate up to 8.1 percent, according to government data Friday highlighting the worst month for the labor market since 1983.
The number of job losses was in line with most forecasts but underscored the dire state of the economy as companies reduce their workforce to cope with the deepening slump.
The Labor Department also revised up its estimate for losses for the previous two months -- 655,000 in January from 598,000, and 681,000 in December from 577,000. The figures showed December's losses as the worst on record since October 1949, officials said.
The jobless rate rose from 7.6 in January to 8.1 percent in February, the highest since December 1983.
Officials said 4.4 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in December 2007, with 2.6 million in the past four months.
The economy shed 651,000 jobs in February, pushing the unemployment rate up to 8.1 percent, according to government data Friday highlighting the worst month for the labor market since 1983.
The number of job losses was in line with most forecasts but underscored the dire state of the economy as companies reduce their workforce to cope with the deepening slump.
The Labor Department also revised up its estimate for losses for the previous two months -- 655,000 in January from 598,000, and 681,000 in December from 577,000. The figures showed December's losses as the worst on record since October 1949, officials said.
The jobless rate rose from 7.6 in January to 8.1 percent in February, the highest since December 1983.
Officials said 4.4 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in December 2007, with 2.6 million in the past four months.
Obama to Overturn Ban on Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research!!! This is Great News!!!
By Ben Feller and Lauran Neergaard for the Associated Press
Reversing an eight-year-old limit on potentially life-saving science, President Barack Obama plans to lift restrictions Monday on taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem cells. The long-promised move will allow a rush of research aimed at one day better treating, if not curing, ailments from diabetes to paralysis _ research that crosses partisan lines, backed by such notables as Nancy Reagan and the late Christopher Reeve. But it stirs intense controversy over whether government crosses a moral line with such research.
Obama will hold an event at the White House to announce the move, a senior administration official said Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the policy had not yet been publicly announced.
Embryonic stem cells are master cells that can morph into any cell of the body. Scientists hope to harness them so they can create replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases _ such as new insulin-producing cells for diabetics, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury.
Reversing an eight-year-old limit on potentially life-saving science, President Barack Obama plans to lift restrictions Monday on taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem cells. The long-promised move will allow a rush of research aimed at one day better treating, if not curing, ailments from diabetes to paralysis _ research that crosses partisan lines, backed by such notables as Nancy Reagan and the late Christopher Reeve. But it stirs intense controversy over whether government crosses a moral line with such research.
Obama will hold an event at the White House to announce the move, a senior administration official said Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the policy had not yet been publicly announced.
Embryonic stem cells are master cells that can morph into any cell of the body. Scientists hope to harness them so they can create replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases _ such as new insulin-producing cells for diabetics, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
We Must All Serve Our Country if We Want Things to Get Better!!!!
By Arianna Huffington for the Huffington Post
Day by day and depressing statistic by depressing statistic, you can see America's already-frayed safety net ripping apart. That's why it is so urgent to buttress the cash-strapped government programs and charitable groups struggling to provide resources to the growing pool of those in need. Service, volunteerism, and giving are absolutely central to our recovery as a nation -- not questions of noblesse oblige. Indeed, while we are trying to move the economy to full capacity through the stimulus package, bailouts, etc., we also need to make sure that our communities are operating at full capacity. Our full capacity of giving. Our full capacity of service. Our full capacity of compassion. As America's Misery Index soars, so must our Empathy Index.
Day by day and depressing statistic by depressing statistic, you can see America's already-frayed safety net ripping apart. That's why it is so urgent to buttress the cash-strapped government programs and charitable groups struggling to provide resources to the growing pool of those in need. Service, volunteerism, and giving are absolutely central to our recovery as a nation -- not questions of noblesse oblige. Indeed, while we are trying to move the economy to full capacity through the stimulus package, bailouts, etc., we also need to make sure that our communities are operating at full capacity. Our full capacity of giving. Our full capacity of service. Our full capacity of compassion. As America's Misery Index soars, so must our Empathy Index.
Minnesota Republican Rep. Michelle Bachmann is Certifiably Nuts!!!! And Completely Wrong!!!!
She might want to go back to a dictionary and look at the exact definition of socialism!!!
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