LA Mayor Says He Evicted Protesters Out Of Concern For Children, But City Has 13,000 Homeless Kids

Last night, the city of Los Angeles reversed its long-standing policy of mutual cooperation with Occupy Los Angeles and raided the encampment on the steps of city hall, evicting protesters. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he decided on the eviction when he learned that children were sometimes present at the camp:

Movers And Sheriff’s Deputies Refuse Bank’s Order To Evict 103-Year-Old Atlanta Woman

Yesterday, a Deutsche Bank branch in Atlanta had requested the eviction of Vita Lee, a 103-year-old Atlanta woman, and her 83-year-old daughter. Both were terrified of being removed from their home of 53 years and had no idea where they’d go next.

Crisis Pregnancy Center Congratulates Apple’s Siri For ‘Embracing’ An Anti-Choice Position

A closer look at the iPhone 4s’ voice-activated assistant Siri revealed that “she” is currently unable to provide accurate or even any information for women in search of reproductive health services. Now, one crisis pregnancy center in Boise, Idaho is simply “thrilled by the recent discovery that Siri does not promote or provide abortion information or referrals”:

After Locking Out 1,300 Union Workers, Food Company CEO Compares Them To Cancerous Tumor

For the past five months, American Crystal Sugar, the largest sugar beet producer in the country, haslocked out 1,300 of its unionized workers in Minnesota who had the audacity to demand a fair contract with the company. Gov. Mark Dayton (D) has implored the corporation to renew negotiations, to no avail — instead of returning to the negotiating table, Crystal Sugar has hired replacement workers.

JAPANESE HONDA EMPLOYEE CHARGED UNDER ALABAMA’S IMMIGRATION LAW

Asecond foreign auto worker has been charged under HB 56, Alabama’s draconian immigration law. The Japanese Honda employee received a ticket at a routine roadblock police had set up, but he was not taken into custody like a German Mercedes executive arrested almost two weeks ago. The AP reports that the man had a valid Japanese passport and an international driver’s license with him when he was ticketed. Honda employs 4,000 people at a factory in Talledega County, Alabama, and last week, the company announced it will invest $300 million in the Alabama plant. Charges have been dropped against the Mercedes executive, but after his arrest, a Missouri newspaper suggested that Mercedes needed to move its investment to the “Show-Me State, not the ‘Show me your papers’ state.”

Letter addressed to Cass Tech coach calls champion football players 'ghetto warriors'

A harshly worded letter addressed to Cass Technical High School football coach Thomas Wilcher, who led his team to victory against Detroit Catholic Central High School on Saturday, alleges that players are "ghetto warriors" bound for prison or drug addiction.

Cass Tech beat Catholic Central 49-13 at Ford Field to win the state's Division I championship, a first for a Detroit Public School.

Photos of the letter, which is dated November 28 and signed, were shared and posted across social media sites late Tuesday and caught the attention of school administrators on both sides Wednesday morning.

A transcript of the letter reads:

Is The GOP Really Willing to Sabotage the Economy to Protect the Wealthy & Hurt President Obama?

As a reminder, here’s how Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) described his priorities:

Is The iPhone’s Siri Misleading Women Who Need Emergency Health Services?

“What may I help you with?” So begins Siri — the unique voice-activated assistant of the iPhone 4s that promises to deliver accurate and tailored answers for your every need. Unless you’re a woman in search of health services like birth control, emergency contraception, abortion, or even mammogram tests. Then the interactive search wizard draws a blank.

GOP Willing To Raise Payroll Taxes On 113 Million Households To Spare 345,000 Millionaires From Tiny Surtax

Senate Democrats yesterday introduced legislation — as they’ve been promising to — that would extend a soon-to-expire payroll tax cut, and pay for it by implementing a surtaxon income above $1 million. Republicans, of course, are opposing the plan, reviving their false claims that taxing the very wealthiest Americans will hit small businesses and job creators.

3 Asset Managers Win $254 Million Powerball Lottery (Why would they need to Play handling millions daily?)

The lottery is full of rags-to-riches tales. Now the 1 percent has its own feel-good story.

Timothy C. Davidson, Brandon E. Lacoff and Gregory H. Skidmore, three executives at Belpointe Asset Management, an investment firm based in Greenwich, Conn., have won $254.2 million in the Powerball game, the largest jackpot in the state’s history.

Banks May Have Illegally Foreclosed On 5,000 Members Of The Military

For months, major banks have been dealing with the fallout of the “robo-signing” scandal, following reports that the banks were improperly foreclosing on homeowners and, in many instances, falsifying paperwork that they were submitting to courts. Banks have been forced to go back and reexamine foreclosures to ensure that homeowners did not lose their homes unlawfully.

7 Life Lessons You Can Learn From 'Star Trek'

by:  David Borgenicht

Let me start out by coming clean: I am a closet Trekkie.

Democrats Propose Tax Cut For Middle Class Workers, New Tax For Millionaires

WASHINGTON -- Democrats are offering a bill that would cut taxes for most families next year by about $1,500, paying for the cut by taxing income above $1 million.

Judge: Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez Competent To Stand Trial In White House Shooting Case

WASHINGTON -- A man accused of firing shots at the White House in an attempt to kill President Barack Obama is competent to stand trial, according to a preliminary psychiatric screening. But federal prosecutors filed a motion Monday requesting more extensive tests in the event that his mental health becomes an issue.

Feds Seize 150 Domain Names In Mass Piracy Crackdown

WASHINGTON -- Federal authorities have shut down 150 websites accused of selling knock-off or pirated merchandise to unsuspecting online bargain hunters.

English Woman Vents Her Frustration At ‘multi-cultural’ Britain On A Tram (Video)

British woman on London transport complaining that Britain is nothing now that ethnic minorities are in her country. She had the courage to say what a lot of white people think in similar environments. However, just like the rants you get from her southern and northern counterparts here in the states, most forget about slavery and the host of other reason why minorities will soon out number them 10 to 1!

College Students Across Florida Rally Against Gov. Rick Scott’s ‘Relentless Attack On Higher Education’

Throughout this week, Florida college students will hold rallies to protest Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) hostility to higher education and proposed tuition hikes:

WHY WE OCCUPY: VISUALIZING THE 2012 FEDERAL DISCRETIONARY BUDGET

One reason so many people have taken to the streets as part of the 99 Percent Movement is because of the country’s lopsided priorities. The following graphic shows the makeup of federal discretionary spending in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. As you can see, the military eats up a lion’s share of the spending, while social priorities fall by the wayside:

'Comfort Sex': Is It A Bad Thing?

Have you ever gotten that craving for sex, but not for the usual reasons? After a particularly rotten date, a silly fight with one of my best friends, or maybe just one of those days when nothing seems to go my way, I tend to call a certain "acquaintance" who is more than happy to have me over for a few hours between the sheets. This guy isn't someone I'd date, or even consider a friend, but he does have a knack for taking me from forlorn to very content faster than any other remedy I've tried.

GOP Foreign Policy: Neoconservatives Looking For A Comeback In 2012

WASHINGTON -- Their ideology has been declared dead, done in by two wars that have sapped the country of blood and treasure and sent its economy and international reputation plummeting.

Being A Jerk Will Get You A Women....Do You Agree On The Bases Of What's Around You & Personal Experience ? Or Either You Don't, Cause You Don't Want To See?

If you are a man today who still knows a women who can handle that you respect and genuinely see her as a person, then you are lucky.  Fact is the basic art of treat another person how you would like to be treated has taken a turn for the worse in just the past 20 years, if not more.  However, if the person is a female whom you would like to get to know, strangely enough the less you want to know or care about her the more of a response  you will be receive back from this female.  Being a person live and doing things in my life on a principle of living in facts and reality, this is just how it is.

Sprint 4G Network Upgrade May Kill Unlimited Data Plan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel may be forced to abandon the biggest advantage it has over its rivals - unlimited data services for a flat fee - because of heavy data users and a shortage of wireless airwaves.

Occupy Wall Street And Homelessness: Millions Spent To Evict Camps, While Cutting Shelter Funds

As cities around the country have swept Occupy Wall Street camps from their plazas and parks in recent weeks, a number of mayors and city officials have argued that by providing shelter to the homeless, the camps are endangering the public and even the homeless themselves.

NBA Lockout: Owners, Players Reach Tentative Deal To Start Season On Dec. 25

NEW YORK — After nearly two years of bickering, NBA players and owners are back on the same side.

"We want to play basketball," Commissioner David Stern said.

Come Christmas Day, they should be.

Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan Asked To Sit Out Supreme Court Health Care Case

WASHINGTON -- Conservative interest groups and Republican lawmakers want Justice Elena Kagan off the health care case. Liberals and Democrats in Congress say it's Justice Clarence Thomas who should sit it out.

Global Warming’s War On Thanksgiving

Climate disasters and unregulated commodity speculation have combined to send food prices through the roof this year. Families across the United States will be struggling to put together a celebratory feast, and food pantries will be barer even as more people are in need. The American Farm Bureau Federation has calculated that a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten will cost about 13 percent more this year, up to $49.20 from last year’s $43.47. The AFBF survey shopping list includes “turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk.”

Hunger In America, By The Numbers

Last year, 17.2 million households in the United States were food insecure, the highest level on record, as the Great Recession continued to wreak havoc on families across the country. Of those 17.2 million households, 3.9 million included children. On Thanksgiving Day, here’s a look at hunger in America, as millions of Americans struggle to get enough to eat in the wake of the economic crisis:

The GOP’s Oath To The One Percent

You’d think the oath that mattered most to our elected leaders would be this one:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

The Average Bush Tax Cut For The 1 Percent This Year Will Be Greater Than The Average Income Of The Other 99 Percent

As Occupy Wall Street protestors continue to demonstrate across the country, congress’ fiscal super committee failed to craft a deficit reduction package due to Republican refusal to consider tax increases on the super wealthy. In fact, the only package that the GOP officially submitted to the committee included loweringthe top tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent, even as new research shows that the optimal top tax rate iscloser to 70 percent.

This Thanksgiving, Many Who Once Donated To Food Banks Are Asking For Help Themselves

While some eager shoppers are preparing to wait in long lines when their favorite stores open on Black Friday, many Americans are already lining up at food banks, simply hoping to put food on the table this Thanksgiving.

After Court Rejects Discriminatory Redistricting Plan, New Texas Map Creates Four Additional Minority-Friendly Districts

After a federal court threw out Texas Republicans’ redistricting map this month because it discriminated against minorities, a three-judge panel today released a new map that will significantly boost minority representation in Congress.

FOX NEWS HOST DISMISSES PEPPER SPRAY ATTACK BY COPS: ‘IT’S A FOOD PRODUCT, ESSENTIALLY’

Last night, Fox News hosts Megyn Kelly and Bill O’Reilly attempted to defend a UC Davis police officer’s use of pepper spray against nonviolent protesters. “I don’t think we have the right to Monday-morning quarterback the police,” O’Reilly said, “particularly at a place like UC Davis, which is a fairly liberal campus.” He didn’t explain why the abuse of violent force might be more necessary or justified against liberal students. Kelly went even further in dismissing the suffering of students attacked by the pepper spray, speculating that it’s not that harmful because “it’s like a derivative of actual pepper. It’s a food product, essentially.” Watch it:

OBAMA GETS A NOTE FROM THE 99 PERCENT MOVEMENT: ‘WE GOT SOLD OUT’

President Obama received a note from a protester after his jobs speech in Manchester, New Hampshire this afternoon. The note tells the president to “stop the assault on our 1st amendment rights,” and “Banks got bailed out. We got sold out.” Obama addressed the movement directly after he wasmic checked during his speech, saying, “You’re the reason that I ran for office in the first place.” See the note handed to Obama:

New York College Students Beaten And Arrested For Protesting Tuition Hikes

Last night, several City University of New York students were beaten with police batons and arrested for protesting tuition hikes outside a Board of Trustees meeting:

Washington Lobbyists Crafted $850,000 Secret Plan For Bank Lobbyists To Undermine Occupy Wall Street

This weekend, the MSNBC show Up! With Chris Hayes broke a stunning story about how Washington lobbyists are scrambling to undermine the protesters on Wall Street and across the country.

German Mercedes-Benz Executive Arrested Under Alabama’s Immigration Law

Alabama’s economy is suffering because of HB 56, the state’s draconian immigration law, as workers flee out of fear. State Sen. Scott Beason (R), who sponsored the anti-immigrant bill in the Alabama legislature, once called it a “jobs bill,” but the state’s immigration law is leaving entire industries without enough workers instead.

The Richest 0.1 Percent Of Americans Make Half Of All Capital Gains

The preferable treatment that investment income receives in the tax code is one of the factors driving the income inequality and galvanizing the Occupy Wall Street movement. Because the capital gains tax is capped at 15 percent, “anyone making more than $34,500 a year in wages and salary is taxed at a higher rate than a billionaire is taxed on untold millions in capital gains.”

How Republican Tax Intransigence Sank The Super Committee: A Timeline

By now we have all heard the latest in the months-long debate over reducing the nation’s deficit — barring a last-minute miracle, the congressional super committee tasked with finding at least $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction will fail to come to an agreement. Cue handwringing by pundits lamenting the inability of both Democrats and Republicans to compromise.

GOP Derails Super Committee To Protect Millionaires & Billionaires

The fiscal super committee created by last summer’s deal to raise the debt ceiling was charged with crafting a $1.5 trillion deficit reduction package by Thanksgiving. However, moments ago, the committee’s co-chairs issued a statement officially conceding that “it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.” For weeks, the GOP has been refusing to even consider new revenue, pairing modest attempts to close loopholes in the tax code with giant new tax cuts centered on the very rich that would add trillions to the deficit. The committee’s co-chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) even said the GOP would not consider “any penny” in new revenue (a statement that he later walked back). Without a deal, automatic cuts are supposed to be scheduled for 2013, but several congressional leaders have been discussing canceling the cuts, leaving the super committee the latest in a long line of deficit commissions to unable to succeed in their attempt to alter the U.S. budget.

The hate that ended his presidency is eerily familiar

Thanksgiving week is a milestone for Barack Obama, but not one that many are likely to commemorate. The president who seemed poised to inherit John F. Kennedy’s mantle—in the eyes of Kennedy’s last surviving child and brother as well as many optimistic onlookers (me included) in 2008—will now have served longer than his historical antecedent. Obama, surely, does not want to be judged against any JFK yardstick, longevity included. It’s his rotten luck that he incited such comparisons at the start by being a young and undistinguished legislator before seeking the presidency; by giving great speeches; by breaking a once-insurmountable barrier for African-Americans, as Kennedy did for Roman Catholics; and by arriving in the White House with his own glamorous wife and two adorable young children in tow. He has usually shrugged off these parallels gracefully. These days, with his honeymoon long over, it’s particularly in his interest to do so. But Obama can’t escape JFK’s long shadow, and neither can we. Another wave of Kennedyiana has arrived just in time for the holidays: three major new books, all three already best sellers. But in the second decade of the 21st century, what, exactly, are the customers buying?

The end of the world, when will mankind destroy itself?

Judging by the run of successful natural disaster films in the past few years, people are fascinated by the idea of the end of the world. In Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, a virus ravaged the UK and beyond; an asteroid was the world-ending threat in Deep Impact and Armageddon; and climate change got a starring role in The Day After Tomorrow.

Elizabeth Nichols, Occupy Portland Protester Pepper Sprayed In The Face, Identified (PHOTO)

This new shot comes just days after a photo of 84-year-old Dorli Rainey went viral, after she was pepper sprayed in the face during Occupy Seattle protests. The use of the spray has become almost commonplace during recent protests, and the method has been prominent during controversial protests in New York and Oakland.

Sunday November 20th 2011 Talking Heads!

FOX NEWS SUNDAY

There are three days until the Super Committee's deadline to save the world. So why are two of them, Jeb Hensarling and Xavier Becerra, doing on a teevee show? Shouldn't they be working? The answers to both questions is "LOL," I suspect? Maybe Hensarling and Becerra are just the two people on the Super Committee that nobody likes, and while they are away, everyone else will finally figure everything out, and when Hensarling and Beccera return, they'll be like, "Aw, darn, we really wanted to be here to help," and the other Super Committee members are all, "No, no! You guys totally helped! You brought doughnuts back and stuff! Big help!" Meanwhile Patty Murray is mouthing the words, "These guys totally suck!" to Dave Camp, who's like, "OMG I KNOW WANNA MAKE OUT?"

Super Committee Failure: Bush Tax Cuts Obstacle To Deal

The leaders of a special deficit reduction panel signaled Sunday that they will fail to strike a deal to reduce the deficit before their Wednesday deadline.

New York Churches Shelter Occupy Protesters, Now Monitored By New York Police

With Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) ratcheting up police crackdowns on Occupy Wall Street this week, the New York Times reports that several churches in New York City are sheltering protesters who can no longer stay in Zucotti Park. About 46 protesters spent Wednesday night in the United Methodist Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew. However, instead of respecting the sanctuary, police in plainclothes are entering churches to monitor their conduct.

Rep. Deutch Introduces OCCUPIED Constitutional Amendment To Ban Corporate Money In Politics

In one of the greatest signs yet that the 99 Percenters are having an impact, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, today introduced an amendment that would ban corporate money in politics and end corporate personhood once and for all.

Latinos, African Americans Twice As Likely As Whites To Have Been Affected By The Housing Crisis

America’s housing crisis is one of the biggest problems plaguing the economy, as the country’s homes have lost $7 trillion in cumulative value over the last five years. Four million Americans are either behind on their payments or in foreclosure, and a quarter of the nation’s homeowners are underwater on their mortgage. Those foreclosures have driven down home values in communities across the country.

Conservative Groups Pressure Administration To Restrict Access To Contraception

In August, the Department of Health and Human Servicesaccepted the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and issued an interim final rule requiring health insurers to cover contraception and other women’s preventive services without additional cost sharing. The rule included a caveat that allowed religious institutions that offer health insurance to their employees to opt out of the coverage requirement, but now as HHS prepares to deliver the final regulation, conservative groups are pressuring the administration to significantly expand the exemption to include all religiously affiliated entities.

GOP STATE REP: OBAMA ‘ENABLES’ ‘LAZY’ AMERICANS BY EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Conservatives have pounced on President Obama for the completely false story that he called Americans “lazy.” But one Iowa Republican is publicly agreeing with the disparaging characterization Obama never made. State Rep. Josh Byrnes doesn’t think all Americans are lazy — just the 14 million who are unemployed. And he blames Obama for the problem, writing:

NUMBER OF U.S. CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY INCREASED BY 1 MILLION LAST YEAR

More than one in five children in the U.S. lives in poverty, according to 2010 Census data, rising from 14.7 million children in 2009 to 15.7 million in 2010. According to Census figures, the child poverty rate increased in 27 states. At 38.2 percent, African American children had the highest rates of poverty, while white and Asian children were below the national average. The rate for Hispanic children was 32.3 percent. “Children who live in poverty, especially young children, are more likely than their peers to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties, to complete fewer years of education, and, as they grow up, to experience more years of unemployment,” the Census said.

Corporate CEO: The Rich, ‘Including Me, Should Be Paying More’ In Taxes

Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength has been meeting with congressional leaders this week, continuing their push to raise taxes on the very richest Americans. “We want to pay more taxes,” said California millionaire Doug Edwards, a former marketing director for Google. “If you’re fortunate, and you make more than a million dollars a year, you ought to pay more taxes.” The group even told anti-tax zealot Grover Norquist that he should take his extreme positions and “move to Somalia.”

Fox News Calls Would-Be Obama Assassin ‘Occupy Shooter’ A Day After Authorities Found ‘No Connection’ To Protests

Yesterday, authorities charged Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez with attempting to assassinate President Obama after he allegedly fired an assault riffle at the White House. Never missing an opportunity to politicize such an event, Fox News baselessly tried to tie Ortega-Hernandez to the 99 Percent Movement, running a chyron that dubbed the man the “‘Occupy’ shooter.”

GOP’S JOB-KILLING BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT FAILS IN HOUSE

The latest Republican budget gimmick — a radical Balanced Budget Amendment that would actually kill 15 million jobs — failed to garner the necessary two-thirds majority it needed to pass the House today, failing 261-165. Four Republicans — Reps. Paul Ryan (WI), Justin Amash (PA), Louie Gohmert (TX), and David Dreier (CA) — voted against the amendment; 25 Democrats, most presumably from the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, voted in favor. The amendment needed 290 votes to pass. The amendment actually gained less votes than it did in 1995, when 300 House members voted in its favor.

FOX NEWS CLIMATE DENIAL DOMINATES CABLE NEWS

A new academic paper confirms that Fox News systematically deceives its viewers about climate change, significantly altering their views. Nearly 60 percent of Fox News broadcasts were dismissive of climate change, whereas less than 20 percent were accepting of climate change. The researchers also found that Fox News does more than just reinforce existing bias. Republicans who watch Fox News were more influenced than Democrats — Republicans who watch CNN or MSNBC are less skeptical when exposed to information on the reality and urgency of climate change. The authors — Lauren Feldman, Edward Maibach, Connie Roser-Renouf, and Anthony Leiserowitz — also found that Fox News covered global warming dramatically more than CNN or MSNBC, having nearly 70 percent of the prime-time coverage of global warming in 2007-2008.

Former JPMorgan Banker: Exploiting Consumers Is ‘The Purpose Of The Banking Organization’

Wall Street banks, largely spared from the economic ruin felt by millions of Americans since the financial crisis of 2008, have returned to profitability, generating higher profits in the two-and-a-half years since the crisis than they did in nearly eight years preceding it. But that hasn’t stopped them from seeking new ways to generate revenue — like Bank of America’s proposed $5-a-month debit card fee or the millions banks have made from charging consumers to receive unemployment benefits or food stamps.

Billionaires Use Tax Loophole To Lower Their Tax Rates To 1 Percent

In 2009, 1,470 households reported income of more than $1 million but paid no federal income tax on it, through their use of various tax loopholes and shelters. Tax rates for millionaires have fallen by 25 percent since the mid-’90s, while one quarter of millionaires currently pay lower tax rates than the average middle-class household.

Reporters For Right-Wing Publication Daily Caller Beaten By NYPD, Helped By Protesters

The right-wing Daily Caller website has been anything but kind to Occupy Wall Street, even going so far as to condemn the protest movement as generating riots, murder, and arson.

Seattle Police Pepper Spray 84-Year-Old Activist, Priest, Pregnant Woman, Among Others

Occupy Seattle, while demonstrating in solidarity with the besieged protesters in New York City, faced a volley of indiscriminate police pepper spray last night. As protesters neared a busy street, police suddenly hit a large number of protesters — including an 84-year-old woman, a pregnant woman, a priest, and several teenagers — with mace. Dorli Rainey, the elderly activist stung in the face by law enforcement, was saved by a veteran who came her aid in the midst of the confusion in the crowd.

Watch a local news segment about the incident below:

MORE THAN HALF OF ALL CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS ARE MILLIONAIRES

If the voices of the 99 Percent Movement are being heard in Washington at all, they’re being heardpredominantly by the 1 percent. As the Center for Responsive Politics notes, “About 47 percent of Congress, or 249 current members are millionaires.” Sixty-six percent of the U.S. Senate reported an average net worth in excess of $1 million in 2010. In fact, “despite the global meltdown in 2008 and the sluggish recovery that followed,” the estimated median net worth of a current U.S. senator was $2.56 million, up about 7.6 percent from the median net worth in 2009. All together, 315 out of 535 members of Congress — or 58 percent — are millionaires. Noting that few Americans have access to “the same financial cushions” or the same “market-altering information,” the Center For Responsive Politics pointed out that “the vast majority of members of Congress are quite comfortable, financially, while many of their own constituents suffer from economic hardships.”

Blue Dog Democrats Endorse Balanced Budget Amendment That Would Double Unemployment, Gut Social Safety Net

Congressional Republicans are still trying to persuade Americans that they are focused on job creation, but each time they propose another piece of legislation, it is exposed as a gimmick that will do little, if anything, to create jobs. Such was the case with their anti-regulatory policies, their attempts to repeal health care reform, and virtually every other policy proposal they have brought forth.

Corporations Renew Push For Tax Holiday A Day After CBO Says It Would Have Negligible Effect On Job Creation

The coalition of corporations pushing for a temporary repatriation tax holiday on money that companies have stashed offshore renewed its efforts in a letter to Congress and the White House today, a day after the Congressional Budget Office released a study showing that such a holiday would have a minimal impact on job creation. Executives at Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco Systems, and Pfizer are among the 15 executives that signed the letter, which asserts that Congress can’t wait any longer to push the holiday through, the Wall Street Journal reports:

FLOUTING STATES’ RIGHTS PRINCIPLES, HOUSE GOP PUSHES RADICAL CONCEALED CARRY BILL

Today the House of Representatives debated the controversial “National Right To Carry Reciprocity Act,” which would give people with concealed weapon permits in one state the right to carry their guns to 49 other states, even if it violates local gun restrictions. Proponents of the National Rifle Association-backed bill see it as an easy way to circumvent states that mandate gun training and background checks. But the bill also pits conservatives against their professed pro-states’ rights principles, which is why one Republican, Rep. Dan Lungren (CA), voted against the measure on the Judiciary Committee. The legislation has 245 House sponsors and is expected to pass easily. Mayors across the country have opposed the House GOP’s efforts. A handy guide to states’ concealed weapons laws, courtesy of Politico:

Private Prison Charges Inmates $5 A Minute For Phone Calls While They Work For $1 A Day

Last year the Corrections Corporation of America(CCA), the nation’s largest private prison company, received $74 million of taxpayers’ money to run immigration detention centers. Their largest facility in Lumpkin, Georgia, receives $200 a night for each of the 2,000 detainees it holds, and rakes in yearly profits between $35 million and $50 million.

Ex-Convicts Find It Hard To Vote, But Easy To Get Guns

In most states, ex-convicts have to wait years after their release to have their voting rights restored, and many are disenfranchised for life. Yet they often have their right to bear arms automatically reinstated when they leave prison, with little or no review by judges. A New York Times examinationreveals that the gun lobby and their Republican allies have successfully eliminated hearings and common-sense restrictions on ex-cons’ ability to immediately reclaim their guns, with deadly consequences:

Occupy Cleveland Saves Woman’s Home From Imminent Foreclosure

Last week, Occupy Atlanta encamped at the Snellville, Georgia home of a Gwinnett County police officer in an attempt to save his family’s home from foreclosure. At the time, Occupy Atlanta organizer Tim Franzen said that he hopes this tactic spreads nationwide.

Bachmann: Obama Favors American Protesters Over Israel

During tonight’s national security and foreign policy GOP presidential debate on CBS, Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN) said that President Obama favors Americans protesting against income inequality over Israel, the U.S.’s chief ally in the Middle East. Bachmann said:

KOCH-FUNDED SCIENTIST WHO BELIEVES IN GLOBAL WARMING IS COMING TO CONGRESS

 Richard Muller, the contrarian physicist who led a Koch-funded study that confirmed the accuracy of temperature records smeared by “Climategate,” is presenting his results at aCongressional briefing on Monday, November 14. The briefing has been organized by the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep Ed Markey (D-MA). Markey was the chair of the House global warming special committee, established by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and disbanded by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Also appearing are leading climate scientists Ben Santer, research scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and William Chameides, Dean of Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Vice Chair of the National Academies’ Committee on America’s Climate Choices.

Fox Panel Bashes OWS As ‘Toxic,’ ‘Marxist,’ ‘Anti-Democratic And Un-American’

This morning on Fox News Sunday, conservative panelists did their best to smear and discredit the 99 Percent Movement. Pundit Bill Kristol called the protests “un-American” and “fundamentally undemocratic,” despite the fact that recent polls show that they are supported by a majority of Americans. Kristol even complained that the world “occupy” was itself Marxist.

Over Half of All U.S. Tax Subsidies Go to Four Industries. Guess Which Ones?

Citizens for Tax Justice has analyzed corporate tax rates from 2008 to 2010. The report [PDF]examines over half of the Fortune 500 companies

Harvard Law Professor Criticizes ‘Homeland Security Feel’ Of ‘Overreaction’ To Occupy Harvard

In a letter to the president of Harvard University, Harvard Law School professor Duncan Kennedy criticized the lockdown of Harvard Yard against the 99 Percent movement. On Wednesday night, hundreds of Occupy protesters marched from a rally at Harvard Law School to enter the heart of the world’s most prestigious university, blocked by Harvard security forces who began closing the iron gates that are normally kept open 24 hours a day. Harvard students, allowed in after showing identification, set up about 20 tents in the yard with the help of other students who joined when word went out about the lockdown. Harvard Yard remains closed to people without university IDs.

Penn State Scandal: Sandusky Had Access To Vulnerable Kids Via Charity

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Over the past 30 years, politicians, sports stars and community leaders heaped praise on Jerry Sandusky and the charity he founded for troubled youngsters, The Second Mile. It was a model program, and the acclaimed football coach was its driving force.

Slave Cemetery Uncovered On Florida Island

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 19th-century cemetery, believed to hold the remains of slaves, has been uncovered at a former cotton plantation in Florida, archaeologists announced Thursday.

Obama’s Foreign Policy Successes

The Republican candidates for president haven’t talked about foreign policy too much. Given that economic issues have been dominating the campaign narrative, it’s perhaps understandable that national security is largely absent from the debate. But also, the Republicans don’t really have much to criticize. Indeed, foreign policy has received scant attention during the televised GOP presidential debates. But that’s about to change. This Saturday, Nov. 12, CBS News and the National Journal will host the first debate focused solely on foreign policy at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. (CNN, Heritage and AEI will hostanother one on Nov. 22).

Homeless Veterans, By The Numbers

Today is Veterans Day, a day to honor the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces. Sadly, this year’s Veterans Day falls on the same week as the release of a new study showing that veterans not only make up a disproportionate percentage of the homeless population, but also stay homeless for longer. In fact, “on average, veterans were homeless for 5.7 years while others reported that they were homeless for 3.9 years.”

Five Reasons Why Veterans Are Part Of The 99 Percent

The 99 Percent Movement has attracted students, labor unions, unemployed workers, teachers, artists, singers, writers, former real estate brokers, political activists, people who have given up on the traditional political system, and thousands more. But a growing contingent seen at Occupy Wall Street solidarity protests all across the country are veterans.

10-year-old Mexican girl gives birth to baby boy after 31-week pregnancy

A 10-year-old Mexican girl has given birth to a baby boy after a 31-week pregnancy, according to reports.

The premature infant, which weighed 3.3 pounds, was born by Caesarian section at the Women’s Hospital in the city of Puebla and is in the intensive care unit recovering from pneumonia.

You don’t have to take our word for it, here’s how Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) described his priorities:

The Shame Of Joe Paterno

Towards the end of the immortal baseball movie Bull Durham, Annie Savoy reflects that “Baseball may be a religion full of magic, cosmic truth, and the fundamental ontological riddles of our time, but it’s also a job.” What she meant is that for the men who play it, the game can be mundane, difficult, frustrating, and an obligation more than it is a joy. But watching the story of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno’s insufficient action when he learned that his former defensive coordinator and coach emeritus of the team had assaulted a child in Penn State facilities unfold, culminating in his firing late last night, I’ve been reflecting on another sense of that statement. No matter how important the work of sports is, whether economically to schools and regions, or emotionally to fans, it’s work. And if you’re incapable of performing it in ways that comport with the law, the ethics of your profession, and basic decency, it should be totally uncontroversial for you to be dismissed.

GOP Candidates: Federal Student Loans Are ‘An Absurdity,’ ‘A Total Failure’

Outstanding student loan debt is projected this year to hit $1 trillion for the first time, while the average college student now graduates with more than $25,000 in debt. Federal student aid has failed to keep pace with theskyrocketing cost of tuition, even as the U.S.’s educational attainment begins to trail that of other developed nations.

STATE DEPARTMENT PUTS BRAKES ON KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

The Department of State is planning to put the brakes on the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, Reuters reports. After seeming to be a foregone conclusion, approval by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama of the $7 billion Canada-to-Texas pipeline hit a wall of popular opposition and scandal. Climate activists mobilized across the nation, risking arrests in acts of civil disobedience, to raise the alarm about the civilizational risks of mining the tar sands. Nebraskans of all political stripes united in opposition to the foreign oil company TransCanada’s abusive practices and plans to cut across the state’s most valued ecosystems. State’s decision to reconsider its draft impact statementsto evaluate alternate routes means possible final approval, originally expected this year, will be delayed at the minimum by several months.

VIDEO: Debunking The Right-Wing Meme That The Obama Administration Is Anti-Business

From GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney and Tea Party Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) to Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, a general consensus has emerged that the Obama administration is “anti-business.” Yet any actual evidence of an effect from this putative bias has failed to materialize. ThinkProgress has compiled a video report. Watch it:

Gitmo Is The World’s ‘Most Expensive Prison’ At $800K Per Detainee Per Year

As lawmakers on Congress’ deficit reduction super committee look for places to cut the federal budget ahead of their upcoming deadline, they may want to look at the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The facility is “arguably the most expensive prison on earth,” according to a new report from the Miami Herald. With a budget of $139 million last year to house just 171 detainees, it costs more than $800,000 to keep each prisoner for a year — more than 30 times the average cost of a traditional prison. The report is based on a “secret study” conducted by the camp’s former deputy commander, a money manager by training, who calls the facility “expensive” and “inefficient”:

Happy Birthday Carl Sagan (VIDEO)

Dear Dr. Carl Sagan,

You captured my imagination when I first read The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark about ten years ago. I was too young to watch the Cosmos series when it originally aired on PBS. Today, thirty years later, your elegant scientific prose remains not only relevant, but unparalleled in its breadth and power to inspire.

Penn State Scandal Timeline: Key Dates In The Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Case

A chronological look at the case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, based on a grand jury report in Pennsylvania state court. Some key dates in Penn State football history are included. Sandusky has been charged with 40 criminal counts, accusing him of serial sex abuse of minors.

Progressives Win Big In Ballot Measures Nationwide

WASHINGTON -- Tuesday's elections saw big wins for progressives around the country, who blocked right-wing measures on issues of voting, labor, immigrant and women's rights.

40,000 Americans Joined Credit Unions On ‘Bank Transfer Day,’ 24 Times The Usual Rate

ThinkProgress reported last week that 650,000 Americans joined credit unions over the past month, more than in all of 2010 combined. On Saturday, activists across the nation rallied Americans to move their money from the nation’s big banks to community banks and credit unions.

McCain Wants A Corporate Tax Holiday So Corporations Can ‘Buy More Yachts And…Corporate Jets And All That’

A slew of multinational corporations, joined by their allies in Congress, have been pushing for the enactment of a tax repatriation holiday, which would allow companies that have stashed money overseas to bring it back to the U.S. at a tax rate far below the usual 35 percent corporate income tax rate. Sen. Johm McCain (R-AZ) and Kay Hagan (D-NC) have proposed a plan under which corporations could repatriate money at an 8.25 percent tax rate, which would be lowered to 5.25 percent if they use the money to create jobs.

275,000 PEOPLE WANT MSNBC TO FIRE PAT BUCHANAN

MSNBC contributor Pat Buchanan has made a career out of bigotry. His thoughtful contributions include calling gays satanists, praising the Nazis and the KKK, decrying Dr. Martin Luther King as a fraud, and telling African Americans that they should be grateful for slavery. While touring the networks to promote his latest book,Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?, he stopped by a white nationalist radio program The Political Cesspool which was only too happy to advertise his theories. In response, African-American civil rights organization ColorOfChange.org and CREDO Action gathered 275,000 people who are demanding that MSNBC President Phil Griffin fire Buchanan immediately. The ColorOfChange.org petition reads, “Buchanan has a long and consistent history of peddling white supremacist ideology as legitimate political commentary, on your network and elsewhere.” Noting that Buchanan has the right to express his views, the petition says “he’s not entitled to a platform that lets him broadcast bigotry and hate to millions. If MSNBC and NBC want to be seen as trusted, mainstream sources of news and commentary, you need to fire Buchanan now.” Buchanan has not appeared on MSNBC since he began promoting his book on Oct. 22.

The Top Twelve Reasons Why So Many Good Black Men Are Still Single

Television, radio, and the Internet have been buzzing nonstop for years about the plight of single, black women looking for love, but what about all the single, black men? Nobody's been bold enough to take a stand and speak out on behalf of all the good, single black men out there looking for love too. However, now, that's all changed. The Victory Unlimited Show (http://www.victoryunlimitedshow.com) attacks this issue with the kind of guts, gusto, humor, and controversy that's rarely heard in the mainstream media.

Legendary Boxer Smokin’ Joe Frazier Dead At 67

PHILADELPHIA — Joe Frazier had to throw his greatest punch to knock down “The Greatest.”

A vicious left hook from Frazier put Muhammad Ali on the canvas in the 15th round in March 1971 when he became the first man to beat him in the Fight of the Century at Madison Square Garden.

Wow, African-American buying power nears $1.1 trillion

WASHINGTON (Special from the Final Call) — Black buying power is expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2015, according to The State of the African-American Consumer Report, recently released, collaboratively by Nielsen, a leading global provider of insights and analytics into what consumers watch and buy, and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers across the U.S.

Rapper Heavy D Dead At Age Of 44 (Rip Heavy)

LOS ANGELES– Heavy D, the self-proclaimed “overweight lover” of hip-hop who became one of rap’s top hit-makers with wit, humor and a positive vibe, has died. He was 44. Lt. Mark Rosen of the Beverly Hills police said Heavy D died in a Los Angeles hospital Tuesday after collapsing at his condominium building.

POLL: 99 PERCENT MESSAGE NEARLY TWICE AS POPULAR AS TEA PARTY GOP MESSAGE

A new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll out last night found that a whopping 60 percent of Americans strongly agree with the basic sentiment of the 99 Percent Movement, as expressed in the statement below:

BANK OF AMERICA MUST PAY $410 MILLION IN SETTLEMENT FOR CHARGING EXCESSIVE OVERDRAFT FEES

The Associated Press reports that a U.S. District judge in Miami has approved a $410 million settlement against Bank of America for charging their customers excessive overdraft fees. The settlement in the class-action lawsuit affects more than 13 million current and former bank customers who used debit cards over the past decade, but most will get only a fraction of the overdraft fees they paid. In fact, an attorney for customers who objected to the deal calculated that Bank of America made $4.5 billion through the overdraft fees, and are repaying less than 10 percent. The average customer had $300 in overdraft fees but is only eligible for a $27 reward in the settlement.

Occupy Atlanta Encamps In Neighborhood To Save Police Officer’s Home From Foreclosure

Occupy Atlanta has repeatedly run into hurdles, as it has been evicted from Woodruff Park in Atlanta multiple times by the city’s unsympathetic mayor, Kasim Reed. Yet the group was invigorated yesterday as it moved to a new location to take action for economic justice.

Leading Conservative Federal Appeals Judge Says Case Against Health Reform Has No Basis In ‘The Text of the Constitution’

When the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit announced two of the three judges who would hear a challenge to the Affordable Care Act — conservative icons Laurence Silberman and Brett Kavanaugh — the law’s supporters turned white. Silberman is a close ally of Justice Clarence Thomas, a former official in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan Administrations and the author of the lower court decision overturning the District of Columbia’s handgun ban. Kavanaugh is a former Associate Counsel under Clinton inquisitor Ken Starr and a leading attorney in the George W. Bush White House. If anyone would be sympathetic to the case against health reform, these two men were first on the list.

Cain And Perry’s Tax Plans Would Disproportionately Hurt Women

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has been in hot water in recent weeks over allegations that hesexually harassed or assaulted at least four women in his employ. But it’s not just Cain’s personal behavior that’s hurting women. According to analysis and expert interviews by the American Independent, the tax plans offered by both Cain and Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)disproportionately disadvantage women:

Conservatives Pushing End-Run Around Mandated Military Spending Cuts If Super Committee Fails

In reaction to the looming deadline on the super committee — potentially triggering $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts if the group fails to make a $1.5 trillion dent in the deficit by Thanksgiving — military spending boosters are devising a plan to avoid triggered cuts to defense budgets. Here’s how it would work: 1) Hope for the super committee to fail, 2) Push doomsday warnings about mandated defense “sequestration,” 3) Get Congress to pass a new law negating the automatic cuts.

Hillary Clinton Commits U.S. Government To Ushering In ‘An AIDS-Free Generation’

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the United States and her allies to scale up their funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment to “change the course of this pandemic and usher in an AIDS-free generation,” during a speech at the NIH this morning. “I want the American people to understand the irreplaceable role the U.S. has played in the fight against HIV/AIDS, it is their tax dollars, our tax dollars that have made this possible and we need to keep going,” she said before announcing, “creating an HIV-free population has never been a government priority until today. Today it is possible because of scientific advances largely funded by the United States.” Watch a compilation of the speech:

MISSISSIPPI GOP GOV. NOMINEE TELLS RAPE VICTIM ‘SATAN WINS’ IF PERSONHOOD AMENDMENT FAILS

Mississippi voters head to the polls today to consider a radical anti-abortion measure that equates abortion with murder and would outlaw some forms of birth control, but Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) warned yesterday that if the personhood amendment fails, “Satan wins.” “This is a battle of good and evil of Biblical proportions,” Bryant, who is also the GOP nominee for governor, told a crowd in Tupelo, Mississippi. Bryant was responding to a question from Cristen Hemmins, who was raped and shot twice during a kidnapping as a college student. The personhood amendment would make all abortions illegal, even in cases of rape or incest. “Why can’t you men have any sympathy for women like me?” she asked Bryant. “Bryant is heavily favored to win the governor’s race,” which is also taking place today.

Whole Foods Accused Of Harassing Muslim Employee, Forcing Him To Pray By The Dumpster

Yuppy-haven supermarket Whole Foods has always carefully maintained a public image of embracing diversity. That polished exterior was tarnished in August when the corporation caved to the Islamophobic rants of conservatives, and told all its U.S. stores not to promote Ramadan this year.

OHIO DEFEATS OHIO’S ANTI-LABOR LAW SENATE BILL 5

The Associated Press reports that Ohio voters have resoundingly defeated Gov. John Kasich’s (R) anti-labor law Senate Bill 5, delivering a significant blow to the beleaguered governor in his first year of office. The rejection marks a victory for Ohio’s teachers, firefighters, police, and veterans whose collective bargaining rights were stripped by the law. On MSNBC’s Ed Show, state Rep. Nina Turner (D) demanded that Kasich apologize to Ohioans for attacking workers’ rights instead of focusing on jobs.

Wall Street Traders Have Profited More Under Obama Than In Eight Years Under Bush

As protesters around the country take to the streets to protest the excesses of Wall Street banks that benefited from a federal bailout and quickly returned to profitability, new data from the financial industry has shed light on just how profitable those banks have been since the financial crisis brought the American economy to its knees three years ago.

Defense Contractors Pay Little To No Corporate Income Tax While Earning Billions

Last week, Citizens for Tax Justice released a report showing that 30 major corporations have paid no income taxes for the last three years, as they made $160 billion. CTJ looked at 280 companies in the Fortune 500, and found that “while the federal corporate tax code ostensibly requires big corporations to pay a 35 percent corporate income tax rate, on average, the 280 corporations in our study paid only about half that amount.”

FLORIDA GOP SENATE CANDIDATE TO 99 PERCENT: ‘GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GO GET A JOB’

Speaking at a Tea Party convention in Florida this weekend, GOP Senate candidate Craig Miller said Occupy Wall Street protesters should “get off your ass and go get a job.” Miller is the former CEO of Ruth’s Chris steakhouse and was the president of the National Restaurant Association a few years after GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain left the organization. Last month, Adam Hasner, who is also running for the Republican Senate nomination from Florida, called Occupy Wall Street supporters “anarchists,” “extremists,” and “thugs.” As the Florida Independent points out, just 12 percent of protesters are unemployed, according to Fast Company.

INSPECTOR GENERAL LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO KEYSTONE XL APPROVAL PROCESS

In response to a congressional request, the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General has launched a review of the Keystone XL pipeline approval process. The State Department is tasked with conducting the environmental review of TransCanada’s proposed tar sands pipeline from Canada to Texas for a Presidential Permit decision. Beginning with the Bush administration, the process has been largely outsourced to a contractor chosen and paid for by TransCanada, with only asingle staffer overseeing the work. Meanwhile, lobbyists with close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have aggressively pushed for approval on behalf of the foreign oil company. The request for an investigation was made by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and eleven Democratic members of the House of Representatives.

FINANCIAL INDUSTRY COLLECTS THE MOST GOVERNMENT TAX SUBSIDIES

A new Citizens for Tax Justice report detailing how little corporations pay in federal corporate income tax also noted that financial firms receive the highest percentage of federal tax subsidies, collecting nearly 17 percent of the tax largesse that the government hands out. The largest single recipient of federal tax subsidies over the last three years was mega-bank Wells Fargo.

Federal Workers Are Underpaid Compared To Their Private Sector Counterparts, Despite GOP’s Assertions

To hear Republican presidential primary candidates tell it, the federal workforce under President Obama has experienced ballooning job growth and huge wage increases. Such claims are a staple of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-MN) stump speeches, and for months, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has promised to bring the rest of the workers’ pay into line with comparable employees in the private sector.

12,000 ENCIRCLE WHITE HOUSE IN PROTEST OF KEYSTONE XL TAR SANDS PIPELINE

Today, more than 12,000 people from across the United States and Canada gathered at the White House to call on President Obama to stop the TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.  After a rally in Lafayette Square addressed by elected officials, youth climate activists,  environmental leaders, climate scientist James Hansen, religious leaders, Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams, Naomi Klein, and local opponents of the pipeline from South Dakota, Texas, and Nebraska, the boisterous crowd formed a human chain that completely encircled the White House.  The protest, organized by Tar Sands Action, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, 350.org, and others, appeared to exceed turnout expectations, with the human chain running several people deep in most areas.  President Obamaacknowledged last week that he will make the final decision on the controversial pipeline — a decision expected before year’s end.

Sunday November 6th 2011 Talking Heads!

FOX NEWS SUNDAY

Ron Paul is here, and we can all agree that the kindly old libertarian wizard from Middle Earth probably never sexually harassed anyone, so it's nice to see him today. Later, Representatives Heath "Incomplete" Shuler and Mike "Simpson" Simpson will be here to talk about how they want to sexually harass the budget. Then a panel will sexually harass one another, for our enjoyment/terror.

Scientist Who Testified In Support Of Mining Around The Grand Canyon Stands To Make $225,000 From It

As ThinkProgress reported yesterday, Republican members of Congress have beenwaging a war to open 1 million acres around the Grand Canyon to uranium mining. Last week Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar took one of the last steps in withdrawing the area from new mining claims. But in response, Republicans have introduced H.R. 3155, the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011, to keep the decision from moving forward. The issue has become “one of the top legislative priorities of Republicans in Congress” as Energy and Environment Daily reported this morning.

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Calls Unemployment Benefits A ‘Lifestyle’

Despite the necessary aid that unemployment benefits provide for those who have been laid off (not to mention the boost they give to the entire national economy), Republicans continue to attack and deride people who collect those benefits. In September, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) dismissed unemployment benefits as “welfare for people that won’t work,” and an Ohio state representative suggested his state drug test all benefit applicants. (He got the idea from Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), who signed a law in June requiring drug tests for all welfare recipients.)

Islamophobic Texas Gun Instructor: All Muslims Have ‘Sworn The Annihilation Of The United States’

In an interview with the New York Times, a state-certified gun instructor in Texas doubled down on Islamophobic comments he made in a radio ad to attract new customers. As ThinkProgress reported, Crockett Keller of Mason, Texas, said in the ad that he refused to teach Muslims, telling local news outlets and advocacy groups, “I would give up my license to teach before I will teach them,” because he considered all Muslims “enemies.”

Baby Boomers: Aging Population Casts Light On Geriatrics Shortage

PALATKA, Fla. -- In this sleepy, riverside town in northeast Florida, 86-year-old Betty Wills sees the advertisements of obstetricians and gynecologists on the main road's billboards and has found specialists ranging from cardiologists to surgeons in the phone book.

Joe Frazier Cancer: Former Heavyweight Champion Diagnosed With Liver Cancer, In Hospice Care

PHILADELPHIA -- Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has liver cancer and is under hospice care.

The 67-year-old boxer was diagnosed four or five weeks ago, Frazier's personal and business manager said Saturday. Leslie Wolff told The Associated Press that doctors have not yet told Frazier how long he has to live.

Want To Switch Banks? Here's What You Need To Know

David Meinert, owner of several Seattle businesses, including 5-Point Cafe, Big Mario's Pizza and Onto Entertainment, recently switched his business accounts from Bank of America and Chase to Seattle Bank. He says many small-business owners he knows are following his lead -- they have also been wanting to make a move but were just waiting for someone to point them to a good local alternative. So if you're fed up with the big guys and ready to transfer to a small bank or credit union, how do you find the right one? Attorney, author and small-business advocate Barbara Weltman provides these tips for a smooth transition:

Nigeria: Boko Haram Suicide Attack Killed Dozens

LAGOS, Nigeria — At least 67 people died in a wave of bombings and shootings carried out in northeast Nigeria overnight, officials said Saturday, as frightened mourners left their homes to begin burying their dead.

More Small Businesses Are Pulling Their Accounts Out Of Big Banks

Even in a tight credit market, David Meinert didn't think he'd have a problem getting funding from his bank. He was a model entrepreneur, with good credit and a profitable business earning $2 million in revenue. But when he applied for a relatively small $50,000 line of credit from Chase in late 2010, he got denied in 12 hours, with no explanation. "It was insulting and made no sense, even to the banker. And there was no one to even talk to about it," Meinert says. "It's frustrating that banks are getting billions of dollars in taxpayers' money and they're sitting on that money and not lending it to small businesses. If you're making less than $10 million, they don't care about you."

Unemployment Benefits: Most Of The Unemployed No Longer Receive Benefits

WASHINGTON — The jobs crisis has left so many people out of work for so long that most of America's unemployed are no longer receiving unemployment benefits.

FBI Says The End Is Near For Investigations Into Civil Rights-era Cold Cases

Every time we think we've seen the last of the trials for civil rights-era atrocities, it seems, prosecutors will parade some stooped, white-haired defendant before the cameras in shackles.

Keystone XL Oil Pipeline: A Symbolic Struggle Steeped In Fuzzy Math

At the end of September, the mayor of tiny Atkinson, Neb., sat calmly waiting for an invasion. David Frederick's rural outpost of about 1,000 residents, set along the northeastern edge of Nebraska's Sandhills, was about to see its population briefly swelled by a phalanx of U.S. State Department officials, itinerant union laborers, ranchers, farmers, environmentalists and reporters.