Right-Wing Media Attack DOJ's Effort To Protect Voting Rights In Wisconsin #P2 #TCOT @FOXNEWS

Right-Wing Media Attack DOJ's Effort To Protect Voting Rights In Wisconsin http://mediamatters.org/research/201206050013 Right-wing media have attacked the Department of Justice's decision to send personnel to Milwaukee to monitor the Wisconsin recall election for violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But Congress authorized DOJ to monitor elections for violations of citizens' voting rights, and the Bush administration DOJ often exercised this power. DOJ Announces It Will Monitor Elections For Voting Rights Violations In Milwaukee And Elsewhere DOJ Announces That It Is Monitoring Elections To Prevent Discrimination "On The Basis Of Race, Color Or Membership In A Minority Language Group." In a June 4 press release, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it would monitor elections in a few municipalities in the states of California, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wisconsin. From the press release: The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on June 5, 2012, in the following jurisdictions to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes: Alameda, Fresno and Riverside Counties, Calif.; Cibola and Sandoval Counties, N.M.; Shannon County, S.D.; and the city of Milwaukee. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.  In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process.  Fresno County, Riverside County and the city of Milwaukee are required to provide assistance in Spanish.  Cibola, Sandoval and Shannon Counties are required to provide language assistance to Native American voters.  Alameda County is required to provide language assistance to Hispanic, Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino voters. Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to jurisdictions that are certified by the attorney general or by a federal court order.  Federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling place activities in Shannon County based on the attorney general's certification and in Alameda, Riverside and Sandoval Counties based on court orders.  The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in these jurisdictions, and Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Fresno County, Cibola County and the city of Milwaukee.  Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. [Department of Justice, 6/4/12] Right-Wing Media Responds To The Announcement With Fear Mongering And Race Baiting Invoking New Black Panthers, CNN's Loesch Asked "What Kind Of 'Monitoring' Will These Federal Employees Engage In?" In a June 4 post on Breitbart.com's Big Government, CNN contributor Dana Loesch claimed that "the DOJ is suddenly interested in voter fraud ... [e]ven voter fraud where it legitimately doesn't exist." She also falsely claimed that "the DOJ has ... sanctioned 'election monitoring' (after the fact) by New Black Panther Party members standing outside of the polls with nightsticks." From the post: For those keeping score: the DOJ has, in the past, sanctioned "election monitoring" (after the fact) by New Black Panther Party members standing outside of the polls with nightsticks. That was for an election where Democrat Barack Obama was the likely victor. What kind of "monitoring" will these federal employees engage in on Tuesday, an election where Republican Scott Walker is the likely victor? [Big Government, 6/4/12] In Reality, DOJ Pursued A Case Against Nightstick-Wielding New Black Panther. [Media Matters, 1/26/10] Weasel Zippers Also Invoked The New Black Panther Party To Attack DOJ For Monitoring The Election. The conservative blog Weasel Zippers quoted a CNN article regarding DOJ's "dispatch[ing] federal observers to Milwaukee to monitor the closely-watched recall election." The post also featured the below picture with the caption, "Eric Holder's 'people.' ":   [Weasel Zippers, 6/4/12] Breitbart.com's Dan Riehl: "The Entire Thing Is A Fiasco."  In a June 5 post on his personal blog, Breitbart.com blogger Dan Riehl wrote: Typical Democrat strategy, why wait until the votes are counted? We already know we want a recount, if we don't win! "Wisconsin recall: Democrats prepare for recall recount" That's the mark of a sore losers party; Democrats are that. Sadly, their whiny persistence does pay off on the margins. Politics is getting increasingly worse in America.  Today is the day and I can't say I'm thrilled about this development. The right doesn't have much faith in Holder's DOJ for good reason. Can you say, Fast and Furious?  Wisconsin is one of four states whose elections the U.S. Justice Department is monitoring to ensure against discrimination. The federal officials will be monitoring the elections to make sure they comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Frankly, the entire thing is a fiasco, with much of it going ignored beneath the headlines. Also on the ballot today are five other Republican seats up for recall: the offices of lieutenant governor and four state senators. The possible outcomes are complicated and in some cases could leave the state's voters with no consensus on which parties' policies they prefer. The polls in Wisconsin are now open. Like many, I'll continue to monitor events as they unfold. [Riehl World View, 6/5/12] In Fact, The Voting Rights Authorizes DOJ To Monitor Elections To Protect Against Violations Of Citizens' Right To Vote DOJ: In 1975 The Voting Rights Act Was Broadened To "Address Voting Discrimination Against Member of Language Minority Groups." From the DOJ website regarding Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act: In 1975, the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act were extended for another seven years, and were broadened to address voting discrimination against members of "language minority groups." An additional coverage formula was enacted, based on the presence of tests or devices and levels of voter registration and participation as of November 1972. In addition, the 1965 definition of "test or device" was expanded to include the practice of providing election information, including ballots, only in English in states or political subdivisions where members of a single language minority constituted more than five percent of the citizens of voting age. This third formula had the effect of covering Alaska, Arizona, and Texas in their entirety, and parts of California, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and South Dakota. [Department of Justice, accessed 6/5/12] Under The Voting Rights Act, Milwaukee Has A "Legal Obligation To Provide ... Minority Language Assistance" To Spanish-Speaking Citizens. Pursuant to a formula established by the Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, the Census Bureau determined in 2011 that Milwaukee has a "legal obligation to provide [Spanish] language assistance" to voters. [Federal Register, 10/13/11] DOJ "Monitors Elections As Needed To Determine" If Local Language Access Programs "Are Being Implemented Effectively." From the Department of Justice's website: The Voting Section monitors elections as needed to determine whether local programs are being implemented effectively, and whether language minority citizens are being treated with the courtesy due to all voters. [Department of Justice, accessed 6/5/12] And, The DOJ Commonly Monitored Elections During The Bush Administration In 2008, DOJ Monitored Elections In Alabama. In an October 7, 2008, press release, DOJ announced: [I]t will monitor the municipal election in the town of Bayou La Batre, Ala., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Justice Department personnel will watch and record activities during voting hours at the polling location in the town. Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as Department staff, to monitor elections across the country. During calendar year 2008 (through September 30th), 397 federal observers and 158 Department personnel have been sent to monitor 51 elections in 47 jurisdictions in 17 states. For the 2008 elections, the Civil Rights Division will implement a comprehensive Election Day program to help ensure ballot access. As in previous years, the Civil Rights Division will coordinate the deployment of hundreds of federal government employees in counties, cities and towns across the country to ensure access to the polls as required by our nation's civil rights laws. [Department of Justice, 10/7/08] In 2007, DOJ Monitored Florida County Election To Ensure Compliance With Requirement To Provide "Voter Assistance Information In Spanish." From  a March 19, 2007, DOJ press release: The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, March 20, 2007, it will monitor special elections in Osceola County, Fla., and Randolph County, Ga., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Osceola County, Fla. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. Osceola County, Fla., has an obligation under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act to provide all election information, ballots and voting assistance information in Spanish as well as in English. The monitors will gather information concerning compliance. Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management to send federal observers to areas that are specially covered in the Act itself or by a federal court order. Based on the special coverage provisions, federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling places in Randolph County, Ga. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in Randolph County and will monitor to ensure that the right of voters to participate in the election is not denied on the basis of their race. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. During calendar year 2004, a record 1,463 federal observers and 533 Department personnel were sent to monitor 163 elections in 106 jurisdictions in 29 states. This compares to the 640 federal observers and 110 Department personnel deployed during the entire 2000 presidential calendar year. In 2006, another record was set for the mid-term elections with more than 800 federal observers and Department personnel sent to monitor polling places in 69 jurisdictions in 22 states on election day. The Department's election monitoring program also has been very active in non-federal election years. In calendar year 2005, for example, 640 federal observers and 191 Department personnel were sent to monitor 47 elections in 36 jurisdictions in 14 states. [Department of Justice, 3/19/07, emphasis added] In 2007, DOJ Also Monitored Elections in Mississippi and Texas. In a December 17, 2007, press release, the DOJ announced: The Justice Department today announced that on Dec. 18, 2007, it will monitor special elections in Jefferson Davis and Tunica Counties, Miss., and Fort Worth, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management to send federal observers to areas that are specially covered in the Act itself or by a federal court order. Federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling place activities for the special elections in Jefferson Davis and Tunica Counties, Miss., based on the special coverage provisions. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in these jurisdictions. Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Fort Worth, Texas. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate these activities and maintain contact with local election officials. Federal observers and Department personnel will monitor to ensure that the right of voters to participate in the election is not infringed on account of their race or membership in a language minority group. Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. During calendar year 2004, a record 1,463 federal observers and 533 Department personnel were sent to monitor 163 elections in 106 jurisdictions in 29 states. This compares to the 640 federal observers and 110 Department personnel deployed during the entire 2000 presidential calendar year. In 2006, another record was set for the mid-term elections with more than 800 federal observers and Department personnel sent to monitor polling places in 69 jurisdictions in 22 states on Election Day. The Department's election monitoring program also has been very active in non-federal election years. In calendar year 2005, for example, 640 federal observers and 191 Department personnel were sent to monitor 47 elections in 36 jurisdictions in 14 states. [The Department of Justice, 12/17/07] In 2006, DOJ Monitored An Election in Arkansas." From a May 22, 2006, DOJ press release: The Justice Department today announced that it will monitor the May 23, 2006, primary election in Pulaski County, Ark. The Department will monitor voting procedures in polling places and in the Clerk's office to ensure compliance with federal law. The Department has authority to monitor the elections pursuant to a consent decree entered on April 19, 2004, in U.S. v. Pulaski County, et al., to resolve the Department's allegations that the county had violated the National Voter Registration Act ("NVRA"). The consent decree requires county officials to develop and implement uniform and nondiscriminatory rules and policies governing the maintenance of an accurate and current voter registration roll for elections for federal office, as well as ensure that eligible applicants be registered to vote in a timely and effective manner. Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as Departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. In 2004, a record 1,463 federal observers and 533 Department personnel were sent to monitor 163 elections in 105 jurisdictions in 29 states. In 2002, the last comparable year in the four year election cycle, there were 608 federal observers and 221 Department personnel deployed to 60 elections in 40 jurisdictions in 17 states. Last year for off-year elections there were 640 federal observers and 191 Department personnel sent to monitor 47 elections in 36 jurisdictions in 14 states. [Department of Justice, 5/22/06] In 2003, DOJ Monitored Elections In States Across The Nation To Protect Rights Of "Language Minority Group[s]." From an October 31, 2003, DOJ press release: The Justice Department today announced that it will send 160 federal observers and 39 Civil Rights Division personnel to 15 counties in 8 states to monitor state and local elections on November 4, 2003. These activities are part of Attorney General John Ashcroft's Voting Access and Integrity Initiative. Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of Americans to participate in the electoral process without discrimination, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to areas that are specially covered in the Act itself or by a federal court order under the Act. "It is a priority of this Administration to ensure that all Americans are able to vote, free of hostility, harassment, or intimidation," said Assistant Attorney General R. Alexander Acosta. "The observers and Civil Rights Division personnel will monitor Election Day activities to ensure access to the polls and prevent discrimination." For three counties, federal observer authority comes from court orders, and observers were assigned to another eight counties based on the special coverage provisions. Federal observers will monitor polling place activities in: Wayne County (Hamtramck), Michigan; Humphreys, Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee and Winston counties, Mississippi; Passaic County, New Jersey; and, Berks County (Reading), Pennsylvania. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at select polling locations in these counties. Twenty-one Justice Department personnel will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. In addition, Civil Rights Division personnel, most of whom are attorneys, will monitor elections in: San Francisco County, California; Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky; Essex County (Lawrence), Massachusetts; Queens County, New York; and, Harris County (Houston), Texas. The observers and Department personnel will monitor whether certain counties and localities are complying with federal voting laws, for example: complying with the minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act; determining whether any voters are challenged improperly on the basis of their race, color, or membership in a language minority group; permitting voters who are blind, disabled or unable to read or write assistance by a person of their choice; and permitting all eligible voters to cast a ballot. [Department of Justice, 10/31/03, emphasis added] In 2002, DOJ Monitored Elections In Arizona, Florida And New York To Ensure Fair Treatment Of Members Of Language Minorities. From a September 9, 2002, DOJ press release: The Justice Department will send 80 federal observers to Apache and Navajo Counties, Arizona; 17 Department personnel to Miami-Dade, Orange and Osceola Counties, Florida; and 12 Department personnel to Queens and Suffolk Counties, New York to monitor the primary elections on Tuesday, September 10, 2002. Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of Americans to participate in the electoral process without discrimination, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to areas that are specially covered in the Act. In Arizona, information provided by the federal observers, most of whom are bilingual in English and Navajo, will assist the Justice Department in efforts to ensure that all written election materials are translated orally into the Navajo language for voters who speak it as a primary language. Additionally, observers will monitor the counties to see if trained poll workers assist Navajo speaking voters. The observers, who are supervised by OPM, will watch and record activities during voting hours at select polling locations in the counties. Ten Justice Department attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. In Florida, Justice Department personnel are authorized to be present in the polls by U.S. District Courts under consent decrees with each county entered earlier this year. In Miami-Dade County, personnel will monitor the treatment of Haitian-American voters to ensure they have full and equal access to the voting process. In Orange and Osceola Counties, personnel, some of whom are bilingual in English and Spanish, will monitor the treatment of Hispanic voters and the delivery of Spanish language assistance to Hispanic voters with limited English proficiency. Three Justice Department attorneys will coordinate the monitoring and maintain contact with local election officials. In New York, Justice Department personnel have obtained permission from local election officials to be present in the polls during voting hours. In Queens County, personnel will monitor whether the county has implemented procedures to comply with the minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act with respect to Korean-American voters with limited English proficiency, and in Suffolk County, personnel will monitor Spanish language assistance procedures. Two Justice Department attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. [The Department of Justice, 9/2/02] In 2001, DOJ Monitored "Treatment Of Hispanic Voters" During Illinois Election. From a April 2, 2001, DOJ press release: The Justice Department will dispatch 37 federal observers to the town of Cicero, Ill. to monitor the municipal general election on April 3, 2001. Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of Americans to participate in the electoral process without discrimination, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to areas that are covered by a court order. In this case, the U.S. District Court in Chicago authorized observers in October 2000 under an agreed stipulation and order between the Justice Department and the Cook County Clerk. Last February, the Justice Department dispatched federal observers to Cicero to monitor the municipal primary election. The federal observers, who are supervised by OPM, will watch and record activities during voting hours at select polling locations. The observers will monitor the treatment of Hispanic voters to ensure that they have full and equal access to the voting process. In addition, four Justice Department attorneys will coordinate the federal observer activities and maintain contact with local election officials. [Department of Justice, 4/2/01, emphasis added]

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.@GovWalker Wisconsin Voters Report Receiving Robocalls Telling Them Not To Vote @abc #p2 #tcot @NBCNews @CBSNews

from http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/05/495085/wisconsin-voters-report-receiving-robocalls-from-walker-supporters-conveying-false-information/

"From Eau Claire to Beloit, voters across Wisconsin are relaying stories via Twitter, Facebook and online message boards about anonymous "robocalls" from allies of Scott Walker, telling them–incorrectly–that if they signed petitions to recall Governor Walker, their vote in today's crucial election has been recorded.

An NBC reporter tweeted that a family friend was one recipient of the call:

Keva@Synergy3k

Dad just emailed, a WI friend of his got the 'If you signed the petition you don't have to vote tomorrow' robocall #wirecall

4 Jun 12

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Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee and the Democratic nominee to unseat Governor Scott Walker, told MSNBC host Ed Schultz last night that his campaign began receiving complaints yesterday that voters had been contacted with the misinformation. This morning, Salon reported on the robocalls too, and included comments from Carol Gibbons, a Wisconsin resident who got the call herself. And a local CBS affiliate is even reporting that the caller sounds eerily similar to Tom Barrett, suggesting the group behind the call may have hired a Barrett impersonator.

So far no recording of the call has surfaced, but the reports from voters was enough to prompt the Barrett campaign to make calls of its own, warning voters not to listen to the first call. For its part, the Walker campaign denied any involvement in or knowledge of the robocall or who was behind it.

Election day antics were a near certainty in Wisconsin. In the last week, reports of other campaign antics surfaced, including an attempt by Walker supporters to disable the Barrett campaign's phone lines by flooding their call centers with spam phone calls."

Church Cheers as 4-Year-Old Sings 'Ain't No Homos Gonna Make It to Heaven'

"Video of a young boy at a church in Indiana being cheered as he sings about how "no homos are gonna make it to heaven" has gone viral.

"The Bible is right, somebody's wrong," the boy, who appears to be around 4-years-old, sings. "Romans 1 and 27, ain't no homo gonna make it to heaven."

Before the boy can finish the song, members of the congregation jump their feet, applauding and cheering wildly.

"That's my boy!" one man can be heard shouting."

rest at http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/church-cheers-4-year-old-sings-aint-no-homos

Kansas Pastor: Killing Gay People Is Just Scripture

" Kansas pastor Curtis Knapp is one of many religious leaders under fire this week for preaching violent anti-gay rhetoric, telling his congregation at New Hope Baptist Church that homophobia is good because it keeps gay people in the closet, adding, "Oh, so you're saying we should go out and start killing them? No, I'm saying the government should. They won't, but they should." He defended his remarks yesterday on CNN: "

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/31/492848/kansas-pastor-killing-gay-people-is-just-scripture/

Oklahoma Doctor Refuses To Provide Rape Victim With Emergency Contraception

"An Oklahoma emergency room doctor refused to provide emergency contraception to a 24-year-old female rape victim because the doctor said it went against her personal beliefs.

The hospital was also unable to provide the victim with a rape kit, because they had no appropriate nurse on staff to administer the test.

According to the victim's mother, Rhonda, the doctor at the hospital not only refused to help her, but did not get another doctor to provide them the medication. Emergency contraception's effectiveness diminishes over time, and is most effective when taken immediately. The doctor, however, was shielded from providing the perfectly legal medication because of Oklahoma's "conscience clause":"

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/05/31/492878/rape-victim-refused-emergency-contraception-in-oklahoma/

gross: Eating This [Monsanto's genetically modified Bt corn] Could Turn Your Gut into a Living Pesticide Factory

"A new generation of insect larvae is eating the roots of genetically engineered corn intended to be resistant to such pests.  The failure of Monsanto's genetically modified Bt corn could be the most serious threat ever to a genetically modified crop in the U.S.

And the economic impact could be huge. Billions of dollars are at stake, as Bt corn accounts for 65 percent of all corn grown in the US.

The strain of corn, engineered to kill the larvae of beetles, such as the corn rootworm, contains a gene copied from an insect-killing bacterium calledBacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. 

But even though a scientific advisory panel warned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the threat of insects developing resistance was high, Monsanto argued that the steps necessary to prevent such an occurrence -- which would have entailed less of the corn being planted -- were an unnecessary precaution, and the EPA naively agreed.

According to a recent NPR report:

"The scientists who called for caution now are saying 'I told you so,' because there are signs that a new strain of resistant rootworms is emerging...[A] committee of experts at the EPA is now recommending that biotech companies put into action, for the first time, a 'remedial action plan' aimed at stopping the spread of such resistant insects ...

The EPA's experts also are suggesting that the agency reconsider its approval of a new kind of rootworm-killing corn, which Monsanto calls SmartStax. This new version of Bt corn includes two different Bt genes that are supposed to kill the rootworm in different ways. This should help prevent resistance from emerging, and the EPA is allowing farmers to plant it on up to 95 percent of their corn acres. But if one of those genes is already compromised…  such a high percentage of Bt corn could rapidly produce insects that are resistant to the second one, too."

There can be little doubt that genetically engineered crops are the most dangerous aspect of modern agriculture. Not only are we seeingrapid emergence of super-weeds resistant to glyphosate, courtesy of Roundup Ready crops, we now also have evidence of emerging Bt-resistant insects. Add to that the emergence of a brand new organism capable of producing disease and infertility in both plants and animals, and a wide variety of evidence showing harm to human health, and the only reasonable expectation one can glean is that humanity as a whole is being seriously threatened by this foolhardy technology.

Bt Corn—a Most Dangerous Failure

Monsanto's genetically modified "Bt corn" has been equipped with a gene from soil bacteria called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which produces the Bt-toxin. It's a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain insects and kills them.

This pesticide-producing corn entered the food supply in the late 1990's, and over the past decade, the horror stories have started piling up. And the problem with Bt crops go far beyond the creation of Bt-resistant insects.

Monsanto and the EPA swore that the genetically engineered corn would only harm insects. The Bt-toxin produced inside the plant would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system and would not have any impact at all on consumers, they claimed. Alas, they've been proven wrong on that account as well, because not only is Bt corn producing resistant "super-pests," researchers have also found that the Bt-toxin can indeed wreak havoc on human health.

Bt-Toxin Now Found in Many People's Blood!

Last year, doctors at Sherbrooke University Hospital in Quebec found Bt-toxin in the blood of:

• 93 percent of pregnant women tested

• 80 percent of umbilical blood in their babies, and

• 67 percent of non-pregnant women

The study authors speculate that the Bt toxin was likely consumed in the normal diet of the Canadian middle class—which makes sense when you consider that genetically engineered corn is present in the vast majority of all processed foods and drinks in the form of high fructose corn syrup. They also suggest that the toxin may have come from eating meat from animals fed Bt corn, which most livestock raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO, or so-called "factory farms") are."

rest at http://www.blacklistednews.com/Eating_This_Could_Turn_Your_Gut_into_a_Living_Pesticide_Factory_/19751/0/0/0/Y/M.html

40 Percent Of Workers Report Having Their Benefits Reduced In The Last Five Years

from  http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/31/492915/benefits-cuts-workers/

"40 PERCENT OF WORKERS REPORT HAVING THEIR BENEFITS REDUCED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS | According to a survey conducted by the non-profit National Endowment for Financial Education, 40 percent of workers have seen their benefits reduced in the last five years. 72 percent of those who experienced benefit cuts reported that their health care was the hardest hit. 25 percent of respondents said that their company "cut back on their 401(k) match and 13% said their employer stopped matching altogether.""

Wal-Mart becomes latest company to leave ALEC

"Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is withdrawing from the legislative group the American Legislation Exchange Council (ALEC), according to Think Progress. ALEC has come under scrutiny of late for its controversial policies regarding voter ID laws and looser firearm restrictions, like Flordia's "Stand Your Ground," a law that expanded the definition of acceptable force. Wal-Mart is the 19th company to drop out of ALEC or decine to renew its membership dues.

The move is seen as an especially critical departure in that Wal-Mart is the largest purveyor of firearms in the country. It is also the largest company to leave ALEC since an awareness and boycott effort was launched by the advocacy group Color of Change.

ALEC's embrace of harsh voter ID laws, laws that disproportionately affect poor and minority voters, as well as its pursuit of legislation like "Stand Your Ground" have sent many businesses running as the group's profile has risen. Most big corporations don't want to be associated with controversy, and controversies don't come much larger and more racially charged than the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin earlier this year, in which "Stand Your Ground" was cited by lawyers defending shooter George Zimmerman, Jr.."

rest at http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/31/wal-mart-becomes-latest-company-to-leave-alec/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Catholic Cardinal Authorized $20K To Pay Off Pedophile Priests, Then Railed Against ‘Immorality’ Of Gay Marriage

"Cardinal Timothy Dolan has led the charge against same-sex marriage, describing gay and lesbian unions as "unjust," "immoral," and unnatural. "This is a very violation of what we consider natural law that's embedded in every man and woman and we're really worried as Americans that it's going to be detrimental to the common good," Dolan said in a radio interview in June, as New York prepared to legalize marriage equality. "[W]e still worry about the detrimental effect upon society, upon culture, and certainly upon our individual churches."

But church documents showing that Dolan paid off priestswho had been accused of sexually abusing minors suggest that the prominent Catholic leader was willing to overlook these very same religious convictions to help colleagues accused of egregious wrong doing. The documents, obtained by the New York Times, also show that Dolan lied to reporters when he initially dismissed news of the payments as "false, preposterous and unjust":"

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/05/31/492898/catholic-archbishop-railed-against-immorality-of-gay-marriage-but-authorized-20k-to-pay-off-pedophile-priests/

despicable: 91-Year-Old Decorated WWII Veteran Targeted By Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Voter Purge #p2 #tcot

from  http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/29/491430/meet-bill-the-91-year-old-decorated-wwii-veteran-targeted-by-florida-governor-rick-scotts-voter-purge/

"Bill Internicola is a 91-year-old, Brooklyn-born, World War II veteran. He fought in the Battle of the Buldge and recieved the Bronze Star for bravery. He's voted in Florida for 14 years and never had a problem.

Three weeks ago, Bill received a letter from Broward County Florida stating "[Y]ou are not a U.S. Citizen" and therefore, ineligible to vote. He was given the option of requesting "a hearing with the Supervisor of Elections, for the purpose of providing proof that you are a United States citizens" or forfeit his right to vote.

This decorated World War II veteran is just one of hundreds of fully eligible U.S. citizens being targeted by Governor Scott's massive voter purge just prior to this year's election, according to data obtained from Florida election officials by ThinkProgress. The purge list, according to an analysis by the Miami Herald,targets mostly Democrats and Hispanics.

Voting rights groups in Florida have asked the Justice Department to investigate, alleging thatScott's voter purge violates federal law.

Bill appeared at a press conference this morning with Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), who has called on Scott to "immediately suspend" the voter purge."

The inside story: How Facebook panicked and botched its IPO

There's been a ton of coverage about the Facebook IPO disaster, but very little of it looks at the crucial point two weeks ago where things went terribly wrong. It's becoming increasingly clear that Facebook itself made a strategic blunder at that juncture.

Facebook CFO David Ebersman

The screw-up resulted in a major disappointment in Facebook's stock debut: The stock's 15 percent decline since the IPO last Friday may not in itself be tragic. But worse, lawsuits are flying saying that legal guidelines weren't followed. And there's the sad fact that regular mom-and-pop investors were apparently left with the more losses on average than large institutions who got privileged information. This all was aggravated by a separate annoyance: glitches in the Nasdaq stock market trading process, which caused delays in trade and cancel confirmations, among other things.

However, based on a number of interviews VentureBeat has had with observers and other sources close to the process, it's apparent that Facebook itself may be most to blame for the fallout. Facebook chose to be more furtive in public announcements about its business than it was in private talks with large investors.

The "update"

The decisive action by Facebook came on May 9, three days into the "roadshow," which is the time when Facebook and its bankers visit major investors in hopes of getting them to buy the IPO stock. On that day, Facebook's executives, led by chief financial officer David Ebersman, signed off on new language in the company's updated IPO prospectus.

In that May 9 update, Ebersman decided to use vague language when describing how the company's second quarter was looking. It was extremely understated, considering what we would later find out. According to the filing, specifically on page 57, Facebook said that it was experiencing the same trend in the second quarter that it had seen in the first quarter, that growth in "daily active users" (DAUs) was increasing more rapidly than the growth in ad impressions, driven by many users' shift to mobile devices.

rest at http://venturebeat.com/2012/05/25/the-inside-story-how-facebook-panicked-and-botched-its-ipo/

Ed Schultz Brings National Attention to Florida Voter Roll Purge

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Anyone who follows this blog regularly may have already read Ken Quinnell's report on Florida Gov. Rick Scott's plan to purge 180,000 Hispanics from the voting rolls in Florida ahead of the 2012 presidential election. This Thursday evening, MSNBC's Ed Schultz thankfully decided to shine a national spotlight on the subject, hopefully before it's too late for those who have received notices from the state to do something about it.

Schultz highlighted this article from The Palm Beach Post News: Fla. Gov. started push to remove voters from rolls:

Florida's quest to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls was started at the direct urging of Gov. Rick Scott, the state's former top elections official said.

Ex-Secretary of State Kurt Browning, who resigned this year, told The Associated Press that Scott asked him whether or not non-U.S. citizens were registered and if those people were voting. Browning explained to the governor during a face-to-face meeting last year that people who register and falsely claim they are citizens can be charged with a crime.

"He says to me — well, people lie," Browning recalled this week. "Yes, people do. But we have always had to err on the side of the voter."

Browning said the conversation prompted state election officials to begin working to identify non-U.S. citizens. The state's initial list — compiled by comparing driver's licenses with voter registration data — showed that as many as 182,000 registered voters were eligible to be in the country but ineligible to vote.

But Browning said he decided against telling local election supervisors right away because he wanted to make sure the information was accurate in order to avoid a "firestorm of press" and criticism. Florida then spent months trying to get access to a federal database that tracks non-U.S. citizens in the country, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would not allow it.

"We were not confident enough about the information for this secretary to hang his hat on it," said Browning, who resigned after the Jan. 31 presidential preference primary.

Browning said media reports earlier this year that raised questions whether non-U.S. citizens were on the rolls required the state to keep pushing ahead with the effort.

rest at 

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/ed-schultz-brings-national-attention-flori

Shedd Aquarium's Sea Otter Pup Makes Public Debut

Courtesy Shedd Aquarium

here http://chicagoist.com/2012/05/25/shedd_aquariums_sea_otter_pup_makes.php?gallery0Pic=1#photo-1

Women Will Soon Be Able To Afford The Most Effective Method Of Birth Control As A Result Of Obamacare

" The vast majority of women in the U.S. are not using the most effective method of birth control available, according to a newstudy from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The study finds that the pill is significantly less effective at preventing pregnancy than long-lasting contraceptive methods such as the intrauterine device (IUD), building on earlier research that has drawn the same conclusion. In fact, women using IUDs or implants were a staggering 20 times less likely to get pregnant than women who used shorter contraceptive methods like the pill.

Yet few women in the U.S. currently use this type of contraception because IUDs are often very expensive — with co-pays costing hundreds of dollars — and rarely covered by insurance plans. As the study's lead author, Dr. Brooke Winner, told Reuters:

Nationally, only about 5 percent are using long-lasting methods like IUDs and implants. We know one of the barriers to why they're not using them more frequently is up-front costs. If [more] women were using these products nationally, there would be a very significant drop in unintended pregnancies, which would have far-reaching effects."

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/05/25/490499/expanded-contraception-access-would-make-most-effective-form-of-birth-control-affordable-for-more-women/

Chicago Panhandlers File First Amendment Lawsuit

"The First Amendment protects your right to speak your mind, but does that include the right to ask strangers for money? A group of panhandlers in Chicago say that it does.

Eight panhandlers filed a federal suit seeking class action status against the City of Chicago, alleging that police routinely make them move from a high-end section of Michigan Avenue, the Associated Press reported.

All of the plaintiffs live in Chicago and regularly beg for money in the affluent section of what is known as the "Magnificent Mile," and claim that police intimidate them, threaten to arrest them, and make the false claim their activity is illegal, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The suit contends that panhandling is protected speech under the First Amendment.

Kim Pindak is a plaintiff in the suit who said a police officer told him panhandling was made illegal in the area because it is "a tourist spot" and "there have been too many thefts," the Sun-Times noted. Another plaintiff, McArthur Hubbard, alleges that a policeman told him he couldn't ask for money on Michigan Ave. and said "I will take you to jail, and I will take your money, and you can tell that to the judge.""

rest at http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/05/24/chicago-panhandlers-file-first-amendment-lawsuit/