Request for YOUR opinion - IN THE NEWS- 3 things that irritate/1 Good News Story

Here are some articles that irritated me. From attacking women's rights, to not educating our children in sex education (I had it in High school, and didn't learn much, but with HIV, HPV, and other STDs, kids need to know!),  irritated me.

 We leave with a GOOD NEWS story, though about a dog being found after 53 days.

   I'd like to hear from our female friends on what they think of the Republican Party's apparent war on Women's rights. They can't overturn Roe vs. Wade, so in all of the states the have majorities, they're imposing major restrictions to make it more difficult for women. Here's a state-by-state breakdown of restrictions as of 2011: http://www.remappingdebate.org/map-data-tool/growing-set-state-abortion-restrictions-visualized

 - but many states, like Virginia have imposed more restrictions since. I can't imagine why women would vote for the GOP this year when they're on this ridiculous rampage.  What do the women think about this?

New Hampshire House passes birth control exemption 

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - New Hampshire's Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to exempt religious institutions from having to include contraceptive coverage in health insurance plans.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-contraception-newhampshire-idUSBRE82709P20120308?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

MINNESOTA ALSO ATTACKING WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Lawmakers in Minnesota are once again on the march to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care services. After first going after Medicaid funds for abortions, Republicans have proposed two more anti-abortion bills. The first would restrict the use of RU-486 and the other would require random inspections and licenses for clinics that provide abortions. http://www.care2.com/causes/minnesota-gop-target-abortion-access.html    Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/minnesota-gop-target-abortion-access.html#ixzz1oZXOWkl9

Utah lawmakers pass bill to curb sex education in schools - (Just what we need, more ignorant kids who wind up having babies as teenagers because they weren't educated... real smart, Utah..Not.)

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Utah would become the first state to ban public schools from teaching contraception as a way of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases under a bill given final legislative approval by state lawmakers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-sex-education-utah-idUSBRE82709S20120308?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

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Dog Reunites With Owner After Surviving 53 Days In The Desert (A Good news story!)

 Barbara Bagley can finally begin to heal after a horrific car accident in December took the life of her husband, one of their Shetland sheepdogs and left her in critical condition. Her dog Dooley, who ran off at the scene of the crash, was found alive after surviving 53 days in the Nevada desert.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/dog-reunites-with-owner-after-surviving-53-days-in-the-desert.html#ixzz1oZWJ8Z00 

IN THE NEWS- Miscellaneous stories you may not have heard

Here's some news that you may not have heard about, and that you may find interesting.

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: House bill prohibits within-grade increases in 2012

A bill in the House would prohibit within-grade pay increases through 2012 for federal employees.
The provision is part of a larger piece of legislation — the Honest Budget Act of 2012 — to root out "budget gimmicks," according to a statement by bill sponsor Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.)
Federal employees are currently in year two of a two-year pay freeze. The freeze does not affect within-grade pay increases.
STORY: http://www.federalnewsradio.com/722/2736148/Bill-prohibits-withingrade-increases-in-2012

 Virginia House Passes Anti-Gay ‘Conscience Clause’ Adoption Bill

AP-The Virginia state House voted 71-28 to pass the legislation Friday. Earlier in the day, a Senate committee endorsed its version of the Republican-backed measure on an 8-7 party-line vote. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to sign the bill.The measure, sponsored by Delegate Todd Gilbert and Senator Jeffrey McWaters, both Republicans, allows religious agencies to discriminate based on their ethos and is being billed as a measure to protect religious freedoms.  Others have called out the legislation as, simply, anti-gay discrimination. Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/virginia-house-passes-anti-gay-conscience-clause-adoption-bill.html#ixzz1lhavl4gU

MORE ON THE SUSAN G KOMEN FUNDING PULL:  Handel Was Behind Planned Parenthood Attack All Along
Emails released over the weekend to Huffington Post’s Laura Bassett directly contradict earlier denials by The Komen Foundation that controversial anti-Planned Parenthood crusader and Vice President of Public Policy Karen Handel was the force behind the decision to strip the group of funding. In short, the group has been lying this whole time.
According to Komen staffers, Handel has been looking for a reason to de-fund Planned Parenthood and even coordinated messaging and efforts with former Bush administration staffer Ari Fleisher. Handel said, “If we just say it’s about investigations, we can defund Planned Parenthood and no one can blame us for being political.”
   Handel and Fleisher crafted the strategy which included a change in guidelines that would prevent Komen from funding any organization that was under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. This was then used to justify the funding decision, and despite the fact that several other Komen beneficiaries are also under investigation, Planned Parenthood was the only organization that saw its funding jeopardized.
   After a tidal wave of public pressure that spanned gender and political affiliations Komen relented and announced it would continue funding Planned Parenthood for the remaining of its grant cycle. The decision was celebrated as a reversal, but a close look at the language shows there’s plenty of reason to think the announcement was more PR spin to make the bad press die down than an actual policy change. And given this latest news there is really no reason to take the charity’s word on anything.
Related Stories:
Susan G. Komen’s Cozy Relationship With Anti-Choice Groups
Susan G. Komen Foundation Also Stops Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/komens-lie-handel-was-behind-planned-parenthood-attack-all-along.html#ixzz1lhcG34Lg

Interesting News Worth Sharing

Here are some news stories that I found very interesting, and thought you'd want to read them, too. 

1) Finally!  Democrats Get Tough On Oil Subsidies

2) Will The GOP Medicare Plan Adversely Affect Cancer Patients?

3) Navy Will Perform Same-Sex Marriages On Bases

4) Gay Rights Inclusive Immigration Bill Introduced in U.S. House

Finally!  Democrats Get Tough On Oil Subsidies

Senate Democrats have decided to get serious about the budget deficit.  Their first line of attack will be a plan to strike billions of dollars of corporate welfare for the five largest oil companies.  The corporate welfare comes in the form of tax incentives and breaks for the likes of ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Shell and ConocoPhillips.

  Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont) is drafting a bill that would exempt oil and gas companies from the Section 199 tax deduction for domestic manufacturers, reduce the tax credit for royalty payments to foreign governments and impose an excise tax on certain Gulf of Mexico leases.  His plan would flag those saved dollars and place them toward programs that reduce oil use including incentives to increase production of cleaner and more affordable domestically-produced fuel.  Given that these companies report billions of dollars of profits quarterly, ending these giveaways seems like a no-brainer.  Even Speaker Boehner suggested he was open to ending the subsidies. FULL STORY: http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/democrats-get-tough-on-oil-subsidies/

Will The GOP Medicare Plan Adversely Affect Cancer Patients?

Prior to the health care reform vote, the Congressional Republicans tried to terrify the country into believing that the bill would be the beginning of rationed care, throwing about the terms "Death Panel" and claiming Democrats wanted to kill Grandma.

  Now, the same thing is happening in response the the Ryan plan to end Medicaid and Medicare as we know it.  And the accusations are coming from the Secretary of Health and Human Services herself.

   Via the Washington Post:

 "I think there's no question if you take a snapshot, people will run out of money, very quickly [under the GOP Medicare plan if you have cancer]. And if you run out of the government voucher and then you run out of your own money, you're really left to scrape together charity care, go without care, die sooner. There aren't really a lot of options." -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, May 5, 2011

  Secretary Sebelius made this eye-popping statement Thursday while testifying on Capitol Hill, after Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J) asked her a question about the Medicare plan advanced by House Republicans: "What might that cost shift and lack of guaranteed benefit mean for an oncology patient, a person with cancer? Give me an example, what it might do there."

She provided a general statement in response to our questions that is worth quoting in full:

1. The majority of America’s cancer patients count on Medicare for services to treat their disease and alleviate their suffering. The House proposal would shift Medicare beneficiaries into private health plans, which are more expensive than traditional Medicare. Cancer patients, who already spend more on health care than beneficiaries without cancer, could be subject to even higher Medicare coinsurance and cost sharing requirements under the House Budget proposal.

2. The CBO estimates that spending on premiums and out-of-pocket costs for a typical Medicare beneficiary would increase from approximately 25 percent under current law to as much as 68 percent by 2030. With a stage II breast cancer case costing an estimated $111,000 over a year and a half and a stage III colorectal cancer case estimated to cost more than $250,000 over more than two years, shifting the bulk of the cost to seniors who are often on a fixed income could force them to make a tough choice between saving their life or their life savings.

3. In addition to premium costs, Medicare beneficiaries with cancer face an incredible burden in paying for lifesaving cancer medications. The Affordable Care Act [President Obama’s health-care law] took significant steps toward reducing this financial burden by phasing out the Part D coverage gap, which requires beneficiaries to pay the full cost of their medications until they reach a certain out-of-pocket maximum. The House budget proposal would repeal these subsidies by requiring that cancer patients and others with chronic illness continue to pay more for the cost of their medications.

 FULL STORY: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/kathleen_sebeliuss_outrageous_claim_that_cancer_patients_would_die_sooner_under_the_gop_medicare_plan/2011/05/06/AFydmMCG_blog.html?wprss=fact-checker 

Navy Will Perform Same-Sex Marriages On Bases

   In the wake of the pending repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the U.S. Navy announced that it will permit its chaplains to officiate at same-sex marriage and civil union ceremonies in the states where they are legal.  No chaplain will be forced to perform same-sex unions, however, if they perceive the action to conflict with their faith.
  In a memo, the Chief of Navy Chaplains, Admiral Michael Tidd, said that the Navy "has concluded that, generally speaking, base facility use is sexual orientation neutral. If the base is located in a state where same-sex marriage is legal," the memo continued, "then the base facilities may be used to celebrate the marriage."  FULL STORY:  http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/navy-will-perform-same-sex-marriages/

Gay Rights Inclusive Immigration Bill Introduced in U.S. House  

(why not? Straight people have this ability)

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) introduced on Thursday a gay inclusive immigration bill that would enable gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor their foreign-born partners, a right that is currently denied them by the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.  The bill, the Reuniting Families Act, echoes other legislation like the Uniting American Families Act in trying to make it easier for gay bi-national couples to stay together. FULL STORY:  http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/gay-rights-inclusive-immigration-bill-introduced-in-u-s-house/

  

2 Articles of Interest Today: Judge Judy and Vitamin D

We take Vitamin D, and we love Judge Judy (we watch her every night), so I found these articles interesting from USA Today.
Study: Exercise, tea and vitamin D to ward off dementiaBy Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Improved living and diet habits — including lots of physical activity, regular tea-drinking and sufficient vitamin D levels — could reduce the risk of brain decline, according to three studies. FULL STORY: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-07-12-alzheimerslifestyle12_ST_N.htm?POE=click-refer


Judge Judy: No one gets the best of her in court, in ratings
By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — The defendant has stepped in it now.
"I never lie!" he says, raising his voice and a finger Judith Sheindlin's way.
The courtroom goes quiet as spectators realize the man is done for. Sheindlin —Judge Judy to anyone who owns a television set — stiffens in her seat, not sure what she just heard. "Excuse me?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, giving that look like you just interrupted her putt. "I said I never ..."
"God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason!" Sheindlin bellows at the man and his wife, who standaccused of defaulting on a loan. "Time to use the ears. When you lie as long as he has, it just gets to be a habit, doesn't it? Don't look at your wife. She's not going to help you. Look at me!"
Sheindlin brings the gavel down. "Judgment for plaintiff. You're paying your debts." She leans over to longtime bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd. "Get rid of them," she whispers. "I'm through with them." Sheindlin is up and out the door. FULL STORY: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-07-14-judgejudy14_CV_N.htm

Where is the News?

I'd like to know what happened to television news... This week, there are about 3 stories that are running over and over, Lindsey Lohan goes to jail (WHO CARES), Mel Gibson spewed obscenities to his girlfriend -with whom this "devout" Catholic didn't marry, but had a child with (that's another rant)- (WHO CARES), and the oil spill (we all care).
If you look at the state section in USA Today's newspaper, you'll notice there are a TON of things happening in all 50 states, some of which impact people everywhere, or affect people outside the state who know someone that resides there. I would rather get a quick "state-by-state news snapshot" than hear about Mel Gibson for 15 minutes!
Here are some stories from various states that I found in newspapers from major cities in them. These stories could be relevant to the rest of the U.S.!
From ARKANSAS: More than 600 Entergy customers are without power Tuesday morning after storms rolled through Arkansas overnight.
From OREGON: Oregon lawmakers in 2011 may ban plastic bags, charge for paper bags in 2012 (*This is sure to spread around the U.S.)
From OREGON: Oregon State University entomologist looks to uncover what's killing honeybees (*Much needed study for the entire U.S.)
From MINNESOTA: Minneapolis weighs adding fee on unfinished buildings - Minneapolis advanced a proposal to extend an annual $6,550 penalty on vacant buildings to new properties. (*This could catch on elsewhere, too)
I did a quick scan of the front pages of newspapers from these 3 states, and this news could be relevant to EVERYONE. So, why isn't it reported? SAD.

GOOD CANINE NEWS FROM USA TODAY - I didn't know that USA Today has its own news page on-line devoted to dogs! It's a great page, and I've bookmarked it. Take a look.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/pawprintpost/index

Stupidity in the News

1)CT DEMOCRAT MIS-STATES MILITARY SERVICE- Um... didn't President Bush do that, too?
STILL, this guy is an idiot. People who can't tell the truth need to be removed from politics (Yes, I'm a democrat, but I won't stand for lies). Richard Blumenthal, the early favorite to win retiring fellow Democrat Christopher Dodd's Senate seat from Connecticut, never served in the military in Vietnam despite his public comments indicating he had done so, the New York Times reported on Monday. Blumenthal, Connecticut's state attorney general, received at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970, the newspaper said, citing his military records. It said in April 1970, Blumenthal landed a spot in the Marine Corps Reserve but never actually was sent to serve in Vietnam during the war.
2) ANOTHER GOP "Family Values" politician caught in Infidelity. Gee, what a surprise... NOT. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., to Resign After Affair With Staffer. Souder said in a statement provided by his office that he has "sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff." "In the poisonous environment of Washington, D.C., any personal failing is seized upon, often twisted, for political gain," he said. (UM... Sure, blame the environment of Washington, DC for your fooling around. Idiot #2 this week!)
3) AFRICA LACKING CIVIL RIGHTS COMMON SENSE- Apparently the African continent isn't the place gay couples should vacation. From ABC News today: The African continent still in the dark ages of civil rights.
A judge in Malawi has found a gay couple guilty of "unnatural acts and gross
indecency." What did they do? They had an engagement ceremony. Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested last December after holding a traditional engagement ceremony. Full story; http://abcnews.go.com/International/malawi-gay-couple-guilty-indecency/story?id=10674300
Malawi is one of at least 37 Sub-Saharan African countries explicitly criminalizing homosexuality. Some of the countries, like Sudan and parts of Nigeria, have laws making homosexuality a crime punishable by death.
Uganda is in a heated debate over a proposed law, often referred to as the "kill the gays" law, which would give the death penalty to certain homosexual acts and life imprisonment for simply being gay.
In South Africa, the only country in Africa that has laws protecting gays from discrimination, lesbians have been subjected to "corrective rapes" by gangs, with human rights groups accusing law enforcement officials there of looking the other way.

3 Newsworthy Knuckleheads

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Today's Headlines: Stupid People

I saw the following 2 stories below from the headlines in today's Atlanta Journal Constitution. There is DEFINITELY something wrong with the Georgia legislators. They're not helping domestic violence victims now in TWO ways. ONE, they've reduced funds to the program and TWO, now they've voted to allow anyone to carry guns ANYWHERE! (I understand the desire for guns, but just for hunting or for protection, but this is ridiculous!). So, who are the stupid people here? Georgia Legislators.
You can see these headlines for yourself at http://www.ajc.com/
Gun bills clear Senate
Sermons, happy hour and curbside loading might never be the same again in Georgia.
Two bills allowing licensed guns to be carried in churches, bars and parts of airports on Wednesday were passed by the Senate, closing out a marathon day of legislation.
Domestic violence programs strapped
Five women had to stop job hunting and one lost a job when the battered women's shelter in Gwinnett County could no longer help pay to keep their kids in day care last year.

Newspapers Closing - This is VERY bad

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Rocky Mountain News have closed down. That leaves one newspaper in Seattle, and one in Denver (to cover all of the Rocky Mtn area). This is extremely disturbing, as other cities threaten to close their newspapers down. Here's a commentary I wrote on USA Today about the topic (and to one of the uneducated right-wing commenters who said "Good Riddens to liberal rags")
Local newspapers are mandatory to stay in touch with our communities. Radio and Television stations and websites get their news from newspapers and wire services. Unfortunately, wire services don't cover local news. So, when newspapers fade, people will realize the great service they provide. Newspapers need to charge for on-line viewing, too.
As for people who complain about "liberal bias" in newspapers, all publications will have a slant one way or the other. Just read past it and find the news that affects you.
I also find it amusing that people who complain about newspapers as "liberal rags" and say "good riddens" (I suppose it was "riddence?") would benefit with learning better spelling if they actually READ a newspaper. Reading promotes education. Perhaps that's why the reading and spelling levels in our country have declined so much. Pick up a newspaper and read it. If you don't know how to spell a word, or don't know what it means - look it up. Regardless, read your newspaper.

Interesting Stories in the News Today...

1) Obama orders more fuel-efficient cars by 2011 WHY does the President Need to ORDER automakers to build more fuel-efficient cars? WHY didn't they just do it? Obviously the technology is there (various car makers have been using it for years). At first I thought bailing out the auto industry was great to help people keep jobs, but I reconsidered, because these Automakers shouldn't be FORCED to do the right thing with fuel-efficiency. They should've just DONE IT. So, like poorly run retail stores, I say let them go bankrupt. Maybe they, too, will learn. I just feel bad for the employees who were not involved in that poor-decisionmaking.
2) 4 More Months for "Rabbit Ears" - The U.S. Senate has approved legislation to delay the conversion to digital TV from Feb. 17 to June 12, enabling 4 more months to buy a TV converter box, or subscribe to cable or satellite TV. The Commerce Department also would have time to issue additional $40 coupons to offset the cost of converter boxes. The program RAN OUT OF MONEY/COUPONS earlier this month, prompting a waiting list.President Obama endorses the delay.
3) One Household to Avoid for 4 Years: A woman in Southern California has given birth to six girls and two boys, the world's second octuplets born alive. The babies, delivered in about five minutes, weighed between 1.8 pounds and 3.4 pounds.
4) Black Jobs Monday - This is frightening- and we know a number of friends looking for work now, too. Foreclosures are up everywhere, and we see some in our neighborhood. (NY TIMES:) Home Depot, Caterpillar, Sprint Nextel and at least eight other companies announced on Monday they would cut more than 75,000 jobs in the U.S. and around the world. Caterpillar, the maker of heavy equipment, is slashing its payrolls by 16 percent. Texas Instruments said late in the day that it would eliminate 3,400 jobs, or 12 percent of its work force.
JOB TIP - The U.S. Census is NOW hiring part-time workers around the country, to prep for the 2010 census. Check it out...

So You Think You've Had a Bad Day?

Our friend John in Virginia Beach sent a bunch of newspaper articles that were really goofy- and this one was really bad for the person! Imagine being stopped for a traffic violation and reading about yourself in the newspaper in THIS way!