The term *facepalm* (The act of dropping one’s face / forehead into one’s hand) may be the most fitting end-reaction to watching this skit. (Following the laughter, of course.)
The breakdown:
A bill (Kenan Thompson) and an executive order (Bobby Moynihan) explain how government really works with a little help from President Obama (Jay Pharaoh).
Now watch and weep.
Millions of seniors are going to have to dig deeper to pay for their Medicare benefits next year, thanks to rising costs for healthcare and medication.
AARP is warning members that nearly 10 million seniors with Medicare Part D drug policies could face rising prescription premium costs in 2015. Those enrolled in six of the 10 largest drug plans could face hikes ranging from 11 percent to 52 percent, if they don’t switch to different, less costly alternatives.
Another 3.5 million members enrolled in three other large plans will see premiums drop by 13 percent to 31 percent when the new policies kick in, Jan. 1.
The projections — from Avalere Health, which tracks healthcare trends — are a critical reminder that Medicare’s private plans can change their costs and benefits every year to reflect rising costs of medical care, driven in part by healthcare reform changes under Obamacare.
Open enrollment for Medicare continues through Dec. 7, giving Medicare beneficiaries the chance to compare and contrast dozens of private drug plans offered through Part D for next year.
Read more from this story HERE.
By Amanda Shea.
It’s tough being a teen, especially if your last name is Obama and you live in the White House and have to participate in ceremonies full of pomp and circumstance, such as “pardoning” a turkey. That’s the pain Sasha and Malia felt today as their “teen contempt” was on full display while they stood next to dear old dad who was full of Thanksgiving puns at the annual event.
The 16 and 13-year-old daughters accompanied their presidential father and could barely contain their disdain for the production. The visual clues were confirmed by Malia when Barack Obama asked his daughter if she would like to pet the pardoned turkey, “Cheese.” Malia, the oldest of the two girls, simply said, “Nah.”
Who can blame their annoyance in the course of this event when their father used it as a platform to make bad jokes about amnesty, by saying many Americans will likely compare the pardon to letting in droves of illegals into the country. “I know some will call this amnesty, but don’t worry, there’s plenty of turkey to go around,” he remarked.
Read more from this story HERE.
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2-Minute Thanksgiving Ad Warns of Rogue President
33% of Pregnancies Used to End in Abortion, Now Just 18%
By Steven Ertelt.
The Centers for Disease Control released its national abortion report on Friday and the new figured show the number of abortions in the United States has declined to a historic low. From 2010 to 2011, the total number and rate of reported abortions decreased 5% and the abortion ratio decreased 4%, and from 2002 to 2011.
Although 730,322 babies lost their lives in abortions in 2011, the latest year CDC has produced figures for, that represents a decline of about half since the highs of more than 1.5 million in the late 1980s, when the effect of legalizing abortion in 1973 finally took its full effect.
The new CDC report also indicates the abortion rate has also declined to a historic low. At their high decades ago, approximately 1 in 3 pregnancies ended in an abortion — resulting in brochures, banners and billboards proclaiming that fact and greying out every third baby displayed in pictures of newborn children. Thanks to pro-life laws, educational efforts, pregnancy centers and the actions of pro-life groups that have resulted in closing down abortion clinics, now just 18 percent of all pregnancies in the United States end in an abortion.
“Large decreases in the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions from 2010 to 2011, in combination with decreases that occurred during 2008-2010, resulted in historic lows for all three measures of abortion,” said the CDC.
Read more from this story HERE.
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18-Year-Old’s Short Film on Abortion Will Blow Your Mind
By Nancy Flanders.
One decision can change everything. Mitosis, a short film from 18-year-old director Hannah Victoria (Worth Saving), aims to prove that. It may seem that the choices we make for ourselves will affect us and us alone, but it simply isn’t true. There is always a ripple effect, whether small or large.
Mitosis tells the story of a young doctor, who after making a promise to a childhood friend, sets out to find a cure for cancer. The film, from Victoria’s company Expressionistic Studios, was released on YouTube this week and promises to shine a light on the magnitude of damage each and every abortion could have on the world.
Read more from this story HERE.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Gregory Clark is sharing his research as a hard truth with no hope—whether or not you can get ahead in America is as predictable as any formula.
In fact, he says, the formulas for social mobility in the United States show there’s nothing to dream about.
“America has no higher rate of social mobility than medieval England, Or pre-industrial Sweden,” he said. “That’s the most difficult part of talking about social mobility is because it is shattering people s dreams.”
Clark crunched the numbers in the U.S. from the past 100 years. His data shows the so-called American Dream—where hard work leads to more opportunities—is an illusion in the United States, and that social mobility here is no different than in the rest of the world.
Read more from this story HERE.
Photo Credit: AP
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) said in its report Tuesday that refund fraud associated with prisoner Social Security numbers is a “significant problem” for the tax agency that is only getting worse over time.
According to the report, more than 137,000 phony tax returns were filed in 2012 using a prisoner’s Social Security number to the tune of $1 billion. While many of the fake refunds were flagged and prevented by the agency, the IRS issued $70 million in bogus refunds.
This was a significant increase from 2007, when more than 37,000 fake tax returns were filed for amounts equaling $166 million.
“Tax refund fraud associated with prisoners remains a significant problem for tax administration,” the report said.
Read more from this story HERE.
Photo Credit: AP
During those eight weeks, Treasury took in $341,591,000,000 in revenues. That was a record for the period between Oct. 1 and Nov. 25. But that record $341,591,000,000 in revenues was not enough to finance ongoing government spending let alone pay off old debt that matured.
The Treasury also drew down its cash balance by $45.057 billion during the period, starting with $126,568,000,000 in cash and ending with $81,511,000,000.
The only way the Treasury could handle the $942,103,000,000 in old debt that matured during the period plus finance the new deficit spending the government engaged in was to roll over the old debt into new debt and issue enough additional new debt to cover the new deficit spending.
Read more from this story HERE.
Photo Credit: Mike Mozart / Creative Commons
By CBSLA.com.
Authorities said two women got into a pushing and shoving match — with at least one of them reportedly throwing a punch — over a Barbie doll on Thanksgiving evening.
Sheriff’s Deputies has to be called to the Walmart store in the 11700 block of Imperial Highway after reports of the fight broke out.
Read more from this story HERE.
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Photo Credit: Reuters
By WARNER TODD HUSTON.
Once again tempers flared as Black Friday shoppers from coast to coast headed to the stores this Thanksgiving holiday, and fists flew from California, to Indianapolis, to the East Coast. Even a few shoppers in England got into a tussle as British stores began their Christmas shopping season.
A Walmart in Norwalk, California was one of the early stages for a Black Friday brawl as shoppers got in a shoving match over deals on Barbie dolls. The “pushing and shoving” brought sheriff’s deputies to the scene at around 7PM on Thanksgiving night.
In another incident in California, several women were involved in a fight at a Tustin Khol’s for “unknown reasons,” and three arrests were made.
In Houston, Texas, a 15-year-old girl captured an imbroglio over a TV sale on her cellphone.
Another fight erupted in an Indianapolis mall as shoppers got a little too “rowdy” with at least two shoppers getting into a brawl in a parking lot.
Read more from this story HERE.
Photo Credit: twm1340
The 32-year-old man, who was not identified, was transported to the Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix for evaluation after complaining of sickness including dry-heaving and diarrhea, Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Mark Vanacore said.
Dr. Robert Fromm, the hospital system’s chief medical officer, said it seemed unlikely the man was infected with Ebola but was undergoing tests out of “an abundance of caution.”
Read more from this story HERE.
Photo Credit: Adam Jeffery
Times reporters Julie Bosman and Campbell Robertson continue to work for the newspaper after publishing Wilson’s suburban Missouri street last week in the midst of controversy surrounding the officer’s exoneration in the Michael Brown shooting case.
Under pressure to pull the dangerous content, the Times removed from the reporters’ article a copy of Wilson’s marriage license containing personal information, but left in the street where Wilson owns a home alongside numerous other private citizens that could now be in danger of violence.
Read more from this story HERE.