For a union built on democracy, activist teachers are wondering how the American Federation of Teachers could have possibly endorsed Hillary Clinton for president without them knowing about it.
Candi Peterson, Washington (D.C.) Teachers’ Union, penned an article at Common Dreams in which several die-hard union activists appeared to be utterly befuddled by the national union’s sudden announcement.
Chicago activist Katie Osgood says, “I know many AFT members too and have not heard one person polled either.” The union claimed it polled members on their opinions.
According to the calculation of “Mr. Stevens,” only .04 percent of members were surveyed.
New York City teacher Arthur Goldstein tells the news site, “…AFT Link says they used telephone town halls and a web-based survey, I didn’t even know existed.” (Read more from “‘No Freaking Way!’ Teachers Revolt Over Union’s Endorsement of Hillary Clinton” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2015-07-15 03:51:422016-04-11 10:58:54‘No Freaking Way!’ Teachers Revolt Over Union’s Endorsement of Hillary Clinton
The federal government raked in a record of approximately $2,446,920,000,000 in tax revenues through the first nine months of fiscal 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014 through the end of June), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement released today . . .
It is also up about $178,156,270,000 in constant 2015 dollars from the $2,268,763,730,000 in revenue (in inflation-adjusted 2015 dollars) that the Treasury raked in during the first nine months of fiscal 2014.
Despite the record tax revenues of $2,446,920,000,000 in the first nine months of this fiscal year, the government spent $2,760,301,000,000 during those nine months, and, thus, ran up a deficit of $313,381,000,000 during the period.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total seasonally adjusted employment in the United States in June (including both full and part-time workers) was 148,739,000. That means that the federal tax haul so far this fiscal year has equaled $16,451 for every person in the United States with a job.
In 2012, President Barack Obama struck a deal with Republicans in Congress to enact legislation that increased taxes. That included increasing the top income tax rate from 35 percent to 39.6 percent, increasing the top tax rate on dividends and capital gains from 15 percent to 20 percent, and phasing out personal exemptions and deductions starting at an annual income level of $250,000. (Read more from “$2,446,920,000,000: Federal Taxes Set Record Through June; $16,451 per U.S. Worker—Feds Still Run $313B Deficit” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-15 03:51:232016-04-11 10:58:54$2,446,920,000,000: Federal Taxes Set Record Through June; $16,451 per U.S. Worker—Feds Still Run $313B Deficit
At a hearing Monday in Manhattan in which he ruled filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza must continue community service for four more years, U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman said he considers D’Souza’s violation of federal campaign-finance laws to be evidence of a psychological problem and ordered further counseling.
D’Souza’s defense counsel Benjamin Brafman provided evidence to the court that the psychiatrist D’Souza was ordered to see found no indication of depression or reason for medication. In addition, the psychologist D’Souza subsequently consulted provided a written statement concluding there was no need to continue the consultation, because D’Souza was psychologically normal and well adjusted.
But Judge Berman, who was appointed by Bill Clinton, disagreed, effectively overruling the judgment of the two licensed psychological counselors the U.S. probation department had approved as part of D’Souza’s criminal sentence.
“I only insisted on psychological counseling as part of Mr. D’Souza’s sentence because I wanted to be helpful,” the judge explained. “I am requiring Mr. D’Souza to see a new psychological counselor and to continue the weekly psychological consultation not as part of his punishment or to be retributive.
D’Souza has become known for his two popular films critical of President Obama. “2016: Obama’s America” was released during the 2012 presidential campaign and “America: Imagine the World Without Her” came out in July 2014, ahead of the midterm elections. (Read more from “Dem Judge Orders Psych Counseling for D’Souza” HERE)
Ever since Jaya Iyer’s daughter was a toddler, she had been fascinated by Saturn and its icy rings. When Swaha turned three, she had a space-themed birthday party. But when her mom went to find clothes with space images for Swaha, she couldn’t find any. They were all in the boys section.
So the 41-year-old mother of two, who has a doctorate in fashion merchandising, started her own business called Svaha (which is how her daughter’s name is pronounced) to sell clothes that upend gender stereotypes. One shirt features a grinning green stegosaurus, the plates on its back adorned with polka dots. A second comes in a blazing pink hue, with an astronaut planting an American flag on the moon. That one should satisfy her daughter. “She was very upset with me for not ever buying her anything with astronauts on it,” Iyer says. “Then she started telling me: ‘I want a ninja on my shirt.'”
Svaha is one of several startups that have emerged in recent years with the goal of changing the standards that govern what kids wear. These upstarts aren’t looking to replace current kid’s apparel entirely. Instead, their founders say they want to provide children with more options. Handsome in Pink says it’s all right for boys to wear pink and purple. BuddingSTEM offers science-themed garb for girls. Perhaps the buzziest label is Princess Awesome, which raised more than $200,000 in a successful Kickstarter campaign, showing demand for pirate-themed dresses and girl’s apparel covered in the symbol for pi. Most of the ventures remain in early stages as online-only entities using crowdfunded or bootstrapped cash to sell small numbers of shirts or dresses.
Several of the startups share a common origin: They were borne out of parental frustration with major retailers. Simply shopping in the opposite gender’s section isn’t the answer, these parents say. Cultural norms mean that as kids get older, designating certain items as male or female can confuse and frustrate them. A girl may not want to wear something designated for boys, and vice-versa.
“Most kids and parents are going to the big retailers and seeing all these messages of what its means to be a boy or a girl,” says Sharon Choksi, co-founder of clothing line Girls Will Be. Choksi’s daughter Maya, now 10, never liked sparkles or “feminine” colors, so the Choksis would shop for Maya in the boys’ section. As Maya got older, Choksi worried that “boy” and “girl” labels would unnecessarily upset her daughter. (Read more from “The End of Boys and Girls: These Companies Are Going to Change How Your Kids Dress” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2015-07-15 03:50:562016-04-11 10:58:54The End of Boys and Girls: These Companies Are Going to Change How Your Kids Dress [+video]
Fireworks were flying on “The Five” Monday – and things got personal.
A immigration debate among Geraldo Rivera, Jesse Watters and Eric Bolling got so heated that Geraldo at one point seemed to actually threaten physical violence.
“You’re lucky you’re my friend,” he told Bolling. “I’d knock you out right now!”
What set Geraldo off started with Watters, who said the recent rise of GOP contender Donald Trump was due to an untapped anger among Americans over crime by illegal aliens.
When Bolling supported Watters, Geraldo accused them both of blowing things out of proportion. (Read more from “Geraldo Nearly Comes to Blows With Co-Host Over Immigration: ‘I’d Knock You out Right Now!'” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-15 03:50:402016-04-11 10:58:54Geraldo Nearly Comes to Blows With Co-Host Over Immigration: ‘I’d Knock You out Right Now!’ [+video]
ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria are the focus of much scrutiny, but there are new concerns the terror network is looking to use other radical movements closer to Europe as a way to expand their reach.
Fox News National Security Analyst KT McFarland spoke to foreign policy experts retired Air Force Col. Cederic Leighton and the Heritage Foundation’s James Carafano about the terror network’s influence.
Leighton says there are already indications ISIS is linking up with Russian extremists. “They are riding a wave of popularity – wherever they get traction, that’s where they are going to have a franchise operation … and they are doing a great job of it in the Caucasus at the moment.”
Russia has dealt with terror attacks linked to Russia’s Caucasus region, where extremism runs high. In 2002, militants linked to Chechnya took hostages in a Moscow theater, where 130 people were killed. Then, in 2004, armed Muslim rebels took over a school in southern Russia, killing 331 people.
“At the root of that is an Islamist minority, which has been fighting for independence from the Russian government for a long time and some of that has erupted in real war, real insurgency … the potential for [terrorists] reaching to disaffected groups, that’s only going to grow in Russia,” said Carafano, vice president at the Heritage Foundation. (Read more from “ISIS Movement in Russia Raises US Concern” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-15 03:50:332016-04-11 10:58:54ISIS Movement in Russia Raises US Concern [+video]
By Associated Press. Iran, the United States and other world powers struck a historic deal Tuesday to curb Iranian nuclear programs and ease fears of a nuclear-armed Iran threatening the volatile Middle East. In exchange, Iran will get billions of dollars in relief from crushing international sanctions . . .
In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said “a new chapter” had begun in his nation’s relations with the world. He maintained that Iran had never sought to build a bomb, an assertion the U.S. and its partners have long disputed.
Beyond the hopeful proclamations from the U.S., Iran and other parties to the talks, there is deep skepticism of the deal among U.S. lawmakers and Iranian hardliners. Obama’s most pressing task will be holding off efforts by Congress to levy new sanctions on Iran or block his ability to suspend existing ones. (Read more from “Iran Nuclear Deal: Fine ‘New Chapter’ or ‘Historic Mistake’?” HERE)
By Ishaan Tharoor. After more than two weeks of wrangling and missed deadlines in Vienna, Iran and its international interlocutors have finally clinched a historic accord over Tehran’s nuclear program. The diplomacy with Iran, an endeavor that faced vociferous opposition throughout, was aimed at curbing the Islamic republic’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon. A tentative framework was inked in April between Iran and its negotiating partners, which include the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany.
The deal’s proponents argue that the talks have yielded the best guarantee possible that Iran won’t be able to move toward nuclear weapons, while also, for the time being, reducing the risk of yet another military escalation in the Middle East . . .
Here’s a guide to how it works.
The main benchmark by which analysts gauge Iran’s ability to produce an atomic bomb is the “breakout” time — the time needed for Iran to produce enough weapons-grade enriched uranium for one nuclear bomb. It is currently estimated at a couple of months; under the terms of the deal, that time frame has been extended to at least one year.
The implication here is key: One year gives world powers enough time to mobilize action to interrupt Iran’s pathway to a bomb. The extended breakout time also presents, in its own right, a strategic obstacle to Iran’s leadership, raising the stakes if it ever considered rushing toward building a nuclear arsenal. To be sure, Tehran has always insisted that it has no interest in obtaining a nuclear weapon, but its covert activities in the past raised the world’s suspicions and led to tough international trade, banking and financial sanctions. (Read more from “The Historic Nuclear Deal With Iran: How It Works” HERE)
Controversial Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has warned that the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of same-sex marriage could lead to a new “war” in the United States. He made those fiery comments in an interview that was posted online on Monday.
In an interview posted on YouTube and conducted by “Voice of Resistance” host Randall Terry, Moore predicted that the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage would face “a great backlash” from the American people. He drew comparisons between the actions of the high court and King George III during the American Revolution.
“I hope we don’t have a war,” Moore said. “I hope we don’t have conflicts, but we definitely need to recognize that same-sex marriage is something that has not existed on a government level.”
Moore added that “people have not seen what the consequences of this court’s ruling are yet.” He also claimed that state governors can disregard the Supreme Court’s decision in their states . . .
According to Jacob Kerr of the Huffington Post, Moore ordered county probate judges to ignore a federal district court’s ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Alabama in January. He later recused himself in March from an Alabama Supreme Court order to stop all same-sex marriages in the state.
(Read more from “Justice Roy Moore: ‘I Hope We Don’t Have a War’ Over Supreme Court Decision Favoring Same-Sex Marriage” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2015-07-14 02:35:432016-04-11 10:58:55Justice Roy Moore: ‘I Hope We Don’t Have a War’ Over Supreme Court Decision Favoring Same-Sex Marriage [+videos]
Rev. Franklin Graham has condemned what he calls an “ludicrous” new policy put into effect in Oregon which permits teenagers to get a state-subsidized sex change without their parents knowledge or permission.
“In Oregon 15-year-olds are NOT legally allowed to do a lot of things: drive, smoke, get a tattoo, go to a tanning bed, or even donate blood,” Graham, who is the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. “But unbelievably, now they ARE allowed to get a sex-change operation-and (get this) without parental notification. You’ve got to be kidding me! As a parent and grandparent I’m outraged, and I don’t even live in Oregon! And to top it off, the state will even pay for it through its Medicaid program. What kind of ludicrousness is this? It’s wrong from every angle. The state should not be superseding God-given parental authority. This is another example of why Christians should get involved in politics and policy at all levels to bring about change for the better in our society.”
While 15 is the medical age of consent in the state, according to Oregon Health Authority spokeswoman Susan Wickstrom, the decision to cover sex-change operations specifically was made by the Health Evidence Review Commission (HERC) after “little debate,” Fox News reports.
“HERC changed its policy to include cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty-suppressing drugs and gender-reassignment surgery as covered treatments for people with gender dysphoria, formally known as gender identity disorder,” the report reads.
The new policy also does not require parental consent for cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty-suppressing drugs and sex reassignment surgeries, as doing so “would lead to more suffering and teen suicide attempts.” (Read more from “Franklin Graham ‘Outraged’ by Oregon’s New Policy That Allows Teens to Undergo Gov’t-Subsidized Sex Change Operation Without Parental Consent” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-14 02:28:362016-04-11 10:58:55Franklin Graham ‘Outraged’ by Oregon’s New Policy That Allows Teens to Undergo Gov’t-Subsidized Sex Change Operation Without Parental Consent
By Jethro Mullen and Nic Robertson. After tortuous talks that spanned 20 months, negotiators have reached a landmark deal aimed at reining in Iran’s nuclear program.
The agreement, a focal point of U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, appears set to reshape relations between Iran and the West, with its effects likely to ripple across the volatile Middle East.
Representatives of Iran, the United States and the other nations involved in the marathon talks were holding a final meeting in Vienna on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the session, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the deal a “historic moment,” although he cautioned that it was “not perfect.”
“It’s a good day for diplomacy, it’s a good day for compromise, it’s a good day for a new beginning between Iran — a pivotal state in the Middle East — and the United States,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle East studies at The London School of Economics. (Read more about the final Iran talks HERE)
___________________________________________________________ What Happened Yesterday During Negotiations
By Matthew Lee and George Jahn. Disputes over attempts to probe Tehran’s alleged work on nuclear weapons unexpectedly persisted at Iran nuclear talks on Monday, diplomats said, threatening plans to wrap up a deal by midnight — the latest in a series of deadlines for the negotiations.
The diplomats said two other issues still needed final agreement — Iran’s demand for a lifting of a U.N. arms embargo and its insistence that any U.N. Security Council resolution approving the nuclear deal be written in a way that stops describing Iran’s nuclear activities as illegal. They demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the negotiations.
With a temporary deal set to expire at midnight Monday Vienna time (6 p.m. ET), diplomats said they hoped to complete and announce a final agreement before day’s end.
But they warned there was no guarantee, and some said the talks could stretch into Tuesday despite there being little appetite for what would be a fourth extension of the interim agreement since the current round began on June 27.
Grim-faced foreign ministers from the countries negotiating with Iran declined to answer questions about another possible extension as they gathered for a group meeting at the 19th Century palace that has been hosting the talks. (Read more from “Iran Talks Hit Final Stage but Deal Remains Elusive” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-07-14 02:28:292016-04-11 10:58:55Persian Negotiators Played the West: Final Deal Reached With Iran
