A collection of articles defining our times. The pages contain clickable links, don't let the titles fool you, some of the best articles have very non-descript titles and there are usually more articles on the matters in the days and week pages the links land on so it's a sort of treasure hunt through history, Enjoy!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Rick Perry Under Investigation for Abuse of Texas Governor’s Office
August 17, 2013 By Lehmberg pled guilty and served half of a 45 day jail sentence, but refused to give in to calls from Republicans and Governor Perry to resign.
So what did Perry do? Well, he threatened to cut funding for the state’s Public Integrity Unit, which Lehmberg resided over, if she didn’t step down from her position.
Not only did he threaten this, he did so publicly.
She didn’t step down, and in June Rick Perry vetoed $3.7 million in funding for the program. As a result of the budget cuts, the office was then forced to layoff 10 employees and drop 54 of its 400 active cases.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Do you listen to Rush Limbaugh?
Do you listen to Rush Limbaugh?
Results
70 %
No, I don't
30 %
Yes, I do
NJ Gov. Christie Supports Kids' Access to Medical Marijuana
But lawmakers annoyed by insistence that pediatrician, psychiatrist OK treatments
Image: AP
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has expressed support for allowing
chronically ill children to have easier access to medical marijuana, but
he sent a bill on the issue back to the legislature for tweaks that
would require two doctors to approve each prescription.Christie agreed to allow state-approved dispensaries to grow more than three strains of the drug and produce edible forms of marijuana.
He opposed a part of the bill that would have dropped a requirement that both a psychiatrist and pediatrician sign off on a child's plan to use medical marijuana. A third doctor would need to give approval if one of the others were not registered to participate in the program, Fox reports..
If lawmakers approve the change, it will become law.
One of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Nick Scutari, told Fox he thought the psychiatric review was an unnecessary hurdle.
Via Fox News
New Jersey Bans Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors
It becomes the second state to prohibit the practice
A sign protesting gay conversion therapy at a demonstration in Wheaton, Ill. • Image: The Atlantic
New Jersey will now be the second state, after California, to prohibit services from licensed therapists that attempt to change the sexual orientation of minors.
Christie said he is against "government limiting parental choice on the care and treatment of their own children,'' but in this case sided with experts who say conversion therapy doesn't work and is damaging to youth.
The American Psychological Association says the practice can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse in teens.
Via USA TODAY
Texas Gov. Rick Perry Seeks $100M From Obamacare Law He Opposes
'It's simply shameful,' one activist said about the move
Image: AP
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is, shall we say, not exactly a huge fan
of Obamacare, is in talks with the Obama administration to accept about
$100 million for his state through the health law.
State officials are negotiating the terms for an optional Obamacare program that would fund increased services for care for the elderly and people with disabilities in their homes and communities, Politico reports.
Perry spokesman Josh Havens told Politico that the governor has wanted to provide more aid to people with disabilities.
"Long before Obamacare was forced on the American people, Texas was implementing policies to provide those with intellectual disabilities more community options to enable them to live more independent lives, at a lower cost to taxpayers," the statement read.
But Democrats have accused Perry of hypocrisy. READ MORE
State officials are negotiating the terms for an optional Obamacare program that would fund increased services for care for the elderly and people with disabilities in their homes and communities, Politico reports.
Perry spokesman Josh Havens told Politico that the governor has wanted to provide more aid to people with disabilities.
"Long before Obamacare was forced on the American people, Texas was implementing policies to provide those with intellectual disabilities more community options to enable them to live more independent lives, at a lower cost to taxpayers," the statement read.
But Democrats have accused Perry of hypocrisy. READ MORE
Oklahoma Teens Killed Australian Because They Were 'Bored'
Australian leader calls for boycott of US to send a gun control message
Australian baseball player Christopher Lane, shot dead in Duncan, Oklahoma • AP
An Australian college baseball player was shot dead while he was out jogging during a visit to his girlfriend in Duncan, Oklahoma. The three suspects, aged 15, 16, and 17, shot Australian student Christopher Lane apparently at random. One of them confessed to the police that "we were bored and didn't have anything to do, so we decided to kill somebody."
While the US press didn't at first publicly identified the suspects, the Australian media isn't so circumspect and published names and images. Conservative outlets like Drudge and the Daily Caller then picked up on the fact that at least two of the three suspects were black and killed a white man, and are implying that there is a race-based moral lesson to be drawn. It might be more accurate to describe suspect Chancey Luna, accused of pulling the trigger, as mixed race since his mother is white.
READ MORE
Top Roger Ailes Adviser Fired and Escorted From Fox News Building
Brian Lewis and Roger Ailes
UPDATED: Brian Lewis, executive vp corporate communications, was ousted after an investigation found breach of contract and "issues relating to financial irregularities," the network says in a statement.
Brian Lewis, a Fox News Channel veteran executive considered the right-hand man to Roger Ailes, was working on his separation agreement Tuesday after having been fired and escorted from his office last month over what insiders are calling financial issues and other performance problems, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
"After an extensive internal investigation of Brian Lewis' conduct by Fox News, it was determined that he should be terminated for cause, specifically for issues relating to financial irregularities, as well as for multiple, material and significant breaches of his employment contract," a company spokesperson said Tuesday. "He was terminated for cause on July 25."
Lewis, who had been a top executive since Ailes founded the powerful cable news network 17 years ago, was most recently executive vp corporate communications, overseeing public relations not only for Fox News but also the Fox Business Network, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television.
Attempts to reach Lewis were not successful. An e-mail to Lewis at Fox News prompted an "on vacation" auto-reply message. READ MORE