The Senate is about to begin debate on a bill that could, at long last, put an end to the indiscriminate bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records and bring needed transparency to the abusive spying programs that have tarnished the nation’s reputation.
Continue reading A Stronger Bill to Limit Surveillance – NYTimes.com
All posts by Rima Regas
Academic Study on ALEC Policy Strategy for Education | Resist the Privatization of America
This article is excerpted from an extensive academic study done by researchers with New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. Continue reading Academic Study on ALEC Policy Strategy for Education | Resist the Privatization of America
.@ShakaSenghor: Why your worst deeds don’t define you | #TED Talk
In 1991, Shaka Senghor shot and killed a man. He was, he says, “a drug dealer with a quick temper and a semi-automatic pistol.” Jailed for second degree murder, that could very well have been the end of the story. But it wasn’t. Instead, it was the beginning of a years-long journey to redemption, one with humbling and sobering lessons for us all.
Everyone one has the potential to find redemption and a purpose in life. Everyone.
Rima
Please watch and share.
Curated from www.ted.com
Paul Waldman: How Did the #GOP Turn Into Such a Bunch of Clowns?
Democrats used to marvel at Republicans’ political skill. But it’s been a decade since the GOP won a victory in policy or elections that wasn’t pre-ordained by circumstance.
For a lot of reasons, the current era will probably be seen as unusually consequential in the history of the two parties, particularly the GOP. For Republicans, it has been a time of ideological hardening and bitter infighting. But one aspect of the Republican dilemma hasn’t gotten as much attention as those: This is a time of unusual, even stunning, Republican political incompetence.
Continue reading Paul Waldman: How Did the #GOP Turn Into Such a Bunch of Clowns?
Jared Bernstein: A Quick Check-in on the Wage Front
We don’t yet have all the data I need to update my full-monty-wage-mash-up, but a few series to which I pay attention are now available for the first half of the year: median weekly earnings (MWE) of full-time workers and two flavors of average hourly earnings. What do they show?
Not much, in terms of wage pressures. MWE is a very noisy series–medians are a more volatile statistic then means–so in order to show underlying pace in nominal weekly earnings, I’ve smoothed the series (using an HP filter; both figures show year-over-year changes). Amidst the jumpiness, the deceleration is clear.
Continue reading Jared Bernstein: A Quick Check-in on the Wage Front
Get The Money Out of Politics: Install Greenhouse | Expose Corruption
A sixteen year old programmer named Nicholas Rubin created a browser plugin that, when installed, will recognize the names of political officials and will pop-up known campaign contribution data available online, with just a hover of the mouse. You can read more about him on Bill Moyers’ write-up. Continue reading Get The Money Out of Politics: Install Greenhouse | Expose Corruption
Announcing my Facebook page for Blog #42
I’ve established a public page for this blog on Facebook. Please click here to connect with me and “like” me to receive updates. Thank you for your support!
Short Story: Afternoons with Aunt B.
I spent my eleventh summer tagging along with Aunt B. Uncle Bobby was on another of his long absences. He was in the automotive business. When I asked why he was away so much, I was told Uncle Bobby went on extended trips to deliver consignments of cars to the owner’s out of state dealerships. Continue reading Short Story: Afternoons with Aunt B.
One, two, ten, twenty five… independence fifty years on
One,
Two, I had no idea, at only two, but had I, I would have said “eff you.”
By ten, I knew. As I was being whisked away, I wrote you “eff you.”
By fifteen, as I was being whisked away again, I wrote you “eff you.”
At twenty five, when you made a surprise appearance when you had someone for me to fix for you but nothing for me, I told you “eff you.”
At fifty, when you sent an emissary to convince me to invalidate my very existence for you, I called you and gave you my final “eff you.”
See that face gazing back at you? It’s me, saying “eff you.”
GOP: Tax Evasion as a Back Door Strategy | Jared Bernstein | On the Economy
By Jared Bernstein
July 20, 2014
My CBPP colleague Chuck Marr flags something important from a recent press release by Rep. Dave Camp, the Republican Chair of the tax writing committee in the House.
Continue reading GOP: Tax Evasion as a Back Door Strategy | Jared Bernstein | On the Economy