It may be August Recess, but there has been no shortage of political news. The last townhall we’re aware of is this Saturday with Democrats in Lexington. Thanks to all of you who made it out and asked questions. Here’s your Roundup:
Brace Yourselves: After weeks of holding our breath, waiting for news about who’s paying Kris Kobach to defend Fremont, we’ve got our answer. Fremont’s city council is raising taxes to pay for defense of the immigration ordinance. Fiscal advice is coming from, you guessed it, Kobach who also helped write the ordinance. He does it all! View Here
Bad Eggs from Iowa: Before you whip up a healthy protein breakfast, think twice about grabbing an egg. Salmonella-tainted eggs from a producer in Galt, Iowa are being recalled. Check the end of this WaPo article for affected brands. View Here
For One Night and One Night Only: The Nebraska delegation unites on a single stage. All five fellas hung out with 600 local business leaders yesterday in Ashland. KPTM gives us the highlights. View Here
A Different Kind of Mamma Grizzly: Expecting mothers in Nebraska are fighting back. With help from Nebraska Appleseed, they’re suing the state for dropped prenatal care. Preferring to deny care to illegal immigrants rather than exemplify his pro-life stance, the governor pressured the state leg to not renew the program. About 1,550 pregnant women are now without coverage. View Here
Thursday, August 19th
Happy birthday to Bill Clinton. The former president turns 64 today. We expect our invitations to the birthday bash got lost in the mail. Here’s your Roundup:
Tantrums Aren’t Attractive: Watching a grown man throw a temper tantrum is embarrassing. When he’s a political figure in front of press, it’s compounded. Heineman’s tirade against Medicaid costs under health reform fall into the latter category. View Here
Let’s Do That Again: Yesterday, AG Jon Bruning said he would not defend LB 594 in court. That’s the bill that set unrealistic standards for doctors to meet before they perform abortions and required an extensive mental health screening for women seeking them. A clear message from the judge that the law was unconstitutional isn’t deterring lawmakers who want to go back and try it again this next legislative session. View Here
Milestone: The last American combat brigade is pulling out of Iraq this week, in line with military goals to cut the number of troops to 50,000 by the end of August. Troops still on the ground will serve in an “advise and assist” capacity. It has been almost 7 1/2 years since the US first invaded Iraq. View Here
JJ Skeptic of Terry, Too?: The latest news from Nebraska Watchdog covers Lee Terry’s pledge to AARP that he won’t privatize Social Security or reduce benefits. Joe Jordan even reminds readers of Terry’s broken three term pledge from 1998. We’ll try not to read too much into this… View Here
Sarah Doesn’t Speak for Me: EMILY’s List launched a campaign yesterday for women to push back against Sarah Palin. The timing seems appropriate considering it was also the 90th anniversary of women’s suffrage. View Here Visit SarahDoesntSpeakForMe.com
Wednesday, August 18th
Happy anniversary to all our fellow suffragettes! It was on this day in 1920 that women finally won their battle for the right to vote. Ladies, don’t forget to exercise your civic duty this November. Here’s your Roundup:
Speaking of Ladies: Dr. Laura, the queen of conservative radio announced on Larry King Live last night that she will not be renewing her contract at the end of the year. This amid controversy after she used the “n-word” 11 times while discussing race with a caller. Media Matters has the whole LKL interview. View Here
Man Fight: Tom White has landed a solid political punch, calling out Lee Terry for his altered stand on social security. Terry’s previously touted plans to privatize the program. But in the midst of a tough election, he (and White) signed a pledge in front of AARP last week promising not to reduce benefits or privatize social security. This is our ‘95 Fiesta Bowl. View Here
Speaking of Midterms and Ladies: Is Mama Grizzly Sarah Palin losing her Midas-touch? Apparently Palin-backed candidates haven’t been doing so hot in their primaries this month. We feel a Scarlett O’Hara moment coming on. Frankly my Palin, I don’t give a… we’ll let Dr. Laura spell it out for you. View Here
Tuesday, August 17th
Today is Bad Poetry Day and Cupcake Day. To celebrate, we’ve combined the two.
Who could resist them
Frosted fresh from the oven
Give me a dozen
(It’s a haiku, alright)
Here’s your Roundup:
The Whooping Crane Brief: The Crane Trust in Wood River is now tracking nine wild whopping cranes. The cranes are currently nesting in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada. The same Wood Buffalo National Park that’s next to the tar sands operations. The cranes will migrate south through Nebraska this fall. View Here
Bubbling Below the Surface: A research team from the University of Georgia says that 70-79% of the oil in the Gulf is under the surface. BP and government claims that the oil has dissipated may be an incorrect interpretation of data. View Here
A Little More Oversight: Nebraska will receive a $1 million grant to help prepare the state for health care reform. The money will be aimed at monitoring health insurance rates and getting consumers more information. Nice to see that the Nebraska Insurance Commission is making an effort. View Here
My What Big Gusts You Have: A company from Michigan wants to build a wind farm near Ogallala. The firm must submit a proposal to NPPD by Sept. 1st. Here’s hoping! View Here
Monday, August 16th
We’ve got news at the state, national, and international level for you today. There are still August Recess Townhalls to attend. Mother Nature’s finally giving us a break from the heat wave which we plan to take full advantage of before school starts. Here’s your Roundup:
Johanns Takes a Stand: Senator Johanns publicly defended Nebraska landowners against TransCanada this weekend. Word got out that a number of landowners in the pipeline’s path had received ominous letters from the oil company last week. While we may not always agree with the Senator, we’re glad that he’s speaking up for Nebraskans who should not be bullied. View Here
Stimulus Funds Still to Come: As conservatives demand to see the jobs the stimulus has created, it might be worth noting that a “big chunk” of the stimulus still hasn’t been spent by state and local governments. What’s the hold up? State officials are wrestling between using money now to jolt the economy and investing in long term infrastructure. View Here
Here’s Nebraska’s ARRA Expenditures as of July 2010
Flood Condition in Pakistan Worsen: Nearly one fifth of Pakistan is flooded. The country has been experiencing its worst floods in recorded history for the past two weeks. There are worries that the disaster will cause instability in a country crucial to American interests in the Middle East. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said he has never seen a disaster on such scale. View Here
More media:
VIRAL VIDEO raw footage of waves collapsing a building http://bit.ly/9KnpTp
SLIDESHOW http://yhoo.it/9mQLzk
RAW VIDEO of victims being evacuated from homes and villages http://bit.ly/9fSU
