So what’s on President Obama’s iPod? Yesterday, Obama’s 2012 Campaign released the President’s top music choices for the upcoming campaign trail. From James Taylor to Florence + The Machine (and of course, Al Green), the list includes songs from a diverse group of artists. Here’s your Roundup:
Same Danger, Different Path: TransCanada has come up with a new path through Nebraska for Keystone XL. Of course, Double Talk Governor Dave Heineman is leading the charge to get this dangerous and troubling pipeline in the ground, working side by side with TransCanada to begin construction. But wait, Heineman is opposed to the pipeline, isn’t he? TransCanada plans on submitting the new route for review after allowing state lawmakers a look. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department was cleared of any conflict of interest or political influence on the agency’s review of KXL. We remain committed to stopping the pipeline that puts our land, health and existence in danger. Read here
Women in Combat: After more than a year of policy review, the Department of Defense announced that it will be opening some 14,000 military combat positions to women. From tank mechanics to intelligence officers on the front lines, females are beginning to gain ground for gender equality within the U.S. military. Pentagon officials said they are committed to lifting barriers placed on women but are experiencing difficulty during a time of war. Several stereotypes exist about why women cannot or should not perform combat-related missions in the military, but this issue is strictly gender discrimination. Read here
Fair Pay: The Nebraska State Legislature’s Executive Board Committee approved State Senator Scott Lautenbaugh’s resolution that would raise state lawmakers’ salaries from $12,000 to $22,500. LR 373CA will be heard on the floor of the Legislature within the coming weeks. Here at Bold, we support this legislation. The current salary, instated in 1988, makes it difficult (if not impossible) for Nebraskans who need to work full time to also serve in the Unicameral. Read here
Food Stamp Presidents: In response to Newt Gingrich’s claim that Obama has become the "Food Stamp President," Congressman Luis Gutierrez took to the floor of the House of Representatives to set things straight. Armed with statistics, Gutierrez displayed that under President Obama, 14.2 million new recipients have been added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. However, under the Bush Administrations, over 18 million recipients were added to the program at a cost of over $36 billion. Putting the controversy to rest, Gutierrez called for non-partisan cooperation on the hunger issue facing millions of our citizens. Watch here
Strategic Plan: A bill introduced by State Senator John Harms would provide fiscal accountability and transparency for child welfare. LB 949 would require the Department of Health and Human Services division of family and children services to provide a strategic plan for reforming and improving the state of child welfare in its budget request to the Legislature. The plan must include the main purpose of each program, goals for measuring progress and time frames for meeting deadlines. Through fiscal oversight and required planning, inefficient and dangerous practices in child welfare could be prevented. Read here
Pending Lawsuit: In the latest efforts to end alcohol-related issues on a South Dakota Indian reservation, the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has filed a federal lawsuit in Nebraska against local beer stores, beer distributors and beer brewers. Alcoholism has become a widespread problem in the area of Whiteclay and the Pine Ridge Reservation and the lawsuit is being brought about to hold alcohol suppliers responsible and to prevent the devastation of an entire culture. Read here
Thursday, February 9th
Tomorrow, we’ll be blowing the whistle on Rep. Lee Terry for his involvement with Big Oil. Join us for a rally at Terry’s Omaha office to ask him about the money he has taken from dirty energy interests and to listen to what Nebraskans want. Here’s your Roundup:
Strong Start: To reduce the increasing number of premature births and ensure our babies are born healthy, the U.S. Health and Human Services launched a program to provide funding for research and begin a public campaign to reduce early deliveries. The Strong Start Initiative will work with other organizations to actively target this public health issue and distribute $40 million in grants. The HHS is stepping up to ensure our babies are born healthy, and our only hope is that our state legislators will do the same with LB 599. This bill would provide prenatal care to low-income moms, helping Nebraska babies to be born as healthy as possible. Read here
On the Verge: After more than a year of attempts to settle federal and state probes of alleged foreclosure abuses by lenders, government officials are nearing an agreement worth as much as $26 billion with five major banks. The agreement includes more than $5 billion in cash penalties, reimbursements to borrowers and refinancing on current mortgages. Immediate benefits to homeowners and raised accountability for banks and lenders will result from this settlement. This deal would be the largest government-industry settlement since a multi-state settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. Read here
Birth Control Battle: Jon Bruning has recently invited other Attorneys General to join him in a lawsuit against the Obama Administration’s new rule that employee health care plans must provide birth control with no copay. Only religious institutions whose employees are primarily of the same religion are exempted. According to Bruning, the rule infringes upon the First Amendment rights of religious organizations. We're not surprised to see him chase a prime opportunity to in the culture war spotlight. TNR also has a great analysis about the issue and how we're already paying for birth control. Read here
Animal Welfare: As part of a series of meetings being held across the state, the Animal Welfare and Current Industry Issues for Livestock Producers event allowed animal welfare activists and agricultural producers to find common ground. Through facilitated discussions and presentations, it became clear to participants that the industry is committed to positive stewardship of the land and ethical treatment of animals. The two groups also worked to develop industry solutions from animal vaccinations to heat-related event protocols. With recent opposition, we hope to see this positive working relationship continue in this industry. Read here
Veteran Welfare: The Center for Rural Affairs and Farmers Unions from Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas are coming together for a new program to help returning vets start farming. Right now there’s not much assistance for young vets who want to start new farm projects. The Veteran Farmers Project will give them personalized, professional consultations on farm production, business and financing. Read here
Wednesday, February 8th
President Obama didn’t seem too worried about the three GOP primaries yesterday; he was busy enjoying the day after with junior high students who were at the White House for a science fair. The President even played around with a marshmallow shooter. Here’s your Roundup:
Another Free Pass: God help us if there’s another tar sands pipeline leak. Seriously, we better hope God helps because the money’s not there. The IRS exempts most tar sands crude from the oil spill cleanup tax that goes into spill cleanup fund. Add that to the pile of free passes Keystone XL’s been getting. And how do we even know about this massive tar sands loophole? Because of an IRS memo responding to “the request of a company whose identity was kept secret.” Read here (for subscribers)
Democracy in WI? A new Republican memo that was sent out to Wisconsin Republicans tells party politicians to ignore public comments while drawing up a new electoral map. Sensing what was likely another public backlash, the memo informed the lawmakers, "Public comments on this map may be different than what you hear in this room. Ignore the public comments." With news like this, it’s no wonder that protests erupted in Wisconsin. Coupled with Governor Walker’s attack on unions, we’re thinking Wisconsinites are fully justified in their recall efforts (as if 1 million signatures wasn’t enough justificiation). Read here
Democracy in CA! A big victory for gay rights activist in California, as the 9th Circuit Court decided that Proposition 8 was indeed unconstitutional. Citing that the law was only in place to limit the rights of gays and lesbians and serving no purpose to society, the court set up what could eventually be a Supreme Court challenge. The White House responded rather ambiguously, much as it always has on the matter of marriage equality. The reaction by Republican candidates for president was much more predictable as they fueled the flames of culture war they continually wage in our country. Read here
A No Go: Democrats in Nebraska are again in search for a candidate after Bob Kerrey declined to run. Kerry expressed remorse for not being able to run, but the chair of the NDP reiterated his appreciation for the many years of service already given by the former governor and senator. In an interview with Nebraska Watchdog, Kerry said his decision was purely family related. Read here
Santorum Surprise: Colorado, Minnesota and a non-binding contest in Missouri gave Rick Santorum a huge boost in his quest for the Republican nomination. His lack of funding presents will be a challenge for him in the future, but the night was a huge blow to Mitt Romney. Romney easily captured Minnesota and Colorado in the 2008 primary, making yesterday an even clearer indication that Republicans are unsatisfied with their front-runner. Romney didn’t just loose all three contests last night, he lost them badly, especially in Minnesota and Missouri. The land of a thousand lakes was an especially harsh blow to Romney. In 2008, Romney won the state handily. Yesterday he finished third, behind Paul and far behind Santorum.Read here
Looking for a nice touch to your Valentine’s day card this year? Why not send it from Valentine? The Nebraska town by the Niobrara river can arrange for you postage to read just that.
Tuesday, February 7th
Governor Heineman’s enthusiastic support of Keystone XL after its permit denial worries many of us. Thursday, Nebraska landowners took their worries straight to the Governor. Their concern? That the DEQ was ignoring environmentally sensitive land. Here’s your Roundup:
Canada’s Other Pipeline: The Northern Gateway Pipeline presents Canada with its own export pipeline problem. A recent review by renowned geologist David Hughes shows just how backward the pipeline is to a prosperous Canadian future. The biggest question: why when most of Canada continues to import oil, would Canada wish to build a pipeline to export tar sands to China? The report also acknowledges that Canada lacks any long term energy security because once tar sands production begins to diminish, the country will be left with very little renewable energy infrastructure.Read here
The Kids Aren’t Alright: Governor Heineman, in a move looking more political by the day, has proposed $327 million in tax cuts. What Heineman has refused to reveal is how he’s going to pay for these cuts. This is a serious question, especially since Nebraska’s expected to have a $430 million budget shortfall in 2014. The only budget cut that can be used to pay for Heineman’s plan is a $50 million reduction in K-12 school funding. So let’s summarize: Heineman proposes “tax cuts” that will paid for by cutting our children's education funding. At a time when the Governor should be fixing his horrid child welfare policies, he instead produces a bill that further harms Nebraska children. Read here
Disgusting Threats: Despite the concerns mentioned above, Heineman is pushing forward with his tax plan, threatening legislators to forget about sending any legislation his way before passing his tax bill. Heineman says his plan gives middle class Nebraskans a break, but it’s something very different. It’s actually a tax shift, giving only the richest among us a real break. Those who make less than $20,000 will save a mere 58-cents a month. For those making between $57,000-87,999 the savings is $12.08 a month, while Nebraskans making more than $355,000 will save $86.92 a month. Heineman calls his plan tax relief, we’re quickly discovering that it’s a burden. Read here
Unsolved Tragedy: Two-year-old Juliette Serenity Geurts was beaten to death three years ago. Her mother, Charyse Vanderman Geurts, and two male friends Dustin Chauncey and Brandon Townsend were all in the house when the little girl was murdered. After three years, no arrests have been made and two suspects--Geurts and Chauncey--have been allowed to leave the state, their whereabouts unknown. No action has taken to bring justice to this case. Attorney General Jon Bruning has rebuffed 25 media attempts for comment. We have to wonder at the very least how Bruning, campaigning on the safety of our children, can allow such a case to go unsolved. Watch here
Petty Attacks: One Million Moms and American Family Association, two far right conservative groups have attacked JC Penny for hiring Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson because she is a lesbian. The groups say JC Penny isn’t staying neutral in a culture war. That One Million Moms used the words “culture war,” shows the pathetic state of the far right in this country. At a time when our country faces very real issues, they’re attacking a retailer for hiring a lovable TV personality with mad dance skills. Read here
Entrepreneurs in Atlanta are giving a new look to the corner store by stalking the shelves with organic and healthy food. It’s an effort to give lower income families, many of home rely on the convenience store for weekly food and supplies, access to healthier options.
Need a little Tuesday humor? The Onion details the heartbreak of a Congressman learning the truth about lobbyists.
Monday, February 6th
It was almost as if mother nature wanted us to watch the Super Bowl. With heavy snowfall on the ground the safest thing to do was stay inside in front of the television. If football isn’t your thing (or you’re a Patriots fan), then hopefully you were able to have fun some other way in the new winter wonderland. Here’s your Roundup:
Not Much of a Gamble: Mitt Romney cruised to an easy victory in Nevada, capturing a state he held in 2008. A strong showing from Nevada’s large Mormon population padded his victory. In a slightly underwhelming performance, Ron Paul finished just behind Newt Gingrich. Paul had hoped the caucus state would afford him a strong second place finish. Gingrich meanwhile pledged once more to take the campaign all the way to the convention. Romney ignored his opponents in his victory speech, focusing instead on President Obama. Recent job figures have forced the presidential candidate to alter his message, as once again January showed positive growth for the economy. Read here
Unnecessary Roadblocks: Things are getting better for the American economy, even if growth has been slower during some months. A telling graph, shows just how many jobs the economy was losing when Obama took office and how many it’s added since. The President has a message for Congress: keep the recovery going. At a fire station in Virginia, he spoke about avoiding the unnecessary political games that damage the economy, much like what occurred when some Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling, thus lowering our country’s credit rating. The reduction in unemployment from 8.5% to 8.3% is good news for the President, but a rocky road may lay ahead for the economy. Americans have a reason to worry that Republicans may hijack and stall the recovery for pure political gain. Read here
Bachmann’s Backyard: The area of Minnesota that Michelle Bachmann calls home can be a very scary place, especially if you’re a member of the LGBTQ community. In Anoka, student bullying has led to a barrage of teen suicides, and throughout the horrific events, school boards refused to connect bullying as the cause of the suicides. Finally, legal action is being taken against the school districts and the policy that caused teachers to look the other way when they saw teens bullied for their perceived sexual orientation. Gay-Straight Alliance groups, once held in secrecy, are open to the public and serve as a safe haven for ridiculed teens. Read here
Brain Drain: Wall Street is recruiting Ivy League grads at staggeringly high rates. A group of students is starting to realize the future economic harm this brain drain could cause. They're leading a new effort to stop the brightest among them from being funneled into Wall Street. Branching off from the Occupy movement, some protesters have organized against Wall Street recruiting events on campuses. Students are encouraging each other to enter public service and entrepreneurship instead of hedge funds and big banks. Read here
Back on Track: After several intense days of outrage, last Friday Susan G. Komen abandonned plans to eliminate grants for Planned Parenthood. Several Komen affliates rebelled and said they would still fund breast cancer screenings and mammograms at their local PPs. The core complaint was that grants to Planned Parenthood had been politicized because the organization also provide abortions. Planned Parenthood is certainly the epicenter of the pro-choice/pro-life conflict, but helping women detect, prevent and fight breast cancer shouldn’t have been politicized. We hope to see these two organizations continue the important, apolitical work of saving lives. Read here
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