Freedom is not washing your hands? US senator picks bad day for health joke (The Guardian) -- If ever there was a good time to crack a joke about dismantling the basic public health infrastructure of the United States, it was not this week, with top Republicans on Capitol Hill questioning the fundamental science of vaccines. But newly minted Republican senator Thom Tillis jumped in anyway, bragging at a public forum about a shining point he had made in a debate about regulations on business. As the video that started to go viral on Tuesday made all too clear, his not-too-serious idea involved employees who might not wash their hands.
Received via email: The National Debt Ceiling, by Jack Dawsey
The nation’s debt ceiling is hovering around $14.2 trillion. (That is not much money if you say it real fast).
Except for super computers, there is not a 10-key calculator on the commercial shelf that can calculate $14.2 trillion. Nonetheless, the debt ceiling needs to be raised, lest the US defaults on its obligations.
If you have been alive since 1981, you know that the nation’s debt was about $1 trillion. Obviously, it has grown exponentially. Who caused this enormous problem? Who has the biggest spending habits, republicans or democrats? Moreover, in political terms, who should be held responsible? But first a point of fact is necessary with respect to the United States Constitution.
North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue was recently asked to comment on where she stood regarding Titan America’s ongoing efforts to secure an air permit for what would be the nation’s 4th largest cement plant in Castle Hayne, a small community just outside of Wilmington, NC. She reportedly said, “I am going to wait for the science to determine what will happen.”
Precisely what piece of science the Governor is waiting on is anyone’s guess. If she’s waiting to see how Titan’s emissions (fine particulate matter like PM2.5, sulfur dioxide and mercury) are going to affect sensitive populations in our county, she’ll have to wait decades because that sort of science isn’t included in North Carolina’s air permit review.
No, it's not the Gerber Baby. Meet the hand-picked Republican frontrunner for the newly drawn 13th Congressional district and the son of the most powerful Republican in the Senate: The Berger Baby.
Phil Berger Jr may be 39 years old, but he is one lucky kid. His Dad - Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger Sr. - not only had a big hand in purging Brad Miller’s district of registered Democrats and proposing it run from Surry to Wake County, but he'll be able to steer incredible GOP resources to his son's Congressional campaign when the announcement becomes official this fall.
The GOP maps mean big opportunities for the children of gerrymandering in new majority Republican seats across the state. How many more Berger Babies are there?
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