Habitat Update from Habitat for Humanity International & United States Is Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading to Poor, UN Report Charges 27&31MAR14

THIS UN report is true, but will do more harm than good. Fanatical right wing gop and tea-bagger politicians will not use this to shame the nation to improve the lives of the growing number of homeless in America. No, they will use it as a propaganda tool, proclaiming this report another attack by the UN on the US as part of the UN's plans to invade and take over America and so establish a new world order. These same politicians will accuse any politician who advocates to address the issue of homelessness and the treatment of the homeless in the US as supporting the UN agenda against the US, the American people. Meanwhile the numbers of homeless in the US will continue to grow and continue to suffer. It is a sad state of affairs for this "Christian" nation. FORTUNATELY there is a charity, +Habitat For Humanity (founded by Christians, made up of volunteers of all faiths, politics, genders and identities) who is working in the US and around the world to address and meet the needs of the homeless. They are holding their Spring Challenge and have $1 million USD from a group of generous donors and are seeking to match that through the generosity of people like you and me. I am a monthly donor to Habitat (not patting myself on the back), and I made an additional donation this month because the need is greater than ever. If you can donate, no matter the amount, please click the link in their newsletter below. From Habitat for Humanity and AlterNet....

The UN Human Rights Committee says the U.S. should stop criminalizing homeless people for being homeless.

Photo Credit: CBS New York; Screenshot / YouTube.com

March 31, 2014  |  

 

Jerome Murdough, 56, a mentally ill homeless veteran, was just trying to stay alive during a New York City cold snap when he thought he found his spot: a stairwell leading to a roof in a Harlem public housing project. But that desperate act set in motion a nightmare ride through New York's criminal justice system that would end with Murdough dying of heat stroke in a Riker's Island jail cell. New York officials now say the system failed Murdough every which way.
When he was discovered, he should have been offered shelter. When he was arraigned, he should not have been slapped with $2,500 bail. When, unable to make bail, he ended up in jail, Murdough, because he was on medication for a mental condition, should have been monitored every 15 minutes, not left unwatched for at least four hours. It was during that untended time that Murdough, as an official told the Associated Press, "basically baked to death."
Now, as New York officials discuss the "tragedy" of last month and scapegoat one Riker's Island guard for Murdough's death — suspending him for 20 days — the United Nations has taken notice. Murdough is just the latest statistic in a series of needless deaths of homeless people while under arrest for "crimes" related to being unhoused, such as loitering or trespassing.
The U.N. Human Rights Committee in Geneva on Thursday condemned the United States for criminalizing homelessness, calling it "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" that violates international human rights treaty obligations. It also called upon the U.S. government to take corrective action, following a two-day review of U.S. government compliance with a human rights treaty ratified in 1992.
"I'm just simply baffled by the idea that people can be without shelter in a country, and then be treated as criminals for being without shelter," said Sir Nigel Rodley, chairman of the committee in closing statements on the U.S. review. "The idea of criminalizing people who don't have shelter is something that I think many of my colleagues might find as difficult as I do to even begin to comprehend."
The Committee called on the U.S. to abolish criminalization of homelessness laws and policies at state and local levels, intensify efforts to find solutions for homeless people in accordance with human rights standards and offer incentives for decriminalization, including giving local authorities funding for implementing alternatives and withholding funding for criminalizing the homeless.
Those recommendations run counter to the current trends in the nation. Laws targeting the homeless—loitering laws that ban sleeping or sitting too long in one public spot, or camping in parks overnight—have become increasingly common in communities throughout the country as homelessness has skyrocketed.
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP), a D.C.-based advocacy organization which monitors laws that criminalize homeless people and litigates on behalf of poor people regularly conducts reviews of cities criminalizing homelessness and finds more and more laws banning such activities as sitting or lying in public places with each new survey.
"We welcome the Committee's Concluding Observations and call on our government to take swift action to solve homelessness with homes, not jails and prisons,” said Maria Foscarinis, the NLCHP executive director, in a statement. The NLCHP had submitted a report to the U.N. Committee for review.
Paul Boden, executive director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project, an umbrella organization of advocacy groups in the Western U.S. that is hoping states will sign onto a Bill of Rights for homeless people, said that more and more homeless people are being arrested, prosecuted and killed for actions relating to their poverty.
"The U.S. seems to talk a much bigger rhetoric than it practices," he said. "At the U.N. level, we have a horrible growing record of supporting repressive regimes, and as we bring our neo-liberal policies to America, we're doing the same thing here."
On March 16, a homeless man in Albuquerque was shot and killed by police who were attempting to arrest him for illegal camping. James Boyd, 38 years old with a history of mental illness, was shot dead by Albuquerque police while his back was turned after a three-hour stand-off. Boyd, armed with a small knife, appeared to be surrendering when he was gunned down. The incident was caught on one of the officer's helmet-cams and has been posted on YouTube by at least half a dozen news outlets.
Albuquerque police officials had concluded that the shooting was justified, but the FBI has since announced it is launching an investigation into the incident and said it is already probing 23 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque since 2010. On Sunday, hundreds of people marched through Albuquerque to protest the number of police shootings in the city, a day-long event that ended when police fired tear gas into the crowd.

Evelyn Nieves is a senior contributing writer and editor at AlterNet, living in San Francisco. She has been a reporter for both the New York Times and the Washington Post.

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It’s not too late to speak up for World Water Day! World Water Day was March 22, which makes March a perfect time to tell Congress that we need to improve existing water and sanitation programs. Add your voice today! Habitat. We Build. Construction, advocacy, market development and technical assistance — the latest issue of Habitat World explores the multiple ways we work toward a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Making a difference through word and deed A ninth-grade volunteer got inspired to help children living in Habitat homes. Find out how. AmeriCorps member profile: “I love this” [VIDEO] Working from his wheelchair, AmeriCorps member George Davis leads volunteers on the construction site and continues to teach, build and inspire others to serve. Empowering women, helping families [SLIDESHOW] On international Women’s Day 2014, Habitat recognizes the women we work alongside.
49 The percentage of people in Ethiopia who have access to safe drinking water. Only 21 percent have access to sanitation facilities. (Source: Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council)
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http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/un-human-rights-committee-united-states-cruel-inhuman-and-degrading-poor?paging=off&current_page=1

http://www.habitat.org/lc/emails/2014/extra/March_update_newv_2014.html 

10 Reasons Americans Should be Wary of Rand Paul's Libertarianism, Especially Young People 2APR14

SEN +rand paul r t-b KY wants to transform the US into a plutocracy. His immoral agenda of greed and lust for power is being spread by a propaganda campaign financed by his corporate masters, and it is deceiving and manipulating the very people it will hurt if any part of it becomes law. He may be good looking, he may be well spoken, but a closer look exposes a man with a cold and corrupt soul. This from AlterNet.....

Sen. Rand Paul is trying to attract millennials. Don't fall for it!

April 2, 2014  |  

 Republican Senator Rand Paul has been making a big play for millennials lately, most notably by taking his civil liberties pitch to colleges around the country. Paul has got the right idea when he says his party must “evolve, adapt or die” (although I think the first two are virtually the same thing). Katie Glueck of Politico wrote that “The Kentucky senator drew a largely friendly reception at the University of California-Berkeley as he skewered the intelligence community."

Sen. Paul spoke of “dystopian nightmares” and added that “your rights, especially your right to privacy, are under assault.” Paul also said he perceives “fear of an intelligence community that’s drunk with power, unrepentant and uninclined to relinquish power.” 

Virtually all of the other politicians taking that stand come from the left side of the political spectrum. They include figures like independent socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall. Rand Paul is not like these other defenders of civil liberties.

Rand Paul, like his father, prefers to package his fairly old-school brand of economic conservatism under the trendier name of “libertarianism.” That’s not just a labeling change. It also means Paul has paired his retrograde economic ideas with a very outspoken stance against militarism and the espionage state. It’s a mixture that Paul hopes can make inroads with groups that are not traditionally Republican voters.

Paul’s play for millennials was almost inevitable. As a recent Pew study reported, that generation’s disaffection with the two-party system appears to be at record levels. Fifty percent of millennials polled said that they do not associate themselves with either party, which is the highest percentage recorded thus far. It’s also a 10 point jump from their equivalent age group’s level of political affiliation only seven years ago.

But Rand Paul gravely misunderstands the nature of that political disaffection. Yes, millennials feel alienated toward political and other institutions. They have a right to feel that way. As Joshua Holland says, millennials didn’t abandon these institutions. The institutions abandoned them.

But Rand Paul and libertarianism are not the answer. His economic strategy can be summed up in a quota used for one of his bills: “remove the shackles of big government by reducing taxes, regulations, and burdensome union work requirements.”

In other words, more of the same conservative philosophy that got us in this mess in the first place. Here are 10 reasons why millennials should be extremely wary of the senator from Kentucky.

1. His philosophy of deregulation created your jobs problem.

Rand Paul loved to preach the gospel of deregulation. He went so far as to proclaim that Obama was putting his “boot heel” on the neck of—get this—British Petroleum. Why? Because BP was being asked to bear part of the cost for the oil spill it created.

That’s right. Rand Paul believes “regulation” is evil, even when it’s only asking a reckless private corporation to clean up its own messes.

Wall Street deregulation crashed the economy in 2008. As a result, the millennial generation is entering the job market at the worst time in modern history. Millennials are facing record levels of unemployment and under-employment. What’s Rand Paul’s solution? More of the same.

2. He doesn’t believe in jobs programs.

Those of us who are fighting for jobs programs and infrastructure investment—two things that would help the millennial generation significantly—have a fierce opponent in Rand Paul. Paul believes government spending is inherently bad, and tax cuts are inherently good. There are jobs proposals that target millennials for assistance. Rand Paul is against them.

3. He thinks “tax cuts” create jobs.

There’s a simple answer to that, once we remember that the wealthy and corporations are paying lower taxes than at any time in modern history.

So where are the jobs?

Rand Paul’s solution is to eliminate the income tax altogether. That would be a red letter day for billionaires, millionaires and corporations. It would spell the end of vital services for the rest of us, in everything from public health to military defense.

Create jobs? Not so much.

4. Those “burdensome union work requirements” gave us Saturdays and Sundays off.

Without unions we would still be working six or seven days a week with no overtime pay. The weekend as we know it wouldn’t exist if we lived in Rand’s world.

Neither would paid vacations, the minimum wage, health and disability benefits, and quite a few other things a lot of working people count on to help them get by. (Sen rand paul is against every one of these benefits listed in my post 36 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD THANK A UNION http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/36-reasons-why-you-should-thank-union.html )

5. Civil rights for African Americans and other minorities wouldn’t exist.

Rand Paul believes businesses have the right to discriminate against minorities, or against pretty much anybody, because he thinks that’s part of their First Amendment rights.

The First Amendment, as most of you may know, reads as follows: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

There’s nothing in there about “businesses that want to force women like Rosa Parks to stand at the back of the bus when there are empty seats in the front of the bus,” or “lunch counters that won’t serve black folks.”

No, the First Amendment doesn’t say that. But Rand Paul thinks it does. He also says he would’ve voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Here’s a newsflash for Sen. Paul: Millennials come in all races, religions, genders and sexual orientations. They value their rights just as much as Americans of other generations do.

6. He wants to eliminate Social Security.

Because, you know, the “free market” has done so well in protecting Americans’ financial security when they’re disabled or elderly.

Many millennials are collecting Social Security survivor benefits, like Rand Paul compatriot Paul Ryan did. Or disability benefits. Or they have parents and grandparents who are collecting retirement benefits.

Most millennials will live to collect those benefits themselves—if Rand Paul doesn’t get to them first.

7. He wants to eliminate Medicare, Obamacare, and even the private insurance you get through your employer.

“The fundamental reason why Medicare is failing is why the Soviet Union failed,” said Sen. Paul. “Socialism doesn't work.”

Unfortunately for Paul, Medicare is not failing. It has lower overhead than private insurance, lower cost than private insurance, and a lower rate of inflation than private insurance. It is the most successful, and the most popular insurance program in the country.

But as flawed as it is, private health insurance is critical to a lot of people’s physical and financial health. Rand Paul’s so right wing he doesn’t even like that. “We need to get insurance out of the way and let the consumer interact with their doctor the way they did basically before World War II," said Paul. (A lot of people didn’t interact with doctors at all before World War II; the morbidity and mortality statistics show it.)

Speaking as an ophthalmologist, which he is, Paul also said this: “If you think you have the right to healthcare, you are saying basically that I am your slave.” Sen. Paul is not just a conservative, he someone with a poor grasp of concepts like slavery. Healthcare providers are in fact paid under all systems of public and private insurance. They are also free to change professions, take a day off, set their own schedules, and do any number of things that are not associated with the practice of slavery.

Millennials need to know that medical care will be available when they need it. That’s not just something they want. It’s a right.

8. He wants to eliminate Roe v. Wade and have a woman’s right to choose decided by politicians at the state level.

Said Paul, “I would introduce and support legislation to send Roe v. Wade back to the states.”

Why? So that decisions about what a woman does with her body can be made by politicians like that guy in Virginia wanted mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds for any woman who wanted to terminate a pregnancy?

It may come as a surprise to Sen. Paul to learn that a great many millennials are, in fact, women.

The Supreme Court has established that a woman’s right to choose is constitutionally protected. Since then that right has been eroded in a thousand different ways at the state level. Rand Paul would remove this right forever, turning this fundamental principle of autonomy into a campaign issue to be decided by right-wing career politicians.

Way to go, “Mr. Civil Liberties.” And about that …

9. He’s not as strong and advocate for civil liberties as he seems.

At least Rand Paul is uncompromising in his defense of civil liberties, right? Well, not so much. Consider this quote:

“I'm not for profiling people on the color of their skin, or on their religion, but I would take into account where they've been traveling and perhaps, you might have to indirectly take into account whether or not they've been going to radical political speeches by religious leaders. It wouldn't be that they are Islamic. But if someone is attending speeches from someone who is promoting the violent overthrow of our government, that's really an offense that we should be going after— they should be deported or put in prison.”

“It wouldn’t be that they are Islamic,” says Rand Paul. But it’s clear that he’s only talking about a certain kind of terrorism. A lot of Tea Party leaders have “threatened the violent overthrow of the government.” Does Rand Paul think “they should be deported or put in prison”? Or are his brand of civil liberties only for white conservatives?

10. He’s picked the wrong oppressor.

Rand Paul’s brand of libertarian believes that “liberty” is freedom from an oppressive government. But in a democracy the government is us. The real oppressors in today’s economic and political system are the corporations which increasingly dominate all aspects of our public and private lives.

Rand Paul doesn’t have much to say about that. We applaud his stand against drone murders by the US government, but where is his stand against the kind of espionage Amazon and other corporations could use through the use of unregulated drones in the United States? We admire his stand against the NSA, but where is an equally courageous stand against invasions of privacy by corporations like Google? (For more on that topic, see our interview with Yasha Levine.)

Rand Paul would have us turned against the “oppression” of the Democratic process, while turning us over to the real oppression of the Corporate State. That’s not fighting for liberty. It’s fighting for corporations.

Underneath all the freedom jargon, Rand Paul’s pushing the same kind of economic conservatism that has increasingly dominated our political discourse over the last 40 years. He’s resolutely opposed to all of the civil rights advances of the last 50 years, and to any of the government interventions that could make things better for millennials and other Americans now.

Rand Paul wants more of the same tax cuts we’ve already given to him billionaires and corporations. He wants more of the deregulation that ruined the economy in 2008 and has caused so much harm to the environment.

How’s that working out for you?

Feel free to admire Rand Paul’s stands on civil liberties and military action, as selective as those stands may be. Then look for politicians who represent the full spectrum of your moral and economic beliefs. Better yet, become those politicians. We need your talents and your energy, to make right what previous generations (in the Paul family and elsewhere) have gotten so tragically wrong.

RJ Eskow is a senior fellow with the Campaign for America's Future.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/10-reasons-americans-should-be-wary-rand-pauls-libertarianism-especially-young-people?paging=off&current_page=1 

دول الشرق الأوسط في طليعة من ارتفاع مقلق في عمليات إعدام 3 أبريل 2014

قد يشعر البعض هذا المنصب هو توقيت سوء النظر في أمريكا وجيشنا وحدادا على الذين قتلوا في اطلاق النار الشامل في فورت هود بولاية تكساس أمس (عقوبة الإعدام ليست قضية هنا كما استغرق مطلق النار حياته) نحن كأمة لا تشترك في العار من كونها واحدة من عدد قليل من الدول الديمقراطية العالمية الأولى التي لا تزال تستخدم عقوبة الإعدام عقابا على الجرائم البشعة. أن يضعنا في نفس الفئة من الدول مثل جمهورية الصين الشعبية وايران والعراق وكوريا الشمالية ومعظم العالم العربي، الدول ندين لسجلات حقوق الإنسان الخاصة بهم (طالما أن لا تتداخل مع هوامش الأرباح من الشركات الأمريكية) . أشعر بالخجل وأحرجت كل مرة يتم تنفيذ شخص في الولايات المتحدة. هذا على زيادة عمليات الإعدام في جميع أنحاء العالم من + منظمة العفو الدولية ....

بواسطة سارة الحشاش والشرق الأوسط و شمال أفريقيا المسؤول الاعلامي في منظمة العفو الدولية

هذا يبدو وكأنه مشهد من فيلم الرعب الرهيب ؛ خمس جثث مقطوعة الرأس يتأرجح من عمود أفقي معلق فوق الساحة الرئيسية في مدينة Jijzan في جنوب غرب المملكة العربية السعودية. بجانب كل الجسم معلقة كيس من البلاستيك تحتوي على رأس الضحية . ياردة ، والطلاب يصلون في إحدى الجامعات المحلية لاتخاذ امتحاناتهم .هذه الصور المؤرقة من خمسة يمنيين الذين أعدموا في المملكة العربية السعودية مشاركة قد توفر التفاصيل البشعة في أعقاب تنفيذ حكم الإعدام العلني .في كثير من مناطق العالم من الصين إلى الولايات المتحدة، في الشرق الأوسط و أفريقيا في جيوب ، لا يزال الناس يعيشون تحت شبح عقوبة الإعدام ، غالبا ما تكون من العين العامة.وثقت أحدث تقرير عالمي لمنظمة العفو الدولية حول عقوبة الإعدام أن 23،392 شخصا على الاقل كانوا يواجهون عقوبات الإعدام في جميع أنحاء العالم في نهاية عام 2013.الاتجاه العام في السنوات الأخيرة يظهر معظم البلدان الابتعاد عن عقوبة الإعدام.ولكن مقلق ، وقد برز عدد من دول الشرق الأوسط في طليعة مجموعة معزولة على نحو متزايد من الجلادين الراسخة تأجيج أحدث ارتفاع في الأرقام العالمية .وشكلت إيران والعراق والمملكة العربية السعودية وحدها ما يقرب من 80 في المائة من جميع عمليات الإعدام التي نفذت في جميع أنحاء العالم أفادت في عام 2013، باستثناء الصين . تصاعد عمليات الإعدام في إيران والعراق يفسر الارتفاع العالمي ما يقرب من 15 في المئة من عام 2012 .عبر أفريقيا والشرق الأوسط وشمال ، وأعدم 638 شخصا على الأقل في عام 2013 باستخدام أساليب تتراوح بين قطع الرؤوس و الشنق ، بالإعدام رميا بالرصاص.مهما كانت الطريقة ، و الرعب و النتيجة لا تزال هي نفسها .إيران تنفذ بمعدل ينذر بالخطر مع ارتفاع ما يقرب من 20 في المئة في عام 2013 . في إيران ، تم تسجيل 369 حالات الإعدام أقر رسميا من قبل منظمة العفو الدولية ، ولكن لم ينفذ مئات أكثر من - بعض هذه بسرية تامة - وفقا ل مصادر موثوقة، ليصل المجموع إلى أكثر من 700.سجلت العراق ارتفاعا صارخا للسنة الثالثة على التوالي، مع ما لا يقل عن 169 الإعدام ؛ وهذا هو أعلى رقم منذ أن أعادت العراق عقوبة الإعدام في عام 2004.كما حافظت المملكة العربية السعودية على نسبة عالية باستمرار عمليات الإعدام مع 79 عملية إعدام على الأقل في العام الماضي . وأدين الثلاثة الذين أعدموا من جرائم يزعم أنها ارتكبت عندما كانوا دون سن 18 عاما - وهو انتهاك واضح للقانون الدولي.استأنفت الكويت الإعدام للمرة الأولى في ست سنوات. أحكام الإعدام التي نفذت في قطاع غزة ، في منطقة السلطة الفلسطينية تدار فعليا من قبل سلطات حماس ، و أيضا ، في اليمن ، يرسم صورة مقلقة الإقليمية على نحو متزايد.ولوحظت تطورات إيجابية محدودة في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ( الإمارات العربية المتحدة ) حيث ينفذ أي حكم بالإعدام في عام 2013 ، وفي البحرين حيث تصدر أي أحكام الإعدام.مثيرة للقلق على حد سواء هو عدد أحكام الإعدام التي صدرت في جميع أنحاء المنطقة بعد محاكمات فادحة الجور ، بما في ذلك استخدام واسع النطاق من "الاعترافات " المنتزعة عن طريق التعذيب .في العراق ، وثقت منظمة العفو الدولية 90 حالة من السجناء المحكوم عليهم بالإعدام كان قد أدين الإرهاب أو الجرائم الأخرى على أساس " اعترافات" بالإكراه في السنوات الأخيرة. وقد تم بالفعل إعدام 14 منهم على الأقل .في الكويت ، والمملكة العربية السعودية و الإمارات العربية المتحدة ، وحرم بعض الرعايا الأجانب الذين يواجهون عقوبة الإعدام مرافق ترجمة كافية أثناء محاكماتهم ، مما يعوق قدرتها على إعداد الدفاع المناسب .النشطاء و شخصيات المعارضة هي أيضا من بين أولئك الذين وجدوا أنفسهم المحكوم عليهم بالإعدام في قضايا ذات دوافع سياسية .كما لا تتحمل الحجة التي تستخدم عقوبة الإعدام إلا في الانتقام ل تدقيق الجرائم البشعة .في العديد من الحالات، يتم فرض أحكام الإعدام بالنسبة للجرائم غير القتل، و تقصر عن الوفاء بالمعايير الدولية الدنيا.في إيران والمملكة العربية السعودية و الإمارات العربية المتحدة ، تم تنفيذ عقوبة الإعدام على جرائم المخدرات . في المملكة العربية السعودية، أعدم رجل واحد من أجل " جريمة" " الزنا ". الجرائم ذات الصياغات الغامضة ، مثل الحرابة ( " معاداة الله " ) ، استخدمت في إيران لقمع أنشطة الأقليات العرقية.مواقف تعسفية ومتقلبة في بعض الأحيان حيال عقوبة الإعدام التي تعرض العديد من البلدان لا تؤدي إلا إلى تفاقم المأساة المحيطة استخدامه.بالنسبة للعديد من الحكومات ، يتم استخدام عقوبة الإعدام كأداة الشعبوية لإظهار موقفا متشددا بشأن الجريمة . حتى الآن لا يوجد دليل مقنع على أن استخدامه لديه أي تأثير رادع خاص. وقد تبين هذا في الدراسات الدولية المتعددة .قطع الرؤوس البشعة في ساحة المدينة Jijzan في المملكة العربية السعودية هي في نهاية المطاف لا يختلف عن الشنق أو الإعدام رميا بالرصاص وراء الأبواب المغلقة.بغض النظر عن الطريقة المستخدمة ، فإن عقوبة الإعدام هي العقوبة القاسية و اللاإنسانية النهائي و ينتهك الحق الأساسي في الحياة.الاتجاه العالمي بعيدا عن استخدام عقوبة الإعدام يقدم بصيصا من الأمل. هي الحكومات التي ما زالت تعدم على الجانب الخطأ من التاريخ. حان الوقت أن الجلادين المتبقية في أفريقيا والشرق الأوسط وشمال ، جنبا إلى جنب مع الصين والولايات المتحدة و جميع البلدان الأخرى التي لا تزال تتشبث هذا الشكل من العقاب، و هذا الاعتراف و إلغاء ممارسة مرة واحدة وإلى الأبد.هذا بلوق ظهر أصلا في مشاركة و العالمية .

 منظمة العفو الدولية منظمة العفو الدولية، عقوبة الإعدام، مصر، حقوق الإنسان، ايران، العراق، الكويت، جمهورية الصين الشعبية الصين، السعودية جزيره العرب، الإمارات العربية المتحدة والولايات المتحدة عقوبة الإعدام

Middle Eastern nations at forefront of disturbing spike in executions 3APR14

SOME may feel this post is ill timed considering America and our military are in mourning for those killed in the mass shooting at Ft Hood, Texas yesterday (the death penalty is not an issue here as the shooter took his own life) we as a nation do share the shame of being one of the few democratic First World nations that still uses the death penalty as punishment for heinous crimes. That puts us in the same category of nations as the prc, Iran, Iraq, N Korea, most of Arab world, nations we condemn for their human rights records (as long as that doesn't interfere with the profit margins of corporate America). I feel ashamed and embarrassed every time someone is executed in the US. This on the increase of executions world wide from +Amnesty International....

Posted on 3 April 2014 by News Team

At least 23,392 people were facing death sentences worldwide at the end of 2013. © AI Switzerland

By Sara Hashash, Middle East and North Africa media officer at Amnesty International
It sounds like a scene from a grisly horror film; five decapitated bodies swinging from a horizontal pole suspended over the main square in the city of Jijzan in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Beside each body hangs a plastic bag containing the victim’s head. Yards away, students are arriving at a local university to take their exams.
These haunting images of five Yemenis who were executed in Saudi Arabia last May provide gruesome details of the aftermath of a public execution.
In many regions of the world from China to the US, in the Middle East and in pockets of Africa, people continue to live under the spectre of the death penalty, often out of the public eye.
Amnesty International’s latest global report on the death penalty documented that at least 23,392 people were facing death sentences worldwide at the end of 2013.
The overall trend in recent years shows most countries moving away from capital punishment.
But disturbingly, a number of Middle Eastern nations have emerged at the forefront of an increasingly isolated group of entrenched executioners fueling the latest spike in global figures.
Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia alone accounted for almost 80 per cent of all reported executions carried out worldwide in 2013, excluding China. An upsurge in executions in Iran and Iraq explains a global rise of almost 15 percent from 2012.
Across the Middle East and North Africa, at least 638 people were executed in 2013 using methods ranging from beheadings and hangings, to death by firing squad.
Whatever the method, the horror and outcome remain the same.
Iran is executing at an alarming rate with an almost 20 percent rise in 2013. In Iran, 369 officially acknowledged executions were recorded by Amnesty International, but hundreds more were carried out — some of these in total secrecy — according to credible sources, bringing the total to more than 700.
Iraq recorded a stark rise for the third year in a row, with at least 169 executions; this is the highest figure since Iraq reinstated the death penalty in 2004.
Saudi Arabia also maintained a consistently high rate of executions with at least 79 executions last year. Three of those executed were convicted of crimes they allegedly committed when they were under 18 — a clear violation of international law.
Kuwait resumed executions for the first time in six years. Death sentences carried out in Gaza, in the area of the Palestinian Authority administered de facto by the Hamas authorities, and also, in Yemen, paints an increasingly worrisome regional picture.
Limited positive developments were noted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where no executions were carried out in 2013, and in Bahrain where no death sentences were issued.
Equally alarming is the number of death sentences imposed across the region after grossly unfair trials, including the widespread use of “confessions” extracted through torture.
In Iraq, Amnesty International documented 90 cases of inmates on death row that had been convicted of terrorism or other crimes on the basis of forced “confessions” in recent years. At least 14 of them have already been executed.
In Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, some foreign nationals facing capital punishment were denied adequate translation facilities during their trials, hindering their ability to prepare a proper defence.
Activists and opposition figures are also among those who have found themselves condemned to death in politically motivated cases.
The argument that the death penalty is only used as retribution for horrendous crimes also does not bear scrutiny.
In many cases, death sentences are imposed for offenses other than murder, falling short of minimum international standards.
In Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, capital punishment was implemented for drug offenses. In Saudi Arabia, one man was executed for the “crime” of “adultery.” Vaguely worded offenses, such as moharebeh (“enmity against God”), were used in Iran to repress activities of ethnic minorities.
The arbitrary and sometimes capricious attitudes towards the death penalty that many countries display only serve to compound the tragedy surrounding its use.
For many governments, the death penalty is used as a populist tool to demonstrate a tough stance on crime. Yet there is no convincing evidence that its use has any particular deterrent effect. This has been shown in multiple international studies.
Gruesome beheadings in Jijzan city square in Saudi Arabia are ultimately no different from hangings or death by firing squad behind closed doors.
Regardless of the method used, the death penalty is the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment and violates a fundamental right to life.
The global trend away from the use of the death penalty offers a glimmer of hope. Governments that still execute are on the wrong side of history. It is high time that the remaining executioners in the Middle East and North Africa, along with China, the US and all other countries that continue to cling to this form of punishment, recognize this and abolish the practice once and for all.
This blog originally appeared in the Global Post.
http://livewire.amnesty.org/2014/04/03/middle-eastern-nations-at-forefront-of-disturbing-spike-in-executions/ 

AGAIN! Shooting at Fort Hood Live coverage from KCEN TV & Fort Hood Goes On Lockdown After Reports Of Shooting 2APR14

 

1st Cavalry Division ‏@1stCavalryDiv

ALERT: All personnel on Fort Hood should shelter in place immediately, close doors and stay away from windows.

Update at 7:34 p.m. ET. Injured Personnel Are Being Transported:
, Fort Hood says injured personnel are being transported to local hospitals.
The statement adds that the base's "Directorate of Emergency Services has an initial report that a shooter is dead but this is unconfirmed."
Update at 7:52 p.m. ET. 'Heartbroken':
"We're heartbroken something like this might have happened again," President Obama said this evening.
Obama talked to pool reporters in Chicago. He stood in front of large black curtain with an Americans flag.
"We're following it closely," Obama said. "The situation is fluid right now ... I want to just assure all of us we are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened."
Update at 7:47 p.m. ET. 1 Dead, 14 Wounded:
NPR's Tom Bowman tells us a U.S. official tells him one person is dead and 14 are wounded.
Update at 7:46 p.m. ET. President To Issue Statement:
NPR's Tamara Keith tells us President Obama will make a statement about the situation in Fort Hood to the pool "shortly."

Update at 7:26 p.m. ET. President Informed:
In a statement, The White House said President Obama has been informed of the situation in Fort Hood.
"He'll continue to receive updates on the situation throughout the evening," spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Update at 7:09 p.m. ET. Reports Of Active Shooter:
the Bell's County Sheriff's Office, which is responding with deputies and troopers, says there are reports of an "active shooter."
Waco Police also reporting an "active shooter."
Update at 7:05 p.m. ET. Clearing Buildings:
A soldier on the base tells KCEN-TV that police seem to be clearing buildings, escorting civilians and service men and women out with their hands in the air.
Update at 6:45 p.m. ET. Shooting On Base:
:

"There has been a shooting at Fort Hood and injuries are reported. Emergency crews are on the scene. No further details are known at this time."

Update at 6:41 p.m. ET. Lots Of Police Activity:
During its live broadcast, KCEN-TV showed police vehicles streaming into the base. An eyewitness told the station that a helicopter was flying over the base and he had counted tens of ambulances and police vehicles as well as a SWAT team.

 

Reports of a Shooting on Fort Hood

Posted: Apr 02, 2014 5:32 PM EST Updated: Apr 02, 2014 6:38 PM EST 
http://www.kcentv.com/global/slideshow.asp?widgetid=undefined&slideshowimageid=NaN 

<script type='text/javascript' src='http://api.worldnow.com/feed/v3.0/widgets/undefined?alt=js&contextaffiliate=906'></script>

Fort Hood is under a shelter-in-place order after a shooting at the Texas Army base.
that there had been a shooting that resulted in injuries.

Credit: Alyson Hurt

"Emergency crews are on the scene," the base said. "No further details are know at this time."
The 1st Cavalry Division that personnel "should shelter in place immediately, close doors and stay away from windows."
The AP reports that Fort Hood confirmed there had been a shooting on the base and a number of injuries.
Fort Hood was the scene of a mass shooting in 2009, where thirteen people were killed and more than 30 were wounded. it was "the deadliest attack on a domestic military installation in history."
This is a breaking news story. We'll update once we know more. And like we always tell you when stories such as this are developing, information may come in that later turns out to have been incorrect. We'll do our best to sort through what's out there and reliable and update as need.
Update at 6:45 p.m. ET. Shooting On Base:
:

"There has been a shooting at Fort Hood and injuries are reported. Emergency crews are on the scene. No further details are know at this time."

Update at 6:41 p.m. ET. Lots Of Police Activity:
During its live broadcast, KCEN-TV showed police vehicles streaming into the base. An eyewitness told the station that a helicopter was flying over the base and he had counted tens of ambulances and police vehicles as well as a Swat team.

(KCEN) -- We have reports of an active shooter on Fort Hood.
There are reports of several injuries from this shooting. There is at least one patient being transported to the hospital.
We are also getting reports of victims in the Battle Simulation Center on 65th and Warehouse.
The suspect is still at large. The shooter was said to be in building 33026 which is the Medical Brigade Building.
Reports have said that he was driving a gray Toyota, described as a white male in an Army Combat Uniform, and carrying a .45 handgun.
Fort Hood has been put on lockdown.
Central Texas College has been evacuated only as a precaution.

These are all preliminary reports.

Again.  Injuries reported including one with chest wound and shooter still "active."  And an evacuation near post.  Theories focus on warning, just yesterday, of a recruit, not missint, vowing "jihad" against soldiers. But might just be coincidence.  Local TV coverage live:http://www.kcentv.com/story/25146842/reports-of-shooting-on-fort-hood
 Reports of a Shooting on Fort Hood

Posted: Apr 02, 2014 5:32 PM EST Updated: Apr 02, 2014 5:58 PM EST 

(KCEN) -- We have reports of an active shooter on Fort Hood.
We have reports that there are several injuries from this shooting. There is at least one patient being transported to the hospital.
We are also getting reports of victims in the Battle Simulation Center on 65th and Warehouse.
The suspect is still at large. The shooter was said to be in building 33026 which is the Medical Brigade Building.
Fort Hood has been put on lockdown.

These are all preliminary reports.

Fort Hood Goes On Lockdown After Reports Of Shooting

by Eyder Peralta

April 02, 2014 6:27 PM ET

Fort Hood is under a shelter-in-place order after a shooting at the Texas Army base.
that there had been a shooting that resulted in injuries.

Credit: Alyson Hurt

"Emergency crews are on the scene," the base said. "No further details are know at this time."
The 1st Cavalry Division that personnel "should shelter in place immediately, close doors and stay away from windows."
The AP reports that Fort Hood confirmed there had been a shooting on the base and a number of injuries.
Fort Hood was the scene of a mass shooting in 2009, where thirteen people were killed and more than 30 were wounded. it was "the deadliest attack on a domestic military installation in history."
This is a breaking news story. We'll update once we know more. And like we always tell you when stories such as this are developing, information may come in that later turns out to have been incorrect. We'll do our best to sort through what's out there and reliable and update as need.
Update at 6:45 p.m. ET. Shooting On Base:
:

"There has been a shooting at Fort Hood and injuries are reported. Emergency crews are on the scene. No further details are know at this time."

Update at 6:41 p.m. ET. Lots Of Police Activity:
During its live broadcast, KCEN-TV showed police vehicles streaming into the base. An eyewitness told the station that a helicopter was flying over the base and he had counted tens of ambulances and police vehicles as well as a Swat team.

 

Fort Hood is under a shelter-in-place order after reports of a shooting at the Texas Army base.
The 1st Cavalry Division that personnel "should shelter in place immediately, close doors and stay away from windows."
Fort Hood was
This is a breaking news story. We'll update once we know more.

Fort Hood: “Shelter in place” order after shooting

• By Mark Berman

• April 2 at 6:12 pm

The Fort Hood military installation in Texas is locked down after a shooting that left at least four people dead and injured an unknown number, according to authorities.
Four people were killed, according to government officials. It’s unclear at this moment if the four dead includes the shooter, who officials have confirmed was killed, but that number is believed to include the shooter.
Fort Hood, which remained locked down at 8 p.m., reported that there were multiple injuries after the shooting. However, Fort Hood officials said the number of people injured had not been confirmed.
There are believed to be 14 people injured in the shooting, according to law enforcement officials.
David Ross, a Fort Hood official, said the site is fully locked down and “completely sealed” as they search every building.
“There is a confirmed shooting that occurred,” Ross said. “We’re still trying to identify what we have.”
A Fort Hood soldier briefed on the shooting said it reportedly took place at or near a medical facility on post.
Fort Hood’s Web site is urging people to shelter in place immediately, something followed up by this tweet.
The base was the site of a shooting in 2009 that ultimately killed 13 people and wounded another 32, the worst mass murder at a military installation in U.S. history. Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death last year for the shooting after being found guilty of premeditated and attempted premeditated murder.
Speaking in Chicago, President Obama said his administration was following the shooting closely.
“I want to just assure all of us we are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened,” he said, according to the pool report. “We’re heartbroken something like this might have happened again.”
This post has been updated. First posted: 6:12 p.m. 
Ernesto Londoño, Philip Rucker, Adam Goldman and Sari Horwitz contributed to this report.

kcentv.com – KCEN HD – Waco, Temple, and Killeen The Fort Hood military base in Texas is locked down after a confirmed shooting at the installation.
Multiple people are injured at Fort Hood after a shooting, but it’s unclear how many people were injured, said Marcine Folsom, a public service officer with the Bell County Sheriff’s Department.
“The person, as far as we know, is still at large,” Folsom said.
Fort Hood’s Web site is urging people to shelter in place immediately, something followed up by this tweet.
The base was the site of a shooting in 2009 that ultimately killed 13 people and wounded another 32, the worst mass murder at a military installation in U.S. history.

kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

http://www.kcentv.com/story/25146842/reports-of-shooting-on-fort-hood

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/04/02/298401578/fort-hood-goes-on-lockdown-after-reports-of-shooting

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/04/02/fort-hood-shelter-in-place-order-amid-reports-of-shooting/?wpisrc=al_national 

HEY AMÉRIQUE ET LE CANADA! NE PAS ACHETER KOCH BROTHERS PRODUITS 30MAR14

(Dans la bande dessinée au-dessus du médecin est dit "Le problème semble être un cas grave de Koch-Rot)
Si vous êtes conscient de la façon dont le mal les frères Koch sont que vous apprécierez sûrement ce. Si vous ne savez pas comment mal les frères Koch sont que vous pouvez vous instruire en faisant une recherche (des frères Koch) sur ce blog. Voici une liste de leurs produits pour éviter d'acheter autant que possible. Partagez cette information avec tout le monde vous le pouvez. Nous avons également besoin de partager avec nos amis canadiens, car le mal de les frères Koch empire se répand au Canada, mais ils ont le temps de les arrêter avant qu'ils ne deviennent à retranché, je l'espère ... partageons avec nos amis canadiens, et vérifier ce que les Kochs sont en hausse dans le Grand Nord ......
bitumineux de l'Alberta SANDS, CANADA, frères Koch, PROJET DE LOI C-23 FAIR LOI ÉLECTORALE, LA CORRUPTION ET DÉMOCRATIE 21MAR14 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/ ... et
Ne pas porter atteinte à Élections Canada et La vraie raison Cons Vous voulez Museau Élections Canada 11 & 13MAR14 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/ ... .....

Voici une liste de produits Koch.
Koch Brothers et Koch Industries de: http://kstreet607.com/ ...

Koch Industrie Essence:
Chevron
Union
Union 76
Conoco
Koch Industrie / Invista produits: Comforel ouate ® tissu COOLMAX ® CORDURA ® Dacron ® fibre Polyshield ® résine SOLARMAX tissu ® SOMERELLE produits de literie ® STAINMASTER tapis ® SUPPLEX ® tissu TACTEL ® fibre fibre TACTESSE ® tapis Terate ® polyols TERATHANE ® polyétherglycol THERMOLITE tissu ® PHENREZ résine ® POLARGUARD fibre ® et LYCRA ® fibre
Koch Industrie / Produits Georgia-Pacific: ange papier toilette doux serviettes en papier charnus plaques Dixie, bols, serviettes et gobelets serviettes et serviettes de mardi gras Quilted Northern papier toilette doux 'n doux Papier toilettes serviettes Sparkle Vanity Fair serviettes serviettes Zee
produits Géorgie construction Pacifique: Dense Armure de cloisons sèches et de terrasse ToughArmor panneaux de gypse Georgia Pacific Plytanium contreplaqué FlexRock DensGlass gainage plâtres G / P industriels (certains produits utilisés par un grand nombre d'artisans) - Plâtre agricole Arts & Crafts Plâtre Plâtre dentaire General Purpose Plâtre de gypse renforcé de verre (GRG), etc
 Voici quelques liens pour poster sur ce blog les frères Koch, il ya beaucoup plus si vous faites une search http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/public-school-resegregation-loses.html 
 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/cancer-risk-for-koch-profits-from-brave.html http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/cancer-risk-for-koch-profits-from-brave.html http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-do-koch-brothers-want-to-end-public.html http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/uygur-did-david-koch-buy-paul-ryan-vp.html http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/brave-new-foundation-beyond-bars-us.html http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com
/2014/03/essay-anatomy-of-deep-state-21feb14.html

HEY AMERICA AND CANADA! DON'T BUY KOCH BROTHERS PRODUCTS 30MAR14

IF you are aware of how evil the koch brothers are you will probably appreciate this. If you don't know how evil the koch brothers are you can get educated by doing a search (koch brothers) on this blog. Here is a list of their products to avoid buying whenever possible. Share this information with everyone you can. We also need to share with our Canadian friends because the evil of the koch brothers empire is spreading to Canada, but they have time to stop them before they become to entrenched, hopefully...Share with our Canadian friends, and check out what the kochs are up to in the Great White North......
ALBERTA TAR SANDS, CANADA, KOCH BROTHERS, BILL C-23 FAIR ELECTIONS ACT, CORRUPTION & DEMOCRACY 21MAR14 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/... and
Don’t undermine Elections Canada & The Real Reason the Cons Want to Muzzle Elections Canada 11&13MAR14
http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/... .....

Here is a list of Koch products.
Koch Brothers and Koch Industries from:
http://kstreet607.com/...

Koch Industry Gasoline:
Chevron
Union
Union 76
Conoco
Koch Industry/Invista Products:
COMFOREL® fiberfill
COOLMAX® fabric
CORDURA® fabric
DACRON® fiber
POLYSHIELD® resin
SOLARMAX® fabric
SOMERELLE® bedding products
STAINMASTER® carpet
SUPPLEX® fabric
TACTEL® fiber
TACTESSE® carpet fiber
TERATE® polyols
TERATHANE® polyether glycol
THERMOLITE® fabric
PHENREZ® resin
POLARGUARD® fiber and
LYCRA® fiber
Koch Industry/Georgia-Pacific Products:
Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft ‘n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia Pacific Building products:
Dense Armor Drywall and Decking
ToughArmor Gypsum board
Georgia pacific Plytanium Plywood
Flexrock
Densglass sheathing
G/P Industrial plasters (some products used by a lot of crafters)-
Agricultural Plaster
Arts & Crafts Plaster
Dental Plaster
General Purpose Plaster
Glass-reinforced Gypsum (GRG),etc.
Here's just a few links to post on this blog about the koch brothers, there's plenty more if you do a search
http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/public-school-resegregation-loses.html

http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/cancer-risk-for-koch-profits-from-brave.html

http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/cancer-risk-for-koch-profits-from-brave.html

http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-do-koch-brothers-want-to-end-public.html

http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/uygur-did-david-koch-buy-paul-ryan-vp.html

http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/brave-new-foundation-beyond-bars-us.html

http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/essay-anatomy-of-deep-state-21feb14.html

Daily Kos Recommended 22-29MAR14

•  
• Surprise brewing in Texas?


• Ben Folds pulls ad from “scary as hell” Rush Limbaugh


• $10-an-hour wages, benefits, promotions. And it’s a burger chain.


• John Oliver’s new show spoofs Republican hipster guy


• Christie gets hit with first town-hall question about Bridgegate


• CNN’s Headline News channel asks psychic to weigh in on missing plane


• Scott Olsen settles for $4.5 million in Occupy Oakland shooting


• Social Security already hit by the austerity squeeze


• The expert predicts 6.22 million Obamacare enrollments
• • Nathan Phelps issues statement on the death of his father
  
  
  • Koch power raised gasoline prices by 40 cents a gallon overnight
  
  
  • Conservative book sales plummeting
  
  
  • She couldn't stop crying and hugging everyone in sight. . .
  
  
  • RANT: Why they're telling us we already lost in November
  
  
  • NOT SAFE FOR WORK: Charlie Pierce's rant to the odious Bill Kristol is a thing of awesome beauty
  
  
  • Several facts about Scott Greenberg, the GOP's new "hipster" in those creepy ads
  
  
  • Cartoon: Animal Nuz #192
  
  
  • Drudge debunked on, what else, Obamacare
  
  
  • Voracious rootworms evolve, overcoming genetically engineered corn when farmers defied scientists
  
  
  • MUST SEE: Bill Maher explains the power of language framing and how Democrats can use it
  
  
  • Cartoon: The surveillance society: a look back
  • • IRS chief tells Issa's Oversight Committee to go eff itself
    
    
    • Calm, cool, and collected, President Obama schools ABC reporter during press conference at the Hague
    
    
    • Major victory today in prayer lawsuit!
    
    
    • Not the headline Mitch wanted
    
    
    • Cartoon: G.O.P. youth outreach
    
    
    • Jon Stewart explains Hobby Lobby's idiotic anti-Obamacare rationale
    
    
    • House Republicans prove hatred of America with 'No More Parks' bill
    
    
    • ACA: ‘Let's just say I'm not complaining anymore’
    
    
    • Poll: Keep Obamacare, fix it, and shut up about it!
    
    
    • Kansas moves to make miscarriages an investigation event and defund Planned Parenthood
    
    
    • Hobby Lobby: Does RFRA violate the Establishment Clause?
    • • Papantonio: Hobby Lobby Is DOA
      
      
      • Probably not the headlines Chris Christie was hoping for
      
      
      • And the first state to pass a $10.10 minimum wage is...
      
      
      • Cartoon: Religious Liberty for Corporations
      
      
      • Cartoon: Monkey business....
      
      
      • Chris Hayes tries to deal with a boatload of Koch crazy
      
      
      • Democrats' $60 million codename "Bannock Street Project" set to destroy Kochs and Goposaurs in 2014
      
      
      • Ohio auto-dealers score victory in Tesla battle
      •  
       
    • 'I had nowhere to go'--Man loses wife and mother because another man couldn't wait
    • Message fatigue dooms Rush Limbaugh's business model
    • First doctor visit in five years: Why Republicans want us broke or dead
    • Rumsfeld charges that Obama isn't as good as a 'trained ape' on Afghanistan
    • Walmart manager: 'They don’t have enough people to get the job done'
    • Cartoon: Public comment
    • National Review: Black children have 'weak impulse control' compared to white children
    • SCOTUS: Hobby Lobby oral argument, first takes
    • You go right ahead, GOP, and scorn every woman in America. Good luck with that.
    • Christiegate: NJ's largest newspaper calls internal review ‘baloney’
    • Albuquerque Police fatally shoot homeless man found camping in desert area illegally
    • Cartoon: Clues scarce in search for news
    •  
    • Billionaire leaves Gov. Rick Scott's re-election campaign after racist incident
    • Petition to allow Alaska to rejoin Russia garners 17,000 signatures
    • Eugene Robinson take down Paul Ryan
    • RANT: Keep your religion out of my bloody life
    • Washington Post blog prints heartbreaking letter from teacher
    • JPMorgan Chase refuses to process payments for women entrepreneurs' condom company
    • Cartoon: The NRA interviews Surgeon General candidates
    • Did Rand Paul just accuse Barack Obama of being 'not black enough?'
    • Something weird came in the mail today
    • Jon Stewart rips NRA for blocking Obama's Surgeon General nominee
    • Republican Senate hopeful forged a Navy memo to defend landing his crippled spy plane in China
    • Former U.S. president said he uses snail mail to talk to foreign leaders for privacy
     
    
  • Out-of-context joke sparks Twitter campaign to cancel Colbert
  • Bridget Anne Kelly strikes back: Christie is "venomous and sexist"
  • "Staunch" Republican: Obamacare works!
  • Tears follow free NHS treatment in England
  • Christie's trashing of Bridget Kelly speaks volumes about Chris Christie
  • Virginia Christian school forces eight-year-old girl to leave because she looks too much like a boy
  • The Hobby Lobby slippery slope
  • WH Twitter stuffs 6M Obamacare signup numbers in GOP's FACE!
  • MUST SEE: Bill Maher calls on Democrats to stand up and DEFEND Obamacare