USCCB: "We fear the human and social costs of substantial cuts to programs that serve families working to escape poverty, especially food and nutrition, child development and education, and affordable housing. We also fear the costs of undermining international assistance which is an essential tool to promote human life and dignity, advance solidarity with poorer … Continue reading Catholic Bishops Fear the Human and Social Costs of GOP Budget Cuts
Americans with Disabilities Act: 21 years later
Sen. Tom Harkin: "Today, we mark the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark bipartisan legislation that has played a huge role in making our country more accessible, in raising the expectations of people with disabilities and their families about what they can hope to achieve at work and in … Continue reading Americans with Disabilities Act: 21 years later
Speaker Boehner’s New Proposal Could Produce Greatest Increase in Poverty and Hardship of Any Law in Modern U.S. History
Robert Greenstein: "In short, the Boehner plan would force policymakers to choose among cutting the incomes and health benefits of ordinary retirees, repealing the guts of health reform and leaving an estimated 34 million more Americans uninsured, and savaging the safety net for the poor. It would do so even as it shielded all tax … Continue reading Speaker Boehner’s New Proposal Could Produce Greatest Increase in Poverty and Hardship of Any Law in Modern U.S. History
Somalis flee famine along ‘roads of death’
Washington Post: "Tens of thousands of Somalis, mostly women and children, are on the move, fleeing the worst famine in a generation in this Horn of Africa nation. Resilient Somalis have endured two decades of civil war and two consecutive seasons of failed rains. Now, after their livestock and crops have died, and with their … Continue reading Somalis flee famine along ‘roads of death’
At Least 80 Are Dead in Norway Shooting
NY Times: "Norway suffered dual attacks on Friday when powerful explosions shook the government center here and, shortly after, a gunman stalked youths at an island summer camp for young members of the governing Labor Party. The police arrested a Norwegian in connection with both attacks, which killed at least 87 people and stunned this … Continue reading At Least 80 Are Dead in Norway Shooting
Goran Hadzic captured in northern Serbia
BBC: "Serbian authorities say they have arrested Goran Hadzic, the last remaining fugitive sought by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Mr Hadzic, 52, is wanted for atrocities committed in the 1991-1995 war in Croatia."
Why a balanced-budget amendment is too risky
Norman J. Ornstein: "The Republican proposal would cap spending each year at 18 percent of gross domestic product. Because the formula is based on a previous year’s economy, it would mean, according to Republican economist Don Marron, a cap of more like 16.7 percent of GDP. This in turn means that the House-passed budget proposed … Continue reading Why a balanced-budget amendment is too risky
DFLA Board Member Steve Schneck takes on Paul Ryan
Steve Schneck: "At the beginning of life, Medicaid also pays for about one-third of all births in America. Maybe you know a scared young mom who needed such help. If you are pro-life, like me you realize what support for these births can mean. Or maybe, like I do, you have a friend who lost … Continue reading DFLA Board Member Steve Schneck takes on Paul Ryan
G.O.P.’s No-Tax Stance Is Outside Political Mainstream
Nate Silver: "Much to the chagrin of many Democrats, the mix of spending cuts and tax increases that Mr. Obama is offering is quite close to, or perhaps even a little to the right of, what the average Republican voter wants, let alone the average American. However, all but 7 Republicans in the House of … Continue reading G.O.P.’s No-Tax Stance Is Outside Political Mainstream
The death penalty and the costs of an obsession
EJ Dionne: "The unseemly love affair some American politicians have with the death penalty is bad for justice and bad for our country’s standing in the world. It inflicts a wholly unnecessary moral stain on a nation that rightly preaches the rule of law to everyone else."
The Whole Life Democrat 