Las 12 campanadas del carillón del Kremlin marcaron la llegada del 2012 en Moscú. Rusia y otros países del mundo celebran el Año Nuevo con brindis con champán y los mejores deseos para este nuevo año.
Miles de moscovitas le dieron la bienvenida al año nuevo desde el corazón de la capital y el mayor lugar de interés capitalino, la Plaza Roja. Allí se encuentra la torre Spásskaya coronada por el reloj principal de Moscú.
Algunos ciudadanos pudieron celebrar la llegada del año patinando en la pista instalada en el medio de la plaza, acompañados por buena música.
Además de moscovitas, también participaron en la celebración muchos turistas tanto de otros países como de otros puntos de Rusia, como Siberia y el Oriente Lejano. Toda la gente presente gozó de un tiempo inusualmente 'cálido': hacía 1 grado y había muy poca nieve.
El presidente de Rusia, Dmitri Medvédev, arengó por cuarta vez a los ciudadanos del país con un mensaje tradicional con motivo de la llegada del año 2012, en el que se elegirá a su sucesor.
El discurso de fue retransmitido por varios canales de televisión y emisoras de radio a la medianoche de la zona horaria respectiva —del total de las nueve con las que cuenta el vasto territorio federal— en la que se entra en el nuevo año.
Las fuerzas navales de Irán tienen previsto ampliar su presencia en las aguas internacionales, según anunció el jefe de la Armada iraní Habibola Sayyari. "No vamos a violar la frontera de cualquier país, pero estamos listos a ampliar nuestra presencia en las aguas internacionales dentro del derecho internacional, lo que ya ha sido anunciado por nuestro líder (ayatolá Seyyed Alí Hoseiní Jameneí)".
La Armada de Irán actualmente está llevando a cabo grandes ejercicios militares en el Océano Índico. La última, actual fase de los ejercicios, según el almirante del país persa Mahmud Musavi, "es preparar a la Marina para enfrentarse al enemigo en una situación de guerra".
Recientemente las autoridades iraníes amenazaron con bloquear el estrecho de Ormuz, un punto inevitable para la exportación de un 40% del crudo mundial que se transporta por vía marítima, en caso de que los países europeos aprueben el embargo a la importación de petróleo iraní.
Apocalipsis... El fin del mundo... o el día del juicio final... Lo llaman de diferentes maneras y cada profeta cree que conoce qué, cómo y cuándo ocurrirá... Unos predicen que la Tierra será absorbida por un agujero negro o colisionará con un misterioso planeta llamado Nibiru. Otros encuentran pruebas en el calendario Maya, pero todos están de acuerdo con una cosa: el mundo se acaba en el 2012.
Un científico que investiga Nibiru, que supuestamente descubierto por los sumerios, descarta que este planeta choque con la Tierra. Evgueni Uniyko explica, que "no es una leyenda, es un hecho sobre el que se escribieron muchas crónicas".
"Nibiru es uno de los planetas de nuestro sistema solar. Hace unos 40.000 años un torbellino lanzó este planeta muy lejos de nuestra órbita. En el año 2012 nos espera un cataclismo parecido. El planeta Nibiru no causará ningún daño a la Tierra. Nuestro planeta pasará por un torbellino similar".
Sin embargo, el investigador deja pocas razones para alegrarse por el año nuevo. Según su opinión, nuestra civilización podría extinguirse dentro de un lustro.
El dirigente del Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), Juan Manuel Mercado, pidió redoblar los esfuerzos por la liberación de los presos políticos boricuas que están en cárceles de Estados Unidos.
El nombre particular que mencionó fue el de Oscar López Rivera, quien lleva encerrado más de 30 años por "sedición". En 1980 fue acusado de intentar derribar el Gobierno estadounidense en Puerto Rico y fue sentenciado a 70 años de prisión.
"Ningún preso político en EE. UU. o en el mundo, ha estado tanto tiempo encarcelado", afirmó Mercado. En su opinión, la excarcelación de López Rivera es una cuestión básica de justicia. Según denuncias, en la cárcel el preso es sometido a torturas y aislamiento.
Mercado planea presentar su candidatura a comisionado en el Congreso estadounidense en las elecciones de noviembre de 2012. Pidió a los otros candidatos a que se sumen a los reclamos de liberación del prisionero político boricua: "Con el apoyo, el entusiasmo y el compromiso de todos, estoy seguro de que traeremos en el 2012 a Oscar López Rivera a su patria".
Tras aprobar una ley estableciendo que todo ciudadano estadounidense sospechoso de terrorismo, capturado dentro o fuera del país, permanezca bajo custodia militar, Estados Unidos no se duerme en los laureles. Representantes del partido republicano quieren ir más allá y admiten su apoyo a la idea de ejecutar a ciudadanos estadounidenses sin juicio previo por las mismas sospechas y lanzar ataques militares contra otros países sin autorización del Congreso. Estas opiniones surgen de una encuesta del diario The New York Times.
El sondeo mostró que casi todos los precandidatos republicanos (Newt Gingrich, Jon M. Huntsman Jr., Rick Perry y Mitt Romney) afirman que el presidente de EE. UU. debe tener mandatos casi ilimitados para situaciones de emergencia. Solo Ron Paul cree en algunas limitaciones del poder presidencial, inclinándose un poco hacia el lado liberal. Todos los precandidatos también convergieron en su aprobación de la política de uso expansivo de 'drones' que lleva a cabo la administración Obama.
En caso de que estas medidas se hagan realidad, violarían los derechos civiles de los ciudadanos. Así opina Eladio José Armesto, vicedecano del Colegio de Periodistas Cubano-americanos. "Los miembros del partido republicano están siguiendo el curso equivocado de George W. Bush, quien pensaba que se podía actuar por encima de la Constitución. La Constitución garantiza a todos los ciudadanos de EE. UU. el derecho a ser sometidos a un juicio antes de la sentencia y la presunción de inocencia", destaca el vicedecano. Según su punto de vista, con estas afirmaciones los precandidatos buscan apoyo de los sectores más extremistas del partido y de la ciudadanía.
Los republicanos apuestan por un presidente de EE. UU. con 'superpoderes'
La reacción de los medios estadounidenses al informe de la Cancillería rusa sobre la violación de derechos humanos en el mundo, es "producto de los prejuicios que hay sobre Rusia", según opinan varios especialistas; entre ellos el analista político Lajos Szaszdi, entrevistado por RT.
Varios medios de información estadounidenses consideraron que las acusaciones de Rusia a EE. UU. por la violación de derechos humanos son inoportunas. Algunos calificaron el recién publicado informe del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Rusia como una venganza por la declaración de la secretaria de Estado, Hillary Clinton, que dijo que las elecciones parlamentarias no fueron libres.
Por otro lado, "contraatacar" es más fácil que "aceptar sus faltas"; por eso la reacción de los medios occidentales es esperada, explicó Lajos Szaszdi en la entrevista concedida a RT. El problema es que las acusaciones por violaciones de derechos humanos en EE. UU. "tienen fundamento". Por ejemplo, en lo que se refiere a las deficiencias del proceso judicial o la cárcel de Guantánamo que sigue abierta a pesar de las promesas del presidente Barak Obama y la práctica de torturas.
Derechos humanos en EE. UU. : reacción a informe ruso es "producto del prejuicio"
Los observadores de la Liga Árabe, que en la víspera llegaron a Siria, y tras recorrer algunos sectores de la ciudad de Homs, afirmaron que "hay esperanzas" de que la situación en ese país no sea tan grave como se esperaba.
"Hay algunos sectores (de Homs) donde la situación no es buena. Pero hay señales de esperanza (...) y no se han registrado enfrentamientos", dijo el jefe de la misión, el general sudanés Mohamed Ahmad Mustafa Dabi.
"Ayer todo estaba en silencio. No vimos ningún tanque, pero sí algunos vehículos blindados. Fue el primer día, tenemos que investigar todo, y vamos a permanecer aquí por mucho tiempo", indicó Dabi, quien además mencionó que se han percibido signos de violaciones de los derechos humanos, pero no han podido determinar si fueron cometidos por las autoridades o por grupos terroristas.
Experta: Oposición intenta influir en informe de la misión de la Liga Árabe
Para numerosos españoles, algunos de los cuales no reciben ninguna asistencia del Estado y en el mejor de los casos son apoyados solamente por sus familiares, las fiestas de Año Nuevo tienen un sabor amargo. Sin poder pagar su hipoteca, muchos se enfrentan a un desahucio inminente.
Luis Domínguez es uno de tantos: es discapacitado, tiene 74 años y se enfrenta a un desalojo. Éste es su triste balance de fin de año.
Su carrera de empresario del sector de la construcción se quedó reducida a la nada tras estallar la crisis. Sin pensión ni ayudas sociales, por las cuales se ve obligado a luchar en los tribunales, no puede hacer frente al pago de una hipoteca de 200.000 dólares que en su día contrajo con el banco. El motivo, por el que un juez decretó el desahucio de su vivienda.
Año Nuevo en la calle: la crisis deja sin techo a los españoles
Lo más interesante y atractivo de Rusia lo presentamos en nuestro programa "LA LISTA DE ERICK". Erick, un personaje de idiosincrasia latinoamericana llega a Rusia para descubrir el país tal como es, sin prejuicios. Vamos a revelar todos los detalles y secretos que suelen quedar detrás de las cámaras. Les invitamos a cumplir junto a Erick las tareas de su lista pasando por situaciones misteriosas, divertidas, riesgosas e inesperadas que nos lleva la aventura.
En medio de una escalada de tensión entre Irán y EE. UU, la República Islámica ha anunciado que en el marco de las maniobras navales en el estratégico Estrecho de Ormuz disparará misiles de largo alcance.
"La Armada iraní probará varios tipos de sus misiles, incluyendo misiles de largo alcance, en el Golfo Pérsico este sábado", ha informado el almirante Mahmoud Mousavi, subrayando que "el fuego de misiles es la parte final de la perforación marina que busca prepararla para enfrentar al enemigo en situaciones extremas".
De esta manera, la República Islámica busca mostrar su poderío, teniendo en cuenta el aviso por parte de EE. UU. e Israel, que aseguraron que no descartan una acción militar en contra de Irán en caso de que la diplomacia fracase en resolver una disputa sobre las actividades nucleares de Teherán
Irán lanza misiles de largo alcance en las maniobras en Ormuz
El Banco Central de España marcó una tendencia negativa en todos los índices económicos sin especificar los datos concretos. En su informe anual, la entidad indica que los datos recogidos hasta el momento no se han analizado plenamente.
El primero que anteriormente informó del deterioro fue el ministro de Economía, Luis de Gindos, quien vaticinó que el PIB de España en el cuarto trimestre perdería del 0,2 al 0,3 % en comparación con el segundo trimestre. En el tercer trimestre, la economía española se estancó y la contracción económica que dura al menos dos meses consecutivos se considera en sí una recesión.
Los altibajos de la economía española están incluidos entre los 10 principales riesgos del próximo año, según Deutsche Bank. Los expertos pronosticaron graves amenazas para el sector privado y el sistema bancario. Y en el caso de una recesión a gran escala en el país el Banco Central Europeo tendrá que empezar a emprender acciones agresivas, según los analistas.
Economista: La gente sabe que le están robando la cartera
El 2011 quedó marcado por una amplia ola de protestas sociales que se iniciaron en Europa y se extendieron a EE. UU. La invasión militar de la OTAN en Libia terminó con la muerte violenta de Gaddafi, un hecho que generó debates sobre el derecho internacional. Y la integración latinoamericana se consolidó con el nacimiento de la CELAC
Detrás de la noticia : Acontecimientos que estremecieron al mundo
Thom debates his conservative guests about the extension of the payroll tax cut, China implementing trade tariffs on American cars, and Ron Paul's stance in the Republican Presidential nominee race.
Lone Liberal Rumble - Tax Cuts & $10,000 Bets
Heather Cirmo,Conservative Strategist & Kris Ullman, Close Up Foundation join Thom Hartmann. for the Republicans were given a chance to help the middle class yesterday and pass a clean extension of the payroll tax cut. But instead - they helped big oil and coal barons. So now we're back to square one. So why are Republicans incapable of doing what's right for the 99%. I'll ask my panel in tonight's Lone Liberal Rumble. Plus - Here's a newsflash to the Free Traders - we're already in a trade war with China - and China is winning. Today - China's Commerce Ministry announced a slew of brand new trade tariffs on American auto manufacturers. So the real question here has to be...Why aren't we protecting our domestic industries here in the US the same way the Chinese protect theirs in China?? Why do they get to be smart and we are stuck being stupid? Time to just drop out of the WTO and all these so-called Free Trade Agreements, right?? And - A new poll by Public Policy Polling shows Ron Paul in second place in Iowa - just one point behind Gingrich.
Is this Don Siegelman's last stand?
Governor Don Siegelman, 51st Governor of Alabama joins Thom Hartmann. Tonight - we have the latest news on the ongoing saga of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. As a Democrat - Siegelman was a political force in Alabama - he was the only man in history to hold the top four seats in the Alabama government - serving as the Secretary of State - the Attorney General - the Lieutenant Governor - and finally as Governor from 1999 until 2003. Then - everything went wrong. In 2004 - Siegelman was indicted on corruption - and in 2006 he was convicted on those charges and sentenced to 7-years in prison. But it soon became obvious that Siegelman didn't commit any crimes - that instead - his only offense was being a Democrat - and being on top of a political hit list made by Karl Rove. And ever since - Siegelman has been fighting for his innocence and trying to expose the truth
Brokeback Iceberg - A Penguin Love Triangle
Is there a progressive challenge to Obama now?
Rocky Anderson, 2012 Presidential Candidate-The Justice Party joins Thom Hartmann. Sadly - the circus freak show that would have been the Donald Trump debate has been cancelled. Every single Republican in the race - except for Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum - declined the Donald's invite - essentially forcing him to cancel. But - as the Donald normally does - rather than fess up that he might have jumped the shark this time - or that he doesn't have as much pull as he thinks he does - Trump is pretending again he may run for President. But as Trump goes on his "it's all about me, me, me" tour - there's an ACTUAL third party candidate jumping in the race this week. And that's Rocky Anderson - the former Mayor of Salt Lake City - who is now running for President on the Justice Party ticket. He joins me now to talk more about his candidacy and what the Justice Party is.
Who is winning the corporate personhood battle?
David Cobb, Move to Amend joins Thom Hartmann. Thanks to the Occupy Wall Street movement - corporate personhood - something I wrote a book about a decade ago when no one knew what the heck I was talking about - is now a topic EVERYONE is talking about. This month - the City Council of Los Angeles unanimously passed a resolution calling on Congress to amend the Constitution and strip corporations of their personhood. Other cities and counties have taken similar actions including Boulder, Colorado - Missoula, Montana - Madison, Wisconsin - Dane County, Wisconsin - and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And now Democrats in Congress have introduced several amendments tackling corporate personhood. Most recently - Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont introduced an amendment to the constituion overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling - and saying that corporations are not people - and money is not speech. It's the first Constitutional Amendment introduced by Senator Sanders in two decades in office. So where do we the ACTUAL people stand today in the battle against corporate personhood?
The Good, The Bad, and the Very, Very Diversivolently Ugly
The Good! TIME magazine. TIME named its 2011 "Person of the Year" to be the protester. The Bad! Christine O'Donnell. The "I'm not a witch" Republican Senate candidate from Delaware is trying to soak up the last fifteen minutes of fame - going on CNN this morning to defend her endorsement of Mitt Romney for President. O'Donnell trumpeted praise on Mitt saying he is, "consistent." And the very, very ugly...Chuck E. Cheese. According to the San Francisco Chronicle - nine Chuck E. Cheese restaurants in the Bay Area have been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor for violating federal child labor laws.
Do I Fear Big Government? But wait...there's more!
Christmas came early for Conservatives who hate government. This week - a new Gallup Poll came out showing 64% of Americans fear "Big Government." So needless to say - GOP TV - a.k.a Fox so-called News jumped on the story and plastered it across their airwaves all day long. In fact - I was invited on the Fox Business Channel to talk about it. And I actually agreed - I fear big government too...at least the sort of big government George W. Bush and Republicans brought us. But wait...there's more! Republicans missed what this Gallup Poll really pointed out about Big Business & labor.
Full Show 12/13/11: House and Senate agree on Defense Spending Bill
Thom breaks down the bigger picture of the GOP's support of the defense
spending bill and how it only benefits the wealthy one percent of the nation.
120 billion rebuilding Iraq or give 62 million poor kids health insurance?
We've spent 120 billion rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan...what could that 120 billion bought for us here in America? Instead - we could have bough six and a half thousand schools in America.
Or - we could have built more than 9,000 new hospitals.
Or - we could have given 62 million poor kids health insurance for a year.
Or - we could have given 15 million kids a one year scholarship to go to college.
Or - we could have converted 52 million homes to solar power.
We the American people need to remind these guys exactly who they work for....and what the values of this nation are. Give their office a call and tell them if we can afford to rebuild Iraq - we can afford to rebuild America - not just our roads and infrastructure...but our values too.
Time to get the oil & coal barons out of our politics
Anthony Swift, NRDC joins Thom Hartmann. Not only did real solutions fail to come out of the UN climate talks in Durbin last week - but Canada announced today that it is dropping out of the Kyoto treaty. Of course - the United States was never in it. But more disturbing news came out about the environment from the insurance company Swiss Re - the world's second biggest reinsurer. According to a new report - 2011 was the second costliest year for natural disasters in the history of the world. From freak mile-wide tornadoes in the U.S. - the flooding of biblical proportions in Australia and Thailand - to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami - insurers are dealing with over $100 billion in wild-weather claims. And today - Republicans are making sure that global warming induced freak weather continues. In the House of Representatives today - Republicans passed their version of the payroll tax cut extension - complete with two poison pills for our environment. One - the fast track approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline - which will ship highly toxic tar sand sludge oil from Canada down to oil barons in Texas - has been referred to as a "ticking time bomb" for the environment. And two - repeal of new regulations on how much pollution coal plants can spew into the air
GOP's love affair with Dr. Strange...Newt
Richard Eskow, Campaign for America's Future joins Thom Hartmann. And Newt Gringrich seems to have become the GOP flavor of the month rather than just the flavor of the week - but are Respublicans really ready to make the strangest candidate in the race their nominee for the White House? Republican Presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich doesn't just want to throw you in jail for smoking pot - he wants to kill you!
Police...drones, lasers and tasers...on US citizens?
Joshua Holland, AlterNet joins Thom Hartmann. High tech weapons meant to combat pirate ships on the open seas may be coming to a street corner protest near you
Crazy Alert! Meet the 1% Cat
The Good, The Bad, and the Very Very Retrorsely Ugly
The Good! The Broward County Commission. Today - the Florida county will take on the issue of Chertoff x-ray porno scanners in airports - and consider banning the use of the body scanners at their primary airport - Fort Lauderdale International Airport. The Bad! Mitt Romney. Trailing badly in the polls to Newt Gingrich - Romney is now using his secret weapon...outright lies. And the very, very ugly...World Net Daily. If there was any doubt that the right wing propaganda machine that calls itself "news" - wasn't actually news - that doubt has disappeared
It's now illegal to know what's in your food
Todd Tucker, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch joins Thom Hartmann. Put down that fork! Do you now what's REALLY on your dinner plate? Well - it's becoming increasingly difficult for you to find out and there may be very little our lawmakers can do about it. Do you know what's in your dinner? Chances are...you probably don't. That's because recent rulings by the World Trade Organization have made it harder and harder for Americans to know if what they're eating is safe - and exactly where it came from. For example - last month - the the WTO struck down a law passed by Congress and signed by the President in 2008 had required labels on all meat so that we know what country the cattle was born, raised, and slaughtered in. Think about that for a second - laws passed by our elected Representatives are being struck down by foreign bureacrats and corporations through the World Trade Organization. Also this year - the WTO struck down dolphin-safe tuna labels - arguing that it would do economic harm to foreign fishing fleets that slaughter dolphins in the process of catching tuna. So why is this? Why is it suddenly illegal for us to know more about what's in the food we eat? And why are we as a nation bending at the will of the WTO?
Liar, Liar...are Politifact's pants on fire?
Why is Politifact going to bat for Paul Ryan - and naming the Democrats' claim that he and his colleagues voted to end Medicare as one of the year's biggest lies?
Full Show 12/12/11 Occupy the Ports & Occupy the Tea Party
Thom gets the latest developments from the Occupy the Ports movements in Seattle, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Portland, Anchorage, and Tacoma.
Is there a marriage w/OWS & The Tea Party?
Joshua Kadrich, Occupy Richmond, VA joins Thom Hartmann. So with the Tea Party on the decline - and the Occupy Wall Street movement on the rise - is there any hope of these two movements combining forces? What happened when OWS Richmond and the local tea party got together?
Are predator drones watching you?
Amie Stepanovich, National Security Counsel-EPIC joins Thom Hartmann. We've all seen them - the super high-tech predator drones used by the American military to collect intelligence and hunt down terrorists in the Middle East. So what the heck are they doing circling the skies over NORTH DAKOTA?!?! According to the Los Angeles Times - unmanned Predator drones aren't just for hunting terrorists in the Middle East anymore - they're being used to hunt American citizens too. Three men were arrested in North Dakota on suspicions they stole cattle from a nearby farm - and they were located thanks to the help of a Predator drone conducting surveillance above. Local police are now saying they've used Predator drones to run at least two dozen surveillance flights in North Dakota alone since June. Although Congress authorized the drones to be used domestically in 2005 to patrol our Northern and Southern borders - their use for local law enforcement is increasing - with virtually no input from the American people. And privacy experts warn continued use of drones radically threatens the privacy of all of us.
Is the clock ticking for the 1%?
Tony Katz, Tony Katz Radio Spectacular joins Thom Hartmann. Republicans say the so-called "millionaire surtax" will be the death knell for small businesses. But guess what? Small business owners are saying "Not so much!" The clock is ticking for Congress to come up with a plan to extend the payroll tax cut - or else 160 million average working Americans will get slammed with a $1,000 tax hike. Congress has until the end of the month - and already Senate Republicans have twice filibustered plans by Democrats to pay for an extension of the payroll tax cut for the middle class - with a small, roughly 3% tax increase exclusively on income over a million bucks a year. Republicans argue a tax hike on millionaires and billionaires - no matter how small - will kill the economy - and strangle the so-called job creators. But NPR blew a hole in that argument week - when they reached out to Republican Congressional offices - business lobbies - and small business owners - and asked what effect a small tax on millionaires would have on job creation. The answer NPR got - it would have no effect. So what's the real reason behind the Republican filibuster? Is it to protect the 1% at all costs?
Is the game over for the climate talks?
Jeremy Symons, National Wildlife Federation joins Thom Hartmann. The U.N. Climate Summit in Durbin, South Africa wrapped up over the weekend - without a comprehensive treaty for the world to stop or even slow down global climate change. The deal reached in Durbin just kicks the can down the road - by laying out steps toward signing a new climate change treaty in 2015 - that will be enacted in 2020 - well beyond the time frame most climate scientists agree is the "point of no return." One small victory from the Durbin Summit is that nations like China and India will no longer be considered "developing nations" - and will no longer be exempted from mandatory emissions cuts when a deal is finally reached. Meanwhile in Congress - in a direct slap in the face to environmentalist and future generations- House Republicans are holding the payroll tax cut extension for 160 million American hostage until the dangerous Keystone XL pipeline is approved. So why is it that our nation is incapable of addressing climate change - and, in the face of catastrophic weather, pushing ahead with even more climate-destroying energy projects?
The Good, The Bad, And the Very Very Carminatively Ugly
The Good! San Francisco. Beginning next year - the city will be the first in the nation to have a minimum wage above 10 dollars. The Bad! Rick Perry. If you want to be the Republican candidate for President - then you have to make sure you're up-to-date on what is the latest White House controversy manufactured by Republicans. And the very, very ugly...John McLaughlin. The host of the weekly show known as the "McLaughlin Group" gave his take on President Obama's "Teddy Roosevelt" speech last week - and it appears he got his talking points from GOP TV's Fox so-called News.
7 Diseases Big Pharma Hopes U Get in 2012
Martha Rosenberg, Health Reporter & Commentator joins Thom Hartmann. If you think that modern medicines are developed and marketed when the medical industry sees a need for comprehensive treatments for diseases that are becoming more common in a population - then everything you know about the pharmaceutical industry and it's influence in the marketplace is wrong. Analysts say that Big Pharma is often driven by supply-side marketing that makes them billions each year by putting the proverbial cart before the horse -- meaning once they have the drugs in hand, they create enough buzz around the diseases the drugs can supposedly cure to rake in the profits as we turn into a nation of pill-popping hypochondriacs. And all of this is happening while there is a shortage of viable drugs to treat real medical problems. So what are some of the most profitable diseases that Big Pharma hopes we'll all think we have in 2012?
Why is Meet The Press doing infomercials for Americans Elect?
Why would a bunch of rich fat-cats be pushing their own candidate into the presidential election? And why would the media treat it as anything other than just that?
Full Show - 12/9/11 The Lone Liberal Rumble and Conversations with Great Minds
Thom debate the issue of the payroll tax cut, drug testing of the unemployed population and Newt Gingrich's surging popularity at the GOP polls in the Lone Liberal Rumble. Later in the show, Dr. Peter Beilenson, founder of "The Evergreen Project" joins Thom for Conversations with Great Minds.
Are Rats are More Empathetic than Republicans?
A budget deficit isn't the REAL problem with Congress - it's an empathy deficit. Luckily - researchers at the University of Chicago may have just discovered a solution to that problem. According to a new study published this month in Science magazine - the latest animal discovered to be able to empathize with others is...rats! That's right - rats are empathetic. The experiment went like this: two rats that normally share a cage were placed in a new cage in which one of the rats were restrained in a tube that could only be opened from the outside of the cage. Once the rat that was roaming free in the cage - was let out of the cage and completely free - it time-and-time-again went back to let his cage buddy free as well. Think about that for a second - the rat was free - but wasn't satisfied until his cage-mate was free too. Researchers said that the free rat acted far more agitated when its fellow rat was restrained nearby - a sign of what researchers call "emotional contagion" - which is often only observed in humans and more developed animals. Even when the free rat was given a choice between freeing his cage mate or eating chocolate - the rat freed his buddy just as often. As one researcher said, "There was no other reason to take this action, except to terminate the distress of the trapped rats...In the rat model world, seeing the same behavior repeated over and over basically means that this action is rewarding to the rat." As in - rats got pleasure out of helping other rats - they found it rewarding. There's more...
The Big Picture Rumble - Did Republicans cause the food stamp shooting?
Vince Coglianese, Daily Caller, Brian Darling, Human Events and Roger Hickey, Campaign for America's Future all join Thom Hartmann. Tax cuts, poison pills, drug testing the unemployed, food stamp shooting, and - Is Gingrich "Anyone but Romney" really the best the GOP can do?
Conversations w/Great Minds - Dr. Peter Beilenson - Are healthcare co-ops coming? P1
In this week's Conversations With Great Minds we'll meet a true pioneer who may well help revolutionize your relationship with our healthcare system. For tonight's Conversations with Great Minds I am joined by Dr. Peter Beilenson. He currently heads up the Health Deparment in Howard County, Maryland where he and his team have launched the Healthy Howard Intiative - a program that joins individuals, businesses, schools, community organizations and government to ceate and make accessible healthy alternatives in many different aspects of daily life for county residents. For 13 years he served as the Health Commissioner of Baltimore City in Maryland where his vision led to expanded drug treatment programs, improved immunization compliance, a wide range of extremely effective lead poisoning prevention initiatives, juvenile violence prevention, and the creation of the state-wide initiative for universal health coverage in Maryland called "Health Care for All" He is also the founder of "The Evergreen Project" - an initiative that was inspired by a provision in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and seeks to create healthcare co-ops that cut costs to both patients and providers while making sure that excellent health care is avaialble to communities. Dr. Beilenson was chosen as an Utne Reader visionary in 2011 - joining a distinguished list of individuals who - as described by the Editors of the publication - "are world visionaries who don't just concoct great ideas but also act on them."
Conversations w/Great Minds - Dr. Peter Beilenson - Are healthcare co-ops coming? P2
In this week's Conversations With Great Minds we'll meet a true pioneer who may well help revolutionize your relationship with our healthcare system. For tonight's Conversations with Great Minds I am joined by Dr. Peter Beilenson. He currently heads up the Health Deparment in Howard County, Maryland where he and his team have launched the Healthy Howard Intiative - a program that joins individuals, businesses, schools, community organizations and government to ceate and make accessible healthy alternatives in many different aspects of daily life for county residents. For 13 years he served as the Health Commissioner of Baltimore City in Maryland where his vision led to expanded drug treatment programs, improved immunization compliance, a wide range of extremely effective lead poisoning prevention initiatives, juvenile violence prevention, and the creation of the state-wide initiative for universal health coverage in Maryland called "Health Care for All" He is also the founder of "The Evergreen Project" - an initiative that was inspired by a provision in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and seeks to create healthcare co-ops that cut costs to both patients and providers while making sure that excellent health care is avaialble to communities. Dr. Beilenson was chosen as an Utne Reader visionary in 2011 - joining a distinguished list of individuals who - as described by the Editors of the publication - "are world visionaries who don't just concoct great ideas but also act on them."
We'll get on the ground reports from the massive Occupy action happening on the West Coast today with attempts to shut down ports from Portland to Southern California. Then, President Obama hosted Iraqi prime ministers Nouri Al-Maliki at the White House today in preparation for the last US troops to leave at the end of this year. But there will be contractors and the firm formerly known as Blackwater wants back in. Also, as Congress engages in yet another battle over taxes we'll speak to one venture capitalist that says taxes on the rich should be raised and then the "real job creators" can be rewarded. So if it's not the rich that create the jobs, who is it? And then don't miss happy hour.
MSM: Not 'The End' in Iraq
President Obama hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki today at the White House. And let's not forget the President is relishing in this moment because he gets to pretend like he's fulfilling a campaign promise to bring the war in Iraq to an end. What the mainstream media isn't paying enough attention to is the massive American presence that will still be in Iraq. There are the 1,700 or so diplomats, law enforcement officers, and various other experts and professionals in the fields of agriculture and economics that will be there. The State department will have five thousand contractors for protection of its diplomats. On top of that, there will be another 4 to 5 thousand contractors serving other roles locally.
West Coast Occupies Ports #D12
The Occupy movement has waged a massive day of action on the West Coast with the plan of shutting down ports. The protesters said they were meaning the actions to be in solidarity with port workers but unions including the International Longshore and Workers Union, refused to take part. RT's Ramon Galindo from LA and journalist Susie Cagle from Oakland explain what the scene was like.
GITMO v. Federal Prisons
A New York Times piece by Scott Shane sheds light on the federal prisons here in the US that are holding militants, and the facilities are having a pretty impressive success rate. We'll take a close look at the success rate of the federal prisons who house convicted terrorists. Shane explains that inmates with past terrorist ties very rarely attempt to plot violence after they've been released from US detention facilities. Meanwhile, 25% of those who were detained at Gitmo are likely to join militant groups after their release, according to the Defense Department.
Blackwater Rebrands as Academi- Wants Back in Iraq
A US presence in Iraq is far from over. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ted Wright, the President and Chief executive of what used to be known as Blackwater, and then turned into Xe Services, had a big announcement that they're changing names yet again, this time to Academi. Wright hopes with the new name, and demand for contractors in Iraq surging, they've hired an outside company to help them apply for a new operating license. So how will Iraq handle a new surge of contractors? Scott Horton with Harper's Magazine weighs in.
You said it, I read it
Alyona takes the time to respond to some of her viewer comments. First is from two commenters who watched Alyona's Fireside Friday on the NY press core getting cozy with Bloomberg. Next, is from a viewer who watched the interview with Former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson on an impending war with Iran. Plus more from our viewers.
SOPA/PIPA Authors Become Lobbyists
Take a look at this new ad paid for by Creative America an entertainment industry group, courtesy of the entertainment industry, that's urging you to protect American jobs and support the SOPA and the Protect IP Act. We've spoken at length on the show about just how damaging these two pieces of legislation would be not only to the Internet, but to the first amendment. Politico reports that two Republican staffers who are responsible for writing the dangerous and destructive legislation in both the House and the Senate have moved onto two of the lobbying firms who are most in favor of the bills.
Nick Hanauer: 'Radical Inequality is Going to Destroy' Economy
Two different plans from the Democrats and Republicans are at work for the extension of the payroll tax cut. Nick Hanauer, author of "The Gardens of Democracy" says that an ordinary middle class consumer is in fact far more of a job creator than the rich will ever be. He joins the show to explain.
Tool Time: Lowe's pulls ads for 'All-American Muslim'
Lowe's marketing team has pulled their ads from a new TLC program, 'All-American Muslim'. Florida Family Association, an evangelical television watchdog group says the show is propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law. And apparently this group's outrage over the program was enough to get Lowe's to pull their ads.
Happy Hour: Life on Mars!?
RT's Jenny Churchill and Kevin Glass, Managing Editor of Townhall.com join happy hour to talk about the large parts of Mars that could be livable, how legislators are the least trusted profession, and Newt Gingrich calling Palestinians 'terrorists'.
European leaders, with the exception of the UK's David Cameron have come up with a new treaty. But is it a real fix for the Eurozone or just smoke and mirrors? Then, last night the Occupy Boston camp was supposed to be raided, but despite the deadline for the eviction notice passing, protesters are still there and the police are standing back. We'll talk about where the occupy movement is heading. Also, we'll speak to Ben Armbruster from ThinkProgress about a campaign to get the liberal blog and its writers labeled as anti-Israel. And then don't miss our Happy Hour.
MSM: Payroll Tax Tied to Keystone XL
The mainstream media is all about covering Congress in gridlock, fighting over the extension of the payroll tax cut. Now, the House bill as John Boehner is promising, will only go through if Republicans get to tack on a few things they want in return, in return for not raising taxes. We'll explain how in order to extend the payroll tax Republicans just want to completely take the State Department out of the picture when it comes to the Keystone Pipeline and too close for comfort relationships between State Department employees and TransCanada lobbyists. You can see why the President wants to veto it but John Boehner has already said, that means the GOP will just double down so then when the President vetoes it, it will look like his fault that the payroll tax didn't get extended.
Gov't Opposes Manning Witnesses
It turns out that 38 people that Bradley Manning's defense attorney David Coombs, has requested for the Article 32 hearing, have been denied by the government. The only ones that the government hasn't opposed are those who are also being sought out by the government as witnesses. But while the government is dragging their feet over the Article 32 hearing for Manning, the Army has already cleaned up shop regarding the fallout after the private allegedly leaked the diplomatic cables. After the Army conducted an internal investigation, 15 people were disciplined; one of them was reduced in rank for failing to fulfill their obligations.
MIND BLOWING Inequality Figures
A new study shows that just six members of the Walton family, better known as the Walmart family, are wealthier than the entire bottom 30% of Americans. And the Federal Reserve report released yesterday shows that household new worth fell 4% from just July to September, the sharpest drop since 2008. The value of Americans stock portfolios fell 5.3% and home values dropped 6%.
OWS 'Not Reform Demands, Revolutionary Demands'
Last night, the eviction deadline for the Occupy Boston camp hit at midnight and the police didn't evict the camp, nor did they use force and at this moment, the protesters are still there. But will Boston be the same as other cities we've seen across the country like NY or Los Angeles; is it just a waiting game at this point? Dennis Trainor, Host for AcronymTV.com discusses.
Tool Time: GOP Wants to Rip Apart Families
Rick Santorum during a campaign stop in Iowa yesterday was asked again about his stance on immigrants who have families here in the US and said that it's ok to tear a family apart and leave children essentially orphaned, because they're breaking the law. And this isn't the first time he's defended that stance, just last week on Fox and Friends he said that deportation isn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. And Michele Bachmann is in favor of this and even goes further to say that the problem is with the concept of "anchor babies", those who are born here to keep the families here.
Josh Block Smears Think Progress
This week, Politico's Ben Smith wrote a piece about a split on the left when it comes to Middle East polices. The next day, it was revealed that Josh Block, former AIPAC spokesman, had sent out an email to a conservative journalist list serve, urging recipients to look at Smith's piece as an example and to label bloggers at ThinkProgress as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. So what exactly is the kind of material that gets one labeled as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic? Ben Armbruster, from ThinkProgress discusses.
Fireside: Press Gets Cozy w. Bloomberg
In the almost 3 months since the Occupy movement began, we've seen not only overly aggressive militarized actions by police but also a chilling assault on media coverage of evictions. The first city to try and block press from covering what was happening was NYC, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's orders. We rightly saw outrage from print media outlets but how quickly it seems some of that anger can vanish. Michael Tracy at Salon.com details Mayor Bloomberg's annual holiday party that he throws for local press. This time the Mayor felt he could make jokes about journalist arrests and the Occupy movement in general. He even gave out gag gifts to journalists, joking that they are only for the 1%. And apparently, not a single one of them spoke up.
Happy Hour: Student Loses it in Library
RT's Kristine Frazao and Politico's Dave Catanese talk about anti-abortion activists planning to harass women with 'empty manger' caroling, FOX's Gretchen Carlson's war on Christmas, Rick Santorum calling candidates hypocrites for skipping out on Donald Trump's debate and then check out this video of a student who was studying for finals freak out on someone for breathing too hard.
EU Leaders 'Promise Reallllly Hard'
A summit between European leaders to tackle their sovereign debt crisis was being hailed as a success this morning. Leaders, with the exception of the UK's David Cameron agreed to sign onto an intergovernmental treaty, and markets soared. The idea is to enact a "fiscal compact" which includes balanced budget stipulations and enforcement mechanisms to control spending. We'll take a look at the agreement and ask Business Insider's Joe Weisenthal, how much if anything did this deal fix?
Viral Spiral: Girl Freaks Out in Library
In this Viral Spiral; Will Farrell does some ads for Old Milwaukee, a Ukrainian dog fetches vodka, a man flies on the metro, a cheerleading mom is nuts, a girl freaks out at the library, a flying trampoline, a man makes a weapon from a Coke can on a plane, a guy gets what's coming to him, and a baby gorilla thinks it's tough.
Tonight we'll take a look at US foreign policy secrets, being aired in public. From Iran releasing a video of the downed US drone it has, to a new report detailing where in Romania a secret CIA prison was located. Then, just days after Russia's parliamentary elections, Hillary Clinton and Vladimir Putin are involved in a war of words. So why the sudden rise in tensions and what will it mean for reset? Also today Hillary Clinton gave a speech at The Hague about internet freedom. But we'll take a look at whether her words of wisdom for the world, match up with internet policies here at home. And then don't miss happy hour.
MSM: Obama Brags About Killing
The President gave a press conference today and the questions started coming about the GOP attacks that are being thrown his way, specifically towards his foreign policy. We'll share with you a clip that the mainstream media missed where Obama was gloating about all the people that have been killed under his command and on his orders. And with the exception of John King at CNN nobody even paid attention to the comment! They just went on about the payroll tax and the consumer financial protection bureau.
Col. Wilkerson: US War w Iran '3 yrs. Away'
So it looks like more and more of the covert operations of the US, past and present, are starting to come out. An AP investigation revealed the location of a former CIA black site prison in Romania, one of many black site prisons that were officially shut down in 2006. Fast forward to today and the covert war against Iran that the US has been waging, no longer seems so covert. Ret. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson discusses.
Clinton/Putin Clash on Russian Elex
Since Russia's parliamentary elections last Sunday, we immediately saw a lot of critique coming from US officials particularly Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has at this point made numerous public statements and called for an investigation into election fraud. Tensions are heating up between Clinton and Vladimir Putin, who today said that Clinton's accusations have helped to instigate protests in the country, and that Russia should protect against foreign interference in its internal affairs. Mark Adomanis from Forbes discusses.
Show & Tell: Ron Paul, 3rd Party Ticket?
We talked about the libertarian's discontent with who are considered the GOP frontrunners, Romney and Gingrich and ask if either of them get the GOP nomination should Ron Paul run on a third party ticket? Our viewers respond here. Now, we spoke about the US's covert war with Iran and want to know how far you think the escalating tensions will go between the US and Iran?
Gov't Keeps Published Cables Classified
Back in April the ACLU filed a Freedom of Information Act seeking 23 State Department Cables that had been made public by Wikileaks. The State Department responded as if the content of the requested cables were still confidential. They withheld 12 cables all together, which the ACLU deems the "Dirty Dozen" these cables dealt with everything from interrogations at Guantanamo, to conflicts with allies over rendition, pressuring the German government not to hold US officials accountable for kidnapping, detaining and torturing a German citizen.
State Dept 'Doesn't Understand what the Internet is'
Speaking at The Hague today at a conference on internet Freedom co-hosted by Google, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called it "an urgent task" to preserve civil liberties online. But just how much do the involved actors like Clinton and Google's Schmidt, practice what they preach? Aaron Swartz founder of Demand Progress weighs in.
Tool Time: MPAA's Top 10 for Protect IP
The Motion Picture Association of America has been one of the organizations that's in favor of the highly contentious PROTECT IP Act. Now as word has spread about this bill and its sister legislation, SOPA, many companies and groups have expressed opposition to the bills but groups like the MPAA have been finding ways to fight back. It looks like the MPAA took a cue from Rick Perry because according to Tech Dirt, the MPAA has been sending around its own Top 10 list to members of Congress, except theirs gives reasons why the government should be in favor of the Protect IP Act.
Happy Hour: Newt the Grinch
RT Lauren Lyster Andrew Blake are on happy hour talking about a parody of Rick Perry's new campaign ad "Strong", Michele Bachmann not letting her daughters call boys, and what makes Newt Gingrich the Grinch.
We'll take a look at President Obama's speech from yesterday, where he addressed the growing inequality in the country, and called the actions on Wall Street that led us to the financial collapse, "wrong". Then, GOP candidates made their case against Obama's foreign policy, and specifically, his policies towards Israel at the Republican Jewish Coalition Forum, we'll go through some of the highlights. Next, Representative Peter King held his 4th hearing today on Muslim radicalization, this time focusing on radicalization with the military, and service members and their families being targeted. But you wouldn't know it from watching the news, so what happened to all the hype? And then don't miss our happy hour.
MSM: Occupy K St
If you were watching the mainstream media today you probably heard a lot about what Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney's campaigns were saying about each other, yet again. And you probably heard a lot about Rod Blagojevich's sentencing. But what you didn't see is there was another demonstration in Washington DC. This time, the Occupy crowd and its supporters decided to take on K Street, the center of the lobbying firms and special interests that have our politicians in their grips.
Wall St Prosecutions 'too hard'?!
President Obama finally decided to address what happened on Wall Street that led us to the financial crash during his speech yesterday in Kansas. And called the actions on Wall Street that led us to the financial collapse, "wrong" but if that's the case why have we still not seen a single successful prosecution of any Wall Street executives? Lauren Lyster host of Capital Account discusses.
Tonight we'll speak to William Black about the MF Global scandal. Federal regulators passed a new rule yesterday to limit some of the risky behavior, and Jon Corzine has been subpoenaed, but will it be enough? Then, where will the Libertarians go if their only options end up being Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney? Also, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is now asking the government to allow more jailbreaking on iPads, and video game consoles, but companies like Apple and Sony aren't exactly fans. And then don't miss Happy Hour.
MSM: CIA Drones Over Iran
Over the weekend Iran claimed that it had in its possession a US, RQ-170 Sentinel Drone. Yesterday, US officials confirmed that yes, Iran does in fact now have its hands on some of our most advanced technology. But like we talked about, it's slightly odd that suddenly everyone had woken up to the notion that we might already be waging a covert war on Iran. And nobody in the mainstream media seems to want to ask under what authority it's all happening. So today the mainstream has completely moved on and gone back to the back and forth bickering of what Gingrich and Romney said about each other or what Donald Trump is planning to ask at the debate he'll be hosting.
MF Global: 'Stealth Finance'
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission voted unanimously to adopt what's now called, the MF Global Rule. And the timing and naming couldn't be more fitting now with the recent bankruptcy of the brokerage firm, MF Global, which is now missing about $1.2 billion in customer money. William Black, former Federal banking regulator and Associate Professor of Law and Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City joins the show.
Occupy Our Homes
December 6th has been declared Occupy Our Homes, where people will help those facing foreclosure and stand up against fraudulent lending practices and illegal evictions by the banks. And a new study from the Mortgage Bank Association says that the foreclosure crisis is only 50% over.
Gingrich/Romney: A Libertarian's Nightmare
As we get closer to the primaries and look at who just might be the GOP nominee, we've heard a lot about who the Republican establishment does or doesn't want. But what happens if Newt or Mitt end up being the final option, what are the libertarians going to do? Could libertarians really vote for either big government, establishment conservative? J.P. Freire with New Media Strategies weighs in.
Show & Tell: OWS Protesting Dems
Last time we talked about Occupy Wall Street protesting Democratic functions across the country, from an Obama fundraiser in NYC to a Nancy Pelosi fundraiser in Washington, DC. We asked if you think it's a good move for OWS to be protesting politicians who have expressed support for the movement. Now, we talked about the libertarians' discontent with the current Republican frontrunners, Romney and Gingrich. So if either Romney or Gingrich get the GOP nomination- should Ron Paul run on a third party ticket?
EFF Wants Jailbreaking Freedom
EFF and other groups have asked the Copyright office to grant a few more exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. They want it to apply to not only smart phones but tablets, and video game consoles as well, this way people like our former jailbreaking guest GeoHot, might not get sued in the future. EFF's Trevor Timm explains.
Tool Time: Santorum, People Die bc of 'Bad Decisions'
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has said, "The answer is not what we do to prevent deaths because of a lack of health insurance...People die in America because people die in America. ..." We'll share will you some statistics and strongly suggest that this presidential candidate should think twice before he blames a person's death on, well death.
Happy Hour: Austerity for Queen = 50 Million
RT's Lauren Lyster, Host of Capital Account and J.P. Freire with New Media Strategies join happy hour to talk about how the Congress hasn't done much at all this year, Queen Elizabeth taking a pay cut, Oregon denying bloggers the same protections as journalists,
It seems like the mainstream media has finally realized that there's a covert war being waged against Iran. From deaths of nuclear scientists to bombing of missile facilities, to now, a US drone being brought down over Iranian air space. Then, yesterday 31 people were arrested at the OccupyDC camp after a wooden structure was set up which park police said was unsafe. Once again, we saw police trying to tell the media, to go away. Also a new investigation by ProPublica has revealed racial disparities detected in the presidential pardon system. And then don't miss our happy hour.
MSM: Doesn't get Int'l Elections
Before the elections we saw the mainstream media immediately begin cheering the Egyptian revolution and completely forgetting that it was us, who had propped up Mubarak for decades. Now that the Muslim brotherhood won the elections, all that evil has been forgotten, and everyone's moved on. Now is Russia, where elections were held yesterday and numerous news reports have only had one singular perspective when it comes to covering the elections in Russia yesterday, that Putin's party suffered a major blow. And that's about it; they stop there without real analysis.
US Covert War w. Iran, Not so Covert
Iran claimed to have in its possession an RQ-170 Sentinel drone that was taken down while flying over its air space. At first, ISAF released a statement that the drone "to which the Iranians are referring may be a U.S. unarmed reconnaissance aircraft that had been flying a mission over western Afghanistan late last week". Today, FOX reported that US military sources confirmed Iran had the drone. Why does nobody seem to care about where the authority for this type of covert war, even comes from? Robert Farley blogger at Lawyers Guns And Money discusses.
OccupyDC Raided
Yesterday at Occupy DC after protesters set up a large wooden structure, police came in and ruled the structure unsafe for occupancy and began removing protesters from it, which resulted in a standoff that took hours. Overall, 31 people were arrested. While the encampment at large is still there and was not evicted, we once again saw what has become a disturbing trend across the country, police telling media, to go away. RT's Jenny Churchill has the details.
Manning Wants Obama, Clinton to Testify
PFC Manning is set to appear in a military hearing on December 16 in Fort Meade Maryland. The defense is building a high-profile list of witnesses to appear before the military jury, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Manning's defense attorney, David Coombs, has filed a report saying that both Obama and Clinton could provide evidence that could help Manning in this Article 32 hearing which would determine if his case should be referred for a full-scale court martial.
You said it, I read it
Alyona takes the time to respond to some of her viewer comments. First is from a viewer who watched our story about the weak FTC settlement with Facebook, which did not actually roll back any of the privacy incursions Facebook has already made. Next is from a viewer who watched the interview with Firedog Lake's David Dayen on whether or not there was the political will needed to save the EU. Plus more from our viewers.
Befriend a Congressman, Get a Pardon
ProPublica has released an extensive report, statistically analyzing nearly 500 pardon applicants during the Bush administration, and found that white applicants, were nearly four times as likely to receive pardons as all minorities combined. Applicants with a member of Congress in their corner were three times as likely to win a pardon as those without such backing, and marital and financial stability of applicants plays a heavy role in the final decision. Is this just another sign that our justice system isn't exactly fair? Kevin Zeese, President of Common Sense for Drug Policy weighs in.
Tool Time: Trump, 'Ron Paul is a Joke'?!
Donald Trump has been chosen to host a GOP debate on December 27th in Iowa. But John Huntsmann and Ron Paul both declined the invite, so while on the TODAY Show, Trump didn't waste much time bashing Huntsmann and Paul and said Paul was a joke. But a recent Des Moines Register poll shows Ron Paul is in second place with 18%, and is actually in front of Mitt Romney who has 16% support of Iowa caucus-goers.
Happy Hour: Kepler-22b, Earth's Twin Discovered
RT's Jenny Churchill and Reason's Mike Riggs are on happy hour tonight to talk about a gun ad that compares Obama to Hitler and Stalin, the most extensive car crash, calls for the US Ambassador to Belgium to step down after he makes "anti-Semitism" comments, and a new planet that's being called "Earth 2.0".
We'll take a look at the latest jobs numbers released. Unemployment drops below 9% as over 300 thousand people leave the labor pool. Then, should the Occupy Wall Street movement be Occupying the ballot box? Krist Novoselic, bassist and co-founder of the band Nirvana argues just that. Then, we'll ask once again which religious group in US places God above country. And then don't miss our happy hour segment.
MSM: BART Now Controls Your Cell Phone
While the Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain tit for tat seemed to be one of the top stories for the mainstream media, they totally missed a story that will affect millions of people. Yesterday the board members of Bay Area Rapid Transit or BART, with the help of the FCC, voted unanimously to give themselves the power to turn off cell phone service in their transit stations whenever they see fit. The policy limits temporary shutdowns for the "most extraordinary circumstances." They say anything that poses a danger to public safety, destruction of BART property, or "substantial disruption of service".
300,000 Give Up Job Search
According to figures released by the U.S. Labor Department, the unemployment rate went down from 9% to 8.6% its lowest level in two and a half years. But 315,000 people dropped out of the labor force altogether, meaning that right now, just 64% of Americans are actively participating in the work force which is a historic low. WSJ's Kelly Evans explains.
Senate OKs Indefinite Detention of Americans
Politicians on Capitol Hill have been working hard on a $662 billion defense bill, and more importantly, one provision written within this legislation, the indefinite detention language. Senator Dianne Feinstein attempted to change the wording, to prevent indefinite detention of Americans without a trial, however that was voted down and Senator Mark Udall tried to remove the provision altogether, arguing that more research needs to be done on the issue, which was also voted down.
Krist Novoselic: #OWS Beyond the Occupation
As we already know, Occupy encampments in dozens of cities have been dismantled by police. So with this forced change in the Occupiers strategy, where does the movement go from here? Krist Novoselic, bassist and co-founder of the groundbreaking band Nirvana and the Chair of Fair Vote: The Center for Voting and Democracy discusses how Occupy Wall Street should engage in the electoral process.
Ally Financial Wants Your Location
As reported by the Huffington Post, Ally Financial now wants to know where you are and they're requesting to track costumer's location when they go to Ally's "Find ATM" page. Now of course Ally denies intentions of selling that location data to a third party advertiser for profit, and says they are just trying to make help costumers find an ATM more easily.
Evangelicals, National Security Threat?
A Gallup poll released this summer showed that 93% of Muslim-Americans believe that the Muslim community in the US is loyal to America. According to a Pew Research Poll which showed among evangelicals in the US, 70% see themselves first as Christians rather than as Americans, while 22% say they are primarily American. Talk radio host David Sirota discusses.
Tool Time: Gingrich: Poor Kids are Lazy
GOP Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich while in Iowa, returned to the income inequality issue that's plaguing the country, and he once again called for child labor laws to be repealed. But apparently according to Gingrich, all poor kids are lazy, and will only end up making money by engaging in illegal activities.
Happy Hour: "Women for Herman Cain"
RT's Andrew Blake and Alex Seitz-Wald, with ThinkProgress.org join happy hour to talk about 'Women for Herman Cain", religious people trusting atheists about as much as they trust rapists, a Jewish group that won't let Ron Paul into their debates and a high school student who fought Michele Bachmann on gay marriage.
Viral Spiral: Pancake Rap
In this Viral Spiral; A man raps about his breakfast, a pig walks on it's front legs, people find a new use for a leaf blower, a woman dances in a treadmill, a box does the opposite of what is expected, a fire alarm goes off during a CBS news cast, and a pool playing chihuahua.
We'll look at how economic turmoil has weakened democratic institutions from Europe to the United States. Then, we'll dive into the latest developments from the Occupy Movement across the country. While hundreds of protesters from Occupy LA remain in police custody under $5,000 bail, the NYPD is back at it again blocking press and corralling protesters and at Obama fundraiser. Next, we'll ask if evangelicals put religion above country. And then don't miss our happy hour.
MSM: GOP Prez Race, About the $$
It seems like many of these GOP Presidential Candidates have no intention of running for President, yet they continue to happily collect money from supporters, and attention the press that willingly gives it to them, a fact MSNBC's Chuck Todd seems very comfortable with. What the mainstream media should be mentioning is that Herman Cain has put stops on his book tour ahead of stops in primary states or what about the fact that he's spent almost no time or money in Iowa. Even current frontrunner Newt Gingrich has kept a schedule that rotates between book tour and campaign tour. We'll show you the similarity between this and some reality TV stars.
Fed Loans: Worst 'Crony Capitalism... in History'
It turns out Too Big to Fail doesn't just apply to banks, it applies to entire regions of the world. Take the Eurozone, 17 countries that banded together under the umbrella of a single currency, the Euro. Well in the next week or so we'll know if it is indeed too big or too powerful to fail. But if it doesn't there are some major changes on the horizon like what we've already seen in Greece. Austerity measures including cuts to everything from jobs to social programs to well, as it turns out, freedoms. Economic Analyst Gonzalo Lira discusses.
Assange Dumps 'Spy Files'
Wikileaks is up and running again, and founder Julian Assange has dumped another massive leak of information, this time regarding surveillance. He has detailed the "spy files", shedding light on a $5 billion industry that is in high demand among governments around the world. Wikileaks detailed in their press conference the surveillance companies that have been secretly selling their products to governments with dictators and military regimes.
OWS Goes After Democrats
For the first time last night demonstrators with the Occupy Wall Street movement targeted an event for the president. It was a big fundraiser for President Obama in NYC. In what is becoming an all too familiar scene, much of the media was kept as far away as possible. And in Los Angeles, the Occupy encampment outside city hall was raided and destroyed by police who also arrested nearly 300 people. Discussing this is Ryan Devereaux with Democracy Now!
Show & Tell: Secret Fed Loans
Last time we asked if Dodd-Frank would have been stronger if Congress would have known the truth then about the size of the Federal Reserve's loans to US banks. Find out what are viewers are saying. Now, we spoke about OWS protesting Democratic fundraisers across the country, from an Obama fundraiser last night in NYC, to plans to protest a Pelosi fundraiser in Washington DC. So do you think it is a good move for OWS to be protesting politicians who have expressed support for the movement?
Tool Time: Fox too 'Aggressive' For Romney!
After an interview with FOX News, GOP candidate Mitt Romney was so upset after the interview was over that he complained repeatedly to Bret Baier about his line of questioning. But that's what the press does they grill you on your stance about important issues like immigration and abortion. In fact, he pretty much dodges any question that comes his way!
Happy Hour: Huntsman's Daughters Bring Sexy Back?
RT's Lauren Lyster, Jim Hanson blogger at BlackFive.net join happy hour tonight to talk Jon Huntsman daughters' song on Youtube, people preferring 'Merry Christmas' over 'Happy Holidays' for store signs, a Kentucky church banning interracial couples, a new anti-piracy video out by the Fed and get this, according to the DC police knowing your rights is an indication of criminal activity.
GOP Shills For Oil on Keystone XL
Republican Senator Lugar proposed a bill which would override the Obama Administration's review of the social and environmental impact of the XL Keystone Pipeline. The bill would put an end to the State Department review so that TransCanada can start building the pipeline ASAP. It would require the Obama administration to approve the pipeline within 60 days and put a stop to all further review.
Full Show -12/8/11 Occupied Amendment & Saving American Democracy Amendment
Florida Congressman Ted Deutch explains in detail his OCCUPIED Amendment (Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy).
Full Show - 12/7/11. Buddy Roemer and the Lone Liberal Rumble
Republican Presidential candidate Buddy Roemer gives his insight on the current state of the American economy and ideas for restructuring the national tax rate, healthcare system and state legislation. Later in the show, Thom debates his two conservative guests in the Lone Liberal Rumble.
Gov. Buddy Roemer, 2012 Republican candidate for President joins Thom Hartmann to talk about money in politics, healthcare and Government.
Lone Liberal Rumble - Why are firefighters watching homes burn down in TN?
Heather Cirmo, Conservative Strategist & Neil McCabe, Human Events Online joins Thom Hartmann. Why are firefighters watching homes burn down in Tennessee? I'll ask my panel of Conservatives if this is what a Libertarian Paradise looks like in tonight's Lone Liberal Rumble
Crazy Alert! Battleground New Hampshire!
Just how many candidates are running & why.
Greg Palast has a secret file to share
Greg Palast, investigative journalist and author of Vulture's Picnic: In Pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates, and High-Finance Carnivores. Who are the Vultures? Who are the Petroleum Pigs?
Who are the Power Pirates? Who are the High-Finance Carnivores?
The Good, The Bad & The Very Very Unasinously Ugly
The Good! U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg. After a tumultuous weekend between Occupy DC and police - the movement scored a small victory this week. The Bad! Dick Morris. The toe-sucker was on GOP TV's Fox and Friends this morning and confirmed all our suspicions about the role Fox so-called News plays in picking the next Republican Presidential nominee. And the very, very ugly...Rick Perry. With Governor Good Hair's campaign now completely derailed - Perry cut a new political ad in Iowa trying to remake himself as the ultimate culture warrior.
Would you feed your kids rat poison? ALEC would...
Marie Diamond, Think Progress joins Thom Hartmann. In our "What is the shadowy right wing think tank knows as ALEC up to now" news - we focus on the issue of rat poison. For those of you who don't know - ALEC - short for the American Legislative Exchange Council - is an organization made up of right-wing politicians - lobbyists - and corporate CEOs - who all meet together to write legislation that benefits primarly the top 1%. That legislation is then given to state legislatures - where it is promptly passed by the very same Republican lawmakers who join in on the ALEC meet-ups with corporate fatcats and lobbyists. For example, ALEC is the driving force behind the new voter ID laws - it's behind state blanced budget amendments that make it impossible to raise taxes on the rich - and it's behind the war on the EPA. And now - ALEC is pushing back against new regulations intended to prevent children from getting sick from rat poison. That's right - when it comes down to children and rat poison - ALEC sides with rat poison.
Why Corporations are on the run
For the first time in over three decades in America - corporate power is on the run. The final section of Unequal Protection is entitled, "Let us Begin" & end with a quote by John F. Kennedy who said, "All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the lifetime of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin." Thanks to the Occupy Wall Street movement - the fight against corporate personhood has kicked into high gear. And if the history of the past 200 years of steady progressive change in this country is any predictor of the future, "We the People" will win. Go to movetoamend.org.
Thom talks with journalist, Sarah Seltzer and Deputy Director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Christina Livingston about the protesters of Occupy Wall Street's decision to shift their focus from occupying city streets to occupying the homes of people at risk of foreclosure.
People are getting away with murder - or at the very least manslaughter - today in America. Alpha Natural Resources - the company that owns the Massey mine in West Virginia that exploded last year - has agreed to pay out a $209 million settlement for the crimes that lead to the death of 29 miners. That's 29 people killed - as a result of gross corporate negligence - and no one is going to jail over it. The company is simply writing a check - and sweeping it under the rug. Even though federal investigators found that Massey executives kept two sets of books to hide all the safety violations at the mine - and even though critical methane monitors were intentionally disabled before the explosion under the orders of management - no one will be held accountable for the death of James Rooney - or Timmy Davis - or Josh Napper - or Rick Lane - or Gary Quarles.
Dan Gainor, Business & Media Institute, joins Thom Hartmann. What do Karl Marx and Kermit the Frog have in common? Well if you ask GOP TV - they're both commies!
The Good! Ruth Porat. Porat is Morgan Stanley's Chief Financial Officer - but she is no bankster. The Bad! Congressman Peter King. Tomorrow, as Chairman of the House Homeland Security, King will hold his fourth hearing on the threat of American Muslims - this time he's focusing on Muslims in the military. That's because at the Economist Magazine's World in 2012 festival over the weekend - Porat slammed rising wealth inequality in America and the low taxes rich people have to pay. And the very, very ugly...The City of London Police. Last week - the London Police sent out a flyer to local businesses entitled "Terrorism/Extremism update." The flyer included information regarding the threat of terrorism - noting that the threat is "substantial." Included on the list of threats: Al Qaeda, FARC in Columbia, and extremists in Belarus...oh, and also Occupy London.
Hilary Shelton, NAACP joins Thom Hartmann. With the next election less than a year away - it's minority voters who are screwed. Over the last year - we've seen Republicans in state after state pass radical new voting rights laws - that according to the Brennan Center for Justice could disenfranchise as many as 5 million eligible voters. And it's minorities who could be hit the worst - as new photo ID requirements - restrictions against early voting - and disenfranchisement among convicted felons - adversely affect minority communities across the country But now - the NAACP is fighting back. This week - the organization is presenting evidence ot the UN High Commissioner on human rights - arguing that there is a concerted effort underway in America to deny minorities their right to vote. In addition - next year - the NAACP will send a delegation of legal experts to Geneva to call on the UN human rights council to take a stand against the right-wing war on voting in America.
Catherine Murrell, communications coordinator for Stand Up Chicago w/Shani Smith & Andy Gebel both unemployed join Thom Hartmann. Thousands of unemployed Americans and activists from around the nation flocked right here to Washington, DC as part of their "Take Back The Capitol" day of action. In hopes of channeling what the Bonus Army did back in 1931 - today's patriots are setting up camp on the Washington Mall - and then occupying Congressional offices - lobbying firms - and expensive fundraisers. The message is simple and clear: Our government should work for the people - and not corporations and lobbyists.
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