Bradley Manning's guilty verdict infuriated transparency activists and DELIGHTED Edward Snowden's Russian real estate broker. Steve King's website linked to a video from Media Matters, a mistake that would be incredibly embarrassing if he were capable of feeling that emotion. And Al Jazeera announced a major expansion of its American news organization, worrying conservatives that it will start producing documentaries on Jesus.This is HUFFPOST HILL for Tuesday, July 30th, 2013:
REPUBLICANS AT ODDS OVER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN - Sabrina Siddiqui and Mike McAuliff: "The tea party Republicans who are threatening to shut down the government in order to defund the Affordable Care Act have the right idea, but they're going about it the wrong way, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said Tuesday, in another sign of a growing split in the Republican Party. 'I want to defund this bill, but I also want a way to do it that kills it,' Coburn, who was one of the health care law's most vocal opponents when it passed, said in a Senate floor speech. He argued that the plan by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and several other tea party-backed senators to try and strip funds for the law from a September government funding bill simply won't work...Nevertheless, Lee and company said that the GOP has an obligation to try. He and Cruz argued that if the House passed a bill to fund all of the government except for Obamacare and the president blocked it, it would be the White House shutting down the government, not the GOP... 'Defund it, or own it,' Lee said to his colleagues. 'If you fund it, you're for it.'" [HuffPost]
Condoms save money: "Publicly funded family planning services saved the government a total of $10.5 billion in 2010 and prevented 760,000 abortions, according to a new study released on Tuesday. The report, conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health think tank, found that every dollar the government spent to fund contraceptive services in 2010 saved taxpayers $5.68. A total of 8.9 million women received publicly supported contraceptive services that year through either the Title X federal family planning program or through Medicaid assistance, and 1.1 million unplanned births were prevented." [HuffPost's Laura Bassett]
PARANOID SELF-LOATHING GOP LOBBYIST AGHAST AT COLUMNIST'S RIDE - "Eugene Robinson drives a Lexus," writes HuffPost Hill's Paranoid Self-Loathing GOP Lobbyist -- who claims he left his panic room just long enough to see the Washington Post columnist/MSNBC contributor out in his Japanese luxury car. "F*ck Detroit." Keep those eyes peeled, PSLGOPL!
Do you want to know what Larry Summers' nostril looks like? BuzzFeed is ON IT.
DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - From our ongoing series PASTED: The Email of People on Food Stamps: "I try to shop when there are few customers and always do my best to hide the food stamp card. And I always wear sunglasses and a hat to try to conceal myself, being a substitute teacher fearful a student might see me." [Hang in there!]
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PRESIDENT PROPOSES DEAL ON JOBS AND TAXES - After a while Democrats won't have any more corporate taxes to horse trade with. Times: "President Obama, seeking to break a stalemate with Republicans, announced here Tuesday that he would cut corporate tax rates in return for a pledge from Republicans to invest in more programs to generate middle-class jobs. Using a sea of cardboard boxes in a cavernous Amazon distribution center as a backdrop, Mr. Obama described a grand bargain' for the middle class that he said would stimulate the economy while giving businesses the lower tax rates they have long sought.... The terms of Mr. Obama’s tax plan were outlined in early 2012 by Timothy F. Geithner, his former Treasury secretary, who said the corporate tax rate would be reduced to 28 percent, from 35 percent, with a lower rate of 25 percent for manufacturing firms." [NYT]
Do we even need to tell you that Republicans are opposing this? "Republican leaders are scoffing at a proposal that President Barack Obama unveiled Tuesday tying corporate tax reform to new investments in job creation. Their opposition boils down to one looming question: What's in it for us? Top Republicans say the proposal isn't a bargain of any kind, wondering aloud what concessions the president is offering for their buy-in. One House GOP leadership aide, speaking on background, summed up Obama's plan as a series of proposals that are just the opposite of concessions for Republicans: corporate tax reform without individual tax reform, corporate tax reform that isn't revenue neutral, and additional stimulus spending." [HuffPost]
BRADLEY MANNING RULING: DIDN'T AIDE THE ENEMY, VIOLATED ESPIONAGE ACT - One day, after we've cleared away the wreckage from Skynet, we will have robots who can pre-write the thousands of possible outcomes for cases like this. Matt Sledge: "Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst who laid bare America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by covertly transmitting a massive trove of sensitive government documents to WikiLeaks, has been convicted on 19 of 21 charges, including 5 counts of espionage. He was found not guilty of aiding the enemy, the most serious and controversial charge laid against him... The prosecution's novel legal theory that Manning knew his disclosures to WikiLeaks, once published on the internet, would wind up in al Qaeda's possession could have had implications that extended beyond the fate of the 25-year-old Crescent, Okla., native. Although he had admitted the underlying fact of his disclosures to WikiLeaks, and to many of the lesser charges against him, the prosecution nonetheless went ahead with trying to prove Manning was guilty of aiding al Qaeda. Press freedom advocates had warned that if he was convicted on that count, the verdict would threaten to criminalize both journalists and their sources." [HuffPost]
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WON'T STOP OBAMACARE - Amanda Terkel: "The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service issued a report on Monday stating that the law would still be in effect even if lawmakers hold up the functioning of the government over budget disputes. 'It appears that substantial [Affordable Care Act] implementation might continue during a lapse in annual appropriations that resulted in a temporary government shutdown,' the report says. It pointed to the fact that the federal government will 'be able to rely on sources of funding other than annual discretionary appropriations.' It also noted that federal agencies are allowed to continue performing certain functions during a shutdown. Furthermore, it said, the individual mandate would continue... In recent days, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has been leading an effort to essentially shut down the government unless Obamacare is repealed. He wants Republicans to refuse to pass a continuing resolution that would keep the federal government open beyond Sept. 30 if it includes funding for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He already has the backing of about a dozen Republican senators." [HuffPost]
SHOCKING POLL FINDS REPUBLICANS WOULD NOMINATE AN UNELECTABLE CANDIDATE - But once Sarah Palin warns Alaskans that they weren't going to be taking away our arms, by ringing those bells and sending those warning shots and bells, all that will change. Luke Johnson: "Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is Alaska Republicans' top choice to challenge Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) in 2014, even though she would perform poorly against him in a general election, a Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday found. Palin was the choice of 36 percent of the Republican primary voters surveyed, but Begich would beat her in a hypothetical match-up, 52-40 percent... she is unpopular with voters overall, with 58 percent viewing her unfavorably and 39 percent viewing her favorably... Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who has declared his candidacy, is the choice of 26 percent of Alaska Republicans. Treadwell also does the best of any Republican against Begich, earning the support of 40 percent of voters to Begich's 44 percent... Joe Miller, who was the tea party-backed Republican Senate nominee in 2010 and is running again in 2014, came in last with 12 percent." [HuffPost]
Bob McDonnell will return the gifts he received from a campaign donor, but will unlikely receive store credit. ABC News: "Embattled Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said today that he would return gifts he and his family received from a campaign donor, including a $6,500 Rolex watch. Speaking on WTOP radio on the 'Ask the Governor' program, McDonnell said he would work with counsel to return 'all remaining gifts' from Jonnie Williams, a wealthy donor to his campaign and CEO of a nutritional supplement company Star Scientific. The gifts could amount to tens of thousands of dollars...McDonnell’s office won’t provide any additional information about which gifts he would be returning or their value." [ABC News]
STEVE KING NOW WORKING FOR MEDIA MATTERS' COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT - We don't know how he's going to find the time, what with all he does for La Raza, but we admire his work ethic. Business Insider: "On Monday, King sent out a fundraising email to supporters based on the comments, saying it was clear he had been taken out of context and 'complimented legal immigrants.' He urges supporters to watch the video and 'make a generous donation to my campaign' if they agree. The problem: On the donation page, King's campaign embedded a YouTube video that was clipped by a tracker from American Bridge, the liberal opposition-slinging group that first spotted the comments. In response to King using their video, American Bridge decided to have some fun with their video and made a few key alterations near its start. The first pop-up tells viewers, "Don't listen to Steve King's excuses. Comparing immigrants to dogs is offensive." The second pop-up links to a video compilation of some of King's more controversial remarks throughout his time in Congress." [Business Insider]
CREEPING SHARIA ALERT!!!!! AL JAZEERA AMERICA ANNOUNCES 12 BUREAUS - Politico: "Al Jazeera America has formally announced the 12 U.S. bureaus that will be up and running when it launches on August 20th. The bureaus, first reported by POLITICO back in May, are: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The network also announced the correspondents for ten of these bureaus: Libby Casey will be Al Jazeera America’s correspondent in Washington, D.C... Ash-har Quraishi will be Al Jazeera America’s Chicago correspondent; Former YNN Austin evening and weekend news anchor Heidi Zhou Castro will be based out of the new Al Jazeera bureau in Dallas; Paul Beban, a former producer for Al Jazeera English, will be the correspondent in Denver. Bisi Onile-Ere will be AL Jazeera’s correspondent in Detroit. Jennifer London, former national correspondent for NBC Network News and MSNBC, will be Al Jazeera America’s Los Angeles correspondent." [Politico ]
D.C.'S FIRST MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY OPENS - Sadly, you won't be able to legally treat your "anxiety" disorder with weed (or your anxiety disorder, for that matter). WUSA: "Capital City Care opened its door in Washington today. This is the first licensed medical marijuana dispensary located on 1334 N. Capitol St, N.W.. Voters in Washington passed an initiative which allows people who have a serious illness to legally buy medical marijuana, according to a press release... Only patients who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, severe muscle spasms are able to participate in this program. They have to be recommended by a DC licensed doctor, show that they are DC residents, and approved by the Department of Health, it said in a press release." [WUSA]
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here is a kitten in a Cool Whip container.
APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS NYC SODA RULING - Now if only someone can take action against the original Four Loko formula ban, we'll gladly contribute to the legal fund. CBS News: "An appeals court ruled Tuesday that the city's Board of Health exceeded its legal authority and acted unconstitutionally when it tried to put a size limit on soft drinks served in city restaurants. In a unanimous opinion, the four-judge panel of the state Supreme Court Appellate Division said that the health board was acting too much like a legislature when it created the limit, which would have stopped sales of non-diet soda and other sugar-laden beverages in containers bigger than 16 ounces (473 milliliters). The judges wrote that while the board had the power to ban "inherently harmful" foodstuffs from being served to the public, sweetened beverages didn't fall into that category. They also said the board appeared to have crafted much of the new rules based on political or economic considerations, rather than health concerns." [CBS News]
COMFORT FOOD
- Guy with jet-powered wing attached to his back flies alongside a B-52 bomber. [http://bit.ly/17RwxLn]
- NASA attached a camera to one of the space shuttles' rocket boosters. Watch as you quickly accelerate to 150,000 feet and then fall. [http://n.pr/16fb8fP]
- For the person who has everything but not enough videos of cattle stampedes... voila. [http://bit.ly/12yvCB7]
- The cost of being a superhero in 1939 and today. All those clothes that the Hulk rips apart really add up. [http://bit.ly/156XMDL]
- "Jurassic Park," America's most beloved documentary, was based on a lie. [http://read.bi/12YsrxJ]
- A NSFW-ish video that uses food to describe the differences between porn sex and real sex. [http://bit.ly/15413Uo]
- Meet Kemosabe, the one-toothed porcupine. [http://bit.ly/13g064B]
TWITTERAMA
@jonlovett: Finally, "This Town" without all that irony. RT @mikeallen: HarperOne announces Sally Quinn memoir to be published. Bob Barnett negotiated!
@dceiver: RT @bycoffe: Unclear who the No Fools Allowed super PAC is going to support bit.ly/17Rllyn / Probably not "fools."
@timothypmurphy: Guys, what are some other 19th-century relics that are "in" right now. Besides beards and sodomy laws.
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