TresSugar

Front Page: Congress Passes Matthew Shepard Hate-Crime Bill

TresSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:08 -0700

Congress has passed a bill making violence against LGBT Americans a hate crime. The bill named after Matthew Shepard is now headed to the White House for signature. - LA Times
Roman Polanski is one step closer to being extradited to the US. - AP
The FAA is investigating whether fatigue caused two Northwest Airlines pilots to overshoot the airport by 150 miles earlier this week. - New York Times
Significantly more Americans now doubt global warming. - The Guardian
Fox News founder Roger Ailes is being encourage to run for president in 2012. - Politico

Friday Feel Good: Epic Political Sing-Along

TresSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

No matter where you fall on healthcare reform, or Obama, or the UN, this musical combines presidents and prime ministers singing in perfect harmony, thanks to Auto-Tune. It's like church revival hour, but on Friday. Happy Friday!

US Moves to Apologize For Slavery 145 Years Later

TresSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:30:00 -0700

2009 just might be the year the United States officially apologizes for slavery, which was abolished in 1863. Yesterday, the US Senate approved a resolution that acknowledges the wrongs of slavery.

Words can never take back this shameful part of American history or repair its enduring effects, but an official apology can focus attention on injustices, and perhaps impact present government policies and modern moral obligations. The US government has offered apologies and monetary compensation to another group of Americans - in 1988, Congress voted to apologize to Japanese Americans interned during World War II and granted $20,000 to each person who survived internment.

The current resolution closes the door on reparations for the descendants of slaves. President Obama agrees. While explaining his opposition to monetary reparations on the campaign trail last year, Obama said the best way to combat the legacy of slavery was to provide good schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed.

Do you think an apology will have any impact?

Picture It: Death of a Postman

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:30:39 -0700

Mailboxes wait in limbo, or outside a San Francisco mail sort center, until their fate is determined. The US Postal Service showed up on the floor of Congress Wednesday, mailbags open for bailout change. Cutting service and charging for secure(r) email seem increasingly likely since May's ¢2 stamp hike (from ¢42 to ¢44) won't be enough to stop USPS from going bankrupt by the year's end.

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College Football Ranking System Might Violate Antitrust Laws

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Attention college football fans. Your lawmakers are listening to you!

The Senate will soon review how college football picks the country's number one team each year.

In case you've been living under a rock, the NCAA doesn't support a playoff system. Instead polls and computer models rank teams. The top two play each other for the BCS championship. The other ranked teams play in bowl games. Certain conferences get automatic bids to the bowl games, which prove to be major money making events for the schools.

In a statement, the subcommittee on antitrust said that the current BCS system "leaves nearly half of all the teams in college football at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to qualifying for the millions of dollars paid out every year."

Do you think overlooked teams are being sore losers, or should lawmakers rightly step in?

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Front Page: House Passes 90 Percent Tax on Bonuses

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 07:51:15 -0700

The House has passed a bill that would levy a 90 percent tax on bonuses going to employees at bailed out companies. The Senate will vote next week on the bill. - Bloomberg
Employees at AIG have hired security, as many fear for their safety. - New York Times
President Obama has apologized for comparing his bowling skills to the Special Olympics last night on the Tonight Show. - ABC News
Gov. Sarah Palin plans to reject over 30 percent of the stimulus money intended for schools, energy assistance, and social services in Alaska. - Anchorage Daily News
School officials at a Texas high school regularly orchestrated cage fights among students between 2003 and 2005, but cannot be charged due to the statute of limitations. - Dallas Morning News

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Congress Considers Bill to Spur Volunteerism

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:00:02 -0700

The House of Representatives will vote on the Give Act today, which would triple the size of AmeriCorps and create four other service programs. The new Corps would be:

The Clean Energy Corps
The Education Corps
The Healthy Futures Corps
The Veterans Service Crops

The bill also increases the amount of money volunteers, like the ones Michelle Obama hung out with yesterday, receive toward education.

Supporters of the bill say that America's service infrastructure needs a critical boost. Plus, if we can get volunteers to focus energy toward crucial projects, it might save money. According to some analysis each dollar invested in AmeriCorp yields a $4 return.

But critics say it would just throw money at the idea of giving back. And jobless Americans already seem excited about the idea of giving back and gaining skills.

So what about you? Do you favor this bill?

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Front Page: AIG's CEO Gets Grilled in Congress

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:48:35 -0700

AIG's CEO is testifying before Congress today, expressing that he shares America's anger but had no choice but to make the "distasteful" bonus payments. - Huffington Post
In a new poll, Rush Limbaugh has a 19 percent favorability rating. - CBS News
The French government has criticized the Pope for opposing the use of condoms to prevent AIDS in Africa, calling the comments a danger to public health policy and human life. - International Herald Tribune
Drunken mobs torched cars, attacked firefighters, and bombarded police in certain parts of Ireland yesterday, where the St. Patrick's Day celebrations turned ugly. - AP
A new study shows obesity can take a decade off your life. - USA Today
In his March Madness bracket, President Obama has chosen Louisville, North Carolina, Memphis, and Pittsburgh for the Final Four. - AP

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Congress Approval Hits Four-Year High - Do You Approve?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:30:37 -0700

Americans see their Congress in a rosier light these days. Accordingly, Congress saw a 20-point increase in its approval rating over the last two months, a jump that surely has Democrats basking in the good news. Thirty-nine percent of Americans now approve of the way national lawmakers handle their jobs. Increased satisfaction among Democrats is largely responsible for the spike. So tell me - do you approve or disapprove of Congress? Be sure to tell me why in the comments!

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Primates Aren't Pets: House to Keep Chimps Out of Homes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:40:36 -0800

Not every tragedy gets a quick and sweeping response from Congress, but eight days after a pet chimpanzee attacked and injured a woman, the House of Representatives passed a practical ban on chimps as house pets. The bill would ban transporting pets across state lines to be sold as pets.

Last week, Travis the chimp severely attack his owner's friend in Connecticut. The victim is still hospitalized and Travis is dead. Travis had been brought from Missouri to Connecticut.

The president of the Humane Society said:

There is no reason for any private citizen to keep a primate as a pet, and this trade is driven by unscrupulous dealers who sell primates across state lines for thousands of dollars. Congressional action on this animal welfare and public safety issue will complement our efforts at the state level to dry up the trade and the practice of private ownership of chimps and other primates.

Do you think this bill will help keep humans and animals safe, or is it a slippery slope toward banning dogs? They can attack, too!
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