January 18, 2017

Booker and the Big Pharma Dems Have No Excuse. This Vote Proves It. - Common Dreams

Just posting for further discussion. He makes some good points.



by Richard Eskow - Common Dreams


Snip>

Booker attempted to defend his vote in a statement to Jezebel’s Ellie Schechet in which he said:

“Any plan to allow the importation of prescription medications should also include consumer protections that ensure foreign drugs meet American safety standards. I opposed an amendment put forward last night that didn’t meet this test.”

Nonsense. Canadian testing is as strong as its American equivalent, and most Canadian drugs are manufactured in the same locations as their US counterparts. And note the use of the word “foreign.” It seems designed to trigger xenophobic fears, and to hide the fact that drugs would only have been imported from one country: Canada.

What’s more, the Sanders/Klobuchar amendment was only a first step, so there was plenty of time to address any lingering concerns. Sen. Klobuchar has already co-sponsored a bill with Sen. John McCain called the “Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act” that specifies how the process could work safely and efficiently.

But here’s the big question: If Booker and the other Democrats are so concerned about drug safety, why did they vote for the 21st Century Cures Act? Sold as a path to innovation, the bill was actually a massive giveaway to drug companies that wanted an end-run around safety regulations. It came with promises to spend more on public health needs, but those promises were designed to be easily broken.


More: http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/01/17/booker-and-big-pharma-dems-have-no-excuse-vote-proves-it

January 16, 2017

Presidential inauguration: Donald Trump has the lowest approval ratings of any president-elect

in recent history.

The latest survey by Gallup suggests that Donald Trump is wildly unpopular for someone who is about to take the oath of office as US president.




https://qz.com/885286/presidential-inauguration-donald-trump-has-the-lowest-approval-ratings-of-any-president-elect-in-recent-history/

January 16, 2017

Beijing will 'take off the gloves', if Trump continues on Taiwan- China Daily

ReutersJanuary 15, 2017

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Two influential Chinese newspapers on Monday warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that Beijing will "take off the gloves" and Taiwan may be scarified if he continues to provoke Beijing over the self-ruled island once he sworn in on Jan. 20.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Friday, Trump said the "One China" policy was up for negotiation. China's foreign ministry said "One China" was the foundation of China-U.S. ties and was non-negotiable.

Trump broke with decades of precedent last month by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, angering Beijing which sees Taiwan as part of China.

"If Trump is determined to use this gambit in taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves," the English-language China Daily said.

Continued: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/beijing-off-gloves-trump-continues-taiwan-china-daily-005013448.html



8 reasons why starting a trade war with China is a bad idea


http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/16/news/economy/us-china-trade-war-donald-trump/

January 15, 2017

How Vladimir Putin won Republicans' approval

January 14, 2017

Taraji P. Henson On 'Hidden Figures': A Mind Doesnt Have A Color Hardball MSNBC

There is some great discussion about John Glenn's trust of Katherine Johnson here. Great movie, great story and all amazing women.

Great video of her here:

http://people.com/human-interest/nasa-katherine-johnson-mathematician-advice-interview/

January 13, 2017

In 2001, Reporter Confronted Trump With Russian Sexcapade Allegations On Howard Stern Show

Snip> Benza later told Stern and Trump, “[Trump] used to call me when I was a columnist and say, ‘I was just in Russia, the girls have no morals, you gotta get out there.’ [Trump’s] out of his mind.”

http://www.thegailygrind.com/2017/01/12/2001-reporter-confronted-trump-russian-sexcapade-allegations-howard-stern-show/

January 13, 2017

Bernie Sanders Gets Apology From Clinton Backer

January 12, 2017

What Is the Real Unemployment Rate?