yallerdawg

yallerdawg's Journal

October 1, 2017

9 million kids get health insurance under CHIP. Congress JUST LET IT EXPIRE.

While we fretted about OUR insurance, they whacked our kid's insurance!

Source: Washington Post, by Valerie Strauss

Congress just allowed the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provided low-cost health insurance to 9 million children, to expire.

If action is not taken soon to restore the funding, the effects will become obvious in schools across the country, with many of the children in the program unable to see a doctor for routine checkups, immunizations, visits when sick and other services.

The program, created under a 1997 law passed with bipartisan support during the administration of President Bill Clinton, provided coverage for children in families with low and moderate incomes as well as to pregnant women. It was instrumental in lowering the percentage of children who were uninsured from nearly 14 percent when it started to 4.5 percent in 2015. It was last reauthorized in 2015 and was due to be renewed by Sept. 30, 2017.

Amid unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the Republican-led Congress allowed the CHIP deadline to pass without action.

The program was primarily funded by the federal government, with states paying a good deal less. States still have some CHIP money available, but if Congress does not act quickly to restore the program, they will start to run out. Several states and the District of Columbia are expected to drain CHIP funding by the end of this year and many more by March 2018, according to this government report.

Read the rest at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/10/01/9-million-kids-get-health-insurance-under-chip-congress-just-let-it-expire/?utm_term=.9c8ec74e0e61

October 1, 2017

Trump to attend Presidents Cup golf tournament Sunday

Source: The Hill, by Brandon Carter

President Trump updated his schedule on Sunday to attend the Presidents Cup Golf Tournament at Liberty National Golf Club.

Trump is scheduled to arrive at the course this afternoon and will participate in the trophy presentation at 6 p.m. Several former presidents attended the tournament this week, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Trump has spent the weekend at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) ripped Trump for “[sitting] in his opulent golf resort attacking hurricane first responders,” and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) hit Trump for “tweeting insults at [Puerto Rico’s] leaders from your golf club.”

Read it all at: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/353320-trump-heading-to-presidents-cup-golf-tournament-sunday

October 1, 2017

Beware SEC: Alabama is an angry, bloodthirsty team

Source: al.com, by Joseph Goodman

*****

There might have been better football teams at Alabama over the last 10 years -- it's too early for any of that talk -- but this one ... this one plays with a focused rage that is beautiful to watch, and frightening. There is blood in Alabama's eyes on every play, and at every moment.

This team is replaying the final, gut-wrenching score of January's national championship loss to Clemson every single snap.

The Crimson Tide defeated Ole Miss 66-3 on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and it wasn't so much a contest as it was an extinguishing of souls. Through two games of its SEC schedule, Alabama has outscored opponents 125-3.

*****

At the heart of Alabama's burning fire of pain are players like defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is your favorite football player's favorite football player. He plays every position in the secondary, and he's one of the best players in the country.

*****

"At the end of last season, we didn't finish," Fitzpatrick said. "I've been saying don't let them breathe. Don't let them have any moments to relax. Don't take any play off. Because it's all about us finishing and dominating the whole game from the first quarter all the way to the last."

*****

Read it all at: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/10/beware_sec_alabama_is_an_angry.html#incart_2box

September 30, 2017

October Premieres and Returns

Not all inclusive, just those you should watch so they don't get canceled - so I can keep watching!

Add your own favorites!

Ghosted Fox, Sunday, Oct 1, 8:30-7:30CT If you like The Orville, this should be right up your alley!

Lucifer Fox, Monday, Oct 2, 8:00-7:00CT Guilty pleasure?

Van Helsing Syfy, Thursday, Oct.5, 9:00-8:00CT If you're missing The Strain already, this is a good one!

Ghost Wars Syfy, Thursday, Oct.5 10:00-9:00CT

Mr. Robot USA, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 10:00-9:00CT Gets its own thread!!!

The Shannara Chronicles Spike, Wednesday, Oct.11, 10:00-9:00CT Very entertaining - for LOTR and GoT withdrawal!

Berlin Station Epix, Sunday, Oct.15, 9:00-8:00CT Hidden treasure! If you like Homeland you'll love this.

The Walking Dead AMC, Sunday, Oct. 22, 9:00-8:00CT Of course it gets its own thread!

September 30, 2017

Doug Jones, Alabama Democratic Senate hopeful, wouldn't support 20-week abortion ban

Have you heard this one? "If a REAL Democrat ran in the South, Democrats might just win!"

Source: al.com, by Leada Gore

Alabama Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Doug Jones said he would work to protect access to contraception and a woman's right to an abortion if he wins December's election against Republican Roy Moore.

*****

"I'm going to stand up for that, and I'm going to make sure that that continues to happen," he said. "I want to make sure that as we go forward, people have access to contraception, they have access to the abortion that they might need, if that's what they choose to do."

*****

"I'm not in favor of anything that is going to infringe on a woman's right and her freedom to choose. That's just the position that I've had for many years. It's a position I continue to have," Jones said.

Once the child is born, however, Jones said he's would "be there for that child."

"That's where I become a right to lifer," he added.

*****

Read it all at: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/doug_jones_alabama_democratic.html#incart_river_home?li_source=base&li_medium=default-widget

September 29, 2017

Jeff Sessions Former Senate Seat Could Turn Blue As First Poll Shows Close Race In Alabama

Source: PoliticusUSA, by Jason Easley

Trouble could be brewing for Republicans in deep red Alabama as the first poll after the Republican Senate primary runoff finds Democratic candidate Doug Jones trailing Republican Roy Moore 50.2%-44.5%.

The poll was conducted for Decision Desk HQ by Opinion Savvy, and revealed, “Moore boasts a huge lead among evangelical voters, 67.8% to 28%, while Jones boasts an even larger lead among non-evangelicals, 69.7% to 26.7%. Among African-American voters, Moore peels off 24.8% to Jones’ 70.9%, while among white voters, Jones has a surprising 36.1% to Moore’s 58.5%.”

What this means is that Moore is a weaker general election candidate in Alabama than Luther Strange would have been. It is only one poll, but it does hint that the door could be open for Democrats to run a competitive race in the state.

As in other special elections in deep red states, dumping millions of dollars into the state to help the Democratic candidate won’t be enough to win. Republicans have a deep partisan advantage in Alabama, but there is one potentially powerful case that Jones could make. The Democrats could flip this seat by making this election all about Roy Moore and how he would embarrass his home state if he won.

*****

Read the rest at: http://www.politicususa.com/2017/09/29/jeff-sessions-senate-seat-turn-blue-poll-shows-close-race-alabama.html

September 29, 2017

Puerto Ricans Could Be Newest U.S. Climate Refugees

Hurricane Maria will trigger profound demographic changes for Puerto Rico

Source: Scientific American, by Daniel Cusick and Adam Aton

Hurricane Maria’s destruction on Puerto Rico could spawn one of the largest mass migration events in the United States’ recent history, experts say, as tens of thousands of storm victims flee the island territory to rebuild their lives on the U.S. mainland.

“It could potentially be a very large migration to the continental United States,” said Maria Cristina Garcia, a Cornell University historian, immigration expert, and author on large-scale population shifts, which includes a forthcoming book on climate refugees.

Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, speaking Tuesday on MSNBC, said the islands’ fate is dependent upon the federal government’s willingness to mount a massive relief effort.

“If we have that, we can avoid a humanitarian crisis in the United States. But if we don’t have that, you will see thousands if not millions of Puerto Ricans flocking to the United States, which will cause a demographic severe problem in Puerto Rico as well as in the United States,” Rosselló said.

Read it all at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/puerto-ricans-could-be-newest-u-s-climate-refugees/?utm_source=Fareed%27s+Global+Briefing&utm_campaign=b1e2047a7c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6f2e93382a-b1e2047a7c-83261917

September 29, 2017

President Trump Heads Back To Bedminster: White House Schedule September 29

Yeah - he damn sure won't get distracted.

Source: White House Patch, by Colin Miner

In the morning, President Trump will receive his daily intelligence briefing and then heads to the Mandarin Oriental where he is scheduled to give remarks to the National Association of Manufacturers.

He then heads back to the White House where he will have lunch with Vice President Mike Pence and Governor Rick Scott of Florida.

He then heads home to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

https://patch.com/us/white-house/president-trump-heads-back-bedminster-white-house-schedule-september-29

"Buh-bye, suckers."

September 29, 2017

Alabama head coach Nick Saban on NFL protests

Nick Saban was at Kent State as a student - was there! - when 4 protesters were killed by members of the National Guard.

Source: al.com, by Michael Casagrande

After caller phoned into Nick Saban radio show:

"I don't think that what these people are doing is in any way, shape or form meant to disrespect a veteran or somebody like yourself who has so worked hard, fought so hard, sacrificed so much to have a quality of life that we want to have," Saban said.

"One of the things that you also fought for and made sacrifices for was that we all could have the freedom to have choice in terms of what we believe, what we did, what we said," Saban said. "So, this is not something that ... look, I respect people's individual rights."

"I have my opinion in terms of what I would do and how I would do it and I'm not one to ever disrespect the symbols that represent the values of our country," Saban said. "But I also respect individual differences that other people have and I think they have the right to express those. Whether it's our players or somebody else, whether I agree or disagree, I think they have a right to do that."

http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2017/09/nick_saban_said_nfl_protests_n.html#incart_most-read_

September 28, 2017

Son of a steelworker, Doug Jones works to connect with Alabama voters

...connect with Alabama voters.

Source: al.com, by Greg Garrison

The summer he was 19 years old, after his freshman year at the University of Alabama, Doug Jones worked in the cotton tie mill at the U.S. Steel plant in Fairfield.

Jones, 63, former U.S. Attorney for the northern district of Alabama, often points to the prosecution of former Ku Klux Klansmen Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry as the defining achievement in his career. They were convicted of murder for killing four young girls in the 1963 Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. Jones led the prosecution decades after the bombing. Blanton was convicted in 2001, the first conviction in the bombing since Robert Chambliss in 1977. Jones was a special prosecutor in the Cherry trial, in 2002.

"What struck me more than anything was this wrongdoing that struck at the heart of everyone, this terrible thing, he took it personally," said Bragg, who covered the trial as a reporter for The New York Times. "It broke his heart. He wasn't just an officer of the court. This was something that broke his heart, as it should have broken everyone's heart. Watching him put the case on, I thought, this guy is smart: smart and a good heart to boot."

Jones bristles at any suggestion that Roy Moore has a special claim on morality and faith in this election. Jones has been a member of Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook for more than 33 years, he said.

"We have our values too," Jones said. "I go to church. I'm a Christian. I have as many people of faith that have been reaching out to me about this campaign. Because you can be an extremist. You can take everything to an extreme, and no one really wants that...They want someone who cares about all people, not just a select few.... That's what I think the teachings of religion are, is the caring about the least of these, the caring about all people, and making sure there's a fairness to everything."

Read it all at: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/son_of_a_steelworker_doug_jone.html#incart_river_home?li_source=base&li_medium=default-widget

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