All Issues

Archive:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >  Last ›

CBO: ObamaCare-Like Programs Don’t Save Money or Reduce Costs

CNS News

Health care reform programs that are similar to those promoted by the ObamaCare law do not save the government money or reduce health care costs, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The report examined 10 major demonstration projects conducted by Medicare in which managed care programs and value-based payment programs are evaluated. The two types of health care reforms are key features of ObamaCare – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which became law in March 2010.

In the managed-care programs – where care-management companies were hired to coordinate care between doctors and patients with chronic diseases like diabetes, sending nurses to monitor whether patients were following doctor’s orders – the CBO found that the programs did not reduce costs enough to save the government money.

Obama Nixes Job-Creating Pipeline 11 Months After Launching Plan With Canada to Boost Growth on Both Sides of Border

CNS News

After three years of environmental review and a 60-day congressional deadline for a decision, the Obama administration on Wednesday nixed the Keystone XL pipeline project that would bring tar sand oil from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The decision drew strong reaction from business and energy groups. Environmental groups oppose the pipeline, fearing the possibility of an oil spill.

In a statement, the State Department said it had recommended to President Obama that the permit be denied and that, “at this time,” the pipeline project “be determined not to serve the national interest.”

Gingrich delivers show-stopper at beginning of South Carolina debate

CNN

The four remaining GOP candidates played to their individual strengths on Thursday and tried to leave a lasting impression in a final, boisterous debate two days before South Carolina's pivotal primary. In a campaign cycle where debates have had direct consequences on the ebb and flow of the race, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich turned his contempt for the media into one of his strongest performances yet. When CNN Chief National Correspondent John King opened the debate with a question about open marriage, following an interview by Gingrich's ex-wife saying that he had sought one, the Republican chastised him.

Israel: Nuclear Iran could deter military action

Fox News

A nuclear Iran could make it tougher for Israel to act against enemies closer to home, a senior Israeli military official said Tuesday, suggesting that regional fallout would be broad should Tehran achieve bomb making capabilities.

Military planning division chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel said if Tehran attains atomic weapons, that could constrain Israel from striking Iranian-backed Islamist groups in Lebanon and Gaza, Hezbollah and Hamas. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/17/israel-nuclear-iran-could-deter-military-action/#ixzz1jjn5yVos

Faith leaders choosing up sides

OneNewsNow

Several prominent Christian leaders from across the country have signed on to lead the official "pastors and leaders faith coalition" for one of the GOP presidential hopefuls. The group was introduced during a recent nationwide conference call.

Over the weekend, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum received a boost from a gathering of evangelical and social conservatives. Associated Press reports that the more than 100 religious and social conservatives meeting on a Texas ranch supported Santorum over Newt Gingrich by a more than three-to-one margin -- although Gingrich supporter J.C. Watts, who was at that meeting, has described the report of those results as "totally misrepresenting" of what actually occurred.

Chamber of Commerce to Obama: You ‘Missed the Biggest In-Sourcing Opportunity’ --Keystone Pipeline

CNS News

– While President Barack Obama has been touting the importance of “insourcing” jobs into the United States (as opposed to outsourcing jobs overseas), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reminded America on Thursday that Obama recently rejected one of the most prominent and beneficial insourced opportunities: the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry tar sand oil through middle America to refineries on the Gulf Coast and create at least 20,000 jobs.

Bruce Josten, vice president of government affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said on Jan. 12, 2011, that President Obama should approve the Keystone Pipeline to create jobs in the United States.

The 1,700-mile Keystone pipeline, which starts in Canada and would end on the Texas coast, has been under review by the Obama administration’s State Department for several years. While a green light from the State Department for the project was expected last fall, the department, under pressure from environmentalists, decided in November to delay its decision until 2013.

Cashless Society: India Implements First Biometric ID Program for all of its 1.2 Billion Residents

infowars.com

Recently, India has launched a nationwide program involving the allocation of a Unique Identification Number (UID) to every single one of its 1.2 billion residents. Each of the numbers will be tied to the biometric data of the recipient using three different forms of information – fingerprints, iris scans, and pictures of the face. All ten digits of the hand will be recorded, and both eyes will be scanned.

The project will be directed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the premise of preventing identity theft and social welfare fraud. India has rather extensive social welfare and safety net programs, ranging from medical support and heating assistance to others aimed at helping the poor. Fraud is a rampant problem in India, especially in relation to these programs due to a preponderance of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who often stuff welfare rolls with fake names and take the money for themselves.

Yet, although the justification for the billion person database is the increased ability to accurately disperse social welfare benefits, it will not be just the Indian government’s social welfare programs that have access to and utilize the UIDAI. Indeed, even before the program has been completed, major banks, state/local governments, and other institutions are planning to use the UIDAI for identification verification purposes and, of course, payment and accessibility.

Obama Wants to Use Tax Code to Reward ‘In-Sourcing’ and Punish Outsourcing

CNS News

President Barack Obama will propose new tax incentives to reward companies that bring jobs to the United States and eliminate tax breaks for companies that hire outside the country. These initiatives come at a time when the president is on the defense about his record on the economy as he runs for re-election.

“In the next few weeks, I will put forward new tax proposals that reward companies that choose to bring jobs home and invest in America – and eliminate tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas. Because there is opportunity to be had, right here,” Obama said speaking to business leaders at the White House. “There are workers ready to work, right now.”

Detroit unsure over the future of green cars

Breitbart

The US auto industry remains unsold over the future of "green cars" such as electrics and hybrids, as car makers struggle with the first steps in a market most agree shows promise over the long term.

Automakers wheeled out a variety of new hybrids and plug-in electrics at the annual Detroit auto show this week, touting their great energy savings along with new, freshened designs.

Ten years after the Toyota Prius hybrid swept into the market, only about three percent of all cars sold in the United States are electric or gas-electric hybrids, said David Cole, director of the Center for Automotive Research.

In Oklahoma Case, Another Legal Blow To Sharia Law Bans

The Atlantic

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, not generally known for its progressive bent, on Tuesday affirmed a lower court ruling that had prevented Oklahoma's so-called "sharia ban" from taking effect. The 37-page decision by the three-judge panel was unanimous and useful in providing some early context about the nature of these laws and the trouble they are likely to find when they bump up against the First Amendment's religion clauses.

The case is still in a procedural phase; the 10th Circuit merely affirmed that a federal trial judge in Oklahoma had not abused her discretion in November 2010 when she issued a preliminary injunction banning Oklahoma officials from activating into law State Question 755. That's the ballot initiative from the 2010 election, approved overwhelmingly by Oklahoma voters, that purports to forbid Oklahoma's courts from recognizing international law -- especially sharia law.

DC Council Considering Gay Divorce Bill

Associated Press

The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would make it easier for gay and lesbian couples who marry in the nation’s capital to get divorced.

The bill would let gay couples who married in Washington get divorced even if they no longer live in the district, provided they live somewhere that would not recognize their divorce. Under current law, one member of the divorcing couple has to live in Washington for six months before starting divorce proceedings.

Evangelicals could make the difference in 2012

OneNewsNow

A conservative says a California group may be able to spark enthusiasm among Christian voters in 2012.

A Silicon Valley-based group is seeking to register five million new conservative Christian voters for the 2012 election. The Los Angeles Times reports that United in Purpose, a group of local businessmen, is creating a database of evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics around the nation. They hope to recruit 100,000 "champions" who will motivate unregistered Christian voters to get to the ballot box this year.

New Chief of Staff: Former Hedge Fund Exec. at Citigroup, Made Money Off Mortgage Defaults

The Weekly Standard

President Obama's first chief of staff Rahm Emanuel once sat on the board of troubled federal mortgage giant Freddie Mac. Bill Daley, the president's chief of staff whose departure was announced today, was previously a top executive at financial firm J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. So of course there should be little surprise that Obama's latest chief of staff, announced today by the president himself, also has deep ties to the financial industry himself.

From 2006-2008, Jack Lew was chief operating officer of Citibank's alternative investments division. And it was his division that made billions of dollars betting "U.S. homeowners would not be able to make their mortgage payments," as the Huffington Post reported.

The piece also reported: “Lew made millions at Citi, including a bonus of nearly $950,000 in 2009 just a few months after the bank received billions of dollars in a taxpayer rescue, according to disclosure forms filed with the federal government. The bank is still partly owned by taxpayers.”

The problem with Paul's foreign policy

OneNewsNow

A U.S.-born Israeli author and expert on the Middle East believes presidential hopeful Ron Paul's foreign policy is worse than Barack Obama's. As previously reported on OneNewsNow, Texas Congressman Paul has come under a great deal of criticism for saying he does not have a problem with the rogue regime in Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons. He has also been described as anti-Israel for a number of statements he has made about the Jewish state. The latest report comes from a former staffer who says the Texas lawmaker told him in a private conversation that he believed Israel is more trouble than it is worth, specifically to the American taxpayer. Paul also reportedly sides with the Palestinians and supports their calls for abolishing the Jewish state and returning its land to the Arabs.

Doctors in America are harboring an embarrassing secret: Many of them are going broke.

CNN Money

This quiet reality, which is spreading nationwide, is claiming a wide range of casualties, including family physicians, cardiologists and oncologists.

Industry watchers say the trend is worrisome. Half of all doctors in the nation operate a private practice. So if a cash crunch forces the death of an independent practice, it robs a community of a vital health care resource.

The Heck with the Senate: Obama Skips 'Advise and Consent' in Naming 3 New Members of National Labor Relations Board

CNS News

As part of his "We Can't Wait" campaign -- intended to make Congress look weak and ineffective -- President Barack Obama is making a power grab of questionable legality, critics say.

Not only did the president recess-appoint a consumer protection "czar" on Wednesday, he also recess-appointed three new members of his controversial National Labor Relations Board.

But, as Republican leaders argue, the Congress is not in recess. And in making the three NLRB appointments, Obama has ignored the written pleas of Republicans for "political and philosophical balance” on the labor board.

US commander visits Israel to finalize missile drill

Jerusalem Post

Israel is moving forward with plans to hold the largest-ever missile defense exercise in its history this spring amid Iranian efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

Last week, Lt.-Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the US’s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited Israel to finalize plans for the upcoming drill, expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers in Israel.

The drill, which is unprecedented in its size, will include the establishment of US command posts in Israel and IDF command posts at EUCOM headquarters in Germany – with the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Middle East.

Terrorists Warn Christians to Leave Nigeria’s Muslim North

CNS News

As a three-day ultimatum by al-Qaeda-affiliated radicals for Nigerian southerners – mostly Christians – to leave the country’s predominantly Muslim north ran out Wednesday, police played down the threat while some politicians differed over how the government should respond.

Boko Haram, which last month carried out deadly attacks on Christians for the second consecutive Christmas, made the threat Sunday after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in parts of four northern states where the extremists have been most active.

Obama sets up clash with Congress over recess banking pick

The Washington Times

Congressional officials said President Obama used his recess appointment powers Wednesday to name a head for the controversial Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a move Republican lawmakers said amounted to an unconstitutional power grab.

The president acted just a day after the Senate held a session — a move that breaks with at least three different precedents that said the Senate must be in recess for at least three days. Mr. Obama himself was part of two of those precedents, both during his own time in the Senate and again in 2010 when one of his administration’s top constitutional lawyers made the three-day argument to the Supreme Court.

White House: When Congress Won’t Cooperate, Obama Will Take ‘Small, Medium and Large’ Executive Actions

CNS News

President Barack Obama is ready to take “small, medium and large” actions without the consent of Congress, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

Carney on Tuesday explained further Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” strategy of addressing problems without Congress. This would be done through executive orders and other actions Carney said.

“We hope to work with Congress to continue to take action on that to continue to grow the economy and create jobs,” Carney said. “Separate from that, and this was the case last year and will be the case this year, we can’t wait for Congress to act. And when Congress refuses to act, and Republicans choose the path of obstruction rather than cooperation, than the president is not going to sit here, this gridlock in Washington is not as excuse for inaction.”

Our Mission: We want to stimulate thoughtful debate and presentation of controversial issues on radio and television news and public affairs shows by representing guests who have something to say, and who know how to say it.