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The Huffington Post Full Blog Feed         Richard (RJ) Eskow: How Much Would A White House/GOP Social Security Deal Cost You? July 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM   How much would you lose in benefits if President Obama makes a deal with the Republicans to cut Social Security? The Administration isn't denying reports that just such a deal is in the works. As the President prepares to meet with Congressional leaders tomorrow, the financial security of millions of Americans may hang in the balance. According to the polls, so could his political future. If the President and his party accept a proposed "chained CPI" benefit cut, they - and not their opponents - are likely to be painted as "Social Security slashers. " (Remember the GOP's Medicare strategy in 2010?) Dealmakers hope to avoid that by hiding the reduction in a lowered cost of living (COLA) adjustment, but it seems wildly optimistic to think a cut of this magnitude can be hidden from the public. It's doubly unfortunate because COLA adjustments should be increased, not reduced. Read More... More on Barack Obama         G. Elijah Dann: To Catch a Sinner -- Chris Hansen and the Spectacle of Moral Transgression July 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM   It turns out, moral failure is part of Hansen's character too. And it seems that those who like to make a living out of displaying the failure of others might be tempting the gods. Read More... More on Christianity         Eve Ensler: Dominique Strauss-Kahn: So Much For Us to Learn July 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM   The Strauss-Kahn case is not about winning or losing, but opening a dialogue on rape, violence and gender. Read More... More on Dominique Strauss-Kahn         Shannon Kelley: Women Role Models: The Weaker the Better? July 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM   So says Carina Chocano, anyway, in Sunday's New York Times: enough with the "strong female characters," she writes, give 'em to us weak. Strangely, I think she has a point. Read More... More on Careers         Michael Santos: Justice Isn't Justice Without a Guilty Verdict? July 6, 2011 at 5:09 PM   Our nation now confines 2.3 million people. More people may become cynical about our nation's criminal justice system. It is growing into a multi-headed, Leviathan-like beast. Frankly, I'm sick of it. Read More... More on Prisons         Ed Martin: Where Is the Love for VH1's Single Ladies? July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   This sexy primetime soap about the personal and professional lives and loves of three upscale women in Atlanta may at times be lighter than air, but the same can be said of much summer escapist fare. Read More... More on The Real Housewives         Michael Likosky: Crisis Philanthropy: Partnerships & Co-Investment July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   Tough economic times demand that not only foundations but also individuals and governments embrace this leveraging. I call this new approach to giving Crisis Philanthropy. Read More... More on Michelle Obama         Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: An Assault on Clean Water and Democracy July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   The House of Representatives today is swinging a sledgehammer at a cornerstone of contemporary American democracy and undermining the most extraordinary body of environmental law in the world. Read More...         Eve Ensler: Dominique Strauss-Kahn: So Much For Us to Learn July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   [Note - The following commentary originally appeared in The Guardian on Friday, July 1st and has been republished in many publications around the world.] The Strauss-Kahn case is not about winning or losing, but opening a dialogue on rape, violence and gender Read More... More on Dominique Strauss-Kahn         Shawn Amos: PLAY > SKIP: This Week's New Music July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   You've shaken off the sulfur from your 4th of July hangover; now witness the fireworks by a group of musicians rallying around a common cause. Read More... More on Music         David Kronke: Village Voice, Continuing Its Progressive Attacks On Celebrities Tackling Social Ills, Turns Its Sights On George Clooney and Darfur July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   Village Voice Media, fresh off its triumph putting Ashton Kutcher in his place for trying to bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking, has directed its crosshairs to an even bigger celebrity and a more vexing issue. Read More... More on George Clooney         David Wagner: Report from Tokyo: Outrage Is Growing July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   In the aftermath of the Fukushima meltdown, people living in Japan must now contend with a contracting economy, limited electricity, and politicians who spend too much of their time trying to oust the Prime Minister. Read More...         Larry Magid: Hands-On with Facebook's New Video Chat July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   After returning from Facebook headquarters to hear Mark Zuckerberg make his "awesome" announcement, I had a chance to try out the new Facebook video chat which is powered by Skype. Read More...         Amir Madani: Dead Man Walking July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   Muammar al-Gaddafi is a blend of Bedouin, coup leader, autocrat, and fake thinker. For decades under the logic of the Cold War he was able to use terrorism to his benefit. Read More... More on China         Robbie Gennet: There Is No Free Market July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   In order for a market to truly be "free," it can't be manipulated or augmented via subsidies and tax breaks. The term "free" means "not physically restrained, obstructed or fixed; unimpeded" and is unambiguous by nature. Without a qualifier like "partially," the term "free" infers total and unequivocal lack of restraint or manipulation. So how can Republicans in Congress espouse the "free market" while fighting to keep massive subsidies, loopholes and corporate tax breaks in place? Doesn't this dichotomy strike anyone as hypocritical? Or has the term "free market" lost all meaning and relativity amidst the New Corporatism usurping our government? I could list all the various tax breaks and subsidies given to various industries and corporations, but suffice to say it would take far too many pages to do so. The info is easy to Google, and the overall picture is just as instructive in making the point. Just take a look at a few industries that do not operate in a "free" market: agriculture, banking, pharmaceuticals and oil. These industries operate in a highly manipulated environment. U.S. taxpayers dole out roughly 12 billion dollars a year in subsidies to oil companies, and yet the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate of oil giant Exxon Mobil in 2009 was effectively zero. How much would Exxon's record profits be without any subsidies and tax breaks? And would the price of oil or gas be any higher than it is today? While gas prices have gone up, so have oil company profits: Exxon Mobil's profit in the last quarter of 2010 was $9.25 billion, compared with $6.05 billion in the same period a year before. In 2010, Exxon Mobil made a $30.46 billion profit in 2010 compared with $19.28 billion in 2009. Revenue for 2010 rose from $310 billion in 2009 to $383 billion in 2010. Read More... More on Gas & Oil         Rep. Sandy Levin: The "Make it in America" initiative: The 'Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act' July 6, 2011 at 4:56 PM   There are few issues more vital to our state of Michigan, as well as our nation, than advanced manufacturing and trade. The "Make it in America" agenda is a plan to rebuild the American manufacturing sector through various pieces of legislation introduced by members in the Democratic caucus. Several of these have already become law, while some are currently pending. Continuing from last week, as part of this agenda, we are trying to force the House Republican leadership to bring to a floor vote the 'Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act', which would help American businesses compete on a more level playing field in the global economic market. This legislation, which passed in a House vote last year by a margin of 348 to 79, would allow the Commerce Department to consider currency manipulation and undervaluation as a subsidy, which could then be countered with a tariff, leveling the playing field for domestic manufacturers. Economists estimate that China's undervalued currency costs the U.S. between 500,000and 1.5 million jobs. Read More...         Sheila Simon: Time for a More Open and Honest Government July 6, 2011 at 4:22 PM   Hot dogs, hamburgers and reform. That's what I'm looking forward to this summer holiday season. The conviction of our former governor should cause us to fire up our demand for better government. Read More... More on Rod Blagojevich         Bishop Gene Robinson: Employees Should Be Judged on Performance, Not Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity July 6, 2011 at 4:22 PM   In the wake of celebrating our national independence, it is time to make the American Dream true for more Americans. Congress should pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, which would provide important and needed protections against workplace discrimination based on a person's real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. This Congress claims to be focused on jobs, and this legislation would protect those who have jobs or are applying for jobs against unfair, unreasonable, and irrational discrimination in the workplace. These legal protections only exist in 13 states and the District of Columbia (an additional eight states have policies that include sexual orientation, but not gender identity). That means millions of people are judged not on the quality of their work but on characteristics irrelevant to their job performance. Far too many Americans live in fear of losing their current employment, being harassed on the job, or being bypassed for promotions simply because they are gay or transgender. Indeed, we know that people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, face widespread discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Studies show that anywhere from 15 percent to 43 percent of LGB people experience some form of discrimination and harassment on the job. Further, 8 percent to 17 percent of LGB workers report being passed over for a job or fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Ten percent to 28 percent received a negative performance evaluation or were passed over for a promotion because they were LGB. And 7 percent to 41 percent of LGB workers encountered harassment, abuse, or anti-LGB vandalism on the job. Read More... More on lgbt         Marie Griffith: The New Evangelical Feminism of Bachman and Palin July 6, 2011 at 4:22 PM   These women embody that combination of conventional beauty, earnestness, piety and steely certitude of their own godliness that comprises the highest ideal of white conservative evangelical womanhood today. Read More... More on Christianity         Mary Quigley: Mom's Warehouse July 6, 2011 at 4:22 PM   Every spring, I embark on a cleaning binge. While the storage space holds a few boxes of my own discards, most of the "stuff" belongs to my three adult children. My home has become "the warehouse of mum and dad." Read More...         Richard Kirsch: What's Wrong with the Obama Administration's Cuts to Medicaid July 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM   It's true that Medicaid costs are increasing, but that's not because Medicaid has done a poor job of controlling health care costs. Read More... More on Health Care         Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Casey Anthony Is Not OJ in White Female Face July 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM   In the decade since O.J. Simpson's acquittal, the media has force-fed the public a bloated diet of Simpson-style sensationalism. The Casey Anthony case was only the latest in the sordid train of tabloid made-for-the-public court cases. Read More... More on Casey Anthony         Joan Brunwasser: Youth Inspires Family Vacation for Tornado Disaster Relief July 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM   My guest today is India Mussell-McKay, who has a little something different planned for her upcoming family vacation. Read More... More on Tornadoes         Adam Chandler: Gilad Shalit and the Five-Year Drought July 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM   I registered surprise by how quietly the five-year anniversary of Gilad Shalit's abduction passed. It seems that those outraged -- and rightly so -- at the state of affairs in the Jewish State no longer have space for the causes that first seduced them into loving such a complicated country. Read More... More on Israel         The Daily Meal: 25 Wines to Drink This Summer July 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM   Though it may have felt like summer for some time already, the season's arrival has only just become official. That deserves a toast now, don't you think? The better question, of course, is: What should you be toasting with? Cocktails and refreshing lagers aside, there's the whole spectrum of summer wines to consider. And it's a vast one at that. Which is why we turned to the experts -- sommeliers, wine writers, and the like -- to offer a little advice. What wines are they excited to drink this summer? Read More... More on Wine         Joel Reynolds: Pebble Mine -- Self Destruction (VIDEO) July 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM   Born and still living in the town of Dillingham on the shores of Bristol Bay, Holly's life revolves around the wild salmon fishery and she depends on its protection -- literally. Holly's view of the Pebble Mine? "Self-destruction." Read More... More on Nature         Aparna Pande: India-Bangladesh: Sins of Omission & Commission July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   On June 29, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an off-the-record meeting with various editors stated that "at least a quarter" of Bangladesh's population "swear by the Jamiat-e-Islami" and "are very anti-Indian" and "are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI." In a faux pas, these remarks were posted on the Prime Ministers' Office (PMO) website for almost 30 hours before they were edited out. A massive damage control exercise was launched soon after with both Prime Minister Singh and Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna speaking with their counterparts to lower the tensions. Mr Krishna is scheduled to visit Bangladesh next week and Ms Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, in end-July. It is said that you can choose your friends but not your relatives. In the same way, a country can choose its allies but it cannot choose its neighbors. And like in the former example it is not the ties of blood that make or break the relationship, it is the sins of omission and commission that do so. An analysis of Indo-Bangla ties in the light of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent remarks is critical. Read More... More on Asia         James Napoli: The Spelling of Michele Bachmann's Name Is Un-American July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   No less an authority than Wikipedia defines un-American as "applied to people or institutions in the United States seen as deviating from U.S. norms." Well, citizens, it doesn't get much more deviant than spelling Michelle with one freaking l. Read More... More on Barack Obama         Food & Wine: America's Wacky Fair Foods July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   Cotton candy, corn dogs and candy apples once ruled the midway at the local fair, but visitors now want food that's exotic—as long as it's on a stick, or more importantly, fried. From health-defying anomalies like fried dough injected with Pepsi to squirm-inducing chocolate-dipped scorpions, the new sideshow is food. Here, Food & Wine presents 25 of America's Wacky Fair Foods. Related Slideshows: Read More... More on Weird Photos and Videos         Margot Wallström: Unique Chance for South Sudan to Herald Women's Rights July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   Conflict-related sexual violence is one of history's greatest silences. In South Sudan as elsewhere, it brings stigmatization and rejection, and damages the entire social fabric. Read More... More on Africa         HuffPost TV: Arianna Huffington Discusses U.K. Launch On Sky News (VIDEO) July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   Arianna Huffington spoke on Sky News about the launch of HuffPost U.K. and the current phone hacking scandal. Huffington discussed the benefits of the new site, explaining that "a reader can come to our front page and be constantly updated on everything that's happening." Regarding the phone hacking controversy, Huffington said, "It's really a recognition that there are no places left to hide. The hacking has been going on for years... But there is a new public outrage around it." Read More... More on Video         Ernan Roman: Our Daily Emails: Guidelines for Improving Quality and Relevance July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   We have all endured countless emails which waste our time because they are not relevant -- emails that recount inane workplace behavior or circulate urban legends. I ran across some valuable email guidelines. Read More...         John Tarnoff: Peace Is the New War: Keys to 21st Century Citizenship July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   While I have tremendous respect for those who serve in the military, 21st century citizenship needs to reframe the meaning of nationalism and civic pride as a commemoration of Peace, not War. Read More... More on Sustainability         Eason Jordan: U2, Blind Fan Team Up for Electrifying Performance July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   One of the world's greatest rock bands had just finished a rousing concert performance Saturday night and was exiting the stage when U2′s frontman made what seemed like an inexplicable U-turn. Read More...         Erich Origen: Born on the 5th of July July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   Okay, now that the festivities of July 4th are over, does Wayne Brady have to choke a bitch? Here's where my uniquely American bullshit gets ri-donkulous. In 3 of the last 4 years, I've spent over 25K a year on health insurance for a family of 3. Freedom isn't free, no there's a hefty fuckin' fee... Read More... More on Barack Obama         Marshall Auerback: Fiscal Policy for the People? Why Obama Should Invoke the 14th Amendment July 6, 2011 at 3:51 PM   In response to the debt ceiling drama, many want President Obama to use the 14th Amendment to declare the debt limit unconstitutional. That's a welcome development in a debate too often characterized by wrong-headed economics and outright demagoguery. Read More... More on Barack Obama         Brian T. Schwartz: Gov. Hickenlooper's Veto of SB 213 Insults Low-Income Parents July 6, 2011 at 3:24 PM   For some families, SB 213 would have increased the Child Health Plan Plus enrollment fee to $20 per month. It's insulting to eligible parents to suggest that they would not pay the increased fees. Read More... More on Health Insurance         Kelly Moore: Why Congress Should Get Paid on Commission July 6, 2011 at 3:24 PM   Clearly, Congress needs some motivation. So let's pay them on commission. If they don't produce, they don't get paid. If the current state of affairs is any indication, we'd save a lot of money. Read More... More on Congress         Dr. Cara Barker: Why It's in Our Best Interest to Support the Creative Fire! July 6, 2011 at 3:24 PM   Where's the creative fire for you? What do you do during fallow periods? When you have either given up, or are "blank"? What helps you trust your process? What kind of accompaniment has been most meaningful for you? Read More... More on Wisdom         HuffPost TV: Arianna Huffington On BBC Breakfast July 6, 2011 at 3:24 PM   Arianna Huffington spoke to Simon Jack on "BBC Breakfast" about the launch of HuffPost U.K. She told him, "We're very excited to be joining a really thriving culture... and to bring the signature part of The Huffington Post, which is really engagement, as well as original reporting, aggregation, and thousands of blogs." When asked how the site will translate to the U.K., Huffington explained, ''Everything we do here is going to be from a British perspective, with a great British team. We're offering a platform for anybody here who has an interesting idea -- who is well-known or not well-known -- to write about it." WATCH: Read More...         Heather Taylor: Chef Speak: Carly Brien of Pressed Juicery July 6, 2011 at 3:24 PM   In just eight months since opening up shop, Pressed Juicery has become West LA's preeminent juice bar, featuring freshly pressed blends that are equally healthful and delicious. Read More... More on LA Restaurants         Edward Flattau: Al Gore's Reality Check July 6, 2011 at 3:24 PM   Former Vice President Al Gore has a clear picture of climate reality, but a hypocritical and counter productive view of political reality. Read More... More on Climate Change         Maria Russo: Hope Rises at a Malnourished Infant Center in Guatemala July 6, 2011 at 3:22 PM   Alberto's bones were like flimsy pieces of cartilage floating in a soft, thin layer of skin and fat. I could feel a tiny set of ribs rise and recede each time I lifted, rocked and held him, fearing that any quick movement would hurt his fragile body. Read More...         Richard Shrubb: Revenue Sharing: The Brave New World of Pay by Click July 6, 2011 at 3:22 PM   Print advertising is heading for the rich pickings of the internet. Magazines and newspapers are floundering and as a result we journalists are being hammered financially, with word count, publication and page reductions. Read More...         Claire Fordham: Not So Curious George July 6, 2011 at 3:22 PM   For his next relationship, I urge George to choose a woman who's been there, done that, had her tubes tied or whose ovaries have packed up of their own accord. Read More... More on Marriage         Nate Bradley: How Marijuana Legalizers Can Win Over Social Conservatives July 6, 2011 at 3:17 PM   All too often, social conservatives are cast off as people that can't be won over. My experience on the campaign trail shows that this couldn't be further from the truth. Read More... More on Prop 19         Bob Cesca: The Republican Spectrum of Ignorance July 6, 2011 at 2:56 PM   In the last six or seven months alone, there are enough examples of Republicans botching very basic ideas and facts to fill stacks of "Bushism" style novelty calendars. Read More... More on Sarah Palin         Gadadhara Pandit Dasa: Death: The Elephant in the Room July 6, 2011 at 2:56 PM   The Hindu scriptures explain that we come into this world with a certain number of breaths and the countdown begins the moment we exit the womb. Every moment should be lived to prepare our consciousness for the final moment. Read More... More on Hinduism         Catherine Hickem, L.C.S.W: When Are Mother-in Laws Going to Learn? July 6, 2011 at 2:56 PM   When a mother-in-law forces her son to choose between his fiancé or wife over his mother, she is always going to lose. Read More...         Mark Ferguson: The First Death Rattle of the Print Press July 6, 2011 at 2:56 PM   It's likely that phone hacking is the first major death rattle of the print press (or at the very least, the tabloid press). The media will continue to go through periodic spasms as news increasingly moves (and is broken) online. Read More...             This email was sent to venturepoliticalcapital@gmail.com. Delivered by Feed My Inbox PO Box 682532 Franklin, TN 37068 Account Login Unsubscribe Here