Victory for Our Health and Environment

	Urge President Obama to Score Another Victory for Our Health and Environment Thank the president for protecting the public from toxic air pollution and let him know that you expect the EPA to release strong standards to reduce global warming emissions from power plantsin 2012.   Making History: First-ever Toxic Air Pollution Standards Will Save Thousands of Lives Great news! Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first-ever national standards to limit the amount of mercury and other toxic pollutants that power plants can spew into the environment. Toxic air pollutants from power plants—mercury, lead, arsenic, and others—are linked to health problems such as cancer, heart disease, neurological damage, birth defects, asthma attacks, and even premature death. Mercury, for example, is a potent neurotoxin that poses a threat to fetal and infant brain development. And coal plants are far and away the greatest source of mercury air emissions in the United States. This historic standard will lower mercury emissions 90 percent, help avoid up to 11,000 premature deaths per year, and contribute to a much-needed transition to a cleaner electricity system. The Obama administration played a major role in securing this historic standard, and they have the opportunity to score another similar victory for our health and environment this year: the EPA is currently drafting standards to limit global warming emissions from power plants. But the fossil fuel industries are pressuring the Obama administration to release weak standards that will do little or nothing to protect our health and environment from climate change. Thank President Obama for protecting the public from toxic air pollution and let him know that you expect the EPA to release strong standards to reduce global warming emissions from power plants in 2012. Take Action Today! Sincerely, Chrissy Elles Outreach Associate UCS Climate and Energy Program

Congress: the Republican led House – the Senate

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 11:00am

Friday, December 23, 2011 at 9:30am

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 12:00pm

Friday, December 30, 2011 at 11:00am

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 12:00pm, during which the 2^nd Session of the 112^th Congress will convene

Friday, January 6, 2012 at 11:00am

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:00am

Friday, January 13, 2012 at 12:00pm

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 10:15am

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 2:00pm

When the Senate adjourns on Friday, January 20^th, it will adjourn until Monday, January 23^rd at 2:00pm. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 4:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Calendar #438, John M. Gerrard, of Nebraska, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska with up to 90 minutes of debate, 60 minutes equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley, or their designees and 30 minutes under the control of Senator Sessions or his designee.

Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on confirmation of the Gerrard nomination.

As a reminder to all Senators, cloture was filed on the Reid motion to proceed to Calendar #70, S.968, a bill to prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property and for other purposes on Saturday, December 17^th. By unanimous consent, this roll call vote will be at 2:15pm on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

——————————————————————————————————

The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on January 10, 2012.

the Progress Report

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

By ThinkProgress War Room on Jan 6, 2012 at 5:05 pm

Jobs, By the Numbers

2…the number of years of consecutive employment growth in manufacturing, after not one single year of growth between 1997 and 2010.

8.5 percent…the unemployment rate, the lowest since February 2009 just after President Obama took office.

22…the number of consecutive months of private sector job growth.

12,000…the number of public sector jobs lost in December of 2011 alone.

212,000…the number of private sector jobs created in December of 2011 alone.

280,000…the number of public sector jobs lost in 2011.

315,000…the number of health care jobs created in 2011.

673,000…the number of private sector jobs lost during the entirety of the eight-year Bush presidency.

1,080,000…the number of net jobs created during the entirety of the eight-year Bush presidency.

1,600,000…the net number of jobs created during 2011, after accounting for job losses in the public sector.

1,900,000…the number of private sector jobs created during 2011.

IN TWO SENTENCES: In either of the past two years alone, President Obama created more private sector jobs than President Bush did during the entirety of his eight-year presidency. While today’s jobs numbers are a promising sign, it’s no time to get complacent when 14 MILLION Americans are still out of work.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

The Florida GOP refused to admit a Muslim man in its ranks, labeling him a “terrorist.”

What science can learn from forecasting science.

Why conservatives can’t do journalism.

States passed a record number of abortion restrictions this year.

How Mitt Romney’s firm drove a steel plant into bankruptcy, but still profited thanks to a federal bailout.

Santorum tells the mother of a cancer survivor that people with pre-existing conditions should pay more for health insurance.

Rick Santorum used to have a centrist record on education, and now he’s running away from it as fast as possible.

Those much-sought-after New Hampshire independents, says one expert, are “really not a bloc of voters.”

Alyssa Rosenberg likes Stephen Colbert’s “uncomfortably aggressive” gags and pranks.

Top 10 U.S. Government Investments in 20th Century American Competitiveness

Today, Commerce Secretary John Bryson held an event at the Center for American Progress to release a comprehensive report, “The Competitiveness and Innovative Capacity of the United States.” In conjunction, CAP’s Jennifer Erickson put together a top 10 list of government investments in 20th century American competitiveness:

• Ellis Island
• Panama Canal
• Hoover Dam
• GI Bill
• Marshall Plan
• Interstate Highway System
• DARPA
• Apollo Space Program
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• Humane Genome Project

Other recent Progress Reports

Jan 5, 2012: Rick Santorum’s Most Outrageous Campaign Moments

Rising GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum is presenting himself to national audiences as a common sense conservative senator from a Democratic state with both economic and national security acumen. A late surge in Iowa led the former Pennsylvania senator to a near-win in that state’s caucuses and gave his campaign momentum ahead of next Tuesday’s [...]

Jan 4, 2012: Why The Appointment Of Richard Cordray Is A Victory For Middle Class Families

Nearly 18 months after the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency will finally have its first director. That’s because President Obama, using his power to make appointments during a congressional recess, announced today that he was appointing former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray — [...]

Jan 3, 2012: Who Will Win The Iowa Caucuses?

Who Wins Tonight? The Wealthiest 1 Percent The true winner of the Iowa Caucus and the battle for the GOP nomination is the wealthiest 1 Percent of Americans. All of the Republican candidates share at least one thing in common: an economic agenda that will benefit the wealthiest 1 Percent of Americans at the expense of [...]

Dec 23, 2011: Happy Holidays from ThinkProgress

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2012! 2011 has been an exciting year with many up and downs — and 2012 stands to be even more action-packed. ThinkProgress and the Progress Report will be there to report on it every step of the way. To celebrate the end of this year, we’ve put together a [...]

Congressional Budget Office: Cost Estimates for …

Deforestation and Greenhouse Gases
January 6, 2012

Deforestation and Greenhouse Gases: Infographic
January 6, 2012

Cost Estimate for H.R. 3630, Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011
December 17, 2011

Cost Estimate for H.R. 3630, Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011
December 9, 2011

S. 1793, Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committe on the Judiciary on November 17, 2011

S. 432, Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on December 8, 2011

S. 1794, Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 17, 2011

S. 1236, Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on December 15, 2011

H.R. 347, Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 17, 2011

H.R. 2189, Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 17, 2011

H.R. 2076, Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2011
January 5, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 17, 2011

S. 1740, Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Reauthorization Act
January 4, 2012
Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on December 8, 2011

Bankrate.com

Help filing for bankruptcy without a fee

You need money to pay a lawyer when filing bankruptcy, but there may be ways around it.

Europe’s debt crisis & the US economy

European debt is an ocean away from the U.S., but its impact could trickle down to Main Street.

12 tips to manage credit card debt in 2012

Don’t go crazy with credit cards. Rein in your plastic before your card debt becomes drastic.

URGENT: Marriage equality at stake in NH

Act now: Stop the NH legislature from abolishing marriage equality. While the country is distracted by the New Hampshire primary, New Hampshire’s state legislature is swiftly moving to abolish gay marriage. They could vote on the issue as soon as this Thursday. Craig Stowell is a New Hampshire native who recently testified at the New Hampshire State House to ask the legislature not to pass HB 437, the bill that would abolish marriage equality. But Craig isn’t gay — in fact, he’s a straight married Marine, and a conservative Republican. Craig knows firsthand how damaging it can be when the government says it’s okay to treat the LGBT community like second-class citizens. Craig’s brother Calvin was horribly bullied as a kid because he’s gay. “There were nights that I worried I may wake up and he wouldn’t be there any longer; crushed by the misery he was forced to endure,” Craig says. So Craig started a petition on Change.org asking the New Hampshire legislature to reject HB 437. The vote could come in a matter of days. Please click here to sign Craig’s petition right now – your signature will be delivered to the New Hampshire legislature immediately. Since New Hampshire legalized marriage equality in 2009, more than 1,800 loving same-sex couples have been married. Polls show that a large majority of New Hampshire residents support that right — 62%, according to a recent poll from the University of New Hampshire. “When my wife Berta and I were married, Calvin was right there by my side as my best man,” Craig says. “I want the opportunity to be his best man when he finds the person he wants to marry. With your help, I know we can ensure that freedom will still be there when he does.” New Hampshire legislators may think they can sneak in HB 437 during the ruckus surrounding the New Hampshire primary, but they need to know that their actions are being watched and that people in New Hampshire and around the country won’t stand for this vicious step backward. Time is short — click here right now to sign Craig’s petition demanding that the New Hampshire legislature reject HB 437, the bill that would abolish marriage equality. Thanks for being a change-maker, - Eden and the Change.org team

Tell Cruise Ships to Stop Spewing Filth Into Our Pristine Oceans!

Target: Michael Thamm, AIDA President; Dr Michael Frenzel, Chief Executive of TUI AG Sponsored by: Care2.com What comes to your mind when you think of pollution? Thick black oil smeared on clean ice? Small piping shorebirds strangled by old plastic? According to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), you should be thinking of something entirely different – cruise ships. NABU recently singled out AIDA and TUI, two German-based cruise lines, for their harmful environmental impact. In one day alone, a ship generates 21,000 gallons of sewage, which is often dumped untreated three miles from shore, as well as one ton of garbage, 170,000 gallons of wastewater, 6,400 gallons of oily bilge water, and 25 pounds of batteries, fluorescent lights, medical wastes, and expired chemicals. It’s time for cruise lines like AIDA and TUI to stop putting profits over the environment. Updating their filtration systems to stop spewing filth into the ocean is a great first step to improving their impact on the environment. Tell AIDA and TUI to clean up their waste filtration systems today!  Cruise ships are massive polluters, spewing filth into our oceans every day. You can make a difference; add your voice to the conversation. »

AIDA and TUI, two German-based cruise lines, were recently singled out for their highly negative environmental impacts.

AIDA and TUI supply every possible luxury to their passengers, but refuse to invest in a filtration system that would keep poisonous emissions from blackening our skies. As the 15 largest cruise ships produce as much air pollution as the world’s 760 million cars, this is not acceptable.

Take action. Click here to add your signature, telling AIDA and TUI install filtration systems in their cruise ships! »

Fox Is Faking It, America’s Breakup, And The Truth About Mitt

Hello! Here are the three hottest progressive videos and graphics that we found on the web today, January 09, 2012. Two People Who Can Tell You All You Need To Know About Mitt Romney Fox News Caught Using Fake Video Of Protests Who Is America Breaking Up With?

Meet R.Santorum

Uploaded by VizionaryInsights on Jan 3, 2012

Apparently, “black people” are only capable of welfare, or manufacturing labor — your place! 12% of the population, yet Santorum believes they’re comparable to the $7,7 trillion given in welfare to bankers.

Official Google Blog

Happy 100th birthday, Charles Samuel Addams

Posted: 06 Jan 2012 09:01 PM PST

From time to time we invite guests to post about items of interest and are pleased to have H. Kevin Miserocchi, executive director of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, join us today to talk about cartoonist Charles Samuel Addams. Addams is best known as the creator of the Addams Family, and is the subject of a doodle today in honor of his 100th birthday. -Ed.

I spent the summer of 1979 fundraising with Tee Matthews Miller for the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. We spent most of our time in the home she shared with her cartoonist paramour—and too many dogs and cats to name—during his weekends away from Manhattan. I’d met her partner several times before I realized that behind all the stacks of paper and collectibles and layers of dust and pet fur in Tee’s office den, the walls were decorated with familiar art. Not just any art—the original artwork from the pages of The New Yorker magazines that my brother and I had cut up or crayoned across when we were boys. Tee’s boyfriend was the Charles Addams—the one with two d’s. I was home, and our friendship was forever cemented.

They were married in Tee’s pet cemetery in Water Mill, NY in 1980—a surprise for the 60 guests coming for cocktails during the Memorial Day weekend. The wedding party all wore black. It was the union of a wonderful woman of gentle spirit and great generosity and a beguiling man with a subtly wicked sense of humor. Bashful and soft-spoken as he was, he had a devil-child glint in his eyes and a Lugosi-like mouth when he laughed, showing none of his teeth.

Eleven years after his 1988 death, his widow and I formed the not-for-profit Tee and Charles Foundation to protect his legacy as an extraordinary cartoonist with a painterly technique, and to educate people about Charlie’s gift by exhibiting his work worldwide. Following Tee’s passing in 2002, the Foundation dedicated the couple’s Sagaponack homestead, “The Swamp,” as a museum. They had moved there in the mid-1980s, and in true Addams style, they took their cemetery with them—a sweet place where their ashes are interred alongside those of their beloved dogs and cats.

Of the thousands of works Charlie published in his 55 years of cartooning, only 150 were devoted to the group of characters who became known as The Addams Family. But the perfectly off-center humor behind these characters won worldwide adoration even before they became the television and film family we know today. Even for those who never had the thrill of knowing the classy gentleman behind this unique art, Charlie’s family continues to capture the hearts of new generations of cartoon aficionados. We hope today’s doodle inspires you to seek out more of his work.

Posted by H. Kevin Miserocchi, Executive Director, Tee and Charles Addams Foundation