The eight remaining contestants on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice were assigned to build two original puppet characters for Jim Henson’s Creature Shop last night. The celebs had to perform with their creations at Henson’s “Stuffed and Unstrung” live improv puppet show for adults … but it was anything but kid-friendly. At least behind the scenes. Paul Teutul, Sr. volunteered as project manager for Team Unanimous and Lisa Lampanelli stepped forward for Team Forte. Meanwhile, the latest episode of drama between Lisa Lampanelli and Dayana Mendoza came when Lisa banned Miss Universe 2008 from the spotlight. Dayana has developed a thicker skin and started to call out Lisa’s mean, whiny behavior, but last night, she just couldn’t take it after Lisa lashed out. Clay Aiken suggested that Lisa is constantly intimidated by Dayana’s beauty. Probably more or less true … but in any case, they somehow won the task! Paul decided to take Aubrey O’Day and Teresa Giuidice to the boardroom, but the girls put up a fight and ultimately, he was no match and got tossed. Good decision? Bad call? Do you even know who Paul is? Discuss.
During a press conference in Cartagena yesterday, standing alongside Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Barack Obama addressed the Secret Service scandal surrounding up to a dozen agents and five members of the U.S. military. They are accused of soliciting prostitutes in that nation and have been relieved of their posts. Secret Service Scandal: Discussed by President Obama After praising the role of Secret Service employees in general – telling reporters these men and women perform “extraordinary service” on a daily basis – he decreed the reported actions of the men cited in this weekend’s report: “I expect that investigation to be thorough, and I expect it to be rigorous. If it turns out that some of the allegations that have been made in the press are confirmed, then of course I’ll be angry… We are representing the people of the United States, and when we travel to another country, I expect us to observe the highest standards.” California Rep. Darrell Issa, who leads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he isn’t certain whether Congress will hold hearings on the misconduct. But he does find it hard to believe this was an isolated incident. “It’s not about whether the president was in danger this time. It’s whether or not you need to make changes so the American people can have confidence in all of their workforce,” Issa said on Face the Nation yesterday.
President Barack Obama renewed his call Saturday for passage of the so-called Buffett rule, calling it “just common sense,” not “class warfare.” The Buffett rule, named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, entered the lexicon last year after Buffett penned an op-ed in the New York Times encouraging Congress to raise taxes on the wealthy. Under the proposed plan, scheduled for a Senate vote April… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Blaze Discovery Date : 31/03/2012 10:30 Number of articles : 2
This week we are in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress 2012, the mobile industry’s largest trade show. Our goal is to meet with industry operators, vendors and developers to further the cause of promoting an open, people-centric Web for consumers and developers across all devices and platforms. Today, we announced several significant milestones in the advancement… Read more Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Mozilla Blog Discovery Date : 27/02/2012 02:19 Number of articles : 2
We have been blown away by HTC’s announcements at Mobile World Congress, so it is time we start settling down and looking at the company’s entry-level announced device. This would be the HTC One V, which does not have the best of specs, but sure comes with some of the great features that the One Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Android Phone Fans Discovery Date : 26/02/2012 05:16 Number of articles : 2
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is going on the offense Tuesday, raising pressure on congressional Republicans to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance benefits. But it is unclear if the president will accept a GOP effort to separate the two issues. With weeks before both provisions expire, Obama will host an event at the White House and release a video to nudge Congress to act… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Huffington Post Discovery Date : 14/02/2012 00:01 Number of articles : 2
With a foreclosure fraud settlement all but done, U.S. banks will resume foreclosing on delinquent properties . The chair of the House Financial Services Committee is under investigation for insider trading . Mitt Romney is only mildly worried about Rick Santorum . White House to water down birth control mandate . Rand Paul gave a rousing speech at CPAC yesterday . The LAPD has a ” war room .” Because,… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Reason Magazine – Hit & Run Discovery Date : 10/02/2012 00:14 Number of articles : 2
Day after Decemberists withdrew support, breast cancer charity announces it has reinstated funding for PP health centers. By Gil Kaufman Much like Congress rethought its decision after the outpouring of public anger over the anti-piracy SOPA and PIPA (Personal Information Protection Act) acts, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had a change of heart on Friday (February 3) after intense criticism for its decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood initiatives. Komen, the organization behind the popular pink-ribbon campaign, announced on Tuesday that it would stop funding breast cancer prevention, screening and education at Planned Parenthood health centers — a decision Planned Parenthood claimed was in response to pressure from pro-life groups. Over the past five years, PP centers with Komen program funding have provided nearly 170,000 clinical breast exams out of the more than 4 million exams performed nationwide at PP health centers, as well as more than 6,400 mammogram referrals out of 70,000 total referrals, according to PP. Following the firestorm of controversy over the decision, the founder and CEO of the nation’s largest breast-cancer advocacy group said on Friday that the group would work to change the criteria that sparked the outcry. “We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants,” Nancy G. Brinker said in a statement . “We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives.” Brinker went further, acknowledging that the original decision to pull funding was done for “political reasons, or specifically to penalize Planned Parenthood.” In the wake of the public furor, Komen’s director of community health programs resigned in protest over the decision. In addition, 26 U.S. senators had signed a letter this week asking Komen to reconsider its withdrawal decision. One of the leading artistic voices of dissent over the initial Komen withdrawal from Planned Parenthood were the Decemberists. The band had worked with Komen since the band’s keyboardist, Jenny Conlee, had revealed her breast cancer diagnosis. When news broke on Tuesday that Komen had pulled funding for breast cancer examinations at PP, the Decemberists redirected the funds from their “Team Jenny” T-shirt to PP. On their website , they explained, “The Decemberists are deeply troubled by Komen for the Cure’s recent decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, a vital resource in the battle against breast cancer. Providing cancer screenings to low income women is integral to the prevention and defeat of breast cancer and it is unconscionable that Komen should politicize this very important issue by bowing to the fear campaign being waged against PP by the right.” On Friday, the band added an update to their initial posting, writing, “The Decemberists are pleased that Komen for the Cure reversed their decision.”
You’re between the ages of 18-24, life feels like its moving 100 miles a minute and you may feel like you have no place in the political system. But you do. As a matter of fact, the people you elect to public offices can have a HUGE impact on your life. Here are some things every young American should consider when voting Does the person I’m voting for have a plan? Most members of Congress and candidates talk a lot about the need to reduce our deficit and control the national debt, but few have a realistic plan. Before you head to the voting booth find out which candidates have a plan and see if it makes since. Are they telling you that we can balance the budget by just cutting spending or raising taxes? If so they probably don’t have a realistic plan or a clear understanding of the problem. Does my candidate have a plan to create jobs for the future? We all know that jobs are the number one issue with voters this year, but as young Americans you need to think of more than just jobs in the near term. The world we will face is much different than that of our parents. It will be one of increased competition and decreasing resources. Does your candidate have a plan not only to create jobs but the high skilled ones we will need to be competitive with the rest of the world? What are they going to do about education? Read More HERE
High school students focus heavily on President Obama’s stance on education reform. By Gil Kaufman President Obama delivers the State of the Union address on Tuesday night Photo: CBS One of the most important lessons high school-age members of the Junior State of America learn is the value of vigorous yet civil debates about the state of government and foreign affairs. That’s why a handful of JSA members contacted by MTV News on Wednesday (January 25) had widely divergent but measured reactions to President Obama’s State of the Union address. “The most significant part of his speech for me was his take on education,” said Saaye Arumugam, a 17-year-old high school senior in Miamisburg, Ohio. “During the Bush administration with No Child Left Behind, the federal government perpetuated this idea that standardized education was the only route to gauge success. Obama addressed that critical thinking should outweigh this idea of standardized thinking and teaching to the test.” Obama called for states to require students to stay in school until age 18 and to replace teachers who are ineffective. The portion about lowering college interest rates also piqued the interest of home-schooled senior Chris Boyajian of Lumberton, New Jersey. “When he talked about college tuition and getting interest rates down on loans and getting tuition lower, that was important to me,” said Boyajian, 17. “[But] I didn’t agree when he said that college is for everyone. I think it’s not. There are some people who wouldn’t fit in college, but I did like what he said about getting interest rates down so we’re not paying two or three times the loan.” One reason Boyajian was so focused on the cost of college was because he’s planning to go to law school. “I’m trying very hard not to take out loans [for college] … I’m trying to pay with my family’s savings or merit-based scholarships.” Because their organization is based on civil discourse, a number of the JSA members said they were disappointed by the gridlock in Washington and not particularly optimistic about the president’s chances of getting his initiatives passed, especially during an election year. Englewood, California, senior Michael Escobar, 17, was hopeful that at least one would get pushed through: Obama’s call for a return of manufacturing to the U.S. “It’s essential for prosperity, and it rewards companies with tax breaks,” he said. “I will go to college soon and hopefully in the future there will be a job opening ready for me … A lot of students are investing a lot of money in bachelor’s and master’s, and there’s no guarantee of a job.” Escobar also paid close attention to the president’s plans to reform education, since he said he’s seen firsthand the effect of the cuts in education at his school and worries that the gridlock in Congress could stall Obama’s initiatives. “We have a lot of low-income families at my school, and it’s really frustrating,” he said about budget cuts to education. As a member of student council with access to budget and attendance information, Escobar said that since funding for advanced placement exams at his school dried up, some of the low-income families have to pay nearly $300 for AP classes out of their own pockets. “Colleges are asking for those most difficult courses, but there’s not enough funding for education to cover it.” Austin, Texas, high school senior Nick Goulding said he found himself getting increasingly irritated as the speech went on. “President Obama was saying the same things he’s been saying for three years ago now,” said Goulding, 18. “He’s trying to make people feel bad about being successful in America. When he was talking about millionaires and trying … to alienate them about their success. I don’t know why you’d want that in a president.” As an example, he mentioned his father, who came from a poor family and worked his way up to founding a very successful landscaping company. “Increasing taxes on those who are successful is counterproductive to what should occur in a free country.” And while Goulding was not enthused about the president’s call for a “Buffett tax” on millionaires and billionaires, he did appreciate how respectful Obama was when talking about the armed forces. “One of the few things I do attribute to the president as far as successes is killing Osama bin Laden and ending the wars,” he said. As a high school junior at the Orange County High School of the Arts, Julianna Ross, 16, also paid close attention to the bits about education reform, but she was focused on Obama’s plea for bipartisanship in Washington. “He basically said under our current system we can’t progress and we won’t make advancement on these issues,” she said, echoing her colleagues’ concerns. “One of the things we talk about at Junior Statesmen is fostering civil discourse … which has taught me to understand the opposing side … and learn how to compromise. That’s something that really needs to be implemented in the real world of politics.” Share your thoughts on the president’s State of the Union address in the comments below. Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary races and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season.
