Saturday, February 8, 2014

IRAN SENDING WARSHIPS CLOSE TO US BORDERS

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- A senior Iranian naval commander says his country has sent several warships to the Atlantic Ocean, close to U.S. maritime borders for the first time.

The commander of Iran's Northern Navy Fleet, Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad, is quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying Saturday that the vessels have already begun the journey to the Atlantic Ocean via waters near South Africa.

Iranian officials said last month that the fleet consisted of a destroyer and a logistic helicopter carrier, which will be on a three-month mission.

Haddad says the fleet is approaching U.S. maritime borders for the first time. The Islamic Republic considers the move as a response to U.S. naval deployments near its own coastlines. The U.S. Navy's 5th fleet is based in nearby Bahrain.

Via: AP

Republican Weekly Address: Saturday February 8, 2014

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) delivers Weekly GOP Address on supporting our veterans

Via: You Tube

POSTAL SERVICE HAD $354 MILLION FIRST-QUARTER LOSS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Postal Service lost $354 million over the last three months, and officials warned that mounting losses could lead to cash flow problems for the rest of the year, the agency said Friday.

The loss was far less than the $1.3 billion in the comparable quarter the previous fiscal year, but Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe continued to press Congress to give the agency more flexibility to manage its finances.

The report for the financial quarter ending December 31 comes as Congress works toward fixing the agency's troubled finances. On Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill that would end Saturday mail delivery and make permanent a temporary hike in the cost of a first-class stamp, which went from 46 to 49 cents on Jan. 26.

The Senate measure also would restructure a congressional requirement that forces the agency to make a $5.6 billion annual payment for future retiree health benefits. The Postal Service has been urging Congress to reform the service's finances as it continues to cope with steep financial losses. The Postal Service lost $5 billion in the last fiscal year, down from $15.9 billion in 2012.

"We cannot return the organization to long-term financial stability without passage of comprehensive postal reform legislation," Donahoe said.

On the positive side, the Postal Service said revenue grew by $334 million, driven by a 14.6 percent growth in shipping and package services that saw a boost from the holiday season. But first-class mail declined 4.6 percent, as more customers shift to the Internet to pay bills and send emails.

Postal unions have complained that the Senate bill goes too far in calling for an end to Saturday mail delivery once mail volume drops below 140 billion pieces over four consecutive quarters. They claim the move would hurt consumers and lead to thousands of job cuts.

"Today's Postal Service figures for the first quarter of 2014 are highly encouraging and show why the postal network must be maintained and strengthened, not degraded," said Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.

The bulk of the agency's financial problems stem from the federally mandated annual payments to cover expected health care costs for future retirees. It has defaulted on three of those payments and warned Friday that it is likely to default again when the next payment is due on Sept. 30.

The federal budget bill that Congress approved last month requires six-day delivery to continue, meaning the U.S. Postal Service won't be able to cut Saturday mail anytime soon.

Via: Breitbart

Obama Weekly Address Highlights Executive Action He Has Started Taking: ‘I’ve Got a Pen and a Phone’

President Barack Obama highlighted in his weekly address Saturday some of the executive actions he has taken this year, warning Congress once again that he will not stand by and wait for them to act on a host of issues.

“I want to work with Congress on this agenda where I can,” Obama said. “But in this year of action, whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, I will.”

“I’ve got a pen and a phone…”

“I’ve got a pen and a phone – a pen to take executive action, and a phone to rally citizens and business leaders who are eager to create new jobs and new opportunities,” he continued. “And we’ve already begun.”

Among a series of moves, Obama noted that he has ordered “across-the-board reform of our training programs” and directed the U.S. Department of Treasury to create “my-RA.”

“So when you hear me talk about using my pen and my phone to make a difference for middle class Americans and those working to get into the middle class, that’s what I mean,” he said. “And I’m going to keep asking students and parents and business leaders to help – because there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, ready to move this country forward, and determined to restore the founding vision of opportunity for all.”

Via: The Blaze

The Media's Most Outrageous Olympic Outbursts: Ridiculing Republicans

Sports fans checking in on coverage of Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia might want to brace themselves for unexpected outbursts of liberal preaching from reporters covering the games.

Over the years the MRC has documented lefty reporters and writers using the games to celebrate socialist policies, bash expressions of patriotism and even work in jabs against Republicans. In the spirit of the games, the most outrageous journalists are competing with each other in three events for the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Today's competition: The “We'll Find a Way to Ridicule Republicans Even in Our Olympic Coverage” Event. Click the Read More button to see who takes home the gold!

Day one results here.

Day two results here.

The “We’ll Find a Way to Ridicule Republicans Even in Our Olympic Coverage” Event

We Interrupt Your Sports Report to Remind You People Hate the Bush Administration (runner-up)

“At the last minute Secretary of State Colin Powell canceled his trip to Athens. He had planned to attend tomorrow’s closing ceremony. Just hours before that happened Greek activists hung a huge banner on the Acropolis. It said, ‘Powell Killer Go Home.’”

— NBC’s Lester Holt on Today, August 8, 2004.

Via: Newsbusters

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McCain: Bob Costas ‘Doesn’t Know What the Hell He’s Talking About’

During an appearance on Fox News with Neil Cavuto Friday afternoon, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) weighed in on what he, and other critics, viewed as a too-friendly report on Russian president Vladimir Putin that NBC’s Bob Costasdelivered during last night’s Olympics coverage. “Bob Costas ought to stick to sports,” McCain said, “because he obviously didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.”

After Cavuto confirmed McCain knew he was being recorded, the senator continued with his analysis. “Mr. Costas giving him this kind of credit borders on the ludicrous,” McCain said.

Costas’ report touched on many aspects of Putin’s political career in Russia, giving him some level of credit for helping to prevent U.S. air strikes in Syria and getting Iran to the negotiating table on the issue of nuclear development.

“I have admired Bob Costas’ knowledge of sports and his in-depth analysis from time to time. I watch his program quite often,” McCain said. “But on this one, Bob, stick to the hockey games, will you?”

VIA: Mediate

1,154,000 Fewer Americans Working Today Than 6 Years Ago

(CNSNews.com) - 1,154,000 fewer Americans are working today than six years ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In January 2008, 146,378,000 Americans 16 and over were employed, and now in January 2014, 145,224,000 are employed, a difference of 1,154,000.

91,455,000 Americans 16 or older did not participate in the nation’s labor force in January, meaning they neither held a job nor actively sought one. That's a 353,000 decline from December, but 172,000 more than November.

The national labor force participation rate -- the share of Americans who had a job or were actively looking for one -- ticked up to 63 percent in January, from 62.8 percent in December.

In January, according to BLS, the nation’s civilian non-institutional population, consisting of all people 16 or older who were not in the military, a nursing home or other institution, reached 246,915,000 (number not seasonally adjusted). Of those, 155,460,000 participated in the labor force by either holding a job or actively seeking one.

The 155,460,000 who participated in the labor force equaled only 63.0 percent of the 246,915,000 civilian non-institutional population.

Via: CNS News

Goodnight to “Tonight Show” as California’s Star Shines Less Bright

The legendary Tonight Show with Jay Leno will have its last hurrah in “Beautiful Downtown Burbank” before packing for New York. Another entertainment show that is leaving Southern California and taking with it about 160 jobs.

As Deadline.com reported, when Leno replacement Jimmy Fallon as a guest on the show recently “naively joked to the house band, “Hey, what are you guys up to in two weeks?” “Oh, they’ll be looking for work,” Leno assured Fallon, jumping on Fallon’s throw-away question/blunder. “They’re actually washing cars in my garage.”

It’s another chapter in the on-going tale of California’s marquee identity being tarnished. A report released last month by Film L.A. said filming in Los Angeles City and County fell 50-percent since 1996 and television production dropped 40-percent since 2008. Even when there is an uptick in production it often occurs in less costly venues such as TV reality shows.

Film incentive programs from other states and around the world are luring away productions and jobs.

The report will add fuel to the debate in the state capitol over whether to increase California’s tax credit program. There are plenty of instances of runaway production, but a glaring example was discussed in a Wall Street Journal article recently in which a studio executive commented that a California-centric movie be filmed in Vancouver “and roll in some palm trees to make it look like L.A.”

There is great motivation to save the California brand that is the movie industry. Assembly member Raul Bocanegra, chairman of the Revenue and Tax Committee, has made it a point to fight for an increased credit in an effort to save jobs.

However, the film tax credit increase has met opposition from those who say one industry should not be singled out for a break — especially an industry whose image is of wealth and glamour. The reality is, that image doesn’t hold for thousands of workers who labor in the industry in what is often referred to as “below the line” – the folks who make the movies and TV shows work but don’t have their names in lights.

Given the importance of the entertainment industry to California’s image and psyche, the reality of runaway production, and the state’s current budget situation, the chances of an increased tax credit being approved by the legislature is good.

Via: California Political Review

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