Republican governors face law of the land on Obamacare
Deciding whether to take part in health insurance exchanges confronts them with a difficult decision.
November 11, 2012 By CHRISTINE VESTAL/Stateline.org
Since the day it was enacted, many of the Affordable Care Act’s opponents have preferred to treat it as provisional. First, they argued, the Supreme Court might overturn the whole law. When that didn’t happen in June, opponents turned to the hope that maybe Mitt Romney would win the presidency and repeal it.
Now, there are no more maybes.
“With an Obama victory one has to come to terms that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land,” says Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Maybe it’s time to start living in reality rather than fantasy.”
Still, in the new reality, there remain some significant uncertainties in the immediate future of the ACA, particularly in how Republican governors, who have vociferously opposed the law until now, will react in the wake of President Obama’s victory.
The ACA is indeed the law of the land and will remain so for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean that Republican governors have to be full participants.
If they decline to be involved, however, they have to be willing to forgo billions of federal dollars while at the same time inviting more federal involvement in their state health policies.
At issue is whether states will be willing and able to run their own health insurance exchanges — the ACA’s envisioned online marketplaces where some 30 million Americans will be able to comparison shop for private insurance plans and apply for Medicaid and federal tax credits. If states choose not to run their own exchanges, the law requires the federal government to do it for them.
States must also decide whether they want to accept generous federal funding to expand their Medicaid programs to cover millions more people. In addition to the political liability that may represent for Republicans, the expansion also comes with a future price tag some states are taking very seriously.
States were expected to make the initial decision on establishing exchanges by Nov. 16, but the Obama administration announced Friday it was extending the deadline to Dec. 14. There is no deadline for states in considering whether to participate in the ACA’s expanded Medicaid program, but it is a decision many of them will want to make sooner rather than later. Choices made on both health exchanges and Medicaid expansion will have major effects on consumers and the entire health care industry, as well as state budgets, for years to come.
From here on out, states will be the primary drivers of the health law’s implementation. To achieve its intended goal of covering 30 million uninsured people with affordable health care, the Obama administration will have to engage in some give-and-take in order to ensure the cooperation of as many states as possible.
The federal health law originally required states to expand their Medicaid programs, starting in 2014, to people with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, about $31,000 for a family of four and $15,000 for an individual. That expansion by itself was expected to take in some 16 million uninsured people nationwide, about half of the population the law aimed to cover.
But this year’s Supreme Court decision, which largely upheld the law, made the Medicaid expansion optional for the states. That spawned a series of refusals to participate by GOP governors who opposed the law. Most Democratic governors are expected eventually to agree to implement the provision.
For states that take up the Medicaid option, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs for the first three years; after that states are responsible for up to 10 percent of the costs. Although the offer seems generous, some states genuinely worry that the increased expenses in the fourth year and beyond will strain their already costly Medicaid programs.
But the real decision will come early next year when state legislatures weigh in on the issue. In the meantime, many analysts expect the objections by GOP governors to fade away. Aaron, for example, maintains that the offer “is so hugely attractive to each state financially that refusal to expand coverage … (would be) an act of fiscal self-mutilation.”
For more: http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/in-focus-obamacare_2012-11-11.html
.
Ezra Klein Slams Boehner for Pretending They Can Still Repeal
Published on Nov 24, 2012 by Buzz sourse
Ezra Klein took a shot at John Boehner and the Republicans for pretending that they can still repeal Obamacare through the congressional oversight process. As ridiculous as that assertion is, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to do their best to still attempt to chip away at it where possible, but at this point, pretending that they can use the oversight process to somehow repeal the law, is just ludicrous.
.
Can’t Afford Healthcare? Obamacare ‘On the Table’
Published on Nov 21, 2012 by TheYoungTurks
“After Mitt Romney lost on Election Day, it appeared that the health care law was here to stay. States are scrambling to meet federally-imposed deadlines to implement state exchanges and the administration announced coverage mandates. But House Speaker John Boehner signaled Tuesday that he is not giving up efforts to repeal the bill.
In an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Boehner wrote that “we can’t afford” the Affordable Care act, and said, “That’s why I’ve been clear that the law has to stay on the table as both parties discuss ways to solve our nation’s massive debt challenge.”
Congress and the White House are involved in negotiations over the so-called “fiscal cliff.” Spending cuts are a major component of the talks as Republicans are pushing for less spending in lieu of raising taxes. Boehner has spoken in general terms about his priorities for deficit reduction; this op-ed signals that health care is another element he wants thrown in the pot.
The Congressional Budget Office, however, has estimated that the cost of the main component of the health care law, the health insurance exchanges, will lower the government’s share of health care costs because fewer people will be enrolled in the Medicaid program. Another CBO report says repealing the health care law would cost taxpayers $109 billion.”*
Steve Oh (COO of The Young Turks) and Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show) break down Boehner’s claims that “we can’t afford healthcare.” Should Obamacare be on the table in fiscal cliff negotiations? Should it be decided upon state by state?
.
How the Health Care Law Benefits You
The Affordable Care Act forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition.
All Americans will have the security of knowing that they don’t have to worry about losing coverage if they’re laid off or change jobs. And insurance companies now have to cover your preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings.
Health reform is already making a difference by:
- Increasing Access to Affordable Care
- Making Care More Affordable
- Strengthening Medicare
- Holding Insurance Companies Accountable
- Laying the Foundation for 2014
.
Increasing Access to Affordable Care
Millions of Americans have gained new access to more affordable health coverage and care.
- Coverage for young adults: 3.1 million young adults who were uninsured have gained coverage by being able to stay on their parent’s health plan, giving their families peace of mind.
- Access to free preventive services: 54 million additional Americans now receive coverage through their private health insurance plan for many preventive services without cost sharing such as copays or deductibles. That means that more Americans will receive wellness visits, cancer screenings and other services that will help them get and stay healthy. Women can now get coverage— without cost-sharing—of even more preventive services they need. Approximately 47 million women now have guaranteed access to additional preventive services without cost-sharing for policies renewing on or after August 1, 2012.
- Coverage for people with pre-existing conditions: 86,000 Americans with pre-existing conditions have gained coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. This temporary program makes health coverage available and more affordable for individuals who are uninsured and have been denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition.
- Investing in primary care: The health care law invests in training and supporting thousands of new primary care doctors and nurses by providing bonus payments, scholarships and loan repayment, and new training opportunities.
- Community Health Centers: Community Health Centers improve the health of the nation and assure access to quality primary health care services at more than 8,500 service delivery sites around the country. Since the beginning of 2009, health centers have increased the total number of patients served on an annual basis by 3.1 million
.
“I think it [affordable healthcare] should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can’t pay their medical bills–for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they’re saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don’t have to pay her treatment, there’s something fundamentally wrong about that.”
Monday, November 26 , 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
President Obama and Vice President Biden receive the presidential daily briefing
11:00 AM
President Obama meets with senior advisors
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
2:15 PM
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
November 26, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
2:15 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
2:15 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
9:00 AM ET
Diplomats and Experts Discuss Way Forward With Iran
Former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski delivers the keynote address at a discussion on the diplomatic and military options for preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon http://www.c-span.org/Events/Diplomats-and-Experts-Discuss-Way-Forward-With-Iran/10737436017/
2:15 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press. http://www.c-span.org/Events/White-House-Daily-Briefing/10737436058/
November 26, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
Republican governors face law of the land on Obamacare
Deciding whether to take part in health insurance exchanges confronts them with a difficult decision.
November 11, 2012 By CHRISTINE VESTAL/Stateline.org
Since the day it was enacted, many of the Affordable Care Act’s opponents have preferred to treat it as provisional. First, they argued, the Supreme Court might overturn the whole law. When that didn’t happen in June, opponents turned to the hope that maybe Mitt Romney would win the presidency and repeal it.
Now, there are no more maybes.
“With an Obama victory one has to come to terms that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land,” says Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Maybe it’s time to start living in reality rather than fantasy.”
Still, in the new reality, there remain some significant uncertainties in the immediate future of the ACA, particularly in how Republican governors, who have vociferously opposed the law until now, will react in the wake of President Obama’s victory.
The ACA is indeed the law of the land and will remain so for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean that Republican governors have to be full participants.
If they decline to be involved, however, they have to be willing to forgo billions of federal dollars while at the same time inviting more federal involvement in their state health policies.
At issue is whether states will be willing and able to run their own health insurance exchanges — the ACA’s envisioned online marketplaces where some 30 million Americans will be able to comparison shop for private insurance plans and apply for Medicaid and federal tax credits. If states choose not to run their own exchanges, the law requires the federal government to do it for them.
States must also decide whether they want to accept generous federal funding to expand their Medicaid programs to cover millions more people. In addition to the political liability that may represent for Republicans, the expansion also comes with a future price tag some states are taking very seriously.
States were expected to make the initial decision on establishing exchanges by Nov. 16, but the Obama administration announced Friday it was extending the deadline to Dec. 14. There is no deadline for states in considering whether to participate in the ACA’s expanded Medicaid program, but it is a decision many of them will want to make sooner rather than later. Choices made on both health exchanges and Medicaid expansion will have major effects on consumers and the entire health care industry, as well as state budgets, for years to come.
From here on out, states will be the primary drivers of the health law’s implementation. To achieve its intended goal of covering 30 million uninsured people with affordable health care, the Obama administration will have to engage in some give-and-take in order to ensure the cooperation of as many states as possible.
The federal health law originally required states to expand their Medicaid programs, starting in 2014, to people with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, about $31,000 for a family of four and $15,000 for an individual. That expansion by itself was expected to take in some 16 million uninsured people nationwide, about half of the population the law aimed to cover.
But this year’s Supreme Court decision, which largely upheld the law, made the Medicaid expansion optional for the states. That spawned a series of refusals to participate by GOP governors who opposed the law. Most Democratic governors are expected eventually to agree to implement the provision.
For states that take up the Medicaid option, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs for the first three years; after that states are responsible for up to 10 percent of the costs. Although the offer seems generous, some states genuinely worry that the increased expenses in the fourth year and beyond will strain their already costly Medicaid programs.
But the real decision will come early next year when state legislatures weigh in on the issue. In the meantime, many analysts expect the objections by GOP governors to fade away. Aaron, for example, maintains that the offer “is so hugely attractive to each state financially that refusal to expand coverage … (would be) an act of fiscal self-mutilation.”
For more: http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/in-focus-obamacare_2012-11-11.html
Can’t Afford Healthcare? Obamacare ‘On the Table’
Published on Nov 21, 2012 by TheYoungTurks
“After Mitt Romney lost on Election Day, it appeared that the health care law was here to stay. States are scrambling to meet federally-imposed deadlines to implement state exchanges and the administration announced coverage mandates. But House Speaker John Boehner signaled Tuesday that he is not giving up efforts to repeal the bill.
In an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Boehner wrote that “we can’t afford” the Affordable Care act, and said, “That’s why I’ve been clear that the law has to stay on the table as both parties discuss ways to solve our nation’s massive debt challenge.”
Congress and the White House are involved in negotiations over the so-called “fiscal cliff.” Spending cuts are a major component of the talks as Republicans are pushing for less spending in lieu of raising taxes. Boehner has spoken in general terms about his priorities for deficit reduction; this op-ed signals that health care is another element he wants thrown in the pot.
The Congressional Budget Office, however, has estimated that the cost of the main component of the health care law, the health insurance exchanges, will lower the government’s share of health care costs because fewer people will be enrolled in the Medicaid program. Another CBO report says repealing the health care law would cost taxpayers $109 billion.”*
Steve Oh (COO of The Young Turks) and Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show) break down Boehner’s claims that “we can’t afford healthcare.” Should Obamacare be on the table in fiscal cliff negotiations? Should it be decided upon state by state?
Ezra Klein Slams Boehner for Pretending They Can Still Repeal
Published on Nov 24, 2012 by Buzz sourse
Ezra Klein took a shot at John Boehner and the Republicans for pretending that they can still repeal Obamacare through the congressional oversight process. As ridiculous as that assertion is, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to do their best to still attempt to chip away at it where possible, but at this point, pretending that they can use the oversight process to somehow repeal the law, is just ludicrous.
Supreme Court to consider workplace harassment rules
Fri, Nov 23, 2012 By Terry Baynes – Reuters
(Reuters) – The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a case that could determine when a company is liable for harassment by its employees.
The case turns on the definition of a single word – “supervisor” – under a federal civil rights law that prohibits racial, religious or sexual harassment in the workplace.
Under previous Supreme Court rulings, an employer is automatically responsible if a supervisor harasses a subordinate. The employer is not liable if the harassment is between two equal coworkers, unless it was negligent in allowing the abuse.
Since those rulings, a rift has developed between federal appeals courts over exactly who is a supervisor. On one side, three circuits say supervisors are those with the power to hire, fire, demote, promote or discipline. Three other circuits have adopted a broader standard, one that also includes employees who direct and oversee a colleague’s daily work.
In the current case, Maetta Vance was the sole black catering worker at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. After filing numerous complaints with the university over racially charged incidents at work, she sued the university in federal court in 2006. She claimed that several white coworkers used racial epithets, references to the Ku Klux Klan and veiled physical threats against her.
In trying to hold Ball State liable, Vance’s lawyers argued that one coworker, Saundra Davis, was a supervisor because she had the power to direct her day-to-day activities. Davis did not have to record her time, like other hourly employees, Vance argued. But the district court dismissed the case before a trial, finding Davis lacked sufficient authority over Vance. It also found that Ball State had taken corrective action and had not acted negligently.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-consider-workplace-harassment-rules-153444694.html
House to consider limited GOP immigration bill
11/23/12 11:12 AM EST By ASSOCIATED PRESS
House Republicans still smarting from their poor showing among Hispanics in the presidential election are planning a vote next week on immigration legislation that would both expand visas for foreign science and technology students and make it easier for those with green cards to bring their immediate families to the U.S.
Republican leaders made it clear after the election that the party was ready to get serious about overhauling the nation’s dysfunctional immigration system, a top priority for Hispanic communities. Taking up what is called the STEM Jobs Act during the lame-duck session could be seen as a first step in that direction.
The House voted on a STEM bill — standing for science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in September, but under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority. It was defeated, with more than 80 percent of Democrats voting against it, because it offset the increase in visas for high-tech graduates by eliminating another visa program that is available for less-educated foreigners, many from Africa.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84181.html?hp=r3
Shoppers Lift Thanksgiving Weekend Spending 13% to $59.1 Billion
Nov 25, 2012 1:54 PM PT By Chris Burritt – bloomberg
Shoppers spent 13 percent more during the four-day U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, heading to stores and jumping online to push Black Friday beyond a one-day extravaganza.
Spending rose to $59.1 billion from Nov. 22 through today from $52.4 billion last year, the National Retail Federation said in a statement. The jump occurred even as Chicago-based researcher ShopperTrak observed a 1.8 percent decline in sales on Black Friday, the traditional start to the shopping season.
Retailers have turned Black Friday into a week’s worth of deals and discounts, with ever-earlier openings and online offers.
Thanksgiving Day, once reserved for family gatherings, saw more than 35 million shoppers buying in stores and online, up from 29 million last year, the NRF said. Even tomorrow’s so- called Cyber Monday is losing its distinction, with Best Buy Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. starting some web-based deals today.
“Retailers have now integrated the entire shopping experience,” Matt Shay, president and chief executive officer of the NRF, said on a conference call today. “Every day is Cyber Monday. Every day is Black Friday.”
Customers spent $423 on average this weekend, up 6.3 percent from last year, the Washington-based NRF said. The 13 percent jump in total spending suggests some sales may have been pulled ahead from December and that retailers will have to keep up the promotions to avoid a lull.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-25/shoppers-lift-thanksgiving-weekend-spending-13-to-59-1-billion.html
LIKE this thread!!
>^..^<
Hi Kat!
Once again the MEAN OLD GOP trying to deny people their rights.
Pesky voters are gonna keep getting in their way.
Dawn of a New Day for Marriage Equality (TV Version)
Published on Nov 24, 2012 by hrcmedia
Freedom, justice, and human dignity have always guided our journey for a more perfect union. With historic victories for marriage, we’ve delivered a mandate for full equality.
The wind is at our back, but the journey has just begun.
Join us:
http://www.HRC.org/Marriage
I would be so proud of America if it gave equal marriage rights!
State by state, we’re getting it done.
UN climate talks open in Qatar
11/26/12 By KARL RITTER | Associated Press – 1 hr 20 mins ago
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — U.N. talks on a new climate pact resumed Monday in oil and gas-rich Qatar, where negotiators from nearly 200 countries will discuss fighting global warming and helping poor nations adapt to it.
The two-decade-old talks have not fulfilled their main purpose: reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming the planet.
Attempts to create a new climate treaty failed in Copenhagen three years ago but countries agreed last year to try again, giving themselves a deadline of 2015 to adopt a new treaty.
Several issues need to be resolved by then, including how to spread the burden of emissions cuts between rich and poor countries. That’s unlikely to be decided in the Qatari capital of Doha, where negotiators will focus on extending the Kyoto Protocol, an emissions deal for industrialized countries, and trying to raise billions of dollars to help developing countries adapt to a shifting climate.
“We owe it to our people, the global citizenry. We owe it to our children to give them a safer future than what they are currently facing,” said South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who led last year’s talks in Durban, South Africa.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/un-climate-talks-open-qatar-073707320.html
Good morning CR and friends. HOPE you all have a terrific Monday!
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Good Monday morning and thank you Jackie!
47 lit now.
November 26, 2012
On Cyber Monday the White House Releases New Report on the Impact of Middle-Class Tax Cuts on Retailers and Consumer Spending
Report Details Consequences if Congress Fails to Extend Middle-Class Tax Cuts
WASHINGTON, DC – As we move into the holiday shopping season, the White House released a report from the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers called The Middle-Class Tax Cuts’ Impact on Consumer Spending and Retailers. This report provides new analysis on the impact to retailers and consumer spending if Congress fails to act to avoid taxes going up on 98 percent of Americans at the end of the year.
This report is embargoed until 6am ET. The link to the full report can be found HERE.
The President believes Democrats and Republicans should come together to renew middle-class tax cuts so families and businesses have more certainty at this critical time for our economy. If Congress acts, every American will get a tax break on their first $250,000 of income, and income taxes won’t go up for 98 percent of American families and 97 percent of small businesses. The President believes we must take a balanced approach to reduce our deficit, that’s why he has laid out a $4 trillion deficit reduction plan that asks the wealthy to pay a little more and preserves the investments we need to grow the economy. The President has already signed $1.1 trillion in spending cuts and he looks forward to working with Democrats and Republicans on a balanced approach to further reduce our deficit. This is an important moment not just to avoid the fiscal cliff—but to lay the groundwork for an economy that will support a healthy middle class, restore economic certainty, and lead to long-term job growth.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/11/26/cyber-monday-white-house-releases-new-report-impact-middle-class-tax-cut
Home Equity Loans Make Comeback Fueling U.S. Spending
By Kathleen M. Howley – Nov 26, 2012 5:55 AM PT
Home equity lines of credit that fueled a spending spree during the U.S. property boom are back.
After six years of declines, lending for so-called Helocs will rise 30 percent to $79.6 billion in 2012, the highest level since the start of the financial crisis in 2008, according to the economics research unit of Moody’s Corp. Originations next year will jump another 31 percent to $104 billion, it projected.
Lending tied to real estate is reviving as record-low mortgage rates spur the housing recovery while an improving job market makes it easier for people to borrow. A rise in home equity lines is in turn helping the economy, fueling purchase of goods like televisions and refrigerators. Consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, accelerated to a 2 percent annual rate last quarter from a 1.5 percent pace in the prior period.
“If house prices continue to rise, home equity lending will keep rising,” said Mustafa Akcay, a Moody’s Analytics economist in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “Lenders have been worried about the ability of consumers to pay back their loans, and as the economy improves, that concern is easing.”
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-26/home-equity-loans-make-comeback-fueling-u-s-spending-mortgages.html
High-skill green cards get lame-duck push in Congress
11/26/12 By Matt O’Brien – San Jose Mercury News
In the first test of a new political climate on immigration reform, the lame-duck House of Representatives is renewing a push to eliminate America’s random visa lottery and replace it with a bill favored by thousands of Silicon Valley immigrant workers: one that would give green cards to foreigners with advanced U.S. degrees in science, engineering and math.
House Republicans say they are wasting no time putting the bill up for a Friday vote after a similar measure failed in September. The maneuver follows a vigorous debate in the conservative movement over how to warm up to a growing Latino and Asian-American electorate that was pivotal in re-electing President Barack Obama.
Republicans are even adding a provision they once opposed to allow the spouses and minor children of legal immigrants to join their family members in the United States instead of waiting for years in their home countries.
The election “put a spotlight on immigration issues,” said Brian Berg, head of the Silicon Valley chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, which supports the GOP approach. “While this is not a comprehensive immigration bill, it’s certainly a very important one.”
For more: http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_22054341/high-skill-green-cards-get-lame-duck-push?source=rss
Tuesday, November 27 , 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
President Obama and Vice President Biden receive the presidential daily briefing
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet for lunch.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:40 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico
Oval Office
4:00 PM
4:30 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with Defense Secretary Panetta
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
November 27, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
12:30 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
4:00 PM ET
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico at the White House
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
11:30 AM ET
Senate GOP briefing on immigration reform
Republican Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jon Kyl speak with reporters from Capitol Hill on immigration reform.
12:30 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
12:30 PM ET
State Department briefing
Press Secretary Victoria Nuland holds a briefing with reporters. Topics expected to be discussed include the situations in Egypt and Gaza.
12:30 PM ET
Senate party policy lunches stakeout
Senators from both sides of the aisle are expected to discuss fiscal cliff concerns when they speak with reporters following closed-door luncheon talks.
1:00 PM ET
Pentagon briefing
Press Secretary George Little holds a briefing for reporters at the Pentagon. Topics expected to be discussed include Afghanistan, Egypt and Gaza.
2:00 PM ET
Women’s business leadership meeting
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosts the second meeting of the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership in Washington
4:00 PM ET
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico at the White House
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
8:45 AM ET
Foreign Policy Initiative
Next Four Years of Foreign Policy, Morning Session http://www.c-span.org/Events/Washington-Insiders-on-the-Next-Four-Years-of-Foreign-Policy/10737436059/
10:00 AM ET
Bipartisan Policy Center
Energy Policy http://www.c-span.org/Events/Former-Government-Leaders-Release-Report-on-Energy-Policy/10737436060/
11:00 AM ET
European Parliament Pres. Speaks on EU-U.S. Partnership http://www.c-span.org/Events/European-Parliament-Pres-Speaks-on-EU-US-Partnership/10737436071/
11:30 AM ET
Center for American Progress
Senator Dick Durbin on the Fiscal Cliff http://www.c-span.org/Events/Sen-Durbin-Discusses-the-Fiscal-Cliff/10737436076/
12:30 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
4:00 PM ET
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico at the White House http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-Discusses-US-Mexico-Relations/10737436061/
November 19, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of President-elect Peña Nieto of Mexico
President Obama will host President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico at the White House. The President looks forward to meeting President-elect Peña Nieto and hearing about his vision for leading Mexico over the next six years. They plan to discuss a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues during their Oval Office meeting. The President welcomes the opportunity to underscore the shared values and strong bonds of friendship between the United States and Mexico. The United States remains committed to work in partnership with Mexico to increase economic competitiveness in both countries, promote regional development, advance bilateral efforts to develop a secure and efficient 21st Century Border, and address our common security challenges.
November 26, 2012
Statement of the President on the Final Approval of the Cobell Settlement
I welcome the final approval of the Cobell settlement agreement, clearing the way for reconciliation between the trust beneficiaries and the federal government. While Elouise Cobell, the named plaintiff in this case is no longer with us, her legacy will be a renewed commitment to our trust relationship with Indian Country. I thank her for her honorable work, and also want to thank the leaders at the Departments of the Interior, Justice and Treasury who helped reach this conclusion.
ICSC-Goldman Store Sales
Released On 11/27/2012 7:45:00 AM For wk11/24, 2012
Highlights
The November 24 Black Friday week was a big success based on ICSC-Goldman’s same-store sales index which shows a 3.3 percent week-to-week surge for a year-on-year rate of plus 4.0 percent. The weekly gain is the strongest since December while the year-on-year rate is the strongest since April. The report especially notes the importance of this Black Friday’s extended shopping hours. Despite the big rush of buying, the report says consumers have a lot of shopping still to do with the holiday-gift completion rate at 31.6 percent vs 31.9 percent this time last year. Redbook will issue its weekly report later this morning at 8:55 a.m. ET.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/economic-calendar/
Demand for U.S. Capital Goods Climbs in Spending Rebound
Nov 27, 2012 5:52 AM PT By Lorraine Woellert – bloomberg
Demand for goods such as machinery and electronics climbed in October by the most in five months, signaling companies are starting to overcome concern the looming fiscal cliff will derail the U.S. economy.
Bookings for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for future business investment, rose 1.7 percent last month, the most since May, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. Orders for all durable goods were little changed, beating the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg that projected a 0.7 percent drop.
Eaton Corp. (ETN) is among companies saying customers are trying to find ways to meet rising demand even as they are concerned about the $607 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that may take effect next year if lawmakers don’t act. A rebound in business investment combined with gains in housing may point to a pickup in growth next year.
“Demand for durable goods has stabilized,” said Ryan Wang, an economist with HSBC Securities USA Inc. in New York, who forecast an increase of 0.9 percent in total orders. “It’s a positive sign.”
Stock-index futures were little changed after the report. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index maturing in December was at 1,403.2 at 8:50 a.m. in New York, down less than 0.1 percent from yesterday’s close.
Forecasts for total durable goods of the 75 economists surveyed by Bloomberg ranged from a 4 percent drop to a 2.7 percent increase.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-27/demand-for-u-s-capital-goods-climbs-in-sign-of-spending-rebound.html
Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Rose 3% in Year to September
Nov 27, 2012 6:17 AM PT By Michelle Jamrisko – bloomberg
Home prices rose in the year ended in September by the most since July 2010, showing the recovery in the U.S. real estate market is a source of strength for the economy.
The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values in 20 cities climbed 3 percent from September 2011, after advancing 2 percent in the year to August, the group said today in New York. The median forecast of 29 economists in a Bloomberg survey projected a 3 percent gain. Home prices from July through September climbed the most since the second quarter of 2010.
An improving labor market and record-low mortgage rates are shoring up demand for properties, helping explain an increase in optimism among builders. At the same time, Federal Reserve policy makers are pressing forward with monetary accommodation that underpins the residential real-estate recovery and the economic expansion.
With some pickup in employment, “you’re seeing that filter through to household formation with people becoming a little bit more comfortable and going out and dipping their foot in the water,” Kevin Cummins, an economist at UBS Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut, said before the report. “You have the indirect effects of stabilization in prices and home price appreciation that’s spilling over to spending and more broadly to confidence.”
Estimates in the Bloomberg survey ranged from gains of 2.2 percent to 3.6 percent. The Case-Shiller index is based on a three-month average, which means the September data were influenced by transactions in July and August.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-27/home-prices-in-20-u-s-cities-advanced-3-in-year-to-september.html
Consumer Confidence in U.S. Climbs to More Than Four-Year High
Nov 27, 2012 7:00 AM PT By Shobhana Chandra – bloomberg
Consumer confidence rose in November to the highest level in more than four years, a sign U.S. household spending will keep growing.
The Conference Board’s confidence index climbed to 73.7, the highest since February 2008, from a revised 73.1 reading the prior month, figures from the New York-based private research group showed today. The median forecast of 75 economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected a reading of 73.
The report showed the share of Americans planning to buy a house rose to a record high, indicating improving property values and a job market recovery are making households more willing to make long-term commitments. Sustained gains in consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, may help overcome concern over the fiscal cliff of tax increases and government spending cuts slated for early 2013.
“The consumer is in a better place than several years ago,” Michael Gapen, a New York-based senior U.S. economist at Barclays Plc, said before the report. “A lot of the numbers are improving, where it is household balance sheets or the state of the housing market or employment.’”
Other reports today signaled business investment may rebound and home prices are climbing.
Demand for goods such as machinery and electronics climbed in October by the most in five months, the Commerce Department reported.
Bookings for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for future business investment, rose 1.7 percent last month, the most since May.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-27/consumer-confidence-in-u-s-climbs-to-more-than-four-year-high.html
FHFA House Price Index
Released On 11/27/2012 10:00:00 AM For Sep, 2012
Market Consensus before announcement
The FHFA purchase only house price index rose 0.7 percent in August, following a 0.1 percent rise in July. Year-on-year, the index is up 4.7 percent, compared to 3.7 percent in July. Six of the nine Census regions posted rose in August with one down and two flat. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes from July to August ranged from minus 0.5 percent in the East South Central division to plus 3.0 percent in the Pacific division.
Source: http://bloomberg.econoday.com/byshoweventfull.asp?fid=451731&cust=bloomberg-us&year=2012&lid=0#top
Romney Merchandise Priced to Sell
11/27/12 By Sarah Parnass | ABC News Blogs – 2 hours 42 minutes ago
Romney Merchandise Priced to Sell …
What’s a retailer to do with merchandise branded to support a failed presidential candidate? Put it on clearance.
ABC News’ Jake Tapper snapped this photo of Romney gifts next to the Christmas decorations at Reagan National Airport Monday.
On the Internet, business owners are dropping prices to unload the Romney items as well.
The “America!” store, which has a location in Union Station and Reagan National Airport among others, had a clearance section of its online shopping full of Romney/Ryan memorabilia Monday morning. All of it was 75 percent off, putting Romney magnets and buttons below a dollar and a “Repeal & Replace” t-shirt, referencing the Republican plan to oust President Obama’s health care law, for less than five bucks.
Wal-Mart’s website offered a 35 percent discount on both Romney’s books.
Artist-designed garment website CafePress makes merchandise on an as-ordered basis, so they don’t have to worry about dumping an overload of Romney/Ryan products.
That’s lucky for them, because sales for Romney products began declining in late October and had not caught up with Obama sales since. Throughout the election Obama and Romney were neck-and-neck on CafePress, but for most of November, Romney merchandise made up only between 10 and 30 percent of candidate-focused spending on the site.
The Romney campaign’s website offered no great deals – with t-shirts still ranging from $20.12 (for a toddler) to $45 – but “for a limited time” pro-Romney holdouts could have their purchases shipped for free.
October 26, 2012
Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council
EXECUTIVE ORDER
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ESTABLISHING THE WHITE HOUSE
HOMELAND SECURITY PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to advance the Federal Government’s use of local partnerships to address homeland security challenges, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. The purpose of this order is to maximize the Federal Government’s ability to develop local partnerships in the United States to support homeland security priorities. Partnerships are collaborative working relationships in which the goals, structure, and roles and responsibilities of the relationships are mutually determined. Collaboration enables the Federal Government and its partners to use resources more efficiently, build on one another’s expertise, drive innovation, engage in collective action, broaden investments to achieve shared goals, and improve performance. Partnerships enhance our ability to address homeland security priorities, from responding to natural disasters to preventing terrorism, by utilizing diverse perspectives, skills, tools, and resources.
The National Security Strategy emphasizes the importance of partnerships, underscoring that to keep our Nation safe “we must tap the ingenuity outside government through strategic partnerships with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, and community-based organizations. Such partnerships are critical to U.S. success at home and abroad, and we will support them through enhanced opportunities for engagement, coordination, transparency, and information sharing.” This approach recognizes that, given the complexities and range of challenges, we must institutionalize an all-of-Nation effort to address the evolving threats to the United States.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/26/executive-order-establishing-white-house-homeland-security-partnership-c
November 27, 2012
FACT SHEET: The White House Homeland Security Partnership Council
“Just as no nation can wall itself off from the world, no one nation—no matter how large, no matter how powerful—can meet these challenges alone. Nor can governments alone. Today’s threats demand new partnerships across sectors and across societies—creative collaborations to achieve what no one can accomplish alone. In short, we need a new spirit of global partnership.” — President Barack Obama, September 22, 2009
Executive Order 13629: The President established the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council on October 26, 2012 to maximize the Federal Government’s ability to develop local partnerships in the United States to support homeland security priorities. The Council will provide advice and information to the White House and Federal departments and agencies in support of the development of homeland security partnerships.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/11/27/fact-sheet-white-house-homeland-security-partnership-council
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
4:00 PM ET
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico at the White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-Discusses-US-Mexico-Relations/10737436061/
November 28, 2012
Remarks of President Obama and President-Elect Peña Nieto of Mexico Before Bilateral Meeting
Oval Office
4:00 P.M. EST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it is my great pleasure to welcome President-elect Peña Nieto to the Oval Office and to the White House. This is a longstanding tradition where — almost unique I think in the relationship between countries — we meet early with the President-elect of Mexico because it symbolizes the extraordinarily close relationship we have between our two countries.
Over the last four years, I’ve been able to work with President Felipe Calderón and I think we established an excellent working relationship so I wish him all the best in his new life.
And I’m very confident that I’m going to establish a strong personal as well as professional relationship with the President-elect, who I know has an outstanding reputation for wanting to get things done.
Now, President Peña Nieto I think represents the close ties between our two countries because I understand that he lived in the United States in Maine for a year, where the winters are even worse than Chicago, my hometown. (Laughter.)
But I think that’s representative of the strength of the relationship between the United States and Mexico. It’s not just a matter of policy, but it’s a matter of people, as represented by the many U.S. citizens who travel to Mexico, who live in Mexico, and obviously the incredible contribution that Mexican Americans make to our economy, our society, and to our politics.
I know that President Peña Nieto has a very ambitious reform agenda, and we are very much looking forward to having a fruitful discussion here today about not only how we can strengthen our economic ties, our trades ties, our coordination along the border, improving our joint competitiveness, as well as common security issues. But I think what I know the President-elect is also interested in is a discussion about both regional and global issues, because Mexico has become not simply an important bilateral partner, but is today a very important multilateral, multinational leader on a whole range of issues from energy to climate change, and we look forward to working with Mexico not only on regional issues, but also on global issues.
And just as President-elect Peña Nieto’s reform agenda is of great interest to us because what happens in Mexico has an impact on our society, I know he’s interested in what we do as well on issues like comprehensive immigration reform. And I’ll be sharing with him my interest in promoting some issues that are important to the United States, but ultimately will be important to Mexico as well.
So Mr. President-elect, I want to welcome you. Congratulations on your outstanding victory. Vice President Biden will be leading our delegation to your inauguration. We only send the Vice President to inaugurations when the country is really at the top of the list in importance to us and so we just want to wish you well and I look forward to an excellent relationship in the years to come.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/11/28/remarks-president-obama-and-president-elect-pe-nieto-mexico-bilateral-me
President Obama Welcomes Mexico President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto
Matt Compton November 27, 2012 07:18 PM EST
This afternoon, President Obama welcomed Enrique Peña Nieto, the President-elect of Mexico, to the Oval Office.
By long-standing tradition, newly elected Mexican presidents hold early meetings with the United States, in part because it symbolizes the close relationship between our two countries.
And President-elect Peña Nieto is himself no stranger to the United States, having spent a year in Maine as a student.
“But I think that’s representative of the strength of the relationship between the United States and Mexico,” President Obama said. “It’s not just a matter of policy, but it’s a matter of people, as represented by the many U.S. citizens who travel to Mexico, who live in Mexico, and obviously the incredible contribution that Mexican Americans make to our economy, our society, and to our politics.”
President Obama noted that President-elect Peña Nieto’s reform agenda is one that Americans will watch closely — as what happens in Mexico affects our society as well.
The president-elect was also quick to draw parallels between himself and President Obama.
“We were both congressmen — legislators, as we say in Spanish — in our respective congresses in our own countries,” he said. “And this means we’re very sensitive to the needs of our peoples. And we also share a very important vision, the vision for instance of creating more jobs. We know this is very important, not only for the American people but also for the Mexican peoples, for both of our nations.”
On Saturday, Vice President Joe Biden will lead the U.S. delegation to the President-elect Peña Nieto’s inauguration.
Fox News Ends Interview: Tom Ricks Says Network ‘Operating As A Wing Of The Republican Party
11/27/12 ibetimes
Fox News abruptly ended an interview with Tom Ricks after the veteran reporter slammed the network for its coverage of the Benghazi terror attacks. Ricks said Fox was “operating as a wing of the Republican Party.”
Ricks, who wrote “Fiasco,” which was critical of the second Iraq war, was interviewed by Fox News on Monday. He was asked what he thought of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., backing away from saying he would block the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, from being nominated for Secretary of State.
Fox News ended the interview with Ricks when he became critical of the news outlet, and the segment has gone viral online, with the clip garnering more than 41,000 views on YouTube. You can also view the video above.
Rice has been scrutinized by conservatives over her handling of the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Rice has been accused of stating talking points on the Sunday morning talk shows that immediately followed the attack that indicated it was spurred by spontaneous protests against the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims.” Intelligence later showed that the movie was not the cause of the attack, and that it was not spontaneous, and some Republicans claim Rice had been deliberately misinforming the American people.
For more: http://www.ibtimes.com/fox-news-ends-interview-tom-ricks-says-network-operating-wing-republican-party-video-902776
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Thomas Ricks’ Accuses Fox News Of Operating As ‘Wing Of The
Published on Nov 26, 2012 by Buzz sourse
Author and Defense Analyst Thomas Ricks’ interview on Fox News this morning was a brief affair. Ostensibly brought on to talk about Benghazi, UN Ambassador Susan Rice, and Republicans like John McCain criticisms of her, Ricks quickly gave his opinion that the matter was “extremely political, partly because Fox is operating as the wing of Republican Party.”
And with that Jon Scott abruptly ended the interview, thanking Ricks for coming on.
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2012 Nobel Prize”
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