On Saturday Nov. 16th, the contract for at L&M Hospital expired. The nurses and techs have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and will be going on a 5 day strike, starting Wed. Nov 27th. These nurses and techs, represented by AFT Local 5049 and 5051, have provided quality care for thousands of patients, and have worked tirelessly ensuring L&M Hospital is the place where families can get the care they deserve, and when they need it. In return, the management of Lawrence + Memorial is transferring positions covered by collective bargaining agreements to newly created L&M owned-and-operated entities with no union representation. This is a blatant legal maneuver designed to avoid providing the wage rates and health insurance agreed to in existing union contracts.

 All the while, L&M has built enormous cash reserves and over $250 million in assets. Compensation for Executives has grown to well over 4 million dollars a year. These underhanded legal maneuvers and high salaries sound more like Wal-Mart than a community hospital.
 The hospital has hired paid strikebreakers. They’re investing resources to stand up to the nurses and techs, rather than work to make sure the contract is settled. This is not acceptable. Take a moment to stand up for the nurses and techs at L&M.

The minimum wage has remained stagnant in the District of Columbia at $8.25 an hour for years. Washington, D.C. is one of the most expensive cities in the country, and thousands of workers are struggling to make ends meet. The Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs Committee of the D.C. Council passed a bill raising the minimum wage to $11.50 over three years and tying it to inflation. The full council is expected to vote on the measure on December 3, 2013.

The Morning Joe segment started with coverage of an Op-Ed by Stuart Stevens, Romney's former campaign strategist, but quickly evolved into a one-sided discussion of fracking and renewable energy, which praised the growth of fossil fuels, supported the Keystone XL Pipeline, and ridiculed the feasibility of renewable energy sources for the next few decades. While it is not surprising Joe Scarborough always takes the pro fossil fuel side of any discussion, neither his co-host Mika nor any of his guests offered balance to the discussion and merely nodded in agreement for the majority of the conversation. One-sided media coverage is one of the reasons the public is not more aware of the dangers of fracking and natural gas production in the US, and both sides of the issue should be presented in any intelligent discussion of fracking and renewable energy.

Newspapers need to stop publishing letters that deny climate change, starting with the Las Vegas Review Journal. Anthropogenic climate change is a reality supported by the scientific community that poses an enormous threat to life on our planet. Pretending that it is anything less is irresponsible and immoral.

The Citizens United decision has crippled our democratic system. It must be reversed NOW! We want a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over three years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senators Scott and Graham: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over three years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senators Sessions and Shelby: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

Newspapers need to stop publishing letters that deny climate change.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over three years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senators Vitter and Landrieu: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over the years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senators Begich and Murkowski: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

Newspapers need to stop publishing letters that deny climate change.

Because brain did not deserve to die