This video starts out talking to people with higher incomes than most of the working public. Most make less than a living wage, are paid barely over the minimum allowed by law, some have short or weird day shifts requiring the hold of multiple jobs. Millions of people can not work to gain retirement. I was lucky, I worked a high paying job in my mid 20s to early 30s. That meant I get the same as my husband, who worked in low paying jobs and then as a CNAA in a hospital. Retiring at 67 and 3 months a man who after a 12 hour shift could barely walk and was worn out. Retirement shrank our income drastically but it saved his life I think. Only the high paid people can save, as the video says towards the end the rest of us need everything and more to survive. Life shouldn’t be a drudgery for most until death, and a grand time for the few, but in the US profit is king. Those companies need that retirement money for higher dividends and more profit for the wealthy. What the video doesn’t mention is those other countries pay more, have better social services, and much less costly medical systems for the public. Hugs. Scottie
There’s a reason so many of us don’t have enough retirement savings.
Vox sat down with people in our New York City studio to talk to them about the state of their retirement savings. By the standards of most financial experts, Americans are woefully behind on saving for retirement. The reason why is rooted in changes in policy to our retirement system with today’s result being a flawed design in how people set aside money so they can one day stop working. In this video, we interviewed four people about their level of retirement preparedness and two experts about the state of retirement readiness more broadly in the US. One culprit lies in changes to the country’s pension system, which sets the US apart from countries like Australia and the UK; these places have systems which help more people save more money for retirement.
Stephen puts aside politics to acknowledge Mitch McConnell’s big announcement, the former PM of Australia confirmed that Trump is obsessed with Vladimir Putin, and the star witness in the House GOP’s impeachment case against President Biden took bogus intelligence from Russian spies and was arrested for lying to the FBI.
Everything that Tengrain says is true. But it is not new. Remember Netanyahu pulled this during the Obama administration. Currently he brags how he has for decades screwed over the US government and how he can make the US congress / republicans do anything he wants. Why??? Well the Israeli government lobby in the US spends millions on millions on every congressional race, trying to get only pro Israel candidates elected. Yet while the ultra pro Israel lobby has billions of dollars to spend influences US elections, the US taxpayers give Israel about 4 billion a year plus all the military support they want. Does that make sense? To Israel, they see the US as an ATM they can abuse and take all they want. Hugs. Scottie
I realize many people who come here also may go there. Roger is a well read accomplish author who is well versed on history and is up to date with much going on in the world. Please go to his blog and read his report on the Sudan crisis and the suffering of the people there. Man’s inhumanity towards each other knows no bounds or depth, but seems endless. Hugs. Scottie
Wow how do these rejects get elected? Sex is the fault of the woman? That is not how it works. Tell him it takes more than a woman to make a baby. Guys are taught to want sex all their lives, and from puberty they’re told not to masturbate but to find a girl. But girls are property of daddy and they are told not to have sex to preserve their value. WTF. If boys / men get to enjoy sex, why can’t girls / women? Hugs. Scottie
A bid to make birth control a right in Arizona that was a top policy priority for Gov. Katie Hobbs has stagnated in the Republican-controlled legislature and is likely dead.
Sen. Sonny Borrelli, the No. 2 Republican in the state Senate, responded to a question about whether he would oppose future efforts to restrict access to emergency contraceptives by saying that women wouldn’t need contraceptives if they weren’t so promiscuous.
“Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin. Put it between your knees,” he said, implying that, if women hold aspirin between their legs, they won’t be able to have sex and risk pregnancy.
Borrelli’s comments echo those made by late Wisconsin pastor and former GOP mega donor Foster Freiss. In 2012, while Freiss was the head of a super PAC that backed Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, Freiss contended that women putting aspirin between their knees was a cheaper alternative to contraception.
In 2001, Borrelli plead guilty to a domestic violence charge. His then-wife’s child told police he witnessed Borrelli rapidly punch his mother three times in the mouth before shoving her to the ground.
Borrelli said he only plead guilty to keep custody of his children, and he later blamed his wife for the incident, claiming she was having a “stress-induced meltdown.”
Borelli, an election denier, first appeared here in 2021 when he and several other Arizona lawmakers spoke at a QAnon convention organized by a man who had just approvingly posted a link to a neo-Nazi film. We heard from him again last year when he tried to force Arizona to discard all voting machines.
AZ State Senator Sonny Borelli, singled out by Trump at rallies for pushing the audit, presents his ‘challenge coin’ today at the Vegas QAnon conference to Vincent Fusca, who some in the Q community believe is JFK Jr.. Resemblance is uncanny. pic.twitter.com/0lEIVfxIOn
AZ Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borelli issues letter to every county election office notifying them no electronic voting machine can be used in ‘24 election
Katie Hobbs vetoed law, but Constitution gives plenary authority to state legislature so they’re overriding her pic.twitter.com/FPwtEDaU5T
None of these yahoos make even the slightest effort to encourage men to take more responsibility for their own sexual behavior even though men are usually the ones who are more sexually eager due to the influence of testosterone (and even then, using that as an excuse really only goes so far!). They don’t even bother encouraging men to use condoms more often even though condoms actually have many advantages over most female forms of birth control. Condoms are relatively reliable when used correctly, aren’t difficult to find, aren’t difficult to use, don’t become less effective if you gain or lose weight, don’t cost much, don’t have any potentially dangerous side effects, don’t have any restrictions for age and/or existing health conditions, don’t require administration or authorization from a licensed medical professional, and don’t require much advance planning like most female forms of birth control do — and they have an double advantage in the sense that they help prevent the transmission of STDs.
It’s amazing the number of people who refuse to believe that sometimes things go wrong. That’s why abortion is healthcare, not every fetus is viable. Some of the ones that are born, don’t survive either.
It’s about whether men should dictate to women whom they don’t even know how to manage their personal life. It’s about whether women can get pregnant without the assistance of “promiscuous” men.
It’s about whether men should dictate to women whom they don’t even know how to manage their personal life. It’s about whether women can get pregnant without the assistance of “promiscuous” men.
The Christian religion is apparently based on the premise that women are by definition sluts, since Eve in Genesis disobeyed God and accepted advice from a serpent.
I am still waiting for the day that a pharmacist refuses to fill any prescriptions for Viagra or Cialis unless the man is wearing a wedding ring, or produces a marriage license, or signs a sworn affidavit saying they will use the drug only to have sex with their wives. I want to see the heads of a few right-wing males explode.
“But honey, I’m feeling romantic. This is your 30th headache this month. Why don’t you use that aspirin between your legs to make your headache disappear.”
*wife thinks a divorce attorney would do a better job at making her headache disappear.*
15 years ago, this Neanderthal would have been sent back under his rock, but Trump/MAGA has emboldened their misogyny, allowed them to use their “religious freedom” to spew this garbage in the public square, and encourage even more wackos to spew their hateful, medieval views
How is forcing women to continue with an unwanted pregnancy not an economic concern?
I can’t wait for these old white, white haired men and women who agree with them to die out but I know there is a crop of them right behind on the conveyor belt.
Contraceptives a.k.a. birth control are not just prescribed for birth control.
Here again we have elected officials who know nothing about the medical field making laws regarding women’s bodies that they know nothing about. Here again we have one of these old dinosaurs yapping about women not needing birth control if they weren’t promiscuous.
Funny how they get away with ignoring the fact that it takes two people to be promiscuous when making a baby… and funny how nobody points out that, if women must be forced to endure a pregnancy, men should at least be financially responsible for that same pregnancy.
I love this. The hate preachers in the US desperately need to hear this message. He says spreading hate and inciting attacks on others is not the message Jesus wanted his people to spread, that is not freedom of religion. It is so refreshing and wonderful to hear the message that this Rev. is talking about. Makes me remember the Jesus I was once told about as a child. Hugs. Scottie
This is what all the republican hate driven political crap causes. Simply put it is the same tactic Hitler used. Vilify the people that you want to harm, so that they are less human and your followers feel entitled or allowed to harm them. I have faced / felt this all my life. I thought that with the advancements and acceptance going forward with the modern age all that abuse could change. Then came tRump and his maga, which gave them permission to unleash their worst demons on the LBGTQ+ at any age, especially the most young in schools. It seems the republican maga fundamentalist right thinks it is ok to beat the LGBTQ+ out of any kid. But if they grow up into an adult still being that way … well we have the right to kill them. Can everyone see how disgusting that is? Sadly, some days I feel so frustrated screaming into the wind. Hugs. Scottie
Hillsborough County prosecutors charged a man with murder Friday, alleging that the fatal shooting of a gay man last month at the West Dog Park in Tampa was a hate crime.
Gerald Declan Radford faces a second-degree murder charge in the Feb. 2 death of John Walter Lay. Friends of both men told the Tampa Bay Times that Radford had been harassing Lay for months, hurling homophobic slurs and threatening him. Radford claimed the shooting was self-defense.
The office of Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez announced Friday that they plan to seek an enhanced sentence against Radford under the state’s hate crime statute.
Investigators said they first came in contact with Radford after he called 911 about the shooting. He claimed he shot Lay in self-defense, and with no witnesses to the crime or evidence to prove otherwise, Radford wasn’t arrested.
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said her office is now preparing for Radford to attempt to use the “Stand Your Ground” defense. Lay’s sister, Sabrena Hughes, told FOX 13 that the shooting followed two years of harassment and homophobic slurs directed at her brother by Radford.
Authorities also found a video on Lay’s phone. The video was taken like a selfie of the victim as he detailed a threat that was made to him by Radford, according to deputies. Lay claimed in the video that Radford told him, “You’re going to die.”
Colonel Frank Losat with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the cell phone video on the victim’s phone and character witnesses provided evidence that the suspect did not act in self-defense. Lay had been complaining to his friends about harassment from Radford at West Dog Park for months.
“Some time prior to the shooting, we’re not positive on a timeframe at this point, the suspect and the victim have an altercation over the victim’s sexual orientation,” said Losat. Radford remains in the Hillsborough County Jail.
I normally included the comments because the comments often have many very relevant and important ideas. But I am sorry I no longer strong enough to do that. I have a dozen more posts I want to make, but I no longer have the ability to do it they way I once did. Love and hugs to all. Scottie
So everything is basically reset back to where it was before this law. The only difference is teachers and schools will have to deal with fundamentalist Christian maga parents and wing nuts who don’t even live in those schools claiming that teachers are teaching gender or sexual orientation for allowing a rainbow sticker, that the schools are violating the law because the library returned the books with and about LGBTQIA characters / plots in them, and it will tie all schools up in lawsuits the state won’t help them with. DeathSantis is really just admitting he was wrong without saying it. Kaplan said that she was sure that the law would be ruled unconstitutional if they continue with the appeal, but that it would take at least two years of kids being bullied and the books out of the library. Of course DeathSantis is claiming a total win when it completely rolls back his law. Gay teachers can let the kids know they are gay, those married can talk about their spouses and post pictures. Anti-gay bullying programs are allowed again. Plus maybe the best thing, the gay straight alliance clubs are allowed again. The real thing you see is DeathSantis only pushed this as long as he was running for office, and once he was no longer needing to suck up to the fundamentalist Christians he backed down, and did not fight for it. I think he knew all along it was an illegal bill. Hugs. Scottie
*** Personal note. Was not feeling well all weekend and this morning I woke up at 4 am needing to throw up. But all I could bring up was air. Then after half a cup of coffee, I started to throw up last night’s meal. All morning I keep feeling dizzy and nauseous every 20 minutes or so. I have spent a lot of yesterday and so far today, in bed. Hugs. Scottie1`
Opponents said the law had created confusion about whether teachers could identity themselves as LGBTQ or if they even could have rainbow stickers in classrooms.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Students and teachers will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it’s not part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
The settlement clarifies what is allowed in Florida classrooms following passage two years ago of the law prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. Opponents said the law had created confusion about whether teachers could identity themselves as LGBTQ or if they even could have rainbow stickers in classrooms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 19, 2024.Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images file
Other statesused the Florida law as a template to pass prohibitions on classroom instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and North Carolina are among the states with versions of the law.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Florida Board of Education will send instructions to every school district saying the Florida law doesn’t prohibit discussing LGBTQ people, nor prevent anti-bullying rules on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or disallow Gay-Straight Alliance groups. The settlement also spells out that the law is neutral — meaning what applies to LGBTQ people also applies to heterosexual people — and that it doesn’t apply to library books not being used in the classroom.
“What this settlement does, is, it re-establishes the fundamental principal, that I hope all Americans agree with, which is every kid in this country is entitled to an education at a public school where they feel safe, their dignity is respected and where their families and parents are welcomed,” Roberta Kaplan, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said in an interview. “This shouldn’t be a controversial thing.”
In a statement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office described the deal as a “major win” with the law remaining intact.
“Today’s mutually agreed settlement ensures that the law will remain in effect and it is expected that the case will be dismissed by the Court imminently,” the statement said.
The law, formally known as the Parental Rights in Education Act, has been championed by the Republican governor since before its passage in 2022 by the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature. It barred instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade, and it was expanded to all grades last year.
Republican lawmakers had argued that parents should broach these subjects with children and that the law protected children from being taught about inappropriate material.
But opponents of the law said it created a chilling effect in classrooms. Some teachers said they were unsure if they could mention or display a photo of their same-sex partner in the classroom. In some cases, books dealing with LGBTQ topics were removed from classrooms and lines mentioning sexual orientation were excised from school musicals. The Miami-Dade County School Board in 2022 decided not to adopt a resolution recognizing LGBTQ History Month, even though it had done so a year earlier.
The law also triggered the ongoing legal battles between DeSantis and Disney over control of the governing district for Walt Disney World in central Florida after DeSantis took control of the government in what the company described as retaliation for its opposition to the legislation. DeSantis touted the fight with Disney during his run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, which he ended earlier this year.
The civil rights attorneys sued Florida education officials on behalf of teachers, students and parents, claiming the law was unconstitutional, but the case was dismissed last year by a federal judge in Tallahassee who said they lacked standing to sue. The case was appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Kaplan said they believed the appellate court would have reversed the lower court’s decision, but continuing the lawsuit would have delayed any resolution for several more years.
“The last thing we wanted for the kids in Florida was more delay,” Kaplan said.
Of note, the lead attorney in the lawsuit is Roberta Kaplan, who is best known to most as E. Jean Carroll’s attorney. Kaplan was also Edith Windsor’s attorney in the landmark Supreme Court ruling on DOMA.
A settlement over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law will allow students and teachers to speak about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, if it's not part of a lesson. https://t.co/FTg3TWJCyo
#Florida settles lawsuit over @GovRonDeSantis' controversial parental rights law & will clarify vague wording. Plaintiffs calling it the Don’t Say Gay law say the deal will stop school districts from “overreacting.” https://t.co/E4SQGjlUYQ via @JeffSolochek
