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Segami

PBS Killed WISCONSIN UPRISING Documentary "CITIZEN KOCH" To Appease Koch Brothers

(Truthout) "Citizen Koch," a documentary about money in politics focused on the Wisconsin uprising, was shunned by PBS for fear of offending billionaire industrialist David Koch, who has given $23 million to public television, according to Jane Mayer of the New Yorker. The dispute highlights the increasing role of private money in "public" television and raises even further concerns about the Kochs potentially purchasing eight major daily newspapers. The film from Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin documents how the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision helped pave the way for secret political spending by players like the Kochs, who contributed directly and indirectly to the election of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in 2010 and came to his aid again when the battle broke out over his effort to limit collective bargaining.

Galraedia

Rand Paul demands Congress ‘apologize’ to Apple for tax avoidance hearing

(Rawstory) Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Tuesday lashed out at fellow members of Congress for looking into how technology giant Apple is able to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report on Monday detailing how Apple had used a network of offshore shell companies in recent year to avoid paying taxes.

At a committee hearing on Tuesday, Paul was livid that Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked to testify. “I’m offended by a $4 trillion government bullying, berating and badgering one America’s greatest success stories,” the Kentucky Republican told the committee. “Tell me what Apple has done that is illegal?”

ProSense

Looks like they found the source of the IRS cover-up: Darrell Issa

(TPM) At a hearing Tuesday, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George told the Senate Finance Committee that the Treasury Department informed Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-CA) office of its investigation into the IRS in 2012, and has had communications with this staff since then.

ProSense

GOP Aides Mock House Republicans’ ‘Crazy’ Benghazi Witch-Hunt

(Think Progress) GOP aides are criticizing the House Republicans’ partisan witch-hunt over the Obama administration’s handling of the attacks on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya last year, arguing that the Party should focus more on substantive issues, such as lessons learned and how to recalibrate diplomatic security.

Roll Call reports that Republican aides are saying staffers are getting bogged down chasing bogus accusations. “We have got to get past that and figure out what are we going to do going forward,” a GOP aide told Roll Call. “Some of the accusations, I mean you wouldn’t believe some of this stuff. It’s just — I mean, you’ve got to be on Mars to come up with some of this stuff.” Another aide expressed frustration at accusations that military assets weren’t properly deployed during the night of the attacks and that a team from Tripoli could have been flown in to fight off the attackers.

DonViejo

Oklahoma senator: Tornado aid “totally different” from Sandy aid

(Salon) Sen. James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, argued that there is no comparison between Hurricane Sandy relief, which he voted against last fall, and aid for his state in the wake of the devastating tornado, because the two are “totally different.”

The Washington Post reports that Inhofe contended on Tuesday that the Hurricane Sandy relief bill was filled with pork, “things in the Virgin Islands. They were fixing roads there and putting roofs on houses in Washington, D.C.,” and that people were “exploiting the tragedy that took place.” He added: “That won’t happen in Oklahoma.”

DonViejo

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn will seek to offset federal aid to victims of a massive tornado

(TPM) Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn will seek to offset federal aid to victims of a massive tornado that blasted through Oklahoma City suburbs on Monday with cuts elsewhere in the budget. "That's always been his position ," a spokesman told the Huffington Post Monday night. "He supported offsets to the bill funding the OKC bombing recovery effort."

Coburn, who intends to retire in 2016, joined his fellow Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe (R) last year in supporting an amendment that would have substantially cut a package of $60 billion dollars intended for reconstruction of the East Coast in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The measure eventually passed in two parts with most of the Senate Republican caucus in opposition, but not before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and New York GOP Reps. Peter King and Michael Grimm offered scathing critiques that their party was abandoning stranded people in the wake of the storm.

ProSense

Krugman: Where Are The Deficit Celebrations?

(NYT) For three years and more Beltway politics has been all about the deficit. Urgent action was needed to avert crisis. A Grand Bargain absolutely had to be reached...So where are the celebrations now that the debt issue looks, if not solved, at least greatly mitigated? And it’s not just recovering revenues: health costs, the biggest driver of long-run spending, have slowed dramatically.

What we’re getting from the deficit scolds, however, are at best grudging admissions that things may look a bit less dire — if not expressions of regret that the public seems insufficiently alarmed.

sheshe2

PHOTOS: Oklahoma First Responders

Poll_Blind

KFOR livestream reporter breaks down on air, confirms Plaza Tower Elementary school...

(KFOR) At least 15 (and up to 75) children trapped under debris according to "Lance", reporter. 75 children were in hallway when tornado hit. Woman injured on ground. Volunteers trying to free children. Parents are not being allowed to get onto the debris pile because of potential for downed power lines, gas leaks, etc.

Reporter reports seeing one child being freed from rubble who hugged an adult (presumably parent) who was removed/evacuated from scene.

Hissyspit

Huge Tornado Tears Through S. OK City

Shawnee, Oklahoma (CNN) - A powerful tornado blasted an area outside of Oklahoma City on Monday, ripping roofs off buildings, leveling homes and leaving a massive band of destruction in its wake.

In the desperate seconds and minutes after the storm passed, the human toll was not yet clear.

Survivors emerged from shelters to see an apocalyptic vision -- the remnants of cars twisted and piled on each other to make what had been a parking lot look like a junk yard. Bright orange flames roaring from a structure that was blazing even as rain continued to fall.