cal04
cal04's JournalUPS Halts Boy Scouts Donations Over Anti-Gay Policy
More bad news for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), as a major donor has announced plans to sever funding to the organization on account of a controversial anti-gay policy.
The United Parcel Service (UPS), Inc. will soon adopt a non-discrimination policy that disqualifies the BSA from future funding, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) reports. UPS follows the Intel Foundation in withdrawing corporate sponsorship from the BSA, GLAAD officials note in an email statement.
"UPS and The UPS Foundation do not discriminate against any person or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable law, as well as other categories protected by UPS and The UPS Foundation in our own policies," UPS officials note on the company's website. "These include, but are not limited to race, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, pregnancy, age and religion."
Among those to applaud the UPS move was Zach Wahls, the Iowa student whose impassioned pro-gay marriage speech to his state's legislators became the most-watched political clip of 2011 on YouTube after going viral twice last year.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/ups-boy-scouts-america-donations-anti-gay-policy_n_2118878.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
UPS released the following statement:
“The UPS Foundation seeks to support organizations that are in alignment with our focus areas, guidelines, and non-discrimination policy. UPS and The UPS Foundation do not discriminate against any person or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable law, as well as other categories protected by UPS and The UPS Foundation in our own policies. These include, but are not limited to race, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, pregnancy, age and religion.”
The decision by UPS reverses an earlier statement in which the said they would continue to support and donate to the Boy Scouts.
”The time is now for the BSA to end this outdated and unpopular ban before other corporate funders pull dollars and scouting families drop their support’” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “All of the great work that the BSA does to help young people will continue to be overshadowed by their blatant discrimination until they join other inclusive organizations like the Girl Scouts of the USA and the 4-H Club.”
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/blogs/bostonspirit/2012/11/ups_ceases_funding_for_boy_sco.html
Credit unions gaining ground on banks
Shopping for a new loan, or a savings or checking account? You have more options than you think. Banks are the main place people park their money or get their loans, but credit unions are growing in popularity as consumers thumb their noses at credit unions' big brother in the world of financial institutions.
According to a March 2012 survey of 5,000 consumers conducted by Pleasanton, Calif., market research firm Javelin Strategy & Research, 11 percent of respondents indicated they would switch their main financial institution during the year. For the first quarter of 2012, membership increased by 667,000, reports the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, an Arlington, Va., trade association.
Although credit unions are an alternative to banks, a decision to switch depends on what you want from your financial institution. For some consumers, low rates on loans and higher rates on savings accounts are all that matters. For others, it's all about convenience or accessibility.
"Banks may offer a better opportunity if you need a more sophisticated lending product or investment product," said Gene Kirsch, senior financial analyst at Weiss Ratings, a ratings firm in Jupiter, Fla. "For everything else, you're best to shop around. Credit unions are very competitive."
http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/11/11/14947860-credit-unions-gaining-ground-on-banks?lite
Kristol: It Won’t ‘Kill The Country’ To Raise Taxes On Millionaires (video)
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/kristol-raising-taxes-on-millionaires-wont-kill-countryConservative Weekly Standard columnist Bill Kirstol said it won't kill the country to raise taxes on millionaires during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." Kristol said that after a bad night on Election Day, Republicans should reassess their positions and be open to new ideas.
"Don't scream and yell when one person says, 'you know what, it won't kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires.' It really won't, I don't think," Kristol said.
Kristol continued, saying he doesn't understand why Republicans don't just take President Obama's offer to go ahead and extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone making under $250,000 per year while a larger deal is reached.
"Really? The Republican Party is going to fall on its sword to defend a bunch of millionaires, half of whom voted Democratic and half of whom live in Hollywood?," Kristol said.
&feature=player_embedded
Sherrod Brown: 'Karl Rove Had A Bad Night'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/sherrod-brown-ohio-senate_n_2088601.html?1352315772Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the unassuming, unabashed progressive who was a top target for Republicans this cycle, faced down $40 million in conservative attack ads -- and won.
"Karl Rove had a bad night," said Brown at a press conference on Wednesday morning, fresh off his victory over State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R).
(snip)
"The significance of this victory last night, yesterday, is that it might make some of my colleagues a little less intimidated by some of this outside money, and it might make the outside money -- as typically sleazy as it is -- a little more reluctant to come into a state," he said.
Brown also said it showed the need for campaign finance reform to "fix these awful kinds of campaign rules." The Democratic senator has been a critic of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates to corporate and anonymous spending from outside groups, and said he would continue to press for reform in the Senate.
Reid: No Messing With Social Security. Senate Democrats won't
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Social Security is off limits in upcoming negotiations over how to replace steep automatic tax increases and tax cuts with more targeted deficit reductions.
"We're not going to mess with Social Security," he said.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/reid-no-messing-with-social-security
Senate Democrats won't "mess with Social Security": Reid
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Wednesday reaffirmed his opposition to tinkering with the Social Security retirement program in pushing for a bipartisan deficit-reduction deal.
"We are not going to mess with Social Security," Reid told reporters as he left a post-election news conference that he used to call for cooperation between the two parties in dealing with U.S. fiscal woes.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/senate-democrats-wont-mess-social-174641778.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CagqZpQ_D4ANtHQtDMD
Fordham Study: Public Policy Polling Deemed Most Accurate National Pollster In 2012
Fordham University has published a ranking of the most accurate pollsters of the 2012 in terms of national trends, and (both) top spots were held by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, the North Carolina-based firm.
Director of Fordham's Center for Electoral Politics and Democracy, Dr. Costas Panagopoulos, based the study on pre-election polling and compared it against the results from election day.
"For all the ridicule directed towards pre-election polling, the final poll estimates were not far off from the actual nationwide vote shares for the two candidates," said Dr. Panagopoulos said in a statement. Here's the whole list:
1. PPP (D)*
1. Daily Kos/SEIU/PPP*
more at link
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/fordham-study-public-policy-polling-deemed-most-accurate
PPP poll for Daily Kos/SEIU was the most accurate of 2012
by kos
(snip)
Ha ha, look at Gallup way at the bottom, even below Rasmussen. But let's focus on the positive—PPP took top honors with a two-way tie for first place. Both their tracking poll and their weekly poll for Daily Kos/SEIU ended up with the same 50-48 margin. The final result? Obama 51.1-48.9—a 2.2-point margin.
PPP is a robo-pollster that doesn't call cell phones, which was supposedly a cardinal sin—particularly when their numbers weren't looking so hot for Obama post-first debate. But there's a reason we've worked with them the past year—because their track record is the best in the biz.
So thanks to PPP for making us look good, and thanks to SEIU for sponsoring our weekly State of the Nation poll for the past two years. It's been an awesome ride.
One last point—YouGov and Ipsos/Reuters were both internet polls. YouGov has now been pretty good two elections in a row. With cell phones becoming a bigger and bigger issue every year, it seems clear that the internet is the future of polling. I'm glad someone is figuring it out.
But let's be clear, you have to go down to number six on the list to get to someone who called cell phones. And Gallup called 50 percent cell phones and they were a laughingstock this cycle.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/07/1158157/-Most-accurate-national-popular-vote-pollsters
Obama Supporters Around The World Celebrate After Election Is Called
&feature=player_embeddedhttp://www.youtube.com/user/tpmtv
Obamas, Bidens Embrace After Learning Of Victory (PHOTO)
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama embrace Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden after learning of their projected victory on election night, in Chicago.
(Photo Credit: White House)
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obamas-bidens-embrace-after-learning-of-victory-photo
Kos: If Romney won't concede, Obama can bring an empty chair out on stage
Markos Moulitsas ?@markos
https://twitter.com/markos
RT @KagroX: If Romney won't concede, Obama can bring an empty chair out on stage with him tonight.
VP Biden On Jeep Ad: ‘Have They No Shame?’
Vice President Joe Biden went after Mitt Romney's controversial Jeep ad on the stump in Youngstown, Ohio Monday.
"Have they no shame?" Biden said. "Romney will say anything, absolutely anything to win it seems."
Biden said of the ad that it's "absolutely, patently false" and that he's "never seen anything like that."
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/biden-on-jeep-ad-have-they-no-shame
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