05
Jul
13

Rise and Shine

By Chipsticks 106 Comments
Categories: All Photos, All Videos, Articles, Michelle Obama and West Wing Week
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Today:

2:30: President Obama departs Joint Base Andrews en route Camp David

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Steve Benen: U.S. job growth improves, exceeds expectations

Going into this morning, most economists projected job growth from June to be about 155,000 new jobs. With this in mind, the new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows not only good news, but unexpectedly good news…..

The U.S. economy added a better-than-expected 195,000 jobs in June and employment gains for May and April were revised sharply higher, the U.S. government said Friday. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.6%, but the size of the labor force increased by 177,000, according to the Labor Department said.

…. Perhaps the most important – and most heartening – detail in this new report is the upward revisions for the previous two months…

More here

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Business Insider: It’s a beat!

195K new private sector jobs was well ahead of the 165K new jobs that was expected.

More here

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Ah, funny how this didn’t get much attention….

NYT: I.R.S. Scrutiny Went Beyond the Political

In 2010, a tiny Palestinian-rights group called Minnesota Break the Bonds applied to the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status. Two years and a lot of prodding later, the I.R.S. sent the group’s leaders a series of questions and requests almost identical to the ones it was sending to Tea Party groups at the time.

…. The controversy that erupted in May has focused on an ideological question: Were conservative groups singled out for special treatment based on their politics, or did the I.R.S. equally target liberal groups? But a closer look at the I.R.S. operation suggests that the problem was less about ideology and more about how a process instructing reviewers to “be on the lookout” for selected terms was applied to any group that mentioned certain words in its application.

More here

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ThinkProgress: What The Mainstream Media Misses About Texas’ Ongoing Abortion Battle

Over the past week, Texas has captured national attention with a dramatic show-down between a Republican-controlled legislature and thousands of reproductive health advocates…. but many of the narratives the media is crafting aren’t actually getting at the full scope of the story.

In addition to criminalizing abortion services after 20 weeks, the other provisions in Texas’ abortion proposals would impose harsh restrictions on abortion providers. By subjecting abortion clinics to new regulations that would force them to make expensive updates to their facilities — unnecessary measures that major medical groups, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, oppose — Texas’ bill would force 90 percent of the state’s clinics to close their doors. That would leave just five abortion clinics in the entire Lone Star State, which happens to be the second most populous state in the country.

…. And the real catch? Outside of the debate about abortion access after 20 weeks — even outside of the fight for abortion rights altogether — the “abortion clinics” in question are often providing health services that encompass much more than helping women terminate a pregnancy. Many of them also provide preventative care, family planning counseling, STD testing, and cancer screenings. And they offer those health services to Texans of both genders who are typically uninsured.

More here

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News Observer: Gov. Pat McCrory doled out handshakes and hailed parade-goers as he rode in this Rowan County town’s Fourth of July parade Thursday, but he wouldn’t say what he’d do about a controversial abortion bill if it reaches his desk.

That question has been on many minds in North Carolina this week, after the N.C. Senate Wednesday approved sweeping new rules that could limit abortions. The bill now goes to the N.C. House.

The legislation would require N.C. abortion clinics to meet tougher standards similar to those governing outpatient surgery clinics. As a result, critics say, it would effectively close the majority of the state’s 16 abortion clinics. It would also require doctors to be present when women take pills to induce abortions.

More here

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Oh boy…..

Mediaite: Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, was a little shocked when reporters switched from questioning him about the U.S.’s openly gay nominee for Ambassador to the Dominican Republic to the subject of the regional egg trade: “We go from faggots and lesbians to this?” he said, laughing. “We’re jumping to chickens now?”….

More here

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Woah – nice voice! Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey sings the National Anthem at the Washington Nationals versus Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park on July 4:

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MooooOOOOoooorning!

PS:

106 Responses to “Rise and Shine”

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  1. 1 hopefruit2
    July 5, 2013 at 9:19 am

    G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and Happy Friday 🙂

    Excellent, fantastic economic news this morning.

  4. 9 57andfemale
    July 5, 2013 at 9:25 am

    Deux

  5. 11 Jovie
    July 5, 2013 at 9:31 am

    What important is the summer months, strong reports like we have been having helps bring down UE rate in winter months.
    Because, it is like a cycle, if we get poor reports in the summer, and good reports in winter, the UE rate stays the same.
    Clarify, good reports in summer, good reports in winter, and the UE rate falls precipitously!
    Participation rate up, due to strong job market.
    Thus, summer months are key.
    7.57% unrounded rate, last month was 7.55%.

    • 12 jackiegrumbacher
      July 5, 2013 at 9:52 am

      Thanks for this perspective, Jovie.

    • 13 Judith Fardig
      July 5, 2013 at 10:51 am

      And just think how much better it would be without the sequester and the peeling away of government jobs all along, forced by Republicans. If the House would ever pass the President’s jobs bill, we’d really see economic growth. Grrrr…

  6. 14 Linda
    July 5, 2013 at 9:33 am

    Last night on PBS News Hour, Judy Woodruff did not know the difference between the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

    It was awkward for her.

    • 15 jackiegrumbacher
      July 5, 2013 at 9:53 am

      Proving once again, Linda, that no brains are required for what currently passes for the news business.

  7. 16 utaustinliberal
    July 5, 2013 at 9:33 am

    • 17 anniebella
      July 5, 2013 at 10:10 am

      Imagine how stronger the economy would be if the Republicans were working along with POTUS, instead of against him and the American people.

  8. 18 amk for obama
    July 5, 2013 at 9:36 am

  9. 21 utaustinliberal
    July 5, 2013 at 9:40 am

    The expression on the baby’s face is so freaking awesome. So adorable!

    • 22 hopefruit2
      July 5, 2013 at 9:44 am

      She’s sooo cute! She’s also saying “Hey Mister, look who’s holding me – I’ve only been on this earth for a few months and I have already arrived, can’t you tell?”. 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • 23 amk for obama
      July 5, 2013 at 10:27 am

      A keeper.

      • 24 anniebella
        July 5, 2013 at 2:02 pm

        Don’t you have the picture of FLOTUS holding that same cute little baby that POTUS is holding? I saw her come right after POTUS and she held the baby.

  10. 25 hopefruit2
    July 5, 2013 at 9:42 am

    LOL! You can tell who really supports this President/administration, by their reaction to positive economic news. Old Orange (meteor Blades) has front-paged the jobs report, twisting himself into a pretzel to make it as lukewarm or negative as possible. His headline:

    “Economy added 195,000 jobs in June. Unemployment rate remains at 7.6%. U6 leaps to 14.3%”

    Leaps? The U6 went from 13.8 to 14.3% and he called that a “LEAP?”
    Then he goes on paragraph after paragraph citing all of kinds reasons to convince readers why this is not really good economic news. Makes all kind of historical comparisons with WWII, and cites a bunch of emprogs from the Economic policy institute. Basically, he’s using the same dirty, moving-goalposts strategy of the MSM last year to convince people that we need to be seeing 300K jobs a year to even have any kind of decent recovery. He doesn’t report any of the important info about the increases in the individual sectors. Yet, like his Obama-hating MSM counterparts, he doesn’t mention, let alone address the GOP obstruction which has been going on the last 5 years, and does not give the President any credit whatsoever.

    People who cite the U6 as “evidence” of bad economic news are clearly looking for negatives – because the U6 is always high and the employment numbers are not typically reported in terms of U6. No one is saying that we are in complete and full economic prosperity – of course there is a lot more work to be done. But everything is relative and this jobs report, taken in context of the last 5 years, is a GOOD report. Anyone who tries to convince you differently has an agenda.

    • 26 jackiegrumbacher
      July 5, 2013 at 9:51 am

      HF, I seriously wonder if there’s anyone in the world who cares when Boehner says something. I’ll bet even Mrs. B is bored silly. When a Speaker of the House constantly undermines the president, is continually negative about the economic progress and potential of his country, projects hatred of everyone who isn’t a rich, white male and sits on his rear and does nothing for three years, then his voice is no more important than the bleating of a sick sheep. He has no stature, no credibility and no dignity.

      • 27 hopefruit2
        July 5, 2013 at 9:56 am

        Jackie, I wasn’t referring to John Boehner – My post is about Daily Kos (I call it Old Orange) – a faux liberal “emoprog” Libertarian site, and one of it’s main bloggers, with username Meteor Blades. Sorry if I wasn’t clear! 🙂

        Otherwise everything you said about John Boehner is true, and actually, he would fit right in with those “emos” on Old Orange right now.

    • 28 sherijr
      July 5, 2013 at 10:30 am

      MB was the biggest reason I left that site, couldn’t stand his lying self. Did you know that he said that he used to be a ‘reporter/journalist’ ? So he said to me in a comment once- when I made issue of the “unnamed sources” going after POTUS. And of course Meteor Blades defended that bs by stating how he was a journalist in L.A. Hes an arrogant pos.

      • 29 hopefruit2
        July 5, 2013 at 10:41 am

        Yes, he’s extremely arrogant and pretends to be so “objective” while doing his best to further the ObamaSUX narrative in his crappy diaries.

        • 30 sherijr
          July 5, 2013 at 10:44 am

          yep and he’s been doing it since 2008.. just a nasty person. The last straw for me was his concerned defense of slinkerwink on a regular basis. When I think of that place I think – republican.

  11. 34 Chipsticks
    July 5, 2013 at 9:42 am

  12. 36 lovelyplains
    July 5, 2013 at 9:42 am

    GM Chis, TOD….In addition to WWW a nice look from a NYT photog’s perspective w/ nice narration of PBO’s Africa trip…

  13. 37 jackiegrumbacher
    July 5, 2013 at 9:45 am

    GM all. I’m very glad the president and first family are going to Camp David. DC is unbearable in the summer and everyone needs relief from the heat and suffocating humidity. I woke up today with a renewed commitment to fight voter suppression. This is the summer to register voters and help get IDs for people even if that means organizing rides to the DMV and raising funds to get needed documents. Anger is a motivator and I’m motivated. By the way, PA is the poster child for a lousy voting system. You have to register a month in advance. There is NO early voting, absentee ballots require an ‘excuse,’ and election day is often a nightmare of long lines. But when riled, Pennsylvanians come out to vote, even if it means personal hardships and missed hours at work. Let’s get people riled so they stop at nothing to go to the polls.

  14. 42 lovelyplains
    July 5, 2013 at 9:46 am

  15. 43 utaustinliberal
    July 5, 2013 at 9:47 am

  16. 44 Chipsticks
    July 5, 2013 at 9:50 am

  17. 50 Chipsticks
    July 5, 2013 at 9:52 am

  18. 54 lovelyplains
    July 5, 2013 at 9:52 am

    The #USCG Ceremonial Honor Guard marches in the National Independence Day Parade. Semper Paratus!

    Image and video hosting by TinyPic

    POTUS thanks @DeptofDefense service members & families at the White House on 4th of July for defending freedom

    Image and video hosting by TinyPic

  19. 55 rikyrah
    July 5, 2013 at 9:57 am

    Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, takes the stand Friday July 5th 2013

  20. 59 desertflower
    July 5, 2013 at 10:16 am

    Morning! I was so siiiiiiick yesterday. Missed most of the fun here, missed dinner, and was up all night. Might have had a touch of food poisoning or something. No fun, let me tell you.

    Ass cloud. I snorted on that one…I thought they had proofreaders for this sort of thing 🙂 Great employment news….this man just forges ahead, steady as she goes…doing right by America! Filters out the chatter and does right by the people. Blessed everyday for him.

    Anyway, had the men over fixing my roof/ building out my roof, yesterday. It was 113 and they kept plugging away until they were done….looks great. Now I have to figure out what colors to paint my courtyard…all the vines had to be ripped down, so before they grow back, better do that. I need some color advice!!!! Salmon? Coral? Hawaiian Punch? What color should I paint my courtyard…..want it in the palate of Mexico…..any suggestions? 🙂

  22. 69 sonjiaduncan
    July 5, 2013 at 10:27 am

    Good morning Chips and TOD. Good job on being first hopefruit2 and thanks for all your informative post.

  23. 70 Chipsticks
    July 5, 2013 at 10:31 am

    • 71 Layla
      July 5, 2013 at 10:42 am

      holes of the asses!!!

    • 72 99ts
      July 5, 2013 at 10:56 am

      If you are not a white Christian you obviously have no intelligence or leadership ability. The white supremacists to the fore.

      Of interest is his support of this concept
      “Those who emphasize substance, on the other hand, argue that members of the Muslim Brotherhood are defined by certain beliefs. They reject pluralism, secular democracy and, to some degree, modernity. When you elect fanatics, they continue, you have not advanced democracy. You have empowered people who are going to wind up subverting democracy. ”

      People like Brooks see Islamists as fanatics – they are themselves fanatics in their desire to see only right wing white Christian fanatics in power in the USA. The comments in the NYT agree with my thoughts

      “That something like that could be written by the face of the Republican party at the Times is just too ironic — even for me.”
      “Brooks: elections are fine, so long as I agree with the outcome. ”
      “The third paragraph of this article could pertain to the Republican party.”
      “You have just given us our rallying cry for the 2014 elections: North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, among others, chock ful of religious fanatics who should never be anywhere near the reigns of governing power, which is, by nature secular! “

    • 73 jackiegrumbacher
      July 5, 2013 at 12:43 pm

      YIKES!!!! I hope every Muslim American Association in this country sues the NYT and David Brooks. This is absolutely unacceptable!!!

  24. 74 rikyrah
    July 5, 2013 at 10:50 am

    A Tale of Two Best Friends

    Aura Bogado on July 3, 2013 – 11:45 AM ET

    The media berated Rachel Jeantel last week throughout her testimony during George Zimmerman’s trial for the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. So much so that other media took to defending Jeantel—who spent much of her day on the phone with Martin, whom she had first met in second grade, the day he was killed. That kind vitriol and subsequent support were absent, however, during yesterday’s testimony, when Zimmerman’s best friend, Mark Osterman, took the stand. That distinction speaks to the way that race remains a central theme in this murder
    trial.[….]

    No one denies that Jeantel does, in fact, have a drawl—one that could easily be confused with Paula Deen’s or even Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour’s drawls, which never drew public condemnation. In fact, in the mouths of white people, those southern accents are charming, and can even help fuel careers. Zimmerman defense attorney Don West (whose daughter, let’s not forget, posted a despicable photo on Instagram) repeatedly questioned Jeantel’s literacy on the stand. Despite the fact that Jeantel is trilingual, the court and the public—which is largely, and sadly, monolingual—displayed an obsession with determining the degree to which Jeantel can read cursive. Jeantel is indeed literate—but the question has nothing to do with her credibility as a witness in the first place. The attacks against Jeantel reflect an almost subconscious appetite for black destruction.

    …………………….

    [….] One courtroom and one public have treated Martin and Zimmerman’s friends quite differently. And while the trial is clearly about the killing of Trayvon Martin, it is also profoundly about race, and about the way the public affords some privileges to some people, at the cost of detriment to others.

    http://www.thenation.com/blog/175097/tale-two-best-friends#axzz2YBMCJaPX

  25. 75 Jovie
    July 5, 2013 at 11:07 am

    Veterans unemployment dips to 6.3 percent
    By Jeremy Herb
    The unemployment rate for veterans dropped to 6.3 percent in June, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.
    The rate dipped 0.3 points from 6.6 percent in May. The monthly unemployment rate in June is the second-lowest it has been this year — and is only 0.1 percent above the four-year low of 6.2 percent that was reported in April.
    The national unemployment rate remained steady at 7.6 percent in June, and employers added 195,000 new jobs.

  26. 76 desertflower
    July 5, 2013 at 11:16 am

    I HAVE SOLVED THE COLOR QUESTION! It’s the color of my toes…!!! Essie “Chubby Cheeks” Done. 🙂

  27. 82 Jovie
    July 5, 2013 at 11:27 am

    Politico headlines are going nuts-
    The real jobs numbers blah blah blah…
    French Minister hates America and Obama…
    WH greases Obamacare squeaks…
    And finally the Obamacare mess…

    Good grief!

    • 83 hopefruit2
      July 5, 2013 at 11:32 am

      LMAO!!! GOPolitico is a joke – as we all know. That’s why we enjoyed when Chips created the treasured “GOPolitico headlines” satire series 🙂 🙂

    • 84 Bill
      July 5, 2013 at 11:34 am

      They really do become tedious and discouraging.

    • 85 Vicki
      July 5, 2013 at 11:38 am

      Politico has no place to go except to attempt to poke holes in POTUS’ credibility. Good luck with that!!!

      NY Times, on the other hand, this morning has walked back some of their nonsense. See above, Chips posted the IRS is over article.
      Also, an article severely critical of Snowflake appeared. it painted him as a premeditated spy who gather up our secrets in his multiple computers and fled the USA desperately trying to defect to—-somebody—-anybody who will have him.

    • 86 anniebella
      July 5, 2013 at 2:10 pm

      Honestly Jovie, what else would you expect from Politico? It doesn’t shock me at all.

  28. 87 Layla
    July 5, 2013 at 11:42 am

    Oh dear, just spilled a bodum full of boiling hot coffee on my leg! hot hot hot!

  29. 93 Linda
    July 5, 2013 at 12:00 pm

    Organizer Of Armed March Loads Shotgun In Middle Of Washington DC While Warning Of ‘Revolution’

    The libertarian activist Adam Kokesh who called for and then canceled an armed march on Washington uploaded a YouTube video on July 4 that shows him loading a shotgun in the center of Freedom Plaza, Washington, D.C, near the White House. In the video, Kokesh cryptically warns, “We will not allow our government to destroy our humanity. We are the final American revolution. See you next Independence Day.”

    eber on Jul 5, 2013 at 9:33 am

    Adam Kokesh. Screenshot via YouTube.
    The libertarian activist Adam Kokesh who called for and then canceled an armed march on Washington uploaded a YouTube video on July 4 that shows him loading a shotgun in the center of Freedom Plaza, Washington, D.C, near the White House. In the video, Kokesh cryptically warns, “We will not allow our government to destroy our humanity. We are the final American revolution. See you next Independence Day.”

    Watch the video:

    It is illegal to openly carry a firearm, much less a loaded one, in the District of Columbia.

    Update

    The U.S. Park Police and D.C. Police are investigating the incident but said in a statement the video “appears to have been taken in Freedom Plaza.”

    http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/07/05/2258631/kokesh-loads-shotgun-dc/

  30. 95 MightyPamela
    July 5, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    It was a beautifully peace-filled and spiritually saturated day chez nous yesterday! Kitty rallied up a bit late Wednesday evening, started eating, made up for 2 days of missed meals throughout the day, and late in the afternoon started purring again. 🙂 DF, I am so relieved you are making your way back as well, I’m kinda glad I didn’t know you were not well… Can only handle so much at one time! The anniversary celebration for my Mother was lovely, family was close across the distances. I enjoyed being offline all day, there is a profound silence when the Internet buzz is quiet, similar to not turning on the tv anymore, but more subtle. Oh, and DF?, I would cast my vote for the Toasted Meringue, that has got to be just yummy, and should weather well! Hugs all around, be well, everyone! 😉

  31. 96 utaustinliberal
    July 5, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    • 97 Layla
      July 5, 2013 at 12:12 pm

      Good on Joe!!! PBO needs a rest!!!

    • 98 desertflower
      July 5, 2013 at 12:18 pm

      That’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO wonderful!!! They will really appreciate him being there…they had fireworks there last night and the entire town came out…they honored those brave firefighters with an amazing tribute….it was on tv here….So glad that he’s coming here for them.

  32. 99 dotster3
    July 5, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    8 killed, 30 wounded in holiday shootings in Chicago. Victims include 2 boys, 5 and 7 years old. Some bozo shot into a crowd at a park and hit the 5 yr. old in abdomen and leg. Another bozo shot from a car into a park where families were enjoying 4th picnics and hit the 7 yr. old in the neck—both critical. A 14yr. old and 17 yr. old also among the victims. Lots of heartbroken mothers daily in Chgo and other cities across the U.S. The senseless gun violence needs to stop. Pure insanity.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-man-wounded-in-south-side-shooting-20130704,0,3358230.story

  33. 103 zizi2
    July 5, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    Testing new computer

  34. 104 lovelyplains
    July 5, 2013 at 12:19 pm

    Djokavic/Del Potro match is INSANE!! 6-4,5-7,7-6,6-7, 1-0 Longest Wimbledon Semi ever 4hrs 4sets…..see you guys after Murray match!

  35. 105 japa21
    July 5, 2013 at 12:21 pm


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