Month: July 2015

Trump Loves Mexicans, Says He’ll Capture Latino Vote

Buck Banks

I have a great relationship with the Mexican people. I have many people working for me – look at the job in Washington – I have many legal immigrants working with me. And many of them come from Mexico. They love me, I love them. And I’ll tell you something, if I get the nomination, I’ll win the Latino vote.

— Donald Trump, in an interview with NBC News.

Unexpected Obamacare Savings for Women Could Lead to Fewer Abortions

Trish

pregnancytest

The numbers are in for the Obamacare provision that ended women’s out-of-pocket expense for family planning, and they are huge, according to the policy journal Health Affairs, and quoted by Kaiser Health.

Women are saving a lot of money as a result of a health law requirement that insurance cover most forms of prescription contraceptives with no additional out-of-pocket costs…But the amount of those savings and the speed with which those savings occurred surprised researchers.

The study looked at out-of-pocket spending from nearly 800,000 women (sic) between the ages of 13 and 45 from January 2008 through June 2013. For most plans, the requirement began Aug. 1, 2012, or Jan. 1, 2013.

[…]

States Increasingly Inacting Abortion Restrictions

Buck Banks

51

Number of new abortion restrictions states have enacted so far this year, according to a new study by the Guttmacher Institute. “This brings the number of restrictions enacted since 2010 to 282. Although only about a dozen states remain in session as of July 1, these states may well enact additional restrictions before the end of the year. Following the recent pattern of increased restrictions in odd-numbered years (largely because not all legislatures are in session in even-numbered years), states have enacted more restrictions during the first half of this year than during all of last year.”

Clinton Ramps Up Attacks on GOP Candidates

Buck Banks

How many people running on the Republican side try to demean immigrants, insult immigrants, cast aspersions on immigrants? They know as well as we know, we are not going to deport 11 or 12 million people living here. I hear the Republican candidates — and it’s not even the most vitriolic — none of them any longer support a path to citizenship. All of them would basically consign immigrants to second-class status.

— Hillary Clinton, escalating her criticism of her GOP presidential rivals during a campaign stop here in Iowa, “knocking the field of candidates on immigration reform, health care and LGBT issues while steering clear of directly attacking her Democratic primary rivals,” the Washington Post reports.

U.S. Scrambled Fighters for Russian Bombers July 4

Buck Banks

4

Number of Russian bombers that were flying close to the U.S. coast off California and Alaska on Independence Day, according to the Independent. In response, the U.S. scrambled fighter jets to intercept them. “The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) has not said if either pair of bombers was armed. At the time of the interceptions, Russian President Vladimir Putin had called President Obama to wish him a happy July 4th.”

Christie Says He Won’t Be Lectured to by Cruz

Buck Banks

I find it ironic that Ted Cruz is giving lectures on Republican-on-Republican violence. I mean with all due respect, I don’t need to be lectured by Ted Cruz.

— Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by the Dallas Morning News, calling Cruz “hypocritical” for saying he refuses to attack Republicans even though he worked to support primary challengers to incumbent Republicans in 2014.