This Week's News in Review - January 5-11, 2014

Mr. President - January 11, 2014

Weather, Extending unemployment insurance = Filibuster, health tech, WI Regents-higher education, 50-year LBJ poverty, Yellen Fed chair, 1-class stamp, 5 Promise Zones, SNL racial recruits, WI Gov. Scott Walker and WEDC, W. VI water scare, Kim Jong-un/Dennis Rodman/Chris Cuomo firestorm, Bill Gates book “Duty”, Washington Bridge ethics snarl scandal, 'We called for help, and they murdured my son,' North Carolina man, over 50% of Congress Young vets suicide rate alarming, and Congress Millionaire's Club.

• The stinging cold paralyzed travel and day-to-day activities in cities of the Midwest.
• Congress failed to extend unemployment of 4.9 million Americans costing billions to the economy – flawed math.
• CES/Consumer Electronic Show chock-full of new items focused on wearable technology for health monitoring – watches, cameras, smart phones and trackers.
• WI Regents hire UW System President Ray Cross from UW rank – joined UW-System in 2011.
• President Lyndon B. Johnson created Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start and other necessities for those immersed in poverty – 50 year anniversary.
• The Senate confirmed Janet Yellen – she becomes the first female Federal Reserve Chairwoman.
• 1-Class stamp new cost adjusted rate for two years equal a new rate of 49 cents - January 26, 2014.  “Forever stamps” cost will also change January26, 2014.  Purchased Forever stamps before January 26, 2014 may be used as a 1-Class stamp.
• President Obama designated the first 5 of 20 Promise Zones - located in San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma - Partnering with communities for quality of life and economic development.
• Saturday Night Live has three new African American women added to its cast – Comedian Sasheer Zamata and two writers:   LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones.
• WI Governor Scott Walker new Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has been enthralled in scandal of misuse of $$millions; this week this department received an additional $45 million while having a reserve of $35 million – for what? 
• “. . ., on an 11-4 vote the legislature’s budget committee approved $45 million in additional funding for Gov. Walker’s scandal-ridden economic development agency.  Republicans did this despite the fact that an independent audit of its financial books for 2012 and 2013 is not yet complete; a past audit revealed serious problems and job creation in Wisconsin is lagging the nation.”
• “I voted against giving more taxpayer money right now to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  The quasi-public agency is running a budget surplus of $35 million and has enough funding to operate for six more months.   Moreover, WEDC still has not demonstrated that it has moved beyond its troubled past.  Only eight months ago, the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau released a report showing that WEDC had broken the law six times.  Auditors found, among other things, that WEDC had awarded loans and grants to ineligible projects, failed to enforce contractual agreements and did not keep track of expenditures” said Representative Jon Richards, 19^th District, memberJoint Finance Committee .
• Governor Scott Walker is the Chair of WEDC.  The Wi Joint Finance committee has 14 Republicans and 4 Democrats.
• West Virginians met a poison water scare this week when it was reported that 7,500 gallons of a chemical used to clean coal -- 4-methylcyclohexane methanol -- had leaked out of a storage tank located a mile upriver from the water plant.   The scare and solution Is not an easy fix.
•  Kim Jong-un/Dennis Rodman/Chris Cuomo firestorm – Dennis Rodman, retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player, lead a delegation to North Korea for ex-NBA players to play North Korea team.  It was held on the birthday of President Kim Jung-un.  CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo insistence despite being told by Rodman he was not a diplomatic, he was not in North Korea for what he was asking; Cuomo continued to try to make headlines and get a scoop.  He annoyed Dennis Rodman with his disrespect and Rodman's profanity caused damage control by CNN for solidarity with the team (all day maximum coverage) that included from-the-hip responses from paid consultants/staff of CNN to disjointed and unsubstantiated comments given from-the-hip by Commissioner David Stern – as well as a flippant statement of Jay Carey from the Whitehouse of “he would not dignify a comment – The next day, Rodman made a detail apology on the merits to show sensitivity for Kenneth Bea.   He apologized to his fellow team members and Cuomo.  CNN is still over-the-top with jabbing – basketball bounce in Rodman’s face and using less than accurate comments by staff members and of course unreliable comments of Commissioner David Stern.
• Ex-Defense Secretary Bob Gates first marketing of his upcoming book, “Duty”, released a surprise and the White House staff, Jay Carey choking on comments - Carey did not dismiss ex-cabinet member and Defense Secretary Bob Gates scaving comments of the President and Vice President – comments about the sitting President Obama and sitting Vice President Joe Biden.   Gates book is said to be a “betrayal”.
• Washington Bridge ethics snarl scandal - "I am who I am, but I am not a bully,'' the New Jersey governor said.  ”I don't hide my emotions from people. I am not a focus-group-tested, blow-dried candidate or governor. ... Some people like that style. Some people don't.'' 
• Christie has been under intense political scrutiny after it was revealed that some of his top political aides shut down key traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge -- the busiest bridge in the world -- in September for what appear to be politically motivated reasons.
• The bridge is one of the most trafficked in the country and leads from New York City directly to the town of Fort Lee, N.J. The lanes were allegedly closed by Christie aides and staffers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that oversees the bridge, in retribution for the mayor of Fort Lee's refusal to endorse Christie for governor.
• Christie has denied any knowledge of the motivation behind the lane closures and so far no evidence has been shown that he knew about the reason for the lane closures.
• 'We called for help, and they murdured my son,' North Carolina man – While two officers had a 18 year old held down with Taser guns, another officer walked up shot the child in the chest and killed him – said to be admissible.  The justified law that is so widely used to exonerated wrongful use of firearms by law enforcement needs immediate across the country change – changes that include accountability of officers and huge, huge settlements of the cities, towns, villages they serve.
• Young Vets’ suicide rate  alarming - Young veterans just out of the service and receiving health care from the government committed suicide at nearly three times the rate of active-duty troops in recent years, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• VA officials say the data show that severe personal issues driving self-destructive tendencies for those in uniform follow them when they leave the military. The figures were released through a USA TODAY public records request.
• Over 50% of Congress members make a $million annually -  At least 268 of the 534 current members of the 113th US Congress have an average net worth of US$1 million or more, according to personal financial disclosure data members registered last year on 2012 net worth, the Center for Responsive Politics reported Thursda