Writing for tomorrow, I’m quite tired, after doing some long overdue housework. It was afternoon, before I even started my research, and with more housework to do, I’m making this tomorrow’s only article.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:10 (average 5:32). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From TPM: An Iraq War veteran who was wounded by police during a 2011 Occupy protest in Oakland, Calif. has reached a $4.5 million settlement with the city, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Friday.
Scott Olsen, 26, was struck in the head by a beanbag fired by a police officer on Oct. 25, 2011. He was part of a protest against the police clearing of an Occupy Oakland encampment outside City Hall.
It’s not often that I get to share such good news. I just hope he doesn’t become a Republican now. 😉
From Think Progress: One reason Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) opposes the Senate’s bipartisan answer to immigration reform is because he insists it would force immigrants to become unwilling citizens of the U.S.
“There are a lot of people who come here, just want to work and go back home and not be a legal citizen that the Senate bill would actually force onto an amnesty track,” Scalise told ThinkProgress after a town hall in his district Friday. “If you look at the 1986 law, 40 percent that were eligible for amnesty chose not to go that route because they just wanted to work and go back home. And yet the Senate bill would force them to become American citizens and that’s not even what they want.”
He proposed that the country strengthen immigration enforcement and secure its borders instead.
This Republican liar completely ignores the guest worker program in EVERY Democratic proposal. He might as well say that disenfranchising voters prevents them from being forced to vote.
From Robert Reich: Despite the worst roll-out conceivable, the Affordable Care Act seems to be working. With less than two weeks remaining before the March 31 deadline for coverage this year, five million people have already signed up. After decades of rising percentages of Americans’ lacking health insurance, the uninsured rate has dropped to its lowest levels since 2008.
Meanwhile, the rise in health care costs has slowed drastically. No one knows exactly why, but the new law may well be contributing to this slowdown by reducing Medicare overpayments to medical providers and private insurers, and creating incentives for hospitals and doctors to improve quality of care.
But a lot about the Affordable Care Act needs fixing — especially the widespread misinformation that continues to surround it. For example, a majority of business owners with fewer than 50 workers still think they’re required to offer insurance or pay a penalty. In fact, the law applies only to businesses with 50 or more employees who work more than 30 hours a week. And many companies with fewer than 25 workers still don’t realize that if they offer plans they can qualify for subsidies in the form of tax credits.
Click through for much more. Once again, Robert Reich trumps the Republican Reich. Remember, under the Republican alternative, the RepubliCare Death Benefit guarantees that there’s never a charge to die, for those who cannot pay for medical care.
Cartoon:
On Tuesday, we noted that right-wing conspiracy theorist Jim Garrow — a notorious con man who now claims to be a former CIA agent — believes that 
Most of us are aware that the government gives mountains of cash to powerful corporations in the form of tax breaks, grants, loans and subsidies–what some have called "corporate welfare." However, little has been revealed about exactly how much money Washington is forking over to mega businesses. 
You know those 
