A.M. Links: Federal Workers Owe $3.3 Billion in Back Taxes, Senate Dems Block V.A. Reform Bill, Tennessee Brings Back Electric Chair

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  Credit: foter alykat / CC BY-NC

  According to the Internal Revenue Service, over 318,000 active and retired federal workers owe back taxes to the tune of $3.3 billion.

• The V.A. scandal keeps growing. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats moved yesterday to block the VA Management Accountability Act, which had passed the House with broad bipartisan support.

• Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is facing criticism for his statements on race and the Donald Sterling controversy.

• Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has signed a bill bringing back the electric chair.

• Israelis and Palestinians are preparing for a visit this weekend from Pope Francis.

• Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer will fund a multi-state, $100 million campaign against "science deniers" this year.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

I say we embargo Hit & Run until they fix commenting. WHO'S WITH ME?

[waffles]

.I think you're just a shill for big squirrel

[Fist of Etiquette]

Way to break the embargo.

[some guy]

I haven't been able to get a word in edgewise. And I've had so many witty things to say!

[Fist of Etiquette]

YET I BET REASON'S DONATE FUNCTION WORKS JUST FINE.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

I AM!

... wait a minute...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Senate Democrats moved yesterday to block the VA Management Accountability Act...

The House should have called it the VA Who Loves Puppies? Act.

[Pro Libertate]

I haven't read the bill, but on the surface, this sounds like an insanely bad move for the Democrats.

[Steve G]

"Management Accountability". Soooo, does this mean I can get Congress to put forward a law if my boss is incompetent?

[Lord Humungus]

New Zealand cat steals bag of weed, brings it home to owner

An unnamed woman from the Dunedin, New Zealand neighborhood of Halfway Bush called cops this week to report that her cat had dragged a baggie with about five grams of pot in it onto her back doorstep. While the cat was undoubtedly proud of his haul, his owner wasn't very pleased and called the cops to deal with the ganja.

Cops in Dunedin, New Zealand - known as one of the more cannabis friendly cities in Kiwi-land - say this is a first for their department. It total, the cops said five grams of pot had a street value of about $100. That's a little high compared to prices we found in the city a few years ago, but we don't expect cops to be very accurate when trying to inflate drug bust figures anyway.

[Gene]

Twenty bucks a gram? Does it not grow there?

[Lord Humungus]

New Zealand cat steals bag of weed, brings it home to owner

An unnamed woman from the Dunedin, New Zealand neighborhood of Halfway Bush called cops this week to report that her cat had dragged a baggie with about five grams of pot in it onto her back doorstep. While the cat was undoubtedly proud of his haul, his owner wasn't very pleased and called the cops to deal with the ganja.

Cops in Dunedin, New Zealand - known as one of the more cannabis friendly cities in Kiwi-land - say this is a first for their department. It total, the cops said five grams of pot had a street value of about $100. That's a little high compared to prices we found in the city a few years ago, but we don't expect cops to be very accurate when trying to inflate drug bust figures anyway.

[Lord Humungus]

used to get blank screen... now it acts like my comment went through but it doesn't

[UnCivilServant]

If it acts like the comment went through but it doesn't appear - it went through, just wait for it to process.

The result of a 'preview' is a good indicator if it's going to post.

[Lord Humungus]

New Zealand cat steals bag of weed, brings it home to owner

An unnamed woman from the Dunedin, New Zealand neighborhood of Halfway Bush called cops this week to report that her cat had dragged a baggie with about five grams of pot in it onto her back doorstep. While the cat was undoubtedly proud of his haul, his owner wasn't very pleased and called the cops to deal with the ganja.

Cops in Dunedin, New Zealand - known as one of the more cannabis friendly cities in Kiwi-land - say this is a first for their department. It total, the cops said five grams of pot had a street value of about $100. That's a little high compared to prices we found in the city a few years ago, but we don't expect cops to be very accurate when trying to inflate drug bust figures anyway.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer will fund a multi-state, $100 million campaign against "science deniers" this year.

Okay.

[The Last American Hero]

Just fertilizer for the grass roots movement.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has signed a bill bringing back the electric chair.

He has stock in the electric company.

[Fluffy]

Reason sucks.

Cancel my subscription.

[Fluffy]

You suck, Reason.

[Suthenboy]

"Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer will fund a multi-state, $100 million campaign against "science deniers" this year."

They will do anything to silence dissent, to silence any opposition, but we are the science deniers.

As I have pointed out before many times, the whole global warming canard has all of the attributes of a classic con game.

[Suthenboy]

"Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer will fund a multi-state, $100 million campaign against "science deniers" this year."

They will do anything to silence dissent, to silence any opposition, but we are the science deniers.

As I have pointed out before many times, the whole global warming canard has all of the attributes of a classic con game.

[Suthenboy]

"Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer will fund a multi-state, $100 million campaign against "science deniers" this year."

They will do anything to silence dissent, to silence any opposition, but we are the science deniers.

As I have pointed out before many times, the whole global warming canard has all of the attributes of a classic con game.

[Suthenboy]

"Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer will fund a multi-state, $100 million campaign against "science deniers" this year."

They will do anything to silence dissent, to silence any opposition, but we are the science deniers.

As I have pointed out before many times, the whole global warming canard has all of the attributes of a classic con game.

[Tejicano]

It's a religion, plain and simple.

Real science is obvious because you have two or more sides arguing and presenting evidence while daring any others to point out the flaws.

(zod-damned fucking squirrelz - that post took forever to get through)

[Fist of Etiquette]

According to the Internal Revenue Service, over 318,000 active and retired federal workers owe back taxes to the tune of $3.3 billion.

They understand the multiplier effect of them keeping their money.

[Lord Humungus]

Dem. Congressman Compares Benghazi Committee to Jim Crow

"After Reconstruction, when people of color gained political presence throughout the South, they drummed up all kinds of things, indictments and accusations ? they drove these people out of the South," Clyburn said on TV One on Thursday. "I see the same kind of efforts to discredit this president and this administration."

"If I didn't know the history of this country so well, I might not be as concerned as I am," Clyburn continued. "I am concerned because I see us revisiting those same kinds of things that led to the end of Reconstruction at the end of the 1890s."

[Lord Humungus]

Car Exec Loses Money On Electric Cars, Says 'I Hope You Don't Buy It'

Fiat Chrysler produces two Fiat 500s. The gas-powered Fiat 500 has a base price of $17,300. The electric Fiat 500e runs $32,650, according to Reuters.

In his candid remarks, Marchionne blamed regulations set in place in California and by President Obama.

"Because of California and there's mandates which keep on moving the impositions back on car makers to produce cars that are zero-emission vehicles," said Marchionne.

"The other one is because of the initiative that was put in place by Obama back in 2011 with the new emission rules which are effectively binding the industry until 2025."

[The Last American Hero]

It's either lose money on the cars or continue to pay ransom money to Elon Musk.

[Lord Humungus]

A Gargantuan Field of Space Dirt Is Coming Our Way

Our planet is about to pass through a sprawling burst of 200-year-old space dust that could make for a dazzling, never-before-seen meteor spectacle. East Coasters should go outside between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Friday night/Saturday morning for the best chance to see the sparkly show.

The May Camelopardalids could bring more than 200 meteors per hour, double what you'd expect at the peak of the well-known Perseids shower. Stargazers have had the chance to see Perseids every July for centuries, but Camelopardalids is brand new to us. The reason: We're about to encounter the debris field?the stuff that showers into our atmosphere?from the 209P/LINEAR comet for the first time since it was discovered 10 years ago.

[Lord Humungus]

Dana Milbank: Obama is President Passive over the Veterans Affairs scandal

Obama said Wednesday that he doesn't want the matter to become "another political football," and that's understandable. But his response to the scandal has created an inherent contradiction: He can't be "madder than hell" about something if he won't acknowledge that the thing actually occurred. This would be a good time for Obama to knock heads and to get in front of the story. But, frustratingly, he's playing President Passive, insisting on waiting for the VA's inspector general to complete yet another investigation, this one looking into the Phoenix deaths.

While declaring that "we have to let the investigators do their job," Obama wasn't waiting. "The IG indicated that he did not see a link between the wait and them actually dying," the president told reporters, referring to the 40 veterans in Phoenix.

[RBS]

Critics said his "hoodie" reference recalled the 2012 shooting of unarmed, black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt when he was fatally wounded in a struggle with a man who said he feared for his life

Fuck these people. Why does every fucking reference to anything automatically become a reference to some past event that the bullshit social justice crowd won't let go of?

[110 Lean]

unarmed

He was armed with the motherfucking curb.

[Pope Jimbo]

Because the supply of real fresh outrages is limited at best?

Got to keep recycling the old stuff because there ain't really that much new stuff.

[Lord Humungus]

Ukip 'earthquake' rocks Labour and Tories in Elections 2014

With over a third of councils having declared, Ukip had gained nearly a hundred seats - already exceeding expectations of around 80 wins.

By 12pm on Friday, with many of the councils up for election in England and northern Ireland still to declare, the Tories had lost 118 seats, Labour gained 132, the Lib Dems lost 115, Ukip gained 92, the Greens gained seven and other parties were up seven.

[Lord Humungus]

Do Chimps Have Human Rights?

He knows that no American (or Anglo) court has ever issued a writ of habeas corpus ordering the release of a nonhuman creature. As their mission statement makes clear, the Nonhuman Rights Project exists to change that.

According to Wise, a chimpanzee was selected as the first test case because there are sanctuaries willing to take him in if he is released. But there is also little doubt that Tommy is the chosen petitioner because many people, including many judges, see something of themselves in a chimpanzee. Chimpanzees, who share 99 percent of their DNA with homo sapiens, eerily resemble humans in their appearance and behavior, even if we don't dress them up in a coat and tie. There is probably a far better chance of persuading a judge to issue a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a chimpanzee than a dolphin. For the Nonhuman Rights Project, chimpanzees are the first priority, then the other great apes, then dolphins, then whales, and so on.

[UnCivilServant]

To answer their question - no.

These people are insane. Their ultimate goal is striving towards self-extinction "for teh animals...". The judge should laugh them out of court, hold them in contempt for filing and give them thirty days for wasting everyone's time.

[Apatheist ?_??]

How do these people have standing? How can they prove that the Chimp wants to be represented by them and that they are following its desires?

[Suthenboy]

It seems odd to me that they never argue for rights for non-fuzzy/cute/smart critters. When will they agitate for the rights of plasmodium or the box jellyfish?

[The Late P Brooks]

Confidence man

Geithner understood that letting ill-managed banks fail would spread fear and cause credit to collapse, making it impossible to buy a home or a car, pay for college or meet a small-business payroll.

Letting ill-managed banks continue to poison the economy was obviously the only rational resaponse. I guess we know where Shreeek works, now.

[Lord Humungus]

World's First Drinkable Sunscreen Introduced

Harmonized H2O UV claims to have developed the world's first drinkable SPF. The company says once you ingest the liquid, the molecules vibrate on the skin, canceling out 97 percent of UVA and UVB rays.

The liquid sunscreen is on sale now for about $30 for a 100 ml bottle. There are two types - "tanning" and "non tanning". The former allows users to achieve a tan while being protected from harmful sun rays.

There is a catch though. The company admits that none of its claims have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

sounds legit.

[Lord Humungus]

The New Obama Narrative: Epic Incompetence

The last eight months have battered the Obama administration. From the botched rollout of the health-care website to the VA scandal, events are now cementing certain impressions about Mr. Obama. Among the most damaging is this: He is unusually, even epically, incompetent. That is not news to some of us, but it seems to be a conclusion more and more people are drawing.

...snip...

We've learned the hard way that Mr. Obama's skill sets are far more oriented toward community organizing than they are to governing. On every front, he is overmatched by events. It's painful to watch a man who is so obviously in over his head. And more and more Americans are suffering because of it.

[Tejicano]

For a guy who never really did anything in his life they sure expected a lot. Why are we supposed to be surprised?

[BakedPenguin]

That is not news to some of us, but it seems to be a conclusion more and more people are drawing.

You'd really have to have some ideological blinders to miss that.

[Homple]

It's even more painful to learn that just under half of the population still thinks he's doing a good job.

We can survive the occasional election of a bumbling nincompoop, but prospects are pretty sad when half the people can't spot one even in his second term of office.

[Pro Libertate]

What stuns me is that people still defend him, denying mountains of evidence and spouting whatever lie their told. Is there no end to TEAM loyalty?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

These are the worst AM Links EVER!!!

[mr simple]

I give up on reason today. I'm going to go look at pron.

[Homple]

Kennedy should give each reader a back rub as compensation for the badness of today's links and the messed up comment system.

[Swiss Servator, CH yeah!]

I could use one - this Wartyriffic Squat Program of Might is tough!

[The Late P Brooks]

Just wait 'til reason goes to disqis, or whatever the fuck it is.

Then I'll finally be free of this place for good.

[William of Purple]

Well I would miss you

[Emmerson Biggins]

disqus does indeed suck ass

[lap83]

Reason should have a cocktail party fundraiser to improve the comment system, or at least raise enough money for a squirrel assassin.