This ‘N That Chitchat
Posted by Michelle Moquin on December 1st, 2012
Good morning!
Today, I am just going to play catch-up.
Yes, Henrietta: You are so correct. And diversity on the bench as well as in Congress is important to me too. Congrats to Ms. Sherrilyn Ifill.
Zen Lill: I agree – It is not hard at all to put in emergency doors and windows, etc.. I can’t imagine the expense is much either. They just need to care enough to do so. Just like if we took a stance and made it known that we are going to refuse to buy oil from the middle east unless they treated their women better, it isn’t going to happen.
Readers: Walmart has buying power. They could demand better conditions or take their business elsewhere, so why don’t they negotiate that? Because they don’t really care. If men are going to try and control women, and take away our rights here, are the big corps who are run mainly by men, going to even think at all about women in factories overseas? So why should we support them? And a separate but continual conversation here…why do we support those men here that don’t support us women here?
Speaking of support….
…this just came across my radar as I was writing…did you see the headlines on the Huff Po this morning? Since we’re on the topic of Walmart again, I am going to post the write:
Walmart’s New Health Care Policy Shifts Burden To Medicaid, Obamacare
Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, plans to begin denying health insurance to newly hired employees who work fewer than 30 hours a week, according to a copy of the company’s policy obtained by The Huffington Post.
Under the policy, slated to take effect in January, Walmart also reserves the right to eliminate health care coverage for certain workers if their average workweek dips below 30 hours — something that happens with regularity and at the direction of company managers.
Walmart declined to disclose how many of its roughly 1.4 million U.S. workers are vulnerable to losing medical insurance under its new policy. In an emailed statement, company spokesman David Tovar said Walmart had “made a business decision” not to respond to questions from The Huffington Post and accused the publication of unfair coverage.
Labor and health care experts portrayed Walmart’s decision to exclude workers from its medical plans as an attempt to limit costs while taking advantage of the national health care reform known as Obamacare. Among the key features of Obamacare is an expansion of Medicaid, the taxpayer-financed health insurance program for poor people. Many of the Walmart workers who might be dropped from the company’s health care plans earn so little that they would qualify for the expanded Medicaid program, these experts said.
“Walmart is effectively shifting the costs of paying for its employees onto the federal government with this new plan, which is one of the problems with the way the law is structured,” said Ken Jacobs, chairman of the Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
For Walmart, this latest policy represents a step back in time. Almost seven years ago, as Walmart confronted public criticism that its employees couldn’t afford its benefits, the company announced with much fanfare that it would expand health coverage for part-time workers.
But last year, the company eliminated coverage for some part-time workers – those new hires working 24 hours a week or less. Now, Walmart is going further.
Have you worked at Walmart? The Huffington Post wants to know about your experience. Send us an email here.
“Walmart likely thought it didn’t need to offer this part-time coverage anymore with Obamacare,” said Nelson Lichtenstein, director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “This is another example of a tremendous government subsidy to Walmart via its workers.”
In pursuing lower health care costs, Walmart is following the same course as many other large employers. But given its unrivaled scale, Walmart’s policies tend to influence American working conditions more broadly. Tom Billet, a senior consultant at Towers Watson, a professional services firm that works with large companies to develop benefit plans, said other companies are also crafting policies that will exclude some part-time workers from medical coverage.
Billet portrayed the growing corporate interest in separating out part-time workers as a reaction to another aspect of Obamacare — the new rules that require companies with at least 50 full-time workers to offer health coverage to all employees who work 30 or more hours a week or pay penalties.
Several employers in recent months, including Darden Restaurants, owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, and a New York-area Applebee’s franchise owner, said they are considering cutting employee hours to push more workers below the 30-hour threshold.
“In the past, firms were less careful about monitoring whether someone was full- or part-time,” Billet said, noting that some of his clients were planning to track workers’ hours more carefully. “I expect health plans like Walmart’s won’t be uncommon as firms adjust to this law.”
For Walmart employees, the new system raises the risk that they could lose their health coverage in large part because they have little control over their schedules. Walmart uses an advanced scheduling system to constantly alter workers’ shifts according to store traffic and sales figures.
The company has said the scheduling system improves flexibility and efficiency. But in recent interviews with The Huffington Post, several workers described their oft-changing schedules as a source of fear that they might earn too little to pay their bills. Many said they have begged managers to assign them additional hours only to see their shifts cut further as new workers were hired.
The new plan detailed in the 2013 “Associate’s Benefits Book” adds another element to that fear: the risk of losing health coverage. According to the plan, part-time workers hired in or after 2011 are now subject to an “Annual Benefits Eligibility Check” each August, during which managers will review the average number of hours per week that workers have logged over the past year.
If part-time workers hired after Feb. 1, 2012, fail to reach the 30-hour threshold, they will lose benefits the following January, according to the book. Part-time workers hired after Jan. 15, 2011, but before Feb. 1, 2012, must work at least 24 hours a week to retain coverage and will also be subject to an eligibility check each year. Those hired before 2011 aren’t subject to the minimum hours requirements or eligibility checks.
As for full-time workers under the plan, those who lose hours and slip to part-time at any point during the year will see their spouses’ health coverage dropped immediately. Those workers will also lose their dental and life insurance policies in the following pay period, according to the plan.
Some Walmart workers who are excluded from the company’s health care plans are likely to become eligible for Medicaid under the Obamacare expansion, which aims to replace a patchwork of standards now set by individual states with one minimum federal threshold — income below 133 percent of the federal poverty line, which for an individual currently comes to $14,856. However, the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the decision to expand the program is voluntary for the states. At least eight states, including Texas, have said they will not expand the program, which would leave Walmart workers there with one less option.
Part-time workers who lose their Walmart insurance but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid should be able to buy insurance through the health care exchanges to be established under Obamacare — essentially, online marketplaces offering an array of health care plans.
For workers who do qualify for health coverage under Walmart’s new policy, the latest package represents an upgrade over previous plans. Walmart’s health plans began covering 100 percent of spine and heart surgeries this year at select hospitals and medical centers. They also include a smattering of preventative care services required by Obamacare.
But the company’s plans still leave many workers facing significant financial distress in the event of major illness. Under the new policy, one major offering, the so-called Health Reimbursement Account Plan, costs nonsmoking workers $34.80 a month — a seemingly affordable sum. Yet it comes with an annual deductible of $2,750, a hefty expense given that half of Walmart’s workforce earns no more than $10 an hour.
While a shifting of Walmart employees to Medicaid rolls may increase the burden on American taxpayers, it is likely to be a better deal for the workers themselves.
“The packages Walmart is providing for low-income people aren’t offering very much coverage except for catastrophes,” said Linda Blumberg, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank. “It’s likely they’ll be better off going with a government-sponsored plan.”
*******
Readers: This should once again tell you just how much Walmart cares. I find it interesting that Walmart, supported by republicans who want less government, who want to get rid of “Obamacare” are now shifting their responsibilities to take advantage of the government backed “Obamacare” and “medicaid”, which they didn’t want, and fought so hard to repeal. Bet they won’t be repealing it now. If that isn’t the most hypocritical I don’t know what is.
And guess who they’re shifting their responsibility to? We the tax payers. And the republican constituents who were also shouting, “No Obamacare!” are no doubt going to be the ones taking advantage of “Obamacare”. Hypocritical LSOS’s.
This is notice that in the next election we need to get back control of the House and prosecute these LSOS’s. Two years until the next election is not far away. We showed our power in this past election, we need to show our power again.
So…to the people supporting Walmart stores: What do you think of Walmart now? Still want to buy their products when they have just taken away a benefit from the workers, just dropped their responsibility of paying for health care, and put that on you?
In my opinion, we all need to be more responsible about the products we buy and who we support, and this is a perfect example. We have power in numbers and if everyone got a bit more conscious about where products they are purchasing are being made, who is making them, we HOPEfully will be inspired to make different choices. I realize that not supporting these stores hurts the people working in them but look at how Wallmart is hurting their employees. No one said doing the right thing was going to be easy, but boy after reading about Walmart this morning, they sure are making it easy when they make a move such as this one.
Susie: There is no doubt we need to bring manufacturing back to the US. I am not saying we can’t still import product but certainly bringing jobs back home would be beneficial for our country, and would of course create jobs. I love when I see “Made in the U.S.A.” labels, especially in clothing because that is a major purchase for all of us year round.
Meghana: To read your comment that you were there, caught in the fire with faulty extinguishers (locked doors!), and that your manager lied to you, denying you your right to know…your right to safety, was just horrible. I am so happy that you are alive and safe. I HOPE that your leg heals quickly and you find work that treats you with kindness and respect.
Chakor: I too am happy that you were rescued, and wish you only the best.
Aakar, Bairavi, Rafat, Tajdar, Madhuri: Again, I am happy to hear that all of you are alive. And again, I’m so sorry that this happened to you and the many who did not make it out safely. My best wishes to you and yours.
So much for catch-up. :) Since I didn’t get to respond to as many of the comments as I thought I would have this morning, I’ll reserve my comments for later.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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December 2nd, 2012 at 7:00 am
Michelle, I tried to get in all day when this came out but it just kept coming back you already posted that. I hope it works today. Thanks for the attention you give to the women of the Middle East.
We love and respect your understanding of what we go through.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:20 am
Great article about the abuses of Walmart Michelle. They are so crooked. That’s why the support the republicans because they know with that party all they have to do is to give their politicians a little money and they will pass laws to allow the corporation to steal from the workers.
If you need more proof read this article from the post about how the company has been stealing wages from the people.
==============================
Warehouse Workers Move To Name Walmart In Wage-Theft Lawsuit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/30/walmart-warehouse-workers-lawsuit_n_2218773.html?ir=Business&ref=topbar
=================================
Walmart is practicing corporate malfeasance no matter how you cut it union haters not withstanding. This has been building up for years because the republican party is for sale to the highest corporate bidder.
Corporate America kills small business through monopolistic practices and they make no bones about it since they know easily lead fools will defend their attempts to close down free enterprise.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:24 am
The localities that have allowed Wal-Mart need to be suing it for stealing their taxes from them via extortion. These mafioso-type tactics applied to towns who let the devil into their midst need to be recompensated as well.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:25 am
Costco is a great company. Walmart is shit.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:26 am
Let the free market speak. Shop at places that dont do that.
But…the end result? If fewer people can go to the doctor, the medical system will start losing money. Supply v. Demand. Eventually, they’ll lower their damn prices.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:27 am
Michelle the problem is barely anyone shops with their conscience anymore. In the past people wouldn’t shop at places like Wal-Mart, but today everyone has a “get mine” attitude.
Wal-Mart can and will do whatever it wants within the confines of the law, because everyone and their grandma will keep shopping there anyways.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:28 am
I thought you thought that barry could do no wrong. Therefore, how could shifting employees to obamacare be such a bad thing. I thought obamacare was the cats meow
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:29 am
Why not? You gotta understand that the private sector is smarter than the fools who make the rules in big government.
Of course the fools are smart enough to exempt themselves from the rules they set for everyone else but entire industries are created to get around government regulations and red tape and the Treasury Secretary even testified that he cheated on his taxes.
The 3,000 page mess that government created and nobody read is so full of holes that you can drive a Prius through it and let’s hope it doesn’t doom the US before we get a chance to throw the junk out.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:30 am
Walmart, one of the richest corporations in the world, refuses to pay its employees a livable wage or provide any form of decent healthcare, increasing reliance on government assistance, and the need for a social safety net.
Walmart has become the number one driver behind the growing use of food stamps in the United States with “as many as 80 percent of workers in Wal-Mart stores using food stamps.”
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:31 am
I for one am going to K-mart from now on. Who’s with me?
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:33 am
Walmart is wrong, time for single payer health system. When the Dems take over the House in 2014, we should launch the single payer system for health care. That will prevent the corps from pulling this shit.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:34 am
Thanks for the article Michelle. that’s another reason why I refuse to shop there.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:35 am
f the Walton family and the shareholders of Walmart stock are not ashamed of themselves, they should be!
They don’t seem to care about the people they employ or what amounts to the “slave labor” in foreign countries who produce the products they sell under the worst possible conditions.
Because of its profitability, GREED seems to be the only reason for Walmart’s existence!
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:35 am
Consultant said it would happen, democrats said it would not.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:36 am
Michelle, This policy sounds to me to be plain wrong.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:39 am
Just because I want single payer doesn’t mean I can’t still think the way wal mart is treating their employees sucks
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:39 am
My wet dream is that in the next elections, the Democrats regain a super-majority in both chambers of Congress (unlikely, yes I know) and they ram through a single-pay health care system. I also wouldn’t shed any tears if the private health insurance industry was obliterated because of that.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:41 am
Ha ha ha …is there a single large employer in the U.S. that will not be reducing “full time” work hours to <30? Damn few. Only management will enjoy the "benefit" of company paid health care plans.
It's almost simple economics …why sustain the costs of maintaining a health care "benefit" plan for a "part time" work force when it's cheaper to pay the federal fine.
Hire a few more low wage workers, restrict their hours & benefits. Restructure the work environment and work tasks for efficiency and save the hours worked to offset the new hire wages.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:42 am
I’m confused on the whole 50 employee thing. I’m a small business owner, and I’ve sat through to conferences now discussing Obamacare, and both ahve said that having 2 15 hour a week employees will be the same thing as having one 30 hour per week.
The number of employees and how many hours each work is really relevant. It will boil down to 30x50x4 – hoursxemployeesxweeks in the month. If you’ve got over 6000 hours of payroll in a month, you’re gonna get fined. Is this not right?
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:44 am
Because the repubs are on the take, it is not Walmart’s new policy, it’s the nation’s new policy. They’re simply falling in line.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:46 am
There are going to be a whole lot less 40 hour per week employees and a whole lot more under-30 hour per week employees at Walmart soon.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:46 am
The business of business is business.
But the left believes businesses should be in the business of helping the government provide for its citizens; in other words, being just another arm of the nanny state. The left demonizes business decisions that don’t help advance the left-wing agenda (which effectively means pretty much all business decisions). This makes it easy to define business (whether big or small) as the rich, uncaring enemy of the citizenry and gives them an “Other” to hate.
The left has already begun to shift any blame for Obamacare’s many faults onto the businesses it’s penalizing. Very clever strategy.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:47 am
All is going according to plan. The plan is to destroy the power of unions and return workers to the position of no power they had before unions.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:49 am
The control of the House by the republicans makes it almost impossible for the Dems to reign in the abuses of these corporations.
Why the F**k can’t the Republicans EVER do anything that is “significant” to the Conservative cause when in power?
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:51 am
You are going to end up with a business structured for -30 hours a week employees and no coverage save for salaried management or fewer covered employees working as many hours as they can be pushed to work. There won’t be much in between those two parameters because it won’t be cost effective.
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:54 am
Target pulled this sort of thing some years back in …. wait for it…. California
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:57 am
Michelle, I agree with my friend Taidar. You cover the plight of women all over the globe. We love what you do.
Bairavi
December 2nd, 2012 at 7:59 am
The republican party can get away with selling out to the corporation because so many white men want to seem like they know about finance to the rest of us. So they go around spouting ignorant shit like: “unions are destroying jobs” before unions the workers were worked 7 days a week and 12 to 18 hours a day for pittance.
Another bullshit statement they make is “there is a cost to save money.” Yes, but if the cost is to destroy the capability of the worker to even purchase what the corporation is selling or to make a livable wage what is the purpose?
Wannabe big shots dumb as the box of rocks white boys allow the republican party to give the talking points while they laugh all the way to the bank with the loot they get from those corporation to allow them to rob America.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:05 am
Henrietta, I agree with your post. That’s why I voted for Obama. He will be fair with his appointments and see to it that women and OTWs get their representatives in these posts.
The most we will get from the Right are a few token sell outs or like the House all white men.
Interesting don’t you think when white men write in in support of that by implying that only white men are the most qualified so that is why they were appointed.
Right tiny dicks that’ll make em grow.
Camila
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:07 am
Sadly Michelle and Susie, I don’t see manufacturing coming back anytime soon. As long as the republicans have white america willing to just vote color, they will remain in power and continue rewarding companies that ship jobs abroad.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:08 am
I’ve stopped shopping at Walmart altogether. The last five years I had reduced the amount of time and money I spent there, mostly because they cut back on a good deal of what they used to carry.
It got to the point that if I needed something specific, they never had it. Now that the wage issues have risen to the top I don’t intend to ever shop there again. I know what little I spent there anyways won’t make much of a difference, but at least I’m not supporting them anymore.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:09 am
SCOTUS, or rather STARK, lost my respect with the Bush v Gore decision, and the Roberts court has a low approval rating because of their Citizens United and Wal-Mart Stores v Dukes decisions.
In a 5-4 decision, the corporate-owned STARK found for Wal-Mart and against women in the workers-discrimination case.
Can’t find much to approve about Walmart these days, glad I’ve never set foot in one.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:12 am
All I keep hearing from my “voting his dick size” husband is that “lower wages make us more competitive in the world market and that will bring back jobs.”
If lower wages make us more competitive why are we in a depression that is getting worse by the hour?
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:12 am
Wal-Mart the poster child for all that’s wrong with employer/employee relations in America in the 21st century ! They all should be proud !
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:13 am
TO: Wal-Mart Upper Management
FROM: Top Dog Management AKA THE CEO
Date: December 2 2012
Subject: Wage Theft
It has come to my attention that someone within the corporation without my direct order or knowledge has been aiding contractor’s in fudging employee wages ! THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND MUST STOP !
P.S. Ignore this memo, it’s business as usual, the Wal-Mart way ! Carry on troops !
Yours truly, THE CEO
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:14 am
Fires in factories kill workers, warehouse workers work in excessive heat and get wages stolen, employees are told how to qualify for Medicaid, SHIP, SNAP and heating assistance, and yet, the inheritors are among the wealthiest US citizens.
Profit subsidized by our tax dollars is a form of corporate welfare.
Wal-Mart is also a leader in exporting manufacturing to China and will show US companies how to move their business to China so that they can get a contract to provide goods to Wal-Mart. Legal, probably – moral, not at all.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:14 am
It seems that with Obama’s re-election, the “Blame Bush” mantra of the left has finally reached the end of its plausible use.
Good news though! Now proggies have found a substitute – “Blame Walmart”!
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:18 am
I used to work in the retail sector and it’s the lowest in terms of wages. However, I’m privileged to live in a country where there are award wages set by industry.
Meaning that there is a minimum that someone can be paid in a certain sector. Yes, retail has low wages but I was getting paid nearly AU$20 per hour.
If I compare that to the minimum wage in the US, nobody in the retail sector in Australia has anything to complain about. Walmart makes so much money but pays a pittance to its employees. Shameful.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:19 am
It’s past time for this to see legal action.
http://chieforganizer.org/2009/09/02/stealing-from-poor-workers/
Quoted from the 2nd paragraph:
“… a typical worker had lost $51 the previous week through wage violations, out of average weekly earnings of $339. That translates into a 15 percent loss in pay.”
“Only 8 percent of those who suffered serious injuries on the job filed for compensation to pay for medical care and missed days at work stemming from those injuries.”
“…26 percent of the workers had been paid less than the minimum wage the week before being surveyed…”
“… one in seven had worked off the clock the previous week.” I’ve heard this one repeatedly cited as a Wal*Mart issue!
It’s not just Wal*Mart where managers pick the pockets of the wage slaves:
http://www.alternet.org/story/155710/wage_theft_epidemic%3A_bosses_pocket_15_percent_of_workers%27_pay
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:20 am
What a thug company walmart is. I am so glad I never have to shop there.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:22 am
Alex #37
Now that you gave us that sweet taking point I guess it’s Back to Rush Limbaugh.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:23 am
Wallmart will pay a heavy price from time to time. Greedy rich men are not as voracious as hardworking poor men.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:24 am
OMG, Alex, you are truly ignorant. None of us is blaming Walmart for anything but the shoddy way they treat their workers, their attempts to block and intimidate against union organizing, and the fact that they are part of a corporate culture that isn’t worried about Americans but rather their bottom line.
However, I still blame Bush for what he is responsible for, or I really thought you all believed in personal responsibility, guess I was wrong.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:24 am
Ormond, But with workers divided, Rich Men are far more powerful.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:25 am
I’m not surprised at all because Walmart treats their employees like dirt. Many of them are underpaid and they work very hard, but they’re not being recognized or appreciated.
So it also doesn’t surprise me that they’d resort to stealing because the company and it’s big wigs are a bunch of dishonest thugs, thinking they can treat anyone out there the way they’ve been treating them and it’s been going on for years.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:25 am
I’m not surprised at all because Walmart treats their employees like dirt. Many of them are underpaid and they work very hard, but they’re not being recognized or appreciated.
So it also doesn’t surprise me that they’d resort to stealing because the company and it’s big wigs are a bunch of dishonest thugs, thinking they can treat anyone out there the way they’ve been treating them and it’s been going on for years.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:26 am
Exactly, Joe. Somehow, for some strange reason, some Americans actually believe that starvation wages are acceptable.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:27 am
Who is “you all”, Miss Bagger-Posing-As-A-Liberal? Gays? Minorities? Women? Look at this chart and notice how the HUGE divergence between Federal revenue and Spending started as soon as Pelosi and Reid and the Dem Economic Wrecking Majority took over Congress in 2007 – http://cdn.pjmedia.com/instapundit/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bushchart.jpg
Blame Bush is a big lie – blame Pelosi Reid is a bit more reality-rooted. Also, did you know that if the Walton family spent their entire fortune on giving Walmart employees a raise, it would amount to about One Dollar an hour for each employee – for just one year?
When I invest my retirement fund in the shares of a corporation, I do NOT want it to suddenly become an eleemosynary (look it up if you don’t know what it is); I want it to make as much profit as it can legally.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:28 am
If Walmart would support local U.S companies
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:42 am
Mikey, If they were starting from scratch they might take (by choice or because they had to) take a lower profit margin on some if not all products but now that they have their profit margins if they have to use American manufacturers because of public pressure (unlikely), direct legislation (even more unlikely) or indirect affects of legislation which have an effect on the economics of their costs (more likely) then they’ll just raise their prices to maintain their profit margin.
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:54 am
JT, I’m 62, in few short years nobody will be around that even remembers that American Manufacturing and well paying jobs for those without a family political or social connections, a Skilled Trade Union Card or an Advanced Degree in something even existed.
The Corporations will then invest a miniscule amount in rewriting history books obliterating even the Archive of its possibilities. Turns out George Orwell was a profit, not a fiction writer.
December 2nd, 2012 at 10:13 am
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE!
Our stories today focus on what next for Susan Rice. Will the president nominate her with the Senate GOP bearing down her? We also look at the nominations for secretary of defense. If Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is tapped to lead the Pentagon, expect an interesting Senate race in Massachusetts to fill the remainder of Kerry’s term. The return of Scott Brown, perhaps?
The daily fiscal cliff update is here. As the weekend approaches, the news will undoubtedly stay focused on the Obama administration plan for the fiscal cliff unleashed by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner Thursday. According to the Weekly Standard, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) laughed out loud as Geithner presented his “one-sided plan, explicit on tax increases, vague on spending cuts.” It certainly is laughable that the White House offers to extend an olive branch in its negotiations, only to basically say: Here are the tax hikes we want in exchange for some cuts – what those cuts are, we won’t say.
Expect Thursday’s meeting to dominate the conversation into Sunday’s talk shows.
Also, I forgot to link my colleague Erick Erickson’s phenomenal piece on RedState.com yesterday. It’s in the blog headlines section below. Want to talk about a damning assessment of the Republican Party? His piece is it.
Have a nice weekend,
– Adam Tragone, Managing Editor
December 2nd, 2012 at 11:02 am
Heart-Healthy Ice Pops and Other Treats
When I see patients during the summer, I love to talk up some of the great fresh foods that they can easily add to their diets. A basic tenet of naturopathy is that nutrient-packed foods can be used as “medicine” to help prevent chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease. And the summer season—when local fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available in most parts of the country—is perhaps the best time of year to give your diet a “nutrient boost.”
With a little creativity and a trip to your own garden and/or your local farmer’s market or grocery store, you can easily add more foods to your daily diet that not only taste great, but also help protect your health. My favorite nutrient-packed summer foods…
Fresh flowers.
You may have never thought of this, but fresh blossoms of nasturtium, violet and calendula make a great addition to greens or potato salad. Not only do these flowers make your dish look beautiful, they also contain minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, and beta-carotene—key nutrients that promote heart, bone and muscle health.
My advice: Add six to eight of the fresh flowers mentioned above (look up photos of the flowers online so you don’t mistakenly eat a different variety that may not be as safe or tasty). Flowers taste a little bitter but nicely complement certain greens—for example, I like violets on spinach.
Heart-healthy ice pops.
You can make your own anthocyanin-rich ice pops by freezing the fresh, unsweetened juice of purple or red fruit. To ensure optimal freshness, make your own juice. Anthocyanin, the pigment in grapes, blueberries, raspberries and pomegranates, helps improve blood vessel health, which benefits your entire body.
Studies show that anthocyanin can help prevent heart disease and cataracts and reduce inflammation. My advice: Buy an ice pop tray or use an ice cube tray and add a few frozen cubes to your water or iced tea.
Parsley pesto.
Two tablespoons of chopped parsley contain ample vitamin C and all of your daily vitamin K requirement. Caution: You may need to use less parsley if you take a blood thinner—too much vitamin K may interfere with these drugs. Parsley pesto—a blend of parsley and basil, olive oil, pine nuts or walnuts and Parmesan cheese—is a delicious way to get more of this nutrient-packed food.
My advice:
Make a traditional pesto recipe with half parsley and half basil. Serve on pasta or rice or as a dip.
Sun tea.
Summer-harvested peppermint, which aids digestion, is delicious prepared as sun tea—a great alternative to sugary beverages.
My advice:
In a glass jar filled with three quarts of water, add about 12 well-rinsed six-inch peppermint stalks (leaves and stems)—or eight bags of your favorite herbal tea—and three tablespoons of honey. Seal it and set it out in the sun for six hours.
Watermelon.
Watermelon is an absolute nutrient powerhouse. It contains lycopene, vitamin C and beta-carotene—all of which help prevent cancer and promote immune health.
My advice:
Choose the dark pink or red-fleshed varieties of watermelon for the greatest nutrient boost.
Source: Jamison Starbuck, ND, is a naturopathic physician in family practice and a guest lecturer at the University of Montana, both in Missoula.
She is past president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a contributing editor to The Alternative Advisor: The Complete Guide to Natural Therapies and Alternative Treatments (Time Life).