Tomi Lahren is the worst kind of millennial.
She’s a corporate shill who will say anything to get ahead.
Don’t believe us?
Just take a few minutes to watch this video we produced about the Rush Limbaugh wannabe.
And be sure to share it with your right-wing friends who are always sharing her darn videos on your Facebook feed.
(Oh and by the way, she really doesn’t like us:)
Will do, bro. Will do.
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Obama Defends ACA To Miami Millennial Audience Just Before Critical Early Vote Period
By Matthew Alvarez
MIAMI- President Barack Obama came to Miami Dade College’s Wolfson campus Thursday afternoon to defend his signature legislative accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act.
He used his speech to highlight the results of the law six years after it was passed, in the midst of a presidential election that may decide the ACA’s fate.
Obama showcased the ACA’s success in states that took advantage of its programs. However, Obama discontentedly addressed our governor (Republican Rick Scott) on Florida’s hostility toward the act.
If Florida were to take advantage of the ACA federal incentive and expand Medicaid, Obama said that more than 700,000 Floridians would have access for coverage.
Hearing some of the crowd’s displeasure with our state government, Obama stopped himself to comment: “If your governor – don’t boo, vote.”
To which the audience proudly cheered.
Even though Obama was focused on building up the ACA, he also wanted to shed light on the fact that it’s not perfect.
The primary problems, according to Obama, lie in two areas: states who are not supporting the act and private marketplaces that have low competition or low consumer incentive.
“That shouldn’t be surprising. If state leaders purposely try to make something not work, then it’s not gonna run as smoothly as if they were trying to make it work – common sense. You don’t have to go to Miami Dade to figure that out.” Obama said.
Miami Dade College students waiting for Obama’s speech. Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
The President argued that Obamacare should not be directly blamed for these problems, and outlined a number of solutions such as state cooperation, encouraging states to experiment with ACA implementation, and adding a public plan fallback.
The public plan fallback would give more economic options to rural areas where there is a lack of private competition, which was originally a republican idea.
Attendees, who were mostly MDC students, had been lining up outside the venue since 11:00 am, waiting in the South Florida heat to get to hear what our commander in chief had to say.
The Freedom Tower, which is near Miami Dade College’s Wolfson campus. Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
Faculty, visitors, and select students alike were eager to see the president face to face; a rare opportunity for South Floridians.
It was clear that the Miami Dade College community welcomed the President, as they erupted into applause as soon as he took the stage with a surprised smile, returning the favor as he excitingly greeted everyone in the room.
The President spent the bulk of his speech giving context to the ACA and addressing how it has successfully reformed our healthcare system.
He emphasized the statistics – our un-insured rate is lower than ever; insurance companies can no longer discriminate based on gender and pre-existing conditions; there have been no significant changes for the 80 percent of Americans who get coverage through employers, Medicare, or Medicaid; children have been able to stay on their parents plans longer; the inflation rate for premiums has slowed down (but are still increasing); and most importantly, the ACA has insured over twenty million people who previously did not have any coverage.
Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
“I don’t want to see anybody left out without health insurance.” Obama said. “I don’t want to see any family having to choose between health insurance now, or saving for retirement, or saving for your kid’s college education, or just paying their own bills. So the question we should be asking is what do we do about these growing pains in the affordable care act and how do we get the last nine percent of Americans covered?”
On the issue of partisanship, Obama welcomed working with Republicans.
He cited that a lot of the ideas for the ACA originated from Republicans, who then turned on the act once Obama himself became heavily involved.
“I don’t care whose idea it is, I just want it to work. They can even change the name of the law to Reagan-care, or they can call it Paul-Ryan-care. I-don’t-care.” He joking added. “Breaking gridlock will only happen when the American people demand it.”
Obama gave his thanks to Miami Dade College for helping spread awareness and putting together free workshops to sign up for affordable healthcare plans through the ACA.
MDC has been preparing to start giving enrollment assistance on November 1st through January 31st, 2017.
Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
During this period, MDC students can receive help on getting a health insurance plan or looking at better alternatives.
While directing people how to look at insurance plans, Obama sarcastically repeated throughout his speech: “And you just need to go to Healthcare.gov – which works really well now.”
Miami Dade College hosts students from all walks of life, and the President’s choice of venue was no accident or favor.
A crucial component of the healthcare system is young and healthy citizens (half of which the room was filled with), since their insurance plans pay for the old and sick, which have a profound effect on premiums.
Although the college body broadly supports the ACA, many Cuban students (who tend to be republican) are against Obamacare due to its association with perceived socialist values.
Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
Arseni Kusakin, a Miami Dade Honor student in attendance, was very interested in what Obama had to say.
“I hadn’t really considered it cause it didn’t really affect me on a personal level.” Kusakin said. “I like that he was calling for people to work together, I think especially now that’s pretty important. There’s so much divisiveness in this country, and I like that he drove that point home.”
Obama made appearances throughout South Florida later in the day, leaving a trail of traffic and political rallying in his wake.
As early voting officially kick starts in Florida next week, Obama is certainly trying to get the call out to participate, and making his case on which candidates will continue to follow his values and vision along the way.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
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‘George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People’: Ten Year Anniversary Of Kanye’s Iconic TV Moment
10 years ago today, Kanye West went on live television and told the world that George Bush doesn’t care about black people.
On September 2, 2005, four days after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the nation, in front of 8.5 million viewers, his sentiment reflected the frustrations of the American people in response to the failure of the federal government to provide aid to the thousands of victims of the category 5 hurricane.
“I hate the way they portray us in the media,” West said during the Concert For Hurricane Relief, NBC’s live broadcast to aid victims. “If you see a black family it says they’re looting, if you see a white family, it says they’re looking for food.”
At the time, the show’s producers and viewers dubbed the moment as controversial television. Today, it is considered one of the most iconic moments in television history.
Looking back ten years later, we can see how the rest of West’s speech was equally controversial to the George Bush line, as he criticized the Iraq war and acknowledged the disparity in the way media treats black victims and white victims.
Ten years later, #Bushdid911 broke barriers of conspiracy theory status to becoming a widespread Internet movement and joke in its own right. As the topic of police brutality and the killing of black people at the hands of the state have been brought to the forefront of political discussion, West’s ideas on the unfair media portrayal of black people are increasingly relevant today.
“We realize that a lot of people that could help right now are at war fighting another way—they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us,” West said in 2005.
West’s veracity in that moment has become a casual topic in the realm of pop culture as well. Two nights ago at the MTV Video Music Awards, West announced he’s running for president in 2020. Jokes aside about the delivery of his speech, West’s raw emotions have cascaded into a cultural movement for a younger generation to fight to be heard.
“This is a new mentality. We’re not gonna control our kids with brands. We not gonna teach low self-esteem and hate to our kids,” West said at the VMA’s. “We gonna teach our kids that they can be something. We gonna teach our kids that they can stand up for theyself! We gonna teach our kids to believe in themselves!”
While West isn’t necessarily a master of delivery in these unplanned and sincere moments, maybe he doesn’t have to be, as long as we take a step back and listen.
What do you think about Kanye West’s role in American political discourse? Tell us in the comments below.
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Glenn Beck Basically Endorsed Hillary Clinton
Glenn Beck is one weird dude.
If you don’t already know that, then you best spend a few minutes Googling before continuing to read this.
Despite his weirdness, which often masquerades as bizarre conspiracy theory worship, Beck has been pretty consistent in his principled opposition to Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for President.
Beck, who had been a strong supporter of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the GOP primary has since turned on Cruz due to the his shocking decision to announce that he would fall in line and vote for Trump.
But it is now in the aftermath of mass GOP defections from the Trump train after the release of a 2005 videotape that shows Trump using sexist language that actively condones sexual assault, that Beck has really started to feel the heat from Conservatives.
Breitbart is roasting him due to a statement he posted on his Facebook page that pretty clearly says that the election of Hillary Clinton would be an acceptable alternative to the ushering in of President Trump.
Yes, this is the same guy that once did this on national tv.
We can’t believe it either.
Anyway, here is Beck’s full post he made to Facebook that has Trumpers up in arms:
“Every person, each of us must decide what is a bridge too far.
Mike Lee has obviously reached that point, where the moral compromise his party is asking him to make is simply beyond what is acceptable.
It is not acceptable to ask a moral, dignified man to cast his vote to help elect an immoral man who is absent decency or dignity.
If the consequence of standing against Trump and for principles is indeed the election of Hillary Clinton, so be it. At least it is a moral, ethical choice.
If she is elected, the world does not end…. Once elected, Hillary can be fought. Her tactics are blatant and juvenile, and battling her by means of political and procedural maneuvering or through the media , through public marches and online articles, all of that will be moral, worthy of man of principal.
Her nominees can be blocked, her proposed laws voted down.
The alternative does not offer a moral person the same opportunity. If one helps to elect an immoral man to the highest office, then one is merely validating his immorality, lewdness, and depravity.
But it’s OK, at least it is not her! Right??
No.
Lee’s call for Trump to step down and withdraw from the race is respectful to him and to the process.
Trump stepping down does not guarantee a Clinton win, but it does guarantee that the Republican party still stands for something, still allows its members to maintain thier own self respect and that it still has a future.”
Somebody give Beck a round of applause.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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