6-Year-Old HIV-Positive Boy Forced to Live Alone in Rural SouthWest, CHINA.A six-year-old HIV-positive child named Ah-long has been collecting wood to support himself since both of his parents died from the deadly virus.Both his parents died of AIDS and the poor child is too much on his own, doing his own washing, cooking and studying. His 84-year-old grandmother has planted vegetables for him and visits frequently. She cooks for him, for him, but will not live with the child.
We’re focusing this week on how the system really works – whether it’s the Beltway press reflexively blaming Obama for actions of Congressional Republicans, how FreedomWorks funded Beck and Limbaugh, or how the media neglect important issues. All that and a Fox News host who decided that facts have a liberal bias.
For Presidential Appointments, Beltway Media Come Up Short
No matter who President Obama nominates for his cabinet, the Beltway press relish saying he’s picking a fight. They hold only him accountable for partisan bickering, while simultaneously ignoring historic obstructionism that Republicans are engaging in. Eric Boehlert examines how political press decided that a Democratic President is to blame for the actions of Republicans: http://mm4a.org/10imTS7
Behind The Scenes At FreedomWorks
“I had come to the point where I don’t know how much we are spending on Beck and Limbaugh, but we are spending too damn much and we are getting too little value out of it.” That’s former FreedomWorks chariman Dick Armey speaking to Media Matters investigative reporter Joe Strupp in an exclusive interview about how FreedomWorks spent money on Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck – and how little they got in return. http://mm4a.org/ZlCcYZ
On Climate Change, Sunday Shows Miss The Boat
Did you know that Sunday shows have not quoted a scientist on climate change in four years? Did you know that every single one of the politicians Sunday shows have quoted on climate change has been a Republican? Our climate team analyzed network news coverage of climate change in 2012, and the results are grim: http://mm4a.org/WJopoB
Violence Against Women Act Expires In Silence
Did you know that the Violence Against Women Act expired at the end of 2012? A biparisan extension of the bill overwhelmingly passed the Senate, but it died quietly in the House without receiving a vote. You may not have heard about this, though, because news media failed to cover its expiration: http://mm4a.org/UmKPfj
FEATURED VIDEO
Stephen Colbert once joked that “reality has a liberal bias.” But that’s not a joke to Fox News host Eric Bolling, who criticized a history book for having liberal bias – because the book noted that the Bush administration never found WMDs in Iraq: http://mm4a.org/13hVhLz
NRA USES THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AS A SHIELD
First it was a former NRA president comparing a potential new assault weapons ban to racial discrimination. Now, NRA board member and columnist Ted Nugent argues that gun owners are the next Rosa Parks. Ben Dimiero explores the NRA going to extremes: http://mm4a.org/VUQBVK
EVEN RUSH CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT HE SAID
Rush Limbaugh has spent this week comparing marriage equality to pedophilia. But when the media called him on it, Limbaugh was brazenly dishonest about what he had previously said: http://mm4a.org/SkWCPI
President Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in the Oval Office, Jan. 8, 2013. Attending, from left, are: Kathryn Ruemmler, Counsel to the President; Mike Froman, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics; Chief of Staff Jack Lew; Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett; Counselor to the President Pete Rouse; Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy; Senior Advisor David Plouffe; and Director of Communications Dan Pfeiffer. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In Case You Missed It
Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:
Happy Birthday, Stephen Hawking On Professor Hawking’s 71st birthday, we shared a never-before-seen video from his visit to the White House.
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City by: Conde’ Nast Traveler
I’m sitting here at the Condé Nast Traveler Travel Specialists Summit with Patrice Salezze of Papavero Villa Rentals (one of our top travel specialists). Her area of travel expertise is Rome, so we were just discussing the news that the central bank of Italy has blocked the Vatican City’s ability to accept credit cards or debit cards because of some questions about the holy city’s compliance with anti-money-laundering controls. The ban went into effect January 1 (happy new year, tourists!), but still hasn’t been fixed. So in the meantime, if you’re waiting in line for, say, the Vatican Museum, make sure you have cash on hand. Of course, the Vatican is scrambling to get this fixed and shake off doubts about its financial transparency. Maybe a higher power can help with this one? What do you think of the news—were the banks right to cut off the Vatican?
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