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"It's a penalty because you have a choice," Carney said. "You don't have a choice to pay your taxes, right? You have a choice to buy -- if you can afford health insurance. … So if you don't buy it, and you can afford it, it is an irresponsible thing to do to ask the rest of America's taxpayers to pay for your care when you go to the emergency room. So your choice is to purchase healthcare reform or a penalty will be administered."

Natasha Smith planned to be in Cairo today to see Mohammed Morsi take his oath as Egypt’s first Islamist president. But the British journalist was forced to leave the capital city prematurely, she reported, “following a horrific sexual and physical attack in Tahrir Square.” It is just the latest, sickening evidence that Islam is not the “religion of peace” its adherents claim. Smith’s attack occurred earlier this week as she was making her way to Tahir Square, where a throng had gathered to celebrate Morsi’s historic election. Though Smith was “accompanied by two male companions for safety,” they could not...

BAMAKO, Mali — Islamist fighters with ties to al-Qaida have destroyed tombs classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in Mali’s historic city of Timbuktu, a resident and U.N. officials said Saturday. Irina Bokova, who heads the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, cited in a statement Saturday reports the centuries-old Muslim mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi, Moctar and Alpha Moya have been destroyed.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows President Obama attracting 46% of the vote, while Mitt Romney earns 44%. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided. The president’s is enjoying a modest bounce following the Supreme Court ruling on the health care law. This is the first time he has held the lead on consecutive days in more than a month. SNIP A president’s Job Approval rating is one of the best indicators for assessing his chances of reelection. Typically, the president’s Job Approval rating on Election Day will be close...

Photo: REUTERS Former prime minister Yitzhak Shamir passed away at the age of 96 on Saturday at the care home in which he resided in Tel Aviv. Shamir served as Israel's seventh prime minister from 1983 to 1984 and again from 1986 to 1992. He also served as Knesset speaker, opposition head and was among the founders of the Mossad. He was among the leaders of the Jewish underground group Lehi in mandatory Palestine. Shamir lived in a care home for the last several years because of his poor health, He leaves behind two children and five grandchildren. Shamir lost...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 3.4 million people were without power in the eastern United States on Saturday from powerful thunderstorms that stretched from Indiana to New Jersey accompanied by record heat. States of emergency were declared in Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia because of overnight storms with hurricane-force winds that knocked down trees and power cables along a 500-mile-long stretch. At least eight people were killed. Forecasters predicted more severe thunderstorms partnered with renewed heat on Saturday. Restoring power in some areas could stretch into next week and utilities in Ohio and Virginia described damage as "catastrophic." "It's going to...

The recent SCOTUS decision on Obamacare is stark evidence that the judicial branch has pushed the envelope toward a national crisis. While I’m not yet convinced that we’re witnessing the proverbial straw that breaks Uncle Sam’s back, we could very well be watching a preview of coming attractions.

One, two, three, four... Hrmm! One, two, (one, two, three, four!) Let me tell you how it will be; There's one for you, nineteen for me. 'Cause I'm the Taxman, Yeah, I'm the taxman. Should five per cent appear too small, Be thankful I don't take it all. 'Cause I'm the taxman, Yeah, I'm the taxman. (if you drive a car, car;) - I'll tax the street; (if you try to sit, sit;) - I'll tax your seat; (if you get too cold, cold;) - I'll tax the heat; (if you take a walk, walk;) - I'll tax your feet....

Featured Term (selected at random):PERICHORESIS The penetration and indwelling of the three divine persons reciprocally in one another. In the Greek conception of the Trinity there is an emphasis on the mutual penetration of the three persons, thus bringing out the unity of the divine essence. In the Latin idea called circumincession the stress is more on the internal processions of the three divine persons. In both traditions, however, the fundamental basis of the Trinitarian perichoresis is the one essence of the three persons in God. The term is also applied to the close union of the two natures in...

Healthcare: arguing about the price. Just a word on healthcare in general. My overall feeling is that I don't have a dog in the healthcare fight. We all know that joke whose punchline is: "We've already established what kind of girl you are. Now we're just arguing about the price." A lot of the healthcare debate is like that, it seems to me. My conservative friends like to rail against "socialized medicine." Look: If hospitals can't turn away the indigent sick, you already have socialized healthcare. Who's going to pay the costs of that patient who can't pay for himself?...

Because of a powerful wind storm that uprooted dozens of trees, including a 75-foot tree that crashed across the 14th fairway, the tournament was closed to spectators and volunteers for safety reasons. Mark Russell, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competition, could not remember another time when a tour event did not allow fans. "It's too dangerous out here," Russell said. "There's a lot of hanging limbs. There's a lot of debris. It's like a tornado came through here. It's just not safe." The first order of business was getting Congressional in shape for the players

(Reuters) - International powers agreed on Saturday that a national unity government should be set up in Syria to resolve the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces trying to oust him. Peace envoy Kofi Annan said after the talks in Geneva that the government should include members of Assad's administration and the opposition. But it was not immediately clear what role, if any, was envisaged for Assad.

Remember those old Pull-String dolls from the 60's? Every string-pull played a random track from a miniature phonograph inside. Here's a typical example - Vintage Mickey Mouse Chatter Chums Pull String Doll Does anyone make an Obama version of these? Pull string. "Whirrrrrr ... The private sector is doing fine!" Pull string. "Whirrrrrr ... I've been to 57 states!" Pull string. "Whirrrrrr ... This is NOT a tax!" Pull string. "Whirrrrrr ... Only the wealthy who make over $200,000 will pay more taxes." I have seen "Inspirational Quotes" Talking Obama Dolls (gag!) on eBay. And there's a viral image of...

Juanita Wallace, the president of the NAACP Dallas Chapter: “It’s the poor people, the uneducated people who spend the most money on the Lottery and it’s not going for [them] the way they thought it was going to go,”

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. (Psalm 131)

Let's show Press and Tosh - and everyone else - that we still believe in this country and our National Anthem. Take the Challenge: Help Madison Rising reach 1 million views & downloads by Election Day (November 6th).

The White House released its annual report to Congress on staff salaries. At 4:39 p.m. on Friday. A quick review found the White House payroll appears to have grown since last year, going from $37.1 million in 2011 to $37.8 million in 2012. The number of employees listed also grew -- from 454 last year to 468 in 2012.

ELGIN, Scotland, - The British Royal Mail said deliveries to more than 20 residents of a Scottish town have been suspended after a letter carrier was attacked by seagulls. The Royal Mail said the "swooping attacks" by seagulls in Elgin led the service to suspend deliveries until the end of the nesting season, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday. "The safety of our people is paramount to Royal Mail and these swooping attacks have made it difficult for her to continue to do her job," a spokesman said. "Unfortunately, these frightening attacks have meant that this week we have temporarily suspended...

In the midst of a terrible month Barack Obama has finally gotten some good news. As a furtive Muslim his dream has always been to further the spread of a worldwide Caliphate which would administer Sharia law to a world under submission to Islam. Last Saturday that goal took a big step forward with the election of a Muslim Brotherhood president in Egypt. Make no mistake about how this came about. Barack Obama helped grease the skids so Egypt’s longtime President Hosni Mubarack could be ousted thereby paving the way for this quite predictable outcome. Now a terrorist group whose...

The president is spending the weekend at Camp David. He returns to Washington on Tuesday. no excerpt just this