Wisconsin to Ban Some Abortion Coverage, Re-focus Sex-education

Wisconsin - Wisconsin lawmakers have approved controversial measures to block the state's new health insurance exchange from covering abortions and require sex education classes to emphasize abstinence as the preferred method of birth control.


Both bills, which were voted through the Republican-controlled Assembly by 61-34 late Tuesday, now head to the desk of Republican Governor Scott Walker, who is widely expected to sign them.

The laws ban private insurers from offering abortion coverage in the plans they offer through the state-run exchange where thousands of Wisconsin residents will buy subsidized coverage under President Obama's healthcare overhaul.

Two Democrats, Peggy Krusick and Tony Staskunas, and one independent, Bob Ziegelbauer, joined Republicans in supporting the abortion bill, which opponents said would necessarily impair women's health by limiting access to abortions for those who require them.

A handful of Democratic representatives wore Planned Parenthood T-shirts as they voted unsuccessfully against the measure.

Also late Tuesday, the Assembly passed a bill that repeals the so-called "Healthy Youth Act" passed last session by Democrats that provided "comprehensive sex education."

Once Walker signs the measure, it will require schools that offer a human development and growth curriculum to emphasize abstinence as the preferred method of birth control and emphasize the role and "socioeconomic benefits" of marriage.

The measure would also remove information on contraceptive methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration from the required curriculum.

Democrats argued the bill would neglect science-based teaching and put children at risk from sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy.

Last week, lawmakers in Utah passed a measure that would ban public schools from teaching contraception as a way of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

Supporters of the measure in both Utah and Wisconsin argued that sex education was best left up to parents.

Canadian Government to Keep Up Pressue for Keystone XL

United States/Canada - Canada's finance minister announced his feeling that the Keystone XL pipeline project will be revived after the United States' presidential elections.

Finance minister Ron Liepert said the United States' government's stance on the pipeline is likely to shift toward its approval.  Given that one of the Republican Party's candidates - almost all of whom have expressed their support for it - or Obama - who won't have to face any threat the environmental side of his base presents to him - his assertion may be spot-on.

Although President Obama delayed the project, Canada's government is continuing to look for more options such as shipping their tar sands oil through the West Coast to Asia or using the Eastern Seaboard using one of the country's pipelines. Earlier this month Stephen Harper, Canada's Prime Minister, visited China to talk to the country's government about shipping their oil to the country.


"We believe Keystone will be revived and approved after the presidential election, but it's not a sure thing," said Liepert.

Fears of how the proposed pipeline would affect the Midwest's water supply, where America gets a vast amount of its food resources, have prompted environmentalist groups to oppose its construction. One of the main fears is that a pipeline rupture would devastate the aquifer, while another is the gas output would forever destroy the climate due to the massive CO2 emissions.

Thinking Obama's delay was caused at least in part to the environmentalist side of the left, a majority of Republicans have been trying to introduce a legislative bill which would require Obama to make his decision before the presidential election while promoting the idea that Keystone XL's passage would "create more jobs", a claim which has been proven wrong numerous times.

Senate to Vote on Bill Allowing Unlawful Detainments

Washington D.C. - RT and Democracy Now, unlike CNN, Fox, or MSNBC, reported on a piece of legislation that allows the government to detain anyone they deem a terrorist both domestically and abroad.

Go ahead and re-read that.

If this bill gets through the Senate - it already passed the House in May - it will mean the United States government is declaring the entire world, including the country itself, as a battlefield.

The Obama Administration threatened to veto the bill but knowing the Republican Party they will say he is weak on defense.  With his approval numbers getting worse as time passes, the mainstream news acting like it's true, and the President's obvious lack of a spine, people will believe it although it's not only not true, but accept the narrative as well without looking at the provision that caused him to veto it.

What's really telling is a provision in section 1031, which states:

(b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens-

(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.

(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.

 For those of you saying "The Republicans are crazy," I have news for you.

Update: Be sure to sign the petition as well as write, phone, protest in front of, or occupy in order to get your point across.

Another update: The Senate voted against the Udall Amendment, which would ban this from happening yet let the rest of the legislation pass. Can you say "police state" everyone?

It was proposed by Michigan Democrat and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services Carl Levin.