4-30-14 Great Guests for Your Show

1. Lowell Ponte: French Economist Advocates Hefty Taxes

2. Dave Bego: The Symbiotic Relationship that Short-Changes Americans

3. Joe Messina: The Destruction of Marriage

4. Michelle Seiler-Tucker: McDonald's vs Taco Bell: The Breakfast Wars

5. Sandy Botkin: Estimated Tax Penalties

French Economist Advocates Hefty Taxes

By Lowell Ponte

French economist, Thomas Piketty's runaway near-700-page best-seller "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" has galvanized an American left dispirited by President Barack Obama's waning charisma and failed promises. Piketty, a professor at the Paris School of Economics, arrived here like an old-time preacher trailing clouds of glory from the European motherland of socialist collectivism and the welfare state to restore wealth redistribution. Most American leftists have welcomed him like an intellectual savior who is restoring their faith, faded by a century of progressive failure. He is renewing their mission to bring down capitalism. Piketty even acknowledges the long-self-evident truth that the free market is more productive than socialism. He says he would retain the good competitive virtues of capitalism while purging what it does badly. [more...]

The Symbiotic Relationship that Short-Changes Americans

By Dave Bego

Wealthy democratic donors met with Big Labor and high interest liberal groups in Chicago this week to plot strategy for the 2014 Mid-Term Elections, an obvious sign of the increasing desperation of democrats and the "gasping dinosaurs" of big labor (see The left’s secret club plans for 2014, 2016). The approaching elections, however, may very well be the beginning of the end for these symbiotic partners. The liberal left has already begun to suggest that their pending demise is due to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case in 2012. In that case, the Court opened the door for unrestricted corporate spending on political elections stating that, "Political speech does not lose its First Amendment protection simply because its source is a corporation." [more...]

The Destruction of Marriage

By Joe Messina

Recently, in Massachusetts, three lesbian women decided they wanted to be married to each other. Yes, THREE PEOPLE wanted to enter into marriage together. Why? Because they love each other. One woman admitted after several failed male relationships she just couldn't see herself being monogamous. So what happens when she decides she is tired of or falls out of love with wife A, but is really into wife B and John's wife next door is not looking so bad either? We will deal with that later. [more...]

McDonald's vs Taco Bell: The Breakfast Wars

By Michelle Seiler-Tucker

Taco Bell has recently introduced an entirely new breakfast menu to the public and while doing so, threw a few entertaining advertising punches at the fast food conglomerate McDonald's. A short film used primarily for viral visibility featured dozens of people named Ronald McDonald endorsing the taco franchise, a brave move given the clout of the almighty Egg McMuffin. McDonald's has generally ruled rush hour breakfast. According to figures released from the food research and consulting firm Technomic, breakfast sales produced upwards of $10 billion in profit for McDonald's.  The abrupt entrance of Taco Bell and a number of other fast-food chains into the breakfast market has put McDonald's on the defensive in a now very competitive market, offering a free coffee promotion and a clever advertisement of the company's beloved clown petting a chiwawa in an act of patronization to lure more consumer interest. [more...]

Estimated Tax Penalties

By Sandy Botkin

Here is one area that has a lot of misconceptions. First, you will NOT be charged with any criminal behavior if you don't pay estimated taxes. In fact, surprisingly, you don't need to file and pay estimated taxes at all. If you don't, however, you will pay a penalty that is currently set at a non-deductible penalty rate of 3% unless you meet one of the exceptions from the penalty. Thus, if you can make more than 3% after tax with your investments, it might not be wise to pay estimated taxes. So, how do you avoid the penalties? Here are the major exceptions: [more...]

Mandatory Microchipping May Be in Our Future

By James Hirsen

In various places all over the world, there are individuals who open doors, start cars and control their computers with a mere gesture of their hands or arms. They are among the first wave of people who have voluntarily allowed a miniature computer chip to be placed inside of their bodies. Most are part of a group that advocates biohacking, a concept in which activists seek to enhance the human body through the use of technology.

Many biohackers also identify with a broader movement known as transhumanism. Transhumanists believe that people will ultimately be able to transform themselves through the use of technology into superior beings that possess expanded capabilities. Adherents of the movement categorize such individuals as "posthuman."

In inching toward a newly defined humanity, a small radio frequency identification chip (RFID) is being injected into an individual's hand, wrist or arm through use of a hypodermic needle in the same manner as a routine vaccine. The implanted microchip broadcasts an identifying number or code, which can be used for a myriad of purposes. Not only can the signal from the chip trigger switches on doors and computers, it can also be connected to ultra-large databases that businesses and the government have amassed. [more...]

4-23-14 Excellent Guests for Your Show

1. Joe Messina: Transparency - The White House Unabridged Definition

2. Michelle Seiler-Tucker: Kardashians - The Kash Kows of Business

3. Joseph Klein: More Heavy Weaponry for Syrian Rebels?

4. Kyle Olson: Frustrated New York Mother Vents on Common Core Worksheet: 'Go back to basic math!'

Transparency - The White House Unabridged Definition

By Joe Messina

Jay Carney recently said once again that "this White House is the most transparent White House ever." Wow! Really? Does he live in one of the states where you can easily get marijuana? Does he have a different definition of "transparent" than the rest of the planet? Maybe he is using the Obama unabridged dictionary that defines words based on the meaning needed at the time? Maybe he really meant to say the "least transparent" White House? Or maybe he is just one very confused man. If comments like, "you can keep your doctor," his proposal wouldn't "increase our deficit by a single dime," there's "not even a smidgeon of corruption" in the IRS, the Benghazi tragedy occurred because of a bad video, and so many more are "true" according to the White House definition of "true," then I guess Mr. Carney's definition of "transparency" must also be "true." Mr. Obama has been honest with us with about almost nothing he has said. [more...]

Kardashians - The Kash Kows of Business

By Michelle Seiler-Tucker

Believe it or not, there's a lot we as entrepreneurs can learn from the Kardashian family about running a business. Gasp and clutch your pearls if you will, but the money doesn't lie. It seems that the Kardashian Klan has built a religion around fame, fortune, and frolic worth hundreds of millions of dollars. With a plethora of licensing partnerships estimated at a staggering $65 million in 2010 alone, Kardashian, Inc. is a business worth the praise. [more...]

More Heavy Weaponry for Syrian Rebels?

By Joseph Klein

President Obama is considering ramping up military support to the Syrian rebels, who are increasingly dominated by jihadists. American anti-tank missiles have already appeared in videos in the hands of rebel forces. According to an April 21st report in Time Magazine, the White House is now considering sending the rebels shoulder-fired surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles known as manpads. In the wrong hands, such missiles could be used to take out commercial aircraft. [more...]

Frustrated New York Mother Vents on Common Core Worksheet: 'Go back to basic math!'

By Kyle Olson

Some parents have had quite enough of the crazy, convoluted and sometimes error-filled Common Core math worksheets. Deanne Knight is one of them, and she let her feelings be known. Her daughter's worksheet, which came from the New York Department of Education's EngageNY lesson plan Web site and was emblazoned with "NY's Common Core Mathematics Curriculum," asks students to review a fictitious student's work and circle the correct mathematical procedure. The second portion of the lesson has students "fix the student work that was incorrect by making new drawings in the space below." What follows is a series of long lines and circles – apparently adding up to the desired answer: 25. Students are then supposed to write "a suggestion for improvement." At that point, Knight couldn't help it. She wrote in large letters on her daughter's worksheet: "Go back to basic math! – mom's opinion!" [more...]

Christian Films Have Hollywood Believing

By James Hirsen

Moviegoers can expect to see a lot more films with faith-oriented themes coming their way. Why? Quite simply, faith-based movies are turning out to be phenomenally profitable ventures.

Ten years ago Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of the Christ" demonstrated that Christians would happily pack multiplexes in their show of support for authentically respectful films on faith. Gibson’s biblically based box-office blockbuster cost about $30 million to make and yielded more than $378.5 million domestically.

On the heels of a solid small-screen run as the Mike Seaver character in the 1985-1992 sitcom "Growing Pains," Kirk Cameron parlayed his television success into full-fledged Christian box-office achievement. Cameron plays the lead role in the 2008 film "Fireproof," which pulled in more than $33 million on a relatively small production budget of $500,000.  His "Courageous" follow-up film grossed $34.5 million, with a modest production cost tally of only $2 million. [more...]

4-17-14 Expert Guests for Your Show

1. Wayne Allyn Root: Why is Senator Harry Reid So Concerned with a Nevada Rancher?

2. Dr. Larry Kawa: Democrats Think Twice About Medicare Cuts

3. Kyle Olson: Proposed Common Core Standards Omit 'Liberty' from List of America's Founding Principles

Why is Senator Harry Reid So Concerned with a Nevada Rancher?

By Wayne Allyn Root

I live in Las Vegas. I live and breathe Nevada politics. Something is very wrong. Something smells rotten in the Nevada desert. And Senator Harry Reid's fingerprints are all over it. I am, of course, referring to the Bundy Ranch siege - a dispute between a Nevada ranching family with rights to the land in question for 140 years and the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). The government claims they haven't paid grazing fees for 20 years. The result was a government assault on the ranch - including snipers with assault rifles, SUVs, helicopters, airplanes and over 200 heavily armed troops. Whether you come down on the side of the government or the ranch family, I think all of us can agree this was excessive force. [more...]

Democrats Think Twice About Medicare Cuts

By Dr. Larry Kawa

You can tell that election season is near. I can hear the sounds of backpedaling and political double-talking at every corner. Everyone knows that the Democrats approved huge cuts to Medicare and its various programs in the name of its sacred cow, Obamacare. Yet at every turn, Democrats have been trying to either distance themselves or undo the damage that they've caused to seniors through their cuts on Medicare. One of the major cuts that they are now trying to undo, prior to the election, are the cuts to Medicare Advantage, a privatized Medicare program that is very popular amongst seniors. [more...]

Proposed Common Core Standards Omit 'Liberty' from List of America's Founding Principles

By Kyle Olson

Common Core is only related to English and math, as some "conservative" proponents say. Yeah, right. The state of New York is currently proposing a set of Common Core social studies standards for kindergarten through 8th grade students. Among the standards is how students will learn about the history of America. On page 32, the draft document deals with "civic ideals and practices." - "The United States is founded on the principles of democracy, and these principles are reflected in all types of communities," it reads. [See how they changed it...]

4-16-14 Excellent Guests for Your Show

1. Dave Bego: Administration and Big Labor Desperation Escalates

2. Lowell Ponte: 30 Percent of Entire Year Goes to Taxes

3. Kyle Olson: Why are USDA Employees Offering Grandparents Breastfeeding Tips?

4. John LeBoutillier: The Sebelius Resignation, Obamacare, and more...

Administration and Big Labor Desperation Escalates

By Dave Bego

Activity by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Department of Labor (DOL) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as several of the largest labor unions, over the past two weeks evidences the Obama Administration's growing anxiety as the mid-term election approaches. The Administration, facing loss of the Senate and ultimate control in both houses, continues to direct its agencies to pass union-friendly regulations and to impose its interpretation of current law to favor accelerated forced unionism. The Administration and Democratic Party represent a typical symbiotic relationship where they are codependent upon each other for future survival. The Administration needs union contributions and union foot soldiers to have any chance of maintaining a senate majority and making gains in the house during the 2014 mid-term elections. Conversely, Big Labor is finally recognizing and admitting that their declining membership is a major problem and they need the Administration's help. [more...]

30 Percent of Entire Year Goes to Taxes

By Lowell Ponte

How much tax are you paying? How much is government taking out of your life? These are trick questions because, truth be told, nobody can answer them with certainty. The Tax Foundation calculates that "Tax Freedom Day," the day you cease being a serf for Uncle Sam and begin working for yourself and your family, for the average American is April 21. By this measure, just paying your taxes to federal, state, and local governments takes an average of 111 days - three days longer than last year, and more than 30 percent of your entire year. This burden varies widely by state, the Tax Foundation calculates. In the lowest-taxed state, Louisiana, Tax Freedom Day arrived on March 30. In the highest-taxed states, Connecticut and New Jersey, taxpayers will labor until May 9, to pay what their politicians demand. [more...]

Why are USDA Employees Offering Grandparents Breastfeeding Tips?

By Kyle Olson

Do you still need to be convinced that government bureaucrats spend most of their time justifying their own existence? The U.S. Department of Agriculture – the department that oversees the National School Lunch Program – is now offering tips to grandparents about ways they can influence what their grandchildren eat. Trish Britten, a nutritionist for the department, also offers resources on breastfeeding for grandparents. Besides being a bit weird, is that even possible? Has anyone ever heard of a baby breastfeeding from its grandmother? [more...]

The Sebelius Resignation, Obamacare, and more...

By John LeBoutillier

On this week's POLITICAL INSIDERS, we analyzed the political effects of the Kathleen Sebelius resignation, the continuing unpopularity of Obamacare, the White House's attempt to energize the Left, and the Republican strategy to win control of the Senate in November. Watch our shows here: Sunday Part 1, Part 2 and Monday on the Dot Com. [more...]

4-15-14 Great Guests for Your Show

1. Wayne Allyn Root: How the Bundy Ranch Scandal Blew up in the Faces of Obama, Harry Reid and BLM

2. Dr. Larry Kawa: Sebelius Resigns After the Greatest Alleged Comeback Story of Obamacare

3. Christina Tobin: Why Journalists are Leaving U.S. Networks

4. Joe Messina: The Nevada Rancher Standoff

5. John LeBoutillier: Has Sebelius Been Set Up to be the Fall Gal for ObamaCare?  Has the GOP Already Blown the IRS Investigation?

How the Bundy Ranch Scandal Blew up in the Faces of Obama, Harry Reid and BLM

By Wayne Allyn Root

The government's assault on the Bundy Ranch sure didn't turn out the way the government expected. It appears the citizens have awoken from their long slumber. The cavalry arrived in the form of cowboys on horseback and armed militia members... and the government retreated. It was a scene out of the Wild West in the 1800's. Amazing. But that's not the truly amazing part. This entire attack on a hard-working, taxpaying Nevada ranching family has blown up in the face of Obama, Harry Reid and the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). The cavalry in this case was the INTERNET. Even U.S. Senators cannot operate in the shadows anymore. The cat's out of the bag. The minute a U.S. Senator's name was tied to this massive scandal, the government made a decision to retreat. Strange, huh? Coincidence? The people are demanding answers. And Senator Harry Reid is in the eye of the storm. [more...]

Sebelius Resigns After the Greatest Alleged Comeback Story of Obamacare

By Dr. Larry Kawa

Kathleen Sebelius allegedly signed up more people in the last two weeks of Obamacare than in the first two months. With two weeks to go, she had only 5 million signed for Obamacare. Then out of nowhere, over 2 million people mysteriously signed up for Obamacare. Normally, such a pull of so many people from literally out of the blue for a law that had been left for dead would have inspired a lot of questions. Those questions might include who are these mysterious 2 million people? Are they alive? (Remember, audits of voter rolls in 2008 and 2012 included many dead people). Did any of these people already have health insurance? Now, none of those questions will ever be answered. The Secretary of Health and Human Services who pulled off what would have been a near monumental feat upstaged what should have been the biggest Obamacare story of the year so far with an even bigger one - her own resignation. [more...]

Why Journalists are Leaving U.S. Networks

By Christina Tobin

For too many years, journalism seemed to have lost its bearings and lost sight of the crucial function free and diverse speech plays in a democracy. That may finally be changing. There is a huge difference between merely working for the news and working for an opinion show at a network. Oftentimes they are inaccurately viewed as synonymous to each other. Go here for prominent examples of journalists who have left their mainstream media outlets to pursue successful independent careers. You can see them at the United We Stand Festival on May 10th, 2014 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. [more...]

The Nevada Rancher Standoff

By Joe Messina

We have all been hearing about Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy who has been fighting the Bureau of Land Management for almost 20 years now. He feels that because his family settled the land in the early 19th century and has been using it since then, he has the right to ignore court orders - many court orders - and just keep the cattle there. Bundy sights the bogus claim that a "federally protected" desert tortoise started all this back in 1993. Eventually, Bundy also decided, because the property rights belonged to his family (and other technical issues), that he would stop paying grazing fees to the government. Try not paying your taxes for a few years and see what happens. [more...]

Has Sebelius Been Set Up to be the Fall Gal for ObamaCare?  Has the GOP Already Blown the IRS Investigation?

By John LeBoutillier

Is Kathleen Sebelius now the fall gal for all the Obamacare screw-ups? Are Democrats scrambling to talk about equal pay and minimum wage to jazz up their base? Has the GOP blown the IRS and Benghazi investigations? Do the American people want to surrender control of the Internet and space? This – and much more – will be discussed by the POLITICAL INSIDERS on Fox News Channel this Sunday evening at 7:30 PM ET. [more...]