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What Donald Trump’s New NASA Budget Really Means

A new NASA budget

President Trump signed the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 (NTAA) on March 21, approving a $19.5 billion budget for the space agency in 2018. The budget is NASA’s largest ever, increasing its 2017 allocation by $200 million and calming some fears that President Trump would slash NASA’s capabilities.

However, the NTAA still reflects a change in priorities and makes the White House’s directive very clear: get to Mars, and do it with the private sector. The budget targets a “human space flight mission to Mars in 2033” and demands that NASA “contract with an independent, non-governmental” organization to develop the mission. Private entities are mentioned elsewhere too, as the budget encourages their involvement with the International Space Station, the development of modern propulsion technology, and more. The President celebrated this shift while signing the budget, saying “the private sector will get to use these facilities, and I hope they’re going to be paying us a lot of money…”

Is this what Trump promised?

It’s not that simple. President Trump didn’t make specific campaign promises about NASA, but his pro-business attitude and statements about climate change had the scientific community rattled even before he took office.

The President has a history of public denials of climate change dating back to 2010, including an infamous series of tweets in which he claimed that the “concept of global warming” is a hoax developed by China to hurt American manufacturing. Trump softened his tone after the election, telling the New York Times he has an “open mind” and that there is “some connectivity” between humanity and climate change. This did little to satisfy the climate science community though, as senior Trump advisor Bob Walker told The Guardian the very next day that the Trump White House would make decisions about NASA “based upon solid science, not politicized science,” a clear reference to climate change.

While the new budget reflects President Trump’s pro-business agenda very clearly, it does not address the future of climate change research, leaving the issue up in the air.

What about all the headlines about Trump’s budget slashing science funds? 

What you’ve been reading about in articles like “Trump’s budget is everything scientists have been fearing” is true. The White House released a budget proposal on Thursday, March 16th with cuts to NASA that include:

$102 million of climate-related research

$115 million Office of Education

$88 million Robotic Refueling Mission

But that is NOT the same budget that President Trump signed on Tuesday.

Though the President traditionally submits a full budget proposal to Congress, it is rarely expected to become law. Instead, the proposal serves as a statement of the President’s priorities which can be referenced while Senators and Representatives develop various portions of the budget in the appropriate committees. 

In this case, the NASA budget had already been developed and passed. President Trump signed the NTAA on March 21, but it had been ready for his signature since March 9 – a week before the White House released its proposal. It’s unclear whether this timing was politically motivated, but Trump did not criticize the NTAA’s lack of cuts while signing the bill.

So climate change research is safe?

For now. Maybe.

Although the NTAA doesn’t include the cuts President Trump proposed, it also doesn’t protect any of those programs. In fact the budget never even mentions NASA’s Earth-science division, which is in charge of climate research. Furthermore, the Trump administration appears poised to reestablish the National Space Council, a body meant to foster communication and collaboration between NASA and the rest of the government. 

This does not necessarily mean that the White House will seek to exert more control over the agency, but in light of the NTAA’s special emphasis on Mars and the private sector (and the President’s stated desire to cut climate research projects), the scientific community has cause for a pessimistic outlook.

(Image courtesy of NBCnews.com)

[hitlistnews]

NETFLIX + COMCAST: the story and the facts in under 2 minutes

Netflix has committed to pay an undisclosed fee to Comcast in exchange for the latter connecting directly to Netflix’s video networks. The deal will restore faster Netflix streaming for Comcast customers, who have seen connection speeds drop a whopping 27% since last October. Find out what's going on and why you should care after the jump.

Why are connections slow in the first place? 

Thanks to a major court victory for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in January, companies like Comcast, Time-Warner Cable, and Verizon (who originally brought the issue to court) are no longer required to treat all websites equally. The ruling has many implications, but the most important is that high-traffic sites like Netflix can no longer expect the same kinds of connection speeds they previously enjoyed… unless they pay a price. 

Doesn’t that give the ISPs a ton of power? 

Short answer? Yes.

The January ruling is one of the most controversial internet-related court decisions ever made in the United States, and even the FCC (the regulatory agency that oversees the internet and other communication platforms) is attempting to re-write its own rules to prevent ISPs from “playing favorites” with websites. In their own defense, ISPs insist that because connecting to high-traffic sites requires more money and resources, the websites themselves should cover that cost.

But why is this news? I’m not Netflix or Comcast, so why care?

The major answer here is actually quite simple: we’re all going to end up footing the bill for this.

If Netflix’s costs rise, it will be only a matter of time before they need to raise their prices to stay competitive and profitable. And if this system can succeed for Netflix, ISPs will soon be able to force the same thing on other high-traffic sites. In a worst-case scenario, consumers could even end up paying special service charges on top of taxes and shipping from sites like Amazon and eBay.

A second   possibility is that this move could stifle competition and greatly disadvantage start-up companies.

If Netflix had faced these major costs to provide video streaming when it was first getting started, it’s entirely possible that the site never would have succeeded. It’s hard to imagine it now, but Netflix was once a very small company with a very small operating budget. Agreements like this one could threaten the future of internet innovation if young companies can’t even afford decent connections.

(Image courtesy of Politico.com)

Aakash Abbi is the founder of Hit List News. He can be reached via Twitter at @AakashAbbi or email at [email protected]

[hitlistnews]

MAJOR Developments in Ukraine (2/22)

Continuing on from our Timeline of Ukrainian Unrest, THE HIT LIST is back to report on recent developments in Parliament and in the streets.

PARLIAMENT VOTES TO REMOVE PRESIDENT YANUKOVYCH

Though Viktor Yanukovych indignantly referred to the Ukrainian protest movement as a coup on par with 1933 Germany, Parliament voted on Saturday to oust the embattled President and set new elections for May 25th of this year.

PROTESTORS OVERTAKE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

Taking control of the Parliament, Council of Ministers, and Presidential Administration buildings in Kiev"without a shot fired", opposition protestors forced former President Yanukovych to flee the city on Friday evening.

TYMOSHENKO TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Presidential candidate who opposed Yanukovych in 2010 and was jailed after making allegations of vote rigging and fraud, has officially announced her candidacy to be Ukraine’s next President. A new HIT LIST will be made to profile her and other contenders as the election pool becomes clear in the coming days and weeks.

NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET

Though the Western world has celebrated Ukraine's ouster of President Yanukovych by the pro-European Union protest movement, the risk of further instability remains. In southern and western regions of Ukraine such as Crimea and Lviv, there remains much support for the Russian government based on both ethnic and economic factors. In the eyes of many pro-Moscow Ukrainians, Yanukovych has been forced out of power in an illegal coup. As a result, counter-protests have already erupted and in Lviv a pro-Russian coalition has expelled its governor and assumed the powers of the President in rejection of the coup. Civil war is a very real threat, and THE HIT LIST will continue to report on this sensitive landscape.

(Image courtesy of CNN.com)

Aakash Abbi is the founder of Hit List News. He can be reached via Twitter at @AakashAbbi or by email at [email protected]

[hitlistnews]

Unrest in Ukraine: Everything You Need To Know In 3 Minutes or Less

                       Note: Due to the nature of this ongoing story, we have chosen to create a timeline of events up to and including today (February 21). Future Hit Lists about the issue, should violence continue, will reference this timeline. 

THE TIMELINE

1991 – Parliament declares independence from the USSR in August, and 90% of the population votes in favor of independence during a December referendum.

  2004 – Viktor Yanukovych, the sitting Prime Minister and pro-Russia candidate for President, claims victory in the election. After much controversy and accusations of vote rigging, the Supreme Court calls for a re-run. Yanukovych loses the second election and resigns as PM.

  2010 – Yanukovych runs for President once again and is victorious. His opponent, the sitting PM, makes accusations of vote rigging and fraud and is arrested soon after. She remains in prison today.

  Nov 21, 2013 – President Yanukovych publicly announces that Ukraine will halt a trade agreement that would improve Ukraine/European Union relations in favor of a closer relationship with Russia, leading to immediate protests.

  Nov 24 – 100,000 people are present at a protest in Kiev, the largest since 2004’s disputed election.

  Nov 30 – Protestors are attacked during a police raid, and graphic images of injured civilians help the story gain traction in international media. Opposition leaders organize a Dec 1 protest of nearly 300,000 people and seize Kiev’s City Hall from government control.

  Dec 17 – Russia announces plans to purchase $15 billion in Ukrainian bonds and also greatly lower the price of Russian-sourced natural gas for Ukrainians.

  Jan 16 – Parliament passes extremely strict anti-protest laws, drawing great criticism.

  Jan 22 – The first fatalities of the crisis are recorded, with three protestors dying during altercations with police; two are killed after being fired upon with live ammo.

  Jan 28 – In an effort to decrease national tensions, parliament repeals the anti-protest laws that had sparked the recent violence and Yanukovych’s Prime Minister resigns.

  Feb 16 – Opposition leaders initiate a trade with the government; in exchange for the amnesty of 234 previously imprisoned activists and protestors, Kiev City Hall is returned to government control.

  Feb 18 – After parliament fails to enact reforms that would limit the powers of the President, protests reach a new boiling point; 26 people (including 10 police officers) are killed and hundreds are injured; protestors re-take control of Kiev City Hall.

  Feb 20 – A cease-fire “truce” is announced and lasts merely hours before violence erupts in the streets once again. Over 20 protestors have been reported killed, as well as one police officer. Reports allege that some protestors have died of single gunshot wounds, signifying the use of snipers by Ukrainian security forces.

  Feb 20 (cont) – Three ministers from the European Union and a Russian envoy are sent to Ukraine to negotiate a deal before violence escalates further.

  Feb 21 – A new settlement is reached between opposition leaders and the Yanukovych administration; it includes an agreement for early presidential elections and constitutional reductions of presidential powers.

Feb 21 (cont) - The Ukrainian Parliament votes to release Yulia Tymoshenko from prison. She was Yanukovych's opponent in the 2010 election and had been jailed since accusing the President of vote rigging and fraud.

So... what's next?

The unfortunate truth is that there is no guarantee the violence has ended for good. Russia's refusal to recognize the agreement has raised suspicion about Moscow's future intentions, and many protestors have already criticized the fact that President Yanukovych will not be resigning as part of the agreement.

However, there is optimism among opposition leaders. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, one of the three Parliament leaders who signed the new agreement on behalf of the protest movement, declared that those who are unsatisfied will be placated by concrete steps in the right direction.

"People will never trust any kind of signature," he said. "People will trust real action."

(Image courtesy of News.com.au)

Aakash Abbi is the founder of Hit List News. He can be reached via Twitter at @AakashAbbi or email at [email protected]

[hitlistnews]

Crisis in Venezuela: The 3 Things EVERY American Should Know

                      NOTE: Censorship in Venezuela has greatly impacted our access to primary sources for this story. Many of our facts are sourced from Caracas Chronicles (caracaschronicles.com), a progressive news blog that we have determined trustworthy enough to cite. In the interest of The Hit Lists’s impartiality, we have taken care to report only the facts and none of the opinion-based “noise”.

First things first: what’s going on in Venezuela?

Violence and chaos reign.

Caracas Chronicles reports that many major cities “have become virtual war zones,” with government military and police firing tear gas and buckshot at protestors in the streets as well as into residential buildings. There is also video surfacing of government-backed bike gangs called colectivos firing live rounds at protestors in the streets and the National Guard firing on civilians.

  Though accurate information about real-time events is hard to come by, social media has painted a scene of brutality with no end in sight. Reports from inside Venezuela insist that protestors and bystanders alike have been subject to violent beatings, arson, and even murder.

  But as Audrey M. Dacosta reports for Caracas Chronicles, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s message to his people is not one that condemns the violence. In the midst of a nationwide media blackout, the President appeared on television and radio to address the marauding bands of government-backed gangs and told the nation: “I can give you guarantees that what those colectivos are doing is working, producing.”

How did this happen all of a sudden?

The short answer: it didn't. The violence in Venezuela is a product of protests that had reached monumental proportions before Wednesday’s eruption, and those protests were a product of over a decade of frustration.

  After taking over the Presidency from Hugo Chávez about 10 months ago, Maduro has overseen a downturn in Venezuela that has caused the government’s budget deficit grow by 50% and the economy suffer to the point of 56% inflation and a downgrading of government bonds to “junk” status by Moody’s. As a result, Venezuelans have been left desperate for change; many even lack basic necessities like food and clean water.

  The government’s strategy in response to its economic issues has been to blame American influences and the “parasitic bourgeoisie” of Venezuela for the nation’s woes, and this failure to take responsibility has increased unrest and dissent against Maduro’s administration.

How long has all this been happening?

Protests and civil unrest in Venezuela aren’t anything new, but tensions have increased greatly since Maduro took office last April. Things seemed to come to a head just one week ago, thanks mainly to one man: Leopoldo Lopez.

Lopez is an opposition leader who has recently come to prominence as a leader of the country’s dissatisfied and fed up young people. On Venezuela’s Youth Day last week, Lopez organized protests of students that led to clashes with police and the military; after all was said and done that day, 3 protestors were dead, many more were injured, and Lopez himself was arrested on murder and terrorism charges. Those charges have since been dropped and replaced with new ones for arson and conspiracy. The blood shed on Youth Day seems to have been the catalyst for larger demonstrations, and the Maduro government (which has openly accused opposition leaders of attempting to overthrow him) has responded in brutal fashion.

(Photo courtesy of Caracas Chronicles)

Aakash Abbi is the founder of Hit List News. He can be reached via Twitter at @AakashAbbi or email at [email protected]

[hitlistnews]

7 Reasons Why Millennials and Obamacare Will Transform Politics In 2014

Does this mean lots of millennials are signing up for Obamacare? – On the contrary, one of the reasons the healthcare law has become a major issue for young people is that very few of them have enrolled. In some states, only about 25% of enrollees are under the age of 35. 

They have the right to not sign up, so what’s the problem? – Unfortunately, low youth enrollment could end up crippling the new program before it can stabilize. Because insurance is based on risk-sharing, it is important for young and healthy people to buy plans. In the long run most of them will spend more on insurance than they receive in benefits, and that profit is used to pay for the care of older and sicker individuals who can cost insurance companies up to 6 times more to cover. Without healthy people to balance things out, prices will have to rise in order to meet rising costs. 

Why wouldn’t a young person want “Affordable Care”? – It turns out that despite the law’s name, new health insurance policies aren’t always cheaper. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, many 18-34 year olds chose to live without insurance. There aren’t many reliable statistics out there to show how Obamacare increases costs for millennials, but anecdotal evidence paints a picture of “sticker shock”. What that means is that people who have previously chosen to stay uninsured (and pay full price for only the care they receive) are now legally required to buy insurance policies that could cost more than they’ve ever spent on healthcare in the past… that’s understandably scary, which is why many millennials could opt to remain uninsured. 

What makes President Obama so sure the system can work? – The White House has publicized a few major statistics in defense of the program.:

The most impressive one is that 50% of millennials are eligible for coverage that costs just $50 per month.  However, this number excludes the 36% of young people whose incomes are too low to make them eligible for the Obamacare marketplace; including those consumers, the number falls to 32%.

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act also point out that in Massachusetts, universal health care led to a decrease in the number of uninsured young adults from 21% all the way to 8%; supporters believe the ACA will yield similar results after some time has passed.

So… how does it affect politics? – Going into a midterm election year, the approval rating of the President is one of the most vital political statistics around. To the delight of Republicans, those approval ratings have reached milestone lows since the Obamacare debacle began. A Quinnipiac poll shows 54% of Americans disapprove of the President, and 51% of Americans aged 18-29 find that he is not “honest and trustworthy.” 

But Obama isn’t running in 2014. – This is true, but there will certainly be a ripple effect. The same Quinnipiac poll mentioned earlier reveals that that on issues of the economy, healthcare, and the budget, millennials now support Republicans in greater numbers. This is a major shift for a demographic that twice elected President Obama with two thirds of their votes, and could make midterm races in the House and Senate difficult to predict. Suddenly, the youth vote in America is up for grabs. 

The GOP must be celebrating, right? – Well… yes and no. There is definitely reason for the Republicans to be optimistic about their chances in 2014, and the fact that nearly 40 Democrats signed on with a Republican bill to change major parts of the ACA legislation last week serves as proof that opposing the President now might be a major boost for a Congressional candidate in November. 

But it would be unwise for Republicans to think that a victory in 2014 will cement their bid to reclaim the White House in 2016. Chris Cillizza points out in a piece for The Washington Post that outrage over Obamacare fueled the GOP’s resounding victories in the last mid-term elections but did not help the party out-muscle the Obama during the 2012 Presidential election. 

For the Republicans to seize power for the long term, they will need to do more than unite under the “anti-Obamacare” banner. As Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) put it, the GOP’s biggest hurdles to winning in 2016 are “structural and demographic,” meaning that the party “must appeal to groups that are currently outside their ranks.” 

These groups include women, minorities and - perhaps emerging as the most important group of all - millennials.

(Image courtesy of Politico.com)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of HitListNews.org. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

[hitlistnews]

3 Bizarre Facts about Hawaii's Marriage Equality Bill

An openly gay legislator voted against the bill. – Despite being a lesbian herself, Representative Jo Jordan was among the 19 “nay” voters when the Hawaii House of Representatives took up the marriage equality bill last week. As she explained to Honolulu Magazine, she took a principled stand against the bill for multiple reasons including that “the religious exemption was not adequate enough.” In most states where same-sex marriage has been legalized, the law protects the right of religious institutions and leaders to refuse to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Jordan described the religious exemption in Hawaii’s version of the marriage equality bill “too narrow” and expressed fears that “if we don’t create a measure that’s bulletproof…then the measure will go to the courts. And they will interpret it…and that will become the law of the land.” Representative Jordan has faced considerable backlash from LGBT groups but stands by her vote. 

The Hawaii Constitution may have already banned gay marriage. – In 1998, the citizens of Hawaii approved a ballot measure that added the clause “the legislature shall have the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples” to the state constitution.  According to Representative Bob McDermott (R), that clause means that the Hawaiian people believed they were voting to ban gay marriage 15 years ago – Rep. McDermott is currently suing the state in order to make his case. Opponents of McDermott’s lawsuit argue that the language of the amendment clearly states that the legislature has the power to determine marriage equality, not that the legislature is duty-bound to preserve opposite-sex marriages. McDermott has also proposed a new constitutional amendment that would change the original amendment’s language and explicitly ban same-sex marriage; unfortunately for him, admitting that the current amendment is not explicit is an implied admission that the amendment is not a ban on gay marriage.

Over 5000 opponents of the bill tried a “citizens’ filibuster”. –  5,184 Hawaiian citizens registered to testify in opposition to the bill, and over 1000 of them actually gave speeches. Others protested outside the state house, signed petitions and form letters, and lobbied in their communities. Many ideas were expressed in the course of the citizens’ filibuster: some alleged that the bill would cause schools to teach “the homosexual lifestyle”, one 7-year-old girl read a written statement asking “why would a child want to be in a house with one man and one man or one woman and woman?”, and the head of Hawaii’s police union declared that “you would have to kill [him]” before he enforced marriage equality.

BONUS: The bill is virtually guaranteed to become a law. – The state senate had previously approved the bill by a staggering vote of 20-4 and is only required to re-address it because the House made some minor changes. Governor Neil Abercrombie has already pledged to sign a marriage equality bill.

(Photo courtesy of PolicyMic.com)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of HitListNews.org. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

[hitlistnews]

7 Easy and Effective Ways to Help Victims of Typhoon Haiyan - TheHitList

Text “TYPHOON” to 80888 – This will immediately initiate a $10 donation to the Salvation Army, and the charge will appear on your next phone bill. This is hands down, without a doubt the easiest and most effective way to do your part to aid the recovery, and the Salvation Army has announced that 100% of all donations to the disaster relief fund will go directly into relief operations.

Texting “TYPHOON” to 80108 will also initiate a $10 donation to the mGive Foundation.

Donate money now – Cash is always the preferred donation for any disaster relief organization. Donations of goods (like clothing, shoes, or even medicine) are generous and kind, but are very expensive to transport to the disaster area and are sometimes not worth accepting because they cost more to ship than they are worth. Direct donations help organizations like the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), World Food Programme, and UNICEF pay to send immediate aid and assistance to disaster victims.

Google’s CrisisMap – After any major disaster, Google sets up an interactive map of all the relevant information you’ll need in order to directly participate in relief efforts. The Typhoon Haiyan map includes the locations of all evacuation centers, hospitals, and police outposts across the Philippines, and can be useful in helping coordinate shipments of supplies as well as locating missing friends and family members.

Use the Tracking Services – In the aftermath of a major natural disaster, some organizations set up services that help friends and family members track down their missing loved ones:

The Philippine Red Cross has set up a Google Form to help friends and family members trace the whereabouts of missing persons in the aftermath of the storm. Users enter information about the missing person (such as their full name and last known location) and will be informed by PRC when that person is located.

Google’s Person-Finder allows users to enter information about a missing person OR about a found survivor who is attempting to get in touch with their family.

Donate Blood – You may not think that donating blood here in America can help disaster victims all the way in the Philippines, but the more blood the American Red Cross has in its possession nationwide, the more it can afford to send abroad! The blood you donate in New York might not actually make it to a typhoon victim, but it will help the Red Cross send more blood in general.

Donate Your Time (or help someone else do it) – Medical response agencies like Doctors Without Borders and International Medical Corps are known for sending volunteers into disaster zones to help care for the wounded and the sick. If you are a medical professional, consider donating your expertise to the relief efforts; if you are not a doctor or nurse, a donation to either organization will help fund the transportation of volunteers to and from the disaster sites.

Be careful! – Unfortunately, there are always people looking to take advantage of the generosity of others. Look out for scammers and never donate money through a link that you see on social media or donate to an organization you haven’t heard of before! Always go to the charity's homepage and donate through their secure website, or else your funds may end up in a scammer's pocket. If you’re unsure about a particular charity, try using Charity Navigator or GuideStar to determine whether or not they can be trusted.

(Image courtesy of CNN.com)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of HitListNews.org. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

[hitlistnews]

Five Interesting and Surprising Facts About Veterans - HitListNews

America is home to almost 22 million veterans. – That’s a population more than twice as large as the entire nation of Greece. 7.4 million of today’s living veterans served during the era of the Vietnam War, while 5.4 million have served in one or both of the Gulf Wars. Astonishingly, over 1.6 million of America’s veterans served in World War II.

There are nearly 2 million female veterans. – Comprising close to 10% of the veteran population, the female demographic is quickly growing within the military. Today, 14% of military personnel are women, up from just 2 percent in 1950.

Veterans vote WAY more than the rest of us. – In the 2008 presidential election, national voter turnout was 61%. In contrast, 71% of veterans went out to the polls that day. The difference was even more stark in the 2010 midterm elections, when 57 percent of veterans put the national turnout of 40% to shame.

Hiring veterans is a growing national trend... – The post-war struggles of American veterans are well-documented, and as recently as February2013, the unemployment rate for veterans was 22% higher than the national rate. Fortunately, many employers across the country do their part to help thank their servicemen and women for their sacrifice. The United States Postal Service employs over 130,000 vets, comprising 22% of the company’s total workforce. Similarly, Starbucks has recently announced a campaign to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses by 2018.

...but our servicemen and women need more than just jobs.

It is projected that 33% of all soldiers who served or are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan will experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at some time in their lives; most of them will have the experience within their first few months home.

Up to 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have or will resort to self-medication through drugs and alcohol upon their return from war.

Over 8000 veterans committed suicide in 2010, the most recent year for which accurate figures are available.

Over 62,000 veterans are homeless.

For their bravery and sacrifice, America’s veterans deserve the employment opportunities and mental healthcare and treatment they have earned many times over. If you are interested in supporting veterans in your community, we at The Hit List recommend that you consider donating to one of the following charity organizations. All are rated “A” or better by CharityWatch.org, which rates an organization’s transparency and the percentage of funds that are used directly for aid instead of operating costs:

Armed Services YMCA of the USA

Fisher House: Helping Military Families

Homes for Our Troops

Wounded Warrior Project (not rated by CharityWatch)

(Image courtesy of mass.gov)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of HitListNews.org. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

[hitlistnews]

HIT LIST NEWS - 4 State Elections With Surprising National Impact

New Jersey Governor: Presidential Preview? – This race between the incumbent Republican Chris Christie and Democratic state Senator Barbara Buono doesn’t have anyone on the edge of their seats… Christie, who enjoys uncommon popularity in the very “blue” New Jersey, is expected to win re-election in a landslide. However, a larger victory for the Governor could have national impact as a major boost to Christie’s presidential campaign.  Christie is a particularly interesting candidate for president in 2016 because he is widely considered a moderate who could help the Republican Party evolve and survive in the future.

  His critics point out that Christie’s positions against LGBT rights, women’s rights, the environment, and more prove that he is not as moderate as his reputation would suggest, which only adds to the intrigue of his possible 2016 run.

Virginia Governor: A Test for Both Parties – In a state where the sitting President’s party has failed to capture the governorship for over 35 years, Democrat Terry McAuliffe has held a lead over Republican Tea Partier Ken Cuccinelli for most of the campaign. This election is the most important of 2013 by far, mostly because it will have far-reaching consequences for both parties no matter what the result:

Democrats “Get Out the Vote”: McAuliffe has taken a page out of President Obama’s book by targeting women, minorities, and young people during his campaign. He is outspending Ken Cuccinelli TV ads by a ratio of 10-to-1, focusing hard on issues like contraception and minority empowerment. If this strategy proves to be successful, it would almost surely become the Democrats’ national gameplan in the 2014 midterm elections. However, it is uncertain whether black voters will turn out in large numbers without Barack Obama on the ballot.

Tea Party Testing Ground: After being “pummeled” by opponents on issues ranging from abortion to the environment, Ken Cuccinelli must appeal to the most conservative voters in Virginia in order to win the election. His campaign has focused hard on issues like EPA regulation of the coal industry and the nationwide gun debate in order to attract votes.

Libertarian Spoiler?: Robert Sarvis, the Libertarian candidate for governor, has garnered up to 14% of the vote in some polling, which could be a major blow to the Cuccinelli campaign. The Republican candidate has garnered a major Libertarian endorsement from Ron Paul but Sarvis’s criticism of Cuccinelli’s socially conservative ideology could be a difference-maker in the election. Sarvis has no chance of winning today, but his performance could increase the relevance of the Libertarian Party in America.

Shutdown/Obamacare Backlash: Will Virginia voters punish either candidate for the actions of their party leaders in Washington? If Cuccinelli loses votes because of the shutdown or McAuliffe is hurt by his association with the Democrats and Obamacare, today’s election will be a major indication of the amount of damage control that campaigns will have to do in 2014.

New York City Mayor: Stop & Frisk On Trial – Democrat Bill de Blasio has a wide lead over Republican Joe Lhota in the polls and is expected to become New York City’s first democratic mayor in 20 years. De Blasio is popular among working class voters, but the central issue of the campaign has become the NYPD’s Stop-and-Frisk policy. The policy is widely considered racial profiling and may be unconstitutional, but versions of it are used in many cities nationwide. Lhota has supported the policy as an effective crime deterrent, but de Blasio has vowed to make its repeal a top priority. The fate of Stop-and-Frisk in New York City could spell out the future of the policy across the country.

Alabama’s First District: Tea Party vs. Establishment: Today marks the runoff election for the Republican nominee for Congress in Mobile, AL. Because of the conservative nature of the district, the nominee is virtually guaranteed to head to Washington. This race has national interest because it is the first test of the Tea Party’s resilience in this election cycle. Former State Senator Bradley Byrne, who was once a Democrat, has gotten much establishment support. However, he is opposed by the Dean Young, whose ultra-conservative views include heavy opposition to LGBT rights and insistence that President Obama was born in Kenya. As recently as Halloween, Young was pulling ahead of Byrne in some polls.

(Image courtesy of Vote4Tag.com)

Aakash Abbi is the managing editor of HitListNews.com. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @AakashAbbi

[hitlistnews]

THE HIT LIST - The 5 Things Everyone Needs To Know About the Shutdown/Debt Ceiling Deal

How did they finally end the shutdown? – Last night, President Obama signed a bill to end the 16-day government shutdown and raise the country’s debt ceiling. The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 81-18 and cruised through the House, 285-144. Approval was bipartisan, though nearly all 'nay' votes came from Republicans. The law funds the government until January 15th and raises the debt limit until February 7th; it also guarantees that all furloughed government employees will receive back-pay for their missed work. 

Wait… that’s only three months! – Yup, you read that correctly. The shutdown deal is a very temporary measure that was designed to end the shutdown and raise the debt limit while lawmakers negotiate a more permanent budget deal. However, if a new deal can’t be struck by the January 15th deadline, there will be another shutdown. 

What were the compromises in the “deal”? – Surprisingly, there were virtually zero compromises! The “deal” is a very cut-and-dry bill that serves mostly to fund government and raise the debt ceiling (though it takes 35 pages to do it!). 

The one concession that’s included in the bill relates to the Republican demands that Obamacare enrollees have their incomes fully verified to avoid letting anyone scam the program for subsidies they aren’t entitled to. The ACA already included verification systems, but the GOP hoped for stricter procedures. The law signed last night will not do that, but will require the Department of Health and Human Services to release two extra reports about the security of their income verification system. It’s considered a very small change – almost negligible. 

So it’s a temporary fix without any real changes? – Precisely. This practice of delaying a major debate instead of finding a legitimate solution has been described as “kicking the can down the road.” Yesterday’s deal is essentially a Band Aid on a wound that requires stitches. 

What happens next? – The law calls for a bipartisan budget committee led by Democrat and Senate Budget Committee chairwoman Patty Murray and Republican Congressman Paul Ryan. Murray has already gone on the record pledging that members of the new budget committee will look for “common ground” on which to base their negotiations. 

What’s encouraging is that the two sides actually do have some of that common ground! Both plans aim to cut spending, protect and reform Social Security and the tax code, and end the sweeping budget cuts that have become known as the Sequester. 

BONUS:  Chalk it up to Girl Power – It’s been pointed out that, of the 14 senators responsible for drawing up the deal, six were women. The 43% female makeup of the team is more than double the proportion of women in the Senate (20%!) and far eclipses the participation rate of men (8 of 80, or just 10% of male senators) in the bipartisan bill. One of the participating senators, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has said that she thinks women are more likely to reach bipartisan compromises of this nature because they are less fueled by political malice and are able to set emotions aside when working for the good of the nation. Girl Power indeed.

(Photo courtesy of ABC News<big><big)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of Hit List News. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

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5 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Govt Shutdown and Debt Ceiling

                          Don't think politics can make your jaw drop? Think again!

Today THE HIT LIST is trying something new - HitList Extras. In these occasional posts, instead of reporting "what you need to know" about a story, we'll tell you some of the most interesting and shocking details.

Only one man can call for a vote to end the shutdown – Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) recently went viral after he pointed out that the Republicans in the House Rules Committee literally changed the rules of Congress so that nobody except for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) could propose a vote on a “clean CR” which we previously explained is a bill that would end the shutdown without defunding Obamacare. Unless Eric Cantor allows it, the shutdown will not end. Even though 28 Republican representatives have said they would vote in favor of a clean CR, not even a majority of the House (not even a vote of 434-to-1!) can override Cantor's decision.

The shutdown costs $160m daily – Though official figures from the government will not come out until a few weeks after the shutdown actually ends, a market-research firm called IHS Inc. has reported its estimation that the shutdown is “draining an average of $160 million each workday”. This is a large increase over the cost of the 1995-96  shutdown, which cost $1.4 billion over the course of 27 days. Adjusted for inflation, that’s approximately $77.4 million per day – less than half the cost that IHS calculated for the current shutdown.

The government HAS defaulted on its debt before! – Because the US can’t be forced to default, there is a common misconception that the government can’t default. This is actually untrue, and it’s happened more than once! The first time was in 1790, when the government defaulted on overseas AND domestic loans. It happened again in 1814, and yet again in 1933 during the Great Depression, the US failed to repay the Treasury Department’s gold-based debts. The treasury has even defaulted on some of its bond loans as recently as 1979!

The US owes the most money to… itself? – Sensational reporting in the news media has led to a misconception that China owns more American debt than anyone else. While the People’s Republic is the federal government’s biggest creditor from outside the country, it only holds about 7.6% of our debt. The Pew Research center reports that a whopping 28.4%, or $4.76 trillion of the national debt is actually “owed to another arm of the federal government itself”! About $2.76 trillion is owed to Social Security trust funds, and the Federal Reserve holds another $2.10 trillion.

On a related note: Under the Obama administration, the amount of the national debt held by the American public has risen 90%.

Some Congressmen may have been drunk at work – Congress was in session on Saturday September 28 to discuss the possibility of averting the government shutdown, but it seems that not everyone was interested in working hard towards a compromise. Reporters for both Politico and Buzzfeed tweeted that some Reps were definitely drinking on the job – including on the House floor.

                             (Images courtesy of qpaintings.com and Huffington Post)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of Hit List News. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

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Obamacare, pt. 2 - Five questions about the Federal Exchange that you need answered

How do the exchanges work? – As we explained in Part 1 of the Obamacare Series, the majority of Americans will not be affected by the new insurance exchanges. Only about 23 million people, or 7% of the population, will need to use the online insurance markets. 

The exchanges themselves have been described by the President as a Kayak.com for health insurance. At healthcare.gov, Americans will be able to input their income, location, number of dependents, and other information before the software offers them a list of plans for which they qualify. The average cost of a plan on the exchange has been calculated at about $328/month.

Is everyone without insurance required to join? – Actually, no. There are closer to 60 million uninsured Americans today, but about 30 million of them will be exempt from exchanges for a number of reasons. People with low incomes, illegal aliens, some Native Americans, and even the IRS employees union will seek exemption. Some entire states have also gotten exemption through the State Innovation Waiver, which allows them to skip out on the insurance exchanges if they independently reform statewide healthcare in a way that is just as comprehensive and affordable as the ACA.

What do the law’s supporters say? – The exchanges have numerous advocates; some of their main arguments about the plans that qualify for exchanges are listed below:

Affordability: In order to qualify for the exchanges, private insurance plans must follow the 80/20 rule, meaning that companies must spend 80% of their revenue on healthcare only. If a company can’t spend enough to reach that 80% benchmark, the difference will be refunded in the form of tax breaks and lower rates for low-income individuals.

Prevention: The ACA requires all plans to offer preventive services like genetic testing for women who may be at higher risk for breast cancer at no cost to the patient. This mandate is also expected to keep long-term costs low, as preventive care has been proven to lower future medical spending.

Access: Two of the most well-known provisions of ACA-qualifying insurance plans are the raised age limits for children to stay on their parents’ insurance plans and the end of insurers denying patients for having pre-existing conditions. Young people will now have access to their parents’ insurance until they turn 26. 

What are some criticisms? – The ongoing government shutdown has brought the opposition to the Affordable Care Act back into the spotlight in American politics, and arguments against Obamacare exchanges are numerous:

Rate of Spending: Obamacare supporters insist that affordability of healthcare is key, but detractors insist that when costs eventually rise the system will not be sustainable. It has been shown that the recent decrease in medical spending is a result of the recession, not changes in the industry.

Bad for Jobs: The ACA only requires businesses with 50+ employees to provide insurance to those working full-time. The law explicitly sets “full time” at 30 hours per week, and many businesses have responded by cutting their staffs and/or employees’ hours to avoid having to pay. The Congressional Budget office has estimated that Obamacare could cause 7 million people to lose their jobs.

Bad for Seniors: Some of the provisions of the ACA include reductions in Medicare payouts to hospitals and home health care companies. For both doctors and patients involved in senior citizens’ healthcare, this has caused a financial burden. 

Are there alternatives? – Though it does not offer many, the ACA does include special exemptions from the for certain healthcare organizations. "Cost-sharing ministries" run by religious communities cover the healthcare costs of their members using only monthly fees that tend to be far lower than those of insurance companies. Instead of charging premiums based on a member’s health, the cost-sharing ministries collect equal fees from all members and pay out for anyone when needed.

(Photo, a word cloud showing the most-used words in the Affordable Care Act, courtesy of TexasTribune.com)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of HitListNews.org and can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

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The 6 Things You Need To Know About Janet Yellen

FOR A PRIMER ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND ITS CHAIRMAN, CHECK OUT THIS HIT LIST.

Who is Janet Yellen? – One of today’s most notable economists, she is currently the Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve. She has taught at UC Berkeley and Harvard, and was also a senior advisor to President Clinton. She is married to Nobel Prize-winning economist George Akerlof, and the two have a son who is also an economist. Yellen has been called one of the 50 Most Influential people in economics by Bloomberg Markets.

What are her beliefs? – As we have previously discussed, Yellen is considered a dove when it comes to monetary policy. She believes the best way to grow the economy is to set low interest rates on loans; low rates lead consumers to borrow and spend money, and doves believe that stimulates the economy. (Hawks, who disagree, believe that low interest will lead to inflation and hurt the value of the US dollar.) 

Yellen’s top priority is unemployment. She has advocated for low interest rates to help businesses borrow the money to hire more workers, arguing that it wouldn’t cause inflation in the current economy. So far under the current chairman’s policies of low interest rates, Yellen's prediction has been right. 

How will she run the Fed? – Fortunately, there isn’t much mystery surrounding Yellen’s ideology. As Vice Chair of the Fed she has supported current Chairman Ben Bernanke and she is likely to continue his work. Below, we outline some of the changes we can expect:

Tougher Regulation: Yellen has admitted that the crash of 2008 helped transform her beliefs about regulation; she used to believe in letting regulators react to problems as they occurred, but now has more faith in strict rules to keep big banks in line.

Transparency: Yellen has a reputation for being transparent as a leader of the Fed. Under her, the Fed actually announced its goals for unemployment and inflation for the first time ever. Many people believe that this kind of open communication will help the Fed make the best possible decisions for the nation’s economic recovery.

Aggressive Policy: Yellen has supported the dove-ish policies of the Bernanke-led Fed, but if she is confirmed we can expect to see her accelerate the process and begin attacking unemployment issues ASAP. 

What do her supporters say? – Advocates for Yellen would point to her outstanding record as a respected economist in academia and in public policy. 

She has the most accurate predictions of the economy’s progress since the 2008 crisis than ANY other Fed leader, which her allies say is proof that she understands the economy well enough to be Chair. 

Though critics say she would cause inflation, Yellen can point to a history of being very rational about inflation in general. As far back as 1996, she proved that she will advocate for raising interest rates if it is in the interest of the American people. That statement helped her attract many allies, even among those who disagree with her ideology. 

What do her critics say? – The obvious criticisms of Yellen come from monetary hawks. They believe that continuing the current Fed policies of low interest rates and Quantitative Easing will not help the economy grow and fully recover from the 2008 collapse. 

Yellen also faces criticism from those who, believe she will not be worried enough about rising inflation when the economy finally gets back on track. Very high inflation, especially immediately following an economic recovery, could cause more damage to world markets than the collapse ever did. 

Others  actually criticize the transparency and communication that she helped to foster as Vice Chair, writing that it has “served much more to confuse than to help” because different Fed leaders offer contradictory opinions and advice very often. 

Will she be confirmed? – For the most part, people seem convinced that she will be easily confirmed. 

However, there are some concerns surrounding her upcoming confirmation. When the Obama Administration was actively pushing for Larry Summers to succeed Ben Bernanke, the White House allegedly orchestrated a bit of a smear campaign against Yellen, spreading the idea that she is a selfish leader and too dove-ish to worry about inflation in the future. This could hurt her confirmation bid, but it is still very likely that she will get the job in the end.

(Photo courtesy of CNN.com)

Aakash Abbi is the Managing Editor of HitListNews.org. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

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A Note to Our Tumblr Followers

                        We never expected to see a response from the Tumblr community, and it's been great to see people Like and Re-blog our posts! We just wanted to personally say thanks to you guys for helping us expand our reach with other Tumblr users.

As young guys without a lot of money to put into this project, we rely on our followers to spread the word and help educate their friends and family.

Please keep reading, and if you like what you see then please keep Liking and Re-blogging the content! We're not making a dime off of this blog, but the whole thing is worth it when we see people sharing our articles and helping their friends and family get informed. That was always the goal, and after just a few weeks we're seeing it happen!!!

Much love and many thanks,

Aakash+Andrew

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THE HIT LIST - Obamacare Basics: Everything You Need To Know, pt. 1

What is Obamacare? - Officially called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law served to overhaul America's healthcare and insurance industries in one of the largest reforms ever attempted by an American President. Signed into law on March 23, 2010, the reform was dubbed "Obamacare" by Republican opponents of the law and the name has stuck. 

What does it do? - The major purpose of the ACA was to help provide medical insurance for the millions of Americans who were previously uninsured for financial, social, and health reasons. As of mid-September of 2013, it is estimated that 48 million Americans have zero health insurance. The law creates new opportunities for people who struggle financially; it also tightens regulations on insurance companies so that patients cannot be denied coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions. Other features of "Obamacare" include consumer assistance, free preventive care programs, and protections against healthcare fraud.

Will it affect me? - As usual, the answer is "maybe". The ACA will mostly only affect uninsured Americans, because they will now have to either enroll in government programs or pay a fine. As a rough guideline, anyone whose income is between 133-400% of the federal poverty level (between $15-46k for individuals and $31k-94k for a family of 4) and does NOT already have insurance will need to start paying for it very soon.

Those who are below 133% of the poverty level will qualify for Medicaid thanks to an expansion of the program by the new healthcare law. Not all states are required to expand Medicaid in this way, but states that don't will miss out on cash incentives from the federal government. As of this writing, 29 states have implemented the expansion.

So if I have insurance from my job... - You're most likely going to be unaffected by the changes this new law brings about. Of the ~170 million Americans who are currently insured through their employer, about 4% (7 million) will lose their current coverage, usually because those plans don't meet the standards imposed by the ACA. Fortunately for those 7 million people, there are a couple of options for their future:

Companies with over 50 employees will be required to either provide new insurance or pay a heavy fine.

Statewide "exchanges" have been set up online, where consumers can shop for the best coverage that fits into their budgets. We'll cover the exchanges more thoroughly in an upcoming Hit List.

When does the law take effect? - Enrollment in new insurance policies began last Monday, October 1, at the Health Insurance Marketplace. Uninsured Americans can browse all the qualifying plans that are available in their state and compare prices and coverage to find the best product for them. President Obama has referred to the marketplaces, which are the same as the "exchanges" mentioned earlier, as the Amazon or Kayak.com of health insurance. Coverage purchased on the exchanges will go into effect on January 1 and enrollment will close on March 31 of next year. Anyone who misses that deadline will have to wait until the next enrollment period, likely this time next year.

But why is any of this controversial? - You aren't wrong to wonder that! On paper, this law looks extremely beneficial. The ACA is an ambitious piece of legislation and most people believe it has noble goals - President Obama isn't the first to try overhauling healthcare in America, but he is the first to succeed. However, there are MANY groups of people who are opposed to the ACA, and they are from diverse political and social backgrounds - it is important to know that, although "Obamacare" has become a major dividing issue between Republicans and Democrats, there are also many liberals who disagree with the law.

So what are some reasons to oppose it? - The arguments against the ACA are far too numerous to explain in just one Hit List, so we'll be explaining some of them in each part of our Obamacare Series. For starters, here are the most basic issues that Americans have with the healthcare law:

Individual Liberty: The "individual mandate" of the ACA, which requires uninsured Americans to pay a fine if they do not sign up for government insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, etc) or purchase a private policy, has been criticized as an abuse of government power. By making it illegal to refuse to spend money on healthcare, the government is essentially revoking citizens' rights to make free choices.

States' Rights: Because there are many federal regulations that need to be adhered to throughout the programs outlined by the ACA, many states have felt that their right to govern their own people has been infringed upon. States are offered cash incentives in the form of federal grants if they uphold federal standards, and that vital financial incentive is revoked for any state that chooses not to open its own federal exchange.

What happens next? - Unfortunately, the future is uncertain for the ACA. With federal statewide exchanges already open and "Obamacare" coverage set to kick in starting January 1, the program may continue successfully from here. However with the federal government currently shut down partially because of the Republican Party's ongoing efforts to repeal the law, the ACA is not yet safe from opposition.

STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEXT OBAMACARE HIT LIST -- we'll explain the Marketplace/Exchange and also outline some of the major arguments for and against the ACA.

(Photo courtesy of theeverlastinggopstoppers.com)

Co-Author Aleef Rahman, MPH, MBA, MSc, CPH is the Chief Operating Officer at mHealthology.org, a non-profit focused on mobile health technology to improve healthcare access for underserved communities. He can be reached at [email protected]

Co-Author Aakash Abbi is the founder of Hit List News and a student at the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi

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THE HIT LIST - Government shutdown explained in plain English

Refresher: How did this happen? – As we explained in our previous Hit List, today’s shutdown was prompted by the Tea Party’s attempts to end the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The Republican-led House passed a bill two weeks ago that would fund the government but also de-fund Obamacare. That bill was sent to the Senate, who despite Ted Cruz’s filibuster, passed a version of the same bill that did not end Obamacare. Without a bill to agree on, the two houses of Congress have locked horns and waited out the clock – at midnight last night, the government shutdown began.

What's the latest in Congress? – The House and Senate have played a game of back-and-forth politics in the past two weeks; as late as yesterday, the House passed yet another version of their bill with its Obamacare provisions still intact. The Democrat-led Senate rejected the deal yet again, and the shutdown became inevitable.

Will the shutdown affect me? – The effects of the shutdown were making themselves apparent as early as this morning. Because thousands of “non-essential” federal employees have been furloughed (sent home indefinitely and without pay), it’s been reported that traffic on the roads and crowding on mass transit was very light – an ominous vision of the large over-arching consequences of the shutdown. Some other effects that will be felt by everyday Americans:

The US Postal Service will NOT be affected because it is self-funding.

Most military personnel will receive pay, but only thanks to a resolution passed at the last minute. 

Social Security checks will continue to go out, but smaller staffs will probably delay new claims.

The TSA is an “essential” service, so airport security will continue as usual. However, passport offices will be closed.

The nation’s 400+ national parks and monuments will be closed; tourists are out of luck!

The Department of Health and Human Services will send home 52% of its staff. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will stop monitoring disease; this includes the flu.

The IRS will halt its auditing program, but taxes will continue to be collected.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) will be cut back, making gun permit requests process slower.

Trash collection in Washington, DC will halt.

That doesn't affect ME though - For the most part, individual people probably won't be directly hurt by the shutdown. Here are some consequences that could affect larger numbers of Americans' day to day lives:

The FDA will likely slow down or stop its routine food safety inspections.

Routine workplace safety inspections at factories, chemical plants, etc. will end

While the food stamp program (SNAP) will continue without a problem, other food assistance programs like WIC will shut down, leaving many families hungry.

Homebuyers will have to deal with major delays for their mortgages to be processed and approved.

But none of that sounds TOO terrible - It’s true. To the average American, the government shutdown will cause little or no negative effects in the first few days. However, as time goes on and shorthanded staffs continue to work slowly, the effects could snowball and the government could lose a great deal of money. After 20 days of shutdown in 1995-96, the federal government actually lost an estimated $1.4 billion. It is also worth noting that no matter how individual Americans are affected, the continuing media coverage of the shutdown will be sure to inspire mostly negative feelings about the situation.

When will it end? - When the House and Senate can manage to agree on the same version of the bill to fund the government, this will all finally be over. The only problem is that no one knows how long this will take.

Who will take the blame for this? – We previously explained that the Republican party leadership, especially in the Tea Party, believe they can use the shutdown to score a PR victory over the Democrats. With the 2014 elections coming up, the GOP and its Tea Party faction are hoping to expand their majority in the House when all 435 members of Congress will be up for re-election; up to 21 seats of those seats could change party hands in “toss-up” elections.

HOWEVER, recent polls have shown that this plan might backfire against the Republican Party. A poll conducted by ORC International on Friday found that while 36% of Americans said they would blame President Obama for a government shutdown, 46% would blame Republicans and 13% would blame both sides. With a margin of error of 3.5%, the poll found that the Republicans will likely take a majority of blame.

The poll also found that 57% of Americans oppose Obamacare; however, less than a third of the country believes that repealing the bill is more important than keeping the government running.

All in all, it looks as if the plan will backfire on the Republican Party. We'll just have to wait and see whether they can survive this backlash.

One last effect - In the midst of substantial cuts to critical government programs, Americans everywhere will have to deal with one last depressing effect of the shutdown. The PandaCam at the National Zoo, which features a 24-hour livestream of the activities of the Zoo's adorable Giant Pandas........ has been shut off indefinitely! Animal lovers worldwide will have to find their cuteness fix elsewhere.

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(Photo courtesy of GuardianLV.com)

Aakash Abbi is the managing editor of The Hit List. He can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter at @AakashAbbi