Stephanie Miller

Posts Tagged ‘Hal Sparks’

LiveBlog for Monday 12/28, Tuesday, 12/29, and Wednesday, 12/30/09

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Hey everyone! Steph and The Mooks are off this week, and Hal Sparks will be filling in on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Be good, and he might let you have some of the popsicles that are in the freezer!

Also, Hal will be broadcasting his show on video!  Watch the Show at his UStream Page!

In addition, you can follow Hal on Twitter!

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

schakowskyRep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about Obama’s Afghanistan speech, and about health care reform.

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

sparksHal Sparks joins us in studio at 8am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform and Obama’s Afghanistan speech.

• Declaring “our security is at stake,” President Obama ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops into the long war in Afghanistan last night, nearly tripling the force he inherited but promising an impatient public to begin withdrawal in 18 months. The buildup will begin almost immediately and will cost $30 billion for the first year alone

• Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) asserted yesterday during a rancorous floor debate that President Obama’s health care reform will shorten the lives of seniors by cutting Medicare. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) decried such comments as scare tactics designed to kill legislation that he said would improve some benefits for seniors. At times, the debate recalled the raw charges and countercharges of the summer’s town hall meetings.

• Copies of e-mails between the White House party crashers and a Pentagon official undermine their claims that they were invited to President Obama’s first state dinner.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

henicanEllis Henican, columnist for “Newsday,” calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about the news of the day, and preview his show on Friday when he fills in for Steph and the Mooks.

sparksHal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

• Alysa Binder, Executive Vice President and co-founder of Pet Airways, calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about the service her company provides.

• War-weary Americans will support more fighting in Afghanistan once they understand the perils of losing, President Obama declared yesterday, announcing he was ready to spell out war plans virtually sure to include tens of thousands more U.S. troops. Obama will make his case to the nation in a speech Tuesday night.

• Traditional evening gowns and vibrantly colored saris mixed with banded-collar dinner jackets and tuxedos at President Obama’s first State Dinner last night. There were also turbans and bindies and diamonds, as several hundred guests put on the glitz and joined a White House celebration in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

• With economic pressures still hitting household budgets hard, many Americans are foregoing air travel for Thanksgiving and opting for cheaper alternatives like staying home or driving.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

sestakRep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform, the economy, and Afghanistan.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about jobs, the economy, and health care reform.

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

David Plouffe, former campaign manager for President Obama, calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about his new book, “The Audacity To Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory.”

sparksHal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

President Obama huddled with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao this morning, the final day of his visit to China. The White House praised the meetings as strengthening possibilities for future cooperation. President Obama then toured the Great Wall of China before flying to South Korea.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) declined yesterday to say when he would introduce a hotly anticipated health care reform bill. He said he was waiting for a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, and that estimate won’t be completed until at least this afternoon.

Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama yesterday for the second time but guards on board repelled the takeover attempt.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

watersRep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about health care reform and the economy.

sestakRep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about Veterans’ Day, health care reform, the economy, and his run for Senate.

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

Former President Bill Clinton told anxious Senate Dems yesterday to pass a health care bill soon because the U.S. economy can’t resist the toxic combination of exorbitant medical costs and nearly 50 million uninsured for much longer.

• Caution returned to the stock market yesterday as investors decided to slow an advance that has lifted the Dow Jones industrial average 475 points in five days. Stocks fell in light trading, though the Dow tacked on 20 points to close at a new high for the year.

• A senior government official tells ABC News that investigators have found that alleged Ft. Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan had “more unexplained connections to people being tracked by the FBI” than just radical cleric Anwar al Awlaki. Names and countries of origin are likely to emerge soon, according to officials.

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LiveBlog for Monday, November 9, 2009

Monday, November 9th, 2009

rudepunditThe Rude Pundit (Lee Papa) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about passage of the health care reform bill in the House of Representatives.

Eric Boehlert, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

Mary Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), calls in at 7:30am Pacific to discuss the repeal of gay marriage in Maine.

sparksHal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for a special Monday edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

President Obama yesterday praised the “historic” House vote to pass a bill overhauling the nation’s ailing health care system, and said it is now time for the Senate to “take the baton” and complete its work. The House passed its health care bill late Saturday night by a 220-215 vote, with 39 Dems opposing and 1 GOPer supporting.

The alleged Ft. Hood shooter apparently attended the same Virginia mosque as two 9/11 hijackers in 2001, at a time when a radical imam preached there. The FBI is looking into any possible associations.

• Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida heads toward the Gulf Coast. It’s the first hurricane to target the U.S. this season.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

kindRep. Ron Kind (D-WI) calls in at 7:33am Pacific to talk about health care reform, the economy, and yesterday’s elections.

sparks Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

Republicans won gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey yesterday, two states that had backed President Obama last year. Dem Bill Owens beat Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in upstate New York. Opponents of gay marriage claimed a victory in Maine, but voters approved an “everything but marriage” law in Washington State that greatly expands the rights of gay couples.

• In a blow to the White House, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) signaled yesterday that Congress may fail to meet a year-end deadline for passing health care legislation, leaving the measure’s fate to the uncertainties of the 2010 election season.

Republicans boycotted the start of committee debate yesterday on a bill to curb greenhouse gases, protesting that the bill’s costs have not been fully examined. The action put a spotlight on the difficulties Dem leaders face in moving climate legislation this year.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

yarmuthRep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

sparks• Comedian Hal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays with Hal.”

• Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said yesterday that while he’s “strongly inclined” to vote to move Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) health care plan with an opt-out public option to the Senate floor for debate, he would ultimately oppose the measure and join a GOP filibuster because it includes that option.

• The White House said yesterday that President Obama has nearly finished gathering information and advice on how to proceed in Afghanistan. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that a planned meeting on Friday with the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be among the last events in the decision-making process.

The FAA has revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew a passenger jet past their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles last week. They had violated numerous regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Lester Brown, Founder of the Earth Policy Institute and author of “Plan B 4.0,” calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about the need for immediate environmental action.

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host Right Wing World.

Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.

sparksHal Sparks joins us in studio at 8:05am Pacific for another edition of “Humpdays With Hal.”

cho• Comedian Margaret Cho calls in at 8:30am Pacific to talk about her upcoming shows and the release of her new concert DVD, “Beautiful.”

• President Obama has sought to spend no more than $900 billion over a 10-year period on health care reform. Yesterday, however, House Dem leaders received a new cost estimate of $871 billion from congressional budget umpires who measured a bill with a a robust public option.

President Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday and congratulated him for accepting the report of the UN-backed Election Complaint Commission which ruled that he garnered under 50% of the vote in the August election after vote fraud had been factored in, mandating a recount.

• Oprah Winfrey announced yesterday that Sarah Palin will appear on her show on Monday, November 16th.

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LiveBlog for Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

wallisRev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about the importance of health care reform.

Karl Frisch, Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, calls in at 7:05am Pacific to co-host “Right Wing World.”

Hal Sparks joins the Mooks in studio in L.A. at 8am Pacific for “Humpdays with Hal.”

sarbanesRep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) calls in at 8:30am Pacific to tell us what’s next in the health care reform process.

Historic legislation to expand U.S. health care and control costs won its first GOP supporter yesterday and cleared a key Senate hurdle. “When history calls, history calls,” said Maine GOP-er Olympia Snowe, whose declaration of support ended weeks of suspense and provided the only drama of a 14-9 vote in the Senate Finance Committee.

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said yesterday she expects that the House will vote on a health care bill by Thanksgiving and that the House version will have a public plan option.

Rampant government corruption might derail the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaida in Afghanistan, even if as many as 80,000 additional U.S. troops are sent to the war, Gen. Stanley McChrystal has concluded.

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