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Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans

MEET RUSH LIMBAUGH’S REALLY GOOD PAL, RUSH REVERE!

Okay, okay, my name’s really Rusty—but my friends call me Rush. Rush Revere. Because I’ve always been the #1 fan of the coolest colonial dude ever, Paul Revere. Talk about a rock star—this guy wanted to protect young America so badly, he rode through those bumpy, cobblestone-y streets shouting “the British are coming!” On a horse. Top of his lungs. Wind blowing, rain streaming. . . .

Well, you get the picture. But what if you could get the real picture—by actually going back in time and seeing with your own eyes how our great country came to be? Meeting the people who made it all happen—people like you and me?

Hold on to your pointy triangle hats, because you can—with me, Rush Revere, seemingly ordinary substitute history teacher, as your tour guide across time! “How?” you ask? Well, there’s this portal. And a horse. My talking horse named Liberty. And—well, just trust me, I’ll get us there.

We’ll begin by joining a shipload of brave families journeying on the Mayflower in 1620. Yawn? I don’t think so. 1620 was a pretty awesome time, and you’ll experience exactly what they did on that rough, dangerous ocean crossing. Together, we’ll ask the pilgrims all our questions, find out how they live, join them at the first Thanksgiving, and much more.

So saddle up and let’s ride! Our exceptional nation is waiting to be discovered all over again by exceptional young patriots—like you!

Stewart to Sebelius on health care law “Am I a stupid man?”

CNN's Leslie Bentz
(CNN) - "The Daily Show" took a more serious turn Monday night when host Jon Stewart introduced his guest for the evening, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Sebelius, who has been on a media blitz in recent weeks as the health care exchanges for the Affordable Care Act opened for business on October 1st, has appeared on multiple networks to promote the new law and to attempt to tamp criticism of its rollout.

As the secretary sat down to begin the segment, Stewart opened a laptop on his desk. “I’m going to attempt to download every movie ever made, and you’re going to try to sign up for Obamacare, and we’ll see which happens first.”

Sebelius admitted the website rollout “started a little rockier than we’d like,” but said the administration had been working to make improvements. “It’s better today than it was yesterday, and it will keep getting better.”

The sign-up websites were offline for part of the weekend as efforts were made to fix multiple glitches that caused delays for many who attempted to use the program in the first few days.

When asked how many individuals had signed up for insurance so far, Sebelius admitted, “I can’t tell you, because I don’t know ... we will be giving monthly reports.” She added that hundreds of thousands of accounts had been created, which indicated to the administration that those consumers “are going to go shopping” for insurance as the next step.

The segment became more contentious as the Comedy Central host turned to the subject of the individual mandate, specifically the fact that while many businesses were given a one-year delay to comply with the law, individuals were not.

“If I’m an individual that doesn’t want this, it would be hard for me to look at a big business getting a waiver," Stewart said. "I would feel like you are favoring big business because they lobbied you ... but you’re not allowing individuals that same courtesy.”

Sebelius denied that was the case, but danced around answering the question directly, sticking instead to talking points.

After pressing her further on the issue to no avail, a somewhat exasperated Stewart finally smiled and asked, “Am I a stupid man?”

Later, as he threw to commercial, Stewart said he still was “not sure why individuals can’t delay” and asked the secretary if he could keep asking her that same question when they returned.

Later, while addressing the issue of businesses cutting back hours for employees to avoid having to provide health care under the new regulations, Sebelius held firm. “Economists, not anecdotal folks, but economists, say there is absolutely no evidence that part-time work is going up. In fact, it’s going down,” she said. The secretary also said that for the first time ever, part-time employees in the United Sates would now have the option to purchase health insurance under the new law.

Toward the end, Stewart argued that a market-based strategy toward health care is a flawed concept in itself and that a single payer system would have been a more simple approach. But Sebelius jumped in, saying, “if we could have perhaps figured out a pathway, that may have been a reasonable solution.”

“So this is jerry-rigged to deal with the crazy people?” Stewart asked.

“I think the president did not want to dismantle the health care that 85% of the country had," Sebelius responded.

They Thought It Was Patriotic, The School Saw It As Suspendable

They Thought It Was Patriotic, The School Saw It As Suspendable « CBS Minnesota
RED WING, Minn. (WCCO) – Students said they wanted to show their love for their country, but a superintendent believes it went a little too far.

The result? More than a dozen students are suspended for drawing on doors and windows and scattering small American flags outside their high school.

It took place Monday at Red Wing High School as part of Homecoming Week, but it’s a back-and-forth that’s gone on for weeks.

“Red, white, and blue streamers, small American flags and erasable paint,” Bryce Reps said.

He’s a senior and took part in the senior “prank.”

Some seniors covered almost every window, some outside doors, even the skylight with the paint.

“We have to take these things seriously,” Red Wing Schools Superintendent Karsten Anderson said.

There’s a bit more to this red, white, and blue demonstration that dates back to last month.

When the high school didn’t mark the anniversary of 9/11 as it had in years past, Reps said he took it personally.

“I’m planning to go into the Air Force,” Reps said.

He wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper and got a petition signed by 400 students. The school then decided to always mark the day with a moment of silence.

“Whenever there’s a concern by students or parents, we hear them out,” Anderson said.

Then, this week some students wanted Monday to be called Merica Day, without the “A.” Teachers don’t think they knew the word carries negative connotations.

“That’s why we wanted a National Pride Day instead of a reference to a ‘South Park’ cartoon,” Anderson said.

Even after kids were told they could dress up, some seniors went ahead with their plans to “decorate,” in their own words.

“My last day of school was yesterday,” Reps said.

Bryce has been suspended for five days. He hopes the punishment doesn’t affect his future plans.

“It’s a senior prank, not the crime of the century, or anything along those lines,” Reps said.

Last year, the Red Wing school district settled a lawsuit that came from an unsanctioned dress-up day.

A student claimed racial discrimination when some kids dressed up for what was called “Wangster Day.” That girl has been paid $90,000 by the district.

Three years later, TheTeaParty.net finally gets IRS tax-exempt OK

BY PAUL BEDARD

One of the groups at the center of the IRS scandal has finally received its tax-exempt status after a three year delay prompted by a politically driven move to block Tea Party and other conservative groups, many that slammed the president during his reelection, from winning the special status.

TheTeaParty.net, one of the nation's largest tea party groups, told Secrets that the long-sough declaration arrived Monday, well over three years after they applied for 501c(4) tax-exempt status in March of 2010, the start of the Tea Party movement. The notice came in a letter from the IRS.

The group said that the IRS branch headed by the recently retired Lois Lerner endured harassment by agents targeting mostly conservative non-profit groups for their political donors, agenda and even reading lists, all against the rules.

"After four years battling Lois Lerner's shock troops, we are relieved that the IRS has relented and finally recognized our right to operate as a non-profit,” said Todd Cefaratti, founder of TheTeaParty.net. “First they tried to ignore us. Then they tried to discredit us. And then they tried to deny our legal rights. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end to a sad chapter in our government’s targeting of its own citizens," he added.

Commenting on the long legal battle, the group’s lawyer, Dan Backer, said legal threats from the group helped squeeze out the positive decision. “It just proves the only way to beat the overreach of government is to fight back,” he said.

In addition to winning the IRS ruling, the group joined with another titled the “Contract From America” to form a partnership to highlight the original GOP Contract With America that turned 20 years old this week. They plan to promote the contract during the midterm elections, when the original was used to help win the Republicans their first control of Congress in decades.

Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted atpbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.

Lake Charles pastor shot to death during church service

By Monica Grimaldo

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) -
A pastor was shot and killed during a church service on Friday night in Calcasieu Parish.

According to Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kim Myers, it happened around 8:20 p.m. at the Tabernacle of Praise Worship Center at 307 Deshotel Lane in Lake Charles.

Myers said Pastor Ronald J. Harris Sr. was shot "as he was preaching."

Woodrow Karey Jr., 53, of Lake Charles, is accused of walking into the church and shooting Harris.

Myers said Harris, of Lake Charles, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Myers said Karey shot Harris with a shotgun twice, once when he walked into the church and a second time when Harris fell to the floor. Myers said Karey walked up to him and shot him at close range.

Karey fled on foot, Myers said, but called the Sheriff's Office and surrendered without incident.
A Calcasieu Correctional Center booking report indicates his location of arrest was Opelousas Street/Deshotel Lane.

Myers said at the time of Karey's arrest, he directed deputies to two guns he had discarded in a wooded area close to the intersection where he was apprehended. Myers said one was a shotgun and the other was a .22 pistol, both of which were recovered.

Karey was booked on a second-degree murder charge. Judge David Ritchie set bond in the case at $1 million.

Myers said Karey has no known criminal history.

Authorities say the motive for the shooting is unknown and the investigation continues.

According to Calcasieu Parish Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory, there were 65 witnesses inside the church at the time of the shooting, including the victim's wife.

"At this point, we're just trying to piece together as much information as we can," said Guillory. "And find out what the cause of this was."

Copyright 2013 KPLC. All rights reserved.

Quinn: I’d Consider Using National Guard, State Police To Help Chicago

(CBS) – Gov. Pat Quinn says he would consider using state resources to help combat Chicago street violence.

Speaking about this week’s mass shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, Quinn says he’s open to talking with Mayor Emanuel or Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy about supplementing Chicago law enforcement with state police or the Illinois National Guard.

He said he’s had no specific conversations but noted state police are helping patrol in East St. Louis, another city that has its challenges with violent crime.

“I think anyone who saw what happened in Cornell Park the other night was horrified by the violence. I live on the West Side of Chicago. It is an area that has been inflicted with violence, and we’ve got to protect the people,” Quinn told reporters Saturday.

Talk about using state firepower in Chicago isn’t unprecedented. In 2008, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich suggested using the state police and National Guard to help Chicago police with “out of control” violence.

The comment was widely interpreted as an insult to then-Mayor Richard Daley, with whom Blagojevich was feuding.

Quinn said potential solutions to crime include community efforts to minimize the impact of gangs and early education.

He says he also remains committed to doing something about assault rifles – one is suspected of being used in Thursday’s shooting – and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The governor spoke in the Little Village neighborhood Saturday morning at the reopening of a credit union.

Two Shooters May Still be at Large at D.C. Navy Yard; Multiple Victims Dead

D.C. police officer, base security officer among those shot; massive search continues

Police say as many as two gunmen may still be at large near the D.C. Navy Yard Monday after a shooting that began in a heavily secured building and left a number of people dead.

One other gunman has been killed, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said at a midday press conference.

Initial reports had said that 11 people were shot on base and four had died, but Lanier said that information was preliminary. "There are multiple victims inside deceased," Lanier said.

They are seeking two other people as "possible" gunmen, Lanier said. One was a white male, wearing a khaki military-type uniform and a beret hat. He was armed with a handgun, and was last seen about 8:30 a.m., Lanier said.

Lanier also said police were seeking a black man, aged about 50, who was wearing olive drab and was armed with a "long gun," though she did not give any other details about the weapon.

President Obama mentioned the shooting in remarks from the White House Monday. "We do know that several people have been shot and some have been killed," he said. "We are facing another mass shooting."

Though Lanier stressed that the scene was contined, people near the base are being asked to stay in their homes, and eight D.C. public schools and one private school nearby have been locked down.

A large search, including from helicopters, continues. "It's a large piece of land with many buildings," Assistant D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham told News4. "It's going to take a while to determine that it is safe."

WATCH: Raw Video: Police Respond to Shooting at Navy Yard

Tactical teams have entered at least two buildings on the Navy Base to search for the shooter, and News4's Mark Segraves reported that three helicopters were seen tightly circling part of the base earlier.

Earlier Monday morning, the one known gunman walked into Building #197 at the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters, 1336 Isaac Hull Ave. in the Southeast section of the District. He shot a security guard in the head, killing him, sources confirmed to News4's Jackie Bensen.

The gunman then walked through the building, and seemed to target victims, Bensen reported. Some reports indicate he was armed with an AR-15, a military-style assault weapon.

D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department and several other law enforcement agencies responded, Bensen said. During that response, a MPD officer was shot in the leg.

That gunman was then shot by a FBI hostage response team, Bensen said.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center said the MPD officer was among three victims that had been transported to that hospital. The officer was shot in the legs; one other victim was shot in the shoulder and one was shot in the head and hand.

All are alert and speaking at this time, and there is a "very good chance they will survive," said Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief medical officer at the hospital.

However, the hospital has been prepared to expect more victims.

George Washington University Hospital said they had also received a victim, a man in his 60s who had been shot in the temple. Despite efforts at CPR, he was prounounced dead at the hospital.

One victim was evacuated from the roof of a building, reported News4's Tony Tull. A U.S. Park Police helicopter hovering above the scene around 9:50 a.m. lowered a basket to a building and lifted what appeared to be a shooting victim from the roof. The helicopter came back to the scene just after 10 a.m. to retrieve another victim.

But other details were sketchy from the scene, which continued to evolve through the morning. Shots rang out several times, including a volley that Tull reported at about 9:20 a.m. and another volley that News4's Mark Segraves heard at about 11 a.m.

Federal and local emergency personnel converged on the scene, and a shelter in place order has been issued for Navy Yard personnel, the Navy said.

Obama continues to get frequent briefings about the deadly shooting from senior aides. The White House says Obama directed his team to stay in touch with the Navy, FBI and local officials as the events unfold.

The Navy Yard is located in southeast Washington on the Anacostia River. The Navy says 3,000 people work inside the building, including command staff, headquarters directorates and field activities. They coordinate the Naval Sea Systems Command, or NAVSEA, the largest of the Navy's five system commands.

Stay with NBCWashington on-air and online for more on this developing story.