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How the 1% is Rewiring Brains & Future Generations
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As usual, Republicans are doing everything in their power to help the 1% get even richer. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Paul Ryan, have voted to eliminate the estate tax entirely.
 
The federal estate tax is a tax on property and assets that are passed down from a deceased individual to their heirs (like how Paris Hilton gets most of her money). The estate tax has brought in crucial revenue for our government for nearly 100 years, and Republicans have been opposed to it for nearly that long too.
 
They like to argue that the tax is too large, and that it's too burdensome for small businesses and family-owned farms. But, the facts say otherwise.
 
According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, only 2 out of every 1,000 estates will owe federal estate tax in 2015. Only two. In other words, 99.8% of estates in America owe no estate tax at all.
 
Similarly, as the CBPP points out, "taxable estates generally pay less than one-sixth of their value in tax." So far, this tax doesn't seem too "burdensome" at all. And then there's the argument Republicans make about the estate tax hurting small businesses and family-owned farms. Well, that argument is pretty bogus too.
 
As the CBPP notes, "Only roughly 20 small business and small farm estates nationwide owed any estate tax in 2013, according to the Tax Policy Center." You heard that right. Only 20 out of hundreds of thousands of small businesses and family farms nationwide owed estate taxes in 2013.
 
Clearly the facts don't support any argument Republicans make about the estate tax. So, that begs the question, why are Republicans doing everything in their power to eliminate it?
 
Well, the answer to that is pretty simple: to put more money in the pockets of the wealthy elite who own and fund the Republicans. After all, the wealthy elite HATE the estate tax.
 
Read more here.
 
-Thom
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... How Climate Change Has Impacted the West Coast Drought (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
 
Green World Rising Be sure to check out our new videos: CARBON, LAST HOURS & GREEN WORLD RISING - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio
 
Need to Know: The 2016 Casino Election
- America's Lawyer Mike Papantonio, Ring of Fire Radio Twitter Twitter
 
Screwed: A Superhero To Fight Dark Money?
- Craig Holman Ph.D, Public Citizen's Congress Watch Twitter Twitter
 
PLUS, Iran-a good deal...so why do conservatives hate it?
- Paul Kawika Martin, Peace Action  Twitter  Twitter
 
Green report: How Climate Change Has Impacted the West Coast Drought
- Alexandra Nagy, Food and Water Watch  Twitter  Twitter
- Dr. Michael Mann, Penn State University / The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars  Twitter
 
Why the Detroit Council Should Reject Raises
- Pastor D. Alexander Bullock, Change Agent Consortium (ActionCAC) Twitter Twitter
 
Daily Take: How the 1% is Rewiring Brains & Future Generations
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Thursday's Daily Stack Daily Stack
Hour One: Thom talks issues of the day with America's Lawyer
- Mike Papantonio, Ring Of Fire Radio Twitter Twitter
Article: "Who Wins the Money Primary?" by Robert Borosage.
Article: "Ted Cruz raises $4 million in first 8 days" by Alex Isenstadt.
 
Article: "Hillary Clinton's Voting Records" by Vote Smart.
Article: "Sen. Bob Menendez indicted on 14 counts of corruption" by David McCabe and Ben Kamisar.
Article: "47% of American households save nothing" by Shane Ferro.
Article: "Nicaragua Canal" by Wikipedia.
Article: "For John Bolton, war is the answer" by Dana Milbank.
Article: "'Argo' helps Iran's dictatorship, harms democracy " by Abolhassan Bani-Sadr.

Hour Two: How close are we to war with Russia?
- Professor Stephen Cohen, The Nation Twitter
Book: Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives by Stephen Cohen.
Article: "Cuban missile crisis" by Wikipedia.
 
Article: "Corporation Literally Served Inmates Trash" by Carimah Townes.
Article: "Indiana's 'No Gay Wedding' Pizzeria Has Closed" by Kevin McSpadden.
 
Talk Radio News Segment:
- Bob Ney Twitter
Article: "Obama: Iran Nuclear Deal Is 'Best Option By Far'" by Nicholas Salazar.
Article: "RFRA fix heads to Pence, who has yet to state position" by Tony Cook, Tom LoBianco and Brian Eason.
Article: "DOJ: No contempt charges for former IRS official Lois Lerner" by John Bresnahan and Rachael Bade.
Article: "TRNS News Notes- 4/2" by Victoria Jones.
Article: "TRNS News Notes- 4/1" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide
- Dr. Peter Breggin, Practicing Psychiatrist Twitter
Article: "Prescription Drugs Associated with Reports of Violence Towards Others" by Thomas J. Moore, Joseph Glenmullen, Curt D. Furberg.
 
Article: "Buffalo area plane crash claims 50 lives" by Elizabeth Carey, Feb 13, 2009.
Article: "Zimmermann Telegram" by Wikipedia.

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