The romantic drama “The Vow” looks like the kind of annual Valentine’s Day staple that arrives just as calls start flooding flower shops and chocolate bonbon displays invade your local CVS. Not only do stars Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams know their way around tearful breakups and torrential reunions (Two words: “ The Notebook ”), but the plot follows the familiar path of true love against all odds. Read full article > >

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Going Out Guide movie review: ‘The Vow’

Who says government can’t get anything right? It was just two years ago that the Supreme Court, in a landmark decision, scraped away decades of barnacled case law obscuring our beloved Constitution and unequivocally established the right of corporations, unions and wealthy individuals to spend as much money as they want to influence the outcome of elections. Read full article > >

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Forget super PACs. A modest proposal for legalizing bribery

“Be careful what you wish for,” goes the saying. More than a few Republicans are undoubtedly discovering the truth in it. Evil Knievel discovered this in 1974, when he tried to jump across the Snake River Canyon, making him the most famous motorcyclist ever. But back to the Republicans who, like Knievel, made elaborate plans for their daring feat. First, they demanded “conservative” judges who would cut back on government regulations allowing “free” citizens to do what they want. So, President Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush, and then W. nominated five “conservative” Supreme Court judges – Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. Culminating in the ultimate Republican and Neo-Con cout d’etat that equated corporations with people, those judges came together in their Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates for unlimited, often anonymous cash into the political process by way of super PAC contributions. Then, by weakening or shutting down unions with fervor since 2010 in states including Wisconsin and Florida, Indiana and Ohio, Republican governors and legislators also sought to neutralize their Democratic counterweights. And by restricting voters in over a dozen states via laws mandating photo IDs, shortening early voting, and by threatening, in the name of fighting voter fraud, civic organizations such as the League of Women Voters with fines of $5,000 for registrars who got their paperwork wrong, Republicans sought to further narrow the voting pool. With this three-pronged strategy finally in place, and with the biggest Daddy Warbucks businessman soon to head the Republican ticket, what could go wrong? But this is where the story takes a sad, sad turn. Their plan was that the new money flooding into the political system was supposed to be aimed at Democrats. Instead, it has been spent to attack loyal Republicans. Republicans loaded their guns for Democratic bear – then shot themselves. How could this happen? One of the gazillionaires who was supposed to help fund the coming Republican tsunami decided he did not like a fellow gazillionaire, and instead funded an insurgency to the tune of $10 million in South Carolina and Florida. Even those $10 million, however, were no match for the front-running gazillionaire, who outspent his insurgent rival by 10 to 1 in Iowa. In South Carolina, that same gazillionaire outspent the insurgent by a mere 2 to 1 – and lost. So in Florida, the gazillionaire went all out, spending $15 million for a 4 to 1 advantage, burying his competitor.

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The Coming Republican Civil War

A £963,000 bonus in shares awarded to Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester is strongly criticised by politicians and unions.

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Outrage at RBS boss’s bonus deal

Bloody, raw, smoked or dried, untold thousands of pounds monkey parts, giant African cane rats and other illegal “bush meat” slips into the United States each year. For some of the Washington area’s African residents, the meat is a taste of home, a treat for the holidays and reunions. Read full article > >

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CDC expands ‘bush meat’ tests for viruses

Unions accuse Labour of failing to speak up for “ordinary people” after Ed Balls indicates it will support a pay freeze for public sector workers.

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Union dismay on Labour pay stance

Unions accuse Labour of failing to speak up for “ordinary people” after Ed Balls indicates it will support a pay freeze for public sector workers.

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Union dismay on Labour pay stance

New York City Opera declared a rehearsal lockout, and the unions said this could mean that the season will be canceled.

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New York City Opera Declares Rehearsal Lockout

Thousands of workers at Unilever are to stage a series of 24-hour strikes in a row over pensions, unions announce.

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Unilever workers to stage strikes

The two largest teaching unions have called for further improvements in the government’s plans to change the teachers’ pension scheme.

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Teaching unions shun pension deal

Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos says Greece may default on its debts in March unless unions accept further cuts to salaries.

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Greek PM warns of March default

Nigeria’s main trade unions announce an indefinite strike and mass demonstrations from Monday unless a fuel subsidy is restored.

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Nigerians to strike over petrol

Nigeria’s main trade unions announce an indefinite strike and mass demonstrations from Monday unless a fuel subsidy is restored.

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Nigerians to strike over petrol

The chief secretary to the Treasury will update MPs on public sector pension negotiations, after broad agreements were reached with some unions.

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MPs to hear pensions row update

Hopes of an early deal in the pensions dispute between teaching unions and the government are played down by both sides as talks resume.

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Early pensions deal ‘not likely’