Jane Goodall on Extremists and Fundamentalists

Jon Stewart talks to Jane Goodall who says fundamentalists and extremists, no matter the left or the right, are keeping progress away.

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Obama Speaks on August Jobs Report Video

West Wing Week Sept. 3

August Jobs Report Better Than Expected

About 40,000 jobs were expected.

Private employers hired more workers than expected in August, lifting hopes for the weak U.S. economy, but the nation’s unemployment rate rose for the first time in four months, suggesting the economy will struggle to grow through the rest of the year.

Private employers added a total of 67,000 jobs last month, according to the Labor Department’s August jobs report released Friday. That number was below the amount of jobs needed to keep up with population growth, but was better than expected. Both July and June’s private-sector job figures were upwardly revised. msnbc

Christina Romer gives the rundown on her last day at the White House -- no new stimulus is being considered:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama's Schedule Sept. 3

Obama will remark on the jobs report for August and then head out to Camp David. On Monday, Labor Day, Obama heads to Milwaukee for a celebration of the working folk.

10:00 AM	The President delivers a statement to the press on the monthly jobs numbers Pre-set 9:10AM – Final Gather 9:40AM – North Doors of the Palm Room Open Press
1:30 PM	The President departs the South Lawn en route Camp David South Lawn Open Press

Hawking's New Book: No God Just Physics

Hawking sure has been on a tear -- insulting aliens and pronouncing no god. Yikes. The people who fear that he is right will get all bent out of shape:

God did not create the universe, the man who is arguably Britain's most famous living scientist says in a forthcoming book.

In the new work, The Grand Design, Professor Stephen Hawking argues that the Big Bang, rather than occurring following the intervention of a divine being, was inevitable due to the law of gravity. Guardian

Here he is on aliens from other planets:

If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said. "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet." ABC

Where I think he goes wrong -- I'm about to disagree with a genius -- is he's suggesting we're intelligent life. Intelligence is much more than math and science or building space ships. Human kind isn't intelligent. We're overrated as a species. Any other life form that could possibly be out there has to be smarter than us. In the scheme of the universe, we're probably the lowest ranked life form. We haven't even figured out how to live on the planet without killing and maiming each other. If we could do that, then we'd be intelligent.

I am going to read his book, though. It sounds fascinating.

White House Press Briefing Sept. 2

Brewer's Headless Bodies in the Desert

I understand that Arizona has an illegal immigration problem, but Jan Brewer has too much zeal in pushing against the federal government and "Obamacare." I think what happened is her ego overpowered her brain causing her to sound like such as U.S. Americans the Iraq such as Miss Teen South Carolina. See the next video, which is Brewer's full opening statement.

Obama to Hold News Conference Sept. 10

Obama meets with mideast leaders

Update Sept. 10: Conference starts at 11 am eastern. Live stream here.
Obama is expected to announce measures to stimulate the economy. He'll also take questions from the press.

Justice Sues Arizona Sheriff Arpaio

Every time I hear Joe Arpaio speak, he is nothing but belligerent. He has an agenda, just not the one that he thinks he has. He thinks his agenda is upholding the law. But he clearly has issues with immigrants--legal or illegal.

In an atmosphere of tension between the federal government and Arizona, the Justice Department today dialed it up some more, filing a lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- accusing him, the county, and his office with failing to cooperate with a civil rights investigation of his office.
The Justice Department has been investigating allegations that the sheriff's office has engaged in discrimination against Hispanics. As a recipient of federal funds, the sheriff's office is required to cooperate with such investigations. MSNBC

Gibbs on the Latest Oil Well Explosion

All 13 people have been rescued.

Obama's Press Conference with Mideast Leaders Video

This was the last press conference of the day yesterday. Obama, President Mubarak of Egypt, King Abdullah of Jordan, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Isreal, and Palestinian Authority President Abbas speak:

Hillary Clinton's Speech Kicking off Peace Talks Sept. 2

Perhaps they should try taking off their shoes, sitting in a circle and singing campfire songs. Really. Talks never seem to work. Maybe a camping trip or a field trip to Sea World or a nature walk, or a picnic would do the trick. They need to find their common humanity.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

There is Only One God

The Almighty Dollar. All hail. As Fox hosts spread Islamaphobia, Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox, praises Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a nephew of the Saudi king, who according to Fox News hosts: "funds radical madrassas all over the world." In fact, the Prince also funds Murdoch's News Corp.

In a 2005 documentary about the prince, Murdoch called Waleed "very shrewd, very analytical, yet at the same time prepared to gamble — and to go against sort of the prevailing thoughts about markets."

Murdoch added, "He's very original in his thinking."

The prince had long been Murdoch's business partner in News Corp. — but that year he arranged a share swap in which he obtained more than 30 million voting shares. Read more at NPR

You'd think that since Murdoch doesn't seem to fear Muslims like his product -- Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity -- he wouldn't put out the kind of programming that spreads fear on a daily basis. But Murdoch is running a business and fear is profitable.

But News Corp. is not the only big-name investment Waleed has made in the United States. He has helped rescue the American banking giant Citigroup twice and is one of its largest holders. He also has big stakes in rival media giants Time Warner and Disney. And his portfolio took a big hit when the U.S. stock markets tanked.

Obama's Schedule Sept. 2

Hillary Clinton hosts the private peace talks with Mideast leaders begins today. From Politico:

Speaking one final time before the talks begin in private, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that she, President Obama and Mideast envoy George Mitchell are"prepared to do whatever we can to help you succeed."

"And we believe in you, and we support you," she says, thanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas once again. "Now, it’s time to get to work."

Meanwhile, minutes ago, another oil well exploded in the gulf, another potential disaster for Obama to contend with. Details are still sketchy.

Obama's public schedule:

11:30 AM	The President meets with his national security team Situation Room Closed Press
1:00 PM	The President receives the Economic Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press

Obama's Remarks on Peace Talks With Mideast Leaders

Here's the transcript of Obama's remarks following his individual meetings with Mideast leaders.

Biden's Speech in Iraq Sept. 1

Most Minnesotans Wouldn't Vote for Pawlenty

Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued an executive order to restrict Minnesota's participation in the new healthcare law:

The Kaiser Family Foundation has calculated that about 250,000 Minnesotans would join the Medicaid rolls under the expansion. Pawlenty has said it would cost the state $430 million in the first three years. The Hill

He's being political, uh, I mean, choosy:

In fact, he's signaling that he could end up accepting other health care money from the federal government -- just not health care funds from that particular law. TPM

What a twit.
Meanwhile, Minnesotans don't seem to think much of Pawlenty:

According to the new poll, 54 percent of likely Minnesota voters disapprove of Pawlenty's numerous campaign swings outside of Minnesota.

And when it comes to whether Minnesotans would vote for Pawlenty for president, a majority, or 53 percent, consider that unlikely. Even nearly one in four Republicans, or 23 percent, say they've be unlikely to vote for him. MPR

Obama Warns Hamas - Video

Transcript.

McCain's Urge to Surge One More Time

John McCain gets another opportunity to say "surge."

We wouldn't have needed a surge if we didn't invade a country that we shouldn't have invaded, 4,000 and some troop deaths later and tens of thousands Iraqi civilians, many of them women and children, dead. McCain likes to say surge, surge, surge, but something else besides the surge could've worked as well. But we'll never know. And did anything really work? We just wreaked more havoc in the region. We need to offer non-military assistance.

Unless we're attacked, we should not be invading countries.

This is what we'll get if we elect a republican president -- more war. War, war, war. Intense war. War on new nations. I don't mind the republican stance on fiscal policy. I get it. But in volatile times like these, a republican president, could have serious consequences. Republicans aren't into diplomacy.