more news late 2013

the US Congressional budget agreement mentioned last week, was signed by the President today. It left out unemployment insurance for 1.3 million people. Everybody talks about how terrible Congress is this week. There is much remaining left, still yet to be agreed on and paid for. But the hostage tactics remain employed by the far right who refuse to go along with any more spending without cuts in still other areas. But the military departments did get a 'sweeping'  exemption from such cuts that will still be effecting millions of jobs in other sectors throughout the country. Seems they err on the side of stupid, in too many ways, as a policy. Military strikes in Yemen and bombings in Baghdad this week will force more forces there, more heightened tensions. More stories from Syria and now South Sudan, as well as the Central African Republic. Overnight, still more reports of major bombings, in Beirut, and in Kabul, for instance.

In Iowa, the state government decided to expand it's own medicare system and accept federal funding to implement the Affordable Health Care Act, but 'on it's own terms'. Will other states follow?  five min audio from NPR.

A look at famed Chungking Mansions in Honk Kong by some inhabitants.

and here's Edward Snowden's remarks on the bbc channel 4

nice, even a whirlwind look at how 1913 art world broke with traditions, leading up to a kind of dramatization of the Rite of Spring premier in May. The hour audio here spends fast.

But I have to face it, I pulled together these links just as an excuse to put up a link for a radio show. On Radio6 of the bbc this week is a two-hour broadcast of the remaining members of the british punk band The Clash, playing favorite songs which was first presented on Boxing Day there, the day after Christmas. Click on the lower listen link on top of the leftside of the picture... incudes news updates of heavy rains in Britain tonight and tomorrow and this recording will only be there a week.