Arm Yourself With The Truth

We're fascinated/horrified by this new comparison from Consumer Reports about preventable deaths in the U.S. vs. other nations (aka: those with universal health care.)

Excerpt: "...If the U.S. could improve and reach the average of 18 other countries, much 75,000 deaths a year would be saved. If the U.S. could reach the rate of the top three countries, there would be 101,000 fewer deaths per year. Something to keep in mind the next time you hear a politician boast that the U.S. has "the best health care in the world" or warn of the supposed horrors of the British or Canadian systems..." [Consumer Reports]

We'll talk about this on Friday's show, for sure.

Five Cool Things About Today's Show

1) We have the numbers behind Mayor Sullivan's budget cuts

2) Ways to contact City Hall to support Ord. 64, the recently passed bill to allow equal rights in Anchorage

3) Why we think our former governor is back into the health reform fray

4) Exxon Mobil's $600,000 fine for killing birds

and

5) ZOMBIE ANTS!

Quayle Hunting?

Not only is former Gov. Sarah Palin facing plummeting poll numbers, she now has this comparison to overcome. "Her favorable rating is almost identical to the numbers that former vice president Dan Quayle got just after leaving office in 1993," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. All together now: Ouch. [CNN]

Today's Show

Five Reasons To Hang Out At Studio 1080 Today

1) We have five fast facts to debunk the right-wing scare tactics on health insurance reform.

2) Find out how many jobs are at stake when Mayor Sullivan swings his budget ax.

3) Field Trip! Everything you wanted to know about the new Walgreens (but were afraid to ask).

4) The inside scoop on how Sens. Al Franken and Mark Begich became new BFFs.

5) Levi Johnston's back, this time dishing dirt on Larry King's show with Kathy Griffin. And we've got the clips.

Come join the party! We'd love to hang out:

Call us at 569-1080, comment on the blog or shoot us an E-mail at KUDOStudio1080@gmail.com.

Don't Forget The AK!

Sen. Al Franken's has a secret talent: the ability to perfectly draw all 48 contiguous states. Pretty cool, huh?

Not if you're the new Senator from Alaska, Mark Begich. Upon hearing about the party trick, Sen. Begich sent Sen. Franken a note asking, "I formally request Alaska and Hawaii be included in your rendering of the United States." Sen. Begich helpfully provided a connect-the-dots rendering of Alaska for practice.

Sen. Franken explained he learned his neat trick as a kid...before Alaska was actually a state. In the spirit of Senate Friendship, however, he complied with the above sketch. [Politico]

Photos From The Health Reform Rally

LONDON THEORIES FALLING DOWN

Anti-health reform advocates gleefully seized on a right-wing op-ed in the current Investors Business Daily which theorized, “People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.” Er...most people, however, know that Stephen Hawking lives in London. Which is the U.K., actually. And has for the past 67 years. [IBDB] [AJC]