Occupy Wall Street movement supporters were outraged by the bank bailout. Now they want to start a bailout that people can actually get behind.

Dubbed the Rolling Jubilee, Occupiers have created a program to buy distressed consumer debt and then erase it. That will “liberate debtors at random through a campaign of mutual support, good will, and collective refusal,” the Jubilee’s website said.

To get started, the movement is on a fundraising mission, with a goal of …

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For more than 40 years, California has led the nation in environmental regulation, from passing the toughest coastal protection laws to America’s first rules banning leaded gasoline.
Now, this week — after Hurricane Sandy pushed the issue of climate change back into the national spotlight — California will become the first state to begin requiring a broad range of businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas pollution.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the California Air Resources Board is scheduled …

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Riding a wave of public anger at corrupt politicians, austerity and illegal immigration, Golden Dawn has seen its popularity double in a few months. A survey by VPRC, an independent polling company, put the party’s support at 14 percent in October, compared with the seven percent it won in June’s election.

Political analysts see no immediate halt to its meteoric ascent. They warn that Golden Dawn, which denies being neo-Nazi despite openly adopting similar ideology and …

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SACRAMENTO — A federal judge has blocked part of a voter-approved ballot initiative related to human trafficking, until a court hearing can be held later this month.
The decision temporarily halts a provision of Proposition 35 that requires registered sex offenders to give authorities a list of their Internet providers and screen names. The initiative, passed Tuesday with 81 percent support, toughens penalties on those convicted of human trafficking.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California …

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Athens, Greece (CNN) — Protesters in Athens threw Molotov cocktails and police fought back with tear gas outside the Greek parliament Wednesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on a new round of austerity measures.
As many as 70,000 people took place in the demonstration, which comes on the second day of a general strike called by unions opposed to further cuts.
Greek media are anticipating a cliffhanger in parliament late Wednesday night, with passage of the austerity …

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Measure J, the proposed 30-year extension of a half-cent transportation sales tax in Los Angeles County, failed to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass during Tuesday’s election, falling short by about 2 percentage points.

With 100% of precincts reporting, support for Measure J reached 64.72% while those opposed tallied 35.28%, according to the county’s registrar-recorder.

“I think this clearly for us was about trying to show from the community that we were not going to give …

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South Florida voters waited in long lines hours after the polls were supposed to close.

In Broward County, all 778 precincts were closed about 10 p.m. About 500 people were still waiting to vote at three polling places about 9 p.m., said Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes.

“I don’t know of people being turned away,” Snipes said.

At 10 p.m. — three hours after polls closed — 174 of Miami-Dade’s 829 polling stations still had voters in line. …

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(Reuters) – Wisconsin Democratic Representative Tammy Baldwin made history on Tuesday by becoming the first openly gay U.S. Senator, defeating former governor Tommy Thompson in the most expensive Senate race in state history.

The Senate race was the most expensive in state history with the two candidates raising at least $65 million.

The outcome is another blow to Republicans, who needed to make a net gain of four seats to take a majority in the U.S. Senate.

click …

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Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) successfully defended her seat on Tuesday against opponent Rep. Todd Akin (R), the Tea Party-backed Republican who has become infamous for his comments about “legitimate rape.”

Akin was leading McCaskill in the polls until he said in August that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant, because the female body “has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Akin was defending his position that abortion should be illegal, even …

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By SEUNG MIN KIM | 11/6/12 9:57 PM EST

Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly pulled off a stunning upset over Republican Richard Mourdock in the Indiana Senate race – a battle that the GOP thought was a sure win until the final days of the campaign.

With more than 60 percent of precincts reporting, Donnelly held a three point lead over Mourdock, and the Associated Press has projected a Donnelly win.

Donnelly’s victory is a painful setback for Republicans …

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