FEMA Would Rather Poison People Than Be Embarrassed

Making people live in toxic tin cans rather than admit a mistake. Plus: Why is Ben Affleck wearing a corn suit? ... Gripped by Potter Mania...Congressional Hooker Parties...Newest administration official to be in contempt of Congress...semi-permanent tattoos for hipsters with commitment problems...and watch your step at the airport — that homeless guy sprawled on the floor just might be Nick Nolte. It’s Friday, July 20 and this is Mic Check. Turn it all the way up.

Celebration Excuse

The White House snubs vets, Neil walks on the moon, and the U.S. Senate passes legislation to avoid another Vietnam. (We hate to break it to them…) It’s July 20, remember when?

1810

Fireworks! Colombia declares independence from Spain

1903

The Ford Motor Company ships its first car.

1926

Girl Power! The MethodistChurch allows women to become priests.

1932

WWI vets get a raw deal as they march on the White House to demand their bonuses, only to be greeted with tear gas.

1944

Aldof Hitler survives an assassination attempt now known as the July 20 Plot

1948

President Truman institutes a peacetime military draft in the US thanks to increased tensions with the Soviet Union.

1951

King Abdullah of Jordan is assassinated.

1969

“One small step,” Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon.

1973

The US Senate passes the War Powers Act. (We’re not sure like the current Administration got that memo)

2005

Our progressive neighbors to the north; Canada legalizes same-sex marriage.

Party like it’s your birthday

356 B.C.: His Highness, military and Greek king, Alexander the Great

1919: The first man to reach the summit of Mt.Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary

1936: Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski

1938: Actress Natalie Wood

1938:Dame Diana Rigg. (Before Buffy, before Sidney Bristow, there was Rigg’s Mrs. Peel, the jump-suited, thigh-booted heroine of the Avengers)

1964: Our favorite actor, Dean Winters (Oz? 30 Rock? Oh, just Google him.)

1953: Journalist and author, Thomas Friedman

1971:Grey’s Anatomy doc, Sandra Oh

1980: Model hottie Gisele Bundchen

Daybook

Go ahead, start your weekend early. Everyone else did.

PEOPLE

The annual meeting of the National Governors Association gets together in Traverse City, MI

STUMPIN’

Dennis Kucinich: Attends a forum with the AFL-CIO

Rudy Giuliani: Beach Week! Giuliani campaigns in Myrtle Beach

Mitt Romney: Stumpin’ in Iowa

ON THE HILL

It’s Friday in the summer – what do you think.

WATCH MORE TV

During The Day

The Oprah: The Best Places to Find Men Over 35

Ellen: (Repeat) Cuba Gooding Jr.; William H. Macy

Regis & Kelly: Kevin James (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” is coming out)

Tyra: “Primoridal Dwarves”

The View: Ashley Judd

Stay Up Late

Letterman: Julia Stiles

Leno: Glenn Close; Marilyn Manson

Conan: Kevin James

Kimmel: Rob Schneider

Ferguson: (Repeat) Parker Posey

 

Eavesdrop

STEAL THIS AUDIO: Senators Kennedy, Murray, and Brown plug the Higher Education Bill

WHO: Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

WHAT: Talking about the Higher Education Access Act of 2007 and the Higher Education Amendments of 2007, both of which are coming up for a vote in the Senate this week.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Among other things, the bill increases maximum Pell Grant for low-income students, and raises the federally-backed loan limit for undergrads. It also caps monthly loan payments and encourages public service by allowing loan forgiveness for public service employees. Also, the bill makes it harder for student loan providers to cheat the system for their own benefit, and to the detriment of students.

·Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) hopes this bill can help students who want to make a difference get the education they need to do so.

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·Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) wishes students today had the same opportunities for government-backed financial aid as she and her brothers and sisters did.

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·Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH0 explains how increased student debt has deterred graduates from pursuing careers they are passionate about, and says this bill will help combat that phenomenon.

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Popularity Contest

Come on, everybody’s reading it. We promise, we’ll still respect you in the morning.

NYT: Records Show Ex-Senator’s Work for Family Planning Unit

WASHPO: Why Bush Is A Loser

LAT: Calling Jews to New Orleans

USAT: Vick case sheds light on dark world of dogfighting

WSJ: Shari Redstone Is Expected To Leave Viacom’s Board

CNN: Judge tosses out ex-spy’s lawsuit against Cheney in CIA leak case

FOX: British Teen Finds $90G in PlayStation 2 He Ordered on eBay

ABC: 7 Kids Removed From Squalid Texas Home

NBC: Congress blasts FDA’s plan to close 7 labs

CBS: Cheesecake — Always A Crowd Pleaser

Masthead

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Mic Check is produced every weekday by Christy Harvey, Sara Langhinrichs and Nicole Murphy, and is a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Read more about Mic Check.

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