While you watch the social encore of “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man,” you can follow along here for extra information about the people, places and events you’re watching on screen. Each of the facts below corresponds to portions of the episode.
Story highlights
Here are details about people Morgan Spurlock encountered while shooting "Inside Man"
In this episode, he sees how his grandmother's daily routine
He learns about retirement savings and social security
“Morgan Spurlock Inside Man” - Elder care
- From a recent CNNMoney.com story: “While you’re allowed to start claiming Social Security benefits at age 62, holding off for several years can add thousands of dollars to your payments over a lifetime. That’s because you don’t qualify for all of your earned benefits until you reach “full retirement age,” which is 66 for most Baby Boomers and 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
“So checks claimed at age 62 are about 25% smaller than if you wait until your full retirement age. And if you wait even longer, your annual benefits will grow by another 8% for each year you wait up to age 70.”
Here are some details about a recent push by progressive groups to expand Social Security benefits: “The bill would also eliminate the cap on how much of individuals’ earnings can be paid into Social Security. Currently, Social Security contributions are limited to the first $113,000 of income.”
Find out more about planning for your retirement at the official Social Security website.
- From Tootie’s obituary in the “Herald-Dispatch”: Lorraine “Tootie” Spurlock, 91, of Griffithsville, W.Va., passed away Monday, Jan. 22, 2013, at CAMC Teays Valley Hospital. She was born July 28, 1921, in Yawkey, W.Va., a daughter of the late Robert Harrison and Nannie Johnson Porter. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Walter Froud Spurlock; and two sisters, Ardith McCormick and Omal Valentine. She was a homemaker, charter member of the Yawkey Methodist Church, member of the Woman’s Club of Hamlin for more than 60 years. She enjoyed doing handwork, reading and cooking for family and friends. Her kitchen was open just like her heart.”
“Morgan Spurlock Inside Man” - immigration
- From the U.S. immigration website, on the H-2A guest worker program: “The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs.”
But as Spurlock says in the episode, few companies go through this procedure.
- The “aliens of extraordinary ability” visa, or “First Preference EB-1” as it is described officially on the U.S. immigration website, stipulates: “You must be able to demonstrate extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international acclaim. Your achievements must be recognized in your field through extensive documentation. No offer of employment is required.”
You must meet the criteria of three out of 10 “extraordinary” categories.
The Argentine model and Playboy Playmate Dorismar attempted to apply for this a few years ago. From the press release: “because of Dorismar’s high standing in the community, [her lawyer] was successful in petitioning for an ‘Alien of Extraordinary Ability’ which would allow Dorismar to seek permanent residence status.”
- Here is a detailed look at the Alabama and Georgia immigration laws - and the appeals court fight that ensued after they were enacted: “An appeals court on Monday sided with the federal government in blocking several provisions in Alabama and Georgia’s controversial anti-illegal immigration laws, while allowing other key parts of those laws to stand.”
These were some of the revisions signed into law in Alabama.
- Sen. Marco Rubio was a major part of the immigration episode of “Inside Man,” and has been a major part of the immigration reform effort recently. Rubio is part of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight”: “The bipartisan group of senators known as the Gang of Eight announced in January they were drafting the immigration reform bill, which they formally unveiled in April. But Rubio has been pushing a need for changes in immigration long before that and has been known as a leading voice on the issue since he took office.”
He was criticized for his efforts by some conservatives, but his fundraising has spiked since.
Here’s the immigration reform facts from Rubio’s website.
What happens next? The Senate passed the immigration reform measure, but now it sits in the House.
“Morgan Spurlock Inside Man” - guns
- Here’s more information on the Brady Act, and how it established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in 1993: “(NICS) was established for Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to contact by telephone, or other electronic means, for information to be supplied immediately on whether the transfer of a firearm would be in violation of Section 922 (g) or (n) of Title 18, United States Code, or state law…
“The NICS is a national system that checks available records on persons who may be disqualified from receiving firearms. The FBI developed the system through a cooperative effort with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and local and state law enforcement agencies. The NICS is a computerized background check system designed to respond within 30 seconds on most background check inquiries so the FFLs receive an almost immediate response.”
- Here’s the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) legislation from 1986. Attached to that bill was an amendment that would ban civilian ownership of fully automatic weapons.
Writes NPR: “Just as the bill was about to come to a final vote in that tumultuous House session, New Jersey Democrat William Hughes introduced an amendment. It would forbid the sale to civilians of all machine guns made after the law took effect.
There were enough Democrats to pass the amendment, so nobody objected when the presiding officer, New York Democrat Charles Rangel, called for a voice vote rather than a roll call vote on the machine gun ban.”
- In the short term after the shooting in Newtown, and in the long term, America has seen a rise in gun sales. Here’s how “The Atlantic” described it basing the data on background checks: “Since the school shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, America has gone on an unprecedented gun-buying binge, the numbers of which are staggering.”
Here are some of the ways gun laws have changed post-Newtown - some states have tightened gun laws, while others have loosened them.
- Here’s the CNN.com story after the Senate voted to reject the expanded gun background checks bill. Watch more of Obama’s speech after the failed gun measure in the Senate by clicking here.
“Morgan Spurlock Inside Man” - medical marijuana
- One of the main co-stars of this episode is Steve DeAngelo, who runs the Harborside Health Center. Here’s some information about Steve, from his website: “Steve DeAngelo has almost four decades of activism and advocacy in the cannabis reform movement. … Most of Steve’s career has been spent at the intersection of advocacy and entrepreneurship, with a focus on creating profitable ventures that simultaneously advance his social goals. In addition to Harborside, these ventures include Ecolution, SteepHill Laboratory and The ArcView Group.”
A couple notes from Harborside’s mission statement: “Protect medical cannabis patients by providing a safe and affordable alternative to the dangerous circumstances of the illegal drug market.
“Honor the trust provided by our fellow citizens by faithfully and rigorously observing and enforcing the laws of the progressive, visionary city of Oakland, and the great state of California.”
Find out more about the Harborside Health Center here (and here’s their Twitter account).
- Here are some details about the Matt Davies case, from a website made to support his cause: “Matt’s small business was permitted and complied with state laws and regulations. Through Matt’s work providing qualified patients safe access to medical marijuana, the cities of Stockton and Sacramento, the State of California, and the federal government received more than $300,000 in taxes, and more than 60 Californians got good jobs.”
But as of May 2013, Davies took a plea deal, and will serve a minimum of five years.
As for the Ogden Memo of 2009: “The Justice Department has provided federal prosecutors ‘clarification and guidance’ urging them to go after drug traffickers, but not patients and caregivers, in the 14 states that have medical marijuana laws.”
- From Melinda Haag’s bio: “She was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate in August 2010…
“Ms. Haag is an experienced trial lawyer with 23 years of prosecutorial and private sector experience. She has personally handled cases in the areas of securities fraud, mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, antitrust, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, environmental, civil rights, defense contractor fraud, health care fraud, and money laundering. Ms. Haag’s trial experience includes more than 19 jury and bench trials, including a number of complex white collar and civil rights cases.”
- The Harborside ruling in December 2012 meant “their landlord cannot evict the business on the grounds that it violates federal law.” However a setback came a couple of months later, when “a federal judge rejected a lawsuit the city had filed on behalf of the popular dispensary.” It has stayed open while it continues to challenge the ruling.