Five Ways Many Americans’ Finances Will Take a Hit Under Trump (Slate)

The stock-market surge that CNBC and Fox Business News are calling the “Trump rally” has sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by more than 8 percent since Election Day. It might seem reasonable, then, for Americans to assume the incoming Trump administration will be just fine for their personal finances. Stocks didn’t crash after Donald Trump’s election, as so many predicted. Instead, the indexes jumped into record territory. And the Federal Reserve’s December interest-rate hike didn’t discourage would-be homeowners; mortgage applications actually increased in the week that followed. Consumer confidence is up. And Trump wants Americans to know it:
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_bills/2016/12/_5_ways_many_americans_finances_will_take_a_hit_under_trump.html

A Monument to Ignorance (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio)

After hearing televangelist Pat Robertson accuse the Freedom From Religion Foundation of being led by “the Devil,” we hear comedian Robin Williams lampoon the story of Mary and Joseph. We listen to jazz pianist/composer (and FFRF member) Addison Frei’s freethinking song “Clinging,” sung by Tahira Clayton. Then we interview Jim Helton, president of Tri-State Freethinkers, about the successful protest he organized against young-earth creationist Ken Ham’s publicly subsidized “Ark Encounter” in Kentucky, a monument to genocide and ignorance.
Interview:
https://ffrf.org/news/radio/show-items
Podcast

David Diskin, President Of Camp Quest West (Hemant Mehta, The Friendly Atheist)

David Diskin is the President of Camp Quest West. Camp Quest is a summer camp for children that embraces science, natural wonder, and humanist values.

David has worked with the group since 2010. He has been a long-time activist in California, co-founding the Stockton Area Atheists and Freethinkers and Sunday Assembly Sacramento. He also serves on the boards of California Freethought Day, the Secular Coalition for California, and the national Reason Rally Coalition.

At the recent American Humanist Association conference in Chicago, we spoke with David about whether children of religious parents ever attend the camp, how the camp’s curriculum has changed over the years, and what he hopes Camp Quest achieves in the next few years. If you’d like to make a donation to Camp Quest, you can do so here.
Interview:

The Ark Encounter: A Less than Grand Opening (Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheis #284)

Ken Ham's "Ark Encounter" has been hyped - by some - as a tour de force of biblical truth, adventure, and potential tourism dollars. It officially opened on July 7th. Our four (atheist) panel guests were there for the occasion: David Silverman, Tracey Moody, Dan Broadbent and Aron Ra. They give us the report from the field.

Interview: 

http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/the-ark-encounter-a-less-than-grand-opening

Ali Rizvi: Islam and Identity for an Atheist Muslim (Josh Zepps, Point of Inquiry)

Religions have always gone through transitions over time. Not only do the faiths themselves evolve, but the role they play in day-to-day life adapts to fit the needs of a given culture. As the youngest Abrahamic religion on the market, all eyes are on Islam, as a debate rages as to whether there is any chance of reform or secularization within a religion that is so deeply woven into the fabric of the Muslim world.

Ali Rizvi is a Pakistani-Canadian writer, physician, and author of the new book Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason. Rizvi is one of many Muslims who assert that while they have lost their religion, they haven’t lost their Muslim identity. Rizvi considers Islam to be a religion with a set of ideas that are fair game to be criticized, but he also sees Muslims as distinct, as a culture of which Islam is not a mandatory component. After losing his faith while studying as a scientist and physician, Rizvi continued to participate and identify with many of the cultural aspects of being Muslim. He found that he wasn’t alone in his feelings, and predicts that today’s young Muslims will be the start of the transition toward secularism for Muslims around world.
Interview:
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/ali_rizvi_islam_and_identity_for_an_atheist_muslim/

The Growth Of Secret Spending In State And Local Politics (Diane Rehm Show)

Since the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United ruling six years ago, the flow of so-called dark money into federal elections has been well documented. A much less recognized phenomenon is spending by outside groups in state and local elections – mayoral races, public utility commission contests, school board votes. In 2014 the amount spent by unidentified donors on these smaller stages was nearly 40times the amount spent just four years earlier. And, critics say, a little money in these elections can go a very long way. A discussion about concerns over money and influence in state and local politics.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-07-21/money-in-state-and-local-politics

Two Cheers for Obama: US allows the UN to Condemn Israeli Occupation

Since 1972, the United States has vetoed 40 United Nations Security Council resolutions critical of Israel. Most recently, in February 2011, the Obama administration vetoed a resolution declaring Israel’s occupation of the West Bank to be illegal and calling for it to “completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.” But today, the administration abstained and allowed to pass by 14 to zero virtually the same resolution. By doing so, the US didn’t actually support the resolution – that’s why it gets only two cheers in my book – but it declared that it would no longer shield Israel from criticism by the Security Council....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/unisrael

At Bevin’s request, Christian group plans its second statewide Bible-reading marathon | Lexington Herald-Leader

The “Year of the Bible” will apparently last 24 months in Kentucky.

Gov. Matt Bevin has declared 2017 the “Year of the Bible” in Kentucky even though he proclaimed 2016 the “Year of the Bible” last December. ...
http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article122292969.html

Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas: Guess who Trump's national security advisor met up with?

From the Department of Sure, Why Not?

The leader of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party has signed what he called a cooperation agreement with Russia’s ruling party and recently met with Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the designated national security adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump of the United States.

And what is this Freedom Party all about? First of all, it was “founded in the 1950s by ex-Nazis.”...
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1612991

Democrats Are Paving the Way to Impeach Donald Trump

“The American people need to know that their President is acting in their best interest,” they wrote. And on Thursday, Politico reported that Democrats are exploring whether refusing to fully divest could put the incoming president in violation of the STOCK Act, which prevents insider trading by members of Congress and their staffs. Democrats are reportedly holding meetings with ethics experts and legal counsel this week to determine how the law could apply to the president, and whether it would criminalize any efforts by Trump or his children to profit off of any non-public information.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/12/democrats-pave-the-way-to-impeach-donald-trump

Trump Adviser: Global Warming Could Be Disproven Just Like Flat Earth Theory (VIDEO)

“Chris, there was an overwhelming science that the Earth was flat,” Scaramucci responded. “And there was an overwhelming science that we were the center of the world.”

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/anthony-scaramucci-global-warming-flat-earth-theory

Who Is Really Responsible for the Success of the Right-Wing Radicals Who Took Over the GOP? | Alternet

The GOP's endless battles over who is or isn't a "true conservative" created a movement it couldn't control.
http://www.alternet.org/right-wing/rise-alt-right

The Scary Ghost of Ayn Rand Looms Over the Trump Cabinet | Alternet

The men who will run our country are fans of a cruel philosophy that celebrates wealth and selfishness.
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/scary-ghost-ayn-rand-looms-over-trump-cabinet

“Doonesbury” Cartoonist Garry Trudeau On 30 Years Of Drawing Donald Trump

It was 1987 when the “Doonesbury” comic strip first imagined a Donald Trump presidential run. Since then, Trump has been a recurring character in cartoonist Garry Trudeau’s Pulitzer Prize-winning strip. Over the years “Doonesbury” has taken on Trump’s rhetoric, his beliefs about women, Trump University… well before any of this was making front-page campaign news. And the candidate has been less than pleased with Trudeau’s satirical depictions, calling Trudeau a “sleazeball” and a “third-rate talent.” Now the author has compiled all his Trump clips into a new book. Cartoonist Garry Trudeau on satire, politics and thirty years of drawing Donald Trump.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-08-29/doonesbury-cartoonist-garry-trudeau-on-30-years-of-drawing-donald-trump

The Illusion of God's Presence (Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheist)

John C. Wathey is a computational biologist whose research interests include evolutionary algorithms, protein folding, and the biology of nervous systems. From 1991 to 1995, he was a senior applications scientist at Biosym Technologies (now named Biovia), a company that develops molecular modeling software for the pharmaceutical industry. In 1996, he founded his own business, Wathey Research, and since that time, most of his scientific research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health. John (who goes by "Jack") has written a new book titled, "The Illusion of God's Presence: The Biological Origins of Spiritual Longing." In this broadcast, Seth andrews speaks with the author about humankind's (evolved?) tendency to seek the supernatural in a natural world. John Wathey's website: http://www.watheyresearch.com.
Interview:
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/the-illusion-of-gods-presence

Will I Know Anyone at This Party? (Ira Glass, This American Life)

Right now lots of Republicans feel like they don’t recognize their own party. Like a Minnesota congressman who’s confused when the residents in his district, people he’s known for years, start calling for a ban on Muslims moving to their town.
Interview:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/600/will-i-know-anyone-at-this-party

5 Alarming Things About Voter Suppression

The Republican Party has been working to suppress voter turnout for years, especially among people of color. Why? Because it works -- for them, anyway.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/3J-FEjZ4vl4

The Eric Trump Charity Paid the Trump Organization Big Bucks | Alternet

After sustained outcry about his foundation providing big-money donors access to the incoming presidential family, Eric Trump finally announced Thursday that he will suspend all operations of his charitable foundation. Donald Trump, on a brief respite from using Twitter to promote a nuclear arms race or whine about celebrities hating him, used the opportunity to complain about his family being treated like every other clan that has occupied the White House writing, “My wonderful son, Eric, will no longer be allowed to raise money for children with cancer because of a possible conflict of interest with my presidency. Isn't this a ridiculous shame? He loves these kids, has raised millions of dollars for them, and now must stop. Wrong answer!”...
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/eric-trump-charity-paid-trump-organization-big-bucks

Business Insider: Russia and Iran are closer than ever before — and their military alliance keeps expanding

Critics pounced on President George W. Bush when he described Iran, Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and North Korea as part of an "Axis of Evil" almost 15 years ago. After all, they said, there was no evidence that the three countries worked together, so how could they be an axis? Put aside the fact that Pyongyang and Tehran have long relations, especially on issues relating to their ballistic missile programs and perhaps nuclear work, as well. Increasingly, there it appears a real axis is developing between Russia and Iran....
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/middle-east/iran/russo-iran-axis-expands/

Salon: Dystopian Donald: Will Trump make “1984” look like a nursery tale?

Can you doubt that we're in a dystopian age, even if we're still four weeks from Donald Trump entering the Oval Office? Never in our lifetimes have we experienced such vivid previews of what unfettered capitalism is likely to mean in an ever more unequal country, now that its version of 1 percent politics has elevated to the pinnacle of power a bizarre billionaire and his "basket of deplorables." I'm referring, of course, not to his followers but to his picks for the highest posts in the land. ...
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/23/dystopian-donald-will-trump-make-1984-look-like-a-nursery-tale_partner/

Business Insider: Global security expert: Yes, a president can unilaterally decide to launch a nuclear weapon

President-elect Donald Trump made waves on Thursday by tweeting that the US must "expand its nuclear capability" until "the world comes to its senses."

It's the latest in a string of remarks the president-elect has made, either during the campaign or following its conclusion, that have raised some eyebrows about the US's nuclear arsenal.

His prior statements led some to question: Could a president make the decision to use a nuclear weapon without any interference from others?...
http://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-weapons-trump-2016-12

SC lawmakers eye measure to block pornography on new computers | TheHill

South Carolina lawmakers are eying a measure intended to block access to pornography on all new personal computers. The bill would require manufacturers and sellers of computers and internet-capable devices to install a software that would block pornography....
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/311229-south-carolina-lawmakers-want-to-block-pornography-on-new-computers

Trump Seen Paying Off for Putin With Sanctions Relief Next Year - Bloomberg

Hard to fathom only months ago, the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Russia is all but certain for most economists....
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-20/trump-seen-paying-off-for-putin-with-sanctions-relief-next-year?cmpid=GP.HP

From Climate Change to Coal Mining, Donald Trump's Reality Is Pure Science Fiction | Alternet

President-elect Donald Trump has been twisting the facts in ways beyond what even George Orwell could have envisioned. When PolitiFact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning truth squad sponsored by the Tampa Bay Times, analyzed more than 300 assertions by Trump since he announced his presidential bid, it found that roughly 70 percent were mostly or completely false while another 15 percent were half-truths. Only 15 percent of his comments were deemed mostly or completely true. Little wonder CNN political commentator and Trump apologist Scottie Nell Hughes recently declared on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show that if enough people believe a lie, it’s true — at least for them. “There’s no such thing ... anymore as facts,” she said....
http://www.alternet.org/environment/climate-change-coal-mining-donald-trumps-reality-pure-science-fiction

DOJ Finds 'Disturbing' Pattern Of Illegal Holds By 2 Louisiana Law Enforcement Agencies

Two Louisiana law enforcement agencies made use of a procedure called an “investigative hold” to detain residents at any time without probable cause in a "disturbing" pattern stretching back more than two decades, according to a Justice Department report released Monday....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/doj-finds-pattern-illegal-holds-ville-platte-evangeline-parish

Biblical Forgeries: 1 and 2 Peter

https://youtu.be/Yor0r6ZvzhY

Free Will | Fun Science

We definitely use more than 10% of our brains. But how much of your brain makes up... you? And how much control do you have over your brain anyway?
Interview:
https://youtu.be/JH8zCnK_nuk

Biblical Forgeries: Ephesians

His Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/themessianicm...
Interview:
https://youtu.be/nH7Ey4eUjJA

The Mystery Letter (Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheist)

In the spring of 2016, Seth Andrews received a strange letter in the mail...a letter which has roots dating back over three decades. In September of 2016, he told his entertaining story about "The Mystery Letter" to a live audience in Riverside, California.
Interview:
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/the-mystery-letter

Grace Without God (Bart Campolo, Humanize Me 128)

Like Bart, Katherine Ozment is trying to figure out how best to find meaning, purpose and belonging in a secular age. In this conversation Bart asks her about her journey, which is similar to so many stories we’ve been hearing recently from the audience of Humanize Me.
Interview:
http://bartcampolo.org/2016/11/humanize-128-grace-without-god

Saving The Doctor-Patient Relationship (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Nortin Hadler, MD, has been doctoring for a long time. He’s old school. Loves a rich doctor-patient relationship, where the whole person – patient - is seen and comprehended. Treated in full. But these days, he says, doctors who care are burning out, retiring early, pulling their hair out. “Today,” he writes, “health is a commodity, disease is a product line and physicians are a sales force in the employ of a predatory enterprise.” Ok! This hour On Point, Dr. Nortin Hadler on how to heal American health care. -- Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/03/29/doctor-patient-care-aca-obamacare

One Nun's Odyssey (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Taylor, Freethought Radio)

After some election postmortem, including hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson say we need to "make America smart again," we report two FFRF state-church victories in public schools. We listen to Sharon Jones sing her funk version of "This Land Is Your Land." Then former nun (who is now a "none") Marion Kenneally describes her 16-year life in a convent before she became an atheist. Her fascinating new book is One Nun's Odyssey: A Memoir.
Interview:
http://ffrf.libsyn.com/one-nuns-odyssey

What Connecticut's Schools Reveal About National Education Inequality

Americans know that funding local schools with local property taxes means inequality. We know that whole communities of children are coming up with substandard, even lousy education. And we don’t fix it. Last week, one judge said “enough.” A Connecticut judge said his state is failing - that it “has left rich districts to flourish and poor districts to flounder” - and gave legislators 180 days to design a better way. The whole country’s watching. This hour On Point, facing up to education inequality. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/09/13/connecticut-schools-academic-inequality

Economist Jeffrey Sachs On Globalization’s Risks (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

We see a whole lot of problems falling out of the Brexit vote. A lot of people roll their eyes at the language of a Trump rally. But my guest today, global development veteran Jeffrey Sachs says pay attention. He’s not against globalization, he says. But the way we’ve done it is not working, he says. Too much border chaos. Too much profit to the top. Too little elite attention to very real problems. This hour On Point, Jeffrey Sachs on owning up to the problems of globalization as we’ve done it. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/07/06/economist-jeffrey-sachs-on-globalizations-risks

Larry Olmsted: “Real Food, Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating & What You Can Do About It” (Diane Rehm Show )

When we try to be mindful about what we eat, we choose healthy fats like olive oil, lean proteins like seafood, and maybe we occasionally splurge on some fancy Japanese steak or a glass of champagne. But according to food and travel writer Larry Olmsted, too often such foods are not actually what we think they are. In fact, they are cheap substitutes. It’s not just a question of getting what you pay for: in some instances, these fake foods might be bad for your health. The author of the new book “Real Food, Fake Food” joins Diane to talk about how to sniff out those imposters and make sure you’re getting the real deal.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-07-06/larry-olmsted-real-food-fake-food-why-you-dont-know-what-youre-eating-what-you-can-do-about-it

Salon: Conservatism turned toxic: Donald Trump’s fanbase has no actual ideology, just a nihilistic hatred of liberals

The horror show that was the 2016 election will be examined and reexamined for years, and depending on how bad things get, quite likely decades to come. There were, of course, a lot of factors: Cultural change, economic change, racism, liberal complacency after Barack Obama, the FBI manipulating the election, the Russian government manipulating the election, hatred of feminism and so on.

But it's also important to notice that Donald Trump's election is the culmination of decades of right-wing media teaching its audience that liberals are subhuman scum, and that hating liberals — whatever their stereotype of a “liberal” looks like — is far more important that minor concerns like preventing war or economic destruction....
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/23/conservatism-turned-toxic-donald-trumps-fanbase-has-no-actual-ideology-just-a-nihilistic-hatred-of-liberals/

The New Yorker: The Trump Team’s Holy War and the Remaking of the World Order

In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former five-star general and the Supreme Allied Commander in the Second World War, inaugurated the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C. "I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, that, under the American Constitution, under American tradition, and in American hearts, this center, this place of worship, is just as welcome as could be a similar edifice of any other religion," Eisenhower said. "Indeed, America would fight with her whole strength for your right to have here your own church and worship according to your own conscience. This concept is indeed a part of America, and without that concept we would be something else than what we are. . . . I am convinced that our common goals are both right and promising.”...
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-trump-teams-holy-war-and-the-remaking-of-the-world-order?mbid=rss

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Malware from DNC hack now found in Ukraine app, CrowdStrike says

The same malicious code that breached the U.S. Democratic National Committee's computer networks ahead of the presidential election has appeared in Ukraine, providing further evidence linking Russian military intelligence to far-reaching hacking attacks, according to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Inc. ...
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2016/12/23/Malware-from-DNC-hack-now-found-in-Ukraine-app-CrowdStrike-says/stories/201612230172

It Is Time For the Electoral College to Ratify the Popular Vote | Alternet

Twice in less than two decades the majority vote in a presidential election was overruled by the math of the Electoral College. The Founding Fathers created the electoral college to make sure that voters in concentrated urban areas would not be able to neglect the concerns of the rural population. But many people believe that the concept of democracy is undermined when a President is put into office without gaining majority support from the voters.

A group called National Popular Vote has a proposed National Popular Vote bill that would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. And it does not require a Constitutional Amendment. Steve Silberstein, a successful businessman, co-founder of the computer software company Innovative Interfaces Inc. (one of the world’s largest suppliers of computer systems to libraries), and Board member of National Popular Vote, answered my questions about their proposal....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/it-time-electoral-college-ratify-popular-vote

Slate: Forget “I’m Not a Scientist.” Trump Believes No One Is a Scientist.

My favorite Trumpism is "nobody really knows." He says it all the time. Did Russia interfere in the U.S. presidential election? "Nobody really knows." ...
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2016/12/trump_s_climate_change_thoughts_go_beyond_denialism.html

State Department Worried Trump Is Going to Be a Foreign Policy Madman | Alternet

Foreign policy is a tricky beast for any new president, at any time. But 2016 presents some particular international challenges: ISIS, Syria, Russia and the Ukraine, Russia and Syria, China and Iran (to name just a few). When a new president is on the way, traditional adversaries might test the waters a bit by, say, seizing a U.S. unmanned research drone. Just to see what happens. It's a period of uncertainty for the foreign policy establishment, an establishment that relies entirely upon norms, rules of engagement that have been agreed upon, protocol. And here comes Trump, freaking the hell out of everybody....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/state-department-worried-trump-going-be-foreign-policy-madman

Can American Fascism Be Stopped? | Alternet

It is hard to contemplate the new administration without experiencing alarm bordering on despair: Alarm about the risks of war, the fate of constitutional democracy, the devastation of a century of social progress. Trump’s populism was a total fraud. Every single Trump appointment has come from the pool of far-right conservatives, crackpots, and billionaire kleptocrats. More alarming still is the man himself—his vanity, impulsivity, and willful ignorance, combined with an intuitive genius as a demagogue. A petulant fifth-grader with nuclear weapons will now control the awesome power of the U.S. government....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/can-american-fascism-be-stopped

KKK members insist they’re not “white supremacists”

“We’re not white supremacists. We believe in our race,” said a man with a Midwestern accent and glasses just hours before a pro-Trump Klan parade in a nearby town. He, like three Klan compatriots, wore a robe and pointed hood and wouldn’t give his full name, in accordance with Klan rules... ...Experts say the groups' denials about their nature are probably linked to efforts to make their racism more palatable...
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kkk-insists-theyre-not-white-supremacists/

Health care battle royale: Insurers want to convince you that fewer, bigger companies are better

By the time President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as the nation's 45th president, the nation's health insurance industry could be poised for a major reorganization that could result in fewer insurers in the marketplace. This attempt at consolidation is happening just as Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress are poised to implement their reforms to the world's most expensive health care market with the worst track record among industrialized capitalist democracies. This week arguments...
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/10/health-care-battle-royale-insurers-want-to-convince-you-that-fewer-bigger-companies-are-better/

The U.S. And Russia, At Odds On The Global Stage (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The pile-up of sharp tensions and potential flash points between the United States and Russia is getting unnervingly high. In the Baltic Sea, Russian warplanes zoom within feet of American forces. In Syria, a thin cooperation breaks down and Russian missiles move in. At home, American officials accuse Russia of hacking at the heart of American presidential politics. This hour On Point, we’re looking at this fraught US-Russia moment, and what it means. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/10/11/us-russia-hacking-election-syria

Doomsday Dread: The End of Civilization, with Phil Torres (Josh Zepps, Point of Inquiry)

Phil Torres is an author, contributing writer for the Future of Life Institute, and an Affiliate Scholar at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. His writing has been featured in numerous publications such as Time, Motherboard, Salon, Huffington Post, and our very own Free Inquiry. His book is The End: What Science and Religion Tell Us About the Apocalypse.

Since the beginning of civilization, people have worried about its collapse. Pockets of people across the world have long warned that the end is near, and as it turns out, their warnings of apocalypse might be closer to the truth than we think. Torres joins Point of Inquiry host Josh Zepps to discuss just how close we are to experiencing catastrophes that have the potential to fuel our demise. With everything from climate change and biodiversity loss to uncontrollable technologies and the greater accessibility of advanced weaponry, Torres predicts that the human race is going to have some major hurdles to overcome if we want to survive the coming century.
Interview:
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/doomsday_dread_the_end_of_civilization_with_phil_torres/

Remembering 1960s Singer Bobby Vee (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)

Bobby Vee was a teen idol whose hits included ‘Run to Him,’ ‘Take Good Care of My Baby,’ and ‘Rubber Ball.’ He died Monday at the age of 73. Terry Gross spoke to Vee in 1999. Film critic David Edelstein reviews ‘The Handmaiden,' directed by Park Chan-wook.
Interview:
http://freshairnpr.npr.libsynfusion.com/remembering-1960s-singer-bobby-vee#HXU3gLU8pcC5UoR6.99

George W. Bush's Ethics Lawyer: Trump Will Be in Violation of Constitution on Day One

http://democracynow.org - Could Donald Trump be in violation of the Constitution on his first day in office? That’s the conclusion of some leading constitutional law experts. The Constitution prohibits officeholders from accepting "any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." Law experts say many of Trump’s businesses are already benefiting from his presidency. Kuwait, for example, recently moved its National Celebration Day from the Four Seasons in Georgetown to the Trump International Hotel instead. According to ThinkProgress, Kuwait faced political pressure from the Trump camp to move the location. Other diplomats have reportedly been urged to hold events at Trump’s hotel. Trump and his family also have holdings or projects in Argentina, Brazil, Georgia, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines and Turkey. In addition, Trump’s businesses owe hundreds of millions of dollars to foreign banks, including Deutsche Bank, UBS and Bank of China. We speak to Richard Painter, professor of corporate law at the University of Minnesota. He was the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush from February 2005 to July 2007.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/j0w_6NYrrpc

Pot On The Ballot In 2016 (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Big decisions next month in many states on the future of marijuana use and the law. Nine states have ballot initiatives that would relax laws against pot. Four would support medical marijuana. Five – in California, Nevada, Arizona, Massachusetts and Maine – would straight-up legalize it for recreational use. Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska — D.C., too — are already there. But this is a big wave of state-level votes. This hour On Point, pot, the ballot box, and the arguments being made right now. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/10/06/pot-2016-ballot-initiatives

Report: After Legislative Coup, North Carolina Can No Longer Be Considered a Democracy

http://democracynow.org - In North Carolina, a new report finds the state’s democratic institutions are so flawed, the state should no longer be considered a functioning democracy. The report by the Electoral Integrity Project, or EIP, points to extreme gerrymandering, voter suppression of communities of color and the recent stripping of power of incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s power by Republicans. EIP gave North Carolina an electoral integrity score of 58 out of 100 points—similar to the scores of Cuba, Sierra Leone and Indonesia. We speak to Andrew Reynolds, professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is one of the founders of the Electoral Integrity Project.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/nJnCjC17yNQ

Top U.S. & World Headlines — December 28, 2016

Interview:
https://youtu.be/oU4oFy-5NWk

Carl Bernstein: "Trump Lives In A Fact-Free Universe Where He Floats with Weightlessness "

CNN Panel discusses the need for a select committee to investigate Trump's ties to Russia and their interference in the U.S. Presidential election. Kayleigh McEnany was asked why is it that Trump Doesn't Believe That the Russian's Hacked the Election when the ENTIRE Intelligence Community has assessed that claim as fact. Kayleigh offers OLD INFORMATION as a defense and is quickly cut off. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called for an investigation and Trump is still feigning concern and meandering along, not really stating a position beyond his previous jab at the CIA on Twitter. Matt Lewis pointed out in the discussion that Trump has never taken a hard line with Russia or Vladimir Putin when he seems to have no problem doing so against China or anyone else. Donald Trump Jr. said in an interview that Russia's Investments in the Trump Corporation are "Substantial" but of course it's impossible to confirm just how substantial since Trump refuses to release his tax returns.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/iSy0W1Ip06I

CIA Interrogator: At Time of U.S. Invasion, Saddam Hussein Was Focused on Writing Novel, Not WMDs

The CIA comes clean. It's worse than you thought.

http://democracynow.org - Ten years ago this week, on December 30, 2006, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed. Hussein was toppled soon after the U.S. invasion began in 2003. U.S. President George W. Bush launched the invasion on the false premise that Hussein had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaeda. The invasion destabilized Iraq and the region, leaving over a million people dead. And the fighting continues in Iraq and Syria. A stunning new book about the Iraq War has just come out from a perspective we have not yet heard from. It is written by John Nixon, the CIA analyst who interrogated Saddam Hussein after his capture 13 years ago. Nixon reveals that much of what the CIA believed they knew about Saddam Hussein at the time of the invasion was wrong. During his interrogation, Hussein revealed that by 2003 he had largely turned over power to his aides so he could concentrate on writing a novel. There was no program of weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein was also deeply critical of al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups inspired by Wahhabism. During the interrogation, Hussein also had a warning for the United States about Iraq. He said, "You are going to fail. You are going to find that it is not so easy to govern Iraq. You are going to fail in Iraq because you do not know the language, the history, and you do not understand the Arab mind." We speak to former CIA analyst John Nixon, author of the new book, "Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein."
Interview:
https://youtu.be/Ab_pxXZQ-so

The Arctic is ‘behaving so bizarrely,’ and these scientists think they know why (The Washington Post)

Last month, temperatures in the high Arctic spiked dramatically, some 36 degrees Fahrenheit above normal — a move that corresponded with record low levels of Arctic sea ice during a time of year when this ice is supposed to be expanding during the freezing polar night.. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/23/the-arctic-is-behaving-so-bizarrely-and-these-scientists-think-they-know-why/

Scientific consensus and arguments from authority

"This video follows on from my video "Meet The Scientists.""
Interview:
https://youtu.be/MTJQPyTVtNA

Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, Cognitive Psychologist And Memory Expert (Hemant Mehta, The Friendly Atheist)

Dr. Elizabeth Loftus is a cognitive psychologist who specializes in the malleability of human memory. She has done groundbreaking research into why our memories are not always reliable and how we might create false memories that we fully accept as real.

Since earning her Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University, Dr. Loftus has published 23 books, more than 500 scientific articles, and is currently a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine.

At the recent American Humanist Association conference in Chicago, where she was receiving the Isaac Asimov Award, we spoke with her about how faulty memories can form in our minds, whether research into this subject is ethical, and if “believing the victim” is always the way to go.
Interview:
http://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2016/07/03/dr-elizabeth-loftus-cognitive-psychologist-and-memory-expert/

2016 was the year solar panels finally became cheaper than fossil fuels. Just wait for 2017

Solar and wind is now the same price or cheaper than fossil fuels in more than 30 countries, the WEF reported in December (pdf). As prices for solar and wind power continue their precipitous fall, two-thirds of all nations will reach the point known as “grid parity” within a few years, even without subsidies. “Renewable energy has reached a tipping point,” Michael Drexler, who leads infrastructure and development investing at the WEF, said in a statement. “It is not only a commercially viable option, but an outright compelling investment opportunity with long-term, stable, inflation-protected returns.”
http://qz.com/871907/2016-was-the-year-solar-panels-finally-became-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels-just-wait-for-2017/

The New Yorker: The Trump Team’s Holy War and the Remaking of the World Order

In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former five-star general and the Supreme Allied Commander in the Second World War, inaugurated the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C. "I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, that, under the American Constitution, under American tradition, and in American hearts, this center, this place of worship, is just as welcome as could be a similar edifice of any other religion," Eisenhower said. ...
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-trump-teams-holy-war-and-the-remaking-of-the-world-order?mbid=rss

Freedom Caucus decides fiscal austerity isn't holy grail after all, Trump can spend what he wants

Those fine, principled Freedom Caucus stalwarts, keeping a keen eye on the deficit and working to make sure it shrinks no matter how many people starve to death, have apparently decided that the deficit isn't such a big deal—but they're not backing down on the letting people starve to death part....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1613684

Two dirty words show how Donald Trump is changing the government’s role in the US economy Quartz)

If the campaign taught us anything, it's that Donald Trump loves ugly language. However, it's the two words used to describe his latest White House appointment—words that used to get your mouth washed out with soap by the Washington establishment—that show how much things are changing: “Industrial policy.”…
http://qz.com/870200/two-dirty-words-show-how-donald-trump-is-changing-the-governments-role-in-the-us-economy/

Ted Cruz to introduce bill allowing discrimination against LGBT Americans nationwide

Led by Sen. Ted Cruz, Republicans will be wasting no time in their efforts to roll back civil rights for LGBT Americans.

[The First Amendment Defense Act] would prohibit the federal government from taking "discriminatory action" against any business or person that discriminates against LGBTQ people. The act distinctly aims to protect the right of all entities to refuse service to LGBTQ people based on two sets of beliefs: "(1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage."...
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1613367

BULLSH**TER OF THE DAY: Donald Trump, for votesplaining to Bill Clinton - Salon.com

“Bill Clinton stated that I called him after the election. Wrong, he called me (with a very nice congratulations). He “doesn’t know much” . . . especially how to get people, even with an unlimited budget, out to vote in the vital swing states ( and more). They focused on wrong states”...
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/20/bullshter-of-the-day-donald-trump-for-votesplaining-to-bill-clinton/