All Aboard the Anti-Trans Train! - The Facepalm Five: May 30, 2016

Was it Make Life Miserable for Trans Folks this month or what? My bad -- that's every month.
https://youtu.be/297h92CuTzw

Memorial Day 2016

Happy Memorial Day from Mrs. Betty Bowers.
https://youtu.be/iNWeKxCelXA

Inside the World of Fire Ants!

Interview:
https://youtu.be/rz3UdLEWQ60

An Incomplete List Of Fringe Conspiracy Theories Embraced By A Man Who Might Be The Next President

You can find conspiracy theorists on street corners, call-in radio shows and social media. Soon, you might be able to find one in the Oval Office.

Generally, presidential candidates tend to shy away from conspiracy theories. They involve a mixture of paranoia and gullibility that seems ill-suited for someone seeking access to America’s nuclear codes.

But Donald Trump is a different kind of candidate. He has embraced a wide range of fringe conspiracy theories. Nevertheless, Republicans are rallying to his side and polls show him reasonably competitive with likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Here are the views of a man who might be the next president....
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/29/3783087/incomplete-list-fringe-conspiracy-theories-embraced-man-might-next-president/

Trump University: Judge In Case Orders Internal Documents Released, Trump Thinks It’s Because ‘He’s Mexican’

Donald Trump just got some bad news involving the Trump University lawsuits dogging his campaign and life. A judge who is overseeing the proceedings has ruled that certain sections of internal Trump University documents must be released as part of the case. Trump University was a closed real estate education program endorsed by Donald Trump, and many of the “students” involved have been far from satisfied with the education they received. Many (enough to quantify two class action lawsuits out of California) say that they were defrauded by the program; in addition to those lawsuits, the New York attorney general has filed a separate lawsuit against Donald Trump and Trump University.
http://www.inquisitr.com/3144748/trump-university-judge-in-case-orders-internal-documents-released-trump-thinks-its-because-hes-mexican/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+google%2FyDYq+%28The+Inquisitr+-+News%29

Were Neanderthals more complex cavemen than we thought?

Someone built mysterious structures using hundreds of stalagmites in an underground cave in southern France some 176,500 years ago. Scientists say it had to have been Neanderthals, which suggests they weren't the simple brutes as previously thought....
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0525/Mysterious-cave-edifice-suggests-Neanderthals-were-complex-cavemen

5 Superfoods You're Probably Not Eating

By some estimates, the state of American health looks pretty grim. And much of it is directly tied to poor diets.

 Based on current trends, one in three American adults—about 146 million people—will be suffering from type 2 diabetes by 2050, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That year, say researchers at Harvard University, 42 percent of Americans will be obese, up from the current figure of 35 percent.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that in 2000, partially because of a surge in meat consumption, the average American ate almost 20 percent more calories than he did in 1983. The problem isn’t only that we’re eating too much, but that we’re eating a lot of bad stuff:...
http://www.alternet.org/food/5-superfoods-youre-probably-not-eating

Immigrants Steal American Jobs: True or False?

Illegal immigration is a hot topic, so we went to Phoenix, Arizona, to find out the real story behind undocumented immigrant workers....

Right-Wing Group Plans Nationwide Target Protest: 'Sin Is Not a Civil Right'

Anti-trans conservatives are vowing to take their Target protests to “another level” with a message for LGBT equality groups: “Sin is not a civil right.”

That’s the theme of a new video from Faith2Action, a religious right-wing group that bills itself as “pro-life, pro-family, and pro-active — to win the cultural war for life, liberty, and the family.” Founded by Janet Porter, the organization was classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2016....
http://www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/5/24/right-wing-group-plans-nationwide-target-protest-sin-not-civil-right

60,000 US War Veterans Suffering from Health Problems the Govt Wants to Ignore - The Toxic Legacy of Burn Pits

There are over 60,000 U.S. veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who are now sick and dying. But the Pentagon denies there is such a health crisis, and the Department of Veterans Affairs is denying these suffering men and women the benefits they desperately need and deserve. 

These veterans are not the victims of enemy fire. They are suffering from medical ailments associated with the open-air burn pits that were constructed on over 230 military bases across Iraq and Afghanistan. These fiery pits, which were hastily dug in violation of the military’s own health and environmental regulations, were used to dispose of the mountains of trash created by war. Every type of refuse imaginable was thrown into these burn pits, including such toxic materials as plastics, metals, medical waste, batteries, tires, old ordnance and even human body parts....
http://www.alternet.org/investigations/60000-burn-pits

This is Хорошо - Как успокоить женщину. #525

The Virginia GOP Is Trying to Keep These Two Women—and 206,000 Like Them—From Voting in November

Gov. Terry McAuliffe holds up the order he signed to restore rights to felons in Virginia at the state Capitol in Richmond last month. Mark Gormus/AP Virginia Republicans have followed through on their threat to sue Gov. Terry McAuliffe over his April 22 decision to restore the voting rights of more than 200,000 felons, filing suit on Monday with the state's Supreme Court and alleging that the governor overstepped his authority.

"The Virginia constitution has a blanket prohibition on felons voting, but it gives the governor a narrow clemency power to restore voting rights or other political rights," said Charles Cooper, the Washington, DC, lawyer hired by the state Republicans to challenge the decision. "But that power, we are arguing, can be exercised by the governor only on an individualized basis." Cooper said McAuliffe's two predecessors, Tim Kaine, a Democrat, and Bob McDonnell, a Republican, looked at voting restorations and concluded that the governor could only restore voting rights "case by case, rather than en masse and categorically, the way he has." He added that "the imminence of the November elections, the importance of the issue, convinced us that we really ought to ask the Supreme Court to take it up immediately."...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/05/virginia-republicans-sue-governor-over-voting-rights-restoration

6 Scams to Watch out for This Summer

Summer will be here before you know it, and with it comes new and old scams. As you consider possible escapes—travel to exotic places; trips to the beach, the mountains or the golf course; a staycation to get much needed work done around your house—bear in mind that these diversions provide the perfect opportunity for con artists and identity thieves just waiting to insinuate themselves into your life, becoming the sand in your picnic basket (or bathing suit)—a vacation-killing burn that no ointment can soothe.

Here are few scams to be on the lookout for this summer....
http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/6-scams-watch-out-summer

Samantha Bee Obliterates the Right for Exploiting Abortion Rights for Political Gain

In a fascinating followup to her look at the origins of the religious right last week, Samantha Bee used this week's "Full Frontal" to investigate how the movement set its sights on abortion as a key issue....
http://www.alternet.org/media/samantha-bee-obliterates-right-exploiting-abortion-rights-political-gain

Kooky Curriculum: Ohio Public School Under Fire For Using Creationist Video Produced By Turkish Televangelist

Apparently some creationists are so eager to advance their agenda that they will use just about any materials they can get their hands on – including a video made by a controversial evangelist in Turkey who collects young woman followers and has been accused of being a Holocaust denier. 

Recommended curriculum for 10th graders in Youngstown, Ohio, public schools includes a video called “Cambrian Fossils and the Creation of Species.” As detailed by sound science activist and Americans United ally Zack Kopplin, the video claims it has evidence that “totally invalidates the theory of evolution.” It then proceeds to put forth an old and unconvincing assertion that a rapid increase in the number of new species on Earth starting around 500 million years ago proves creationist accounts.

Kopplin noted that the video has minimal Islamic content despite its source. At the beginning of the presentation, a screen flashes momentarily that says “this film is based on the works of Harun Yahya.” A small gold bubble also appears that says, “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” in Arabic.

 So who is Harun Yahya?....
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/kooky-curriculum-ohio-public-school-under-fire-for-using-creationist-video

The Burzynski Case and the Pitfalls of Medical Journalism, with Tamar Wilner (Lindsay Beyerstein, Point of Inquiry)

Medical doctors can hold our lives in their hands. But with great power comes great responsibility, and doctors owe it to their patients to provide accurate information and treatments based on science and evidence. This is the standard we expect and take for granted; yet one doctor, Stanislaw Burzynski, has been skirting medical ethics and scientific protocols for decades with his controversial and unproven cancer treatments, which he claims without evidence, can destroy cancer cells. The Center for Inquiry, which produces this podcast, has worked to expose Burzynski’s treatments and for the FDA to reinstate restrictions on his dubious medical trials.

This week, Point of Inquiry welcomes science journalist Tamar Wilner to discuss the most recent progress in the Burzynski case, and what it’s like to pursue the hard truth within such a murky and emotionally fraught situation. Wilner is a frequent contributor to the Columbia Journalism Review and a consultant for the Fact Checking Project at the American Press Institute; she’s written numerous articles on controversial science issues including her recent Newsweek feature, “Cancer ‘Visionary’ Stanislaw Burzynski Stands Trial for Unprecedented Medical Malfeasance.” She’s also been featured at Skeptical Inquirer with a piece entitled "Five Things I Learned Writting about Stanislaw Burzynski."

A further explanation of Burzynski's treatments, the lack of science behind them, and his run-ins with medical authorities can be found in a feature by Dr. David Gorski in the March-April 2014 issue of Skeptical Inquirer. Interview: 
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/the_burzynski_case_and_the_pitfalls_of_medical_journalism_with_tamar_wilner/

Rising Seas Push Too Much Salt Into The Florida Everglades

The Florida Everglades is a swampy wilderness the size of Delaware. In some places along the road in southern Florida, it looks like tall saw grass to the horizon, a prairie punctuated with a few twisted cypress trees. The sky is the palest blue. But beneath the surface a different story is unfolding.

Because of climate change and sea level rise, the ocean is starting to seep into the swampland. If the invasion grows worse, it could drastically change the Everglades, and a way of life for millions of residents in South Florida....
http://www.npr.org/2016/05/25/477014085/rising-seas-push-too-much-salt-into-the-florida-everglades?ft=nprml&f=1001

Utah Congressman Wants To Block Proposed National Monument In Maine

Just days after a failed legislative attempt to force the disposal of the popular Vieques National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico, Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT) signaled that he will next seek to block a Maine-based foundation from donating property to the National Park Service to create a new national monument in the Maine Woods. 



Bishop, who is the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, announced that he will travel to Maine on June 1 to hold a hearing that will scrutinize whether the National Park Service should accept a donation of 87,500 acres from a non-profit foundation started by Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby, and whether President Obama should designate the lands as a new national monument....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/24/3781197/anti-parks-new-target-maine/

A School Accused A Student Of Milk Theft. He Was Innocent But Is Still Going To Court.

A middle school student in Virginia was handcuffed and charged with stealing a 65-cent carton of milk from his school cafeteria, local television station WTVR reported — even though the student, who’s on the school’s free lunch program, wasn’t responsible for paying for it anyway.

The student’s mother told WVTR she’s very frustrated her son was handcuffed. “They are charging him with larceny,” she said. “I don’t have no understanding as to why he is being charged with larceny when he was entitled to that milk from the beginning.”

The student, named Ryan, was also suspended for the incident. Both law enforcement and school officials argue that the issue is about Ryan’s behavior during the accusation that he stole milk. He was entitled to that milk from the beginning.

A school spokesperson told the station that he’s being suspended for “theft, being disrespectful and using his cell phone in school.” His pulling away from the officer and appearing fidgety was also apparently a factor in the school’s judgment that his behavior was disrespectful. Police, meanwhile, say the larceny charge has to do with Ryan “concealing” the milk from others....
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2016/05/24/3781219/student-handcuffed-over-free-milk/

Indiana Judges Weigh Whether Woman Should Be Charged With Murder For Her Abortion

In March, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump called for punishing women who have abortions. His statement drew quick opposition from all corners of the political arena, including multiple anti-abortion groups that see doctors, not women, as the criminals. While Trump swiftly backpedaled, realigning himself with the mainstream GOP pro-life position, recent news events have shown that his controversial idea may already be in place in the United States.

This week, an appeals court heard arguments in on a whether a 35-year-old Indiana woman should be criminally prosecuted for her self-induced abortion....
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/05/24/3781210/purvi-patel-appeal/

The Supreme Court's Stay Of The EPA's Carbon Rule Is Getting Messy

To plan, or not to plan?

That’s not the question for West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who is already fighting the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon rule in court and has now submitted a letter to the agency, warning it not to help other states plan how they will comply with the rule....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/24/3781301/morrissey-tells-epa-to-stop-working-on-cpp/

BREAKING: Major Court Ruling Restores Early Voting Days In Ohio

The U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio ruled Tuesday that the deep cuts to Ohio’s early voting days signed into law by Gov. John Kasich (R) are “unconstitutional and…accordingly unenforceable.”

Judge Michael Watson sided with the Ohio Democratic Party, which had sued the state for sharply curtailing the number of early voting days. Since President Obama won reelection in 2012, Ohio’s Republican lawmakers and Secretary of State have voted to eliminate the days and times of early voting that were most convenient for those working full time: the weekend before election day, weekday evenings, and what’s known as “Golden Week,” the time about a month before election day when the registration period and the early voting period overlap.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/24/3781436/ohio-early-voting-restored/

Republicans Are Breaking Obamacare So They Can Declare It Broken

Some men just want to watch the world burn, so the famous line in The Dark Knight goes. And some Republicans just want to break Obamacare so they can call it broken.

Their more recent efforts to attack the law won’t so much destroy it, but rather seem to be part of a larger plan to cause enough chaos to give the perception that Obamacare is failing....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/republican-guerrilla-warfare-obamacare

Shocked By Rise of Jewish Extremism in Israel, Maverick Rabbi Denounces Discriminatory Laws

Rabbis from a liberal stream of Judaism issued this month a blanket disavowal of religious rulings that discriminate against non-Jews. The repudiation comes in response to racist rulings by state-funded Israeli clerics and terror attacks by their followers. In early May, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, the theological adjudication body of Conservative Jews, voted unanimously to accept the 28-page anti-racist “tshuvah”, or religious responsum, of American-IsraeliRabbi Reuven Hammer.

At his home in Jerusalem, Hammer told AlterNet that he felt compelled to write the responsum because in recent years, many leading Israeli rabbis - including chief rabbis whose salaries are paid by Israeli taxpayers - have issued religious edicts calling upon their constituents to actively discriminate against non-Jews. Hammer says that he was particularly bothered by hundreds of local chief rabbisforbidding Jews from renting flats to non-Jews and by Israeli Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosefforbidding non-Jews from living in Israel at all....
http://www.alternet.org/grayzone-project/shocked-rise-jewish-extremism-israel-maverick-rabbi-denounces-discriminatory-laws

Is fascism rising in Israel?

A military affairs commentator interrupts his broadcast to deliver a monolog: I'm alarmed by what's happening in Israel, he says, I think my children should leave.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak warns of "the seeds of fascism." Moshe Arens, who served as defense minister three times, sees it as a turning point in Israeli politics and expects it to cause a "political earthquake."...
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2016/0523/Is-fascism-rising-in-Israel

WHO's Stern Warning: The World 'Is Not Prepared To Cope' With Pandemics

The head of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, came out swinging at the opening ceremony of the 69th World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday. The meeting of health officials from nearly 200 countries is usually a low-key, bureaucratic affair. Chan, however, opened the assembly by basically saying that the world is facing unprecedented global health challenges right now and is ill-equipped to deal with future threats.

"For infectious diseases, you cannot trust the past when planning for the future," she warned.

Chan said emerging diseases, climate change, new global transportation networks and the failure of "more and more" antibiotics make the planet ripe for the next pandemic....
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/05/23/479199256/whos-stern-warning-the-world-is-not-prepared-to-cope-with-pandemics?sc=tw

America’s Nasty Habit Of Treating Prisons As Profit Centers Left This Georgia Man Blind In One Eye

When Eddie Robinson got sent back to jail last year because he couldn’t pay a fine required by his probation, he had plenty of worries about going back behind bars. Getting prescription eye drops four times a day for his glaucoma didn’t seem like it would be one of them. Jails have professional medical staff, after all, and he went in with clear doctor’s instructions. But within weeks, Robinson had gone totally blind in his right eye....
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/05/23/3780425/corizon-for-profit-prison-healthcare-georgia/

Texas TV host to school board candidate: ‘Are you Christian enough to represent this district?’

The host of a Texas political show on Sunday asked Keven Ellis, a candidate for State Board of Education in District 9, if he was “Christian enough” for the job....
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/texas-tv-host-to-school-board-candidate-are-you-christian-enough-to-represent-this-district/

Trump, the GOP and Media Are Trying to Make Trump Seem ‘Normal’

There is no sense in mincing words, even at the risk of sounding alarmist: Donald Trump is an existential threat to American democracy. Andrew Sullivan, in his much-discussed essayin New York Magazine, said as much, calling Trump “an extinction-level event.”

Robert Kagan, writing in The Washington Post, concurred. His piece was titled: “This Is How Fascism Comes to America.”

And those are neoconservatives. Others who are normally temperate and cautious also have weighed in with the same idea....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/trump-gop-and-media-are-trying-make-trump-seem-normal

Donald Trump Promises California That 'There Is No Drought'

Donald Trump told an an audience in California Friday that "there is no drought," according to a report from USA Today.

The state saw a record dry year in 2015 and the problem is so bad that earlier this month Gov. Edmund Brown Jr. issued an executive order creating long-term standards for water use in the state. The order bans the practice of hosing off sidewalks, washing cars with the wrong kinds of hoses and requires individuals to report their water use, according to the state's website.

Trump held rallies in the state as he prepares for the June 7 primary there. According to USA Today, Trump told the audience in Fresno, California that water was actually being withheld from people like farmers, but that the drought was not responsible.

“We’re going to solve your water problem. You have a water problem that is so insane. It is so ridiculous where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea,” Trump said according to USA Today....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-tells-california-there-is-no-drought

Here’s Why the Airport Security Line is a Nightmare

On an uncharacteristically chilly Saturday earlier this month, travelers found themselves standing in line for more than two hours to get through security Chicago's O'Hare airport. A staggering 450 American Airlines travelers missed their flights. Dozens spent the night in the airport, and the incident brought national attention to increasingly long wait times.

Last Wednesday, called to Congress to account for the longer security lines, Transportation Security Administration Administrator Peter V. Neffenger told the House Homeland Security Committee that record travel, understaffed checkpoints, and some policy changes aiming to reduce risk of terrorist attacks means that the problem will continue into the summer. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told the committee that TSA is in a "crisis."

So what is going on with TSA? Well, a lot....
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/05/traveling-TSA-memorial-day-airport-security

Donald Trump: "There are places in America that are among the most dangerous in the world. You go to places like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The crime numbers are worse. Seriously."

Donald Trump named Oakland and Ferguson among the "most dangerous" cities in the world in a recent New York Times magazine interview.

Reporter Robert Draper asked Trump to name the most dangerous place in the world he’s been. "Brooklyn," the Queens-native-turned-Manhattanite joked. Then he said."There are places in America that are among the most dangerous in the world. You go to places like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The crime numbers are worse. Seriously."

Seriously?...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/25/donald-trump/donald-trumps-false-claim-oakland-ferguson-are-amo/

Donald Trump: It "is Hillary Clinton's agenda" to "release the violent criminals from jail. She wants them all released."

Donald Trump didn’t mince words about Hillary Clinton’s criminal justice agenda when he addressed the National Rifle Association’s national convention on May 20, 2016.

"President Obama pushed for changes to sentencing laws that released thousands of dangerous drug trafficking felons and gang members who prey on civilians," Trump said. He continued, "This is Hillary Clinton's agenda, too, to release the violent criminals from jail. She wants them all released." 

We think most observers would agree that releasing every violent criminal in American prisons would amount to political suicide, not to mention bad policy. But we thought it was worth checking Clinton's actual policy prescriptions.

What Trump said is far off-base. (The Trump campaign did not respond to an inquiry.)....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/26/donald-trump/donald-trump-wrong-hillary-clinton-wants-release-a/

Mystery donors pumped millions into liberal ‘dark money’ group

A liberal "dark money" group that leads national and state-based Democratic coalitions and dubs itself the “hub of the progressive community” raised $13.4 million in its most recent fiscal year, spending about 43 percent of the total on “direct or indirect campaign activities,” according to a recently released tax document, a copy of which was obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. 

America Votes swapped cash with other politically active nonprofits — including a handful with ties to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Clinton has railed against a campaign finance system that allows such organizations to exist, even as her presidential candidacy benefits from it....
https://www.publicintegrity.org/node/19729

On Climate, Trump Promises To Let The World Burn

President Obama’s climate change policies would be undone. Regulations on greenhouse gas emissions would be eliminated. The Keystone XL pipeline would be built. There would be no international agreement to prevent catastrophic climate change.

That is what Donald Trump’s energy policy would look like should he be elected president, the presumptive Republican nominee promised on Thursday before a pro-fossil fuel development crowd in Bismarck, North Dakota.

In a speech laying out his energy agenda for the United States, Trump promised to undo essentially every major policy developed in the last decade intended to slow human-caused global warming....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/26/3782434/trump-let-the-world-burn/

The Surge Of Trump-Fueled Anti-Semitism Is Hitting Jewish Reporters Who Cover Him

Donald Trump has an anti-Semitism problem.

Granted, the newly minted Republican nominee for president has long insisted that his is not himself anti-Semitic, and regularly points out that his daughter is a Jewish convert. Yet Trump has done little to quell a rising tide of anti-Semitism among his supporters since launching his campaign last year: Trump initially refused to disavow anti-Semitic Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, a Trump surrogate implied at a rally that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders should convert from Judaism and “meet Jesus,” prominent anti-Semites went on radio shows to encourage their supporters to "get out and vote" for Trump, and a man was filmed leaving a Trump rally shouting in Cleveland shouting “Go to fucking Auschwitz.”...
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/27/3782503/donald-trump-anti-semitism-tweets/

#279 Debate - Richard Carrier vs Mike Licona - Did Jesus Rise From The Dead - 2010

Interview:
https://youtu.be/Sac1CSrufjs

Catholic church audit shows spike in sex abuse reports

An annual audit of reports of sexual abuse by members of the U.S. Roman Catholic clergy shows sharp increases in the number of new claims and in the value of settlements to victims.

The audit, released on Friday (May 20), showed that 838 people came forward from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015, to say they had been sexually abused by priests, deacons or members of religions orders while they were children, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said.

That is up 35 percent from 620 new reports of abuse a year earlier, an increase that the bishops said largely reflected a large number of claims in six dioceses that had either filed for bankruptcy or were located in states that opened windows allowing victims to sue over old cases of sexual assault....
http://religionnews.com/2016/05/20/catholic-church-audit-shows-spike-in-sex-abuse-reports/

How History and Reality Means Many of Us Have to Fight to Not be a White Supremacist

Hello, internet! My name is Emily, and I’m a white supremacist.

I know you might find this revelation upsetting, but before you start taking me to task, please allow me explain what I mean by that.

I don’t mean that I believe white people are inherently superior to Black people, or to anyone else for that matter. I believe that empathy is the highest human quality, and that privilege is one of the greatest obstacles to empathy because it allows us to ignore or rationalize the suffering of people whose experiences are different from our own. By this measure, the more privilege you have, the more challenging it is for you to be “good.”...
http://www.alternet.org/culture/how-history-and-reality-means-many-us-have-fight-not-be-white-supremacist

A Health Care System That You Might Actually Like Isn't as Far off as It Seems

Declaring that the Affordable Care Act does not go far enough, physicians release a proposal for publicly funded, universal care....
http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/health-care-system-you-might-actually-isnt-far-it-seems

A Warming World Means Less Water, With Economic Consequences

We often associate climate change with too much water — the melting ice caps triggering a rise in sea levels. But a new World Bank report says that it's too little water — the potable sort — that we also need to think about.

High and Dry: Climate Change, Water, and the Economy examines the future effects of diminishing water supplies on the world. "Water-related climate risks cascade through food, energy, urban, and environmental systems," researchers write. "Growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will converge upon a world where the demand for water rises exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain."...
http://www.npr.org/2016/05/22/479084475/a-warming-world-means-less-water-with-economic-consequences?ft=nprml&f=1001

The NRA Wants Ex-Felons To Have Guns But Not Voting Rights

The National Rifle Association wants convicted felons to be able to purchase firearms, yet its leaders are lambasting efforts to restore voting rights to the same people.

At the NRA’s annual meeting on Friday, Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, the most prominent leader of the powerful gun lobby, criticized recent efforts to end the disenfranchisement of former felons in states across the country. He claimed that the reforms were all made in order to get Clinton elected president...
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/05/22/3780685/nra-wants-ex-felons-guns-not-voting-rights/

This Country Just Ran For Four Days On Renewable Energy Alone

Last week, Portugal set a record for renewable energy use. Through a combination of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power, electricity use in the country was completely covered for four consecutive days.

The news was reported by the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN) in collaboration with ZERO System Sustainable Land Association. According to their measurements, from 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 to approximately 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, Portugal was able to rely entirely on renewables for an impressive 107 hours, the longest the country has ever been able to go....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/20/3780189/portugal-renewable-energy-record/

AlterNet Comics: Jen Sorensen on the Degrading Influence of McDonald's Money in Schools

Next up, nicotine night!
http://www.alternet.org/comics/alternet-comics-jen-sorensen-degrading-influence-mcdonalds-money-schools

Week In The News: Trump Clinches Nomination, Clinton Email Report, Cosby Heads To Trial (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Somber reflection this week from President Obama on humankind, war, and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. We need a moral revolution to keep up with our technology, he said. At home, Trump is over the top of the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination. Hillary Clinton, rapped by the State Department Inspector General for her private e-mail use. A top TSA chief is out. This hour On Point, our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/05/27/clinton-trump-sanders-g7-2016-election

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show 2016-05-27)

Donald Trump hits the magic number – it appears he has enough pledged delegates to take the republican nomination. Bernie Sanders says he’s interested in debating the new presumptive G.O.P. nominee in California. After the State Department releases a report critical of Hillary Clinton’s private server, the Democratic frontrunner says voters have more important things to worry about in this election than her emails. Several states sue the Obama administration over its new transgender bathroom policy. South Carolina becomes the thirteenth state to ban abortions after twenty weeks. And the second Freddie Gray trial ends with a “not guilty” verdict. A panel of journalists joins guest host Sabri Ben-Achour for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-05-27/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show 2016-050-27)

On a trip to Asia, President Obama becomes the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, Japan. In Vietnam, the president announces the end of a decades-old arms embargo. The Taliban elect a lesser-known cleric as their new leader after a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan kills their former chief. In Iraq, government forces launch an operation to retake the city of Fallujah from ISIS. And a far-right candidate in Austria narrowly loses the presidential election. A panel of journalists joins guest host Sabri Ben-Achour for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-05-27/friday-news-roundup-international

Real Time with Bill Maher: Bernie Sanders Interview – May 27, 2016 (HBO)

Vermont Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joins Bill Maher for a wide-ranging discussion before the California primary election.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/m9AwjZWboIk

Tom Tomorrow on the Great Trump Overload

If we're not careful, we'll become numb to his antics....
http://www.alternet.org/comics/alternet-comics-tom-tomorrow-great-trump-overload

Airport Security Delays Reach Crisis Point, Rep. McCaul Says

The TSA administrator testified before a House panel about what he's doing to address the long security lines at airports. David Greene talks to Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX, who chaired the hearing....
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2016/05/26/479561147/airport-security-delays-reach-crisis-point-rep-mccaul-says

After Calling Him A ‘Con Artist’ And ‘Lunatic,’ Marco Rubio Pledges To Vote For Donald Trump

After spending months blasting Donald Trump as a “con artist,” a threat to the GOP and the nation, and a “lunatic” too dangerous to be trusted with the nuclear codes, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) pledged Friday to vote for the Republican nominee. Some conservative outlets took him to task for this complete reversal.

“It seems that when push comes to shove, [Rubio] doesn’t have the courage to stand up for his stated convictions,” wrote the Washington Examiner. “Far from being an inspirational moral leader, Rubio has shown himself to be more of an opportunistic politician with his finger to the wind.”

Rubio fired back on Twitter, saying his primary goal was preventing Hillary Clinton from being elected....
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/27/3782748/rubio-trump-vote/

Hillary's Emails: A Closer Look

Christians are Morally Compromised

Former preacher Dan Barker proves it with a simple experiment....

Richard Dawkins on why "moderate" religion does not deserve respect

How Koch Industries Is Scamming America: Investigation Highlights a Global Web of Tax Avoidance

The Koch Brothers want to pull back on national politics, according to the National Review, because their business and public relations wings have grown weary of the spotlight. “Concerned about the damage being done to their corporate brand [and] increasingly bothered by their public vilification,” the Kochs have decided to rethink their approach to politics. They operated at their best in the shadows–working on ideas in think tanks, in universities, at the state and local level. Being the poster child for corporate-tinged conservative activism risked discrediting their entire project.

But the target on the Kochs’ backs isn’t likely to disappear just because they narrow their focus and retreat to darker corners. In fact, one progressive organization recently uncovered how Koch Industries uses every trick they can wring out of governments worldwide to avoid paying taxes....
http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/how-koch-industries-scamming-america-investigation-highlights-global-web-tax

Should You Be Worried About PFOA in Drinking Water? Here's What We Know

Perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical linked to cancer and thyroid disease, has been detected in drinking water across several states....
http://www.alternet.org/water/should-you-be-worried-about-pfoa-drinking-water-heres-what-we-know

Scientists say nuclear fuel pools around the country pose safety and health risks

The Fukushima nuclear catastrophe could have been far worse, it turns out, and experts say neither the nuclear industry nor its regulators are doing enough to prevent a calamitous nuclear fuel fire in America...
https://www.publicintegrity.org/node/19712

Environmental Damage Is Happening More And More Quickly, And Human Health Is At Stake

Environmental degradation is happening faster than previously thought, but there is still time to avert many of the worst effects through better management, new energy sources, and sustainable consumption, a new United Nations report on the state of the world’s environment has found.

Most of the world is suffering from desertification, land and air degradation, and the effects of climate change as rapid urbanization, rising levels of consumption, and population growth intensifies, the report, released Thursday, states. While dire impacts are recorded in every corner of the world, there is time to address the worst effects, such as marine ecosystem damage and the world’s most widespread environmental health risk: increasing air pollution....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/20/3780385/united-nations-report-environmental-degradation/

House Republicans Are Going After The Exxon Investigation

Not content to let the House Committee on Space, Science, and Technology’s reputation for hating science rest for even a moment, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) has now subpoenaed the New York attorney general over his investigation into Exxon’s role in sowing climate denial.

Calling the investigation a “coordinated attempt to deprive companies, nonprofit organizations, and scientists of their First Amendment rights and ability to fund and conduct scientific research free from intimidation and the threat of prosecution,” Smith’s letter calls for documents and communication between the attorney general’s office and environmental groups, the EPA, and the Justice Department, and internally, regarding any climate change investigations. Smith sent similar letters to 16 other attorneys general and eight non-profit groups....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/20/3780305/lamar-smith-investigates-new-yorks-investigation/

Dying GOP Senator’s Final Wish: Apologize To Muslims For Donald Trump

As former Utah senator Bob Bennett lay dying this spring, the staunchly conservative lawmaker voiced a final, unexpected wish: he wanted to apologize to Muslims for Donald Trump.

“Are there any Muslims in the hospital?” the Republican asked his wife and son, according to the Daily Beast. “I’d love to go up to every single one of them to thank them for being in this country, and apologize to them on behalf of the Republican Party for Donald Trump.”...
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/20/3780347/gop-senators-final-wish-im-sorry-muslims-for-trump/

The Epidemic of Lying at Crisis Pregnancy Centers Exposes the Moral Rot in the Anti-Choice Movement

This new NARAL report about the tactics of CPCs is called Crisis Pregnancy Centers Lie: The Insidious Threat to Reproductive Freedom. It’s an apt title, because once you’re done reading it, you could be forgiven for wondering if anti-choice activists are capable of telling the truth about anything, much less reproductive health care....
https://rewire.news/article/2015/03/10/epidemic-lying-crisis-pregnancy-centers-exposes-moral-rot-anti-choice-movement/