https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-secular-life/201608/losing-our-faith
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Losing Our Faith: Why Are More Americans Doubting the Existence of God? (Psychology Today)
"...In my own study of apostates (people who were once religious but then rejected their religion), I interviewed many people who once believed, then seriously thought about the content and nature of that belief – and realized it didn’t add up..."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-secular-life/201608/losing-our-faith
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-secular-life/201608/losing-our-faith
Trump vows to begin deportations immediately if sworn in
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump linked illegal immigration and employment Saturday, pledging to start deporting offenders as soon as he is sworn in should he become the White House's next occupant.
Trump all the while courted the black vote, claiming that the shooting of basketball star Dwyane Wade's cousin will make African Americans support him, but the move instead triggered a firestorm of criticism.
"On Day One, I am going to begin swiftly removing criminal illegal immigrants from this country – including removing the hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants that have been released into US communities under the Obama-Clinton administration," Trump told supporters in Des Moines, Iowa....
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-vows-begin-deportations-immediately-sworn-221742050.html
"On Day One, I am going to begin swiftly removing criminal illegal immigrants from this country – including removing the hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants that have been released into US communities under the Obama-Clinton administration," Trump told supporters in Des Moines, Iowa....
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-vows-begin-deportations-immediately-sworn-221742050.html
Gary Johnson On What It Means To Be A Libertarian In 2016 (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
It’s a big year for third party candidates in America’s presidential contest. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Jill Stein are still at the margins, but some of those margins are large. Johnson is polling at 9 or 10 percent. He’s with us today. We’ll talk about his Libertarian view of the world and the race, and look at Donald Trump’s comments on gun owners and Hillary Clinton. This hour On Point, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/10/gary-johnson-on-what-it-means-to-be-a-libertarian
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/10/gary-johnson-on-what-it-means-to-be-a-libertarian
A Conversation With Green Party Nominee Dr. Jill Stein (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
As Bernie Sanders was at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia beseeching his backers to throw their support to Hillary Clinton or risk a Donald Trump presidency, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was outside with another message: Don’t compromise. Vote for me. Vote for a Green New Deal. Stein wants college debt forgiveness, free tuition, Medicare for all and an emergency transition to green energy, food, transportation. This hour On Point, the Green Party’s Jill Stein. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/10/green-party-nominee-dr-jill-stein
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/10/green-party-nominee-dr-jill-stein
Yet Another Blockbuster Story About Hillary and the Clinton Foundation Turns Out To Be Nothing
When I picked up my copy of the LA Times this morning, I was greeted by the headline on the right. It's about someone you may have heard of: Gilbert Chagoury, a billionaire from Nigeria.
Chagoury is a prominent example of the nexus between Hillary Clinton’s State Department and the family’s Clinton Foundation, which has come under renewed scrutiny during her presidential run. The organization, founded as a way for the Clintons to tap their vast network for charitable works, has tackled some of the steepest challenges in the developing world, including rebuilding Haiti and fighting AIDS in Africa. It has also come under fire for its willingness to accept money from foreign governments with interest in swaying U.S. policy during Clinton’s time as secretary of State, and the controversial histories of some donors. A nexus!
So what's up with Chagoury? Here's a snapshot:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/08/yet-another-blockbuster-story-about-hillary-and-clinton-foundation-turns-out-be-n
Chagoury is a prominent example of the nexus between Hillary Clinton’s State Department and the family’s Clinton Foundation, which has come under renewed scrutiny during her presidential run. The organization, founded as a way for the Clintons to tap their vast network for charitable works, has tackled some of the steepest challenges in the developing world, including rebuilding Haiti and fighting AIDS in Africa. It has also come under fire for its willingness to accept money from foreign governments with interest in swaying U.S. policy during Clinton’s time as secretary of State, and the controversial histories of some donors. A nexus!
So what's up with Chagoury? Here's a snapshot:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/08/yet-another-blockbuster-story-about-hillary-and-clinton-foundation-turns-out-be-n
Anti-Trump Republicans To Run Ads Against Trump In Key States
It is the longest of long games.
Yet, a group of Republicans who are dismayed by Trump and alarmed by his slipping poll numbers will be running ads in key states across the country, calling for Trump to step aside, according to a new report from Politico.
The ad, which was sponsored by the group "Free the Delegates" will run in suburbs in Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Michigan, according to Politico. Free the Delegates had tried to stop Trump at the Republican convention, but had fallen short. The ad is titled "Keep Your Promise," which is a throwback to a comment Trump made early in the campaign that he'd bow out of the presidential race if he was far behind in national polls. "Resign the nomination. Let the RNC replace you so we can beat Hillary," the ad read at the end....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/anti-trump-group-to-run-ads
The ad, which was sponsored by the group "Free the Delegates" will run in suburbs in Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Michigan, according to Politico. Free the Delegates had tried to stop Trump at the Republican convention, but had fallen short. The ad is titled "Keep Your Promise," which is a throwback to a comment Trump made early in the campaign that he'd bow out of the presidential race if he was far behind in national polls. "Resign the nomination. Let the RNC replace you so we can beat Hillary," the ad read at the end....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/anti-trump-group-to-run-ads
Why the ‘alt-right’ is coming out of online chat rooms to support Trump
Donald Trump is appealing to voters who reject mainstream conservative ideals. These members of the so-called "alt-right" have typically taken their frustrations to the internet, rather than to the polls. John Yang interviews the Washington Free Beacon's Matthew Continetti and The Washington Post’s David Weigel about the alt-right's "hierarchical" tendencies and potential impact on conservatism....
Trump Adviser Argues The Civil War Was About Free Speech
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to the restrict the display of Confederate flags by “amend[ing] our policy to make clear that Confederate flags will not be displayed from any permanently fixed flagpole in a national cemetery at any time.”
As expressed in a letter written by Roger Walters, interim undersecretary for memorial affairs, “We are aware of the concerns of those who wish to see Confederate flags removed from public venues because they are perceived by many as a symbol of racial intolerance.”
But a recent vote indicated a majority of House Republicans oppose the VA’s attempt to restrict where and when the Stars and Bars can be displayed. So does Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner who was recently tapped to be Donald Trump’s national co-chairman of his agriculture advisory team....
https://thinkprogress.org/sid-miller-trump-advisor-confederate-flag-e4d2517ace91#.uu6mvotpk
As expressed in a letter written by Roger Walters, interim undersecretary for memorial affairs, “We are aware of the concerns of those who wish to see Confederate flags removed from public venues because they are perceived by many as a symbol of racial intolerance.”
But a recent vote indicated a majority of House Republicans oppose the VA’s attempt to restrict where and when the Stars and Bars can be displayed. So does Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner who was recently tapped to be Donald Trump’s national co-chairman of his agriculture advisory team....
https://thinkprogress.org/sid-miller-trump-advisor-confederate-flag-e4d2517ace91#.uu6mvotpk
Striking Images Show How Zika Ravages A Baby's Body And Brain
A series of medical images published Tuesday offer the most complete picture, so far, of how the Zika virus can damage the brain of a fetus.
"The images show the worst brain infections that doctors will ever see," says Dr. Deborah Levine, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who contributed to the study. "Zika is such a severe infection [in fetuses]. Most doctors will have never seen brains like this before."
The images — published in the journal Radiology — are part of a special report put together by neurologists in Boston and doctors in northeastern Brazil who care for babies with Zika infections. "Our goal is to illustrate for heath care professionals around the world what they could expect to see with a Zika infection during pregnancy," Levine says....
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/08/23/491097361/zika-images-show-worst-brain-infections-that-doctors-will-ever-see?ft=nprml&f=1001
"The images show the worst brain infections that doctors will ever see," says Dr. Deborah Levine, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who contributed to the study. "Zika is such a severe infection [in fetuses]. Most doctors will have never seen brains like this before."
The images — published in the journal Radiology — are part of a special report put together by neurologists in Boston and doctors in northeastern Brazil who care for babies with Zika infections. "Our goal is to illustrate for heath care professionals around the world what they could expect to see with a Zika infection during pregnancy," Levine says....
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/08/23/491097361/zika-images-show-worst-brain-infections-that-doctors-will-ever-see?ft=nprml&f=1001
Norway’s Largest Church Now Allows People to Opt Out Online, and Thousands Have Already Done It
Norway is one of those countries where religion is supported by taxpayers, but that’s been changing as more citizens become wise to the fact that they don’t need to prop up churches they don’t even really belong to.
Last year, we learned that the Catholic Church owed the Norwegian government more than $5 million for “fraudulently registering thousands of people on its membership lists.” And more than 11,000 people resigned from the Catholic Church after a new app made it ridiculously simple for them to remove themselves from the membership rolls.
The exodus became even more drastic this past week after the nation’s evangelical Lutheran Church launched a website to make it easier to track members — a site that also allowed them to opt out of the Church altogether:...
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/08/22/norways-largest-church-now-allows-people-to-opt-out-online-and-thousands-have-already-done-it/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Last year, we learned that the Catholic Church owed the Norwegian government more than $5 million for “fraudulently registering thousands of people on its membership lists.” And more than 11,000 people resigned from the Catholic Church after a new app made it ridiculously simple for them to remove themselves from the membership rolls.
The exodus became even more drastic this past week after the nation’s evangelical Lutheran Church launched a website to make it easier to track members — a site that also allowed them to opt out of the Church altogether:...
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/08/22/norways-largest-church-now-allows-people-to-opt-out-online-and-thousands-have-already-done-it/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Religious Diversity May Be Making America Less Religious
In the United States, diversity has generally been considered an asset. It is frequently cited by public figures as both a source of national pride and a worthy ambition. It is an oft-stated goal of Fortune 500 companies, private colleges and entire sectors of the U.S. economy. And even if Americans don’t claim much diversity in their own social networks, few believe that our differences are not something to be celebrated. At one point it was even argued that America’s religious vitality hinged on its diversity — greater competition between places of worship would contribute to a more vibrant religious culture. However, new evidence suggests that religious pluralism could work in the opposite direction — undermining the vitality of America’s religious communities.
This is not a new debate, but it’s more relevant than ever....
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/religious-diversity-may-be-making-america-less-religious/
This is not a new debate, but it’s more relevant than ever....
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/religious-diversity-may-be-making-america-less-religious/
Catholic politicians are following their conscience on abortion
Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, implores Catholic politicians to disregard the will of their constituents and toe the hierarchy’s line on abortion policy (“Catholic politicians should follow conscience, consensus on abortion,” 17 August). Anderson cites Catholic and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, who, in 1984, remained personally opposed to abortion but refused to ban it. Anderson asks how Catholic politicians like Cuomo who express a personal opposition to abortion can continue to support abortion being legal. Anderson also wrongly lumps all Catholic politicians together and presumes that they oppose abortion rights.
In law, we call this a straw man argument: build up a straw man and it’s easy to burn him down. Anderson’s straw man is built from a long-since discarded Potomac two-step. The political generation after Roe v. Wade began to embrace women’s bodily autonomy, but it still respected the Catholic hierarchy’s heartburn over its declining influence in American society....
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/292036-catholic-politicians-are-following-their-conscience-on
In law, we call this a straw man argument: build up a straw man and it’s easy to burn him down. Anderson’s straw man is built from a long-since discarded Potomac two-step. The political generation after Roe v. Wade began to embrace women’s bodily autonomy, but it still respected the Catholic hierarchy’s heartburn over its declining influence in American society....
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/292036-catholic-politicians-are-following-their-conscience-on
Donald Trump fundraising email takes CNN anchor's comments out of context
The media has been one of Donald Trump’s most consistent targets during his 2016 presidential campaign. In a recent fundraising email, his campaign called out CNN.
"Friend, a CNN anchor acknowledged that the media has given Hillary Clinton a ‘free ride,’ " the email said. It then quoted a comment attributed to CNN morning anchor Chris Cuomo:
"We couldn't help her any more than we have. She's got a free ride so far from the media. We're the biggest ones supporting her campaign."
The email, signed by Brad Parscale of "Team TRUMP," provides links to donate money and includes the following GIF of CNN’s Cuomo.
We decided to see whether Cuomo did in fact say, "We couldn't help her (Hillary Clinton) any more than we have. She's got a free ride so far from the media. We're the biggest ones supporting her campaign."...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/aug/23/donald-trump/donald-trump-fundraising-email-takes-cnn-anchors-c/
"Friend, a CNN anchor acknowledged that the media has given Hillary Clinton a ‘free ride,’ " the email said. It then quoted a comment attributed to CNN morning anchor Chris Cuomo:
"We couldn't help her any more than we have. She's got a free ride so far from the media. We're the biggest ones supporting her campaign."
The email, signed by Brad Parscale of "Team TRUMP," provides links to donate money and includes the following GIF of CNN’s Cuomo.
We decided to see whether Cuomo did in fact say, "We couldn't help her (Hillary Clinton) any more than we have. She's got a free ride so far from the media. We're the biggest ones supporting her campaign."...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/aug/23/donald-trump/donald-trump-fundraising-email-takes-cnn-anchors-c/
A New Report on America's Wealth Gap Shows Bernie Sanders Is Right to Be Grumpy
A new Congressional Budget Office report examining trends in family wealth confirms what most Americans know from experience: The poor are buried in debt, the middle class is stuck, and—shocker—the most wealthy are piling up all the green.
The report, released late last week, puts its findings simply: "The distribution [of wealth] among the nation's families was more unequal in 2013 than it had been in 1989." It lays out some stark figures: Families in the top 10 percent of wealth distribution now hold more than three-quarters of the nation's total family wealth. Those falling within the 51st to 90th percentiles owned less than a quarter of it. Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent own just 1 percent of the total share.
Putting it into dollars, the CBO notes that the average wealth of the top 10 percent of families was $4 million compared with $36,000 for those in the 26th to 50th percentiles. The wealth of families in the bottom 25 percent was in the red, because of an average of about $13,000 in debt, up from around $1,000 in debt prior to the Great Recession. (CBO defines wealth as a family's assets—including business and home equities, other real estate holdings, financial securities, bank deposits, and pension accounts—minus its debts.)...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/cb0-report-wealth-income-inequality
The report, released late last week, puts its findings simply: "The distribution [of wealth] among the nation's families was more unequal in 2013 than it had been in 1989." It lays out some stark figures: Families in the top 10 percent of wealth distribution now hold more than three-quarters of the nation's total family wealth. Those falling within the 51st to 90th percentiles owned less than a quarter of it. Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent own just 1 percent of the total share.
Putting it into dollars, the CBO notes that the average wealth of the top 10 percent of families was $4 million compared with $36,000 for those in the 26th to 50th percentiles. The wealth of families in the bottom 25 percent was in the red, because of an average of about $13,000 in debt, up from around $1,000 in debt prior to the Great Recession. (CBO defines wealth as a family's assets—including business and home equities, other real estate holdings, financial securities, bank deposits, and pension accounts—minus its debts.)...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/cb0-report-wealth-income-inequality
I Spent 5 Years With Some of Trump's Biggest Fans. Here's What They Won't Tell You. | Mother Jones
In a framed photo of herself taken in 2007, Sharon Galicia stands, fresh-faced and beaming, beside first lady Laura Bush at a Washington, DC, luncheon, thrilled to be honored as an outstanding GOP volunteer. We are in her office in the Aflac insurance company in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Sharon is heading out to pitch medical and life insurance to workers in a bleak corridor of industrial plants servicing the rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and petrochemical plants that make the plastic feedstock for everything from car seats to bubble gum.
After a 20-minute drive along flat terrain, we pull into a dirt parking lot beside a red truck with a decal of the Statue of Liberty, her raised arm holding an M-16. A man waves from the entrance to an enormous warehouse. Warm, attractive, well-spoken, Sharon has sold a lot of insurance policies around here and made friends along the way. READ MORE: Rust Belt Democrats wage an uphill battle against Trump's promise to turn back time. Pema Levy
A policy with a weekly premium of $5.52 covers accidents that aren't covered by a worker's other insurance—if he has any. "How many of you can go a week without your paycheck?" is part of Sharon's pitch. "Usually no hands go up," she tells me. Her clients repair oil platforms, cut sheet metal, fix refrigerators, process chicken, lay asphalt, and dig ditches. She sells to entry-level floor sweepers who make $8 an hour and can't afford to get sick. She sells to flaggers in highway repair crews who earn $12 an hour, and to welders and operators who, with overtime, make up to $100,000 a year. For most, education stopped after high school. "Pipe fitters. Ditch diggers. Asphalt layers," Sharon says. "I can't find one that's not for Donald Trump."...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/trump-white-blue-collar-supporters
After a 20-minute drive along flat terrain, we pull into a dirt parking lot beside a red truck with a decal of the Statue of Liberty, her raised arm holding an M-16. A man waves from the entrance to an enormous warehouse. Warm, attractive, well-spoken, Sharon has sold a lot of insurance policies around here and made friends along the way. READ MORE: Rust Belt Democrats wage an uphill battle against Trump's promise to turn back time. Pema Levy
A policy with a weekly premium of $5.52 covers accidents that aren't covered by a worker's other insurance—if he has any. "How many of you can go a week without your paycheck?" is part of Sharon's pitch. "Usually no hands go up," she tells me. Her clients repair oil platforms, cut sheet metal, fix refrigerators, process chicken, lay asphalt, and dig ditches. She sells to entry-level floor sweepers who make $8 an hour and can't afford to get sick. She sells to flaggers in highway repair crews who earn $12 an hour, and to welders and operators who, with overtime, make up to $100,000 a year. For most, education stopped after high school. "Pipe fitters. Ditch diggers. Asphalt layers," Sharon says. "I can't find one that's not for Donald Trump."...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/trump-white-blue-collar-supporters
Bush-era IRS commissioner: Trump “has no excuse” for not releasing tax returns
Donald Trump will not release his tax returns before election in November.
The Republican presidential candidate has not said as much, but all indications point to the political neophyte breaking the bipartisan, decades-long tradition.
After calling for the release of his tax returns while working for rival Ted Cruz during the GOP primary, newly hired Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway has suddenly seen the light and now says her boss shouldn’t be burdened by transparency. “I’ve learned since being on the inside that this audit is a serious matter and that he has said that when the audit is complete, he will release his tax returns,” she told ABC News over the weekend.
But at least two former IRS commissioners, both appointed by a Republican president, say that an IRS audit is no excuse for Trump not release his tax returns....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/23/former-bush-appointed-irs-commissioner-trump-has-no-excuse-to-not-release-his-tax-returns/
After calling for the release of his tax returns while working for rival Ted Cruz during the GOP primary, newly hired Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway has suddenly seen the light and now says her boss shouldn’t be burdened by transparency. “I’ve learned since being on the inside that this audit is a serious matter and that he has said that when the audit is complete, he will release his tax returns,” she told ABC News over the weekend.
But at least two former IRS commissioners, both appointed by a Republican president, say that an IRS audit is no excuse for Trump not release his tax returns....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/23/former-bush-appointed-irs-commissioner-trump-has-no-excuse-to-not-release-his-tax-returns/
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar On American Values (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a force of nature in the NBA. Record six-time MVP. Still the league’s all-time leading scorer. A great athlete with a mind so quick he was almost unstoppable. Still is. You might have seen him last month introducing Khizr Khan, the Muslim immigrant father of a fallen American vet who brought the house down at the Democratic National Convention. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is thinking big about saving the country. He’s with us. This hour On Point, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/18/kareem-abdul-jabbar-election-2016-essays
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/18/kareem-abdul-jabbar-election-2016-essays
What Do Jihadists Really Want? (Sam Harris, Waking Up)
In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris reads from the latest issue of Dabiq, the magazine of ISIS, and discusses the beliefs and goals of jihadists worldwide.
A PDF of Dabiq 15 can be downloaded here.
Interview:
https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/what-do-jihadists-really-want/
A PDF of Dabiq 15 can be downloaded here.
Interview:
https://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/what-do-jihadists-really-want/
Actor John Krasinski Takes Stock Of His 'Lottery-Ticket Life' (Terri Gross, Fresh Air)
...Krasinski's latest project is directing and co-starring in the new film The Hollars. He plays a man who returns home when his mother, played by Margo Martindale, is hospitalized with a brain tumor...
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2016/08/24/491199097/actor-john-krasinski-takes-stock-of-his-lottery-ticket-
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2016/08/24/491199097/actor-john-krasinski-takes-stock-of-his-lottery-ticket-
Hitler Biopic Being Used to Hilariously Mock Alt-Right Reactions to Trump's 'Softening' on Immigration | Alternet
Trump really can't win with anyone this week. After repeatedly asking African-American voters "What do you have to lose?" Trump proceeded to participate in a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity Wednesday night, proving himself weak on what is supposedly his signature issue: immigration.
"
You also seem to be indicating there might be something other than 'they have to go back,'" Hannity told Trump, referencing reports that Trump may be softening his plan, which initially included a deportation force for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
"We have to follow the laws of our country," Trump told Hannity. "That means they go back," Hannity said. "I'll ask the audience," Trump said. "Can we go through a process or do you think they have to get out? Tell me, I mean, I don't know. You tell me.",,,
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/hitler-biopic-being-used-hilariously-mock-alt-right-reactions-trumps-softening
You also seem to be indicating there might be something other than 'they have to go back,'" Hannity told Trump, referencing reports that Trump may be softening his plan, which initially included a deportation force for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
"We have to follow the laws of our country," Trump told Hannity. "That means they go back," Hannity said. "I'll ask the audience," Trump said. "Can we go through a process or do you think they have to get out? Tell me, I mean, I don't know. You tell me.",,,
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/hitler-biopic-being-used-hilariously-mock-alt-right-reactions-trumps-softening
Phony War on Voter Fraud Looks Even Phonier
When he talks about “rigged” elections and calls for voter-identification laws to prevent fraud, Donald Trump is squarely within the Republican mainstream. The party has made passing those laws one of its highest priorities in state after state.
Yet as the evidence continues to show, the type of fraud that voter ID laws could prevent is basically non-existent. Now there's more documentation of this....
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-23/phony-war-on-voter-fraud-looks-even-phonier
Yet as the evidence continues to show, the type of fraud that voter ID laws could prevent is basically non-existent. Now there's more documentation of this....
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-23/phony-war-on-voter-fraud-looks-even-phonier
Libertarian Party is no alternative for disaffected Dems
Given the unpopularity of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and GOP nominee Donald Trump, the Libertarian Party is being touted as an alternative to voters from both parties. Some even suggest that Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee, could pull voters away from Clinton and Trump in equal numbers.
Now I understand why disaffected Republicans would find the Libertarian message appealing, although many in that party will have to look the other way on issues like abortion, national defense and recreational drug use.
I am puzzled, though, by the suggestion that Democrats should also consider the Libertarian alternative. Granted, many of them will agree on the issues I just listed. But the Libertarian Party's central policy positions conjure up a worldview that is profoundly at odds with the core values of the Democratic Party....
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/292169-libertarian-party-is-no-alternative-for-disaffected
Now I understand why disaffected Republicans would find the Libertarian message appealing, although many in that party will have to look the other way on issues like abortion, national defense and recreational drug use.
I am puzzled, though, by the suggestion that Democrats should also consider the Libertarian alternative. Granted, many of them will agree on the issues I just listed. But the Libertarian Party's central policy positions conjure up a worldview that is profoundly at odds with the core values of the Democratic Party....
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/292169-libertarian-party-is-no-alternative-for-disaffected
6 easy ways to customize Safari on iPhone and iPad
If you’ve ever been miffed that iOS reveals your “frequently visited” websites whenever you tap Safari’s address bar, good news: that’s one of several Safari options that you can easily change.
Not only can you hide Safari’s “Frequently Visited Sites” feature, you can also change the way newly opened tabs behave, pick a new folder for your Favorites, choose a new Reader mode font, and more....
http://www.macworld.com/article/3105553/ios/6-easy-ways-to-customize-safari-on-iphone-and-ipad.html#jump
http://www.macworld.com/article/3105553/ios/6-easy-ways-to-customize-safari-on-iphone-and-ipad.html#jump
Armed ‘White Lives Matter’ Group Protests Outside Houston NAACP
A small group of “White Lives Matter” activists held a protest outside the Houston NAACP office on Sunday, bearing assault rifles, Confederate flags, and signs referencing white supremacist slogans.
The protesters said that they were speaking out against Black Lives Matter for focusing on black victims of police violence.
"We came out here to protest against the NAACP and their failure in speaking out against the atrocities that organizations like Black Lives Matter and other pro-black organizations have caused the attack and killing of white police officers, the burning down of cities and things of that nature," White Lives Matter member Ken Reed told the Houston Chronicle.
"If they're going to be a civil rights organization and defend their people, they also need to hold their people accountable." Reed insisted that the group wasn’t there to “instigate” and only carried firearms to “defend” themselves....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/houston-white-lives-matter-protest-naacp
"We came out here to protest against the NAACP and their failure in speaking out against the atrocities that organizations like Black Lives Matter and other pro-black organizations have caused the attack and killing of white police officers, the burning down of cities and things of that nature," White Lives Matter member Ken Reed told the Houston Chronicle.
"If they're going to be a civil rights organization and defend their people, they also need to hold their people accountable." Reed insisted that the group wasn’t there to “instigate” and only carried firearms to “defend” themselves....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/houston-white-lives-matter-protest-naacp
Research On Tulsa's Head Start Program Finds Lasting Gains
In 1998 Oklahoma became one of only two states to offer universal preschool, and it's been one of the most closely watched experiments in the country.
Today, the vast majority of these programs are in public schools. The rest are run by child-care centers or Head Start, the federally funded early-childhood education program.
Deborah Phillips, a professor of psychology at Georgetown University, spent more than a decade studying and tracking children in Head Start. Courtesy of Georgetown University Deborah Phillips, a professor of psychology at Georgetown University, has spent more than a decade studying and tracking children in these programs. Her most recent findings were just published in the journal Developmental Psychology....
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/22/490083040/research-on-tulsas-head-start-program-finds-lasting-gains?ft=nprml&f=1001
Today, the vast majority of these programs are in public schools. The rest are run by child-care centers or Head Start, the federally funded early-childhood education program.
Deborah Phillips, a professor of psychology at Georgetown University, spent more than a decade studying and tracking children in Head Start. Courtesy of Georgetown University Deborah Phillips, a professor of psychology at Georgetown University, has spent more than a decade studying and tracking children in these programs. Her most recent findings were just published in the journal Developmental Psychology....
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/22/490083040/research-on-tulsas-head-start-program-finds-lasting-gains?ft=nprml&f=1001
The case for a single-payer health plan: Aetna shows how insurers are avoiding the sick
The best argument for a single-payer health plan is the recent decision by giant health insurer Aetna to bail out next year from 11 of the 15 states where it sells Obamacare plans.
Aetna’s decision follows similar moves by UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest insurer, and Humana, one of the other giants. All claim they’re not making enough money because too many people with serious health problems are using the Obamacare exchanges, and not enough healthy people are signing up.
The problem isn’t Obamacare per se. It’s in the structure of private markets for health insurance — which creates powerful incentives to avoid sick people and attract healthy ones. Obamacare is just making the structural problem more obvious....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/20/the-case-for-a-single-payer-health-plan-aetna-shows-how-insurers-are-avoiding-the-sick_partner/
Aetna’s decision follows similar moves by UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest insurer, and Humana, one of the other giants. All claim they’re not making enough money because too many people with serious health problems are using the Obamacare exchanges, and not enough healthy people are signing up.
The problem isn’t Obamacare per se. It’s in the structure of private markets for health insurance — which creates powerful incentives to avoid sick people and attract healthy ones. Obamacare is just making the structural problem more obvious....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/20/the-case-for-a-single-payer-health-plan-aetna-shows-how-insurers-are-avoiding-the-sick_partner/
America’s criminal injustice system: A private eye sheds light on the gross indignities suffered by the poor
Once upon a time, I was a journalist, covering war in Indochina, Central America, and the Middle East. I made it my job to write about the victims of war, the “civilian casualties.” To me, they were hardly “collateral damage,” that bloodless term the military persuaded journalists to adopt. To me, they were the center of war. Now, I work at home and I’m a private eye — or P.I. to you. I work mostly on homicide cases for defense lawyers on the mean streets of Oakland, Calif., one of America’s murder capitals.
Some days, Oakland feels like Saigon, Tegucigalpa or Gaza. There’s the deception of daily life and the silent routine of dread punctured by out-of-the blue mayhem. Oakland’s poor neighborhoods are a war zone whose violence can even explode onto streets made rich overnight by the tech boom. Any quiet day, you can drive down San Pablo Avenue past St. Columba Catholic Church, where a thicket of white crosses, one for every Oaklander killed by gun violence, year by year, fills its front yard.
Whenever I tell people I’m a private eye, they ask: Do you get innocent people off death row? Or: Can you follow my ex around? Or: What kind of gun do you carry?
I always disappoint them....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/21/americas-criminal-injustice-system-a-private-eye-sheds-light-on-the-gross-indignities-suffered-by-the-poor_partner/
Some days, Oakland feels like Saigon, Tegucigalpa or Gaza. There’s the deception of daily life and the silent routine of dread punctured by out-of-the blue mayhem. Oakland’s poor neighborhoods are a war zone whose violence can even explode onto streets made rich overnight by the tech boom. Any quiet day, you can drive down San Pablo Avenue past St. Columba Catholic Church, where a thicket of white crosses, one for every Oaklander killed by gun violence, year by year, fills its front yard.
Whenever I tell people I’m a private eye, they ask: Do you get innocent people off death row? Or: Can you follow my ex around? Or: What kind of gun do you carry?
I always disappoint them....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/21/americas-criminal-injustice-system-a-private-eye-sheds-light-on-the-gross-indignities-suffered-by-the-poor_partner/
Irish Woman Live-Tweets Her Trip To Obtain A Legal Abortion
Every year, thousands of women from Ireland travel to England or Wales to get an abortion. The procedure is illegal in their country. On Saturday, one of those women live-tweeted the entire experience directly at Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny.
The woman and her friend formed a Twitter account, TwoWomenTravel, specifically to document the trip. Their posts stressed the time commitment, financial burden, and overall stress the trip had on both of them. In most posts, they tagged Kenny’s Twitter handle to guarantee his attention.
“We wanted to share the very ordinariness of the situation — we wanted to show it for what it is,” the women write in one tweet. “We had to travel because our government insists that we pretend this isn’t happening.”...
https://thinkprogress.org/irish-woman-live-tweets-her-trip-to-obtain-a-legal-abortion-62af3fd514d0#.qesx1jtsh
The woman and her friend formed a Twitter account, TwoWomenTravel, specifically to document the trip. Their posts stressed the time commitment, financial burden, and overall stress the trip had on both of them. In most posts, they tagged Kenny’s Twitter handle to guarantee his attention.
“We wanted to share the very ordinariness of the situation — we wanted to show it for what it is,” the women write in one tweet. “We had to travel because our government insists that we pretend this isn’t happening.”...
https://thinkprogress.org/irish-woman-live-tweets-her-trip-to-obtain-a-legal-abortion-62af3fd514d0#.qesx1jtsh
A Shocking Story of How a Chicago Cop Killed a Teen -- Then Locked Up His Best Friend for the Murder
In 2012, 19-year-old Tevin Louis and his best friend Marquise Sampson allegedly robbed a restaurant. After reportedly making off with about $1,200, the two ran in different directions. Sampson crossed paths with an officer, who gave chase and ultimately opened fire, killing the teenager. Louis arrived at the scene where his friend was shot, and attempted to cross the police line. He was arrested for disorderly conduct. But in a shocking turn, Louis was eventually charged with first-degree murder in the death of his best friend, even though it was the officer who killed Sampson. Louis was found guilty. He is now serving a 32-year sentence for armed robbery and a 20-year sentence for murder. Louis is one of 10 people with similar cases exposed in the Chicago Reader’s new article headlined “Charged with Murder, But They Didn’t Kill Anyone—Police Did.” For more, we speak with the article’s authors: Alison Flowers, a journalist with the Chicago-based Invisible Institute, and Sarah Macaraeg, an independent journalist and fellow with the International Center for Journalists.....
Interview:
Interview:
20 Years Since Welfare's Overhaul, Results Are Mixed : NPR
Twenty years ago, welfare as Americans knew it ended.
President Bill Clinton signed a welfare overhaul bill that limited benefits and encouraged poor people to find jobs.
"We're going to make it all new again, and see if we can't create a system of incentives which reinforce work and family and independence," Clinton said at a White House bill signing ceremony.
The goals were admirable: help poor families get into the workforce so they'd no longer need government aid. They'd get job training and support, such as help with child care. But the results have been mixed...
http://www.npr.org/2016/08/22/490245470/20-years-since-welfares-overhaul-results-are-mixed?ft=nprml&f=1001
"We're going to make it all new again, and see if we can't create a system of incentives which reinforce work and family and independence," Clinton said at a White House bill signing ceremony.
The goals were admirable: help poor families get into the workforce so they'd no longer need government aid. They'd get job training and support, such as help with child care. But the results have been mixed...
http://www.npr.org/2016/08/22/490245470/20-years-since-welfares-overhaul-results-are-mixed?ft=nprml&f=1001
Under New Philippine President, Nearly 1,800 Have Died In Extrajudicial Killings : The Two-Way : NPR
Rodrigo Duterte, the new president of the Philippines, campaigned as a tough-on-crime candidate, threatening death for drug dealers.
And in the seven weeks since he took office, nearly 1,800 alleged criminals have died — at the hands of police or under mysterious circumstances. The wave of extrajudicial killings has prompted outcry from human rights watchdogs, the Catholic Church and the United Nations.
Now the Philippine Senate is investigating the deaths. Observers believed there had been hundreds. Then, in a committee meeting Monday, the national police chief said that since Duterte was elected, police operations have killed 712 alleged drug traffickers and users. An additional 1,067 killings occurred under unclear circumstances, he said; observers believe some were carried out by vigilantes.
"This is like anarchy," Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV told the police chief, according to The Associated Press. "It's continuing under your watch."...
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/22/490944191/under-new-philippine-president-nearly-1-800-have-died-in-extrajudicial-killings?ft=nprml&f=1001
And in the seven weeks since he took office, nearly 1,800 alleged criminals have died — at the hands of police or under mysterious circumstances. The wave of extrajudicial killings has prompted outcry from human rights watchdogs, the Catholic Church and the United Nations.
Now the Philippine Senate is investigating the deaths. Observers believed there had been hundreds. Then, in a committee meeting Monday, the national police chief said that since Duterte was elected, police operations have killed 712 alleged drug traffickers and users. An additional 1,067 killings occurred under unclear circumstances, he said; observers believe some were carried out by vigilantes.
"This is like anarchy," Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV told the police chief, according to The Associated Press. "It's continuing under your watch."...
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/22/490944191/under-new-philippine-president-nearly-1-800-have-died-in-extrajudicial-killings?ft=nprml&f=1001
The rise of irreligion is the GOP’s real demographic crisis
In the past several years, many trees have been felled and pixels electrocuted in the service of discussion about the impact of Hispanics on the American electorate. No one knows for sure which way they’ll vote in the future but everyone is interested in discussing it. Curiously, though, an even larger political shift is taking place yet receiving almost no attention whatsoever from political reporters — the emergence of post-Christian America.
Judging solely from the rhetoric and actions of the candidates who sought the Republican Party’s presidential nomination this year, you would be hard-pressed to tell much difference between 2016 and 1996, the year that the Christian Coalition was ruling the roost in GOP politics. Sure there was a lot more talk about the Middle East than before, but when it comes to public displays of religiosity, many of the would-be presidents have spent the majority of their candidacies effectively auditioning for slots on the Trinity Broadcast Network.
Even Donald Trump, the thrice-married casino magnate turned television host, went about reincarnating himself as a devout Christian, despite his evident lack of familiarity with the doctrines and practices of the faith....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/20/the-rise-of-irreligion-is-the-gops-real-demographic-crisis/
Judging solely from the rhetoric and actions of the candidates who sought the Republican Party’s presidential nomination this year, you would be hard-pressed to tell much difference between 2016 and 1996, the year that the Christian Coalition was ruling the roost in GOP politics. Sure there was a lot more talk about the Middle East than before, but when it comes to public displays of religiosity, many of the would-be presidents have spent the majority of their candidacies effectively auditioning for slots on the Trinity Broadcast Network.
Even Donald Trump, the thrice-married casino magnate turned television host, went about reincarnating himself as a devout Christian, despite his evident lack of familiarity with the doctrines and practices of the faith....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/20/the-rise-of-irreligion-is-the-gops-real-demographic-crisis/
Monday, August 29, 2016
Trump’s outreach to black voters is a dog whistle for racists.
It’s clear that Donald Trump’s “black outreach” isn’t actual outreach to black communities. A Trump who wanted to reach black voters would speak to black churches, black colleges, and organizations like the NAACP or the Urban League. The actual Trump, instead, has made his pitch to lily-white audiences in towns and neighborhoods with few black residents. And for good reason. Trump is never going to win more than a token percentage of black voters. If he wants the White House, he’ll need to persuade as many white voters as possible, and a visible commitment to diversity is one way to win over a certain class of right-leaning, suburban whites.
Or at least, that’s my theory. And it fits the history of modern Republican presidential campaigns, where visible overtures to black voters were part of the process, from Richard Nixon in 1968 to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. But there’s a problem. In the past 24 hours, Trump’s message to blacks has gone from unusual—“you have nothing to lose”—to something on the border of racist. Listen to what the Republican nominee had to say to an almost all-white audience in Akron, Ohio, on Monday evening....
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/08/trump_s_outreach_to_black_voters_is_a_dog_whistle_for_racists.html
Or at least, that’s my theory. And it fits the history of modern Republican presidential campaigns, where visible overtures to black voters were part of the process, from Richard Nixon in 1968 to George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. But there’s a problem. In the past 24 hours, Trump’s message to blacks has gone from unusual—“you have nothing to lose”—to something on the border of racist. Listen to what the Republican nominee had to say to an almost all-white audience in Akron, Ohio, on Monday evening....
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/08/trump_s_outreach_to_black_voters_is_a_dog_whistle_for_racists.html
3 Big Achievements of the Clinton Foundation That the Right Wing Will Never Be Able to Smear
Each and every day, we hear the right-wing noise machine shout about the Clinton Foundation. While it's true Hillary Clinton has to answer to some questions on past judgments, it's both disingenuous and cynical to disregard all the good the Clinton Foundation has done.
Earlier Thursday, Bill Clinton lost it and finally chimed in. “We’re trying to do good things,” Clinton said in response to recent criticism. “If there’s something wrong with creating jobs and saving lives, I don’t know what it is. The people who gave the money knew exactly what they were doing. I have nothing to say about it except I’m really proud.”
The Clinton Foundation is a political football that will be tossed around from now until November. Trump, who has barely contributed to his own foundation and is potentially breaking FEC laws by giving $7.7 million in campaign contributions to his own companies and kids, will be screaming about the foundation on Twitter each and every day.
So let's take a look at all the good the foundation has done for poor people in Africa. Indeed, there are a quite a number of things the former president should be proud of. Here's a look at some of the more notable things the Clinton Foundation has done over the years....
http://www.alternet.org/files/styles/story_image/public/story_images/bill_clinton__hillary_rally.jpghttp://www.alternet.org/election-2016/3-big-achievements-clinton-foundation-right-wing-will-never-be-able-smear
Earlier Thursday, Bill Clinton lost it and finally chimed in. “We’re trying to do good things,” Clinton said in response to recent criticism. “If there’s something wrong with creating jobs and saving lives, I don’t know what it is. The people who gave the money knew exactly what they were doing. I have nothing to say about it except I’m really proud.”
The Clinton Foundation is a political football that will be tossed around from now until November. Trump, who has barely contributed to his own foundation and is potentially breaking FEC laws by giving $7.7 million in campaign contributions to his own companies and kids, will be screaming about the foundation on Twitter each and every day.
So let's take a look at all the good the foundation has done for poor people in Africa. Indeed, there are a quite a number of things the former president should be proud of. Here's a look at some of the more notable things the Clinton Foundation has done over the years....
http://www.alternet.org/files/styles/story_image/public/story_images/bill_clinton__hillary_rally.jpghttp://www.alternet.org/election-2016/3-big-achievements-clinton-foundation-right-wing-will-never-be-able-smear
Bernie's Next Revolution: New National Group to Launch to Promote Progressives.
Bernie Sanders returns to the political stage on Wednesday to try to do what no progressive has successfully done in decades—keep alive national grassroots momentum that led millions to support him and his agenda in 2016’s presidential nominating contests.
At 9 PM Eastern, Sanders will address 2,600-plus meetings across the country to lay out the next steps in pushing the nation’s politics toward the progressive left. He will kick off a new group called Our Revolution, which will support like-minded candidates running for office and hold pro-corporate officeholders accountable on key issues.
Pressuring Congress to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact is perhaps the foremost immediate example....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernies-next-revolution-new-national-group-launch-promote-progressives
At 9 PM Eastern, Sanders will address 2,600-plus meetings across the country to lay out the next steps in pushing the nation’s politics toward the progressive left. He will kick off a new group called Our Revolution, which will support like-minded candidates running for office and hold pro-corporate officeholders accountable on key issues.
Pressuring Congress to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact is perhaps the foremost immediate example....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernies-next-revolution-new-national-group-launch-promote-progressives
GOP Sen. Smears Obama As ‘Drug Dealer In Chief’ For $400M Iran Payment
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), one of the most vulnerable senators facing re-election, slammed President Barack Obama last week as the “drug dealer in chief” over the recent U.S. payment of $400 million to Iran.
"We can't have the president of the United States acting like the drug dealer in chief," Kirk said in a meeting with the State Journal-Register that was reported Saturday.
He also accused Obama of "giving clean packs of money” to a “state sponsor of terror.”
“Those 500-euro notes will pop up across the Middle East,” he said, as quoted by the Chicago Tribune. “We're going to see problems in multiple (countries) because of that money given to them." Obama has said the $400 million, which the State Department said it used as “leverage” to secure the release of American hostages, was repayment for a failed arms deal decades ago....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mark-kirk-slams-obama-iran-drug-dealer-in-chief
He also accused Obama of "giving clean packs of money” to a “state sponsor of terror.”
“Those 500-euro notes will pop up across the Middle East,” he said, as quoted by the Chicago Tribune. “We're going to see problems in multiple (countries) because of that money given to them." Obama has said the $400 million, which the State Department said it used as “leverage” to secure the release of American hostages, was repayment for a failed arms deal decades ago....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mark-kirk-slams-obama-iran-drug-dealer-in-chief
RWW News: Michael Brown Has A Simple Solution To The Transgender Bathroom Controversy
Right Wing Watch reports on the extreme rhetoric and activities of key right-wing figures and organizations by showing their views in their own words. In this video, Michael Brown says that transgender people should simply dress in accordance with their biological gender when out in public in case they need to use the restroom....
Interview:
Interview:
"RWW News": Janet Porter Urges Christians To Vote For Trump
Right Wing Watch reports on the extreme rhetoric and activities of key right-wing figures and organizations by showing their views in their own words. In this video, Janet Porter says voting for Donald Trump is a matter of "life or death for millions."...
Interview:
Interview:
RWW News: Steve King: Gitmo Prisoners Held In What ‘Could Be A Resort Area’
Right Wing Watch reports on the extreme rhetoric and activities of key right-wing figures and organizations by showing their views in their own words. In this video, Rep. Steve King raves about the conditions at the Guantanamo Bay prison.
Interview:
Interview:
Racism And Talk Of Religious War: Trump Staff's Online Posts
Donald Trump's paid campaign staffers have declared on their personal social media accounts that Muslims are unfit to be U.S. citizens, mocked how Mexicans talk, called for Secretary of State John Kerry to be hanged and stated their readiness for a possible civil war, according to a review by The Associated Press of their postings.
The AP examined the social media feeds of more than 50 current and former campaign employees who helped propel Trump through the primary elections. The campaign has employed a mix of veteran political operatives and outsiders. Most come across as dedicated, enthusiastic partisans, but at least seven expressed views that were overtly racially charged, supportive of violent actions or broadly hostile to Muslims....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-staff-racism-social-media
The AP examined the social media feeds of more than 50 current and former campaign employees who helped propel Trump through the primary elections. The campaign has employed a mix of veteran political operatives and outsiders. Most come across as dedicated, enthusiastic partisans, but at least seven expressed views that were overtly racially charged, supportive of violent actions or broadly hostile to Muslims....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-staff-racism-social-media
Al Gore: If You Care About The Climate Crisis, Don’t Vote For A Third Party
Al Gore lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush in part because of votes lost to third-party candidates. He has a simple message for fellow climate hawks who are contemplating a third-party vote in 2016: Please don’t.
In an exclusive interview last week, I asked Gore what he would say to voters concerned about climate change but dissatisfied with both major candidates and considering voting for a third party, such as the Green Party. He replied:
"First of all I understand their feelings and misgivings. But if they are interested in my personal advice. I am voting for Hillary Clinton. I urge everyone else to do the same.
I particularly urge anyone who is concerned about the climate crisis, sees it as the kind of priority that I see it as, to look at the sharp contrast between the solar plan that Secretary Clinton has put forward, and her stated commitment to support the Clean Power Plan, and the contrast between what she has said and is proposing with the statements of the Republican nominee, which give me great concern."...
https://thinkprogress.org/al-gore-dont-vote-third-party-15711ce062e7#.xovvdl3p5
In an exclusive interview last week, I asked Gore what he would say to voters concerned about climate change but dissatisfied with both major candidates and considering voting for a third party, such as the Green Party. He replied:
"First of all I understand their feelings and misgivings. But if they are interested in my personal advice. I am voting for Hillary Clinton. I urge everyone else to do the same.
I particularly urge anyone who is concerned about the climate crisis, sees it as the kind of priority that I see it as, to look at the sharp contrast between the solar plan that Secretary Clinton has put forward, and her stated commitment to support the Clean Power Plan, and the contrast between what she has said and is proposing with the statements of the Republican nominee, which give me great concern."...
https://thinkprogress.org/al-gore-dont-vote-third-party-15711ce062e7#.xovvdl3p5
Videos Surface of a Death in Custody the LAPD Didn’t Want Released
Early on the afternoon of June 4, 2012, Vachel Howard was handcuffed to a bench inside the Los Angeles Police Department’s 77th Street Station Jail. He was 56 years old, and had been taken into custody for driving while intoxicated. The grandfather of seven had been strip-searched, and his shirt still hung open. Howard told the officers present that he suffered from schizophrenia. Police suspected he was high on cocaine....
http://www.alternet.org/video/videos-surface-death-custody-lapd-didnt-want-released
http://www.alternet.org/video/videos-surface-death-custody-lapd-didnt-want-released
This week in the war on workers: Black Lives Matter and the NAACP say no to more charter schools
Here’s some important pushback on the efforts of the corporate education policy world to brand its privatization agenda as a civil rights issue:
A few weeks ago, the Movement for Black Lives, the network that also includes Black Lives Matter organizers, released its first-ever policy agenda. Among the organization's six demands and dozens of policy recommendations was a bold education-related stance: a moratorium on both charter schools and public school closures. Charters, the agenda argues, represent a shift of public funds and control over to private entities. Along with "an end to the privatization of education," the Movement for Black Lives organizers are demanding increased investments in traditional community schools and the health and social services they provide....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1560672
A few weeks ago, the Movement for Black Lives, the network that also includes Black Lives Matter organizers, released its first-ever policy agenda. Among the organization's six demands and dozens of policy recommendations was a bold education-related stance: a moratorium on both charter schools and public school closures. Charters, the agenda argues, represent a shift of public funds and control over to private entities. Along with "an end to the privatization of education," the Movement for Black Lives organizers are demanding increased investments in traditional community schools and the health and social services they provide....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1560672
Eric Trump: Wages Stagnated For 15 Years Because Of Syrian Refugees
Donald Trump’s son attributed wage stagnation to Syrian refugees and border-crossing immigrants Monday on Fox News.
“I mean, wages have been stagnant for the last 15 years and it’s because you have, you know, Syrian refugees coming in. It’s because you have, you know, thousands of people coming over the border. I mean, Americans are suffering because of it, and that’s his point,” Eric Trump said on Fox & Friends, explaining his father’s views on immigration....
https://thinkprogress.org/eric-trump-syria-wages-ec79e8dfe8fa#.o3fsfsg2w
“I mean, wages have been stagnant for the last 15 years and it’s because you have, you know, Syrian refugees coming in. It’s because you have, you know, thousands of people coming over the border. I mean, Americans are suffering because of it, and that’s his point,” Eric Trump said on Fox & Friends, explaining his father’s views on immigration....
https://thinkprogress.org/eric-trump-syria-wages-ec79e8dfe8fa#.o3fsfsg2w
GOP Senator Says College Students Don’t Need Teachers, Can Watch Ken Burns Videos All Day
A common cultural trope of the incompetent teacher is one who plays videos for their students on a regular basis instead of lecturing and overseeing in-class activities and projects. Yet that’s exactly the kind of education one Republican senator would like to see college students receive.
During a recent appearance on WisPolitics, a state political news service, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) suggested that the country could save money on higher education costs by cutting back on instructors — and instead allowing students to learn from Ken Burns videos and the internet....
https://thinkprogress.org/gop-senator-says-college-students-dont-need-teachers-can-watch-ken-burns-videos-all-day-f7002dac1f45#.2iwk08otv
During a recent appearance on WisPolitics, a state political news service, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) suggested that the country could save money on higher education costs by cutting back on instructors — and instead allowing students to learn from Ken Burns videos and the internet....
https://thinkprogress.org/gop-senator-says-college-students-dont-need-teachers-can-watch-ken-burns-videos-all-day-f7002dac1f45#.2iwk08otv
Research shows Democrats are better for the economy — so why do voters trust Republicans more?
While it’s true that presidents don’t have as much influence over the economy as most Americans imagine, Republicans have successfully created the image that they are superior economic managers to Democrats (even though the evidence suggests the opposite). However, Trump has also run a dramatically different campaign than most Republican presidents. Rather than focusing on economic growth and regulation, his speeches center around crime and immigration. That, coupled with the Great Recession occurring during George W. Bush’s tenure and former President Bill Clinton presiding over quick growth, gives Democrats a window to redefine themselves as the party of economic growth. The question is whether they can seize it....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/20/research-shows-democrats-are-better-for-the-economy-so-why-are-republicans-winning-the-narrative/
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/20/research-shows-democrats-are-better-for-the-economy-so-why-are-republicans-winning-the-narrative/
New Book Reveals Trump Is Actually Sleazier and Slimier Than We Ever Thought
David Cay Johnston has been one of the nation’s premier investigative reporters for decades, specializing in the ways government works for the wealthy at the expense of everyday Americans. He first met and covered Donald Trump in the 1980s. In his latest book, The Making of Donald Trump, he profiles the many ways the Republican presidential nominee has gotten wealthy by bilking others, colluding with criminals, evading prosecution, and romancing the press. I spoke with Johnston recently about his new book....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/new-book-reveals-trump-actually-sleazier-and-slimier-we-ever-thought
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/new-book-reveals-trump-actually-sleazier-and-slimier-we-ever-thought
Free money is not so funny anymore: Confessions of a (former) skeptic of basic income
Getting a tire replaced seems easy to me. I’d just go to the nearest tire place and get it fixed. But Jayleene was living from paycheck to paycheck and didn’t have $110 to spare. She couldn’t get to work, and her boss fired her. She couldn’t make her rent and was soon out on the street — all because she needed $110 at the right time.
Jayleene told me her story during my volunteer shift at a soup kitchen. Her experience was the final straw that convinced me to support the idea of providing a basic income, the notion of giving people an unconditional living wage, which has been backed by conservatives and liberals alike. The concept of basic income is becoming increasingly popular around the world, with Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Canada experimenting with it....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/21/free-money-is-not-so-funny-anymore-confessions-of-a-former-skeptic-of-basic-income/
Jayleene told me her story during my volunteer shift at a soup kitchen. Her experience was the final straw that convinced me to support the idea of providing a basic income, the notion of giving people an unconditional living wage, which has been backed by conservatives and liberals alike. The concept of basic income is becoming increasingly popular around the world, with Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Canada experimenting with it....
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/21/free-money-is-not-so-funny-anymore-confessions-of-a-former-skeptic-of-basic-income/
France's Amazing Teaching Aid Helps Kids Learn About Female Pleasure
If sex ed is the only place you’ve ever looked to for information about sex, then there’s a good chance you’re still in the dark on a number of matters, like, for instance, the fact that women have clitorises. Spoiler alert: we do. And when we play with them, it usually feels really, really good.
Unfortunately, most people have to figure that one out on their own, thanks to the substandard state of sex education in America. Take a moment to think about this: According to a March 2016 Guttmacher Institute report, "37 states require information on abstinence be provided" when sex education is taught. Twenty-six of those states require that "abstinence be stressed"; 19 require instruction on the importance of engaging in sex only within marriage; and "13 states require the inclusion of information on the negative outcomes of teen sex and pregnancy." When HIV education is taught, just "20 states require information on condoms or contraception" be provided....
http://www.alternet.org/sex-amp-relationships/why-talking-about-female-pleasure-can-improve-sex-education
Unfortunately, most people have to figure that one out on their own, thanks to the substandard state of sex education in America. Take a moment to think about this: According to a March 2016 Guttmacher Institute report, "37 states require information on abstinence be provided" when sex education is taught. Twenty-six of those states require that "abstinence be stressed"; 19 require instruction on the importance of engaging in sex only within marriage; and "13 states require the inclusion of information on the negative outcomes of teen sex and pregnancy." When HIV education is taught, just "20 states require information on condoms or contraception" be provided....
http://www.alternet.org/sex-amp-relationships/why-talking-about-female-pleasure-can-improve-sex-education
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Secular Student Alliance, Simple IRA & Market Predictions (Phil Ferguson Show, 180 SSA)
Nicole Niebler is the President of AHA (Atheists, Humanists & Agnostics) at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She explains why the SSA (Secular Student Alliance) is so important and how it has improved her life.
Investing Skeptically: Market Predictions & Simple IRAs.
Interview:
http://philfergusonshow.secularmediagroup.com/2016/08/10/180-ssa-secular-student-alliance-simple-ira-market-predictions/
Interview:
http://philfergusonshow.secularmediagroup.com/2016/08/10/180-ssa-secular-student-alliance-simple-ira-market-predictions/
How Do Clinton And Trump's Economic Plans Compare? (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Terrible week for Donald Trump last week. This week, he’s looking to change the tune. On economics. Plenty of Americans feel left out. Trump says he wants to crank it up for everybody. Would he? In a big speech in Detroit he talked tax cuts, more fossil fuels, less regulation and torn-up trade deals. Hillary Clinton blasted back that it’s the same old, tired old trickle-down with a Trump twist. This hour On Point: Donald Trump economics, Clinton’s vision, and America’s choice. -- Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/09/clinton-vs-trump-how-do-their-economic-plans-compare
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/08/09/clinton-vs-trump-how-do-their-economic-plans-compare
Skeptics' Guide to the Universe (Podcast #579 - August 13th, 2016)
Guest Rogue: David Gorski
What's the Word: Hypnagogia
News Items: Now You Don't See It, Piltdown Case Closed, Black Hole Back Door, Cupping at the Olympics, Other Olympic Pseudoscience
Dumbest Thing of the Week
Science or Fiction
Interview:
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu/579
Interview:
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu/579
Near Death Experiences with Cory Markum (David Smalley, Dogma Debate, #257)
Atheist Republic Blogger Cory Markum discusses praying to avoid church, his de-conversion, and near death experiences.
Interview:
http://login.dogmadebate.com/podcast/257-near-death-experiences-with-cory-markum/
Interview:
http://login.dogmadebate.com/podcast/257-near-death-experiences-with-cory-markum/
Competitive Cupping: David Gorski on Pseudoscience at the Olympics (Josh Zepps, Point of Inquiry)
Those following the Olympics this year may have noticed Michael Phelps sporting circular bruises all over his body. That’s because Phelps, like many Olympic athletes, won’t go after their medals without going after their cups. The growing fad of cupping is an ancient practice in which cups are placed all over the body and skin is suctioned inside the cup, bursting blood vessels and creating circular bruises. The claim is that cupping releases toxins and heals muscle tissue, among a number of other alleged health benefits, none of which can be backed up by scientific evidence.
Dr. David Gorski is a surgical oncologist, blogger, and advocate for evidence-based reasoning. He joins us today to discuss the latest Olympic pseudoscience fads and what it is about them that makes them pseudoscience. He gives his take on why alt-med practices like cupping are so appealing to people, and the best ways to go about persuading people out of them.
Interview:
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/competitive_cupping_david_gorski_on_pseudoscience_at_the_olympics/
Dr. David Gorski is a surgical oncologist, blogger, and advocate for evidence-based reasoning. He joins us today to discuss the latest Olympic pseudoscience fads and what it is about them that makes them pseudoscience. He gives his take on why alt-med practices like cupping are so appealing to people, and the best ways to go about persuading people out of them.
Interview:
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/competitive_cupping_david_gorski_on_pseudoscience_at_the_olympics/
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