Thursday, December 31, 2020
QAnon Conspiracy Theories And Misinformation: 'Bonkers' What Americans Believe : NPR
... The poll asked respondents whether they believe that "a group of Satan-worshipping elites who run a child sex ring are trying to control our politics and media," the false allegation at the heart of QAnon. While only 17% said it was true, another 37% said they didn't know.
"It's total bonkers," said Jackson, "and yet ... essentially half of Americans believe it's true, or think that maybe it's true. They don't really know. And I think that's terrifying that half of Americans believe that could be the case."...
Here are the Republicans planning to challenge the Electoral College results | TheHill
... "We now in the House side are up to dozens of congressmen who are willing to object or co-sponsor objections to various states' submittals, so we have more congressmen than we have states to object to," he added...
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/532149-here-are-the-republicans-planning-to-challenge-the-electoral-college-results
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/532149-here-are-the-republicans-planning-to-challenge-the-electoral-college-results
Space Force delays $12B deal with contractor after court rules company acted fraudulently: report | TheHill
... The scrutiny focuses on NSTXL's earlier partnership with an events management firm as part of a contract with the Navy. NSTXL ended its relationship with the events firm after the firm supposedly failed to perform its contractual responsibilities...
E.U.-China agree to investment pact despite U.S. objections - The Washington Post
... Within the E.U., there is a new wariness of China but no real consensus about what to do. Biden has promised to work with allies on China, although it remains to be seen whether Europe, scorned by President Trump, is eager to work as a team...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe-china-investment-deal-eu/2020/12/30/089742a0-4ab9-11eb-9025-57b4c8818a4a_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe-china-investment-deal-eu/2020/12/30/089742a0-4ab9-11eb-9025-57b4c8818a4a_story.html
Fact check: Over 159 million people voted in US general election
... In its thread of tweets, the account MSM Fact Checking provided conflicting calculations without citing sources. The initial post claimed there were 133 million registered voters. In another tweet, it claimed there were 213 million registered voters with a voter turnout rate of 62.5%. All of these numbers are false...
Kant & Categorical Imperatives: Crash Course Philosophy #35
Our next stop on our tour of ethics is Kant’s ethics. Today Hank explains hypothetical and categorical imperatives, the universalizability principle, autonomy, and what it means to treat people as ends-in-themselves, rather than as mere means.
https://youtu.be/8bIys6JoEDw
https://youtu.be/8bIys6JoEDw
PHILOSOPHY: Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was acutely aware of living in an age when philosophy would need to supplant the role once played by religion. This helped him to arrive at his most famous concept: the ‘categorical imperative.’
Opinion: Donald Trump Jr.'s revealing holiday video - CNN
... No good ever comes to societies when leaders lack empathy. The political and other health of our democracy will be challenged if the next generation of Trumps follow the president in making "toughness" their brand.
4 (More) Lies Theists Tell About Atheists
Do atheists believe everything came from nothing? Some theists may say so, but is it true?
Some theists believe and tell several lies about atheists, usually, in my opinion, out of ignorance. Four of the lies I tackle here are that atheists believe everything came from nothing, you have to have faith to be an atheist, true atheists wouldn’t talk about religion so much, and that atheists have no meaning in their lives. Religious media, and even respected apologists, often propagate all these falsehoods with "clever" lines like "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist!" It’s time that we do away with them for everyone’s sake.
Democrats battle for soul of party as Biden win masks alarming failures | Democrats | The Guardian
... "The Democratic party envisions itself as the party of working people but it doesn't feel that way to a lot of working people. And the Democratic party needs to figure that out."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/30/democrats-party-joe-biden-working-class-americans
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/30/democrats-party-joe-biden-working-class-americans
Trump allies launch desperate final efforts ahead of congressional confirmation of Biden win - The Washington Post
... One lawsuit filed last week by a conservative group that supports Trump targeted, among others, the electoral college — which does not exist as a permanent body. Another lawsuit filed Sunday by U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) and several Arizona Republicans against Vice President Pence attempts to get a federal judge to expand Pence's power to affect the outcome...
Trump Tweets Conspiracy About Georgia Secretary of State’s Nonexistent Brother
... the president tweeted before turning his attention to Raffensperger. "Now it turns out that Brad R's brother works for China," he added, "and they definitely don't want 'Trump'. So disgusting!"...
Understanding iCloud
iCloud is Apple's answer to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox but it works a little differently. Here's a stolen lesson from my recently updated Apple Productivity course that should shed some light on what Apple are trying to do.
Understanding iCLOUD PHOTOS - Syncing iPhones, iPads, and Apple Compute...
This video in an in-depth understanding of syncing your iCloud Photos to your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Computers. I discuss some helpful settings and tips along the way that you may run in to.
https://youtu.be/59Yjdbh1Q88
https://youtu.be/59Yjdbh1Q88
What is the Best Way to Use iCloud ? 15 Tips for Your iPhone, iPad, and ...
Can't get a handle on all that iCloud does?
You are not alone. Follow Rex through his top 15 iCloud tips and learn how iCloud makes your digital life easier....
https://youtu.be/S8NWOjW5GW0
https://youtu.be/S8NWOjW5GW0
District attorney hires forensic accounting experts to aid Trump criminal probe - The Washington Post
... The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has retained forensic accounting specialists to aid its criminal investigation of President Trump and his business operations, as prosecutors ramp up their scrutiny of his company's real estate transactions, according to people familiar with the matter...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-tax-returns-new-york-investigation/2020/12/29/11c43a38-43c8-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-tax-returns-new-york-investigation/2020/12/29/11c43a38-43c8-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html
Top Democrat goes viral with MUST-SEE speech on $2,000 checks
BREAKING: A top Democratic Senator just went viral with a MUST-SEE speech on $2,000 checks on the Senate floor.
https://youtu.be/T2iSXGD4Ddc
https://youtu.be/T2iSXGD4Ddc
Judge orders Georgia counties to halt voter purge ahead of Senate runoff
Counties appeared to have improperly relied on unverified change-of-address information to invalidate voter registrations.
Ted Cruz Got $35 Million For Billionaire Fracking Donors In Last COVID-19 Aid: Report | HuffPost
The senator's push was criticized as a massive taxpayer-backed payoff to major campaign contributors.
'Goddamn Disgrace': Cornered McConnell Turns $2000 Stimulus Cudgel on Democrats
"To block you from getting $2000 mitch mcconnell is demanding a 'commission' to spew lies about the election trump lost and attack democracy," tweeted New Jersey Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. "This is a goddamn disgrace. The depravity of republican leaders has no bottom."
Why Biden's National Security Adviser Plans To Focus On The U.S. Middle Class : Biden Transition Updates : NPR
"What Joe Biden is proposing, and what I am reinforcing as the national security adviser, is that every element of what we do in our foreign policy and national security ultimately has to be measured by the impact it has on working families, middle-class people, ordinary Americans here in the United States," Sullivan said....
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Video shows park ranger tasering Native American man in New Mexico
A park ranger tasered Darrell House, who is Oneida and Navajo, after he stepped off trail while on a walk at Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque.
Fact check: Posts cite fake records site to claim Schiff, Pelosi were arrested - USA TODAY
Users on social media are promoting a baseless claim tied to QAnon conspiracy theorists that alleges two prominent members of Congress were recently arrested.
Dean of Brown's School of Public Health Blasts COVID Vaccine Rollout in Viral Thread
"So a lot of chatter happening on the slow vaccine roll out," Jha wrote. "Personally, I'm incredibly frustrated. Did we not know that vaccines were coming? Is vaccine administration a surprise?"
If the Nashville bomber were Muslim, he would be called a 'terrorist'
...In reality, Trump should be calling for the FBI to focus more on domestic radicals, considering that in 2019, of the 42 people killed by extremist on U.S. soil, 38 were slain by white supremacist or far right-wing actors...
In odd video, Trump falsely suggests he received a Nobel prize
As Trump's term ends, he's still trying to pretend that he either won or deserved a Nobel Peace Prize. It's a pitiful coda to his presidency.
Trump put Senate Republicans in a real jam. But McConnell might have a way out.
Schumer called it a "cynical gambit" designed to kill the $2,000 payments.
Donald Trump Shares Image of Wrong Nobel Prize in Video Promoting Peace Prize Credentials
"That's not even a Nobel Peace Prize. The medal depicted is awarded for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature."
McConnell Blocks Vote on $2,000 Checks Despite G.O.P. Pressure - The New York Times
Senator Mitch McConnell instead provided vague assurances that the Senate would "begin the process" of discussing the checks and two other issues that the president demanded lawmakers address.
Three men accuse prominent Michigan priest, Polish seminary leader of sexual abuse | Michigan Radio
The call came one warm night in June 2019. A young Polish priest referred to as “John Doe 1” in a federal lawsuit filed Monday knew it was his boss, Rev. Miroslaw Krol, and he knew that Krol was drunk. But he didn’t know the night would end with him driving an intoxicated Krol and another visiting priest to a motel to meet a male sex worker, and then, according to the suit, withdrawing cash from an ATM so Krol could pay him.....
Bernie Sanders Pulls a McConnell on Mitch McConnell to Secure $2,000 Stimulus Checks
... In a long overdue script-flipping move, Sen. Bernie Sanders is now moving to halt a major defense bill until and unless Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell allows a full vote on legislation to give millions of starving Americans $2,000 in emergency aid. That legislation passed the House yesterday over opposition from a majority of House Republicans, who tried their best to deny their own constituents much-needed aid.
https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-pulls-mcconnell-mitch-mcconnell-1557824
New Views of Quantum Jumps Challenge Core Tenets of Physics - Scientific American
One of the most basic processes in all of nature—a subatomic particle's transition between discrete energy states—is surprisingly complex and sometimes predictable, recent work shows.....
Omni Hotels Accepted Millions In PPP Funds But Didn't Pay Workers : NPR
...PPP rules do permit a business to use funds for payroll even if it is closed. But the Omni elected not to do that. Instead, the chain said in its statement, "any amount of the PPP loans that are not forgiven will be returned or repaid with interest per program terms."...
Newt Gingrich: Democrats are trying to 'brainwash the entire next generation'
"Particularly if we win the two Georgia seats, which I think we will, Biden's going to have to decide, does he want to try to move to being a moderate Democrat, in which case his left will rebel and go crazy, or does he want to stick with the left in which case nothing will get done? And Mitch will be happy with either outcome."
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Allegations Of Abuse Within The Convent Walls | HuffPost
Four former nuns shared their story of their time in the Sisters Minor of Mary Immaculate religious order.
Biden says Trump and his political appointees have blocked national security transition work, posing threats to the U.S. - The Washington Post
..."Right now, we just aren't getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It's nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility," Biden said of the resistance his teams were facing. He warned that such delays could allow enemies of the United States to take advantage of vulnerabilities, citing a massive cybersecurity breach that compromised several U.S. agencies earlier this month...
How does America reverse years of racist housing policies? – Center for Public Integrity
... the most powerful policy that the federal government followed was a refusal to issue mortgages to African Americans in predominantly white neighborhoods, which was not redlining, but that term is now broadly used. … The federal government created all-white suburbs around every metropolitan area. The Federal Housing Administration and Veterans administrations refused to issue mortgages to African Americans in those suburbs and refused to guarantee bank loans for developers who might create the suburbs...
https://publicintegrity.org/inside-publici/newsletters/the-moment/how-does-america-reverse-years-of-racist-housing-policies-redlining/
https://publicintegrity.org/inside-publici/newsletters/the-moment/how-does-america-reverse-years-of-racist-housing-policies-redlining/
These companies took $1.8 billion in federal aid to save jobs. They laid off 90,000 workers anyway. – Center for Public Integrity
...In June, facing pressure from business groups, Congress amended the CARES Act to allow some companies to keep PPP loan money even if they laid off workers. The SBA will forgive loans to such companies as long as the workers are rehired by Dec. 31. Businesses can also have their loans forgiven after cutting jobs if they can prove business activity hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels because they followed federal COVID-19 safety guidelines...
Gohmert suit may force Pence's hand in effort to overturn Trump's defeat - POLITICO
..."Under the Twelfth Amendment, Defendant Pence alone has the exclusive authority and sole discretion to open and permit the counting of the electoral votes for a given state, and where there are competing slates of electors, or where there is objection to any single slate of electors, to determine which electors' votes, or whether none, shall be counted," the suit contends...
Is Texas' Dan Patrick prepared to part with his $1 million reward?
... The landscape has to be discouraging for those inclined to believe baseless Republican conspiracy theories about the election. For all the hysterical rhetoric, only a handful of legitimate allegations have been raised, and some involve Republicans casting illegal ballots for Trump on behalf of dead relatives...
Video shows woman falsely accusing Black teen of stealing phone she left in Uber
"The management didn't even question her as to why she would even think he had the phone," Harrold told the newspaper, referring to his son...
Marco Rubio Rails Against Fauci, Says He 'Lied About Masks' and 'Distorted' Herd Immunity
... The anti-Trump group Republicans for Joe Biden questioned why "does little@marcorubio find the 'courage' to attack Dr. Fauci, America's Top infectious disease expert but not the president of the US who constantly lied to the American people about this terrible pandemic?"...
'Our blood is cheaper than water': anger in Iraq over Trump pardons
...The four guards – Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard and Nicholas Slatten – opened fire indiscriminately with machine guns, grenade launchers and a sniper on a crowd of unarmed people at a roundabout, known as Nisour Square..
Five myths about voting machines - The Washington Post
... The hand audits done in Georgia, plus recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin and in Antrim County, Mich., found no evidence of hacking, and confirmed Biden wins (in Georgia and the Wisconsin counties) as well as a Trump one (in Antrim County)...
Black man, 71, held naked and at gunpoint by police in South Carolina
...DeVane's attorney, Justin Bamberg, said what took place at DeVane's house would never happen in a rich white neighborhood.
"Why do we have to be here advocating for human decency and human dignity? It is utterly ridiculous and it is unacceptable," he said. "And it needs to stop before there is a death. God forbid, if Mr DeVane had panicked like a lot of people would and tried to close that door."...
The promise of conditional cash transfers
... I think the second thing to remember is that in the end, these cash transfer programs are really about society helping families. It's about really finding the people who need the help the most and providing them with the funds necessary to have enough food to eat and to be able to invest in their kids.
https://www.aeaweb.org/research/cumulative-impacts-conditional-cash-transfer-indonesia
https://www.aeaweb.org/research/cumulative-impacts-conditional-cash-transfer-indonesia
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger Calls Out His Party's ‘Grifting Scam’ Election Challenges, Warns of Violence
" All this talk about Jan 6th from @realDonaldTrump and other congressional grifters is simply explained: they will raise money and gain followers by blaming everyone else knowing full well they can't do anything. It's sad, and an utter scam."....
Terrorism Analysts: Right-Wing Conspiracies Are Fueling A 'Mass Radicalization' : NPR
"We don't trust the government. We don't trust the Congress. We don't trust the Supreme Court. We don't trust now the science. We don't trust medicine. We don't trust the media for sure," Kruglanski said. "So who do we trust? Well, we trust our tribe. We trust conspiracy theories that tell us what we want to hear."
Pat Toomey: Trump legacy may be 'chaos and misery' without relief bill
"That was his person at the table. They came to an agreement. I mean, none of us totally like the bill. It's the nature of legislating. You're not going to end up with anything perfect," Kinzinger told CNN. "I don't understand what's being done, unless it's just to create chaos, and show power, and be upset because you lost the election. Otherwise, I don't understand it, because this just has to get done."
Sanders on Trump's COVID-19 stimulus response: 'What the president is doing right now is unbelievably cruel' | TheHill
...Sanders said that, considering the "terrible economic crisis facing this country," the current bill should be passed immediately, after which another bill for the proposed $2,000 checks should be quickly passed...
Monday, December 28, 2020
Virginia Deputy Fired After Far Right Calls For Violence On Social Media | HuffPost
"Take back your state capitals," the post urged. "Find the homes of every governor, mayor, attorney general, liberal judge, senator, congressman and every major media/social media CEO. Find them. Remove them from their sanctuary. Bring the nightmare to where they lay their heads and kiss their loved ones. Show them that they are NOT untouchable."
Bernie Madoff, Trouble in Philly, Tactical Investing (The Phil Ferguson Show podcast 362)
Interview with Erin Arvedlund. She is a financial journalist and has written 3 books. We talk about one of her books on Bernie Madoff. We also discuss a local Philadelphia advisor that is having trouble with the SEC.
Investing Skeptically : Tactical investing, Back tested data.
Interview:
Sunday, December 27, 2020
Mormonism with Dan Ellis, Home loans, IRA v. ROTH (The Phil Ferguson Show podcast 365)
Interview with Dan Ellis. He shares his story about growing up as a mormon.
Investing Skeptically: IRA or ROTH - which should you use. Home loan - time for a refi?
Investing Skeptically: IRA or ROTH - which should you use. Home loan - time for a refi?
Interview:
Fantasyland: The History of America's Irrationality | Kurt Andersen
How can we make sense of America’s current “post-factual,” “post-truth,” “fake news” moment? By looking to America’s past. All the way back. To the wishful dreams and make-believe fears of the country’s first settlers, the madness of the Salem witch trials, the fantasies of Hollywood, the anything-goes 1960s, the gatekeeper-free internet, the profusion of reality TV….all the way up to and most especially including President Donald Trump. In this fascinating and lively talk, Kurt Andersen brings to life the deep research behind and profound implications of his groundbreaking, critically acclaimed and bestselling latest work. Connecting the dots in a fresh way to define America’s character—from the religious fanatics and New Age charlatans to talk-radio rabble-rousers and online conspiracy theorists—Andersen explains our national susceptibility to fantasy and how our journey has brought us to where we are today.
Kurt Andersen is a brilliant analyst and synthesizer of historical and cultural trends, a bestselling novelist, a groundbreaking media entrepreneur, and the host of public radio’s Studio 360.
Interview:
Policing pregnancy (The Reveal podcast)
If the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade, states could set their own rules about abortion. Some states already have closed clinics, and for those that remain, they’ve added obstacles – such as collecting personal data about people who get abortions and declaring that fetuses have civil rights from conception.
First, Type Investigations’ Ashley Cleek takes us to Arizona, where state law requires that clinics ask people seeking abortions why they want the procedure. The answers are part of a wealth of personal data Arizona and other states collect from people who get abortions. Abortion opponents say this information helps them offer support to pregnant people, but there’s little evidence of policy changes based on this data.
Next, we hear how opponents of abortion have co-opted the language of civil rights, including the Black Lives Matter movement. Host Al Letson talks with Mississippi state Sen. Joey Fillingane about a law he pushed through over the summer, banning abortion if the mother does not want a child of a certain race or other factors. Michele Goodwin, a University of California Irvine law professor and founding director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy, explains America’s long history of policing the reproductive choices of Black women.
Finally, Reveal’s Emily Harris looks at the growing impact of “fetal personhood” laws. When a fetus is entitled to legal rights, that reduces the legal rights of the pregnant person – which has resulted in some women being charged with crimes when they miscarry or deliver stillborn babies.
Interview:
First, Type Investigations’ Ashley Cleek takes us to Arizona, where state law requires that clinics ask people seeking abortions why they want the procedure. The answers are part of a wealth of personal data Arizona and other states collect from people who get abortions. Abortion opponents say this information helps them offer support to pregnant people, but there’s little evidence of policy changes based on this data.
Next, we hear how opponents of abortion have co-opted the language of civil rights, including the Black Lives Matter movement. Host Al Letson talks with Mississippi state Sen. Joey Fillingane about a law he pushed through over the summer, banning abortion if the mother does not want a child of a certain race or other factors. Michele Goodwin, a University of California Irvine law professor and founding director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy, explains America’s long history of policing the reproductive choices of Black women.
Finally, Reveal’s Emily Harris looks at the growing impact of “fetal personhood” laws. When a fetus is entitled to legal rights, that reduces the legal rights of the pregnant person – which has resulted in some women being charged with crimes when they miscarry or deliver stillborn babies.
Interview:
Truth Wanted 03.46 with ObjectivelyDan and SkepticShe
00:00 Intro
02:41 Changes In Ethics During Deconversion
09:43 Why Lauren Began Discussing Scientology On Her Channel
19:46 Special Announcement: The Golden Pico Awards!
22:51 Mark-PA | Atheists Legally Take Legal Action Against Scientology
33:54 Brian-OR | Balancing Healthy Skepticism With Conspiratorial Rabbit Holes
44:39 Tymm-WA | Deconversion And Mental Health
56:27 Jo-IN | Concerns About Covid Vaccine
1:07:38 2021 And The Obligation To Promote Healthy Skepticism
1:16:47 Lawson-MN | Can We Trust The Establishment?
1:31:04 Outro
02:41 Changes In Ethics During Deconversion
09:43 Why Lauren Began Discussing Scientology On Her Channel
19:46 Special Announcement: The Golden Pico Awards!
22:51 Mark-PA | Atheists Legally Take Legal Action Against Scientology
33:54 Brian-OR | Balancing Healthy Skepticism With Conspiratorial Rabbit Holes
44:39 Tymm-WA | Deconversion And Mental Health
56:27 Jo-IN | Concerns About Covid Vaccine
1:07:38 2021 And The Obligation To Promote Healthy Skepticism
1:16:47 Lawson-MN | Can We Trust The Establishment?
1:31:04 Outro
Interview:
The Secret Disturbing Life of Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Athiest podast #354)
— Be sure to check out the Being Reasonable podcast if you enjoy street epistemology!
— What did famed Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias do to those poor women? (4:15)
— God’s Not Dead 4 will soon be coming to a bargain bin near you. (17:53)
— A Christian-owned wedding venue in North Carolina is getting exactly what it deserves after refusing to host a same-sex ceremony. (23:36)
— Kirk Cameron is not a fan of the “mask Gestapo.” (28:36)
— A judge said this to a COVID-denying pastor: “The Constitution is not a suicide pact.” (33:24)
— Even Pat Robertson is telling Donald Trump that it’s time to move on. (36:18)
— A Florida county that previously blocked atheists from giving invocations finally adopted a new inclusive invocation policy. (38:43)
— What’s the benefit to atheists promoting their cause at a Republican event? (42:51)
— Jessica talks about her favorite current Christmas movies. (54:51)
— What did famed Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias do to those poor women? (4:15)
— God’s Not Dead 4 will soon be coming to a bargain bin near you. (17:53)
— A Christian-owned wedding venue in North Carolina is getting exactly what it deserves after refusing to host a same-sex ceremony. (23:36)
— Kirk Cameron is not a fan of the “mask Gestapo.” (28:36)
— A judge said this to a COVID-denying pastor: “The Constitution is not a suicide pact.” (33:24)
— Even Pat Robertson is telling Donald Trump that it’s time to move on. (36:18)
— A Florida county that previously blocked atheists from giving invocations finally adopted a new inclusive invocation policy. (38:43)
— What’s the benefit to atheists promoting their cause at a Republican event? (42:51)
— Jessica talks about her favorite current Christmas movies. (54:51)
Interview:
Winter Solstice 2020 (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
FFRF attorney Liz Cavell describes FFRF's alarming new report: "Religious Liberty Under Threat: The Christian Nationalist Capture of the Federal Judiciary." After hearing Kristin Lems' seasonal song "Solstice Time" and Dan Barker's ballad "Solstice Tribute," Michigan activist Doug Marshall tells us about the equal-time "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia" banner in Warren, Michigan, that was vandalized and stolen.
Interview:
Solstice Cheer (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
This week we present a musical medley of irreverent and celebratory secular holiday songs by Tom Lehrer, Tim Minchin, Roy Zimmerman, Dan Barker, Tahira Clayton, Addison Frei, Brent Michael Davids, Steven Phelps, Ken Lonnquist, and the London Humanist Choir; and we hear agnostic orator Robert Ingersoll's 1897 recitation of "What I Want For Christmas."
Interview:
A Christmas Deep-Dive into the COVID Bill (Opening Arguments podcast OA450)
HO HO HOOOOOOOOOrribly inadequate stimulus checks! The omnibus spending bill is still in limbo as a result of Trump’s veto, but Andrew still has the deep dive on what’s in this 5600 page monstrosity! It’s not great, but there are reasons to be positive on the improvements made over the last bill.
Also Andrew tells us what’s going on with the “Red Slime” lawsuits against some Fox News personalities who spread misinformation about voting machines.
Interview:
Why you still need to wear a mask after getting COVID-19 vaccine - ABC News
Getting the vaccine does not mean you can ignore precautions....
Trump wields pardon power as political weapon, rewarding loyalists and undermining prosecutors - The Washington Post
...Trump has told allies he wants to erode the Mueller probe through the presidential power to pardon. His pardons Wednesday of former campaign manager Paul Manafort and political confidant Roger Stone — both convicted of trying to impede investigations into Russia's interference into the 2016 presidential race — were part of the effort to discredit Mueller and reward those who stood by him even as they faced prosecutorial pressure, aides said...
Trump pardoned former congressmen convicted of federal crimes - The Washington Post
"It is abusive in the sense that very few of his grants, commutations or pardons really went to any legitimate purpose," Kupers said. "The purpose of the pardon power set out by Alexander Hamilton — that is mercy and reconciliation and I would add to that forgiveness. I can't think about any of his grants that come under those categories. They are all grants to cronies or are partisan in the sense that he wants to excite and please his base."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pardon-hunter-collins-stockman/2020/12/23/dc2ff8e0-4538-11eb-975c-d17b8815a66d_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pardon-hunter-collins-stockman/2020/12/23/dc2ff8e0-4538-11eb-975c-d17b8815a66d_story.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Click Older Posts above to see more.