Sunday, July 31, 2022
Opinion: Marjorie Taylor Greene's words on Christian nationalism are a wake-up call - CNN
Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that merges Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America's promise of religious freedom. It relies heavily on a false narrative of America as a "Christian nation," founded by Christians in order to privilege Christianity. This mythical history betrays the work of the framers to create a federal government that would remain neutral when it comes to religion, neither promoting nor denigrating it -- a deliberate break with the state-established religions of the colonies...
Texas ad shows doctor call Gov. Greg Abbott to get permission for abortion - The Washington Post
The ad by Mothers Against Greg Abbott criticizes the state's abortion law…
‘You can’t say that!’: how to argue, better | Friendship | The Guardian
In disagreements, too many of us think like preachers, prosecutors and politicians. In preacher mode, you're trying to proselytise your views. In prosecutor mode, you're attacking someone else's. And in politician mode, you don't even listen to people unless they already share your views.
When I hear someone talk like a preacher or politician, I often snap into prosecutor mode. There are few things that offend me more than ignorance masquerading as knowledge. If I think you're wrong, I feel it's my professional responsibility as a social scientist – and my moral responsibility as a human being – to correct you. I've been called a logic bully. It took me too long to realise that hammering people with facts rarely wins the argument and sometimes loses the relationship. Whether you're preaching, prosecuting or politicking, you've already concluded that you're right and they are wrong. You've flipped a switch that shuts down your capacity for critical thinking…
Disclosed emails: Team Trump conceded fake electors were ‘fake’
George Conway, a prominent Republican lawyer, wrote on Twitter yesterday, "If you had asked me to hypothesize, for illustrative purposes, a set of emails that prosecutors would find helpful in proving a fake-elector fraud conspiracy, I would not have come up with anything nearly as incriminating as the emails that the Times just reported on today."...
Where Justice Alito and Rep. Greene overlap on religious liberty - The Washington Post
All of this reflects a familiar pattern on the right. Polling has repeatedly shown that Republicans in particular view Christians and Whites as targets of discrimination equivalent to or even more so than Black Americans or Jews...
Matt Gaetz assured Roger Stone of pardon on hot mic, discussed Mueller redactions - The Washington Post
Separately, the Justice Department had also shown varying amounts of the redacted material to congressional leaders, members of the Judiciary and Intelligence committees in the House and Senate and a limited number of aides. From mid-June, members of the Judiciary committees, such as Gaetz, were allowed to view some redacted sections in Vol. 2 of Mueller's report.
Committee members and some aides could review the material in a "secure space" and were "permitted to discuss the report only among themselves," the Stone prosecutors told Jackson in a court filing. As they negotiated access to the material, committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) wrote then-Attorney General William P. Barr that the committee had agreed that "they cannot discuss what they have seen with anyone else."
Speaking backstage at AMPFest, Gaetz discussed the redacted material with Stone...
Trump’s America First Speech Revealed a Plan for Power - The Atlantic
…Trump sketched out a vision that a new Republican Congress could enact sweeping new emergency powers for the next Republican president. The president would be empowered to disregard state jurisdiction over criminal law. The president would be allowed to push aside a "weak, foolish, and stupid governor," and to fire "radical and racist prosecutors"—racist here meaning "anti-white." The president could federalize state National Guards for law-enforcement duties, stop and frisk suspects for illegal weapons, and impose death sentences on drug dealers after expedited trials...
Opinion | Biden is showing that governing from the middle is possible - The Washington Post
More important, please remember that Manchin represents a state that Trump won by about 40 points in 2020. The wonder is surely that he is willing to go as far as he has already. Think of him as a litmus test. If Democrats can keep Manchin with them, by definition they are building a big tent, one that could encompass a majority of Americans...
Graphic: Many States That Restrict or Ban Abortion Don't Teach Kids about Sex and Pregnancy - Scientific American
…The sex education SIECUS advocates for is trauma-informed and inclusive of all sexual and gender identities, Harley says. Such comprehensive education provides many positive health outcomes for young people. "You see young people delaying [sex], having fewer sexual partners, having fewer unplanned pregnancies, having less transmission of [sexually transmitted infections] and HIV," Harley says. "These are all things that we want for young people." Additionally, she says, there is evidence to suggest that comprehensive, evidence-based sex education helps prevent relationship violence and sexual abuse because it teaches young people what red flags to watch out for…
From Trump to Putin: Why are people attracted to tyrants?
…the typical young person gets little education on moral character and the strengths of trustworthy, virtuous leaders of the past…
Saturday, July 30, 2022
The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2022-07-29
Domestic
Republican politicians are embracing the term “Christian nationalist.” Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for the GOP to promote the ideology multiple times in recent weeks. Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert told a crowd in her home state that she was “tired of this separation of church and state junk.”The Washington Post reports the Justice Department is investigating former President Donald Trump as part of its criminal probe into the Jan. 6 insurrection. Attorney General Merrick Garland told NBC this probe is “the most wide-ranging investigation in [department] history.”
President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID this week. He used his recovery as an opportunity to promote vaccines, citing the mildness of his illness compared to that of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Interview:
Interview:
International
The matter of where the COVID-19 pandemic began has been settled: the virus’ origin has been pinpointed to a wet market in Wuhan, China.
Pope Francis apologized to indigenous communities in Canada over the church’s past abuses of Native people. However, the Pope’s decision to don a headdress on the trip has raised eyebrows in the communities to whom he and the Church are trying to apologize.
Interview:
Employees at Amazon warehouse in Illinois allege racially hostile work environment - ABC News
According to the complaint filed Tuesday, a group of Black employees at the MDW2 Fulfillment Center said that Confederate imagery on coworkers' clothing, racist death threats written in bathroom stalls, and a lack of security and accountability have contributed to a racially hostile work environment since late 2021…
White driver allegedly posts a video appearing to show him speeding toward Black teen cyclists and using a racial slur
Mark Hall, 49, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 9 counts of simple assault enhanced by hate crime, the Tippah County Detention Center in Mississippi said...
Evidence does not support link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum - PolitiFact
A Facebook post says, "Know what they always find in Alzheimer's patients? Excessive aluminum in the brain.
Know what makes your body hoard aluminum? Fluoride."
However, evidence does not support the claim that aluminum is increased in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, or that aluminum is a cause of the disease.
And fluoride is considered safe in both drinking water and toothpaste, which are the main ways people consume it…
Pro-Israel group pours millions into primary to defeat Jewish candidate
Aipac is targeting another Detroit Democratic primary race too. The UDP has spent nearly $2m running ads against a member of the Michigan state legislature, Shri Thanedar, who backed a resolution to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories…
Baby carrots are safe to eat, despite persistent claims otherwise - PolitiFact
A nutritional expert said that baby carrots are shaped from longer, thinner carrots that are unlikely to be sold as is on the market. They are washed in a diluted solution with bleach, but are rinsed off. The solution is safe under federal regulations, and is no more harmful than the chlorine solution in tap water…
Nuns decry Kansas abortion amendment, bucking Archbishop Joseph Naumann - The Washington Post
If the amendment passes, "politicians in Topeka can impose religious beliefs on all Kansans, and make it more difficult for women to make decisions about their own health," the opening to their letter reads. "Has the legislature recently helped create an environment supporting pro-life choices by providing better healthcare, parental leave, Medicaid and other support for poor women — and daycare and child support for post-born babies?"…
In landmark ruling, Michigan Supreme Court says definition of ‘sex’ in discrimination law includes sexual orientation – The Hill
"Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation necessarily constitutes discrimination because of sex," Justice Elizabeth Clement, a Republican, wrote Thursday for the majority...
Friday, July 29, 2022
'Wrong number' text message scams are surging
The scams — in which con artists send out huge batches of eye-grabbing but innocuous texts — have become the introduction du jour for scammers looking for people to bilk for money.
Anger as Republicans block bill to help military veterans exposed to toxins
Jon Stewart, who has lobbied for bipartisan bill to expand care for veterans, condemns 'stab-vets-in-the-back senators'…
Seven Key Provisions in the Climate Deal - The New York Times
The $369 billion climate and tax bill would affect every aspect of U.S. energy production, with incentives for producers and consumers to move away from fossil fuels...
A trick of perspective in NASA photos of the moon and Earth do not prove that space is fake - PolitiFact
The statement that this image shows "space is fake" is inaccurate and ridiculous. That's our definition for Pants on Fire!…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis files complaint over a Miami drag show
…Brandon Wolf, press secretary for LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, said in a statement that DeSantis has "shown that he is willing to bend state agencies to his will and weaponize them against marginalized communities, including LGBTQ people, in his quest to incite right wing fervor."
He also noted that the headquarters for Hooters, the restaurant chain known for its "Hooters girls," is in Clearwater, Florida, and shared a viral photo of a young boy posing with a Hooters girl.
"Has an investigation begun into parents taking their children to ogle in a restaurant with a name based on a sexualized premise/double entendre?" Wolf said. "What about bikini-clad gun show models? Since DeSantis is replacing a parent's judgment with his own, we will see how far the Governor's puritanical purge is going to go or if it is merely selectively enforced."…
Doctors Warn Christian Zealots' ACA Lawsuit Threatens Preventive Care for Millions
… Mitchell's Christian clients—Kelley Orthodontics, Braidwood Management Inc., and several individuals—don't want to "subsidize or provide insurance that encourages and facilitates homosexual behavior, drug use, or sexual activity outside of marriage," the lawyer wrote in a November 2021 court filing. The case was first filed in March 2020.
"The government cannot possibly show that forcing private insurers to provide PrEP drugs, the HPV vaccine, and screenings and behavioral counseling for STDs and drug use free of charge is a policy of such overriding importance that it can trump religious freedom objections," states the lawsuit...
‘Hunted’: one in three people killed by US police were fleeing, data reveals
In many cases, the encounters started as traffic stops or there were no allegations of violence or serious crimes …
Georgia deputies never closed patrol car door prior to handcuffed woman falling out and dying, report says
"Brianna Grier was a beautiful young mother who should still be alive," Crump said. "It is the responsibility of law enforcement to keep everyone in their custody safe and alive, including when there is a mental health crisis."…
Comedian Jon Stewart erupts after Republicans vote against military burn pits bill | Reuters
"I'm used to the lies, I'm used to the hypocrisy, I'm used to the cowardice, I'm used to all of it, but I am not used to the cruelty," Stewart told reporters outside the Senate during a news conference called by the bill's advocates...
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Joe Biden hails Senate deal as ‘most significant’ US climate legislation ever
Proposal backed by centrist senator Joe Manchin also addresses healthcare, tax rises for high earners and cutting federal debt…
The Supreme Court’s church-state blind spot undermines religious freedom | The Hill
…In other words, while Catholic parents may appreciate a proposal that helps them pay to send their children to schools that teach Catechism, and Jewish parents may appreciate a proposal that helps them pay to send their children to Jewish religious schools, they should think twice when their tax dollars are also used to fund a school which preaches religious doctrine completely contrary to and perhaps hostile to what they believe…
Thursday, July 28, 2022
GOP 'Working Hand in Hand With Big Pharma' to Kill Drug Price Reform Behind Closed Doors
"Republicans are going to use every tool they have to keep drug prices high and drug industry profits higher," said one Democratic senator...
Republicans Confront Unexpected Online Money Slowdown - The New York Times
…The total amount donated online fell by more than 12 percent across all federal Republican campaigns and committees in the second quarter compared with the first quarter, according to an analysis of federal records from WinRed, the main online Republican donation-processing portal.
More alarming for Republicans: Democratic contributions surged at the same time. Total federal donations on ActBlue, the Democratic counterpart, jumped by more than 21 percent...
Trump’s 2022 pitch on crime sounds just like his 2015 one - The Washington Post
It just happens to be the same pitch he made when he was first running for president in 2015. That Trump repeatedly elevated the same issues and the same solutions might leave an uninformed observer wondering who, exactly, had been president for much of the intervening period without fixing the purported problems...
Companies made more than $1B selling powerful guns to civilians, report says - The Washington Post
"The gun industry has flooded our neighborhoods, our schools and even our churches and synagogues with these deadly weapons, and has gotten rich doing it," House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) said during a hearing on the issue Wednesday...
Freedom Caucus demands rule changes for House and GOP conference | The Hill
The proposed changes would result in decentralizing power in both the House GOP and the whole House and give more power to individual members...
Disclosed emails: Team Trump conceded fake electors were ‘fake’
According to emails, Team Trump was quite candid — in messages they did not expect the public to see — freely using the word "fake" about their scheme...
Opinion: Marjorie Taylor Greene's words on Christian nationalism are a wake-up call - CNN
"Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that merges Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America's promise of religious freedom. It relies heavily on a false narrative of America as a "Christian nation," founded by Christians in order to privilege Christianity. This mythical history betrays the work of the framers to create a federal government that would remain neutral when it comes to religion, neither promoting nor denigrating it -- a deliberate break with the state-established religions of the colonies."
Leaked: US power companies secretly spending millions to protect profits and fight clean energy | Florida | The Guardian
Big power companies operate as monopolies with captive customers in much of the south-east US. They are supposed to be closely regulated, but their profits and unchecked political spending makes them some of the most powerful entities in a state...
The Supreme Court’s selective history | The Hill
…What should be obvious is that Alito, with his clerks' assistance, plucked his sources from partisan briefs, selectively plugging them into his opinion, where they provided ostensible support. Granting that he checked the citations for accuracy, there is virtually no chance that he engaged in primary archival research of the sort that would take a history dissertation writer years to complete. Gorsuch (political science, Princeton) and Thomas (English literature, Holy Cross) were operating under the same time and resource constraints. Thomas admitted in a footnote that he bases his opinions "on the historical record compiled by the parties," a practice that allows him to pick and choose the sources that best fit his narrative.
The result is a display of faux erudition. The originalist justices affect mastery of a vast literature, when in truth they barely scratch the surface, with no acknowledgement of what they missed, misunderstood, exaggerated or omitted…
Sean Hannity’s main attack against the January 6 committee shatters amid new testimony | Media Matters for America
Hannity pushed the false claim about Trump – which has now been contradicted by testimony under oath – on at least 91 episodes of his TV and radio shows…
How abortion bans will likely lead to more deadly infections | PBS NewsHour
…During a miscarriage, which experts say occur in as many as one out of three pregnancies, a patient may begin spontaneously bleeding, cramping or passing fluid or fetal tissues. Hormones typically help the body flush these products from the uterus (which must remain uncontaminated for the pregnant person's safety) and out the vagina. But sometimes that doesn't happen perfectly. After hormone levels subside, some tissue may stay behind. Remnants of that lost pregnancy could cause infection in the uterus. Signs that something has gone wrong include unpleasant odors in vaginal discharge, worsening fever and abdominal cramping. If detected early, these infections can be treated with antibiotics, and the patient's chances of recovery are high. If untreated, the patient may require a blood transfusion, a hysterectomy or other surgeries. Any delays mount risks against that patient's life…
Manchin, Schumer announce slimmed-down deal on climate, taxes, health | The Hill
…It would invest $369 billion in energy-focused climate programs over the next 10 years and $300 billion to reduce the deficit. It would be added to legislation to lower prescription drug prices and extend expiring health care subsidies.
"After many months of negotiations, we have finalized legislative text that will invest approximately $300 billion in deficit reduction and $369.75 billion in energy security and climate change programs over the next ten years," Schumer and Manchin announced in a joint statement. "The investments will be fully paid for by closing tax loopholes on wealthy individuals and corporations." …
Dave Warnock: Childish Things (Seth Andrews; The Thinking Atheist podcast)
Terminally ill with ALS, Dave Warnock is committed to fully living the moments which remain. He discusses his life, his prognosis, and his new book.
Interview:
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Opinion | How to stop Trump's Schedule F sneak attack on the civil service - The Washington Post
…Donald Trump is planning, were he to be reelected as president, to replace vast swaths of government experts with his own army of tens of thousands of loyalists.
This is a direct threat to democracy and the rule of law.
The only reason for Trump to do this is to make it easier to fire federal employees who dare to disagree with him...
Lawmakers want to strengthen Social Security. How benefits may change
…Hirono and Deutch's proposal would extend that by bringing the depletion date to 2052, according to an analysis of the plan by the Social Security Administration's Office of the Chief Actuary. In addition, by the end of the projected 75-year period, it would reduce the federal deficit by about $12.3 trillion…
ABORTION FACES EARLY ELECTORAL TEST IN KANSAS — BUT MISINFORMATION IS RAMPANT
…In a video statement, the Bishop of Wichita, Carl A. Kemme, came close to acknowledging that passing the amendment would lead to a ban on abortion.
"The amendment will save many unborn children," he said, before reverting to the health-and-safety mantra. "Without Value Them Both, the abortion industry in Kansas will be able to operate with virtually no restrictions or regulations," he added. "The abortion industry is trying to buy this election with confusion and outright lies. Don't be fooled."
The Catholic church is bankrolling much of the "vote yes" campaign; the Kansas City, Kansas, archdiocese alone has pumped nearly $3 million into the effort; Kemme's diocese has contributed more than $800,000. Together, they account for more than half the "vote yes" funds contributed to date.
The "vote no" crowd only recently pulled ahead after being out-fundraised more than 2-to-1. More than $13 million total has been donated to the two campaigns.
Contrary to the claims of Underwood and Kemme, the state's four abortion clinics are licensed, regulated, and inspected by the health department. Proponents of the amendment do not acknowledge the myriad restrictions on abortion that have been enacted in Kansas…
Tuskegee syphilis experiment on Black men exposed 50 years ago - The Washington Post
…In 1945, according to the CDC timeline, penicillin was "accepted as treatment of choice for syphilis." The U.S. Public Health Service created what they called "rapid treatment centers" to help men afflicted with syphilis — except the men in the Tuskegee study…
Trump conduct, conversations part of Justice Dept. investigation - The Washington Post
People familiar with the probe said investigators are examining the former president's conversations and have seized phone records of top aides…
More Leaked Audio: Bannon Bragged That He Used Porn to Help Smear Hunter Biden – Mother Jones
…Bannon then went a step further: He told Guo's associates that the lies they generated had allowed Trump to pull close enough that Biden had little chance of scoring a blowout victory. That would help Trump deploy his "strategy" of alleging fraud and declaring victory on election night, even if he was trailing or the race was too close to call. The lies about Hunter Biden, that is, would help Trump lie about the election.
Perhaps most disturbing in hindsight is what Bannon concluded after that. This strategy, he added, would likely result in political violence. "So my point is," he said, "any peaceful resolution of this [election] is probably gone."…
Sanders Shreds Big Tech's $76 Billion 'Corporate Welfare' Payday in CHIPS Act
"Not only would this bill be providing corporate welfare to profitable American corporations, but we would literally be handing over U.S. taxpayer dollars to corporations that are owned or controlled by other countries," he continued.
"If private companies are going to benefit from generous taxpayer subsidies, the financial gains made by these companies must be shared with the American people, not just wealthy shareholders," Sanders added. "In other words, if microchip companies make a profit as a direct result of these federal grants, the taxpayers of this country have a right to get a reasonable return on that investment."
"Bottom line: Let us rebuild the U.S. microchip industry," he argued, "but let's do it in a way that benefits all of our society, not just a handful of wealthy, profitable, and powerful corporations."
Putin’s attack on the grain deal was despicable. It also shows he’s desperate
Over the weekend, Russia signed a deal with Ukraine to allow grain exports to resume from three Ukrainian ports, thereby easing the global food crisis. Before the ink was dry, Russian forces fired precision missiles into the port of Odesa as grain was being readied for export...
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