Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Tuberville’s comments on inner-city teachers adds to an ugly pattern
An Associated Press report explained soon after, "Tuberville's remarks about reparations played into racist stereotypes about Black people committing crimes. ... Tuberville is falsely suggesting that Democrats promote crime and that only Blacks are the perpetrators. In fact, crime has slowed in the last year and most crimes are committed by whites, according to FBI data."…
Opinion | The New Climate Law Is Working. Clean Energy Investments Are Soaring. - The New York Times
The investment appetite is defying geographic and political boundaries. From Oklahoma and Ohio to North Carolina and Nevada, new investment is breathing economic life into communities that have seen their economies decline. This is in part because the I.R.A. provides an explicit incentive to invest in places with contaminated industrial sites, communities with a significant economic reliance on traditional fossil fuel production or those with shuttered coal mines or coal-fired power plants...
House conservative threatens to push ousting McCarthy over debt deal - POLITICO
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on a radio show on Tuesday called the deal a "betrayal of the power sharing arrangement that we put in place" among the House GOP. He added that if he can't squash the package, either in the Rules Committee or on the floor, "then we're going to have to then regroup and figure out the whole leadership arrangement again" — a veiled threat against the speaker...
Christian home-schoolers revolt by enrolling kids in public school - Washington Post
"It's specifically a system that is set up to hide the abuse, to make them invisible, to strip them of any capability of getting help. And not just in a physical way," Christina said. "At some point, you become so mentally imprisoned you don't even realize you need help."
No, that isn't the real AOC you may have seen on Twitter - POLITICO
"FYI there's a fake account on here impersonating me and going viral. The Twitter CEO has engaged it, boosting visibility," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Tuesday. "It is releasing false policy statements and gaining spread. I am assessing with my team how to move forward. In the meantime, be careful of what you see."…
How Harmful Are Gas Stove Pollutants, Really? - The New York Times
The machinery quickly detected the change: a rise in concentrations of nitrogen dioxide — which, among other negative health effects, can irritate the respiratory system, aggravate symptoms of respiratory diseases and contribute to asthma. Concentrations climbed to 500 parts per billion, five times the safety benchmark for one-hour exposures set by the Environmental Protection Agency. (Concentrations of benzene, a human carcinogen that is present in cigarette smoke and car emissions, also tripled.)…
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Experts warn of increased risk of US terror attacks by rightwing ‘lone wolf’ actors
Individuals rather than organized groups more likely to commit extremist crimes as inflammatory Republican rhetoric escalates…
Ugandan president signs one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ bills into law | CNN
The bill includes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality' which includes sex with a minor, having sex while HIV positive and incest.
The bill criminalizes sex education for the gay community and makes it illegal not to expose what it calls perpetrators of aggravated homosexuality to the police. It calls for "rehabilitation"-- widely discredited conversion therapy -- for gay offenders...
DeSantis says he would push to repeal Trump criminal justice reform if elected
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Friday that if elected president, he would call on Congress to repeal the criminal justice reform bill signed into law by then-President Trump, his latest attack on Trump from the right…
Monday, May 29, 2023
'My fellow Republicans wanted me to lie,' Liz Cheney says in commencement speech - POLITICO
"No party, no nation, no people can defend and perpetuate a constitutional republic if they accept leaders who have gone to war with the rule of law, with the democratic process, with the peaceful transfer of power, with the Constitution itself," Cheney added.
…
"Cleta Mitchell, a political operative and an election denier, told a gathering of Republicans recently that it's crucially important that they make sure that college students don't vote," Cheney said. "Those who are trying to unravel the foundations of our republic, who are threatening the rule of law and the sanctity of elections know they cannot succeed if you vote. So, Class of 2023, get out and vote."…
Opinion | We have a debt limit deal. But is that all there is? - The Washington Post
What was the point of all this drama, exactly? …
Trans adults over 45 are less likely to be out than those under 35, poll finds - The Washington Post
Roughly one-fifth of trans adults 45 and older have not told anyone they are trans, a Washington Post-KFF poll conducted late last year found…
Belgian students sentenced for Sanda Dia's death after fraternity hazing - The Washington Post
The December 2018 episode at KU Leuven, once known as the Catholic University of Leuven, shocked the nation and sparked a debate about class, racism and hazing rituals. KU Leuven has been described as Belgium's highest-ranked university, and the Reuzegom fraternity Dia hoped to join was an elite, mostly White, club…
Michael Flynn Launches 4ThePURE Site for COVID-19 Unvaccinated People
The community is called 4thePURE, and members can connect with blood donors, sperm donors, breastmilk donors, surrogates, and unvaccinated singles, according to the website. It will also have a directory of "COVID-19 unvaccinated patriot businesses."…
Rampant child sexual abuse is occurring in churches — not at drag shows
"By comparison, there have been no credible reports, to my knowledge, of child sexual abuse at drag shows. And, of course, I'm only making the comparison here because many conservatives — including religious leaders in the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention — falsely equate drag shows or LGBTQ people with sexual perversion. In response, Republican lawmakers are pushing measures that bar minors from attending drag shows.
Will there now be a widespread push to bar children from churches given the thousands of reported sexual abuse incidents nationwide? Don't bet on it."
Is Netanyahu's Government Going in the Wrong Direction? (Jon Donvan; Open to Debate podcast)
Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history. After five elections happening in four years, Israeli voters re-elected him in November 2022 where he established a new government while on trial for corruption charges he was indicted for in 2019. Since then, he has introduced plans for judiciary reforms allowing Israel’s Parliament to overrule Supreme Court decisions by a one-vote majority and giving the government the power to appoint judges — which has led to large-scale public protests throughout Israel. Supporters welcome his tough stance on Iran and argue the changes are needed to better balance the power between lawmakers and judges and bring Israel’s judiciary system closer to other Western countries. Others argue they will overturn democracy, undermine the judiciary branch’s independence, and affect the country’s relationship with the U.S. and Palestinians.
Against this backdrop, we debate the following question: Is Netanyahu’s Government Heading in the Wrong Direction?
Against this backdrop, we debate the following question: Is Netanyahu’s Government Heading in the Wrong Direction?
Interview:
Heather McGhee – My Favorite Is Back!!!! (Al Franken podcast)
On Racism as Greed, Book Banning & Other Fun Topics.
Interview:
'The Last Honest Man' profiles the senator who exposed the CIA's crimes and cover-ups (Dave Davies; Fresh Air podcast)
Journalist James Risen tells the story of Sen. Frank Church, who exposed the dirty laundry of the CIA and the FBI nearly 50 years ago, and inspired congressional oversight of intelligence agencies.
Interview:
Sunday, May 28, 2023
‘Trump Bucks’ promise wealth for MAGA loyalty. Some lose thousands.
Those who buy these items, the ads from Patriots Dynasty, Patriots Future and USA Patriots suggest, will be rewarded when Trump unveils a new monetary system that will turn these products into legal tender worth far more than the purchase price.…
Recycled and reused food contact plastics are ‘vectors’ for toxins – study
"There are clear indications of brominated flame retardants that came from your old TV, computer, keyboard," Geueke said. "It's certainly not legal."
The review identified similar problems with reusable plastic items for food contact, such as kitchen utensils, water bottles, tableware, baby bottles, water dispensers, tubing of milking machines and more...
Wave of lawsuits against US gun makers raises hope of end to mass shootings
"There's simply an effort to say: guns are a product, like cars, like medicine, like cigarettes, and we should have the same tools at our disposal to confront abuses within that industry."…
What the Hell is Wrong with Texas? (Seth Andrews; The Thinking Atheist podcast)
Three Texas atheists join us to talk about the evangelical attack on our secular democracy in the second-largest state of the "union." It's a conversation with Aron Ra, Wil Jeudy, and Michelle Palmer.
Interview:
I Am Dying Out Loud: ONE NATION, ALL BELIEFS (Daniel Miller and Bradley Onishi; Straight White American Jesus podcast)
On this episode of ONE NATION, ALL BELIEFS (subscribe links below): Dave Warnock was caught up in the Jesus movement of the 70s and lived the bulk of his life as a Charismatic Evangelical, serving as a pastor on three different church staffs.
Following several years of internal struggle, Dave came to the conclusion in 2011 that he no longer believed in a personal God. In 2019 he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an average 3-5 year life expectancy. In early 2023, Dave, along with Bevin Jett and Sheila Hoover, founded I Am Dying Out Loud, a nonprofit organization with the mission to enhance the quality of life by advocating against the unwanted intrusion of religion in the areas of healthcare, dying, and death, and by providing “bucket list” moments for those diagnosed with ALS.
Interview:
Following several years of internal struggle, Dave came to the conclusion in 2011 that he no longer believed in a personal God. In 2019 he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an average 3-5 year life expectancy. In early 2023, Dave, along with Bevin Jett and Sheila Hoover, founded I Am Dying Out Loud, a nonprofit organization with the mission to enhance the quality of life by advocating against the unwanted intrusion of religion in the areas of healthcare, dying, and death, and by providing “bucket list” moments for those diagnosed with ALS.
Interview:
Everyday crusade (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
The good, the bad, and the ugly: Texas Ten Commandments bill fails; anti-abortion laws proliferate; Illinois reports widespread clergy sex abuse; proselytizing school bus driver; legislative prayer; graduations in churches. After we hear Dan Barker's song "The Freethinker Blues," FFRF's Director of Communications Amit Pal joins us to interview Professor Irfan Nooruddin, co-author of The Everyday Crusade: Christian Nationalism in American Politics.
Interview:
Investing in the Future with Skeptical Thinking w/ Phil Ferguson (Recovering From Religion podcast Episode #188)
This week on RfRx, we are putting all of those critical thinking skills we’ve been developing to good use. Phil Ferguson joins us to discuss the applications of skeptical thinking in major life decisions including evaluating one’s faith-based beliefs, making sound investment decisions, and helping kids work through religious ideas. Phil Ferguson has been an investment advisor representative since 1996 and is the president of Polaris Financial Planning LLC.
Phil is also a long time activist in the secular movement. He has been on the board of The Secular Student Alliance and Atheist Alliance International. He now serves as the treasurer for the Reason Rally 2016. He is an active member of many of the national organizations and has helped start three local groups. Phil also gives talks to local groups and Large conventions. He has presented at TAM (The Amazing Meeting) and Skepticon – just to name a few!
For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.
For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at RfRx@recoveringfromreligion.org.
Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org.
To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada.
If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok.
Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer
Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate
Interview:
Saturday, May 27, 2023
The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2023-05-26
Domestic
Talks in Washington on the debt ceiling are reportedly not going well. President Joe Biden has remained upbeat in his public comments on the situation. But Congressional Republicans say there’s still a ways to go before they’ll agree to any sort of deal.
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis attempted to announce his 2024 Presidential bid via Twitter Spaces this week. However, the online meeting was marred by technical difficulties, despite the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk, being present.
The U.S. Surgeon General has issued a warning that social media is driving a mental health crisis among American teens. The advisory encourages social media platforms to share the burden of limiting adolescents use of their products with parents.
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis attempted to announce his 2024 Presidential bid via Twitter Spaces this week. However, the online meeting was marred by technical difficulties, despite the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk, being present.
The U.S. Surgeon General has issued a warning that social media is driving a mental health crisis among American teens. The advisory encourages social media platforms to share the burden of limiting adolescents use of their products with parents.
Interview:
International
The head of the Wagner mercenary group fighting in Ukraine said that he’s lost more than 20,000 troops during the invasion. Meanwhile, the European Union is exploring ways to send billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its war effort.Elsewhere in Europe, countries are taking steps to fight climate change. France banned short flights in order to cut emissions from the use of jet fuel and Germany is considering banning gas boilers.
Seven fans of a Spanish soccer team have been arrested for racially abusing a Black player during a match this week. The player’s reaction, and that of the league, have sparked conversations about how racism is dealt with in the sport.
Interview:
Trump’s criminal trial will begin next March, when campaign is in full swing. (Anthony Davis; Five Minute News podcast)
Trump’s criminal trial will begin next March, when campaign is in full swing. Kari Lake’s final claim of election fraud dismissed by judge. Gay rights group issues Florida travel advisory as governor announces Presidential run.
Interview:
No Clearance For You (Pete Strzok and Allison Gill; Cleanup on Aisle 45 podcast, episode #122)
This week: new information about Jim Jordan’s “whistleblowers” has come to light; there are significant updates in the Fulton County and Manhattan cases; Jack Teixeira is being held without bail; Trump files a new defamation suit against WaPo; and more.
Interview:
Ron DeSantis and His Christian Crusaders Are Stealing Trump’s Religious Thunder | The New Republic
As the former president loses his edge with evangelicals, the man who might replace him is cashing in on the resurgence of right-wing Catholicism...
Bishop Joseph Strickland: Why is a Catholic bishop is tweeting about QAnon?
Last weekend, the leading voices of the QAnon camp gathered in Las Vegas to discuss the state of the world and the future of their movement. The prominent names in attendance at the convention included Jim and Ron Watkins, a father-and-son pair accused of inventing the conspiracy theory.
Farmers face a soaring risk of flash droughts in every major food-growing region in coming decades, new research shows
Flash droughts develop fast, and when they hit at the wrong time, they can devastate a region's agriculture.
They're also becoming increasingly common as the planet warms...
DeSantis says he'll consider pardoning Jan. 6 defendants, including Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Thursday that if elected president, he will consider pardoning all the Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Trump — on his first day in office.
Oath Keepers Leader Stewart Rhodes Is Sentenced to 18 Years in Jan. 6 Case - The New York Times
The sentence for Stewart Rhodes was the longest so far in the federal investigation of the Capitol attack and the first issued to a defendant convicted of sedition...
Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Power to Address Water Pollution - The New York Times
Experts said the decision would sharply undercut the agency's authority to protect millions of acres of wetlands under the Clean Water Act, leaving them subject to pollution without penalty...
Sierra Club Statement on Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court Ruling
"The Supreme Court's ruling in Sackett v. EPA is profoundly wrong and directly at odds with the statute Congress enacted 50 years ago – a statute the public supported then, and continues to support today. Access to clean, safe, reliable water is a fundamental human right, and it is deeply disappointing that the Court has sided with polluters and the industry to roll back the clock on clean water protections. As a result of this decision, millions of Americans will have less safe drinking water than the generation before them…"
Unorthodox immigration bill catches both parties by surprise
"This bill is not perfect. The minute it is released we will hear … from the left and right about all the things it does and all things it lacks and leaves undone," Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) said at the legislation's unveiling. "But we cannot let the illusion of a perfect bill prevent us from doing what is right." …
‘I had no option’: why millions are leaving everything behind to seek refuge in US
Political dysfunction and economic calamity are pushing people from many nations in the western hemisphere in what Biden has called the 'largest migration in human history'…
GOP senator vows to delay debt ceiling deal lacking 'substantial reform'
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the chairman of the conservative Senate Republican Steering Committee, is threatening to use "every procedural tool" at his disposal to slow down Senate passage of a bill to raise the debt ceiling if it doesn't include "substantial" reforms…
Fake photo used in claim that the Pentagon was attacked. Pants on Fire! - PolitiFact
The story said the whole thing was a hoax: A May 22 tweet falsely told of an "initial report" of a "large explosion" near the Pentagon and used the black smoke photo, which it said was created using artificial intelligence. The photo showed a portion of a rectangular building, not the Pentagon. Within 20 minutes, local authorities had debunked the report…
DeSantis dismisses climate change, calling it ‘politicisation of weather’ | The Independent
While the governor rightly noted that Florida is not experiencing more hurricanes making landfall as a result of climate change, the statement itself is rooted in a misunderstanding of the issue. While some advocates for addressing man-made climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions have incorrectly made that assertion, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that warming temperatures are contributing to a two-pronged trend — the frequency of hurricanes is dropping around the world, while the average intensity (judged by the number of category 3 storms or higher) is rising...
A Suffering Servant ( Dan Miller; It’s In the Code podcast Ep. 53)
The previous episode explored how Christian churches, as well as other religious, non-profit, and volunteer organizations, exploit the idea of “having a servant’s heart,” or service or giving of one’s time and resources, for their own gain. In this episode, Dan considers how the idea of serving to the point of “suffering” elevates this abusive pattern within Christian organizations. Beginning with a discussion of the “suffering servant” idea in the Hebrew Bible, Dan traces how this idea of suffering has become part of the “source code” of Christianity, and why that matters for people today.
Interview:
US veterans defrauded by for-profit universities fight to restore benefits
Private colleges have preyed on veterans for years – but they finally have recourse thanks to two legislative efforts in Congress..
House Democrats laugh off Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call for ‘decorum’
Another Californian, Jimmy Gomez, tried a couple of jokes, saying Greene calling for decorum was "like Leonardo DiCaprio telling people to date people their own age" or, in reference to another controversial Republican, "like George Santos telling people not to lie"…
Friday, May 26, 2023
DeSantis envisions ‘quarter-century’ of far-right majority in the supreme court
According to the Washington Post, DeSantis's comments were met with "raucous applause"...
The key flaw in Ted Cruz’s partisan take on civil rights history
"…If history had ended 60 years ago, Cruz might have a more legitimate point. But given what we've seen over the last several decades, the more salient point is that Democrats have been part of the solution, not part of the problem, on civil rights.
If the Texas Republican were eager to prove otherwise, he could drop his deceptive take on history, start denouncing his own party's voter-suppression efforts, and even endorse measures such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. What do you say, senator?"
Is Tim Scott right that a record-low share of working-age men are working today? - PolitiFact
Scott has a point that men's participation in the workforce has been declining for decades. However, for the specific group of men he singled out — working-age men, defined by federal statistics as ages 25 to 54 — labor force participation has been rising since the worst of the pandemic in 2020 and is now near 2019 levels...
Texas approves bill to allow districts to replace counselors with chaplains - The Washington Post
Talarico also proposed requiring parental consent. Hefner and the majority rejected it. Another lawmaker proposed adding that chaplains must serve students of all faiths and not proselytize. Rejected. …
On Tuesday, Hefner on the House floor responded to Talarico's complaint that people with no educational or professional requirements and training could be afforded access to students in public schools.
"I trust our school districts to spell out any qualifications they would require," Hefner said...
ChatGPT and other generative AI could foster science denial and misunderstanding – here's how you can be on alert
If you use ChatGPT or other AI platforms, recognize that they might not be completely accurate. The burden falls to the user to discern accuracy.
Increase your vigilance.
AI fact-checking apps may be available soon, but for now, users must serve as their own fact-checkers. There are steps we recommend…
“The Hill We Climb”: Why Amanda Gorman’s inauguration poem was restricted by a Florida school - Vox
"They are using erasure of students and erasure of groups of people as educational violence. Kids need to see themselves in what they read and learn," says Northeastern University education professor Jaci Urbani. "All kids need to see the contributions of people of color, of people who are queer, of people who are different from themselves.":format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72309704/1297990304.0.jpg)
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