Saturday, August 31, 2024

The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2024-08-30

Domestic

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have wrapped a two-day campaign swing through Georgia. They also gave their first major TV interview.

In other Georgia news, Democrats sued on Monday to block recent rules adopted by state’s election board allowing it to investigate election results.

It’s been an eventful week for Donald Trump. Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a revised criminal indictment against the real estate mogul this week. The former president’s campaign is also under fire for breaking protocol at Arlington National Cemetery.

And Trump’s presidential transition team now has two new honorary co-chairs, ex-Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard.
Interview: 
https://the1a.org/segments/trump-arlington-cemetery/








International The Israeli military launched its most intense operation in the north of the Occupied West Bank since 2002. The main targets were the city of Jenin and the Tulkarem and Tubas governorates. Authorities say their military is rooting out West Bank militants to prevent future attacks.

Four Palestinian journalists – Motaz Azaiza, Hind Khoudary, Bisan Owda, and Wael Al-Dahdouh – have been nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their reporting during the war. So far, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has registered 285 candidates.

On Saturday, French police arrested the CEO of the messaging app Telegram at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris after he arrived on an international flight. He was held until Wednesday and released on bail.
Interview: 




Bail out Teachers, Not Bankers

The Fight to Protect the 2024 Election with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson

As a critical swing state, Michigan is on the front lines in the fight to protect democracy. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins Marc Elias to discuss how Michigan has worked to protect elections this fall, the growing threat of election deniers and what citizens can do to help safeguard voting rights.

Elon Musk is out of control. Here is how to rein him in

He may be the richest man in the world – but that doesn't mean we're powerless to stop him…

Radical? Far left? Kamala Harris’s policies are just common sense to most Americans

"Poll after poll shows that our ideas are supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans who have the crazy idea that maybe, just maybe, government should represent the needs of all of us and not just wealthy campaign donors. It's also important to understand that many of these "radical" ideas are already in place in countries around the world

Why Religion is Collapsing in Modern Societies | Ryan Cragun

TRUMP MAKES INSANE CLAIM: Joe Biden SET ME UP for Arlington National Cemetery

Trump's Hush-Money Case Shrouded in New Drama

Trump, Republicans hit with the lawsuit they’ve DREADED

Marc Elias discusses the DNC and Georgia Democrats suing Republicans over their absurd Georgia State Election Board rule allowing them to deny certification.

Young people’s health at risk from fall in condom use, warns WHO

"Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected in many countries and, where it is available, it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behaviour, when the truth is that equipping young people with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes linked to responsible behaviour and choices. 

"We are reaping the bitter fruit of these reactionary efforts, with worse to come, unless governments, health authorities, the education sector and other essential stakeholders … take steps to rectify it."

How The GOP Lies To Us: The Trump Economy

Kamala Harris defends policy stances and shares plan for office in first major interview

In sit-down with CNN's Dana Bash, vice-president defends shifts on policy issues and her support for Biden…

Dear Jesse Watters... (and hello again, J.D. Vance)

‘We wanna produce babies’: Trump tries to pitch himself as IVF champion after Roe fall

Ex-president sits with ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard at town hall in Wisconsin to discuss reproductive rights…

'White Robes and Broken Badges' exposes the inner workings of the Ku Klux Klan (Tonya Mosley; Fresh Air podcast)

Joe Moore, a former Army sniper turned FBI informant, shares how he infiltrated the KKK and helped foil a plot to assassinate then Sen. Barack Obama. Moore explains how hate groups are growing...
Interview: 


"I Escaped a Red Pill Cult" (with Coleman Watts) (Seth Andews; The Thinking Atheist podcast)

What's the "red pill?" Ex-cult member Coleman Watts explains the term and tells his deconstruction story.
Interview: 


Friday, August 30, 2024

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 30, 2024

The Non-Religious Candidates on the Ballot (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #546)

— Why Hemant didn’t publish a story he worked on. (0:25)

— Tulsa mayoral candidate who wished all public officials were Christians loses race. (7:20)

— If Amendment 2 passes, Kentucky would waste taxpayer dollars on religious schools. (19:33)

— Christian pastors were told to start private schools since taxpayers would foot the bill. (32:03)

— Here are the openly non-religious candidates for state/federal office in 2024. (44:55)

— Teacher sues school district after getting fired for refusing to respect trans students. (1:02:24)
Interview: 


9 AMAZING Mac Features I wish I'd known about sooner!

How Exxon chases billions in US subsidies for a ‘climate solution’ that helps it drill more oil

In response to criticisms, Exxon previously said it had always maintained that "climate change is real, and we have an entire business dedicated to reducing emissions". 

Peeling back the green facade, a different narrative appears, the company's critics say. An analysis of Exxon documents, investor presentations and congressional committees reveals how the corporation redirected the climate policy response away from solutions such as wind and solar and towards unproven technologies like CCS. One of the wealthiest companies on the planet is now set to pocket vast amounts of public money for a technology many scientists believe is the wrong solution to the climate crisis. 

"Oil companies that make billions in profits don't need public subsidies. It's not a good idea to support companies that are the cause of climate change, but also CCS should not be a priority for funding," said Catherine Mitchell, professor emerita of energy policy at the University of Exeter and an IPCC expert on climate mitigation...

Black voters in Georgia want affordable access to healthcare. Will Kamala Harris win them over?

On the state level, the New Georgia Project releases a voting guide to alert voters of pressing healthcare concerns before elections. Eventually, they plan to roll out a scorecard that shows the state politicians who didn't vote to expand Medicaid. On the national level, Stanford explains to voters that "Georgia has literally been offered the funds, but our governor said no, which is crazy"...

Christian pastors were told to open private schools since taxpayers would foot the bill

At a training session for future pastors, one Christian speaker urged the audience to have their churches launch their own private schools. 

It was easy, he said, because taxpayers were subsidizing his church's school in Florida to the tune of millions of dollars. More importantly, it gave them the chance to win new child converts.

10 AWESOME iOS 18 tips to BOOST your productivity!

Might want to keep handy for when iOS 18 comes to your iPhone in a few weeks…

How to Use Apple Calendar Like a Pro!

New Michigan voting scam prevent's registered voters from casting their ballot

Trans adults stripped of healthcare access sue South Carolina over GOP bill: ‘I’m desperate’

"A law like this sets a pretty dangerous double standard for medical care that is clearly discriminatory," they said. "There is no mistake here that this law violates the constitutional rights of transgender people."…

Ukraine’s plan to end the war | Vox

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that he has a new plan to end Russia’s years-long war on his country. Zelenskyy has only outlined the plan in broad strokes, but Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Wednesday that he’s not interested in a diplomatic resolution.

Russians are waking up to Putin’s Ukraine folly

Since the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine some two-and-a-half years ago, the Kremlin has worked diligently to shape the domestic narrative surrounding the conflict. Among other things, it has done so by promoting a vision of a patriotic struggle against fascism, deploying extensive domestic censorship measures, obscuring damning figures about battlefield casualties and passing new laws that effectively criminalize any critical coverage of the conflict…

Donald Trump says government or insurance would pay for IVF if elected

Wow! Think of all the millions of new fertilized eggs on the one hand, and the rhetoric from so-called pro-lifers that destroying them is murder, and letting them stay frozen makes them the "orphaned unborn". And then there is the state of Alabama calling all fertilized eggs "children". 

Will pro lifers stick with Trump or dump him? Will Catholic bishops and priests still tell the faithful they must vote republican? Grab your popcorn! This is going to get exciting. Especially with Donald saying we need ivf because America needs great children, and that is going to sound to a lot of people like promoting eugenics.

More Americans embrace COVID vax untruths: Poll

Belief in misconceptions is stoking vaccine hesitancy with the nation facing a summer surge of infections, more COVID-related hospitalizations, and updated shots now reaching pharmacy shelves...

Vance defends telling Harris to ‘go to hell’ for nonexistent cemetery criticism - The Washington Post

Former president Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, doubled down Wednesday on telling Vice President Kamala Harris to "go to hell," falsely repeating that she had feigned outrage over an altercation between Trump's campaign and an Arlington cemetery worker when she had not...




Major Publishers Sue Florida Over Banned School Library Books - The New York Times

Education officials have broad discretion over the books in school libraries, but the Supreme Court has said their judgment "may not be exercised in a narrowly partisan or political manner." 

The publishing companies said in the Thursday lawsuit that they "do not seek to prevent Florida school districts from ensuring that school libraries do not contain obscene books," and are not asking for the entire law to be overturned. 

But they argued that books that get removed from libraries are often described as "pornographic," while in practice, they "are not remotely obscene."…

How Trump's Arlington National Cemetery controversy has gone from bad to worse

It's a story with a surprising number of moving parts, so let's summarize where things stand...

LOL! Fox Host DIES INSIDE Reporting BRUTAL TRUMP News....

Fox Host Makes JAW-DROPPING Claim in UNHINGED Rant

CEOs with lowest-paid US workers ‘focused on own short-term windfall’ – report

CEO pay has soared in recent decades compared to typical workers' pay. From 1978 to 2022, CEO pay increased by 1,209.2% compared to just a 15.3% increase in median worker compensation, according to a 2023 report by the Economic Policy Institute...

Former Trump national security advisor questions Putin’s hold on ex-president Trump

Author of Project 2025 is a MONSTER

Trump gets BAD NEWS over new indictment

Pete Buttigieg responds to Mike Johnson's views on gay people

Josh Hawley gets dealt the ULTIMATE humiliation

Donald Trump Debate Prep Ep 2: Tim Scott

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lGZXiI1yXw 

BOOS ERUPT as JD Vance CRASHES AND BURNS on Stage

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 29, 2024

“Salt and Light” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast; It’s in the Code Ep 111)

People have often heard Christians say they are called to be “salt and light” in the world. But where does that phrase come from? What does it mean? How has its meaning changed over time? What can it tell us about how different Christians might understand their place, and the place of others who are not like them, in society? And how does it reflect contemporary Christian nationalist understandings of “Christian America?” Dan tackles these questions in this week’s episode.
Interview: 



At UMichigan, Pro-Palestinian Protesters Shut Down Student Government - The New York Times

At the University of Michigan, many student activities are usually funded or subsidized by the Central Student Government, known as C.S.G., an elected undergraduate and graduate council that decides how to dole out roughly $1.3 million annually to about 400 groups. But last spring, pro-Palestinian activists, running under the Shut It Down party, won control over the student government. They immediately moved to withhold funding for all activities, until the university committed to divest from companies that profit from Israel's war in Gaza...

House G.O.P. Releases Jan. 6 Videos of Pelosi, Seeking to Shift Blame From Trump - The New York Times

Ian Krager, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi, denounced the Republicans' efforts. 

"Numerous independent fact-checkers have confirmed again and again that Speaker Pelosi did not plan her own assassination on Jan. 6," Mr. Krager said. "The speaker of the House is not in charge of the security of the Capitol Complex — on Jan. 6 or any other day of the week."…

Is Georgia’s MAGA elections board going to rig the election for Donald Trump? | Vox

Meanwhile, the State Election Board's three MAGA members don't simply appear to be upending Georgia election law. They apparently seek to upend the standard practice for conducting elections in the United States that has been commonplace since the late 19th century. So, while it remains to be seen how Georgia's courts will react, the Democratic suit against the State Election Board appears to be quite strong…

Congress’s Fate Could Be With Blue States Like California and New York - The New York Times

New York and California have become unlikely focal points in the fight for control of the House, as Democrats toil to appeal to wary voters in districts won by President Biden...



GOP Rep. Jim Jordan subpoenas company connected to daughter of judge in Trump hush money trial | CNN Politics

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan subpoenaed a company connected to the daughter of New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan as Republicans continue to claim that her political work influenced how Merchan handled the hush money case against former President Donald Trump...

10 MacOS tips & tricks most people DON'T know!

Donald Trump Reposts Crude Sexual Remark About Kamala Harris on Truth Social - The New York Times

Though the former president has a history of making crass insults about opponents, the reposts signal his willingness to continue to shatter longstanding political norms...


Trump, without evidence, blames Biden and Harris for assassination attempt

Ex-president claims Biden administration weaponized justice department and caused Secret Service staffing shortages…

Why Big Money Supports Trump | Robert Reich

Project 2025 Toolkit - Americans United

Here are some tools you can use to protect everyone's right to live as themselves and believe as they choose.

Trump SCREWS himself with HUMILIATING misstep

Here’s Why Prices Are Still High | Robert Reich

The worst part of Trump’s reaction to new, superseding indictment

… prosecutors explained in a March court hearing to the judge that the "60-day rule" does not apply to cases like Trump's "that have already been charged and are now in the hands of the judicial system."…

Militant U.S. Anti-Abortion Activists: Towards the Total Abolition of Abortion (Public Research Associates; Inform Your Resistance podcast)

Who are the abortion abolitionists? What drives them, and how do their tactics overlap with those of other far-right movements? Join host, Koki Mendis, and PRA Senior Research Analyst, Cloee Cooper, as we uncover the differences between the broader pro-life movement and the abortion abolitionist movement.

The abortion abolitionists are a nationwide network of militant anti-abortion far-right activists who want to eradicate all abortion. They would like to see the death penalty for those involved in abortion. They draw on the militant anti-abortion movement from the 1990s that was responsible for violence against abortion clinics and providers. We discuss how the pro-life movement is more interested in working within the US legal system for reforms that further restrict access to abortion, while the abortion abolitionists want to abolish abortion in all instances.

We explore the influence of Christian Reconstructionism on the anti-abortion movement, and how its vision for a theocratic society has had a significant impact on the abortion abolitionist movement today. We examine the overlap between the abortion abolitionist movement, militias, and other far-right movements, including the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

We examine the broader pro-life bills that have been introduced in various states, and we compare these bills with the ones that the abolitionists are advocating for, which would criminalize anyone who has an abortion and grant legal protection to fertilized eggs. We also look at the role of Bradley Pierce, the attorney behind many of the abortion abolitionist bills, and how his Foundation to Abolish Abortion is connected to the right-wing homeschooling movement. We explore the concept of the Overton window, and how the abortion abolitionist movement is pushing for their extreme ideas to become accepted as common sense.

Finally, we discuss how the abortion abolitionist movement is shifting its tactics to become more mainstream and to influence change. We assess the need to understand the strategies of the abortion abolitionist movement and to build coalitions to establish movement strategies rooted in communities and movements on the ground.
Interview: 


Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 28, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spVNHYr7FBE 

'Makes me furious': Kinzinger calls out Republicans after new Pelosi video emerges

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tgNvc6K7CQ 

Republicans in Disarray (Allison Gill and Pete Strzok; Cleanup on Aisle 45 podcast episode #188)

This week: 
  • the Georgia Election Board makes changes that Raffensperger and Kemp disagree with; 
  • Steve Bannon is being “tortured” according to Rudy Giuliani; 
  • Donald has filed his appeal brief to remove DA Willis from the case in Fulton County; 
  • a trial date is set for the Arizona fraudulent electors; and 
  • the Michigan GOP is a full on mess.
Interview: 


Trump Judge OKs Machine Guns Under Second Amendment | HuffPost Latest News

A federal judge recognized a 22-year-old Kansan's Second Amendment right to own machine guns last week…

Ken Paxton's election probe targets Texas Democrat in Bexar County

In other election integrity news, Paxton on Wednesday also announced an investigation into allegations that voter registration organizations were "illegally registering noncitizens to vote in our election." 

Per the Tribune, the allegations appeared to originate in unsubstantiated claims by Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that when "a friend of mine's wife" took her daughter to get a driver's license, the Department of Public Safety office had "a massive line of immigrants getting licenses and had a tent and table outside the front door of the DMV registering them to vote."…

Jesse Watters addresses backlash over provocative Kamala Harris punditry - The Washington Post

Watters also received harsh criticism on social media, including from former Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock, who accused him of "intentional misogyny against Harris."…




Could lower Medicare drug prices stop a cure for cancer or Alzheimer’s? | Vox

"There are billions of dollars left over even after worldwide research budgets are covered," the authors wrote...

Democrats Sue Georgia Election Board, Warning of ‘Chaos’ - The New York Times

The board recently passed new rules aimed at altering the process for certifying elections. The lawsuit says such changes are illegal...

‘Frightening’ Taliban law bans women from speaking in public

"Whenever an adult woman leaves her home out of necessity, she is obliged to conceal her voice, face, and body," the new laws say…

Michigan’s Republican convention removes chair amid party tensions

The Michigan Republican party has for years been beset with chaos and divisions caused by the influence of Christian nationalism, election conspiracies and extremism. When a faction within the party moved to oust Karamo earlier this year, the longstanding intra-party brawl came into national focus. This weekend's convention proved that those divisions remain as present as ever… 

During the convention, Republicans nominated six fake electors from 2020 to serve as presidential electors this year. After DePerno dropped out, they chose Patrick O'Grady, a circuit court judge, as their nominee for the state supreme court…

Trump’s Evangelical Supporters Just Lost Their Best Excuse - The Atlantic

So voting for Donald Trump didn't mean you were voting for fewer abortions. Abortions declined by nearly 30 percent during Barack Obama's two terms, and by the end of his term, the abortion rate and ratio were below what they were in 1973, when Roe v. Wade was decided. 

But they went up again on Trump's watch. Public opposition to abortion is collapsing. 

Pro-life initiatives are being beaten even in very conservative states. The GOP has jettisoned its pro-life plank after having it in place for nearly a half century. And Trump himself is now saying he'd be great for "reproductive rights," a position that pro-lifers have long insisted is a moral abomination.

Her life was in danger, and she needed an abortion. Insurance refused to pay : Shots - Health News : NPR

Insurance coverage for abortion care in the U.S. is a hodgepodge. And the proliferation of abortion bans in various states has exacerbated the confusion...

First Jan. 6 rioter to breach Capitol gets 53 months in prison

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf4ezFclNpk

‘January 6 was just the warm-up’: the film that tracks three Maga extremists storming the Capitol

Michael Premo spent months getting to know, and filming, three Maga insurrectionists who took part in the riots. Why does the documentary-maker now think America is tottering on the brink of civil war?

State Line

Trump targets Kamala Harris, Tim Walz with entirely made-up claims

Trump spoke at the National Guard Association's conference and took care to blame Harris for America's withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago, despite the fact that (a) it wasn't Harris' call, (b) Trump's the one who negotiated the withdrawal agreement, and (c) his own White House national security adviser said Trump bears some responsibility for what transpired...

Michigan sheriff reportedly faces a state investigation over Trump’s campaign event in Howell

A Michigan sheriff who hosted Donald Trump last week reportedly is facing an investigation over complaints that the event violated the state's campaign finance law...

Kamala Harris leads Donald Trump by 4 points in nationwide poll

Vice President Harris have taken a 4-point lead over former President Trump in a nationwide poll released Tuesday, several days after the Democratic convention...

A Louisiana woman told her traumatic story at the DNC. Then the AG dragged her for it.

Doctors across Louisiana have confirmed that our vague laws on this "life of the mother" have made them afraid of providing care for a woman having a miscarriage...

Harris and Walz to sit with CNN for exclusive first joint interview since campaign began | CNN Politics

The interview, conducted by CNN's chief political correspondent and anchor Dana Bash, will air at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday…

Trump Surrogate RFK Jr.’s Chemtrail Conspiracy Theory | HuffPost Latest News

"We are going to stop this crime," Kennedy posted on social media Monday in response to an X (formerly Twitter) account sharing a conspiracy theory video, which claimed that pilots use their planes to secretly spray chemicals on unsuspecting populations. These pilots, according to the video, are "hardened to humanity" and "could care less about killing off unwanted or leeching aspects of America and the world."…

Jack Smith files superseding indictment against Trump in Jan. 6 case : NPR

Court papers say the superseding indictment was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in the case. The papers say the new indictment "reflects the Government's efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court's holdings and remand instructions."…







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