Do other races and you'll get a similar ratio... but check the per capita ratios out too if you really want to derive meaningful analysis."
Saturday, March 4, 2023
White on white Crime: % of white murder victims killed by white people
"This is the same for basically every race, people tend to hang around those similar to them.
They Said What? (Jan/Feb 2023) - Freethought Today
All the harassment I receive makes me wonder if it would be easier to stay quiet about my values and beliefs. But then I remember that God sent his son Jesus, who experienced the hatred of the world first.
—Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot three men, two fatally, during the civil unrest in Kenosha, Wis., in August 2020, when he was 17. A jury found Rittenhouse not guilty of murder.
COVID-19: Biden to take aim at pandemic-relief fraudsters
The Government Accountability Office reported last month that the extent of fraud in COVID-relief programs is not yet known but that the Unemployment Insurance program alone was believed to have made more than $60 billion in fraudulent payments.
From March 2020 to last January, at least 1,044 people pleaded guilty or were convicted of defrauding COVID relief programs, the GAO report said. Federal charges were pending against another 609 individuals or entities for attempting to defraud COVID-relief programs...
Texas Bill Would Bar ISPs From Hosting Abortion Websites, Info
Last week, Texas introduced a bill that would make it illegal for internet service providers to let users access information about how to get abortion pills. The bill, called the Women and Child Safety Act, would also criminalize creating, editing, or hosting a website that helps people seek abortions.
If the bill passes, internet service providers (ISPs) will be forced to block websites "operated by or on behalf of an abortion provider or abortion fund." ISPs would also have to filter any website that helps people who "provide or aid or abet elective abortions" in almost any way, including raising money...
US rail workers told to skip inspections as questions mount over Ohio crash
Leaked audio reveals manager told employee to stop marking railcars for repair as workers condemn industry's lax safety rules
Texas property tax bill excludes divorced, LGBTQ couples from getting relief | The Hill
But the GOP-backed legislation does not propose granting tax relief to all Texas families, and only couples in heterosexual marriages are entitled to benefits. Couples with at least one partner who has been divorced are also ineligible. Couples who had or adopted children before they were married also can't use those children to improve their tax liability...
More seniors are becoming homeless, and experts say the trend is likely to worsen | PBS NewsHour
Experts the PBS NewsHour spoke with disagree on the extent to which President Ronald Reagan's policies impacted the current crisis of elderly homelessness, but all agree his administration played at least some part. Among the contributing factors was the era's anti-welfare rhetoric, which demonized people relying on the nation's social safety net, Culhane said. That social perspective was political red meat for Republican politicians, who spent the next decade-plus constricting it.
Under Reagan's policies, the nation's affordable housing supply began to shrink. Today, 73 percent of extremely low-income renters — defined as households whose incomes are at or below the poverty line or 30 percent of their area's median income — pay more than half of their income for housing, according to the Center on Budget and Priority Policies.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, across the country, there are only 36 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. Some states, such as Nevada and California, have fewer than 25 affordable rental homes available for every 100 extremely low-income renter households; only nine states have more than 50 available for every 100 households...
Trump proposes 10 futuristic 'Freedom Cities,' with Jetsons-like flying cars
Former President Donald Trump called for a national contest to "charter new cities" on federal land…
Democrats Present Damning Info On Jim Jordan’s FBI ‘Whistleblowers’ | HuffPost Latest News
Jordan's subcommittee interviewed FBI agents who espoused conspiracy theories and received cash payments from a Donald Trump associate...
Friday, March 3, 2023
UN urged to intervene over destruction of US abortion rights
"The US must be castigated on the world stage for its treatment of women, girls, and others who can become pregnant – the scale and intensity of human rights violations that the US is inflicting on its population are near unfathomable at this point," said Christine Ryan, legal director of the Global Justice Center, in a phone interview.
"It has become almost tragically ironic that the US government uses the language of human rights to condemn state abuses against citizens of other countries, be that in Iran, or Belarus. These norms must be deployed against the state here at home as well. And for too long, the US has been able to avoid that type of international scrutiny," she said...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/02/destruction-us-abortion-laws-human-rights-violation-un
Ron DeSantis installs rightwing figures on board of former Disney district
"This bill sends a message from the governor to businesses in our state that if they dissent, they will be punished," said Rita Harris, a Democrat in the Florida house of representatives...
Sean Hannity: Actually, it’s all the other media that are dishonest - The Washington Post
Conway could sit next to him and claim that the media was hopelessly biased against Trump without cause because she knew that Hannity wouldn't challenge her, and she knew that the audience would clap. Hannity has worked very hard to reinforce the primacy of Fox News relative to traditional, good-faith outlets because the more he builds an us-vs.-them view of media, the more loyal the "us" is to tuning in to his show.
It's just jarring to see this argument from that host in this moment. Hannity's dishonesty and opportunism has always been clear but rarely so well documented. So he goes on his show and, with the help of a professional Republican spin artist, claims that truth is falsehood and falsehood truth...
Joe Biden rallies Democrats in glimpse of possible re-election campaign
"Our plan is working. It's growing the economy. It's reducing the deficit. It's fiscally responsible. But we've got more to do," Biden said. "We've just got to keep going."…
Pope Francis again cuts perks for cardinals, Vatican managers | Reuters
Two years ago, Francis ordered cardinals to take a 10% pay cut and reduced the salaries of other clerics working in the Vatican in order to save jobs of employees as the coronavirus pandemic hit the Holy See's income...
Man arrested in Pennsylvania after explosive allegedly found in check-in bag
Security discovered device during screening and suspect was apprehended after he left Lehigh Valley airport…
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Opinion | This Is Trump’s ‘Magic Trick’ - The New York Times
…Trump revealed his "Plan to Protect Children From Left-Wing Gender Insanity," in which he promised to bring a halt to "gender-affirming care," to punish doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors and to pass legislation declaring that "the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female and they are assigned at birth."…
Moscow Accuses US of Preparing a 'Toxic Chemicals' Provocation in Ukraine
The United States is planning a provocation in Ukraine using toxic chemicals, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday...
Opinion | Before Slashing Social Security, Cut 401(k)s - POLITICO
Perhaps, you might suppose, these programs are ignored because they exist in the private sector — but they are actually heavily subsidized by the government. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the tax advantages for DBs, DCs and IRAs will cost the federal government $371 billion this year. There is no similar tally for state tax breaks, but including those would likely bring the total bill close to half a trillion dollars.
Given these tremendous expenses, it is initially hard to understand why people who seem so worried about the costs of old-age benefits choose to focus solely on Social Security. But it becomes easier to understand once you realize who benefits the most from the various parts of the old-age system...
How much does Eli Lilly insulin cost now?
The company's ability to slash its prices without consequences for its share price shows, first and foremost, that it can do so. In other words, it is an admission that Eli Lilly has been overpricing until now, putting over a million Americans through unnecessary hardship, not to mention life threatening risk.
It also shows that the public and political pressure to expose the unjustified high prices of insulin in the US—where, even after this reduction, the drug will costs three times as much as in Europe—has had an effect on the drugmaker.
But it also shows that Eli Lilly would rather cut prices at will—and reap the reputational benefits associated with the move—than be subject to government regulations…
…But it's important that this new announcement or other similar measures do not distract from the necessity of regulating insulin prices. Otherwise, drug makers are always free to raise the prices of their lifesaving drugs as suddenly as they have lowered them.
Jessa Duggar Seewald Got A D&C After A Miscarriage, A Procedure Out Of Reach For Many After Roe v. Wade Was Overturned
An estimated 26% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and the D&C procedure is crucial to care for many kinds of pregnancy termination, including elective abortion. Here's what you need to know about the D&C procedure, and how abortion restrictions can affect people looking for treatment…
James M. Kauffman: On being right for the wrong reasons - Freethought Today
"The Religious Right has tried to co-opt education, and many of its tenets are outrageous and in need of forceful rejection. Among its most malodorous features are its homophobic, anti-Darwinian, anti-mental health and social-emotional learning, book bans, topic prohibitions, and anti-mask and anti-vaccination sentiments and proclamations. "
IntelliNews - Pro-Russian activists step up efforts to destabilise Moldova
Russian efforts to destabilise Moldova were stepped up on February 28 when supporters of the Russia-linked Shor Party demonstrated in Chisinau, while Moscow continued its propaganda offensive related to the separatist Transnistria region, claiming an invasion by Romania is imminent...
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
PolitiFact | Michelle Obama was never a man
PolitiFact has repeatedly debunked false claims that former first lady Michelle Obama was born a man, but they persist online…
FFRF urges IRS to look into church electioneering - Freethought Today
Fairrington prayed in front of his congregation, stating, "Lord God, that you would inspire voters here in the state of California to cast their vote for the sanctity of life. Lord God, that they would get behind a conservative Christian candidate."…
The other way Rupert Murdoch tried to tip the scales for Trump - The Washington Post
"During Trump's campaign, Rupert provided Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, with Fox confidential information about [Joe] Biden's ads, along with debate strategy," the filing reads. In a parenthetical, it explains some or all of that confidential information as "providing Kushner a preview of Biden's ads before they were public."
US farm agency should make robust changes to ensure equity -report | Reuters
The U.S. farm agency should make extensive changes to ensure racial and gender equity in its programs, found a report commissioned by the Biden administration and released on Tuesday./cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/CJPRDQ7YIZJSBEJKFZNJZA5QOU.jpg)
Scott Adams, Dilbert, and the problem with the 'It's OK to be white' poll - The Washington Post
"You can see that phrase and easily recognize that someone's trying to get a rise out of you by using it," Pitcavage said. "Disapproving of that statement and disapproving of whiteness or White people are two very different things."
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
PolitiFact | Governments regulate chlorine levels in water to keep it safe for consumers to drink
This low level of chlorine is unlikely to cause any harmful health effects, the EPA and CDC said.
We rate this claim False...
FFRF applauds historic congressional testimony on Christian nationalism - Freethought Today
"Christian nationalism is not patriotism," Tyler noted. "Patriotism is a healthy love of country; nationalism is an allegiance to country that demands supremacy over all other allegiances." She noted that "the Christian nation myth" necessarily downplays or ignores the role of indigenous communities, Black Americans, immigrant populations, religious minorities and secular Americans because they "undercut the false narrative that the U.S. is special because it was founded by and for white Christians."…
Opinion | Janet Yellen in Kyiv: Economic Aid to Ukraine Is Vital - The New York Times
"Of course, it's essential that we make sure that American taxpayer dollars are used for their intended purpose. Our partners at the World Bank have a long history of working in Ukraine, and they have instituted robust safeguards for accountability and transparency. Funds are released via the World Bank — on a reimbursement basis, with a multitiered accountability system, including independent third-party monitoring, reporting and audit requirements. President Zelensky has pledged to use these funds in the "most responsible way." We welcome this commitment, as well as his longstanding agenda to strengthen good governance in Ukraine."
Solar set to overtake other energy sources by 2027 | Financial Times
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https://www.ft.com/content/beaed1d3-1478-49c1-ae9c-4fe5ade62b5d
Next year, solar photovoltaic capacity will leapfrog that of hydropower, according to the International Energy Agency. In three years, it will overtake gas-fired generation. And, in four years, it will push past coal — to boast the largest share of generation capacity of any power source...
U.K. shoppers face bare shelves and rationing in grocery stores amid produce shortages - CBS News
Some British farmers in regions of the country that usually grow produce during the winter months have said they've been priced out of doing so because of soaring energy costs, and by labor shortages caused by Britain's exit from the European Union bloc, or Brexit, which took effect several years ago...
Opinion | A Gold Mine of Clean Energy May Be Hiding Under Our Feet - The New York Times
The big break came in 2012, as the article in Science this month recounts. A businessman in Mali named Aliou Diallo hired Chapman Petroleum Engineering Ltd., a Canadian consulting firm, to analyze the mysterious gas coming from a borehole on his property. It turned out to be 98 percent hydrogen. The gas was used to fuel an engine that ran a generator. "That gave Bourakébougou" — the town nearest the well — "its first electrical benefits: freezers to make ice, lights for evening prayers at the mosque, and a flat-screen TV so the village chief could watch soccer games," the Science article said. What's most exciting is that the hydrogen has continued to flow ever since.
Geologists now believe that hydrogen is being constantly produced from a reaction between water and iron-rich rocks. It's essentially rusting: The rocks capture the oxygen and release hydrogen. Some hydrogen may also be bubbling up from deeper in Earth or be formed by radioactivity, which splits water molecules. Hydrogen has been found on all the continents except Antarctica, which hasn't been checked yet. In the United States, the two most promising places are along the East Coast (onshore and offshore) and along an ancient ridge system extending from Kansas to the Great Lakes, Zgonnik said...
Inside New York City’s Radical Approach to America’s Overdose Crisis - The New York Times - Opinion
"I'd love Popeyes," she said. "And some water."
By noon, he had returned with enough chicken to feed three people, plus drinks and sides. He took a chair out of the van for her to sit in, and they ate together and talked. She would not say much, except that she was physically uncomfortable. He spoke to her as gently as he did the first day they met, but he was adamant now. She needed a shower and clean clothes. She needed to get real rest and to see a doctor. She needed to get indoors, fast. OnPoint could help with all of that, he said. There was hot food there and medical professionals and some very nice case managers she could talk to.
She nodded and tried to make a joke, then stopped abruptly. "I know it's not really funny," she said. Before the conversation could continue, she caught sight of a man she said she needed to talk to and scurried off with a half-eaten chicken leg still in hand. Mr. Jones sighed heavily and put the chair back in the van. He was not sure she'd heard a word of what he had said.
But the next day, she arrived at OnPoint's headquarters, where all the resources that Mr. Jones had told her about were waiting. And with the promise of new life heavy in her womb, she finally went inside...
Revenge Attacks After Killing of Israeli Settlers Leave West Bank in Turmoil - The New York Times
Settlers burned and vandalized hundreds of cars and homes in four Palestinian villages, according to Israeli rights groups and Palestinian officials, and the area braced for more violence...
Biden Administration Plans Crackdown on Migrant Child Labor - The New York Times
The announcement came days after a Times investigation showed children were working in dangerous jobs throughout the United States...
Biden Administration to Impose Financial Restrictions for Chip Makers - The New York Times
Guidelines to be released Tuesday will include firm financial requirements to try to ensure that chip makers don't waste federal money...
To Tap Federal Funds, Chip Makers Will Need to Provide Child Care - The New York Times
The move seeks to help more women join the work force as industry leaders complain of labor shortages...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren didn’t say Republicans shouldn’t vote. A viral video was altered. - PolitiFact
Here's what she actually said: "For so long, Republicans have run on the notion that government's bad, government's terrible, at best government is inept, at worst, it's really actually doing harm. We're out there demonstrating exactly the opposite, we are showing that government can be on your side."…
Don’t believe those who claim science proves masks don’t work | Lucky Tran | The Guardian
The mischaracterization of the Cochrane review by its authors and like-minded supporters is deliberate. Those with vested interests are sowing doubt about the science of Covid-19 protections by using the same disinformation playbook that tobacco companies, the fossil fuel industry and the anti-vax movement have used in the past.
Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin announces Senate run in Michigan - The Washington Post
She has positioned herself as a moderate, rejecting positions and rhetoric adopted by the far-left while championing Democratic principles like abortion rights and a ban on assault weapons...
House GOP turns heat up on federal workers - The Washington Post
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), whose Northern Virginia district includes thousands of federal workers, counters that such symbolic efforts would damage the appeal of federal service at a time when large swaths of the workforce are eligible to retire and just 7 percent of federal employees are under 30.
Attracting new talent should be a bipartisan priority for Congress, he said.
"We don't have the same handicaps we did under Trump," Connolly said, referring to the Schedule F effort and another ill-fated plan to blow up the Office of Personnel Management.
But he said House Republicans "can still score points by making government less attractive, and damage is done when you disparage federal employees just as we're trying to make federal employment more attractive."…
Monday, February 27, 2023
‘You’re not forgotten‘: how the right racialized the Ohio train disaster
Three weeks into the disaster, a new set of headlines has started to billow up from right-wing outlets and commentators.
Now the tragedy of East Palestine has morphed into a racialized lament for the "forgotten" people abandoned by the uncaring "woke" Biden administration.
For "forgotten", read white.
Leading the charge, as is so often the case with such white-America nativist fearmongering, is the Fox News star Tucker Carlson.
Revealed: the US is averaging one chemical accident every two days
…chemical accidents in the US shows that accidental releases – be they through train derailments, truck crashes, pipeline ruptures or industrial plant leaks and spills – are happening consistently across the country…
Dilbert cartoon dropped by US newspapers over creator’s racist comments
Once-popular cartoon scrapped from hundreds of papers after Scott Adams calls Black people a 'hate group' on his YouTube show…
A Trump judge could shut down the federal government in Texas v. Garland - Vox
But the case is a window into Paxton's broader litigation strategy, where he frequently raises weak legal arguments undercutting federal policies before right-wing judges that he has personally chosen because of their ideology. And these judges often do sow chaos throughout the government, which can last months or longer, before a higher court steps in...:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72014822/1435732381.0.jpg)
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Rural Hospitals Are Shuttering Their Maternity Units - The New York Times
Women in rural areas face a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, according to a study by the Commonwealth Fund. Those living in so-called maternity care deserts are three times as likely to die during pregnancy and the critical year afterward as those who are closer to care, according to a study of mothers in Louisiana...
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