Wednesday, August 21, 2019

And another day in the evangelicalpocalypse comes to a close:

"The Jews are not loyal to the state." — Adolf Hitler

"Any Jew that votes Democrat is disloyal." — Donald Trump

All good people are disloyal to Trump. It’s the right thing to do. And always do the right thing, even if it costs you things or people you thought were forever yours. Decency and humanism know no political party.

Trump tweets quote calling him the "second coming of God" to Jews in Israel, as well as calling him the "King of Israel."

Trump just looked up to the sky and told reporters 'I am the chosen one'. He said in respect to the trade war, but you know what he really means. Especially after everything else he’s said the past two days. 

Faithless elector: A court ruling just changed how we pick our president.The decision could give a single elector the power to decide the outcome of a presidential election — if the popular vote results in an apparent Electoral College tie. This sure seems ripe for bribery and abuse.

Trump administration announces plan that would let it detain undocumented children indefinitely.

Trump administration to lift limit on how long it can detain migrant families.

Trump Says He is “Seriously” Considering Ending Birthright Citizenship. He called the constitutional right "frankly ridiculous."

Trump is proposing internment camps for migrants detained at the border.

US Customs and Border Protection will not vaccinate migrants against flu.

US deficit expected to balloon $809B more than previously expected due to legislative packages passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump, CBO says. So much winning.

Trump Says Russia Should Be Allowed Into G-7, Moscow Wants Talks To Continue. He sure has an affinity for Russia.

Trump responds to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's comment that his idea of buying Greenland is "absurd," saying her statement was "nasty" and a "very not nice way of saying something." Ignoring the fact he has the vocabulary of a third grader, here we see him announcing to the world how much of a snowflake he is. And he seriously canceled the meeting with her because Denmark isn’t for sale.

Fires are raging at a record rate (a more than 80% increase from last year) in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, and scientists warn that it could strike a devastating blow to the fight against climate change. From my understanding the fires were started intentionally.

Wildfires are burning around the world. The most alarming is in the Amazon rainforest. Record heat, drought, and deforestation are contributing to wildfire risk.

Scientist who called out Bolsonaro on Amazon deforestation is fired.

Trump Brags That Victims of Mass Shootings ‘Love’ Him: ‘They Love Their President’. Can’t make this shit up.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee drops out of presidential race.

Extremists creep into Roblox, an online game popular with children.

Don't worry about drinking microplastics in water, UN says.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, August 19, 2019

And another day comes to a close:

“Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all--the apathy of human beings.” -- Helen Keller

The growing toll of bigotry in America.

Claims: Migrant children molested in US-funded foster care. But after crossing the border into Arizona in May of last year, Border Patrol agents tore the man’s 7-year-old son from his arms and sent the father nearly 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) away to a detention center in Georgia. The boy, now 8, went into a U.S.-funded foster home for migrant children in New York. The foster care programs are aimed at providing migrant children with care while authorities work to connect them with parents, relatives or other sponsors. But instead the boy told a counselor he was repeatedly sexually molested by other boys in the foster home.

I’m afraid: Frightened kids ask candidates to protect them from school shooters. Don’t ask a Republican. That won’t help.

Planned Parenthood drops federal funding over abortion-referral restriction.

First-ever mandatory water cutbacks will kick in next year along the Colorado River.

The water is so hot in Alaska it's killing large numbers of salmon.

Microplastics are everywhere, even in the Arctic snow. How'd they get there? A new study posits that the tiny bits of plastic become airborne and, when swept up into the Earth's atmosphere, can be transported virtually around the globe.

Varnish and rubber found in Arctic snow indicates "significant contamination of the atmosphere," according to study.

Iceland on Sunday honored the passing of Okjokull, its first glacier lost to climate change, as scientists warn that some 400 others on the subarctic island risk the same fate.

‘It’s techno-racism’: Detroit is quietly using facial recognition to make arrests. Among other issues, critics in the majority-black city point out that flawed facial recognition software misidentifies people of color and women at much higher rates. Detroit also now has the capability to use the technology to monitor residents in real time, though Detroit’s police chief claims it won’t. Mmm hmmm.

Biometric airport screening is a fancy way of saying that the government is using facial recognition technology at the airport.

The choice for thousands of union workers at Royal Dutch Shell’s petrochemical plant in Beaver County [Pennsylvania] was clear Tuesday: Either stand in a giant hall waiting for President Donald Trump to speak or take the day off with no pay. The contractor's talking points, preparing his workers for the event read: “No yelling, shouting, protesting or anything viewed as resistance will be tolerated at the event.” WTF?

Trump nominates judge who argued countries are stronger if everyone's the same ethnic group. Of course he did.

Hong Kong protests enter 11th consecutive weekend. 1.7 million protesters in today’s demonstrations.

The Trump administration took a key step Wednesday toward relaxing federal rules that govern the length of time truck drivers can spend behind the wheel, a move long sought by the trucking industry but opposed by safety advocates who warn it could lead to more highway crashes.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to legalize firing transgender workers. Because their hate knows no bounds.

Nike further expands protections for pregnant athletes after fierce backlash.

US mother ruled too Western by Saudi court to have custody of her child will appeal.

Approximately 10,000 people were left homeless in Bangladesh's capital city after a fire burned through hundreds of shanties on Friday.

Trump’s plan to buy Greenland, explained. The truth is that though it sounds kind of silly, it makes perfect sense if you happen to share Trump’s indifference to environmental issues and indigenous rights.

15 million children living in extreme poverty in the US face the fear of not having school supplies or not knowing where they'll get their next meal, especially on weekends. Here's what's being done about it and how you can help.

Facial Recognition Software Misidentified State Lawmakers as Criminals.

The FCC is moving forward with a plan to designate 988 as the three-digit dialing number to quickly access the nationwide suicide prevention and mental health hotline.

A California law that went into effect in July requires schools to print the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on student ID cards for 7th- through 12th-graders in public, private & charter schools. That number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Teenage girls are affected by social media use more than boys, with the harmful effects being driven by three factors, according to a new study.

Having children will make you happier than staying childless, according to a new study, but not until later in life, when they have moved out. If they move out.

Scientists have created a vaccine for cat allergies, but you can't have it yet.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

And another day of lawsuits, discrimination, clashes, body cameras, compulsory school lessons, a town where no boys have been born in almost a decade, and oh yeah, a more than five foot penguin  discovered in New Zealand comes to a close:

“History will decide if I’m a villain or a hero.” -- Harlan Ellison

A woman who says she was raped by Jeffrey Epstein at his New York City mansion when she was 14 and 15 years old is suing his estate and three of his associates.

Steve King: Without rape and incest, "would there be any population in the world left?"

It's not just Fox pumping out the racist "replacement" conspiracy. Here are 15 Republicans fanning the flames.

36 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults.

Almost three-quarters of Americans want undocumented immigrants to be able to legally stay in the US.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 800 points after the bond market flashed a warning sign about a possible recession for the first time since 2007.

Trump’s Latest Proposal Would Let Businesses Discriminate Based On LGBTQ Status, Race, Religion, And More. The Trump administration on Wednesday formally proposed a new rule to let businesses with federal contracts cite religious objections as a valid reason to discriminate against their workers on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, LGBTQ status, and other characteristics — thereby skirting worker protections created by past presidents.

Police in riot gear and armed with pepper spray clash with protesters in Hong Kong's main airport terminal hours after it was announced that flights would be canceled for the second day in a row.

Family of man in a viral photo bound with rope as two white police officers led him down the street on horseback are calling for the police to release body camera video of the arrest.

Trump Used Asian Accent to Mock US Allies at Fundraiser. He is such a disgusting human being.

Dozens of child sex abuse victims sue Catholic Church in New York after change in law.

Plácido Domingo accused of sexual harassment.

Illinois passes law making LGBT+ history lessons in schools compulsory in move to stop bullying.

It's raining plastic, a survey of rainfall in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, concludes. Scientists found that plastic showed up in 90% of the samples, mostly in fiber form, and came in a variety of colors.

Almost two dozen people in the Midwest have been hospitalized with severe breathing difficulties linked to vaping, and doctors aren't sure why.

North Macedonia's struggle to fight youth 'brain drain'. "In five or maybe 10 years, there could come a point where there are no young people left in the country."

Websites can discriminate against you even if you don't use them, California Supreme Court rules.

Social media use has been linked to depression, especially in teenage girls. But a new study argues it could be more complex than experts think, with girls' mental health being impacted due to increased exposure to bullying and reduced sleep and exercise.

No boys have been born in this tiny town in almost a decade, and the county mayor is offering a prize to parents who have a son.

Ohio State Has Filed A Trademark Application For The Word “The”.

Game birds subject to 'cruel' conditions, undercover footage shows.

Remains of a human-sized "monster" penguin have been discovered in New Zealand. The extinct penguin was more than 5 feet tall and weighed more than 170 pounds.

Our galaxy's black hole suddenly flashed a bright light — and scientists don't know exactly why.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, August 12, 2019

And another day of climate change, patterns, marriages, health stuff, and overhauling the Endangered Species Act comes to a close:

“So scary are the consequences of a collapse of white privilege that many Americans have flocked to a political platform that supports and translates violence against the defenseless as strength,” Toni Morrison wrote, in 2016.

If climate change is left unchecked, rising temperatures, extreme weather and land degradation could trigger a global food crisis, according to a new UN report. If average global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius, the risk of food supply instabilities “are projected to be very high,” according to the report.

Death toll from Indian floods reaches 147 with hundreds of thousands of people in relief camps.

Kangaroos Discover Snow.

Jeffrey Epstein's Guards Reportedly Did Not Follow Procedure on the Night He Killed Himself. The Times reports the jail also transferred Epstein's cellmate, leaving him to be housed alone, just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch. That move is in violation of the jail's normal procedure.

The Dayton shooter demonstrated a misogyny that was far more extreme than any of his political leanings. In that, he follows a bleak pattern among mass shooters.

Mike Huckabee ties mass shootings to an absence of faith in God. Social science proves him wrong. “The facts show that strong faith in God does not diminish gun violence, nor does a lack of such faith increase gun violence.

The explosion in northern Russia last week that killed 7 people “likely” involved Russia’s new nuclear-powered cruise missile, U.S. official says.

The Trump administration has released a regulation that could dramatically cut the number of legal immigrants allowed to enter and stay in the US by making it easier to reject green card and visa applications.

A majority of US states issue marriage licenses to teens as young as 16 or 17, and a handful allow children as young as 14 to marry. 13 states have no age limit. Just 2 states ban the practice of child marriage outright. This is disgusting.

Plano, Texas councilman raises concerns over funding rape crisis center because it administers Plan B pills. This guy needs to go.

Trump administration overhauls Endangered Species Act as critics fear animal extinction. The planet deserved better than humans.

American With No Medical Training Ran Center For Malnourished Ugandan Kids. 105 Died. She had a “calling from God.”

Two Americans used their medal-winning moments at the Pan American Games to draw attention to social issues back home that they feel are spiraling out of control.

Former figure skater says he was sexually abused by a once-celebrated Olympic coach after U.S. Figure Skating dismissed earlier allegation by another skater, a new lawsuit claims.

It started as a joke. But Congress is now on the verge of creating a "Space Force," the first new military service branch in more than 70 years.

Two Ebola drugs found to increase survival rates.

Chlamydia vaccine moves a step closer.

This man's penis is literally turning into a bone.

It's official. Watching soccer can be good for your health.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

And another day of suicide or murder or whatever, there were plenty of powerful men who wanted him dead anyway, comes to a close:

“I’m not a conspiracy theorist--I’m a conspiracy analyst.” -- Gore Vidal

Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has committed suicide in his Manhattan jail cell. Dead men, of course, tell no tales.

Jeffrey Epstein is dead. His cases could live on for years.

The world wonders what's happened to America. What comes next? Does it lead the free world again, or allow China's alien authoritarianism to fill the vacuum? Has America peaked? Will it eventually do the right thing, and who will be left to know when it does?

Food will be scarce, expensive and less nutritious, climate report says.

Planting Trees Is Good. Eliminating Deforestation is Better. Every year, an estimated 15 billion trees are chopped down. We’ve cut down so many that what’s left is about half of the number of trees that the Earth supported before the rise of human civilization.

Many progressive publications and pollsters still misuse verbs like “believe in” and “don’t believe in” to describe attitudes toward facts. You can’t “believe in” climate science. You can accept or deny it.

Epstein accuser said she was recruited as masseuse for billionaire while working as teen staffer at Trump's Mar-a-Lago.

Trump retweets Epstein conspiracy theory, claiming Clinton connection.

The conspiracy theories about the Clintons and Jeffrey Epstein’s death, explained. The idea that Bill and Hillary Clinton secretly kill their political enemies has circulated in right-wing fever swamps for decades.

A Trump official just posted on Instagram that Jeffrey Epstein was “Hillary’d”.

Prince Andrew 'groped' woman in Epstein's house, court files allege.

Elizabeth Warren has unveiled a sweeping gun control plan that includes banning assault weapons, limiting the number of guns someone can purchase and raising the federal minimum age for gun purchases to 21.

The founder of a Texas company that sells plans for making untraceable 3D printed guns pleaded guilty Friday to having sex with an underage girl.

Facebook is building tech to read your mind. The ethical implications are staggering.

Trump administration authorizes ‘cyanide bombs’ to kill wild animals. The poison-filled, spring-loaded traps, called M-44s, are used by Wildlife Services for the benefit of private farmers and ranchers.

22 percent of millennials say they have “no friends”.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, August 9, 2019

And another day of reports, documents, explanations, extremism, a new Party, normalization, and video games comes to a close:

“Charles Manson never shot anyone either.” — Anonymous

“Aligning with Trump is a faustian bargain, and the bill will come due. But by demolishing useful, deflective GOP myths, Trump is accelerating that reckoning.” — Robert E. Kelly, former adviser to the Ohio Republican Party.

It’s the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

Change food production and stop abusing land, major climate report warns. Humans have damaged around a quarter of ice-free land on Earth, United Nations scientists warned in a major report Thursday, stressing that further degradation must be stopped to prevent catastrophic global warming.

Alaska's hottest month portends transformation into 'unfrozen state'.

Powerful Men, Disturbing New Details in Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein Documents.

What Ails the Right Isn’t (Just) Racism. An authoritarian fear of difference best explains the intolerance sweeping the Republican Party.

White Supremacist Attacks Have Grown Deadlier During Trump’s Presidency.

Democrats and the FBI say white extremism is a huge problem. Trump disagrees. Because Trump is a white supremacist.

Texas Republican calls for "American Nationalist party," says "let's finish what Trump started". A Texas Republican is calling for fellow party members to become politically intolerant amid concerns that Tarrant County, the largest Republican county in the state, could turn blue during the 2020 election. Just in case you thought this was all just a blip in the Republican Party.

Hundreds of mayors urge Senate to return for gun bill vote. Get Moscow Mitch out of there and maybe something could happen.

El Paso massacre upends white nationalists' normalization strategy. Yes, they have a normalization strategy. Stand against it.

Mass shootings so far this year almost reach 2018 levels. And still more than four months to go!

Walmart removing violent video game displays following mass shootings. It’s really a meaningless gesture considering video games aren’t the problem. Oh, but they’ll continue to sell guns and ammo.

Immigration: Nearly half of those arrested in raid released. Because the cruelty was the point.

Trump’s Anti-Obamacare Insurance Plans Are Ripping People Off. “Short-term plans can deny coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions and charge more based on health status. They are not required to and often don’t cover the 10 essential health benefits, including maternity care and prescription drugs.” You know you’re healthy, until you’re not. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

Adam Fannin of the Stedfast Baptist Church in Florida is an absolutely horrible person.

Trump eliminates job of national cybersecurity coordinator.

Andrew McCabe suing Justice Department, FBI over firing.

Trump says he may commute the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of corruption charges including efforts to sell Barack Obama's old Senate seat. Blagojevich, also a former Celebrity Apprentice contestant, entered federal prison in 2012, and is in the middle of a 14-year sentence after being convicted on federal charges of using his powers as governor to extract campaign money and other political favors. But why should corruption be punished?

Detroit man who lived his life in the US dies after deportation to Iraq.

Twitter users are changing their location setting to Germany to clear their feed of white supremacist tweets.

White House drafting executive order to tackle Silicon Valley’s alleged anti-conservative bias. What a load of crap.

FDA advisory panel on Wednesday votes in favor of Gilead's combination drug to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection in men and transgender women who have sex with men.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

And another day of bad news, mental illness, Tucker “I Promote Hatred” Carlson, white nationalism, ICE raids, burning LGBTQ library books, and US Women’s Soccer comes to a close:

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” -- Sinclair Lewis

The constant stream of bad news is physically and mentally unhealthy. Here's how to cope. Yes, you can experience vicarious trauma.

Mental illness isn't a major risk factor for gun violence, but here's what is. Having access to a gun is more of a risk factor for violence than being diagnosed with a mental illness, research shows. But non-rational gun owners don’t want to hear that.

Tucker Carlson’s claim that white supremacy is a “hoax” is false — but revealing.

A State Dept. official has alleged involvement with white nationalist forums and was allegedly part of a white nationalist group in Washington, according to researchers from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Hatewatch” program.

In what the department is calling the largest workplace raid in at least a decade, ICE arrested 680 people at food processing plants in Mississippi.

Religious activist convicted for burning LGBTQ library books.

US Soccer enlists lobbying firms to argue women's team isn't underpaid.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

And another long day comes to a close:

"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives." — Toni Morrison

Florida governor orders state criminal probe into Jeffrey Epstein case.

Nebraska GOP tells Republican lawmaker who said party is 'enabling white supremacy' to register as Democrat. Essentially admitting the truth of those words.

No Terrorist Is A ‘Lone Wolf’. As research into terrorism and rare types of violent crimes has become more data-driven, it’s begun to show that the people we call “lone wolves” aren’t.

“In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.” -- Toni Morrison

The House passed a gun control bill calling for background checks. But it's been sitting on Mitch McConnell's desk since February.

Trump rushes to blame video games for mass shootings, but the evidence proves him wrong.

“Well, Jesus Christ, of course he’s racist. He’s been racist from day one.” — Beto O’Rourke

Trump suggests El Paso and Dayton mass shooting response should include hardline immigration reform. Democrats wasted no time comparing his proposal to Nazi Germany.

Trump campaign still owes El Paso more than $500,000 on eve of President's return visit. Because all he’s ever known how to do is screw people over. What a waste of our precious air, he is.

‘Invasion’ and ‘fake news’: El Paso manifesto echoes Trump language. And only a racist would think it didn’t.

President Trump has run over 2,000 Facebook ads warning of "invasion". Words matter.

Trump's America: Where politics dictate the definition of racism.

There is no excuse for supporting this president.

Trump made 56 false claims last week. Um, lies. He lied at least 56 times last week. There, I fixed it.

Republican politicians are more resistant to gun control than Republican voters are.

Lawmakers Push For 'Red Flag' Laws To Take Guns Away From People In Crisis.

Former GOP Congressman Wants His Party Defeated Because They “Will Never Do Anything on Gun Control.” “Republicans will never do anything on gun control. Nothing, ever. If this is the issue that informs your ideology, as a voter, the strength to draw in this moment is to commit to beating Republicans. Beat ’em. Beat every single one of ’em.” We all lose, and some of us die, when you vote Republican.

“The function of freedom is to free someone else.”— Toni Morrison

Texas Police on horses parade suspect down street tied to rope: "You don't 'round up' human beings with a leash like animals". The image is disgusting.

Police are a leading cause of death for young men, especially those of color, study finds.

Nearly 1.8 billion people in seventeen countries, or a quarter of the world’s population, appear to be veering towards a water crisis—with the potential of severe shortages in the next few years.

Teachers. Doctors. A small-town Mayor. New sex abuse claims against Boy Scouts suggest leaders exploited prominent positions.

Emma Watson announced that she's helping launch a free legal advice line for those experiencing sexual harassment at work in England and Wales.

Depending where you live, an electric fan may not cool you down and could actually hurt you.

Scientists find a seriously giant parrot fossil in New Zealand.

“I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence.” — Toni Morrison

RIP Toni Morrison. She was 88.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

And another sad day in America comes to a close:

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” -- Isaac Asimov

The two shootings, first in El Paso, Texas, and then in Dayton, Ohio, are the latest instances of deadly mass shootings in 2019, bringing the total number of such incidents up to at least 17 — an average of one every 12.7 days this year. Man those “thoughts and prayers” sure are working.

FBI document warns conspiracy theories are a new domestic terrorism threat. The “Great Replacement” idea is a conspiracy theory.

After majority of House Democrats call for impeachment, Pelosi says Trump 'will be held accountable'. We shall see.

Greenland Is Melting Away Before Our Eyes. This week alone, Greenland will lose about 50 billion tons of ice, enough for a permanent rise in global sea levels by about 0.1mm.

11 billion tons of ice melted in Greenland - in just one day.

Joe Biden’s Climate Plan Melted During the Debate. “Mr. Vice President, your argument is not with me, it’s with science.”

Air travel is a huge contributor to climate change. Now a global movement wants you to be ashamed to fly.

A teen scientist just figured out how to suck microplastics from the ocean. There may be hope for humanity.

Just 10% of fossil fuel subsidy cash ‘could pay for green transition’.

U.S. pulls out of Soviet-era nuclear missile pact with Russia.

Thursday's budget deal proves once again Republicans never cared about the deficit.

Rural hospitals are shutting down in states that didn't expand Medicaid. Most closures have happened in places where people came out in droves to vote for Donald Trump. A vote for a Republican is a vote against your best interests.

On a momentous day for Tribal Nations, Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY), the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, stated that the successful litigation by tribes and environmentalists to return the grizzly bear in Greater Yellowstone to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) “was not based on science or facts” but motivated by plaintiffs “intent on destroying our Western way of life.” Yeah. She said that. I’m sure she doesn’t see the irony in her callous remarks.

Next week marks 45 years since President Richard Nixon resigned. The latest Economist/YouGov Poll shows that half of Republicans (52%) approve of how he handled his job as president.

Third Ebola case confirmed in DR Congo's Goma as Rwanda shuts border.

Indonesia's Aceh whips 11 for sharia-banned romance. The six men and five women -- all in their late teens and early twenties -- were rounded up by religious officers who caught them behaving amorously, a crime under local law. What archaic bullshit. Nothing but about power. The power to dominate others.

Birth rate in England and Wales has hit a record low according to the Office for National Statistics.

New medical procedure could delay menopause by 20 years.

Scientists went to China to create controversial human-monkey embryos.

Deaf student creates more than 100 new signs for scientific terms: “It’s not easy to convey complex processes with a few hand gestures."

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.