Sunday, April 30, 2023

And another day of manhunts, the GOP blocking the ERA, glacially slow rulings, WA’s new health law, stray bullets, a map of gun deaths, DeFascist’s time at Guantanamo, shielding travels, SC’s all-male Supreme Court, and wildfires in Anchorage comes to a close:

“Imagine if the governor of a blue state told a company from a red state not to bring its ‘MAGA’ employees to their state. Rightwing media & the GOP would melt down. As ever, conservatives get to demonize/delegitimize certain cities and citizens, but never the other way around.” — Mehdi Hasan

“With or without Tucker Carlson Fox News is an anti-American cancer.” — The Lincoln Project

Senate GOP blocks Equal Rights Amendment. Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a measure that would have allowed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to be added to the Constitution. Senators voted 51 to 47 to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed, falling short of the 60 votes it it needed. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) were the lone Republicans to vote with every Democrat…The ERA passed Congress in 1972, having been first proposed in 1923. Constitutional amendments, under U.S. law, must be ratified by three-quarters of all state legislatures, meaning 38 states. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA, but it did so after the 1982 deadline to ratify the amendment had passed. The Senate resolution would have removed the deadline so that the ERA could become the 28th Amendment. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Murkowski were the resolution’s lead co-sponsors. — Fucking Republicans. They just said that women need to stay in their place and that they don’t deserve equal rights.

This Supreme Court is slow to issue rulings — glacially slow. The court has resolved 15 cases as of May 1st, leaving 75% of its caseload this term still undecided. No term in the last century has had fewer decisions at this point.

My Health, My Data Act Signed Into Law in Washington State. New protections include prohibiting the sale of health data, requiring disclosure of data collection and sharing, allowing consumers to have their health data deleted, and banning geofences around facilities that provide in-person healthcare services.…Sulaiman also noted that the My Health, My Data Act defines health information in broad terms, which is part of what makes the legislation so sweeping. "This, to me, is like one of the most significant privacy bills that we've seen out of any state legislature and I say that because of the breadth of information that it seeks to protect," she said…In other words, it's possible that sensitive information like biometric data or test results could be treated the same way as fitness trackers or purchases related to bodily functions, such as deodorant, menstrual products, and toilet paper.

Police: 5 people killed in shooting at home north of Houston. A Texas man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing an 8-year-old and four others inside the house, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep…Capers said there were 10 people in the house and that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims, all believed to be from Honduras, were found laying over two children inside. “The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child.”…The confrontation followed family members walking up to the fence and asking the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, according to Capers, and that one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle.

Widening manhunt for Texas gunman slowed by ‘zero leads’. A widening manhunt for a Texas gunman who killed five neighbors continued turning up nothing Sunday as officers knocked on doors, the governor put up $50,000 in reward money and the FBI acknowledged they had “zero leads” after nearly two days of searching.

Texas A&M baseball player shot by stray bullet during game, police say. The 18-year-old Texas A&M-Texarkana player was hit while standing in the bullpen area by what police said appeared to be a stray bullet from a nearby altercation.

Map of gun deaths across the U.S. shows cities have lower rates than rural counties. From 2011 to 2020, the most rural counties in the U.S. had a 37% higher rate of gun deaths per capita than the most urban counties, according to research published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Surgery. That's up from a 25% difference from 2000 to 2010.

Ron DeSantis in Guantánamo: how questions about his past haunt the Florida governor. The three men were found hanging from their necks, with their hands and feet bound and rags in their throats…What DeSantis saw and heard in the hours and days after the three deaths could be key to an enduring mystery that has hung over Guantánamo ever since: how did Ahmed, Utaybi and Zahrani die?

DeSantis and Florida GOP look to upend public record laws as they attempt to shield his travel and other records ahead of likely White House bid. One bill advancing through the Republican-controlled state legislature would conceal information about DeSantis’ travel and who he has met with at the governor’s mansion. Another would allow state political committees – like the one where DeSantis has stashed $85 million for his future political ambitions – to report their fundraising activity less frequently. Separately, DeSantis in court cases has lately claimed “executive privilege” to block the release of records and to keep staff from testifying – a power typically reserved for presidents and which none of his predecessors had previously asserted is entrusted to the state’s governor. If realized, it would give DeSantis tremendous new discretion to keep information about his administration from the public. — DeFascist fine tunes his authoritarian plans.

DeSantis’ Cartoon Villainy Gives Disney’s Lawsuit a Clear Path to Victory. When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis decided to go after Disney last spring for opposing his “Don’t Say Gay” law, he was making it an example. He chose a powerful, high profile target that had disagreed with his policy preferences, and he punished that company for crossing him. In doing so, he sent a clear warning to other companies: Disagree and I will come knocking. If he was willing to attack Disney, one of the state’s largest employers and a major tax source, no business was safe. This is an authoritarian tactic. Authoritarian leaders use various means to control the private sector to suppress dissent and bring a powerful segment of society under their sway. But in order to make an example of Disney, DeSantis had to be clear that Disney was suffering as a direct result of speaking out against him…The expansion of corporate civil rights has had harmful and undemocratic consequences, such as flooding elections with money or allowing businesses to deny reproductive health care to employees. But it has also left corporations with more tools to fight authoritarian meddling. This is what we are seeing now in Florida. “This whole situation highlights one of the hidden benefits of recognizing corporations to have rights,” Winkler explained, “that corporate rights also serve as a check on government tyranny.”…The episode has demonstrated many of DeSantis’ authoritarian traits. His desire to be dominant, even over the private sector; to impose his ideology on Florida, including its businesses; and his refusal to concede defeat. Like Donald Trump, who still contends he won the 2020 election, the worst thing that can happen to a leader who depends on a vision of power to rule is to admit defeat. DeSantis can never show weakness, and so he pushed Disney to the point where the company—so loath to bring a lawsuit that it avoided court for a year—was finally forced to sue to protect its business interests. DeSantis could have scored a publicity win with his conservative base without actually harming Disney’s bottom line and gotten away with it with it—but he wanted actual power over the company.

What GOP’s plan for Medicaid work requirements would mean. Here’s a look at how the proposal might save taxpayers money but cost some Americans access to health care coverage. -- Healthcare is right, not a privilege. 

How South Carolina Ended Up With an All-Male Supreme Court. An abortion ban struck down. The lone female justice retiring. And a majority-male legislature rallying behind the one male candidate to replace her. This is how South Carolina ended up with an all-male Supreme Court as new abortion legislation looms…In South Carolina, unlike all but one other state, the legislature alone selects judges…“It’s all kind of clandestine, cloak and dagger,” said Barbara Rackes, president of SC Women in Leadership, which works to boost women’s influence and representation in the state. “It was not happening in the committee chamber or on the floor. The decision was made in the backroom.”…Following Dobbs, South Carolina’s race underscores the newly starring role of states’ top courts in determining abortion access — and the resulting impact on who gets chosen to serve on them. The machinations have left many in the state fearing increased politicization of their already unusual judicial selection process, which gives near-total power to politicians. Consequences of an all-male high court are especially pronounced in this state, which consistently ranks at the bottom of lists measuring women’s well-being.

Washington, Minnesota become trans refuges, shield abortions. Democratic governors in Washington state and Minnesota on Thursday enacted legal protections for people who travel to those states seeking reproductive and gender-affirming procedures and treatment.

Stephen Miller Is Taking Legal Action Against the M&M Company. America First Legal, the legal activist group founded by former Trump advisor Stephen Miller, filed a complaint on Wednesday with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Mars Inc, the maker of M&Ms. The pro-Trump nonprofit alleges Mars’ efforts to increase diversity and representation of minorities within its workforce constitutes discrimination and a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Wildfires in Anchorage? Climate change sparks disaster fears. Research on a flat spot for air evacuations. Talk of old-style civil defense sirens to warn of fast-moving wildfires. Hundreds of urban firefighters training in wildland firefighting techniques while snow still blankets the ground. This is the new reality in Alaska’s largest city, where a recent series of wildfires near Anchorage and the hottest day on record have sparked fears that a warming climate could soon mean serious, untenable blazes in urban areas — just like in the rest of the drought-plagued American West.

FDA approves first pill for fecal transplants, made from healthy bacteria in human waste. U.S. health officials on Wednesday approved the first pill made from healthy bacteria found in human waste to fight dangerous gut infections — an easier way of performing so-called fecal transplants. The new treatment from Seres Therapeutics provides a simpler, rigorously tested version of stool-based procedures that some medical specialists have used for more than a decade to help patients.

Backlash against AI supermodels triggers wider fears in fashion workforce. Plans by Levi’s to test out virtual clothing models generated by artificial intelligence drew swift backlash in the industry late last month. While the furor mainly focused on diversity concerns, the retailer’s proposal also stirred up other anxieties that have been simmering in the industry for years. Some critics of Levi Strauss & Co.’s partnership with AI design firm Lalaland.ai, which aimed to show online shoppers different types of people wearing Levi’s garments, accused the retailer of looking to inexpensively address issues of representation — potentially pushing professional models out of their jobs in the process.

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

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

And another day of more SCOTUS questions, appeals court rejections, Trump’s ‘retribution’ agenda, abortion ban horror in TX, MT transgendered lawmaker barred from House, dress codes, and a whole bunch more comes to a close:

“I wanted to address my senators, Cruz and Cornyn.. I would like for them to know that what happened to me is a direct result of the policies they support. I nearly died on their watch and I may have been robbed of the opportunity to have children in the future.” -- Amanda Zurawski

Law firm head bought Gorsuch-owned property. The Supreme Court justice did not report the identity of the purchaser, whose firm has had numerous cases before the court. For nearly two years beginning in 2015, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch sought a buyer for a 40-acre tract of property he co-owned in rural Granby, Colo. Nine days after he was confirmed by the Senate for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court, the then-circuit court judge got one: The chief executive of Greenberg Traurig, one of the nation’s biggest law firms with a robust practice before the high court. Gorsuch owned the property with two other individuals. On April 16 of 2017, Greenberg’s Brian Duffy put under contract the 3,000-square foot log home on the Colorado River and nestled in the mountains northwest of Denver, according to real estate records. He and his wife closed on the house a month later, paying $1.825 million, according to a deed in the county’s record system. Gorsuch, who held a 20 percent stake, reported making between $250,001 and $500,000 from the sale on his federal disclosure forms. Gorsuch did not disclose the identity of the purchaser. That box was left blank. Since then, Greenberg Traurig has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the court, according to a POLITICO review of the court’s docket. They include cases in which Greenberg either filed amicus briefs or represented parties. In the 12 cases where Gorsuch’s opinion is recorded, he sided with Greenberg Traurig clients eight times and against them four times…Supreme Court rules do not prevent justices from engaging in financial transactions with people with interest in court decisions, but Gorsuch’s dealings with Duffy expose the weakness of the court’s disclosure procedures. For instance, in reporting his Colorado income, Gorsuch listed as his source only the name that he and his two co-owners gave themselves, Walden Group, LLC. The report didn’t indicate that there had been a real estate sale or a purchaser. Such a sale would raise ethical problems for officials serving in many other branches of government, but the Supreme Court sets its own rules. It has largely left justices to make their own decisions about when and how to report outside gifts and income. — And of course justices on the Supreme Court would never do anything unethical or corrupt. 

Chief Justice Roberts declines to testify at Senate’s Supreme Court ethics hearing. Chief Justice John Roberts has declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing next week on ethical standards at the court, instead providing the panel with a statement of ethics reaffirmed by the court’s nine justices...Accompanying the letter to Durbin was a “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” signed by all nine justices describing the ethical rules they follow about travel, gifts and outside income. While the rules are not new, the statement said that the undersigned justices “today reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices to which they subscribe in carrying out their responsibilities as Members of the Supreme Court of the United States.” -- Not worth the paper it was printed on. SCOTUS judges believe they are untouchable.

Appeals court rejects Trump effort to block Pence testimony. A federal appeals court on Wednesday night moved former Vice President Mike Pence closer to appearing before a grand jury investigating efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, rejecting a bid by former President Donald Trump’s lawyers to block the testimony.

House votes to pass debt ceiling bill in win for McCarthy. The final vote was 217-215, with four Republicans – Ken Buck of Colorado, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Matt Gaetz of Florida – voting against the bill. McCarthy could only lose four votes and prevail on the vote. The measure is dead on arrival in the Democratic-led Senate, but is primarily aimed at boosting Republicans’ efforts to negotiate with Democrats as the country approaches its default deadline as soon as this summer.

Trump zeroes in on a key target of his 'retribution' agenda: Government workers. He has also vowed "retribution" for his political enemies, saying that if he gets back into the White House "their reign is over.”…At the top of Trump’s list is reinstituting an executive order known as “Schedule F,” which would reclassify tens of thousands of federal employees involved in policy decisions as at-will employees. In other words, they would lose their employment protections, and it would be much easier for a president to fire them. — An authoritarian wet dream.

Horrors of Texas Abortion Ban Recounted in the Senate. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Texans had been living under a de facto abortion ban for months. The consequences of that ban were on full display in the U.S. Senate when Amanda Zurawski testified about her harrowing ordeal that should never have happened...In addition to speaking in front of the Senate, Zurawski is one of five plaintiffs in the first-ever lawsuit challenging the Texas abortion ban. According to the lawsuit, Zurawski went through months of fertility treatment before finally becoming pregnant in 2022. Sadly, she was diagnosed with a condition that prematurely dilates the cervix, and the fetus would not survive. Because she lived in Texas under the new abortion ban, she was sent home without receiving the proper care. She developed sepsis and acute sepsis shock. -- Republicans are horrible and hateful people. No one should ever have to go through this, yet Republicans aim to make this universal across the country. Republicans are literally trying to kill women.

‘MAGA movement’ widely unpopular, new poll finds. The Make America Great Again, or ‘MAGA,’ movement, which takes its name from Trump’s first campaign slogan, was the least popular individual or group tested in the new survey. Just 24% of Americans have positive views of the movement, while 45% voice negative views.

Montana transgender lawmaker barred by GOP from House floor. Montana Republicans barred transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from the House floor for the rest of the 2023 session on Wednesday in retaliation for her rebuking colleagues – and then participating in protests – after they voted to ban gender-affirming care for children. -- Republicans are such hateful, and vengeful, people.

Blue states advance bills to protect gender-affirming care. Oregon lawmakers are expected to pass a bill that would further expand insurance coverage for gender-affirming care to include things like facial hair removal and Adam’s apple reduction surgery, procedures currently considered cosmetic by insurers but seen as critical to the mental health of transitioning women. The wide-ranging bill is part of a wave of legislation this year in Democratic-led states intended to carve out safe havens amid a conservative movement that seeks to ban or limit gender-affirming care elsewhere, eliminate some rights and protections for transgender people and even bar discussion of their existence in settings such as classrooms.

North Dakota limits bathroom use for transgender people. Transgender kids and adults in North Dakota won’t be able to access bathrooms, locker rooms or showers that match the gender they identify with in places like college dorms or jails, under a new law signed by Republican Gov. Doug Burgum. The American Civil Liberties Union has said that so far this year, more than 450 bills attacking the rights of transgender people have been introduced in state legislatures. Burgum’s office announced Wednesday that he had signed the bill the previous day. The measure passed the state House and Senate with veto-proof majorities.

Texas state agency orders workers to dress ‘consistent to their biological gender’. In what is seen as a veiled attack at transgender employees, the agriculture department laid out the policy in a 13 April memo. “For men, business attire includes a long-sleeved dress shirt, tie, and sport coat worn with trousers and dress shoes or boots,” it says. “For women, business attire includes tailored pantsuits, business-like dresses, coordinated dressy separates worn with or without a blazer, and conservative, closed-toe shoes or boots.” — What a bunch of horse shit.

A Nashville senior was banned from prom for a suit, so a local business stepped in. B Hayes, an 18-year-old student at Nashville Christian School, was banned from going to their prom because they wore a suit and not a dress. Hayes wrote in the caption, "i should not have to conform to femininity to attend my senior prom. i will not compromise who i am to fit in a box. who are you to tell us what it means to be a woman?"

Black parents seek schools affirming their history amid bans. In recent years, conservative politicians around the country have championed bans on books or instruction that touch on race and inclusion. Books were banned in more than 5,000 schools in 32 states from June 2021 to June 2022, according to free-speech nonprofit PEN America. Instructional bans have been enacted in at least 16 states since 2021. Even when a topic isn’t explicitly banned, some teachers say the debates have caused them to back away from controversy. The situation has caused more Black families to leave public schools, opting for homeschooling or private schools that embrace their identity and culture. Public school enrollment of Black students between pre-K and 12th grade has declined each year measured in federal data since 2007. -- I’m sure that thrills Republicans who thrive on hatred and racism.

World powers pull their citizens as violence roils Sudan. Then Sudan exploded into violence. The chiefs of the country’s army and its rival Rapid Support Forces rose to power after a popular uprising in 2019 prompted them to remove longtime autocratic ruler Omar al-Bashir. They started fighting this month amid tensions over a new plan to re-introduce civilian rule.

Oregon Bill Could Deem Some Environmental Protests “Domestic Terrorism”. Lawmakers in the Beaver State are considering a bill that could make “disruption of services” provided by so-called critical infrastructure, which includes roads, pipelines, electrical substations, and some oil and gas infrastructure, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The bill labels such activity “domestic terrorism.”

Prison sex abuse must be rooted out, Justice official says. Sexual abuse in the nation’s federal prisons must be rooted out, the Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking leader told prison wardens gathered for their first nationwide training since revelations that a toxic, permissive culture at a California prison allowed abuse to run rampant.

Disney sues DeSantis, calling park takeover ‘retaliation’. Disney sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republican’s takeover of its theme park district, alleging the governor waged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” after the company opposed a law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”

Elon Musk’s statements could be ‘deepfakes’, Tesla defence lawyers tell court. A California judge has tentatively ordered Elon Musk to be interviewed under oath about whether he made certain statements regarding the capabilities of Tesla’s Autopilot features after the company questioned the authenticity of the remarks, claiming Musk is a “target for deep fakes”…“Their position is that because Mr Musk is famous and might be more of a target for deep fakes, his public statements are immune,” Pennypacker wrote, adding that such arguments would allow Musk and other famous people “to avoid taking ownership of what they did actually say and do”.

Students’ psychological reports, abuse allegations leaked by ransomware hackers. Hackers who broke into the Minneapolis Public Schools earlier this year have circulated an enormous cache of files that appear to include highly sensitive documents on schoolchildren and teachers, including allegations of teacher abuse and students’ psychological reports...The files reviewed by NBC News include everything from relatively benign data like contact information to far more sensitive information including descriptions of students’ behavioral problems and teachers’ Social Security numbers...It’s a stark reminder that schools often hold reams of sensitive information, and that such leaks often leave parents and administrators with little recourse once their information is released.

Barbie with Down's syndrome on sale after 'real women' criticism. A Barbie with Down's syndrome is the latest doll to be released by Mattel in a bid to make its range more diverse. The US toy giant had faced previous criticism that the traditional Barbie did not represent real women. In recent years it has created dolls with a hearing aid, a prosthetic limb and a wheelchair.

Ben & Jerry's co-founder starts cannabis nonprofit to support social causes. Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has started a new nonprofit business selling cannabis products, with the profits dedicated to social causes. Ben's Best Blnz or B3, aims to "sell Great Pot and use the power of our business to Right the Wrongs of the War on Drugs," according to its website. The nonprofit's business strategy involves partnering with for-profit businesses who pay B3 a royalty to use its formulas, packaging and trademarks. The entirety of those royalty profits, after expenses, will go towards their social mission: getting people convicted of nonviolent, cannabis-related crimes out of jail, getting their criminal records expunged, advocating for marijuana to be removed from the federal government's Schedule 1 list, which includes drugs such as heroin, and investing in Black-owned cannabis businesses.

Brazilian dictionary adds Pelé as adjective, synonym of best. The dictionary entry reads: “The one that is extraordinary, or who because of his quality, value or superiority cannot be matched to anything or anyone, just like Pelé; nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered the best athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique. Examples: He is the Pelé of basketball, she is the Pelé of tennis, she is the Pelé of Brazilian theater, he is the Pelé of medicine.”

New first-of-its-kind image reveals a jet of material launching from a black hole. The groundbreaking image can help astronomers gain more insight into how black holes behave and what enables them to launch energetic jets of material across the universe.

RIP Harry Belafonte. He was 96.

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

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.

Monday, April 24, 2023

And another day of firings, ND banning abortion, ‘thirsting for violence,’ transgendered lawmaker in MT still silenced by GOP, books with LGBTQ themes are banned the most, and LV to CA bullet train comes to a close:

“Fox news employees emailing the bosses their most racist takes hoping to get Tucker's spot.” — Soapbox Liberal

Fox News ousts Tucker Carlson, its most popular host. Fox News on Monday ousted prime-time host Tucker Carlson, whose stew of grievances and political theories about Russia and the Jan. 6 insurrection had grown to define the network in recent years and make him an influential force in GOP politics. -- Tucker Carlson is worse than maggot infested dogshit. And let’s be clear. Tucker Carlson is not a journalist. He is an entertainer. An entertainer who sows chaos and thrives off selling hatred to gullible people, all under the guise of “news.”

As a pastor, I had a front row seat to how Tucker Carlson negatively influenced the spiritual formation of people in my faith community.

Don Lemon fired from CNN after divisive morning show run. CNN fired longtime host Don Lemon on Monday following his short and disastrous run as a morning show host, a little over two months after he apologized for on-air comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being past her prime...CNN offered no public explanation for Lemon’s dismissal. -- Don Lemon is a waste of flesh.

North Dakota governor signs law banning abortion at 6 weeks. North Dakota on Monday adopted one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country as Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed legislation banning the procedure at six weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape or incest.

Cochise County [AZ] ready to hire elections director who spread false claims of 2020 election rigging. Cochise County is close to hiring an elections director who has repeatedly shared false claims about widespread election fraud on Facebook, including claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against former President Donald Trump. Bob Bartelsmeyer, currently the elections director in La Paz County, was chosen by Cochise County Recorder David Stevens for the spot. The county supervisors are set to appoint him at their Tuesday meeting, according to a meeting agenda posted on the county website.

Proud Boys were 'thirsting for violence' on Jan. 6, DOJ says in closing arguments. Five members of the far-right Proud Boys were "thirsting for violence, and organizing for action" before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said at closing arguments in their seditious conspiracy trial Monday.

Montana transgender lawmaker silenced again as backers erupt. Republican legislative leaders in Montana persisted in forbidding Democratic transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from participating in debate for a second week as her supporters brought the House session to a halt Monday — chanting “Let her speak!” from the gallery before they were escorted out. In the initial moments after proceedings were paused Monday afternoon, Zephyr defiantly hoisted a non-functioning microphone into the air as her supporters interrupted proceedings for nearly half an hour after Republicans denied her requests to speak on a proposal that would have restricted when children could change the names and pronouns they use in school and required their parents’ consent. -- Republicans are such hateful people.

Books with LGBTQ themes the most likely targets of bans, report finds. With Florida legislators barring even the mention of being gay in classrooms and similar restrictions under consideration in other states, a report released Monday says books with LGBTQ+ themes remain the most likely targets of bans or attempted bans at public schools and libraries around the country. The American Library Association announced that Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” was the most “challenged” book of 2022, the second consecutive year it has topped the list. -- It’s a “free” country but you are not allowed to read about certain topics. Republicans are such hateful people.

Ex-officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor hired as a deputy. A Louisville police officer who fired the fatal shot that killed Breonna Taylor has a new job in law enforcement in a county northeast of the city. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday confirmed the hiring of Myles Cosgrove, who was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department in January 2021 for violating use-of-force procedures and failing to use a body camera during the raid on Taylor’s apartment, according to media reports. -- That’s how this shit goes. A police officer can kill an innocent person, and not use his body camera during said killing, not get charged for that murder, get fired, and then get hired as a deputy somewhere else. Why isn’t the man in prison?

Supreme Court deals blow to oil companies by turning away climate cases. The decision means lawsuits filed by municipalities seeking to hold companies liable for harms caused by carbon emissions can move forward in state courts.

Supreme Court takes social media cases with echoes of Trump. The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving former President Donald Trump.

Famous Twitter users disavow Musk over verification return. Celebrities, professional athletes and other high-profile Twitter users are once again being verified by the social media platform and they don’t know why their blue check marks reappeared — nor do they seem too happy about it. -- Musk is a terrible business person.

Comedian Richard Lewis reveals he has Parkinson’s disease. The 75-year-old “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star, who is known for wearing all-black and exploring his neuroses onstage, posted a video Monday to Twitter explaining his various health issues.

Las Vegas-to-California bullet train gets bipartisan backing. A bipartisan congressional group from Nevada and California asked the Biden administration Monday to fast-track federal funds for a private company to build a high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. All six of Nevada’s elected federal lawmakers and four House members from California sent the letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. They said they’re on board with a proposal from Brightline West to spend more than $10 billion to lay tracks along the Interstate 15 corridor.

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

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.

Sunday, April 23, 2023

And another day of no alterations, a gun-buying run, Brazil’s approach to school shootings, GOP candidates promise more restrictions on abortion and transgender people, TX GOP jabs at blue cities, and Europe sounds the alarm on ChatGPT comes to a close:

“It’s impossible to overstate the enormity of the damage caused by Fox News.” -- Andrew Weinsten

Fox’s settlement with Dominion unlikely to cost it $787.5M. Fox Corp.’s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower.

Will Fox settlement alter conservative media? Apparently not. Days after Fox News agreed to pay nearly $800 million to settle a lawsuit over its airing of 2020 election lies, you’d be hard-pressed to notice anything had changed there. Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham led their shows Thursday talking about Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Ingraham’s show warned, “The left wants the government to be your only family.” Hannity targeted familiar villains — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Vice President Kamala Harris. Carlson mocked a speech on racial equity, saying it meant “that straight white men are bad.” Experts doubt the settlement will lead to much of a course correction in conservative media, save for a little less specificity to avoid future lawsuits.

A nation rocked by mass shootings goes on an extended gun-buying run. The heightened interest in guns comes amid a horrific spate of mass shootings and – according to the CDC’s most recent figures – firearm fatalities that outnumbered motor vehicle traffic deaths 48,830 to 45,404. Over the last two weeks, four people were shot – one fatally – in upstate New York, Kansas City and Texas after accidentally going to the wrong address or opening the wrong door. The number of both state and national instant criminal background checks – required before one can purchase a gun and a rough indicator of how many people are either purchasing or possibly being issued a gun permit – surged during the pandemic from under 30 million to nearly 40 million, according to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. -- The GOP wants us to be afraid; they want us to buy more guns; they want us to kill each other. Apparently, their plan is working.

Brazil’s school violence mirrors US. Its reaction doesn’t. About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian daycare center, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence. Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the country’s response across federal, state and municipal levels. Brazil’s all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the U.S., where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental. Actions adopted in the U.S. - and some of its perceived shortcomings - are informing the Brazilian response. -- The US teaches other countries what they should not do.

At least 9 teens injured after shots fired at Texas after-prom party. At least nine teenagers suffered non-life-threatening injuries after shots were fired at an after-prom party in Texas, according to local police.

Once-a-week nightmare: US mass killings on a record pace. The U.S. is setting a record pace for mass killings in 2023, replaying the horror on a loop roughly once a week so far this year. The carnage has taken 88 lives in 17 mass killings over 111 days. Each time, the killers wielded firearms.

Gun deaths among children are soaring. One in 25 American kindergartners won't make it to their 40th birthday.

GOP candidates pitch Iowa evangelicals with promises to restrict transgender and abortion rights. Before a 1,000-person crowd at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s spring kickoff, a bevy of midtier candidates seeking to break out of the pack mingled with attendees, many of whom were influential activists across the state. They called for new restrictions on abortion rights and gender-affirming care, and for expanding school choice programs and shutting down the Department of Education. -- All they run on is pure hatred for others. They have no interest in helping all Americans.

Texas Senate moves to end countywide voting on Election Day. Voters in nearly 100, mostly rural counties can vote at any polling site in their county. The sponsor, without offering evidence, said the practice was not secure. Senate Bill 990, authored by Republican Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood, passed 17-12 along party lines. The bill — if approved by the state House — would eliminate countywide voting centers on Election Day and require residents to vote at an assigned precinct, typically in their neighborhood. Larger voting centers would be permitted through early voting.

GOP lawmakers push for state control of St. Louis police. Ten years after gaining local control of its police for the first time since the Civil War, the city of St. Louis has more murders than ever before — and Missouri’s Republican lawmakers are again pressuring for a state takeover of the police force. The debate over policing power in St. Louis — a racially diverse, heavily Democratic city long vexed by violent crime — carries political and racial overtones like those that have roiled other cities and states this year. But data suggest neither state nor local control may make much difference when it comes to stemming homicides.

Possible links between Covid shots and tinnitus emerge. People who have developed life-altering ringing in their ears after Covid vaccinations demand deeper investigation into this potential side effect.

Texas House approves sweeping limits on local regulations in GOP’s latest jab at blue cities. In a major escalation of Republicans’ efforts to weaken the state’s bluer cities and counties, lawmakers in the Texas Legislature are advancing a pair of bills that would seize control of local regulations that could range from worker protections to water restrictions during droughts. A bill backed by Gov. Greg Abbott and business lobbying groups, House Bill 2127, would bar cities and counties from passing regulations — and overturn existing ones — that go further than state law in a broad swath of areas including labor, agriculture, natural resources and finance.

Washington state passes bill repealing death penalty law. Washington has become the 23rd state to end the death penalty after Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed Senate Bill 5087 into law on Thursday. The bill also bans forced chemical castration as a punishment for a crime. The measure was passed in the state legislature earlier this month.

Dying patients protest looming telehealth crackdown. Now, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has proposed a rule that would reinstate most previously longstanding requirements that doctors see patients in person before prescribing narcotic drugs such as Oxycontin, amphetamines such as Adderall, and a host of other potentially dangerous drugs...The proposal has sparked a massive backlash, including more than 35,000 comments to a federal portal and calls from advocates, members of Congress and medical groups to reconsider certain patients or provisions. “They completely forgot that there was a population of people who are dying.”...Among the biggest complaints: The rule would delay or block access for patients who seek medically assisted suicide and hospice care, critics said. Many of the comments -- including nearly 10,000 delivered in person to DEA offices -- came from doctors and patients protesting the effect of the rule on seriously ill and dying patients.

Europe sounds the alarm on ChatGPT. Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, warned at the end of March that ChatGPT, just one of thousands of AI platforms currently in use, can assist criminals with phishing, malware creation and even terrorist acts. “If a potential criminal knows nothing about a particular crime area, ChatGPT can speed up the research process significantly by offering key information that can then be further explored in subsequent steps,” the Europol report stated. “As such, ChatGPT can be used to learn about a vast number of potential crime areas with no prior knowledge, ranging from how to break into a home to terrorism, cybercrime and child sexual abuse.”

Leg-lengthening surgery is gaining popularity among men seeking to be taller, doctors say. Leg lengthening is an intense and expensive process but one that has become more popular and accepted in the last five years, according to Dr. Shahab Mahboubian, a surgeon at the Height Lengthening Institute in Burbank, California, who performed Alex’s operations. “I even have 60-, 65-year-old guys that have come to me to undergo the procedure because it just doesn’t stop. The 'short' jokes keep going on and they feel inferior,” he said. The $75,000, four-hour operation, which is not generally covered by insurance, involves cutting the thigh bones in each leg and inserting rods inside them. Then over the next three to four months, the rods are lengthened by up to 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) per day, via an external remote control. New bone grows over the rods. Physical therapy is required.

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

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.