In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Abduction; misogyny; terrorism] Boko Haram has reportedly abducted dozens more women and girls: "Suspected Boko Haram fighters have abducted more than 60 women and young girls in the past week in restive northeast Nigeria, a local official and a vigilante leader said Tuesday. ...The new kidnappings allegedly occurred during a Boko Haram attack on Kummabza village in the Damboa district of Borno state. The attack left at least 30 dead, according to residents who escaped the violence. ...It was not clear why news of the attack and kidnapping has taken days to trickle in, but local officials seemed to confirm to several news outlets the veracity of the information. 'Over 60 women were hijacked and forcefully taken away by the terrorists. The village was also destroyed,' one official told Agence France-Presse."

[CN: Persecution; religious intolerance] Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman who was arrested and sentenced to death for being Christian then released, has now been re-arrested "with her husband and two children at Khartoum airport on Tuesday as the family attempted to leave the country. Agents from the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) detained the family just 24 hours after Ibrahim was released on the orders of the appeal court. Her lawyer, Elshareef Mohammed, who was with Ibrahim at Khartoum airport at the time of the arrest, said more than 40 NISS officers apprehended the family as they attempted to board a plane to the US. Ibrahim's husband, Daniel Wani, is a US citizen." Fucking hell. Give Ibrahim her freedom. Fuck.

Something something Governor Chris Christie something something the Pulaski Skyway something something this guy and bridges amirite.

[CN: Militarization of police] More on the increasing militarization of US police forces. It's like declaring martial law in infinitesimal increments.

[CN: Bigotry; misogyny] The full interview with Gary Oldman I mentioned yesterday is now available here. He really sounds like a total asshole. Also, I hope someone lets Gary Oldman know someday that ladies make movies, too!

In good news: The Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge, the Episcopal chaplain at Boston University, became the first openly transgender priest to preach from Canterbury Pulpit at the Washington National Cathedral when he was a guest preacher last Sunday. Neat!

[CN: Abuse; emotional manipulation] Robin Thicke, the rape apologist behind "Blurred Lines," is using his latest album to publicly harass his estranged wife and try to coerce her to reconcile with him. This is not romantic. This is abuse and coercion.

And finally! Here is a nice story about a man who rescued an injured dog from traffic and then adopted the dog. Yay! (Hey, know who else did something like that? Deeky!)