Showing posts with label HelpTheGirls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HelpTheGirls. Show all posts

We Resist: Day 412

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Wednesday, March 07, 2018
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a black bar with the word RESIST in white text

One of the difficulties in resisting the Trump administration, the Republican Congressional majority, and Republican state legislatures (plus the occasional non-Republican who obliges us to resist their nonsense, too, like we don't have enough to worry about) is keeping on top of the sheer number of horrors, indignities, and normalization of the aggressively abnormal that they unleash every single day.

So here is a daily thread for all of us to share all the things that are going on, thus crowdsourcing a daily compendium of the onslaught of conservative erosion of our rights and our very democracy.

Stay engaged. Stay vigilant. Resist.

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Here are some things in the news today:

Earlier today by me: Joe Biden, What Are You Even Doing? and Gary Cohn Jumps Ship to Dogwhistled Anti-Semitism and On the Stormy Daniels Story.

Arelis R. Hernández at the Washington Post: Exodus from Puerto Rico Grows as Island Struggles to Rebound from Hurricane Maria.
Experts say the storm and its widespread devastation undoubtedly have sped up the pace of migration as residents have dealt with extended power outages, communication lapses, infrastructure failures and, in some cases, isolation. What already was the largest exodus in the island's history now includes people fleeing in droves simply to achieve some sense of normalcy.

Just this week, a power outage put nearly 900,000 residents in and around the capital city of San Juan in the dark and without water — again. Tens of thousands in Puerto Rico have had no electricity since the hurricane struck five months ago, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that 1 in 10 customers still won't have it as of the end of March.

The island's bankrupt public utility has struggled to restore power amid contracting scandals, materiel shortages and intermittent blackouts, and the biggest restoration contractor, Fluor Corp., confirmed that it is pulling out of Puerto Rico in the next several weeks after reaching the funding limit of its $746 million contract.

The governor announced plans last month to privatize the electric utility, sparking standoffs with unionized workers and arousing suspicions from residents. Some municipalities such as San Sebastian, a town in the island's northwest corner, didn't wait and formed their own volunteer brigades to string up power lines and return electricity to thousands of residents.

Nearly 58,000 homes here have roofs made of blue tarps while they await federal assistance; more than 437,000 residents — about 2 of every 5 who applied so far — have received money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for home repairs.

For many, the future feels ominous.
It utterly guts me that so many Puerto Ricans are being forced to leave their homes in search of stability that the U.S. federal government should be able — and willing — to provide. This is a terrible shame, and I am stricken by the thought that Republicans are deliberately neglecting Puerto Rico to turn it into a profiteering opportunity for the wealthy. After all, the worse things get on the island, the lower the property values in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, just a short flight away from the continental U.S. That there are plans to privatize Puerto Rico's power because of lingering failures does not bode well. Just...fuck.

[Content Note: Genocide] Saphora Smith at NBC News: Rohingya Muslims Will Soon Face Cyclones, Monsoons in Bangladesh. "Refugees driven out of Myanmar by what the U.S. has called 'ethnic cleansing' now face a new threat: the looming monsoon and cyclone season. Authorities have warned that more than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled into neighboring Bangladesh are at risk of losing their makeshift homes to the deadly floods and landslides that accompany seasonal rains. Workers are scrambling to reinforce shelters and dig drainage systems before the bad weather is expected next month. ...[The situation] is largely the same in other makeshift camps housing the refugees near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. 'It's a race against time,' said Caroline Gluck, a spokeswoman for the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) in the country. 'We're very alarmed, we're very concerned, we're doing what we can, but we're not sure it's going to be enough.'"

Goddammit. And where is the U.S. State Department during this? "Engaged vigorously in the diplomatic realm." Oh.

[CN: Terrorism; abductions; misogyny] Samuel Okocha at Rewire: Nigerians Continue #BringBackOurGirls Campaign Amid New Kidnappings, Violence. "Members of Nigeria's Bring Back Our Girls movement are vowing to continue the push to free girls who remain in Boko Haram's captivity amid news of another abduction of schoolgirls and increasing terror by the extremist group. Despite military and territorial gains against the terrorist group, Boko Haram has continued to unleash despair with the latest kidnapping of more than 100 schoolgirls in the northeast Nigerian town of Dapchi, believed to be the largest mass abduction since the 2014 notorious Chibok kidnappings. At least three aid workers died on March 1 in another Boko Haram attack in Borno's border town of Rann." Seethe.

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Zeke Miller and Jonathan Lemire at the AP: West Wing Turmoil with Staff Exits; No Chaos, Trump Says. "Cohn's departure has sparked internal fears of an even larger exodus, raising concerns in Washington of a coming 'brain drain' around the president that will only make it more difficult for Trump to advance his already languishing policy agenda. Multiple White House officials said the president has been pushing anxious aides to stay on the job. 'Everyone wants to work in the White House,' Trump said during a news conference Tuesday. 'They all want a piece of the Oval Office.' The reality is far different."

Insert all the jokes here about a "brain drain" in Trump's White House, but, as I've said many times before, the fact that there aren't smart, competent, experienced, ethical people willing to work for the executive branch is not funny. It is terrifying. No one wants to live in a country being run by corrupt fools.

David Voreacos and Greg Farrell at Bloomberg: Trump Fundraiser's Email Breach Shows Risks Before Midterms. "A top Republican fundraiser for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign learned last week that his email accounts had been hacked, sowing concerns that document leaks could roil another national U.S. election cycle. Elliott Broidy, a deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, became aware of the problem when a reporter asked about some of his private messages, said his attorney, Christopher Clark. Broidy then alerted law-enforcement officials, who are now investigating the breach of his private and business emails. Some news organizations have cited Broidy's communications in articles over the past week, describing how he sought to use his political ties to advance his business interests and those of foreign leaders. More embarrassing revelations could follow. All the information will be released soon on 'the dark web,' according to a note accompanying emails sent to Bloomberg."

Hacked DNC and Clinton campaign emails were reported without regard for the fact that they were illegally obtained, and the Russians, who were behind the hacking, never faced any consequences, so of course it's going to happen again during the next election cycle. We have learned nothing and taken no precautions to prevent a repeat of election interference. If anything, meddlers will double-down, because they know nothing will be done to stop or punish them.

Meanwhile, the investigation of the 2016 clusterfuck continues...


Swapna Krishna at Engadget: Russians Used Fake Social Accounts to Gather Americans' Personal Data. "The Internet Research Agency, which is backed by the Russian government, used fake social media accounts to collect names, email addresses, and more. The activity continued after the 2016 election. Using social media, Russian accounts such as @Black4Black and @BlackMattersUS reached out to small business owners, asking for personal information in order to write profiles and promotional content. They promised to add these companies to a business directory as part of their activist outreach. But nothing ever happened. ...It's not fully clear why Russian operatives want this personal information, but it could be tied to either identity theft or a larger effort to influence US politics." COULD BE!


We are so fucked.

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[CN: Video may autoplay at link] Amanda Terkel at the Huffington Post: Ben Carson Removes Anti-Discrimination Language from HUD Mission Statement. "Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is changing the mission statement of his agency, removing promises of inclusive and discrimination-free communities. In a March 5 memo addressed to HUD political staff, Amy Thompson, the department's assistant secretary for public affairs, explained that the statement is being updated 'in an effort to align HUD's mission with the Secretary's priorities and that of the Administration.' The new mission statement reads: 'HUD's mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation.' ...The Carson mission statement is quite different from the current one, which is still up on HUD's website. That one promises 'strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.' It also says these communities will be 'free from discrimination'."


[CN: War on agency] Rebekah Entralgo at ThinkProgress: Mississippi Senate Passes the Most Restrictive Abortion Ban in the Country. "On Tuesday, the Mississippi state senate passed a bill 35-14 that would ban abortions after just 15 weeks of pregnancy. The senate vote brings the state one step closer to enacting the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Current state law prohibits the procedure 20 weeks after a woman's last period. No other state has a 15-week restriction. State lawmakers have previously argued that a 20-week ban was necessary in order to prevent fetal pain; by moving the ban to 15 weeks, the Mississippi legislature is making clear that this bill isn't really about the fetus, but about a larger attack on Roe v. Wade."


[CN: Sexual assault] Nigel Jaquiss at Willamette Week: In 2011, Portland Police Investigated a Sexual Assault Complaint Against Billionaire Mark Cuban: He Wasn't Charged; Here's What Happened. "The woman, whom WW is not naming because she's the alleged victim of sexual assault, agreed to a brief interview after WW obtained the police report and contacted her. She says she never contacted the media or sought publicity or compensation from Cuban and has put the incident behind her. 'I really left it in the past,' she says. 'I haven't thought about it for seven years.' Now married and in her mid-30s, the woman works in the medical field and enjoys hiking with her yellow Lab. 'I have a wonderful life,' she says. 'I'm a happy person.' But she's sticking to her story. 'I filed the report because what he did was wrong,' she adds. 'I stand behind that report 1,000 percent.'"

As you may recall, Marc Cuban was recently SHOCKED! to discover that a number of women spent years being harassed in the corporate offices of the Dallas Mavericks, the basketball team he owns. Ahem.

And finally...


Is there a single Republican who isn't a thoroughly hypocritical, ethically bankrupt, vile asshole?

That's rhetorical.

What have you been reading that we need to resist today?

Open Wide...
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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Thursday, October 13, 2016
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Here's some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: War; displacement; famine] This Washington Post piece on the famine in Nigeria is a must-read: "About a million and a half of the victims have fled the Islamist extremists and are living in makeshift camps, bombed-out buildings, and host communities, receiving minimal supplies from international organizations. An additional 2 million people, according to the United Nations, are still inaccessible because of the Boko Haram fighters, who control their villages or patrol the surrounding areas. 'We will see, I think, a famine unlike any we have ever seen anywhere,' unless immediate assistance is provided, said Toby Lanzer, the top U.N. official focused on humanitarian aid for the region."

[CN: Abduction; misogyny; video may autoplay at link] In related news: "Twenty-one of the Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014 have been released, according to the Nigerian government." Twenty-one. Out of hundreds who remain missing.

The Washington Post has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. That brings the grand total of major newspaper endorsements to: Hillary: ALL OF THEM and Trump: STILL ZERO.

Anne Holton, who is married to Tim Kaine, was asked during a CNN interview how her husband "courted" her. She replied: "I courted him." We have a fine, fine Democratic ticket this year, friends.

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in literature. Okay!

Wow: "There are a dizzying two trillion galaxies in the Universe, up to 20 times more than previously thought, astronomers reported on Thursday. The surprising find, based on 3D modeling of images collected over 20 years by the Hubble Space Telescope, was published in the Astronomical Journal."

OMG LOLOLOL: "The officers began searching the house… And then, the burglar appeared. In fact, he was unapologetically staring at them right from the roof window! 'One of the deputies outside the house heard this scratching noise,' said Crum. 'He shined his light around the house... The deputy said, and I quote: At that point we ditched all tactics and died laughing.'"

What have you been reading?

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Wednesday, May 18, 2016
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Natural disaster; death; displacement] So awful: "Rescuers in Sri Lanka are searching for scores of people missing after massive landslides following days of rain. The army told the BBC that 134 people remained unaccounted for after mudslides hit three villages in central Kegalle district. At least 14 bodies have been recovered so far. Another three bodies were found elsewhere in the district. Disaster officials say about 150 people have been rescued but more than 60 houses have been buried by mud. Landslides and flooding caused by three days of torrential rain in Sri Lanka have killed at least 37 people in total, according to official figures. Nearly 350,000 people have been displaced."

[CN: Misogyny; sexual violence; terrorism] "Nigerian soldiers have found one of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Chibok, making her the first freed from the Islamic extremists since the mass kidnapping more than two years ago. Her uncle describes her as pregnant and traumatized but otherwise fine. Amina Ali Nkeki is the first of the 219 Chibok girls to escape from her captors since their abduction grabbed worldwide attention more than two years ago. She was found wandering in the forest, uncle Yakubu Nkeki told The Associated Press. He said the 19-year-old—she was 17 when she was abducted—was brought to Chibok Tuesday night for her identity to be verified and to be reunited with her mother. ...Other Chibok girls may also have been rescued by soldiers hunting down Boko Haram in the remote northeastern Sambisa Forest on Tuesday night, said Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus. He said he is working with officials to establish their identities." Presumably, the AP meant "physically unharmed," rather than "fine." Ahem. I desperately hope she will have the support she needs as she begins to rebuild her life after this horrendous experience. And, given that Boko Haram continues to terrorize the area and abduct people, I hope she remains safe.

[CN: War on agency] Terrific (by which I mean terrible): "South Carolina passes bill banning abortion after 19 weeks, becoming 17th state to do so; governor expected to sign." I'm pretty sure that abortion wasn't legal after 19 weeks in South Carolina, except in cases of fetal anomalies or risk to health, so, basically, all this law will do is prevent necessary therapeutic abortions. Rage seethe boil.

[CN: Racism; eliminationist violence; harassment] George Zimmerman is one of the most odious fuckers on the planet. Last week, he started trying to auction off the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin, saying he would use the proceeds to campaign against Hillary Clinton. Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother, has been campaigning with Clinton as a spokesperson against gun violence and for gun reform. So this piece of shit wants to sell the gun he used to kill her child and use the profits to defeat the candidate with whom she's campaigning. Now, in a new interview, he says "he has no remorse about shooting the 17-year-old boy to death in Sanford, Florida, and bears outright hostility for the parents whose son he took away forever. 'They didn't raise their son right. He attacked a complete stranger and attempted to kill him,' Zimmerman said of Martin." There is more, and it is absolute filth. Having been writing about this guy for four years now, nothing he does surprises me. Everything he does, however, makes me incandescently angry. And I cannot quite put into words how profoundly upsetting I find it that he continues to provoke Trayvon's family so publicly and so viciously. What a truly vile dirtbag.

"The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Eric Fanning as the new secretary of the Army—quietly making history by putting the first openly gay person in the post. Fanning was confirmed unanimously on a voice vote. He previously filled a number of senior positions in the Department of Defense, including acting undersecretary of the Army, special assistant to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, and undersecretary of the Air Force. President Barack Obama nominated Fanning in September, but his confirmation was delayed because of politics." Of course it was.

[CN: Violence; harassment] The Sacramento Bee isn't mincing any words about Bernie Sanders' abdication of leadership with regard to his out of control supporters: "One would think that Sanders, the man who continues to insist he's the only Democrat who can beat Trump, would speak up forcefully to condemn the actions of his supporters in Nevada. If nothing else, it's the right thing to do. Instead, much like Trump when pressed about the violent streak within his ranks, he has largely weaseled out of his responsibility to make it clear to his supporters that this is not acceptable behavior. ...Sanders can't be expected to control the behavior of every single supporter. But when violence breaks out in his name, when his supporters start making death threats and resorting to sexist taunts over social media, Sanders can and should be expected to condemn such behavior—swiftly, visibly and unequivocally. That is leadership, just as leadership also is standing up to the mob, not encouraging it. Doing anything else falls far short of the kind of president we need." Ouch.

[CN: Anti-feminism] "Bill O'Reilly: Feminists Should Not Be Allowed to Report on Trump 'Because Trump Is the Antithesis of' Feminism." LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Sure: "North Carolina Rep. Renee Ellmers, a Republican who has endorsed Donald Trump, said Wednesday she doesn't condone the real estate mogul's past comments about women but still believes he is the best candidate for female voters. ...'Women are pragmatic and they want answers. They want solutions. They don't have time for the outside remarks and innuendo and the stories that are going to come out over time. They want to see results. They want to get their country back.'" Which is why this woman is voting for Hillary Clinton!

[CN: Rape culture; video may autoplay at link] What the everloving fuck: "Kesha Says She 'Won't Be Allowed' to Perform at Billboard Music Awards After Dr. Luke's Label Allegedly Rescinds Approval." Like, if there were ever any doubt about her allegations, the fact that this shitlord is still trying to have control over her should really clear them right the fuck up.

Set your DVRs! Hillary Clinton and the cast of Ghostbusters will all appear on Ellen Wednesday, May 25. *faints*

In case you didn't already love John Boyega, here he is talking about his new female costar in Star Wars: Episode VIII, Kelly Marie Tran: "I love her. I love her. I think she's fantastic. But she'll tell her own story. I feel it's always weird or wrong for someone the world hasn't met, for me to come and start talking about her. She's great. She's freaking great, and I love her. I freaking love her. She's fantastic. Seriously. She's changed a lot in terms of perspective on just chemistry and industry. She's a real cool girl. Yeah, yeah! Her outlook. It's a friendship thing in the sense of you meet someone and you're just like, 'I vibe with you. I feel like I've known you for years.' And that's a very, very good thing. I don't know what I can and can't say. But she's fully in the movie, she's a great character, and I can't wait for you guys to be introduced to her." LOVE. Also? Apparently Tom Hardy has a cameo. Dead.

And finally! Asian Small-clawed Otter pup!!! "Asian Small-clawed Otters have a vast but shrinking Southeast Asian range that spans from India to the Philippines, Taiwan, and parts of southern China. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is threatened by habitat loss and exploitation." So, you know, an important pup as well as a TOTES ADORBZ one!

Open Wide...
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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Thursday, April 14, 2016
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Misogyny; abduction; abuse; terrorism] Two years ago today, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from the Chibok Government Secondary School in Nigeria. Some of them were able to escape, but 219 remain missing. Of the ones who remain missing, it is almost a certainty that some of them have been killed, by being forced to participate in acts of violent terror or by other means. Many, or all, of the survivors have been subjected to unfathomable tortures and abuse. I feel utterly helpless to do anything meaningful, except to continue to write about this, and the ongoing abductions that Boko Haram continues to orchestrate. I take up space in solidarity with the girls who are missing, and with their families, who desperately want them home.

[CN: Earthquake] Oh no: "A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 has knocked over houses in southern Japan, and police said people could be trapped underneath the rubble. The Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto hospital said it had admitted or treated 45 people on Thursday, including five with serious injuries. The quake struck at 9.26pm (12.26pm GMT) near Kumamoto city on the island of Kyushu. There was no risk of a tsunami. ...Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told a news conference that the damage was being assessed, but there were no abnormalities at nearby nuclear facilities. The epicentre was 74 miles (120km) north-east of the Sendai nuclear plant, the only one operating in the country." I hope there are no fatalities. Still, there is a lot of damage, and, as of right now, the most profoundly affected areas have no water access. UPDATE: I see the linked story has been updated to reflect that two people have died. My condolences to their loved ones.

[CN: Guns; death] Wow: "In a major blow to gun companies, a judge in Connecticut on Thursday decided the lawsuit brought by 10 families affected by the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School against the maker of the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle used in the shooting will continue. At issue is the 2005 federal law that provides gun businesses immunity from civil lawsuits, known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), or PLCAA for short. Connecticut State Judge Barbara Bellis on Thursday rejected the gun companies' motion to dismiss the case."

[CN: Carcerality; racism] "From Ferguson to Chicago to Newark, communities across the country are being called out for growing local justice systems planted in racist soil. Now, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation aims to help make over those systems. Today (April 13), the foundation announced that it will support justice system reform to the tune of $25 million as part of a larger $75 million commitment to transforming how America uses jails. It is issuing 11 grants of $1.5 to $3.5 million to 11 jurisdictions, plus another nine grants of $150,000 each. The money is earmarked to address racial and ethnic disparities and reduce jail populations. Each grantee had to submit a proposal that outlined a project that is meant to not only function locally, but act as a model for other locales. The projects cover everything from implicit bias training for law enforcement to community-based substance abuse treatment programs to alternatives to incarceration, and each emphasizes community engagement and collaboration."

This is very good news: "Small-time crime and arrest records will be sealed automatically for thousands of people [in Pennsylvania] under new legislation, dubbed the Clean Slate initiative, introduced by a large bipartisan group of lawmakers in Harrisburg. The Clean Slate initiative is the first of its kind in the nation. Several states from Ohio to Mississippi to California have reformed their recordkeeping laws in recent years as activists called attention to the lingering harms that even a simple arrest with no criminal charge can inflict. But Pennsylvania will be the first to automate the process, a significant step forward for people who don’t have the resources to petition the court for the kind of relief other states have made available." Good job, Pennsylvania!

[CN: Transphobia; homophobia] Of course: "Mat Staver and the Liberty Counsel, who served as lawyers for Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, are behind more than 20 anti-LGBT 'bathroom bills' around the nation, CBS News reports: ''It is only about being free to pursue your faith,' said Mathew Staver. 'We have no interest in discriminating against anyone.' Staver is the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which has affiliated attorneys in all 50 states—drafting bills, advising lawmakers and defending clients in what they believe to be the great cultural clash of our time…Lately, Liberty Counsel has been helping to draft legislation for conservative lawmakers in at least 20 states. 'There's certainly a thread of information that is similar and the same,' Staver said. 'They all have the same intent and that is to protect religious freedom.' But opponents say Liberty's handiwork actually protects those who, for religious reasons, decline to employ or serve gays, lesbians, or transgender people.'" Just because someone uses religion to try to justify their bigotry doesn't actually make their reason "religious."

[CN: Rape culture; victim-blaming] Rage seethe boil: "Brigham Young University students who are victims of sex crimes say they are investigated by the school and sometimes disciplined after reporting their abuse, a consequence that critics say silences victims and emboldens offenders. At colleges nationwide, student victims are encouraged to report sexual assaults to schools' Title IX officers, charged with enforcing a federal law that guarantees students don't face hostility on campus based on their gender. But multiple students say that at BYU—a private university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Title IX staff routinely alert the Honor Code Office. ...In a statement, BYU said a student 'will never be referred to the Honor Code Office for being a victim of sexual assault,' and that its Honor Code proceedings are 'independent and separate' from Title IX investigations. But multiple BYU students investigated by the school's Honor Code Office disagree, saying they were scrutinized as a result of reporting a sex crime. In some cases described by past and current students, Honor Code investigations were launched even when the accused assailants were not BYU students—the alleged victim being the sole possible target."

[CN: War on agency] Guess those assurances that Donald Trump is just "playing a role" and doesn't believe all the heinous shit he's saying aren't valid! What a shock! "Donald Trump's charitable giving includes donations to anti-choice organizations, along with a crisis pregnancy center (CPC), according to his charity's tax returns and a document provided by the Trump campaign and published by the Washington Post. In 2013, tax filings show the Donald J. Trump Foundation gave $25,000 to Justice for All, an anti-choice group targeting college campuses."

[CN: Nuclear war] Hillary Clinton has penned an op-ed excoriating Trump for his irresponsible rhetoric on nuclear proliferation and warfare: "Keeping America safe is the most solemn responsibility of any President. So when Donald Trump says 'we need unpredictability' when it comes to nuclear weapons, when he talks casually about actually using these weapons, and when he says he sees no problem in letting more countries develop nuclear weapons, he's not just wrong. This kind of loose talk is dangerous. These may be the most reckless statements on national security by any major presidential candidate in modern history. ...Our national security is too important to entrust to someone who hasn't thought long and hard about how to keep us safe. And remember: Loose cannons tend to misfire. That's a risk we just can't take."

[CN: Splaining; Christian Supremacy] John Kasich is still flying under the radar, but never forget that he is also extremely terrible: "Kasich's travels in New York brought him yesterday to a Jewish bookstore, where he met students of the Talmud. Having thus met people who spend their entire day scrutinizing religious texts, Kasich's reaction was to ask them if they were aware of facts about those texts that they probably knew as very small children. 'They sold [Joseph] into slavery, and that's how the Jews got to Egypt. Right? Did you know that?' For those who never attended Sunday school, this is a bit like visiting MIT, wandering into a physics lab, and asking people if they ever heard of this guy named Isaac Newton." There's video at the link.

No thank you! "AMC, the biggest movie theater chain in the United States, has a new CEO in Adam Aron, and he's up for some changes to the moviegoing experience. Granted, there are plenty of things that could be improved about theaters, but 'allowing texting in theaters' isn't one of them—despite his willingness to try it. This is it. This is the hill my youth dies on. I guess I'm glad it's a movie theater-shaped hill, anyway." LOL.

And finally! All the blubs forever: "A dog and kitten who lost their home were reunited in a heart-warming encounter caught on video at a California animal center recently. And there's more good news! Ami the dog and Mikaela the kitten have both been adopted by a loving family." ♥

Open Wide...
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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Tuesday, April 14, 2015
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Terrorism; abduction; sexual abuse; misogyny] Marking a year since Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in northeast Nigeria, Amnesty International has released a comprehensive report detailing the breadth of the group's terror campaign in the region: "The human rights organization has issued a new report alleging that since January of last year, Boko Haram has abducted at least 2,000 women and girls, forcing them into slavery or the military, and has killed approximately 5,500 civilians. The grim accounting appear in the 90-page report, "'Our Job Is to Shoot, Slaughter and Kill': Boko Haram's Reign of Terror in Northeast Nigeria." It's based on 200 witness accounts, including interviews with nearly 30 women and girls who escaped from Boko Haram. 'The abduction of 276 girls from Chibok was just one case amongst many,' said Daniel Eyre, Amnesty International's Nigeria researcher. 'What our report shows is that many of these girls and women have been tortured. They've been raped. Forced into marriage with Boko Haram members. And some have even been trained as fighters by Boko Haram. Now these are war crimes and crimes against humanity and we're calling for them to be investigated.'"

[CN: Homophobia; war on agency; Christian Supremacy] Oh my god lolsob: "Today the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, IEDC, announced it hired a global PR firm, Porter Novelli, to help build a publicity plan that will reach people nationally and show that Indiana is a welcoming place to live, work, and visit. The IEDC is responsible for growing businesses in the state and attracting new ones to Indiana. After a recent PR nightmare in the state the IEDC accelerated plans to strengthen the Hoosier Hospitality image." Hey, here's an idea: How about the state legislature stop passing retrofuck legislation that attempts to turn Indiana into a Conservative Christian theocracy, stops restricting abortion rights, stops denying basic rights to queer people, stops attempting to destroy our public education system, and robustly funds the social safety net? You know, actually be a legislature of a state so welcoming that no PR campaign is required to convince anyone.

Good grief! "An Alaska Airlines plane declared an emergency and made a priority landing in Seattle after taking off with a worker trapped in the cargo hold. The pilot of flight 448, bound for Los Angeles, was alerted by the sound of banging 'from beneath the aircraft,' an Alaska Airlines statement said. Once back on the ground, the baggage handler emerged from the pressurised hold, saying he had fallen asleep. He 'appeared OK' but went to hospital as a precaution, the airline said." He's apparently fine, and has now gone home. Presumably to finish that nap.

Here's a cool update from our old pal Philae: "Scientists said Tuesday that measurements made by the European space probe Philae, which landed on comet 67P in November, show the comet's core isn't magnetized. The findings add to scientists' understanding of how comets and even planets formed, because some astrophysicists had theorized that magnetism might have been responsible for aligning and then binding together rocks into larger boulders. ...The findings are part of a wealth of scientific results obtained by scientists analyzing data collected by the Philae lander and its mother ship Rosetta, which is flying alongside the comet on its elliptical orbit around the sun."

Bill Kristol is a clown person: "Prompted by host [of ABC's This Week] George Stephanopoulous to name 'the most promising Republican candidate not in the race yet,'...frequent panelist and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol tossed out the name of former Vice President Dick Cheney. ...'If they get to nominate Hillary Clinton, why don't we get to nominate Dick Cheney? I mean, he has a much…he has a much better record,' Kristol said as the entire panel burst into laughter."

Speaking of cool Republican presidential candidates: Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich says he's "seriously considering" running for president. He's terrible, so that sounds about right.

Are you excited about Marvel's new superhero movie Ant-Man? If you don't even know, here is the trailer so you can figure out if you're excited! I am pretty pumped about a superhero whose superpower is crawling all up on that infinitesimal smudge of peanut butter you left on the counter, thus alerting you to its presence!

Guitar Hero is back with "a brand new controller with a refreshed interface, designed to more closely resemble real guitar playing. The game will ship with a wide array of licensed tracks, and will also allow players to access extra songs—and to indulge in online multiplayer competitions—through a new Guitar Hero TV service, billed by publisher Activision as 'the world's first playable live music video network.'" Sounds fun! I was more into Rock Band than Guitar Hero (and I was super into Rock Band), but I'm pretty excited to give this a try.

And finally! A tiny kitten conquers the stairs like a boss! Aww lol.

Open Wide...
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More Abductions in Nigeria

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Thursday, December 18, 2014
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[Content Note: Violence; abduction; misogyny; terrorism.]

Gunmen suspected to be part of Boko Haram, the terrorist organization who abducted 234 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok in April, have struck once again, abducting "more than 100 women and children and killed 35 other people on Sunday during a raid on the remote northeast Nigerian village of Gumsuri."

Although no one has claimed it yet, the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which abducted more than 200 women in April from a secondary school in Chibok, only 24 km (15 miles) from this latest attack.

...Thousands of people have been killed and many hundreds abducted, raising questions about the ability of security forces to protect civilians, especially around the north Cameroon border where the militants are well established.

Maina Chibok, who did not witness the attack but is from Gumsuri and visited family there shortly afterwards, said the insurgents came in pick-up trucks and sprayed the town with bullets from AK-47s and machine guns.

"They gathered the people, shot dead over 30 people and took away more than 100 women and children in two open-top trucks," Chibok said. Burials of many of the victims had already happened, he added.

News from remote parts of Nigeria that are cut off from mobile communications sometimes takes days to emerge.

A security source confirmed that more than 100 had been abducted and said 35 people had been killed, including the district head.

"They also burned down a government medical center, houses and shops," Chibok said.
This is just intolerable. I am so sad and so angry for the people who are just trying to live their lives in this region, and who are being constantly terrorized by people who use them as pawns in their disgusting ideological games.

I feel helpless to do anything: Bring Back Our Girls suggests that the most important thing we can do is make noise—"make as much noise as possible, to be globally loud, so that the Nigerian government will not be allowed peace till every one of the Chibok girls is back with their families."

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Monday, October 27, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Guns; death] A thirteen-year-old boy was shot and killed Friday in Gary, Indiana, by a neighbor who became enraged that the boy laughed at him. The man and his girlfriend were tearing through the neighborhood demanding to know who'd burglarized their home, and the teenager laughed, and so the man shot him nine times. What the everloving fuck is wrong with people?

[CN: Guns; death] A second victim of Jaylen Fryberg has died: 14-year-old Gia Soriano was shot in the head by her classmate, and has succumbed to her injuries. Zoe Galasso, who died at the scene, was dating Fryberg's cousin, Andrew Fryberg, who was also shot. Jaylen reportedly targeted Zoe and Andrew because he had a crush on Zoe and was jealous that she was dating his cousin. And still we are not having a serious conversation about violent male entitlement. Or gun access.

[CN: Misogynist terrorism; abduction; sexual violence] Human Rights Watch has issued a report, "Those Terrible Weeks in Their Camp," on the abductions of hundreds of women and girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram, which includes details of their horrific treatment and recommendations for the Nigerian government and police, Boko Haram, the international community, and the International Criminal Court moving forward.

[CN: War on agency] "All four of Tennessee's major papers have spoken out to oppose Amendment 1, a dangerous anti-abortion measure that will be decided by voters this fall." GOOD.

[CN: Appropriation; racism; fat hatred] Halloween is definitely in full swing: Here, a "fat woman" is suggested as a DIY Halloween costume representing "a woman who has it all": "Whether 'having it all' means not having to choose between a cupcake or a cookie — why choose when you can have both? — or not having to choose between having a child and getting that well-deserved promotion, you can taylor this costume to represent whatever the term means to you." The fuck. And here, Howa details being interviewed by police after talking to nursing students who "dressed up in hazmat tonight for their Halloween party. Ebola Nurses, they said. ...One of our student leaders calmly addressed the two young women and explained to them how offensive their costumes were. ...We left them and after half an hour we were approached by a police officer. A police officer (Officer H.) came into the center to talk to us. He informed us that the student Nurses called the police because we 'posed as a threat' to them." Good grief.

[CN: Class warfare] "7 things the middle class can't afford anymore." Yep.

[CN: Images at link may be NSFW.] I love these paintings of naked women of all ages by artist Aleah Chapin. Naturally, she's getting a shit-ton of pushback, basically for the deeply transgressive action of publicly displaying real naked female bodies doing things other than posing as sex objects.

[CN: Guns; death] This is a real headline: "Tired, Tense: Pistorius Survives First Night of Five-Year Jail Term." (A sentence his defense team is appealing.) I really don't give a fuck if Oscar Pistorius is not enjoying jail, y'all.

[CN: Animal abuse] The ASPCA, in conjunction with the US Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina and the FBI, has rescued dozens of dogs from a dogfighting ring. Those poor dogs. They're in good hands now, at least.

And finally! Here is a really nice story about young football players being exceptionally decent human beings to each other. KIDS THESE DAYS!

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Friday, October 24, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Guns; death; terrorism] The Globe and Mail has a comprehensive compendium of information about the Ottawa attacks and immediate political responses to the attacks: "Ottawa aftermath: What we know so far."

[CN: Illness] Dallas nurse Nina Pham, who contracted Ebola after providing care for Thomas Eric Duncan, "is now virus-free and will be discharged on Friday, National Institutes of Health officials confirmed." Hooray!

[CN: Terrorism; misogyny; abduction] This is so fucking awful: "Despite Nigerian military officials announcement last week that they had negotiated with militant group Boko Haram for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April, it appears the girls have not be brought home—and residents say more women and girls have been kidnapped since." According to residents of the Wagga community in northeast Nigeria, members of Boko Haram went "door-to-door looking for young women and girls and abducted 40 of them. Lazarus Baushe, an elder of the Wagga community, said: 'They left 1,500 naira (£5.67) and some kola nuts in each home where they seized a woman, apparently as a bride price.'" An additional 20 women and girls were abducted from Gwarta, according to witnesses.

[CN: Misogynist terrorism] Prove the point MORE: "Actress Felicia Day Opens Up about GamerGate Fears, Has Her Private Details Exposed Minutes Later."

[CN: Police brutality; racism] Levar Jones, the South Carolina man who was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop for a seatbelt violation, speaks out about the incident, saying of the officer: "I really feel he needs to be charged with something that holds felony status. That way he will have to sign the Gun [Control] Act, will no longer be able to carry a gun, will no longer be able to be a police officer." YES.

[CN: Misogyny; harassment] This report by Meagan Damore on Marvel Comics' annual "Women of Marvel" panel at New York Comic Con last weekend is amazing. Kelly Sue DeConnick, writer of Captain Marvel, asked all the women in the audience who currently or aspire to work in comics industry to stand, then told them: "Before you sit back down, take a moment and look around at each other. You need community to do this. You need the support of one another. Writers, find artists. Artists, find writers. People who do the whole ballgame yourself, you need to get out of your room every once in a while, find a friend. Making a living in any creative endeavor is difficult. The most important bit of advice that we can give you is: You need to start; you need to start now. I am 44 years old and I have two children and I don't sleep enough… So those of you who are young, especially, but those of you who are even older than me, it is not too late. But you haven't a moment to spare. You have to start making comics... Be brave. Do it. We believe in you and we are here for each other. Most importantly, we need your voices."

[CN: Fat hatred; food policing; classism; privilege] Former model Twiggy goes off on how obesity is "a tragedy," blames it on people eating fast food, and, incredibly, in the same interview, says: "Some models starve themselves but I was just a naturally skinny kid. I used to eat everything, even big bars of chocolate, but I could not put on weight." It never ceases to amaze me how someone who can't put on weight, no matter what, can't imagine that there are people who can't lose weight, no matter what. BODIES ARE DIFFERENT. This is not a difficult concept. For fuck's sake.

Madeleine Albright 2, Conan O'Brien 0.

Wow: "Science Graphic of the Week: Spectacular, Twisted Solar Eruption."

I mean: A dog who survived Hurricane Katrina is now working in the Arizona Humane Society's kitten room as a nanny dog, to help kittens become comfortable around dogs. ♥

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Monday, October 20, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Racism; violence; police brutality; dehumanization; othering; privilege] If you read one thing today, make it this: "An American Horror Story—Open Letter from Ferguson Protestors and Allies."

[CN: Guns; disablism] When no-gun lists for people with mental illness were first proposed, some of us predicted they would be wildly abused, and, naturally, we were called alarmists and hysterics and the usual bullshit. Welp: "Mental Health Issues Put 34,500 on New York's No-Guns List." I guess I don't need to point out the relationship between aggressive male entitlement and the patriarchal disincentives against admitting to and seeking help for mental health issues, nor the fact that people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence. So, basically, what we have here is a registry of victims. Swell.

[CN: Murder; misogyny] The bodies of seven women have been found in Northwest Indiana, very near where I live. A man whose name has not yet been released, and who is a convicted sex offender who moved to Indiana from Texas about a decade ago, confessed to killing at least one victim after her body was found in a motel. There is more on the investigation here. The two identified victims are black women, and I suspect more (or all) of the other victims are black women, too. There has been virtually no local news coverage of these missing women, who now appear to be victims of a serial killer. I am so sad for their families and friends. And I am so angry how little attention their disappearances have been given, until now.

[CN: Illness] Maybe everyone can settle down now? (Probably not!) "Dozens of potentially at-risk Texans cleared as state continues Ebola monitoring."

[CN: Classism; food insecurity; bootstraps] My governor is a cruel nightmare: "Indiana will cut tens of thousands of its poorest people off of the food stamps roles beginning next spring, the state announced. Gov. Mike Pence (R) has decided to join seven other states in reinstating work requirements for food stamps despite being eligible for a federal waiver from those rules for the coming fiscal year." FUCK THIS BOOTSTRAPS BULLSHIT.

[CN: Misogyny; terrorism; abduction] Boko Haram has said it will release today the nearly 300 young women they abducted nearly six months ago. Let us hope they do, and let us hope that the young women, who have suffered unfathomable trauma, will get the help they need to begin recovery.

[CN: War; terrorism; betrayal] If you can view video, John Oliver's segment last night on translators who have worked with the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq, but whose relocation to safety is being delayed or denied by US bureaucracy, is a must-watch.

[CN: Harassment; abuse] Britain is proposing a law that would jail people found guilty of online "trolling" for up to two years. I have mixed feelings about increased carcerality being considered a solution to any problem, but, given that's all we've got at the moment, I feel glad that it's being taken seriously. Opponents are free speech blah-blahing, of course: "Some lawyers and freedom of speech campaigners have warned that criminal sanctions should be the last resort. 'Do we want to criminalise every social conduct that we find problematic?' Barbora Bukovska, a senior director at campaign group ARTICLE 19, said earlier this month." Isn't it funny how free speech is so important when it comes to speech that literally terrorizes mostly women and marginalized men. And isn't it funny how "objectionable" is a word used to describe things that harm people, as long as those people are mostly women and marginalized men.

Meanwhile: "It's just an opinion, right? But if you post it online, you could get some unwanted attention from lawyers. A growing number of companies are going after people who post negative reviews online. Ottawa student Olivia Parsons learned that the hard way. After moving out of her apartment in June, she posted several less-than-flattering online reviews on Google, Yelp and Pissed Consumer. The reviews took aim at CLV Group—the company that manages the building. ...About a week later, Parsons got a surprise in the mail—a letter from CLV Group's lawyer demanding Parsons immediately stop posting negative reviews and that she delete the ones already up. The letter described her reviews as 'false' and 'misleading' and damaging to the company's reputation. That letter came as a surprise for another reason. Parsons used an online pseudonym. Yet the company was still able to track down her real name and even her new address. She has no idea how they managed to do that. 'My heart just dropped. I couldn't believe that they had found me.'" Corporate personhood is terrific! Female personhood, not so much.

This is the worst thing that has ever been invented.

If you hate and/or fear spiders, then this story is definitely not for you. But if you like spiders, or enjoy getting freaked out by spiders, then take a look at these Goliath Birdeaters, which can grow "as big as a child's forearm" and weigh "as much as a puppy." They are truly incredible.

And finally! Kids today: A bunch of eighth-graders rescued a dog trapped in mud. "The children pointed out that there were many other people–adults–in the park who were walking around or standing within distance of the distressed pets, but not one single adult did anything to rescue the dogs." Get ON my lawn, kids!

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Friday, September 26, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

Here is the text of President Obama's address to the United Nations General Assembly, laying out the rationale and plan for dealing with IS.

[Content Note: Police brutality; racism; death] After Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson apologized yesterday (YESTERDAY!) to the family of Michael Brown for his death (ON AUGUST 9!) and subsequent police handling of the case, there was a scuffle between police and protesters, and several protesters were arrested.

[CN: Terrorism; violence; misogyny] One of the hundreds of Nigerian girls and young women kidnapped by Boko Haram has been found: "It was not clear if the 20-year-old had escaped or been released by the militants after she was found 'heavily traumatized and not very stable' wandering in the bush in a remote region of the country near the town of Mubi in Adamawa state." I grieve for her, for what she has suffered, and I am angry for her.

In good news: "Workers at big hotels in Los Angeles have won one of the highest minimum wages in the United States after a campaign by unions and civil rights groups. The city council voted on Wednesday night to establish a minimum hourly wage of $15.37 for employees of hotels with more than 125 rooms, a decision expected to boost campaigns for better wages in other industries and cities."

[CN: Sexual violence; child abuse] In Oregon, a youth coach has been charged with sexual abuse of the members of the teams he coached. Rage. Seethe. Boil.

[CN: Misogyny; exploitation] This fucking guy: "Evan Thornley, an Australian tech executive and former politician, told a technology startup conference that when he ran a previous company, he was able to get talented women who were 'relatively cheap' because of the gender wage gap. ...'Call me opportunistic, I just thought I could get better people with less competition because we were willing to understand the skills and capabilities that many of these women had,' he said. ...He also drew blowback for including a slide that sarcastically said: 'Women: Like men, only cheaper.'" Wow.

In his final game for the Yankees, Derek Jeter continued to be awesome, one last time. Because of course he did.

And finally! I may just spend the rest of the day watching this gif of a brave(ish) baby elephant, lol.

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Now Is Not the Time to Talk About Accountability

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Monday, June 23, 2014
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[Content Note: Abduction; misogyny; terrorism; abuse.]

It has been two months since more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Two-hundred and nineteen girls still remain missing; of the 57 girls who are home, nearly all of them rescued themselves.

And now, Reuters reports, the Nigerian government has completed its inquiry into the abduction, and refuses to release the results to the public:

Submitting the final report, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sabo said 219 girls remained at large, a total virtually unchanged since Boko Haram militants stormed their secondary school in northeast Borno state on April 14 to kidnap them.

...The government's failure to rescue the girls, or protect them before their abduction, has become a political liability for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of elections next year.

"We are ... pained that the schoolgirls remain in captivity," Sabo said in a statement. "The hostage situation that this represents is obviously delicate."

The Chibok kidnapping and other increasingly bloody attacks by Boko Haram have underscored Abuja's inability to stamp out the militant group, which aims to carve out a radical Islamist state in the mostly Muslim north.

In what could raise the ire of Jonathan's critics, Sabo recommended the findings of the fact-finding group appointed by the president remain confidential for national security reasons.

Sabo also seemed to try to deflect expected criticism from the government.

"For the Chibok schoolgirls, little will be achieved through finger-pointing," he said in his statement.

"Getting the girls out, and safely, too, is by far more important than the publicity generated by the blame game that has tended to becloud the issue."
All of that sounds familiar. Spin is a global language.

In some sense, it's regrettably true that accountability after the fact might not help the girls who are still missing. But it might prevent or mitigate future abductions, so, you know, there is reason to have a public conversation about accountability, unless Boko Haram is fixing to mass retire as their next move.

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Monday, June 02, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

President Obama has announced a new climate change initiative that will require existing power plants to cut emissions by 30%, although the companies don't have to submit plans on how they're going to accomplish this until 2016 at the earliest. (Which means if the next president is a Republican, this requirement could be unwound before any meaningful reductions ever happen.) At the Plum Line, Greg Sargent has a lot of good info about the politics of this announcement.

(My aforementioned pessimism on climate change has not been alleviated, but I would never be so happy to be wrong if it really isn't far too late in the game to significantly delay climate change.)

This is very good news: "The Obama administration on Friday ended a 33-year ban on Medicare coverage for gender reassignment surgery—a major victory for transgender rights and a decision that is likely to put pressure on more insurers to provide coverage for such services. ...The blanket Medicare ban was put in place in 1981 when such surgeries were considered experimental. But now most medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, consider it a safe option... On Friday, the independent [Department of Health and Human Services] board, whose decisions are binding on HHS, said that medical studies published over the past three decades showed that the grounds for exclusion of coverage are 'not reasonable' anymore and lifted the ban." Woot!

[Content Note: War on agency] This is very bad news: "Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed into law a bill on Wednesday that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic. HB 1848 also requires the Oklahoma Board of Health to establish standards around equipment and supplies that may be necessary if a medical emergency occurs. ...These laws and the resulting closures of clinics leave many women without access to vital abortion services. Some already have to drive hundreds of miles or across state lines to get to the nearest clinic, but if multiple states continue to pass these laws, even those limited options may disappear." By any reasonable definition, this is creating an undue burden on abortion-seeking people. There is no way they should pass legal muster. But this is what happens when fetuses are valued more highly than the people who carry them.

[CN: Misogynoir] This is how to do feminist male ally work right: "Posted here is the Letter of 200 Concerned Black Men Calling for the Inclusion of Women and Girls to the President's 'My Brother's Keeper' Initiative. The open letter questions how attempts to address the challenges facing males of color, without integrating a comparable focus on the complex lives of girls and women who live and struggle together in the same families, homes, schools, and neighborhoods, advances the interests of the community as a whole." I strongly encourage you to read the whole letter. It is extremely powerful and moving, and not only advocates for the inclusion of women and girls, but pushes back on the president's rhetoric of respectability politics and bootstraps.

[CN: Terrorism; violence; death] Another bomb blast, most likely the responsibility once again of Boko Haram, has killed at least 14 people and wounded 12 in Nigeria. Meanwhile, Boko Haram continues to hold hostage more than 200 girls they abducted in April.

[CN: Surveillance] Welp: "NSA Collecting Millions of Faces from Web Images."

Spain's King Juan Carlos "is abdicating after almost 40 years on the throne and his son Prince Felipe will succeed him, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday in a surprise announcement. ...Once popular Juan Carlos, who helped smooth Spain's transition to democracy in the 1970s after the Francisco Franco dictatorship, has lost public support in recent years due to corruption scandals and gaffes. A poll published in Spanish newspaper El Mundo in January showed that almost two-thirds of Spaniards wanted Juan Carlos to abdicate. Younger Spaniards, who were not alive during the Franco years, were overwhelmingly in favor of abdication, the poll showed."

[CN: Transphobia] Whoooooooops your bigotry and colossal failure to impose it! "[Republican Maryland State Delegate Neil Parrott]'s attempt to force a referendum on a recently signed state transgender law banning discrimination was stymied after he collected less than one-third of the signatures needed to be placed on the November ballot. ...The Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity with regard to public accommodations, housing, and employment and by specified licensed or regulated persons, was signed into law by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley on May 15, 2014." Fuck off, Parrott.

Ian Millhiser examines "Seven Big Cases the Supreme Court Will Decide in June That Could Change America." Depressing, considering the way most of these will probably go with this court.

Oh goody! Herman Cain says he might run for president again.

RIP Ann B. Davis, whom most of us knew as Alice on The Brady Bunch.

And finally: If you love the movie Pitch Perfect, and you love Flula, then you are going to be VERY HAPPY to hear that Flula has just joined the cast of Pitch Perfect 2. Huzzah!

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Wednesday, May 28, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

Today, President Obama will "outline his vision for a new chapter in American foreign policy...with a speech aimed at quelling growing criticism of US isolationism following troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan and recent decisions against military intervention elsewhere. In an address to graduating officers at West Point that White House officials say will map out America's new role in the world, the president is expected to argue there is a middle way between interventionism and isolationism that will not drag the US into unnecessary conflicts in future." A new policy that will last as long as until the next time we've got a Republican president.

[Content Note: Abduction; misogyny; terrorism; abuse] The Nigerian army announced that it now knows the location of (at least some of) the girls being held hostage by Boko Haram, but they "have ruled out the use of force to rescue them and turned down a deal to exchange prisoners who are members of Boko Haram for the girls' release, so it is unclear what their next step will be." This morning, it was reported that Nigeria's former president Olusegun Obasanjo is meeting with "people close to Boko Haram in an attempt to broker the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militants." The meeting "was focused on how to free the girls through negotiation." Dear Maude I hope these negotiations are productive.

[CN: Food insecurity; death] The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is warning that nearly "200,000 children under the age of five could die from severe malnutrition in Somalia by the end of the year, unless the United Nations receives emergency funds to stave off mass hunger. ...Only $15m has been received against the appeal by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to donor states for $150m to provide vital health services to more than three million women and children in the Horn of Africa nation this year." If you would like to donate to UNICEF, go here.

The Illinois state senate has voted "to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). If it moves forward in the state House, Illinois will become the 36th state to ratify the ERA." Maybe we can get this done in the next 100 years!

[CN: Guns; violence; dehumanization] Joe the Plumber continues to be a despicable shitbird: In an open letter to the families of the victims shot by Elliot Rodger, he writes: "I am sorry you lost your child. I myself have a son and daughter and the one thing I never want to go through, is what you are going through now. But: As harsh as this sounds—your dead kids don’t trump my Constitutional rights." Fuck. You.

[CN: Homophobia; racism; misogyny] Speaking of shitbirds: "Phil Robertson, the controversial star of the hit TV show 'Duck Dynasty' will address the upcoming Republican Leadership Conference on Thursday." Ha ha "controversial." Which is a neat way of saying "a man who spews unrepentant homophobia, racism, and misogyny under the guise of being a Christian."

[CN: Privilege; class warfare] Emma Thompson is talking some real shit about working moms who don't have the same privilege that she does. Her comments stand in such stark opposition to what Angelina Jolie said just last week about how her wealth gives her so much parenting privilege.

And finally: Student-Run Business Bringing Joy of Puppies to Those Who Can't Own. And finding forever homes for a lot of puppies in the process. Yay!

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Thursday, May 22, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Abduction; misogyny; terrorism; abuse] As the search for the Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram continues, the United States "has deployed 80 troops to Chad to augment efforts to find the [girls], the White House announced Wednesday, a significant escalation of Washington's contribution to a crisis that has created global consternation. The force, made up largely of Air Force personnel, will conduct surveillance flights and operate drone aircraft but will not participate in ground searches, according to US military officials." I have such fervent hopes that the girls will be found, and yet I know they are suffering mightily in the interim, and the words of Boko Haram analyst Jacob Zenn always hang in my memory: "Any effort to rescue them will have to be done in a very piecemeal fashion and might take over a decade."

[CN: Torture] US District Judge Gladys Kessler has ordered that Guantánamo Bay officials "must hand over dozens of secret force-feeding videos" as she hears arguments regarding the force-feeding of hunger striker Abu Wa'el Dhiab. "Kessler ultimately ordered the government to hand over approximately 34 secret videos, which show Dhiab, a Syrian who has been held without charge since 2002, being forcibly extracted from his prison cell and then force-fed with tubes through his nostrils. ...The Obama administration has said force-feeding hunger strikers, although decried by various human rights activists, is the most humane way of keeping detainees alive as they protest their indefinite detention." I guess not indefinitely detaining people is just too radical.

[CN: Abduction; sexual violence; emotional abuse] A woman who was taken hostage by her mother's then-boyfriend a decade ago has escaped. "After the victim contacted a sister through Facebook she found the courage to contact police." Amazing strength. I hope she has access to all the resources she needs to process the trauma she has survived. I hope she finds justice and peace.

[CN: Worker exploitation] Fast food employees continue to make noise in pursuit of a liveable wage: "More than 100 McDonald's employees and some labor and clergy members were arrested after protesting for increased wages near the fast-food chain's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. The event, the latest in a series of demonstrations by workers demanding $15-an-hour pay and the right to form a union, began at 1 p.m. local time yesterday, on the eve of McDonald's Corp.'s shareholder meeting."

Congratulations to Judge Diane Humetewa, the first Native American woman ever confirmed by the US Senate as a federal judge! "Humetewa was confirmed 96-0 to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. She is a former US attorney in Arizona and a member of the Hopi tribe. She is now the first active member of a Native American tribe to serve on the federal bench and only the third Native American in history to do so."

[CN: Racism; slavery; abuse] Ta-Nehisi Coates makes the case for reparations.

[CN: Racism; Native American slur] Fifty United States Senators have now "called for a change to change the name of the Washington Redskins in a letter to National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell." This protracted "debate," such as it is, is so fucking stupid and cruel. JUST CHANGE THE NAME ALREADY. JESUS FUCKING JONES.

[CN: Fat hatred; body policing] "In 2014, The Classical World Still Can't Stop Fat-Shaming Women." A piece about how male critics can't get past a woman's not-thin body, irrespective of her immense talent.

Minnesota Just Became the First State to Ban Anti-Bacterial Soap: "The Minnesota ban, which doesn't actually go into effect until January 1, 2017, applies to pretty much any retail consumer hygiene products that includes triclosan as an active ingredient—including about 75 percent of anti-bacterial soaps. The FDA claims there's no evidence that triclosan soap is any more effective at washing away germs than non-antibacterial soap and water. What's more, according to recent studies, triclosan can 'disrupt hormones critical for reproduction and development, at least in lab animals, and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria.' So not only is this chemical not doing you any real good, it could actually be harming you, too."

Neat: "Newly developed observational capabilities now enable us to study exploding stars in ways we could only dream of before. We are moving towards real-time studies of supernovae," says Avishay Gal-Yam, an astrophysicist in the Weizmann Institute's Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics.

And finally! Life as a loved dogT, amirite?

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Monday, May 19, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Abduction; terrorism; misogyny; abuse] Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is facing increasing pressure over his government's actions (or lack thereof) regarding the hundreds of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram: "Campaigners for the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria plan to march on the office of president Goodluck Jonathan this week amid growing calls for him to stand down at the next election. Activists from the #BringBackOurGirls group said they will present a 'charter of demands' to the president, including calls for a more effective presence in militant strongholds and greater engagement with the community of Chibok, where the girls were abducted by Islamic militants more than a month ago. ...The march, planned for Thursday, risks provoking a harsh response from the security forces. Last week police in Abuja moved in to disrupt a rally and disperse protesters who were shouting, 'Bring back out girls now and alive!' Members of #BringBackOurGirls also intend to visit Chibok, contrasting with a public relations debacle in which Jonathan cancelled a visit there last week." I hope that the activists are treated with the respect and safety they deserve.

The US Department of Justice has charged five members of China's People's Liberation Army "in connection with stealing trade secrets from some of the largest American companies, including Westinghouse, United States Steel, and Alcoa. The move was a rare instance of the United States charging foreign government employees with economic espionage, and it increased the tensions between American and Chinese officials who have accused each other in public and in private of using military assets for hacks and cyberattacks." Welp.

[CN: Disaster; death; displacement] Major flooding and landslides in Serbia and Bosnia has caused 35 deaths so far and displaced more than half a million people. The Nikola Tesla power plant, which "supplies electricity for half of Serbia and most of Belgrade," is under threat from the record-breaking rainfall, and the flooding has "disturb[ed] land mines left over from the region's 1990s war, along with warning signs that marked the unexploded weapons." My god.

[CN: Gender essentialism] The ACLU has filed a complaint with the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against the Hillsborough County Public School district in Florida, alleging that the district's single-sex classrooms violate Title IX: "The Hillsborough School District has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds to implement a hidden curriculum promoting the theory that boys and girls are so fundamentally different that they need to be taught using different teaching methods," said Galen Sherwin, Senior Staff Attorney of the ACLU Women's Rights Project. "The truth is that every student learns differently, and our public schools should not be in the business of making crude judgments about children's educational needs based solely on whether they are a boy or a girl."

Heads-up: "A Detroit meat packing company is recalling 1.8 million pounds of ground beef after it was linked to nearly a dozen potentially dangerous E. coli infections in four states, federal agriculture officials said Monday. Wolverine Packing Co., issued the voluntary notice early Monday, pulling ground beef products produced between March 31 and April 18, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service."

[CN: Sexual violence; ideation of self-harm] Actress Pamela Anderson disclosed during a speech at a fundraising event in Cannes that she has survived multiple incidents of sexual abuse. In the moving address, she talks about how her connection with animals helped her survive. I imagine there are a lot of us who can relate to that.

[CN: Death] This is a lovely video of a little boy giving a lovely impromptu eulogy for his grandpa. The sweet wisdom of his acknowledgment that his grandfather lives on via what he taught to others. Blub.

Happy 40th anniversary, Rubik's Cube! You are definitely one of my favorite things ever!

And finally: Here is just a terrific picture of Brad Pitt throwing a can of beer to Matthew McConaughey, followed by another terrific picture of McConaughey drinking that beer.

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In the News

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Friday, May 16, 2014
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Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Abduction; terrorism; misogyny; abuse] Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was scheduled today to make his first visit to the northeastern village of Chibok, from which Boko Haram abducted more than 300 schoolgirls a month ago, but has canceled his trip citing security concerns: "Instead of heading to the northeastern village of Chibok, Jonathan will instead fly directly from the capital Abuja to Paris for a summit that is expected to include representatives from its neighbors, including Chad, Cameroon and Niger as well as officials from the U.S., Britain and the European Union, to discuss the Boko Haram insurgency and wider insecurity in the region. The father of one of the missing girls told Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh that families had started gathering at the school in anticipation of a meeting but were very disappointed and frustrated to hear news of the cancellation. However, another person told Al Jazeera that Jonathan's decision not to visit was not so surprising because, the villager said, the government has 'long abandoned us.'"

I frankly have no idea what the right thing was to do, if security was a legitimate concern. I just continue to feel so sad and so angry for the parents of the missing girls.

[CN: Religious violence] Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Narendra Modi has emerged as the winner in India's elections and will be the nation's next prime minister. I don't know a hell of a lot about Modi, although his position on the 2002 Gujarat riots, which happened on his watch are deeply concerning, despite his having been officially cleared of allegations that he incited violence against the Muslim minority. Especially given that he reportedly told a journalist his biggest regret about the incident was his failure to better manage the media. Oof.

[CN: Violence; war] Yikes: "Ukraine civil war fears mount as volunteer units take up arms."

[CN: War; hunger; genocide] Meanwhile, in South Sudan: "The crisis engulfing South Sudan is greater than those endured by Darfur or the Central African Republic, according to a senior UN diplomat who says the world urgently needs to donate at least another $500m (£298m) if the country's slide into humanitarian disaster and famine is to be halted. Thousands of people have been slaughtered, more than a million displaced and almost five million are in dire need of humanitarian assistance as a result of ethnic violence in the world's youngest nation. Aid and development agencies are warning of a possible future famine in three violence-ridden states. Toby Lanzer, the deputy special representative of the UN secretary general in South Sudan, said the situation was the most desperate he had seen. 'What we are facing is a crisis or an emergency far bigger than I have ever had to deal with—and I used to work in Darfur and the Central African Republic,' he said. 'It is simply no exaggeration to say that we are currently facing one of the most severe tests that the international aid community has ever faced.'"

Serious question: How much is anyone hearing about the crisis in South Sudan in their regular news reading, outside of this space?

[CN: Misogyny] Jill Abramson and the Pervasive Risks of Demanding Equal Pay. Can we at long last put to bed all the bullshit about how women just need to be confident, be better negotiators, ask for raises, blah blah fart? Because yeahno.

[CN: Cancer] This is a very preliminary finding but also a very exciting prospect for cancer research: "Cancer Beaten with 10 Million Doses-Worth of Measles Vaccine by Mayo Clinic."

Are you excited for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One? Then you will probably like this post!

If you're a mega Halo-head like some husbands I could mention, then you might be interested in the news that Microsoft has announced a fall 2015 release date for Halo 5: Guardians.

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