DN Speak: 3/8/15

Saturday, March 14, 2015

President Barack Obama said he was "embarrassed" for the group of Senate Republicans who sent a letter to Iran's leaders arguing that any nuclear weap... Read more

Why the Obama administration is fighting for a trade deal its liberal allies hate

It's hard to find a voice on the left willing to speak up for the Trans- Pacific Partnership deal. Unions are freezing donations to Democrats in prote... Read more

The middle earth is in France! by Bernard Aurelien [2048 X 1365]

https://drscdn.500px.org/photo/101569127/m%3D2048/22f9f8b935b13e392b183f2f75c1d4ae

Scott Walker Creates Another Piece Of Reagan Fan Fiction

A couple of months ago, Scott Walker crafted a piece of Ronald Reagan fan fiction, claiming that Reagan's firing of the air traffic controllers helped... Read more

Tehran Tom's Letter Called 'Mutinous' By Retired General

Jonathan Capehart interviewed retired Major General Paul Eaton about Tehran Tom's letter, specifically asking whether or not those who call it treason... Read more

Glenn Beck Convinces NRA To Launch Ethics Investigation Into Grover Norquist's 'Muslim Ties'

The war is raging between the rabid Islamophobe Republicans and the Tax-Hating Republicans, with Glenn Beck acting as the provocateur. Earlier this w... Read more

Kerry: Ignoring Climate Change Is ‘Just Plain Immoral’

In an Atlantic Council speech, Kerry throws jabs at 'I am not a scientist' climate deniers and Florida Gov. Rick Scott's ban on ... Read more

Friday, March 13, 2015

Should We Mock Religion? (The Thinking Atheist)

The late Christopher Hitchens once said that "Mockery of religion is one of the most essential things...one of the beginnings of the human emancipation is the ability to laugh at authority. It's indispensable." But does the mockery of religious belief close minds (and doors) as skeptics attempt to promote rationalism and disabuse superstitious people of their faiths (and is that even a goal)? Should the ridiculous be ridiculed, or should we find other methods for exposing the cracks in religious foundations? Greta Christina's Blog "Is It OK to Mock Religion?" http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2009/05/28/is-it-okay-to-mock-religion/ - See more, listen, download at:
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/should-we-mock-religion

Week In The News: Clinton ‘Convenience,’ GOP And Iran, Ferguson On Edge (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Gunfire in Ferguson this week. Two policemen down this time. Protestors, determined to go on, peacefully. And the whole country knows this needs to be worked out. In Washington, uproar over a letter from 47 Republican Senators to the leaders of Iran warning them not to make a deal with the leader of the United States on nukes unless they sign on. New terrain. In Utah, the firing squad is back. In Oklahoma, a racist video brings a university crackdown. Hillary Clinton defends her private email ways. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/03/13/clinton-emails-gop-iran-letter-ferguson-police-shooting

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

A manhunt continues for suspects who shot two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting happened just hours after the city’s police chief announced his resignation. Secretary of State John Kerry slams a letter from Senate Republicans warning Iranian leaders against a nuclear agreement with the West. Kerry was at a hearing urging Congress to give President Barack Obama authorization to use force against the so-called Islamic State. Hillary Clinton defends her use of a private email account and server while she was the nation’s top diplomat. And more problems for the beleaguered Secret Service. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-03-13/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)

ISIS launches a deadly coordinated attack against government-held areas in Ramadi, a city in western Iraq. Iran’s supreme leader criticizes the letter sent by U.S. Republican senators about the Obama administration’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Just days before Israel’s general elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu slips in the polls. The daughter of a slain Russian opposition leader accuses President Putin of being “politically responsible” for the murder. And Venezuelan lawmakers take up President Maduro’s request to expand his authority in response to new U.S. sanctions. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.

Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-03-13/friday-news-roundup-international

At Least Four States Are Pushing Koch-Backed Legislation To Ban Funding EPA’s Climate Rule

The resolutions were written by Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian group famously backed by the billionaire Koch brothers ... Read more

'Crisis Pregnancy Center' Tells Woman Her IUD Was A Baby | ThinkProgress

"...“This is a very underhanded way that the anti-choice movement is able to make progress and interfere with women’s health decisions..."
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/03/13/3633349/crisis-pregnancy-california-report/

Obama Read My ‘Mean Tweets’ on TV, and It Was Awesome

Last night, a handful of random Twitter users interacted with the President without even knowing about it. A day later, here are their reactions...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/13/obama-read-my-mean-tweets-on-tv-and-it-was-awesome.html
https://youtu.be/RDocnbkHjhI

Dinesh D'Souza Gets a Well Deserved Spanking from a Man of Integrity Daniel Dennett in this debate (repost)

Interview:
https://youtu.be/I-IkxTWi5e8

Ted Cruz Wants NASA To Spend Less Time Studying The Earth And More Time In Space

For NASA, less time spent focused on Earth means less time gathering data on climate change and its impacts. The post Ted Cruz ... Read more

Atheist Shawn Shafano Convincingly Prevails vs Disoriented Colby Scott in this god debate

https://youtu.be/Qe6FUbjTAqg

Does ‘religious freedom’ give Tanzanian witchdoctors the right to murder albinos?

At least 75 Tanzanians with albinism have been killed in the past 15 years. Why? Because they are the ghosts of colonialists. Because their mothers cheated on their fathers with white men. Because their body parts are magical...
- See more at: http://brianpellot.religionnews.com/2015/03/13/religious-freedom-give-tanzanian-witchdoctors-right-murder-albinos/#sthash.C2dOmgGq.dpuf

ANALYSIS: 7.5 million Americans lost their religion since 2012

"...(RNS) A new survey shows in stark relief that what some are calling the Great Decline of religion in America continues: Since 2012, the U.S. has about 7.5 million more Americans who are no longer active in religion..."
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/03/12/analysis-7-5-million-americans-lost-religion-since-2012/

White House PetitionTo Prosecute 47 republican US Traitors - mccainisthroughX

http://youtu.be/KReeZMgraMA

Johnny Dangerously...

"... is a hilarious fargin Mafia movie spoof from 1984 starring Michael Keaton. It's streaming on Netflix and I would recommend it to anyone who likes spoof movies..."

Read more
http://www.netflix.com/search/johnny%20d

TIL of a Malawian teenager who taught himself how to build a windmill out of junk

...and bring power to his village. He then went on to build a second, larger windmill to power irrigation pumps. He did this all from books he read in the library...
Read more

Democrats Answer the False Choice of Growth Versus Redistribution With Inclusive Prosperity

Which do you think is the bigger problem in America today: That the economy offers too many rewards for people at the top, or that the economy is not ... Read more

How Christianity Really Started

Some people would like to think, for instance, that the earliest Christians were champions of "religious freedom," and that's how their group won greater social visibility. Unfortunately, this thesis doesn't hold up to historical scrutiny. Christians won their rights by embracing many mainstream Roman values, not rejecting them.
... Read more

Cotton Iran Letter Blowback...

Thom Hartmann shares newspaper editorials that disagree with the 47 Senators who signed Tom Cotton's letter to the Iranian government.
http://youtu.be/6k3ew1uQcws

Southern Baptist Leaders Highlight Benefits Of Youthful Matrimony

"The reality is, starting at the age of 12, 13, boys and men, growing up into maturity, are hardwired for something that God gave us a desire for and an outlet for," Walker says. "And so to suppress that becomes more difficult the older you get."
http://www.npr.org/2015/03/10/388948950/southern-baptist-leaders-highlight-benefits-of-youthful-matrimony

Traditional Failures: Fundamentalist View Of Marriage Still Out Of Touch

Yesterday evening, NPR’s “All Things Considered” took a look at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and its push for early marriages.
... Read more

Megyn Kelly Explains To Tom Cotton Why His Letter Was So Stupid

Tom Cotton (R-AR), the Senator who brazenly wrote a letter to the Iranian government signed by forty-six of his fellow treasonous colleagues has no re... Read more

You Will Be Shocked To Know Who's Been Grooming Tehran Tom

At Mondoweiss this morning, we get some idea of exactly who's been grooming "Tehran Tom" Cotton -- and why: The neoconservatives reached out and groo... Read more

Google defends online safety by attacking 'unwanted software'

In a blog post Thursday, Google announced it would be improving its safe browsing application by targeting what the company calls 'unwanted software.'... Read more

Rubio-Lee hints at tax reform's troubling direction

Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Lee have introduced what should probably be thought of as the first major set of tax proposals in the 2016 Pr... Read more

The Bigotry Map

Christian-controlled hate groups list the people and groups that disagree with their hate mongering, and claim they are the victims of persecution.
http://youtu.be/Oz_WERxscnI

This Man Is Serving A Life Sentence For Marijuana — But There’s Now A Bill That Will Fix That

A man who's been fighting for his release from prison may get out sooner than he hoped. ... Read more

Why LGBT Women Face A Uniquely High Risk Of Poverty

A new report documents how LGBT women face a high risk of financial instability. ... Read more

California Will Soon Be Home To The Country’s Largest Floating Solar Array

The "floatovoltaics" farm will provide enough energy to power 3,000 homes. .. Read more

Thursday, March 12, 2015

DEBATE on the Historicity of Jesus - Dr. Richard Carrier vs Trent Horn

Author and Historian, Dr. Richard Carrier (http://richardcarrier.info/) debates Author and Catholic Apologist from Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/), Trent Horn (http://trenthorn.com/) on the historicity of Jesus. Mr. Horn questions Dr. Carrier on the mythicist view.
http://youtu.be/ep-AN7U4OLg

Oklahoma House Passes Bill Shifting Marriage License Authority From State To Clergy

"...“The point of my legislation is to take the state out of the process and leave marriage in the hands of the clergy,” said state Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, the bill’s House author. “Marriage was historically a religious covenant first and a government-recognized contract second. Under my bill, the state is not allowing or disallowing same-sex marriage. It is simply leaving it up to the clergy.”...
http://houston.cbslocal.com/2015/03/11/oklahoma-house-passes-bill-shifting-marriage-license-authority-from-state-to-clergy/

You Won't Believe Why Arkansas Legislator Got Rid Of His Adopted Daughters

So now we know why Rep. Justin Harris and his wife gave away their adopted daughters. Because they were possessed by demons, of course! Nearly a doze... Read more

Scott Walker: Next President Shouldn't Be Bound By Obama Deal On Iran

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) argued that unless a nuclear weapons deal with Iran gets the approval of Congress, the next president shouldn't be bou... Read more

Pope Francis Attacks The Corrupting Influence Of Money In Elections

The Pope's comments place him at odds with five other very prominent Catholics -- the five justices who joined the Supreme ... Read more

Climate Change Is Altering Everything About The Way Water Is Provided In Salt Lake City

Lack of snowpack is the greatest climate change threat to Salt Lake City, the mayor says. No snow in the mountains means no ... Read more

‘Fetal Anesthesia': The Creative New Way To Limit Abortion Access And Enshrine Bad Science Into Law

They're taking the concept of "fetal pain" to the next level. ... Read more
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/03/11/3632273/montana-fetal-pain-bill/

Senators Grill Obama Officials On Iran (NPR, All Things Considered)

RUBIO: The way we proceeded with our negotiations in Iran have impacted our trust level with these critical allies in this coalition.

KERRY: Senator, that actually is flat wrong - also, flat wrong.
http://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392375432/senators-grill-obama-officials-on-iran

John Kerry Obliterates Marco Rubio’s Conspiracy Theory On Iran

"Senator, that actually is flat wrong also, flat wrong," Kerry said. ... Read more

Republican Amendment Could Force Underage Rape Victims To Carry Their Pregnancies To Term

"This move by politicians is an underhanded attempt to harm women most in need." ... Read more

Catholic Church Claims It Can Refuse To Pay Victims Of Sex Abuse Because Of Religious Freedom

A federal appeals court disagrees. ... Read more

Sugar Companies Have Downplayed The Evidence About Tooth Decay For Decades

A new study confirms that Big Sugar has been influencing public policy since the 1950s. ... Read more

Mount Everest’s Poop Situation Is About To Go From Bad To Worse

"There's going to be emission of fecal matter that's been stored up over years and decades." ... Read more

After Shaming Gay And Unmarried Female Sailors, Navy Chaplain Wants To Keep At It

Military chaplain Wesley Modder argues that berating young sailors for homosexuality and premarital sex was simply an ... Read more

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Jon Stewart recalls that Reagan signed an executive agreement with Iran, too

"...Is that common? Stewart asked. Yes. In fact, he added, "Ronald Reagan, peace be upon him, signed over 1,500 executive agreements, including a nuclear deal with China and a hostage deal with — oh, how do I pronounce this? — Iran." But while "it's pretty clear the president is well within his constitutional prerogative" in these negotiations, Stewart sighed, "congressional subversion vis-à-vis foreign policy" isn't really all that new, either..."
http://theweek.com/speedreads/543586/jon-stewart-recalls-that-reagan-signed-executive-agreement-iran