Apple continues hiring raid on medical sensor field as it develops eye scanning technology

Apple is moving to expand its personnel working on wearable computers and medical-sensor-laden devices by hiring more ... Read more

Millionaire Ga. GOPer Backs Wall Street Bailout -- Not Detroit's

A multi-millionaire Georgia Republican Senate candidate wanted to be clear at a recent campaign event: He's against the autoworker bailout but is for ... Read more

Expiring 2/1/2014 on Netflix: The Red Violin

When the long-lost "red violin," a rare instrument crafted during the Italian Renaissance, shows up at a modern auction, it reveals its mysterious history -- and the lives of its previous owners -- in a series of flashbacks spanning three centuries.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Red_Violin/5670353?trkid=13641790

The Latest Research On Intermittent Fasting (Diane Rehm Show)

It happens every year: over the holidays we put on a few extra pounds. Come January we vow to drop the weight. This year, many are turning to intermittent fasting. Fueled by the bestselling book "The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting," intermittent fasting is the weight loss trend of the moment. The idea is simple. On some days you eat as you normally would. On other days you cut your calories to a quarter of your normal intake. Advocates say this feast and famine approach mimics how humans ate for thousands of years. They argue that the benefits may extend beyond weight loss to staving off Alzheimer's disease and even preventing some types of cancer.
 

Interview: http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-09/latest-research-intermittent-fasting-0

 

Four Years After Citizens United: The State Of Money In Politics (Diane Rehm Show)

In January 2010, the Supreme Court handed down their landmark Citizens United ruling, dramatically altering campaign finance in America. The decision allowed corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited money directly on politics and it created an explosion in so-called 501(c)(4)s, nonprofits named for where they fall in the tax code. As these organizations have become some of the biggest spenders in politics today, new questions are arising in D.C. and around the country about how -- and whether -- money in politics should be reined in. Four years after Citizens United: how we pay for politics and the state of campaign finance reform.
 

Interview: http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-07/four-years-after-citizens-united-state-money-politics

Daniel Siegel: "Brainstorm: The Power And Purpose Of The Teenage Brain" (Diane Rehm Show)

Adolescence is universally recognized as a trying time for parents and children. But new brain research suggests this period of immature and often reckless behavior is more than just a stage for parents and teens to endure. It is a vital time for adolescents to chart the course for the adults they will ultimately become. One brain researcher points out that it is during our teen years that we learn how to navigate the world outside the safety of home, how to connect deeply with others and how to safely take risks. He says that by understanding how the brain functions, teens can improve their own lives and those of their parents. Diane and her guests discuss the power and purpose of the teenage brain.
 

Interview:  http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-06/daniel-siegel-brainstorm-power-and-purpose-teenage-brain

Millennial Generation Searches For Meaning (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

We’ve got images for generations.  Boomers, who looked to go from hippy days to having it all.  The Greatest Generation, that got its name late, along with its accolades.  Gen X, well, a few gray hairs now.  And then the Millennials.  Born between 1980 and 2000.  Coming up coddled, goes the rap, and then straight into the teeth of a brutal recession.  Of a new century without a clear path for their country.  Or, for many, their careers.  What’s their vision? What do they want from work, politics, life?  This hour On Point:  we’re talking with Millennials about the dreams of Millennials.

– Tom Ashbrook

 Interview:  http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/01/10/millennials-meaning-volunteer-young-adults

With Outbreaks, States Push Back On Anti-Vaccine Movement (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The last ten or fifteen years have been a rough road for childhood vaccines and vaccination.  After a century in which they became the great bulwark against all kinds of disease – smallpox, measles, mumps, whooping cough, polio, more – suddenly vaccines were tagged as a threat.  Blamed for autism and more.  The science says it’s not true.  But uncertain parents have turned away.  Now vaccination rates have fallen enough to cut into what’s called our “herd immunity.”  We’re vulnerable again to disease.  Now states are pushing back.  This hour On Point:  the anti-vaccine threat and reaction.

– Tom Ashbrook

Interview: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/01/09/anti-vaccines-whooping-cough-measles

Week In The News: Bad Water, School Shooting, Net Neutrality (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Poisoned water in West Virginia this week.  A chemical spill and a crisis on the Elk River and downstream.  Too little water in California.  Fire and drought.  And a trillion-dollar budget deal in Congress, where there haven’t been real budget deals for a long time.  We’ve got Chris Christie squirming.  Blame for Benghazi. A ruling against net neutrality.  And the President on the NSA.  The Supreme Court’s looking at abortion clinic buffer zones.  A school shooting, a supermarket shooting, and scandal in the nuclear missile officer corps.  This hour On Point: Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

– Tom Ashbrook

Interview: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/01/17/west-virginia-net-neutrality-oscar-nominations

Friday News Roundup - Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

President Barack Obama is set to announce new guidelines for the National Security Agency. A budget deal moves ahead in Congress. And West Virginia residents grapple with a chemical spill. A panel of journalists join guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week's top domestic news stories.

Interview:  http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-17/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup - International (Diane Rehm Show)

A Senate panel concludes the attack in Benghazi was preventable. Early vote tallies show Egyptians approve a new constitution. And the White House urges lawmakers to abandon a push for new sanctions on Iran. A panel of journalists join guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
 

Interview: 

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-17/friday-news-roundup-international

 

 

Federal Judge Says N.C. Ultrasound Abortion Law Is Illegal

A controversial North Carolina law requiring women who want to have an abortion to undergo an ultrasound scan is illegal, according to a federal judge's ruling issued Friday. The state's law required that the women have a medical professional tell them what the image depicts. It also said the women should "listen to the heartbeat of the unborn child."...
 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/01/17/263512721/federal-judge-says-n-c-ultrasound-abortion-law-is-illegal

Knight's Tour - Numberphile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab_dY3dZFHM

Represent.us: Movement to get corruption out of Government

Enough.
WE ARE BUILDING A MOVEMENT TO END CORRUPTION
SO OUR GOVERNMENT WILL ONCE AGAIN REPRESENT US.

https://represent.us

Defense Language Institute -- free online courses

Products available for predeployment training, deployment use, or refresher training are available for ordering using the LANGUAGE MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

http://www.dliflc.edu/products.html

Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Struck Down

Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Struck Down by Mark Memmott January 17, 2014 9:49 AM i i Before the voter ID law was put on hold, this Penndot Drivers L... Read more

Obama Considers Bold Action On Minimum Wage

"At his meeting with Democratic Senators last night, President Obama indicated that he is giving serious consideration to executive action designed to raise the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors, according to one Senator who was present...".* Ben Mankiewicz (co-host, What The Flick?! and TYT Sports) breaks it down on The Young Turks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkMFwdoJbjA

What Was Actually In The Benghazi Report?

"Republicans used the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the Benghazi terrorist attack against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in speeches on the Senate floor Thursday. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) called for accountability one day after a bipartisan congressional panel concluded that the deadly terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, could have been prevented...".* Ben Mankiewicz (co-host, What The Flick?! and TYT Sports) breaks it down on The Young Turks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDE2WrX564

New Koch-Linked Political Firm Aims to Handpick "Electable" Candidates

Meet Aegis Strategic, the latest affiliate of the Koch brothers’ political empire.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/koch-brothers-candidate-training-recruiting-aegis-strategic

House Republicans Pick Climate Skeptic To Head Environment Subcommittee

"WASHINGTON -- House Republicans selected Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who is on the record questioning whether humans are causing climate change, to head of the Science Committee's environment subcommittee..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/16/house-science-schweikert-_n_4613145.html

Uganda president refuses to sign anti-gay law

But check out his reasons and alternatives...
 
"Yoweri Museveni says there are better ways to "rescue" gays from their "abnormality" than jailing them for life. Read more

UN: attacks on West Bank Palestinians on rise

Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians up four-fold in eight years, according to Humanitarian Affairs office report. Read more

The Economist talks about "The coming storm"

47% of today's jobs could be automated within 20 years "No government is prepared for it." Suggests a radical rethinking of education and redistributive taxes towards lower-wage workers...
Read more

Religious Freedom Day 2014: Resolve To Defend The Church-State Wall

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom laid the groundwork for the separation of church and ... Read more

Bruce Springsteen & Jimmy Fallon: "Gov. Christie Traffic Jam" ("Born To Run" Parody)

Bruce Springsteen & Bruce Springsteen rework "Born To Run" to address the Fort Lee, NJ bridge scandal.

http://youtu.be/VKHV0LLvhXM

President Obama Includes Nonbelievers Today

Today President Obama issued a proclamation on Religious Freedom Day--and for the first time in years he expressly included nonbelievers. "Today, America embraces people of all faiths and of no faith. We are Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, atheists and agnostics. [...] What makes us American is our adherence to shared ideals -- freedom, equality, justice, and our right as a people to set our own course," the proclamation read in part.

http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9241bef44976519ab9f9dff94&id=02b9085ca2&e=077f8ff121

Canadian Support Of Keystone XL Pipeline Is Falling, New Poll Says

Canadians are less likely to support the project now than they were in April.The post Canadian Support Of Keystone XL Pipeline ... Read more

Judge Rules Detroit Is Trying To Give Banks ‘Too Much Money’

The emergency manager wanted to pay banks 60 cents on the dollar while planning to give retirees far less.The post Judge Rules ... Read more

A $15 Minimum Wage In Los Angeles Could Create 64,700 Jobs

The evidence comes ahead of a push to raise the city's minimum wage to $15 an hour for some workers.The post A $15 Minimum Wage ... Read more

Arizona Lawmaker Proposes Religious ‘License To Discriminate’ Against LGBT People

If every hotel in town refuses to offer a gay couple a room because of the owners' religious beliefs, one Arizona lawmaker ... Read more

House Republicans Are Pushing A Bill That Would Force The IRS To Audit Rape Victims

"House Republicans are currently advancing the “No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act,” or HR 7, a measure that would impose sweeping restrictions on abortion coverage that could make the procedure less affordable for Americans across the country. In addition to preventing low-income women from using their Medicaid coverage to access abortion, HR 7 could also have dramatic implications for the tax code and the private insurance market. One of its most controversial provisions could actually require the Internal Revenue Service to conduct audits of rape victims..."

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/16/3167301/taxpayer-funding-abortion-rape-irs/

Americans United Wins Right To Represent Women Seeking Access To Birth Control In Notre Dame Lawsuit

Federal Appeals Court Says Church-State Watchdog Group May Intervene On Behalf Of Three Anonymous Plaintiffs

https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-wins-right-to-represent-women-seeking-access-to-birth-control

Texas Public Schools Are Teaching Creationism

An investigation into charter schools’ dishonest and unconstitutional science, history, and “values” lessons.

"When public-school students enrolled in Texas’ largest charter program open their biology workbooks, they will read that the fossil record is “sketchy.” That evolution is “dogma” and an “unproved theory” with no experimental basis. They will be told that leading scientists dispute the mechanisms of evolution and the age of the Earth. These are all lies..."

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/01/creationism_in_texas_public_schools_undermining_the_charter_movement.html

HOLY SEE: Child sexual abuse - Report

“The Catholic Church is against violence. It stands for the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings. Yet child sexual abuse cases have not been addressed sufficiently for decades. Transparency, in the form of full disclosure to external judicial authorities, is the bridge between intention and achievement. The Vatican should choose full disclosure of information over self-preservation.”


http://crin.org/en/library/publications/holy-see-child-sexual-abuse-and-holy-see-report

Bishops Seek Expanded Definition of “Federal Funding” to Curtail Abortion

Best reader comment:
"Obama is trying to avoid war with the bishops, but it is hard because the bishops want war. They know they can never win a war against their own people, so the Obama war is the one they have decided to fight."

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/patriciamiller/7504/bishops_seek_expanded_definition_of__federal_funding__to_curtail_abortion_/

President Obama Includes ‘Atheists and Agnostics’ as Part of America’s ‘Cultural Fabric’

"...Today, America embraces people of all faiths and of no faith. We are Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, atheists and agnostics. Our religious diversity enriches our cultural fabric and reminds us that what binds us as one is not the tenets of our faiths, the colors of our skin, or the origins of our names. What makes us American is our adherence to shared ideals — freedom, equality, justice, and our right as a people to set our own course..."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/01/16/president-obama-includes-atheists-and-agnostics-as-part-of-americas-cultural-fabric/

RWW News: Rep. Steve King Mocks High Abortion Cost for Low-Income Women

Right Wing Watch reports on the extreme rhetoric and activities of key right-wing figures and organizations by showing their views in their own words. In this video, Rep. Steve King of Iowa mocks GWU's Susan Wood for testifying accurately on the financial burden low-income women face when paying out of pocket for an abortion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bo9GV49CKI

Creation Museum. Real Threat or a Joke?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rF6MXrvCtI

"Evil Stewards" by Old Fart Rants

"Christian fundamentalists can't wait for the world to be destroyed - it's the entire purpose of their faith, to be "separated" from the non-believers, who are so much less moral and worthy than they are. So they push this "end time" narrative, which is not only a barrier to scientific, social, and moral progress, but an actual wish to destroy the earth and humanity itself. THIS kind of world view is evil, and those who share and promote such an evil view deserve no respect, and certainly shouldn't be in any position of stewardship over the planet we call home, or its resources..."

http://youtu.be/CmJLsKtyRFk

Does your religion make You doubt facts? (Why Your Religion is Harmful)

http://youtu.be/DjA186LVLLU

Roger Ailes Bio Reveals Just How Anti-Science, Anti-Clean Energy The Fox News Chief Is

 A new biography of Fox News Chief (and founding CEO) Roger Ailes suggests that he actually believes a lot of the anti-science, ... Read more

Vatican criticised in report on child abuse

Report from a UK group outlines allegations and controversies relating to sex attacks by clerics. Read more

Insurance Companies Are Optimistic About Obamacare: ‘We’re All-In, And We’re Happy We Are’

Chief executives for some of the country's biggest insurers are upbeat about Obamacare's future, despite the health law's ... Read more

New Spending Deal Stiffs Agencies That Protect Taxpayers From Corporate Greed

Congress' latest spending compromise cuts a combined $927 million from three agencies that are key to protecting taxpayers' ... Read more

The Long-Term Unemployed Sound Off: ‘I Will Never Vote For A Republican Again’

The long-term unemployed are outraged by Congressional inaction, and the anger reaches across party lines.The post The ... Read more

Neil deGrasse Tyson On Why Popular Culture Is Key To The Future Of Science

Neil deGrase Tyson, Ann Druyan, and Seth MacFarlane defend the power of mass media--and the importance of scientific accuracy ... Read more

Why Abortion Clinics Need Buffer Zones

The Supreme Court could be poised to get rid of buffer zones around abortion clinics -- a move that would be disastrous for ... Read more

How Objections To Marriage Equality Decisions Are Actually Objections To The Constitution

When conservatives decry marriage equality decisions for overturning the will of the people, they are forgetting how the ... Read more

Senator Says New Iran Sanctions Bill Signals The U.S. Wants ‘Regime Change’

"Candidly, in my view," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said in a historic floor speech, the new Iran sanctions bill "is a march ... Read more

Senator Richard Burr Blocks Judge That Senator Richard Burr Told Obama To Nominate

Someone should tell Richard Burr that Richard Burr thinks he has very poor judgment.The post Senator Richard Burr Blocks Judge ... Read more

World Humanist Congress 2014

The World Humanist Congress, held every three years, is a unique event bringing together humanists from over forty countries. In 2014 the British Humanist Association will host the World Humanist Congress in the beautiful and historic city of Oxford from 8-10th August.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGcTGOSzQEo

Best (and Worst) Response to the WV Chemical Spill

"The site of a West Virginia chemical spill that contaminated the water supply for 300,000 people operated largely outside government oversight, highlighting gaps in regulations and prompting questions on whether local communities have a firm grasp on potential threats to drinking water. The storage facility owned by Freedom Industries Inc. on the banks of the Elk River was subject to almost no state and local monitoring, interviews and records show. The industrial chemical that leaked into the river, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, isn't closely tracked by federal programs...".* What was the response from Republican Speaker Of The House John Boehner? The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO-99F5wzaU

It's Official: IRS Scandal Is Complete BS

"Even as some in the media draw comparisons between the roiling Bridgegate scandal and the allegations of political targeting by the IRS, CNN reports that no criminal charges are likely to be filed against anyone involved in what they still call the "IRS Scandal." CNN's Carol Costello interviewed reporter Joe Johns, who noted that it was "hard to prove it wasn't just reasonable behavior by a government agency," and that "it's pretty clear some progressive groups were targeted as well." "We can say, at this point, no charges may be filed," Johns said...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oK9DLO8H6g

Why This Ruling On Net Neutrality Is A Disaster

"A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday rejected federal rules that required Internet providers to treat all web traffic equally, a decision that could allow mobile carriers and other broadband providers to charge content providers for faster access to websites and services. The Federal Communications Commission's open Internet rules, also known as net neutrality, required Internet service providers to give consumers equal access to all lawful content without restrictions or tiered charges. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the rules, which were passed in late 2010 and have been challenged by Verizon Communications Inc...".* Will this go to the Supreme Court and what's really at stake here? The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZMHcnupioc

George Orwell Explains in a Revealing 1944 Letter Why He’d Write 1984

"I must say I believe, or fear, that taking the world as a whole these things are on the increase. Hitler, no doubt, will soon disappear, but only at the expense of strengthening (a) Stalin, (b) the Anglo-American millionaires and (c) all sorts of petty fuhrers of the type of de Gaulle. All the national movements everywhere, even those that originate in resistance to German domination, seem to take non-democratic forms, to group themselves round some superhuman fuhrer (Hitler, Stalin, Salazar, Franco, Gandhi, De Valera are all varying examples) and to adopt the theory that the end justifies the means. Everywhere the world movement seems to be in the direction of centralised economies which can be made to ‘work’ in an economic sense but which are not democratically organised and which tend to establish a caste system. With this go the horrors of emotional nationalism and a tendency to disbelieve in the existence of objective truth because all the facts have to fit in with the words and prophecies of some infallible fuhrer. Already history has in a sense ceased to exist, ie. there is no such thing as a history of our own times which could be universally accepted, and the exact sciences are endangered as soon as military necessity ceases to keep people up to the mark. Hitler can say that the Jews started the war, and if he survives that will become official history. He can’t say that two and two are five, because for the purposes of, say, ballistics they have to make four. But if the sort of world that I am afraid of arrives, a world of two or three great superstates which are unable to conquer one another, two and two could become five if the fuhrer wished it. That, so far as I can see, is the direction in which we are actually moving, though, of course, the process is reversible..."

http://www.openculture.com/2014/01/george-orwell-explains-in-a-revealing-1944-letter-why-hed-write-1984.html

Bickering Intensifies As Republicans Filibuster Unemployment Benefits

"The push to revive jobless benefits for some 1.4 million long-term unemployed Americans is -- still -- going nowhere fast in the Senate, bogged down by a series of excruciating procedural hurdles and disputes..."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/senate-unemployment-benefits-filibuster-gridlock

Boehner Insists No New Regulations Needed After West Virginia’s Major Chemical Spill

West Virginia's massive chemical spill exposed multiple failures in oversight, but House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) thinks ... Read more

Silence Of The Lambs: Climate Coverage Drops At Major U.S. Newspapers, Flatlines On TV

The final numbers for the year are in and NY Times climate coverage -- stories in which the words "global warming" or "climate ... Read more

NSA devises radio pathway into computers isolated from web

"Washington:  The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the U.S. to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks..."
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/nsa-devises-radio-pathway-into-computers-isolated-from-web-471387

Do You Want To Vote For An A**hole?

Some Fox News pundits are defending New Jersey governor Chris Christie in the wake of the George Washington Bridge political payback scandal by arguing that he's just a man's man who speaks his mind. Do Republicans have a point when they says that Tea Party voters will be more likely to vote for Christie because they enjoy his bullying ways? The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dZ4Cn09TpI

These 14 Unexpected Responses To Hatred Show That Humans Do Sometimes Get It Right

"Whether based on religion, race, nationality or sexuality, overcoming the made-up rivalries society thrusts upon us takes people with strong will, especially in the face of peer and societal pressures. And yet, humans are always capable of surprising us. In these cases, they rose above the prejudice and the hate and decided that some things are just wrong..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/people-fight-against-hate_n_4571211.html

The Budget Deal Came Out And The Scientific Research Community Isn't Thrilled

"WASHINGTON -- The scientific research community was left disappointed after lawmakers on Monday night unveiled a new spending bill that only partially restores the funds cut by sequestration..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/budget-deal-science_n_4592746.html

Listen As This Nerd Shuts Down The Global Warming 'Debate' In Less Than 4 Minutes

In which Hank talks about why it's cold, and why extreme weather makes us talk about global warming, and why this is precisely the wrong way to think about...average global atmospheric energy increase.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rl9_JvEKaY

Washington Lawmakers Want To Require Insurers To Cover Abortion Along With Maternity Care

"
State lawmakers in Washington are renewing their push to pass a first-of-its-kind bill that would prevent insurance companies in the state from segregating abortion services from the rest of reproductive health care. Under the legislation — appropriately named the “Reproductive Parity Act” — insurance plans that offer maternity care would also be required to cover elective abortions....

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/14/3158281/washington-lawmakers-abortion-maternity/