DN Speak: 2/22/15

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Week In The News: DHS Shutdown Risk, Net Neutrality Win, Snowy South (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Jihadi John unmasked, we’re told this week. A British guy with a beheading knife, ID-ed as ISIS continues to kidnap and destroy. In Brooklyn, three Americans arrested – two allegedly headed for the caliphate. The US and Israel? In a bad place right now. Susan Rice calls the standoff over Netanyahu coming and Iran negotiations “destructive” to the relationship. We’ve got Congress in a big fight over immigration and funding Homeland Security. Net neutrality made the law by the FCC. CPAC meeting. And Bill O’Reilly hanging in. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/02/27/net-neutrality-dhs-shutdown-iran-israel-congress

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

The clock is ticking as Congress races to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The House of Representatives considers a short-term funding bill to buy time before tonight’s midnight deadline. President Barack Obama vetoes the Keystone XL Pipeline bill, the first of many vetoes expected in his last two years in office. Jeb Bush hopes to change some minds at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Hillary Clinton lays out possible 2016 campaign themes in a speech to 5,000 women in Silicon Valley. And in an historic vote, the Federal Communications Commission classifies broadband internet service as a public utility. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-02-27/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)

ISIS captures hundreds of Christians in Northeastern Syria. Videos show Islamic militants destroying ancient Assyrian artifacts in Iraq. “Jihadi john” is identified as a British national raised in London. The rift widens between the U.S. and Israel over Prime Minster Netanyahu’s upcoming visit and stance on Iran. Ukrainian and pro-Russian separatist forces draw back weapons from the eastern front line as part of a cease-fire deal. And Russia threatens to cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-02-27/friday-news-roundup-international

U.S. Churches: Banning Same-Sex Marriage Has Nothing To Do With Homosexuality | ThinkProgress

The intention of this messaging is clear. They hope to persuade the court that there is a valid reason for the state’s ban on same-sex marriage that isn’t just about discriminating against same-sex couples.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/02/27/3627620/catholics-mormons-evangelicals-marriage-homosexuality/

Debunking The 'Complementarity' Argument Against Marriage Equality | ThinkProgress

"...If opponents of marriage equality truly valued complementarity, they would instead recognize that every study that has actually evaluated the parenting of same-sex couples has found that their commitment to each other and to the children they are raising together is what ensures success..."
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/10/17/2800721/debunking-complementarity-argument-marriage-equality/

Fewer Labor Unions Means More Income Inequality

New research from the IMF finds that declining unionization has been a big contributor to growing income inequality. The post ... Read more

The Problem With Congress’ Plan To Fund Homeland Security For Just 3 More Weeks

"What are we going to tell people that are keeping us safe?" Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) asked during a press call Friday. The ... Read more

Wyoming Legislature Votes To Allow Science-Based Climate Education In State Schools

Wyoming had been the first state to reject science education standards that included topics such as climate change and ... Read more

Who Faced Police Brutality In February

Shot, tackled, and slapped. The post Who Faced Police Brutality In February appeared first on ThinkProgress. Read more

Norquist: Democrats Only Support Criminal Justice Reform ‘Because All Their Relatives Are In Prison’

Norquist was sitting right next to a Republican whose brother has been incarcerated. ... Read more

Friday, February 27, 2015

GOP Senator: We Need To Stop Putting 'Bullshit' In Essential Bills

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mark Kirk made a plea to his Republican colleagues on on Friday after the Senate passed a yearlong funding bill for the Department o... Read more

Rubio blasts ISIS strategy he supports

"...Given Rubio’s interest in the issue, and the months of research and preparation he’s completed, I’m genuinely surprised at how bizarre this is..."
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/rubio-blasts-isis-strategy-he-supports

What’s the Atheists’ Agenda?

Interview: http://wjimam.com/whats-the-atheists-agenda/

U.S.-Based Blogger Hacked To Death By Assailants In Bangladesh

Avijit Roy, a secularist Bangladeshi blogger based in the U.S., was hacked to death by unidentified assailants while he and his wife were returning from a book fair in Bangladesh on Thursday, the Dhaka Tirbune reported...
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tasneemnashrulla/us-based-blogger-hacked-to-death-by-assailants-in-bangladesh#.gnE25ywzJ

Bible camper evicted from Hudsonville elementary schools

"HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WZZM) -- Complaints about a camper, belonging to a local Bible club, on school property are leading to policy changes in the Hudsonville school district. School leaders have evicted the group Bible Club Ministries, which was using the camper to teach elementary students during lunch and recess..."
http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/grandville-hudsonville-jenison/2015/02/26/bible-camper-evicted-hudsonville-school/24082063/

Jim Inhofe’s snowball has disproven climate change once and for all

"Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has, once and for all, disproven climate change. While "eggheads" at "science laboratories" were busy worrying about how the increase in heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere was leading to a long-term upward shift in temperatures and increased atmospheric moisture, Inhofe happened to notice that it was cold outside. Weirdly cold outside. So cold, in fact, that water falling from the sky had frozen solid..."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/02/26/jim-inhofes-snowball-has-disproven-climate-change-once-and-for-all/

Ted Cruz seeks role of 'disruptive app'; some colleagues would hit delete

“He’s a very, obviously, bright articulate person, and he commands quite a following,” said fellow Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican in the chamber, who acknowledged having differences with his colleague’s tactics. “The question is: What do you want to do? Do you want to run for president or do you want to be an effective senator?”...
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-cruz-congress-20150226-story.html

John Oliver delivers the clearest, most hilarious explanation of net neutrality you’ll see

"Net neutrality," says John Oliver. "The only two words that promise more boredom in the English language are 'featuring Sting.'" At least he went in... Read more

President Obama To Stay-Home Voters In 2014: 'Why Didn't You Vote'?

During his town hall meeting with Jose Diaz-Balart tonight on MSNBC, President Obama took a moment out from answering questions to ask one of his own ... Read more

Sen. Boxer Calls Out House Republicans: 'Grow Up! Get Over It!'

When Barbara Boxer gets angry, watch out. She's got a wicked gift for sarcasm and straight talk which she wasn't afraid to use liberally during her 19... Read more

To fight homegrown jihadis, Germany takes lesson from battle with neo-Nazis

Germany has turned away hundreds of neo-Nazis from violence and reintegrated them into society. Could the same approach work for German would-be jihad... Read more

Tenn. GOPer: America Needs A 'Council On Christian Relations And An NAAWP'

A Republican lawmaker in Tennessee posted a comment to Facebook calling for a "Council on Christian Relations and an NAAWP in this Country," The Tenne... Read more

McDonald’s Faces Investigations And Lawsuits Across The World

After escalating strikes and legal action in the U.S. have squeezed the fast food chain on its home turf, McDonald's is now ... Read more

San Francisco Archbishop Walks Back Catholic Version Of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

"I was surprised at the degree of consternation over this," the archbishop said. The post San Francisco Archbishop Walks Back ... Read more

China Cut Its Coal Use 2.9 Percent Last Year, Will They Peak Even Before 2020?

No one should be surprised if China peaks in coal use before 2020. That would help them peak CO2 emissions before 2030, which ... Read more

Scott Walker: I Crushed Wisconsin Unions, So I Can Handle ISIS

Governor Walker compared the unions in his state to terrorists as he promoted a controversial "right-to-work" bill. The post ... Read more

Texas Bill Would Punish Businesses If They Don’t Discriminate

Rep. Debbie Riddle (R) wants to punish any transgender person who goes to the bathroom and any business that lets them. The ... Read more

Google Wants To Help You Buy Solar Panels For Your House. Seriously.

This is Google's largest renewable energy investment to date. The post Google Wants To Help You Buy Solar Panels For Your ... Read more

Texas Bill Bans Sustainability Program, Based On A Fringe Conspiracy Theory

Many think the voluntary, non-binding U.N. sustainability program is actually a conspiracy to create a "one-world order." The ... Read more

Republican Lawmaker Undercuts A Key Claim At The Heart Of The Supreme Court Case Against Obamacare

The justices will be personally responsible for the chaos and lost lives that will result from a decision against Obamacare. ... Read more

What 7 States Discovered After Spending More Than $1 Million Drug Testing Welfare Recipients

The statistics show that applicants actually test positive at a lower rate than the drug use of the general population. The ... Read more

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Net Neutrality Prevails In Historic FCC Vote

At the vote, Clyburn pointed out that "absent the rules we adopt today," ISPs would be "free to block, throttle, favor or discriminate ... for any user, for any reason, or for no reason at all."...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/26/net-neutrality-fcc-vote_n_6761702.html

Ben Carson kicks off conservative CPAC event

"We have two choices: We can wait and see what they're going to do and react to it. Or we can destroy them first," he told the crowd. "The mission that I would give our military is to destroy them first." Read more...

Why Apple would benefit from building electric car tech

"...The really exciting part about Apple launching an electric car would be what the company could do to speed up the adoption of electric cars, pushing the fossil-fuel car into the past..."
https://gigaom.com/2015/02/24/why-apple-could-benefit-from-building-electric-car-tech/