DN Speak: 5/10/15

Saturday, May 16, 2015

New Zealand legally recognises animals as 'sentient' beings

A change to New Zealand law has recognised what pet owners and scientists have known for years - that animals have feelings...
Read more

14 glorious minutes of religious people getting served by Richard Dawkins

http://youtu.be/rwdVD1gGDvA

"Paul Ryan Lies About Amtrak Funding With A Straight Face"

If a very well used means of transportation is underfunded and in need of repair, and as a result, a serious accident occurs, what is the next step? R... Read more

Allen West Rants At Pope Francis Over Palestinian Recognition

Did you hear that the Pope officially recognized Palestinian statehood in a new treaty? He did, and right wingers are losing their cookies over it. "... Read more
https://youtu.be/KHJq0J1vXbk

Obama speaks at poverty summit at Georgetown

President Obama is expected to address the Catholic-Evangelical Leadership Summit on Overcoming Poverty hosted at Georgetown University. Interview"
https://youtu.be/sAIIWkKl3FM?t=30m
Either click the link above, or click on the video below and skip ahead to 30:00.

So Why Did It Happen?

If it's true, as I wrote below, that the public case for the Iraq War was built on a series of half-truths, misdirections and lies, it's fair to ask, ... Read more

GOPer Who Allegedly Pressured Mistress To Have Abortion Votes For Ban

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) voted Wednesday for a bill banning late-term abortions, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported on Friday. DesJarlais,... Read more

DNC Chairwoman Hits Jeb On Apple Watch: 'I Had Cancer. There's No App For That'

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) took aim at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) for linking apps on the App... Read more

What Happened When Scientists Put African Americans On An African Diet And Africans On An American Diet

"It's much safer and effective to prevent cancer than to treat it. The earlier you start thinking about what you eat, the ... Read more

What The Nation’s Doctors Say About Transgender Rights And Marriage Equality

The country's second-largest physician's organization has nine recommendations for improving LGBT health. ... Read more

Republican Governor Allows DREAMers To Become Teachers, While His State Sues Obama Over Immigration

"This bill opens the door for me to accomplish my goal of becoming a special education teacher," Uriel Garcia, a beneficiary of ... Read more

It Only Took Four Months For China To Achieve A Jaw-Dropping Reduction In Carbon Emissions

China's greenhouse gas emissions fall, they fall hard. ... Read more

Massive Antarctic Ice Shelf Will Disappear Completely In A Few Years, According To NASA

NASA scientists estimate that by 2020, the remaining portion of the Antarctic ice shelf Larsen B will disappear completely. The ... Read more

Republicans Rally Behind State ‘Religious Freedom’ Laws

The Republican National Committee has endorsed state legislation that has been used to justify anti-LGBT discrimination. The ... Read more

Did Jeb Bush’s Brother Create ISIS?

The responsibility of who fomented the rise of the Islamic State therefore falls on the shoulders of many actors, both American ... Read more

Canada Announces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Target Of 30 Percent By 2030

Some environmental groups have criticized the commitment as "weak." ... Read more

How The First Church Of Cannabis Plans To Test Indiana’s New Religious Freedom Law

"We need a modern religion for a modern day." ... Read more

NASA Finds Antarctic Ice Shelf a Few Years From Disintegration - NDTV

LOS ANGELES: The last intact section of one of Antarctica's mammoth ice shelves is weakening fast and will likely disintegrate completely in the next few years, contributing further to rising sea levels, according to a NASA study released on Thursday...
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/weakening-antarctic-ice-shelves-likely-to-disintegrate-in-a-few-years-nasa-763240

Friday, May 15, 2015

Week In The News: Amtrak Crash, TPP Snags In Senate, Camp David Summit (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Train wreck mayhem in Philadelphia this week, and questions. Why was it accelerating into that curve? And are we starving our infrastructure? In Washington, a Pacific trade deal hot potato challenged but rolling forward. At Camp David, Sunni Gulf leaders – but not the Saudi King – gather to ask what’s up with the US and Iran. We’ve got Jeb Bush, squirming all over on what he’d have done with the Iraq War. A different take on Osama bin Laden’s killing. Policemen down in Hattiesburg. And “deflategate” penalties. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/05/15/amtrak-crash-tpp-camp-david-summit

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

Investigators say the Amtrak train that derailed north of Philadelphia this week accelerated as it entered its final turn. A key House committee cut funding for the railroad service the next day. The House overwhelmingly votes to end the NSA’s mass collection of phone records. The Senate clears a path for trade legislation, but the issue continues to divide President Obama and fellow Democrats led by Senator Elizabeth Warren. Prospective GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush struggles to explain his position on the Iraq War. And we see the first hints of an Obama legacy from the President and First Lady. A panel of journalists joins guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-05-15/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)

President Obama meets with Persian Gulf leaders at Camp David Thursday, pledging to help defend against potential external attacks. But Saudi Arabia’s King Salman skips the summit. The Taliban attacks a hotel in Kabul, killing 14 people including one American. In Yemen Houthi rebels agree to a five-day humanitarian ceasefire, but the Saudi-led coalition alleges multiple violations within the first 24 hours of the truce. The wreckage of a U.S. Marine helicopter is found in Nepal, after going missing while on an earthquake relief mission. And U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. A panel of journalists joins guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-05-15/friday-news-roundup-international

Jon Stewart Rips Fox, Scarborough For Whining After President Obama Criticized Them For Demonizing The Poor

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart took the right to task for the collective hissy fit they threw after President Obama dared to call out Fox for their cons... Read more

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes, More Daily Show Videos, Comedy Central Full Episodes

College Student Contradicts Jeb Bush And Ruins His Day

I'm beginning to think Jeb Bush is unserious about his bid for the White House. Maybe he's just rounding up the money so he can be a power player with... Read more

Conservadem Ed Rendell Rips GOP For Cutting Amtrak Funds

Ed Rendell, who usually does a great job of making Republicans' case for them, had nothing but bitterness for them Wednesday. "Those SOBs, and that's... Read more

"Marco Rubio's 'Doctrine': Lies, War, And More War"

Marco Rubio has released "The Rubio Doctrine," which outlines his approach to foreign policy and which also will disqualify him from the White House f... Read more

Republican Cuts Kill... Again

From The Agenda Project, the same fine folks who brought us the devastatingly effective ad in which Paul Ryan pushes Granny from a cliff, Erica Payne ... Read more

Cuba's Lung Cancer Vaccine On Its Way To U.S. -- Thanks, Obama!

This is a huge major big deal. Cuba is so far ahead of the United States on medical research in certain areas, and now we're about to benefit from tha... Read more

New Bill Would Ensure The U.S. Gets No More Than 70 Percent Of Its Energy From Non-Renewable Sources

A group of seven Democratic senators have introduced legislation to establish a national renewable energy standard of 30 ... Read more

Ohio Students Push Back Against Latest Attempts To Keep Them From The Polls

A group of people representing at-risk voting populations filed new lawsuit on Friday alleging the state's actions to limit ... Read more

Tea Party Congressman Went To Africa And Returned With This Stunning Defense Of Foreign Aid

If he can change his mind on the wisdom of foreign aid, anyone can. ... Read more

Paul Ryan Went On Fox News To Defend Amtrak Safety Funding. It Didn’t Go Well.

Ryan warned that Congress cannot "rush to judgment and try doubling the size of government programs" in response to what he ... Read more

CVS Experiment On How To Get People To Stop Smoking Has Fascinating Results

An innovative study has discovered a more effective way to convince smokers to quit. ... Read more

Yesterday, Jeb Bush Said Answering This Question Would Disrespect Dead Soldiers. Today, He Answered.

On Monday, Fox News' Megyn Kelly asked Jeb Bush a simple question. Then the trouble started. The post Yesterday, Jeb Bush Said ... Read more

BREAKING: Duke Energy Pleads Guilty To Nine Environmental Crimes, Agrees To Pay $102 Million

The fine is a result of the utility company's years of dumping coal waste into North Carolina's rivers. ... Read more

This Was The Hottest 4-Month Start Of Any Year On Record

It's increasingly likely that 2015 will be the hottest year on record, possibly by a wide margin. ... Read more

House Passes Bill To Block EPA Proposal That Would Protect Millions Of Miles Of Streams

The Republican-led House passed a bill Tuesday that would force the EPA to back off from streams and rivers. ... Read more

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Texas Republicans Are Trying To Pass Useless Laws Just To Show How Much They Hate Marriage Equality

"Who forces a clergy to marry someone they don't want to? It's unheard of," State Senator John Whitmire said... Read more

Obama: Why struggling Americans aren't getting ahead

...The wealthy become more anti-government and want to spend less on "those common goods and those things that draw us together. That in part contributes to the fact that there is less opportunity for our kids, all of our kids," he said...
Read more

U.S. ranks below Borat's country in preparing youth to excel

America is also behind Serbia, Latvia, Malta and Jordan in grooming its young people under 15 to enter and excel in the workforce, according to the World Economic Forum's Human Capital Index.

The U.S. now ranks 40th in the world...

Read more

Russ Feingold says he's running for Senate

“People tell me all the time that our politics in Washington are broken, and that multimillionaires, billionaires and big corporations are calling all the shots,” he said in the video. “They especially say this about the U.S. Senate, and it’s hard not to agree.”
http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2015/05/14/russ-feingold-wisconsin-senate-2/

Short On Sleep? You Could Be A Disaster Waiting To Happen

"...Missing out on sleep pretty much guarantees feeling crummy the next day. But it can also lead to dangerous or even disastrous decision-making. Sleep-deprived operators failed to prevent the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown and the Exxon Valdez oil spill..."... Read more

Christians In U.S. On Decline As Number Of 'Nones' Grows, Survey Finds

"These changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups. While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults, it is occurring among Americans of all ages. The same trends are seen among whites, blacks and Latinos; among both college graduates and adults with only a high school education; and among women as well as men."
... Read more

How Bird Beaks Got Their Start As Dinosaur Snouts

The skull of a chicken embryo (left) has a recogniza... Read more

Obama: We Must 'Guard Against Cynicism' When It Comes To Poverty

Obama: We Must 'Guard Against Cynicism' When It Comes To Poverty ... Read more

Hillary’s Lawyer Sues Ohio To Thwart Voter Suppression Tactics That Helped GOP Steal Ohio In 2004

...These include many of the tactics used by the GOP in 2004 that helped Republicans steal the election for George W. Bush, including narrowing voter registration, moving polling places, creating long lines, disqualifying eligible voters’ ballots, and limiting options to correct mistakes made by voters or by poll workers. ... Read more

Who what why: How much gold can we get from mobile phones? - BBC News

"The business case is clear," he said, as he launched revised waste and recycling targets for the EU. "There's gold in waste - literally. It takes a ton of ore to get 1g of gold. But you can get the same amount from recycling the materials in 41 mobile phones."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-28802646