Trump Reassures Voters He'll Send All Syrian Refugees Back

Watch how happy he is when he says he'll send all those refugees fleeing war and famine back to the hellhole they came from. Then listen to the cheers...  Read more

Congressman Compares Cecile Richards To A Criminal

At the end of this video, Rep. James Duncan (R-Wingnut) asks Cecile Richards if she's comfortable selling little baby parts for profit, and then he la...  Read more

Go For It, Carly -- Campaign With Cheney

Donald Trump made openly racist statements about Mexican immigrants in his campaign kickoff speech -- and he shot to the top of the polls. Ben Carson ...  Read more

Kim Davis' Lawyers: The Pope Supports Her No Matter What The Vatican Says

The conservative, Christian law firm representing defiant Kentucky clerk Kim Davis said Friday that contrary to a new statement from the Vatican, Pope... Read more

Carson: It Would Be 'Very Dangerous' To Have 'Every Gun Registered'

Following the deadly shooting at a community college in Oregon on Thursday, Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson said that lawmakers shoul... Read more

Kevin McCarthy Admits Benghazi Was All About Doing Political Harm To Hillary Clinton

Kevin McCarthy gleefully admitted to Sean Hannity Tuesday night that the entire purpose of the Benghazi Select Committee was to hurt Hillary Clinton's...  Read more

A Top Israeli Diplomat Publicly Admits What Netanyahu Won’t

Tzipi Hotovely might not be a great diplomat, but her blunt communication style can be a great help in clarifying matters. This was certainly the case... Read more

Many school shooters, one common factor: a warped view of masculinity

As debate rages over gun control, media portrayals of shooters, and other factors, one topic doesn't get enough discussion, those who study mass shoot... Read more

India vows to cut carbon emissions ahead of Paris climate talks

Will the developing nation make a substantial cut in fossil fuel emissions by 2030? ... Read more

Honey, If I Say It’s Christmas, You Better Go Get You Some Little Twinkling Lights

A couple of months ago, I told you about the weirdness of Ted Cruz's SuperPAC giving Carly Fiorina's SuperPAC half a million dollars. Alfredo over at ...  Read more

MSNBC's Kate Snow Allows GOP Rep To Spew Lies About Planned Parenthood Unchecked

Apparently MSNBC's idea of "straight news" -- which is what they said they wanted more of when they announced that former Dateline correspondent Kate ...  Read more

Best of Steven Weinberg Arguments And Comebacks Part 1

https://youtu.be/nNC9OxTFOD0

Bernie Sanders: In-Depth Explanation of Income Inequality

Bernie Sanders talks about the one issue the billionaire class wants us to avoid discussing.
https://youtu.be/VePpQBCbKBw

Russia rejects criticism of air strikes in Syria

Lavrov says operations targeting "ISIL and other terrorist groups", with announcement of raids in two Syrian provinces.  Read more

Bernie Sanders Interview With Iowa Press

Time stamps:
0:36 - Bernie on His Campaign
1:47 - Bernie on What He Would Do As President
3:59 - Bernie on Bad Trade Deals
4:52 - Bernie on Becoming A Democrat
6:40 - Bernie on Running As A Third-Party Candidate
7:15 - Bernie on The Iran Nuclear Deal
9:15 - Bernie on His Criteria For Going To War
10:49 - Bernie on The U.S. Military 
12:30 - Bernie on The Use Of Drones
13:00 - Bernie on The Minimum Wage and Negotiating With Republicans
14:58 - Bernie on Class Warfare
16:57 - Bernie on Joe Biden Potentially Entering The Race
17:56 - Bernie on His Age
19:43 - Bernie on Gun Control
21:54 - Bernie on Uniting The Country
23:55 - Bernie on The Iowa Caucus 
24:53 - Bernie on Donald Trump
https://youtu.be/XNU2t1Q4bkQ

Obama On UCC Shooting: ‘This Is Something We Should Politicize’

The White House says Obama has not abandoned gun control. ... Read more

Real Time with Bill Maher: Neil deGrasse Tyson – Water on Mars (HBO)

Bill Maher welcomes astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson to discuss NASA's recent discovery of liquid water on Mars in this clip from October 2, 2015.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/a0SUpwIAjQs

Real Time with Bill Maher: Putin’s Hard Truths (HBO)

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the UN and the big story is how, right here on American soil, he told America the hard truth about how we’ve totally screwed up the Middle East. Well, it turns out that wasn’t the only dose of reality Putin had for America…
https://youtu.be/TYMaaB9iLSw

Clinton On Alabama's DMV Closures: 'It's A Blast From The Jim Crow Past'

Hillary Clinton slammed the closure of 31 driver's license offices in Alabama -- many in majority-black counties -- as "a blast from the Jim Crow past... Read more

Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – October 2, 2015 (HBO)

Bill Maher and his guests – Richard Dawkins, Angela Rye, Adam Gopnik, Matt Welch and Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson – answer viewer questions after the show.
https://youtu.be/GECUXsGL2qc

Carson On Gun Control: 'It Doesn't Work For Crazies'

Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson was asked at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa on Friday how government can c... Read more

Food Industry To Congress: We Need You To Act On Climate Change

Ten leaders from the world's largest food companies released a joint letter Thursday urging Congress to take action on climate ... Read more

Bernie Sanders Is Awash In Cash From Individual Donors

"[Clinton] is going to face an opponent who is going to be much stronger financially than they anticipated."  ... Read more

WATCH: Obama Slams Gun Activists After Deadly Oregon Shooting

A visibly frustrated President Obama took to a podium at the White House on Thursday evening to assail a political system he said had let yet another ... Read more

Week In The News: Shooting In Oregon, Russia In Syria, United Nations Diplomacy (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

More mass shooting in America. This time, this week, Oregon. Ten dead. More wounded.The 45th shooting at a school this year. The 250th mass shooting. The President asks: What are we going to do? In Syria, Russian bombers in the air. Going after, it appears, the zone of American allies on the ground. After terror, says Moscow. We’ve got Planned Parenthood grilled in Washington. The Pope meeting Kim Davis. A tax plan from Trump. Big bucks for Sanders and Carson. And water on Mars. This hour On Point, our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. – Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/02/russia-syria-obama-united-nations-water-mars

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show, 2015-09-02)

Nine people and a gunman are dead after a shooting at an Oregon community college. Once again, President Barack Obama expressed frustration that mass shootings have “become routine” in the U.S. Republican lawmakers and the White House gear up for long-term budget talks after Congress averts a government shutdown. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy tries to walk back his comments linking Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers to the House Benghazi investigation. The Vatican clarifies the Pope’s meeting with Kim Davis. And a disappointing September jobs report. A panel of journalists joins guest host Melissa Block of NPR News for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-10-02/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)

Russian war planes continue to strike targets in Syria, including U.S.-backed rebels fighting the Assad government. Members of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State are calling on Russia to end the air strikes. Afghan government forces struggle to retake the city of Kunduz from Taliban fighters. In a fiery speech at the United Nations yesterday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns the Iran nuclear accord. And Hungary calls on countries outside Europe to share the burden of the ongoing migrant crisis. Guest host Melissa Block of NPR and a panel of journalists discuss the week’s top international stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-10-02/friday-news-roundup-international

Who Ben Carson Is Actually Talking About When He Talks About Hitler

The retired neurosurgeon has a long history of Nazi comparisons, including one to Planned Parenthood. ... Read more

McCarthy Stumbles On Fox While Trying To Explain His Benghazi 'Gaffe' (VIDEO)

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stumbled his way through an interview with Fox News on Thursday night while trying to walk back a remark h... Read more
https://youtu.be/hyYsdcoe0Js

GOP Leader Booed While Defending Benghazi Committee

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, was booed by the audience at the Washington Ideas Forum Thursda... Read more

Bill Kristol: McCarthy's Comment On Benghazi Is 'Embarrassing'

Conservative pundit Bill Kristol described House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) comment on the Benghazi investigation "embarrassing" on Thurs... Read more

Alabama Demands Voter ID--Then Closes Driver's License Offices In Black Counties

What happens when a state with a tough voter ID law suddenly makes it much harder for minorities to get driver's licenses? We are about to find out in... Read more

Obama Hammers NRA, Useless Lawmakers On Gun Safety Laws: VIDEO (Updated)

This is the fifteenth statement the President has made in connection with a mass shooting in this country since he was inaugurated in 2009. The 15th o...  Read more

Dem Rep. Wants To Quit Benghazi Committee: It's 'A Joke' (VIDEO)

After House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)'s Tuesday comment that the House Select Committee on Benghazi has succeeded in hurting Hillary Clint... Read more

Anti-Abortion Activist Will Be Deported From Australia Over Concerns He’s A Threat To Women

"Mr. Newman's presence in Australia risks inciting intimidation and violence against vulnerable women." ... Read more

Planned Parenthood critics have new target — universities

"This really isn’t about science,” said Dr. Edward Halperin, chancellor and CEO of New York Medical College, where researchers use the tissue to develop vaccines. “This is really people making a point about abortion and it's outrageous.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/planned-parenthood-universities-214353

Vatican on Pope Francis and Kim Davis: Meeting no ‘support’ for her case

VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican is downplaying Pope Francis’ controversial meeting with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk jailed for refusing to grant marriage licenses to gay couples, saying their encounter “should not be considered a form of support of her position.”
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/10/02/vatican-on-pope-francis-and-kim-davis-meeting-no-support-for-her-case/

Top U.S. and World News Headlines for October 2, 2015

https://youtu.be/tbiUYARWA3Q

Anti-Gay Bakery Refusing to Pay Court-Ordered Damages

Melissa and Aaron Klein, the anti-gay owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, are refusing to pay court-ordered damages.
Another episode in the wave of "We're Christian, so your laws don't apply to us." And remember, they had a very successful fundraiser specifically to pay for these costs. 
https://youtu.be/srldZopu-kI

Obama: 'Thoughts and prayers are not enough'

The President shows his anger by the amount of constant mass shootings in the US while addressing the tragedy in Oregon.
https://youtu.be/8ewsLtjBjns

10 Things Harder To Do In America Than Buy A Gun

My husband remarked recently that it seemed as though there was a mass shooting every week in this country, and I said it was more like every day. The...  Read more

Paul Ryan's Plan To Kill Obamacare By 1000 Cuts

While everyone was looking at the Planned Parenthood hearing debacle, House Republicans once again moved a bill forward to repeal the Affordable Care ...  Read more

77 % of Americans believe that "mandatory minimum prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders...

...should be eliminated so that judges can make sentencing decisions on a case-by-case basis."Read more

President Mahmoud Abbas rejects Oslo accords

Foreign policy analyst and author, Rula Jebreal, provides her insight on Palestinian leader's remarks at the UN.
https://youtu.be/kdCx5Y6j6BU

Demo-Panic Party: Hillary Clinton's Supporters Are Getting Nervous - Late Night with Seth Meyers

https://youtu.be/NS2VVV6qHXA

Scientists find worms can safely eat the plastic in our garbage

...Now, for the first time, researchers have found detailed evidence that bacteria in an animal’s gut can safely biodegrade plastic and potentially help reduce the environmental impact of plastic in landfill and elsewhere. The animal in question? The humble mealworm – which turns out to be not so humble after all...
Read more

Global poverty has not risen or stayed the same, like 93% of Americans believe. It's fallen by over half in the last 25 years.

When 95 percent of Americans are completely unaware of a transformation of this magnitude, that reflects a flaw in how we journalists cover the world — and I count myself among the guilty. Consider...
Read more

Sweden is shifting to a 6-hour work day

"I think the 8-hour work day is not as effective as one would think. To stay focused on a specific work task for 8 hours is a huge challenge. In order to cope, we mix in things and pauses to make the work day more endurable. At the same time, we are having it hard to manage our private life outside of work," Linus Feldt, CEO of Stockholm-based app developer Filimundus, told Adele Peters at Fast Company.
Read more

France threatens to walk away from TTIP negotiations saying a "total lack of transparency" in TTIP talks poses a "democratic problem".

Lopsided trade talks serve US interests, says trade minister, as hopes fade of reaching an outline agreement by the end of 2015.
Read more

Please bear, eat this woman.

"During a solo kayak trip, intended to go from from Ketchikan, Alaska to Petersburg, Alask, a bear attacked my kayak."
https://youtu.be/nU5cMZymSr0

TIL In Finland, nearly every newborn is sent home with a free, government-issued cardboard box.

It contains clothes, blankets, and other newborn necessities, and the Baby Box itself - which is lined with a mattress - can be used as the child's first bed.

Read more

I didn’t have an abortion eight years ago, and I thank Planned Parenthood for that.

They didn’t lie to me, the way crisis pregnancy centers lie to vulnerable young women– they didn’t talk about God’s wrath or “post abortive syndrome” or made-up cancer statistics. They just told me the truth. We talked about options, free of any religious baggage or moralistic agenda. There was no guilt or shame. No one at PP ever tried to talk me into it OR out of it...
Read more

GM to test fleet of driverless Chevy Volts in 2016

GM (GM) has been touting its driverless car plans for more than a year, harping on the safety advantages of eliminating human error. On Thursday, it announced plans to begin testing a fleet of autonomous Chevrolet Volts by the end of 2016...
Read more

Noam Chomsky and George Carlin on Republicans and Social Security

*Explicit Language* in the George Carlin segment.
https://youtu.be/pTBmZzHQQXo

NYPD failing to stop cops who use excessive force: inspector general

An investigation by NYPD Inspector General Phil Eure found NYPD cops “too often did not de-escalate encounters, failed to intervene in encounters where other officers used excessive force against members of the public — and escalated encounters themselves.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nypd-failing-stop-cops-excessive-force-ig-report-article-1.2381055

Trump vows to send Syrians back if elected US president

Republican Donald Trump says refugees coming from Syria could be disguised ISIL members.  Read more

'Uniquely Nasty' Remembers The U.S. Ban On Gay Federal Workers

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Michael Isikoff and Charles Francis about their documentary Uniquely Nasty, which explores the government's campaign against gay workers starting in the 1950s.
http://www.npr.org/2015/09/30/444790831/uniquely-nasty-remembers-the-u-s-ban-on-gay-federal-workers

A Closer Look: Planned Parenthood - Late Night with Seth Meyers

Seth examines the recent Republican congressional attacks against Planned Parenthood.
https://youtu.be/K7pNkqVmNKM

Did Carly Fiorina really see an abortion in the Planned Parenthood videos? (repost)

In case you missed it, there have been developments in this story since Monday.  From the Time article linked below:

"No video released by the Center for Medical Progress showed the image Fiorina described, but one of the CMP videos does include a brief edited clip from the video Cunningham released on Tuesday, showing a fetus on a stainless steel background with its leg moving.

David Daleiden, who created the Center for Medical Progress videos, edited in the Cunningham footage to illustrate a story that he had been told on camera of a medical technician witnessing an abortion that resulted in an extracted fetus with moving legs and beating heart.”

So, they showed Fiorina a version of a video that was not released to the public until Monday.  That modified version of the video is what Fiorina has in mind when she described in the debate a baby that was kicking and was harvested for parts.  She did see a baby delivered and kicking, but it was not an abortion. Whether you want to say she is remembering it wrong or lying is a matter of preference, I suppose, but here is what medical experts have commented since Monday, and Fiorina continues to state what is not true.

It wasn’t an abortion, it was a miscarriage, and: “The fetus shown in the video likely couldn’t be saved, experts say”

http://time.com/4055143/abortion-carly-fiorina-planned-parenthood-2/

Dr. Jen Gunter: Center for Bio-Ethical Reform promotes illegally taped video of perineum and premature delivery

https://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/the-center-for-bio-ethical-reform-promotes-illegally-taped-video-of-perineum-and-premature-delivery-and-fiorina-supports-them/

Cunningham, who provided the video, is not a medical expert, does not know what he’s talking about, and can’t say whether the video came from an abortion clinic or hospital, Planned Parenthood, or even whether it took place in the U.S.:

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/09/retired-intelligence-officer-admits-fetus

So, more lies and deception from the people who want to shut down Planned Parenthood.

Pope's Meeting With Kim Davis Disappoints LGBT Catholic

Marianne Duddy-Burke, head of Dignity USA, a group of LGBT Catholics, says she was inspired by Pope Francis' visit. That turned to disappointment with news the pontiff met secretly with Kim Davis.
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/01/444912558/popes-meeting-with-kim-davis-disappoints-lgbt-catholic

Pope's Meeting With Kim Davis Puts A New Twist On His Visit

Joshua McElwee, Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, talks about the pope's meeting with Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who has refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/01/444912551/popes-meeting-with-kim-davis-puts-a-new-twist-on-his-visit

GOP Leader Takes Pride In Benghazi Committee Hurting Hillary's Poll Numbers

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) suggested late Tuesday that the House investigation into the Benghazi attacks had successfully damaged Dem... Read more

Sheriff Whose Deputy Killed Unarmed Black Man Resigns After Own Indictment

The Oklahoma sheriff whose office was accused of falsifying training records and giving preferential treatment to a white reserve deputy who fatally s... Read more

Carson Jokes About Running From Cops Back 'Before They Would Shoot You' (VIDEO)

Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson joked on Wednesday that he used to run from the police when he was younger, ... Read more

Top Republican: Let’s Make Planned Parenthood The Next Benghazi

In two television appearances Monday night, McCarthy — one of the top contenders to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner — suggested that the committee’s investigation into the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya was directly responsible for Clinton’s declining poll numbers. These came despite previous assertions from House Republican leaders that the investigation was a non-partisan effort “not about targeting Clinton, but finding facts” about the 2012 attack.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/09/30/3707380/mccarthy-benghazi-hillary-clinton/

New Leader Of Canada’s Largest Oil-Producing Province Is Ready To Steer It Away From Fossil Fuels

Alberta's premier Rachel Notley told the Guardian that she sees the province ending its reliance on fossil fuels by the end of ... Read more

This Is How Elizabeth Warren Plans To Take On The For-Profit College Industry

"For-profit colleges and their executives shouldn't be able to get away with cheating students and leaving them with huge debt ... Read more

Climate Action Avoids Over $300 Trillion In Damages At Super Low Cost

Slashing carbon pollution saves hundreds of trillions of dollars. Climate action remains a figurative "no brainer." And climate ... Read more

The Case Against This Man Has Fallen Apart. The Supreme Court Says He Can Be Executed Anyway

...Glossip was convicted largely based on testimony from Justin Sneed, who has since bragged to fellow inmates that he set Glossip up in order to save his own life. Glossip was accused of hiring Sneed, who actually committed the murder at issue in this case, to beat their mutual boss to death with a baseball bat...
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/09/30/3707722/the-case-against-this-man-has-fallen-apart-the-supreme-court-says-he-can-be-executed-anyway/

10 Gardening Hacks That Keep Your Plants Healthy | ReallyFacts

By putting holes into a plastic 2L bottle, you can create an efficient and cheap way to irrigate your plants. The holes are right beside the roots, and you can place the water directly into the bottle.
http://reallyfacts.com/10-gardening-hacks-that-will-help-keep-your-plants-healthier/

RWW News: Bryan Fischer Says All Immigrants Are Welcome, Provided They Convert To Christianity

Bryan Fischer explains that all immigrants are welcome in America, provided that they convert to Christianity and adopt Christian morals, holidays, and heroes.
https://youtu.be/Bt0h7SpExeo

The Life of Brian & The Apocalyptic Jesus

"Jesus and Brian" was a conference exploring the Historical Jesus and his Times, via Monty Python's Life of Brian. It was held at the King's College London, Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, King’s Building, Strand, London WC2R 2LS on June 20-22nd, 2014. We apologize for the poor video quality provided. The audio noise was reduced significantly during editing, although still audible. 

Further details about the event can be read here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/t...

Bart's introduction reads: When the Life of Brian first came out, I was a gung-ho, born-again, evangelical Christian in seminary, studying for ministry. Even though I found parts of the film hilarious (I tried not to laugh), other parts – not. Some of these were predictably offensive to a pious sensitivity (“Always look on the bright side of life”!); but one was not, a scene that received relatively little critical attention: when Brian finds himself among a group of street preachers proclaiming messages of coming apocalyptic doom. I strove hard to assure everyone I knew that first-century Palestine as not “like” that, filled with prophets anticipating the coming apocalypse – mainly because I realized what was at stake. If this was the context for Jesus’ own proclamation (not to mention Brian’s) then he was as duped as the others, and he did not stand out as the unique son of God with an unparalleled divine revelation. Now twenty-five later I realize just how wrong I was. As in so many other ways, the Life of Brian was humorously, but also incisively, on target. The widespread apocalyptic movement of Jesus’ day was indeed the milieu that makes best sense of his own message.

Video discussed on Bart Ehrman's Foundation Blog: http://ehrmanblog.org/?p=8054

Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He came to UNC in 1988, after four years of teaching at Rutgers University. At UNC he has served as both the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies. A graduate of Wheaton College (Illinois), Professor Ehrman received both his Masters of Divinity and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where his 1985 doctoral dissertation was awarded magna cum laude.

https://youtu.be/ZegjCgfiIsk

Far Right Extremists Won't Be Satisfied Until They've Burned The Country To The Ground

They truly do want to burn the house down. Just burn the whole country right to the ground. After securing John Boehner's resignation for the sin of t...  Read more