Intelligent Design? (Freethought Radio)

This is our first show produced in the new Stephen Uhl Friendly Atheist Studio at Freethought Hall! In The News: full-page FFRF ad in the New York Times celebrating the birth of the Bill of Rights (December 15, 1791); FFRF asks hotels for bible-free rooms; Elkhart (Ind.) live nativity cancelled; FFRF Winter Solstice sign stolen from Indiana courthouse. After hearing Philip Appleman’s poem “Fleas” set to music, we talk with Laurie Lebo, author of The Devil in Dover, about the 10th anniversary of Kitzmiller v. Dover, which booted “intelligent design” from public high-school science classes.
Interview:
http://ffrf.libsyn.com/intelligent-design

The American Middle Class Meltdown (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

In the 20th Century, the thing that defined the United States to much of the world was its amazing middle class. Lots of countries had rich and poor. America had a majority middle income population that dazzled. It wasn’t just the biggest slice of the pie, it defined American culture, American politics. You can still hear that on the campaign trail. But a big new report says America is no longer majority middle class. Rich, growing. Poor, growing. Middle class, shrinking. Majority lost. This hour, On Point — what it means when America’s great middle goes down. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/12/14/middle-class-economics

National Security And The G.O.P. Debate (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The GOP 2016 line-up, back on stage last night. In Las Vegas. And it was tough. Jeb Bush calling out Donald Trump as a “chaos candidate” who would be a “chaos president.” Trump saying of Bush and his candidacy: “Nobody cares.” National security was the big theme. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio duking it out over who knows the way. Chris Christie mocking them as Senate debaters. Saying he would act. Act to start World War Three, said Rand Paul. This hour On Point, the hard jockeying on the GOP debate stage, just seven weeks now from the first vote of 2016.
— Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/12/16/donald-trump-ted-cruz-gop-debate-las-vegas'

A New Superbug Attacks Our Last Line Of Antibiotic Defense (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Antibiotics make so much possible that we just take for granted. Knocking out infections before they kill. All kinds of medical procedures, therapies that would be too risky if bacteria could move in. But superbugs are growing. Antibiotic-resistant and hard to handle. The latest, in China and Denmark, looks practically impossible to handle. A gene called MCR-1 creeping into bacteria and making those bacteria immune to our very most aggressive drugs. So pay attention. This hour On Point. fear that the ultimate antibiotic-resistant superbug has arrived. And is spreading. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/12/16/superbug-antibiotics-global-risk

New Reported Successes in Efforts to Reduce Suicide Rates (Diane Rehm Show)

Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. And the suicide rate has grown slightly over the past decade. But a group of psychiatrists and health care professionals is working to change this trend. They’ve launched an initiative that aims to reduce the number of suicides to zero. It sounds impossible, but a health system in Michigan is reporting impressive results. After overhauling the way it screens and treats patients, it reduced the number of suicides by 80 percent. And one year, no suicides were reported. Now others are trying to replicate this success. Diane and a panel of guests discuss the “Zero Suicide” initiative.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-12-17/new-reported-successes-in-efforts-to-reduce-suicide-rates

David Silverman: Fighting God (The Thinking Atheist)

David Silverman is a self-proclaimed "atheist billboard" and "firebrand atheist." As President of American Atheists, he has been at the point position on many controversial issues (and the occasional lawsuit), and he has just released a new book called, "Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World." David spoke with Seth Andrews about the book, the lightning rod of David's particular brand of activism, and the rise of non-belief in America.
Interview:
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/david-silverman-fighting-god

Week In The News: Executive Action On Gun Control, Oregon Occupation, North Korea's Bomb (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

A big wobble in China this week – the stock market anyway – felt round the world. But strong new jobs numbers in the USA. Good news for now. North Korea says it has tested an H-bomb. Maybe, maybe not – but it was nuclear all right. In Washington, President Obama goes “executive action” on guns. On the campaign trail, Trump goes birther on Cruz. And Bill Clinton joins the fray. This hour On Point, our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. - Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/01/08/gun-control-executive-action-north-korea-donald-trump

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show, 2016-01-08)

At a town hall event, gun rights activists pressed President Obama to justify his executive actions on gun control. He says he will not campaign for any candidate who does not support “common-sense” gun control measures. The U.S. gained 292,000 jobs in December, as employers capped the year with impressive job growth. The House votes to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. And a standoff in Oregon on a federal wildlife sanctuary continues. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-01-08/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show, 2016-01-08)

North Korea’s claim of testing a hydrogen bomb sparks U.S. criticism of China for failing to rein in its neighbor and ally. Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of attacking its embassy in Yemen, deepening a rift that began when the Saudis executed a popular Shiite cleric. World financial markets steady after being roiled by China’s stock market plunge and troubling economic news. Terrorism investigators in Belgium find new evidence in the November attacks in Paris. And France remembers victims of the Charlie Hebdo massacre a year ago. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-01-08/friday-news-roundup-international

Why You Can't Buy A Smart Gun | ThinkProgress

But despite smart gun prototypes being prime for production since 2005, they still aren’t available to buy for law enforcement or civilian gun owners. The answer: politics...
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/01/08/3736523/smart-gun-obstacles/

What It’s Like To Escape Ex-Gay Therapy — And Then Defeat It

Both have frequently detailed the graphic and disturbing experiences they had with conversion therapy, including stripping in front of mirrors and being encouraged to blame their parents for their homosexuality. But their stories didn’t end there. Indeed, escaping ex-gay therapy did not immediately repair the trauma they had been subjected to...
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/01/08/3736867/life-after-jonah-ex-gay-survivors/

Obama Calls Out NRA For Skipping Town Hall On Guns

"You'd think they'd be willing to have a debate with the president," Obama said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-nra-guns_568f0dcde4b0cad15e6442f8

45 Million Americans Live in Poverty, but You Wouldn’t Know It From Watching 2016 Coverage

One of the most pressing issues facing America is ignored by our corporate media...
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/45-million-americans-live-poverty-you-wouldnt-know-it-watching-2016-coverage

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott backs crosses on police cars

“The Constitution demands respect for religious expression rather than hostility towards it and Governor Abbott fully supports Sheriff Dodson’s decision to allow his deputies to display the Cross on their patrol vehicles,” Wittman said by email Tuesday...
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/Texas-Gov-Greg-Abbott-backs-crosses-on-police-6740154.php

Can Hobby Lobby Buy the Bible?

The existence of thousands of fragments of contradictory material is, according to this perspective, a faith killer. How can Scripture be inerrant when we can’t even know what it originally said?...
In just the past six years, the evangelical owners of Hobby Lobby have amassed one of the world’s largest private collections of biblical antiquities. Why?... And are they dealing in stolen or fraudulent antiquities?...
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/can-hobby-lobby-buy-the-bible/419088/

7 Myths About Gun Violence in America, Debunked

It's a prime-time moment for separating fact from fiction—so here's a shortlist, with the data to back it up. Review it, tack it to your wall, and feel free to share it with anyone who thinks the gun debate is just a matter of defending constitutional freedom...
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2016/01/myths-about-gun-violence-in-america

Refusing Religion, Claiming The Future: A Roundtable Discussion On “The Nones Are Alright”

What does it mean that a quarter of all Americans “describe their religion as ‘nothing in particular‘”?
http://religiondispatches.org/refusing-religion-claiming-the-future-a-roundtable-discussion-on-the-nones-are-alright/

How Lead Caused America's Violent Crime Epidemic

"Starting in the 1960s, America saw a huge increase in levels of violent crime that peaked in the early 1990s, then steadily declined, and continues to decline today. All kinds of theories have been promulgated to explain this peak and decline in crime, and plenty of politicians in the 1990s took credit for it. But in what I personally consider to be a tour de force of journalism, Kevin Drum of Mother Jones has summarized all of the available research. All of it points to one simple idea: violent crime rose as a result of lead poisoning because of leaded gasoline. It declined because of lead abatement policies..."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2013/01/03/how-lead-caused-americas-violent-crime-epidemic/

What You Need To Know About Lead Poisoning - Flint Edition (Forbes Now)

Worried about terrorism? Thousands of young children in Flint, Michigan have been poisoned by their state government’s austerity moves and may have life-long damage.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2016/01/09/what-you-need-to-know-about-lead-poisoning-flint-edition/

Former Senate majority leader George Mitchell discusses the 2016 election

https://youtu.be/2whkh0GHq0k

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore: Laws Are Superseded By God

"Are laws themselves superseded by God?" I asked him in an interview on my radio program in 2011. "I think you're correct in saying that," he answered. "This is a Christian nation by the fact that 90% of the churches in America are Christian churches and it's certainly founded upon Christian principles. The supreme law of the land is the Constitution of the United States which recognizes many of those principles. Our freedom to believe what we want comes from God. When it comes from God, no man or no court, can take it away. That's a God-given right under the Declaration of Independence, which is law itself."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/alabama-chief-justice-roy-moor-laws-are-superseded-by-god_b_8929848.html

"Gov. Snyder Should Be Arrested": Flint Residents Demand Justice over Water Poisoning

Protests are growing in Flint, Michigan, over the state’s cover-up of the ongoing water contamination crisis. Filmmaker Michael Moore is asking fans to sign a petition on his website calling for the immediate resignation of Governor Rick Snyder. In an open letter to the governor, he writes: "[Y]ou have effectively poisoned, not just some, but apparently ALL of the children in my hometown of Flint, Michigan. And for that, you have to go to jail." We speak to Nayyirah Shariff, coordinator with the Flint Democracy Defense League.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/_UlYD_umAIA

Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 8, 2016

https://youtu.be/v1B_Ia2GHFg

Poisoned Democracy: How an Unelected Official Contaminated Flint's Water to Save Money

In Flint, Michigan, where a growing number of residents are demanding the arrest of Governor Rick Snyder over the ongoing water contamination crisis. Snyder declared a state of emergency for Flint Wednesday, after learning federal prosecutors had opened an investigation into lead contamination in the drinking water. The poisoning began after an unelected emergency manager appointed by Governor Snyder switched the city’s water source to the long-polluted Flint River in a bid to save money. Lead can cause permanent health impacts including memory loss and developmental impairment. Researchers at Virginia Tech who have been testing Flint water say the city could have corrected the problem by better treating the water at a cost of as little as $100 a day. On Thursday, the mayor of Flint revealed it could now cost as much as $1.5 billion to fix the city’s water infrastructure. We speak to Curt Guyette, investigative reporter for the ACLU of Michigan, who has closely covered the story.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/Jh-f5MLWSlU

Amid State & Fed. Cover-Up, the Story of How Researchers & Residents Exposed Flint's Water Poisoning

For over a year, Flint residents have complained about the quality of the water, but their cries were ignored by state officials. In February, tests showed alarming levels of lead in the water, but officials told residents there was no threat. That same month, an EPA official named Miguel Del Toral wrote an email to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality warning about lead contamination. No action was taken. He wrote another email in April to the EPA. Then in July, Governor Snyder’s chief of staff, Dennis Muchmore, wrote an email to health officials admitting that Flint residents are "basically getting blown off by us."
Interview:
https://youtu.be/S7PbonV1bIg

How the Koch Brothers' 'Bankers' Snuck an Anti-Wind Op-Ed Past the New York Times

Since 1997, the Kochs have given more than $79 million to groups that distort climate science and malign renewable energy...
http://www.alternet.org/environment/how-koch-brothers-bankers-snuck-anti-wind-op-ed-past-new-york-times

The Daily Show - President Obama Targets Gun Violence

President Obama vows to enact stricter firearm legislation through executive action, much to the chagrin of his Republican counterparts...
https://youtu.be/VXq6lSJDyLE

Paul Ryan Sinks to a New Low...

Thom Hartmann comments on a Daily Kos piece that says House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized President Obama for being 'distracted' by murdered children.
https://youtu.be/E6Y5KAw99EE

"Make America Great Again" Best Parody of Trump Supporters Ever

Dwain, from Mullets Over America, sings the anthem "Make America Great Again" bout the general awesomeness of Donald J Trump.
https://youtu.be/rN1HKMyJAro

We Found the Real War on Christmas!

We often hear about the war on Christmas, mostly from Fox News. It’s nonsense in America of course, but in Israel it’s starting to get a little more real. Cenk Uygur, host of the The Young Turks, breaks it down. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

"The leader of Jewish extremist group Lehava has likened Christians to "bloodsucking vampires" and called for their expulsion from Israel, in a tirade published a few days before Christmas...

In the piece titled Eradicate the Vampires, Gopstein went on to warn that missionaries spent "billions of dollars to get a foothold in the Holy Land," and have "infested entire communities."

"I call on [Jews] to raise their voices and fight the perverse phenomenon [of Christianity]," he concluded. "Christmas has no place in the Holy Land... Let us remove the vampires from our country before they drink our blood again. We have given them enough already.””
https://youtu.be/sYWdbQh2Cg4

WaPo Contributor Finally Admits He's a Shill for Fossil Fuel Industry on Climate Change

Ed Rogers lobbied for one of the biggest opponents of the most significant U.S. policy to combat climate change...
http://www.alternet.org/media/wapo-contributor-finally-admits-hes-shill-fossil-fuel-industry-climate-change

Carly Fiorina says U.S. didn't address cybersecurity in economic dialogues with China

"When we held recent economic dialogues with China, we agreed on over 100 different things  —  including wildlife trafficking and volcano research. None of these 100-plus points of agreement addressed cybersecurity."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/07/carly-fiorina/carly-fiorina-says-us-didnt-address-cybersecurity-/

"Marco Rubio voted against authorizing President Obama to strike Syria after Assad used chemical weapons on his own people."

"Marco Rubio voted against authorizing President Obama to strike Syria after Assad used chemical weapons on his own people."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/07/hillary-clinton/hillary-clintons-syrian-air-strikes-claim-against-/

The Company Behind Keystone XL Now Wants $15 Billion From US Taxpayers

"It's very troubling if every time the president makes a decision in the interest of the people, he's risking an enormous liability of this sort."
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2016/01/transcanadas-15-billion-nafta-suit-probably-doesnt-stand-chance

Griping Aside, America Is In Pretty Damn Good Shape (Mother Jones)

...But generally speaking, Grunwald is right. America weathered the Great Recession better than Europe, better than China, better than Japan, better than Russia, better than just about anybody. Health care costs have been growing slowly and more people are covered than ever before. Taxes are low on the middle class...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/01/griping-aside-america-pretty-damn-good-shape

American Family Association Distributes Graphic with Fake Founding Father Quotation

"If only there was some kind of book where Christians could learn morals like not bearing false witness." (A reader comment, one of many great ones.)
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/01/07/american-family-association-distributes-graphic-with-fake-founding-father-quotation/

Republican Candidates Need To Take Responsibility For Inspiring Oregon Terrorists

Republican candidates are finally waking up to the idea that the events in Oregon – where a group of right wing terrorists have taken over a federal building – could actually be quite toxic to their campaigns.

Both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have urged the terrorists to stand down, saying that they do not have any Constitutional right to do whatever it is they are trying to do. I’m sure in the coming days we’ll see more Republican candidates follow suit, trying to distance themselves from the crazy that they have created. But I can promise you one thing – there will not be a single Republican candidate that comes out and apologizes for their role in this disaster. And believe me when I say that these people share part of the blame.
https://youtu.be/B7G5D_er3PY

Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 7, 2016

https://youtu.be/893M3tp-Zcw

Addressing Climate Change and Deforestation: A Solution From Guatemala

One extremely successful model of how to address climate change and sustainable land management is occurring right now in Guatemala, which is one-third forested and already severely impacted by climate change...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anika-rahman/addressing-climate-change_11_b_8802080.html

Sounds Like A Great Guy

Why Did The Bundy Brigade Take Over This Particular Oregon Wildlife Refuge?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/why-malheur-wildlife-preserve-is-relevant-in-the-militia-fight

Native American Tribe's Answer To Oregon Militia

The armed group occupying a federal wildlife refuge in Burns, Oregon, are being sent a message from the indigenous Paiute tribe whose actual ancestral land is being occupied.
https://youtu.be/Zm7mewPWh9g

Militias And The Patriot Movement: Love My Country, Hate My Government

The armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon is the latest rallying point in a right-wing movement animated by an anti-government ideology.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/SFQ4w4zVPx8

Leading Constitutional Law Scholars Support President's Measures to Stem Gun Violence

"Accordingly, we join the many individuals and organizations that have urged the President to take every action within the power of his Administration to reduce gun violence and save lives. A recent report by the gun-violence-prevention organization Everytown for Gun Safety outlined more than a dozen actions within the President's power, and we urge the Administration to act promptly to explore how to implement these and any other measures within its authority..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caroline-fredrickson/leading-constitutional-la_b_8925402.html

Steven Salzberg: Bad Medicine - Alternative Medicine Infiltrates Medical Schools

Steven Salzberg writes the “Fighting Pseudoscience” column for Forbes, for which he was awarded the 2012 Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University, and the Director of the Center for Computational Biology at John Hopkins School of Medicine.

In a talk presented at the Reason for Change conference in Buffalo, New York, on June 14, 2015, Salzberg exposes the many harms of alternative medicine, and how its practice and promotion has infected some of the leading medical schools in the United States.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/qiRsuq7LdZg

Why Europeans And Asians Evolved So Differently

Early humans migrated all over the world to get us where we are today. The environments our ancestors inhabited made us all very different!
https://youtu.be/wGBDShN8F-E

Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 6, 2016

https://youtu.be/cNcOei3DyFk

Obama Acts to Curb Gun Violence

The administration unveils a set of unilateral moves aimed at closing loopholes in the current background-check system...
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/obama-gun-control-violence/422607/

Conservative Christians Are on a Mission in Public Schools

Religious groups keen on getting their messages to teenagers have found an effective way to do it at public expense. They come into public schools under the banner of substance abuse programs, character education, anti-bullying education, or sex education. Then they set aside the education and get down to the business of promoting a religious message, sometimes along with a partisan political agenda...
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2016/01/conservatives_are_on_a_mission_in_public_schools.html

Canadian Prime Minister Gets It Right – Republicans Are All About Fear

In a recent interview with newly minted Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, the leader was asked what he thought about the surge in popularity of Donald Trump in the United States election cycle. Trudeau responded by saying that he doesn’t approve of the politics of fear, but that is the only brand the Republican Party of today knows.

Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this...
https://youtu.be/w_hhI-Q0RQE

Donald Trump's Controversial TV Ad May Be Misleading

Donald Trump's new TV ad doesn't show what it claims to show.
https://youtu.be/1G8N2smugEc

Here’s What Happened When Black People Tried Armed Occupation (ThinkProgress)

Armed members of a fringe liberation group called MOVE were bombed and burned alive for directing their weapons at police. The bombing highlighted the stark contrast in the way cops treat black and white radicals...
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/01/04/3735745/move-vs-oregon-standoff/

Ted Cruz: Obama Is Putting On Commando Gear And Coming For Your Guns (ThinkProgress)

Coming on the heels of President Obama’s announcement of slightly stricter background check rules for would-be gun owners, this latest fundraising ploy is more than rhetorical flair...
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/01/05/3736337/cruz-obama-jackboot-photoshop/

Faith Leaders, Scientists, Military Officers Are All Asking SCOTUS To Save Abortion Access (ThinkProgress)

Never before has such a diverse array of organizations and leaders stepped forward to condemn abortion restrictions at the U.S. Supreme Court... “We hope the court is able to put abortion politics aside and focus on the illegitimacy of the medical claims propping up the restrictions,” said Robyn Blumner, president and CEO of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science. “When science claims are used to infringe a constitutional right they had better be valid, but that’s not the case here.”..
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/01/05/3736151/scotus-hb2-briefs/

GOP Candidates Reject Obama's Tearful Plea For Gun Control | ThinkProgress

But even before Obama took the podium, nearly all of the leading Republican presidential candidates had already promised to repeal his actions...
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/01/05/3736069/gop-candidates-repeal-obama-executive-order-gun-control/

On The Defensive, Ben Carson Unleashes Litany Of Anti-Obama Conspiracy Theories

Carson then called into question Obama’s educational achievements, repeating a widely debunked theory that Obama’s educational records are being kept secret by some sort of court order...
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/11/07/3720254/ben-carson-obama-conspiracy-theories/

Paul Krugman: GOP So Far Down the 'Black Hole' That They Might Not Be Able to Stop Progress

Can we breathe a sigh of relief?
http://www.alternet.org/economy/paul-krugman-gop-spiraling-ever-deeper-black-hole-conspiracy-theory

Gordon Klingenschmitt Blames Demonic Influence For Failure To Defund Planned Parenthood

https://youtu.be/VQcXO8sqss4

Pat Robertson's Dismissive Advice On Child Abuse

https://youtu.be/SmKpBi37ppY

Biblical Slavery

https://youtu.be/Oxn7a6NpDOQ

How Fox News Created The Racist Right Wing Terrorist Movement

Right wing terrorists have taken over a federal building in Oregon, with the help of Cliven Bundy’s sons. Bundy and his racist family were aided in their anti-government crusade in 2014 by Fox News, and this latest stunt is also the result of the racist, anti-government views being spouted by Fox. They are responsible for this disaster and it is time to hold them accountable...
https://youtu.be/3ahz7JHq5H4

Lawrence Krauss: We Need to Teach Kids Creative Thinking | BEST OF 2015

"Education is far less about a set of facts than a way of thinking," says the professor and theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss. "And therefore what I always think should be the basis of education is not answers but questions."
Interview:
https://youtu.be/w00dJ05gxo0

Transcript - Education is far less about a set of facts than a way of thinking, than learning how to critically think. And therefore what I always think should be the basis of education is not answers but questions. We should teach kids how to question. Now having said that of course to be a productive adult there are certain skills that are required – reading, writing and in the old fashioned days we used to say arithmetic. Now we say mathematics. And it’s important that we provide students those basic skills. And in that sense I’m in favor of a common core because I think there are certain things that most reasonable educators and most reasonable mathematicians and scientists and historians would agree are a part of what every modern literate person should have as a tool to go out and look at the outside world.

I am in favor of saying okay, let’s get teams of educators and experts in certain disciplines to say what are the basic things that we think are an essential part of an early education for people. Put them together and create as well as possible a set of goals and tools to learn those things. One thing I cannot understand and people are probably going to be upset about this is why local school boards have control over educational content. Because local school boards are inevitably made up of individuals without any training. One of the reasons we send kids to school is to help protect them from their parents – in a good sense. I mean most parents want their kids to learn good but the point is the reason kids are outside the house is so they can get exposure to things that might take them beyond the biases that they learn at home. And if we send them to school we should take them beyond the biases that are present in local school board members. There should be standards that are based – that are determined by educators, not by people who for one reason or another run for election to a local school board. So a common core is something I’m in favor of. What I’m not in favor of by the way is standardized tests however. Testing always inevitably means you teach students to be able to do tests. And I’ve seen it at all levels including by the way at graduate school. We have many grad students say from China who are excellent at taking physics tests but when they want to become researchers just being able to regurgitate information is not what makes you a creative researcher. And I think the same is true for a young person. Being able to know specifics to pass a test is not the same as being able to understand how to go about answering those questions...

Keeping Church and State Separate

Those on the Christian right who would break down this wall of separation are doing a disservice to themselves, because the loss of the separation between church and state weakens the capacity of the government to protect the rights of anyone to practice their religious beliefs freely. Of course, it is possible that many on the Christian right do not believe in freedom of religion and instead want America to be a Christian nation (by which they mean their particular brand of Christianity) that is intolerant of the beliefs of others, whether Buddhist, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, atheist or anything else...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-traphagan/keeping-church-and-state_b_8903266.html

Action Alert: Ask Your Senators to Co-Sponsor the Darwin Day Resolution

On December 17, Senator Richard Blumenthal, with help from the Secular Coalition for America, introduced the 2016 Darwin Day Resolution (S. Res. 337). This resolution recognizes February 12, 2016 as Darwin Day in honor of what would be Charles Darwin’s 207th birthday. This resolution also:

• States that evolution “provides humanity with a logical and intellectually compelling explanation for the diversity of life on Earth”
• Demands that the “advancement of science be protected from those unconcerned with the adverse impacts of global warming and climate change”
• Confirms that the “teaching of creationism in some public schools compromises the scientific and academic integrity of the United States’ education systems”

With recent studies showing a growing disconnect between scientists and the public, increasing and promoting scientific literacy is a critical priority. Last year marked the first time a Senate version of the resolution was introduced and we’d like to gain momentum by adding more co-sponsors. Please write to your Senators today and urge them to sign on to S. Res. 337 and affirm their commitment to science and scientific knowledge.

http://action.secular.org/secular/app/write-a-letter?3&engagementId=155773

Good Without God in 2016

Moreover there are countless examples of deeply religious people doing horrendous things in the name of their faith. Their religion didn't give them humility or empathy – maybe just the opposite...
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/faith-matters/articles/2016-01-04/the-2016-race-privileges-religion

Throwback: Right Wing Domestic Terrorism Alive And Well

In June of 2014, America’s Lawyer, Mike Papantonio, and political essayist Chauncey DeVega discussed right-wing terrorism in the United States and how fear is drummed up by Republican talking heads in the media. Watch the discussion...
https://youtu.be/VRD_QnzvH9k

Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 5, 2016

https://youtu.be/J2JPulMbqsY

Mendenhall Ice Caves in Juneau, AK [OC] [6016x4016]

http://i.imgur.com/Kk9n2hL.jpg

Trump Camp On Border Ad Fact Check: ‘No Sh*t’ That’s Not Mexico

Asked about the footage, Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager, told NBC News: “No shit it’s not the Mexican border but that’s what our country is going to look like. This was 1,000 percent on purpose.”...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-morocco-border-fact-check

Meet The Armed Militiamen Who Have Taken Over That Oregon Wildlife Refuge

Ritzheimer has engaged in a plethora of anti-government and anti-Islamic activities over the past few years. He threatened to make citizens arrests against lawmakers who supported the Obama administration's nuclear agreement with Iran, most notably Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). And, in November, the FBI issued a warning that Ritzheimer was planning to potentially travel to Hancock, New York, a community with a substantial Muslim population...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/meet-the-militia-cowboys-held-up-in-oregon-wildlife-refuge

Donald Trump's first TV ad shows migrants 'at the southern border,' but they're actually in Morocco

The clear suggestion is that the footage is of the "southern border" between the United States and Mexico. But it’s not -- it’s 5,000 miles away, in a small Spanish enclave on the mainland of Morocco...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/04/donald-trump/donald-trumps-first-tv-ad-shows-migrants-southern-/

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick claims states where people carry guns have less crime

"Everywhere that we have more citizens carrying guns, crime is less. There's a study showing that where states have open carry or concealed carry, but particularly open carry, the crime is down 25 percent."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jan/03/dan-patrick/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-claims-states-where-peopl/

14 Tweets That Sum Up The Racist Double Standard Surrounding #OregonUnderAttack

The difference between "thugs" and "peaceful protesters" is skin color...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/14-tweets-that-sum-up-the-racist-double-standard-of-oregonunderattack_568a8c0ce4b06fa68882d316

3 Anger-Inducing Charts About Kids and Prison

Does the justice system think white kids are more redeemable than black kids?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/disturbing-data-behind-juvenile-life-without-parole

In Philadelphia, 22 percent of adults lack basic literacy

In part 2 of our ‘America left behind’ series, Al Jazeera explores the vicious cycle of poverty and lack of education...
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/12/15/philadelphia-many-lack-literacy.html

Koch brothers supersize higher-ed spending

A pair of private foundations led by the billionaire industrialists poured more than $23.4 million into U.S. colleges and universities during 2014, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of tax documents recently filed with the Internal Revenue Service...
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/12/15/koch-brothers-supersize-higher-ed-spending.html

Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 4, 2016

https://youtu.be/FyeZvW3QX2Y

Russia Is Using Space Power in Its Attack on Syria

Vladimir Putin’s military is unveiling a new arsenal in its battle with ISIS and other insurgents in Syria. Much of that new military hardware is hundreds of miles above Earth...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/16/russia-is-using-space-power-in-its-attack-on-syria.html