Canada's PM Wishes Americans Paid 'More Attention To The World'

"Having a little more of an awareness of what's going on in the rest of the world, I think is, is what many Canadians would hope for Americans," he said in a transcript released to The Associated Press on Thursday.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/world-news/justin-trudeau-americans-attention-worldhttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/world-news/justin-trudeau-americans-attention-world

Blocked From The Bench: ‘Christian Nation’ Advocate Rick Green Loses Bid To Join Texas Supreme Court

Green’s view of the founding of the United States has absolutely no basis in reality.
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/blocked-from-the-bench-christian-nation-advocate-rick-green-loses-bid-to

Georgia’s GOP governor uses New Testament to reject anti-LGBT ‘religious freedom’ bill

“I think what the New Testament teaches us is that Jesus reached out to those who were considered the outcasts, the ones that did not conform to the religious societies’ view of the world and said to those of belief, ‘This is what I want you to do,'” Deal said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Atlanta. “We do not have a belief — in my way of looking at religion — that says we have to discriminate against anybody. If you were to apply those standards to the teaching of Jesus, I don’t think they fit.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/georgias-gop-governor-uses-new-testament-to-reject-anti-lgbt-religious-freedom-bill/

Should The KKK Be Labeled As A Terrorist Group?

https://youtu.be/Erq7NbQdhx4

Richard Dreyfuss On Life And Bernie Madoff (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Bernie Madoff was the biggest swindler with the biggest Ponzi scheme in American history. Now he’s in prison but back in the public eye in a new made-for-TV drama, played by one of the longest-running marquee names in Hollywood. Actor Richard Dreyfuss made his name as the star of “Jaws,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and more. Now he’s Madoff. And with us. This hour On Point, actor Richard Dreyfuss on a life in film, and the Bernie Madoff story. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/02/04/richard-dreyfuss-bernie-madoff-miniseries

Economy Adds 242,000 Jobs In February, Unemployment Remains At 4.9 Percent

The U.S. economy grew by 242,000 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/february-2016-jobs-report

Morals Don't Mean Anything to Religious Right; They Still Support Trump

The religious right may not hold as much power as they did 15 years ago, but they are still a strong political force in the United States. And in spite of his complete lack of morals, they’ve decided that Donald Trump might be their ticket back to relevance. Ring of Fire Radio’s Sam Seder recently spoke with author Frank Schaeffer about this, so let’s take a look at that interview…
Interview:
https://youtu.be/XkAy7uaUE2w

How To Get Teens To Read (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

In the age when everything is digital, quick and dazzling, what’s to engage an American teen in the world of a great book? Of deep reading? New Yorker writer David Denby set out to find out. It’s a real challenge. He worries that without meeting it we face a profound cultural loss. But he also found a way. In classrooms where passionate teachers open great books and young minds. This hour On Point, David Denby, and what it takes to make readers of the hyper-digital young. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2016/02/11/how-to-get-teens-to-read

AP Fact Checks Claims From Fox News' Detroit Republican Debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — On taxes, trade and drug prices — along with the always tangled tale of opinion polls — viewers of the latest Republican debate didn't get a straight story...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ap-fact-check-detroit-gop-debate

As Romney Warns Trump Will Lead U.S. into Abyss, Challengers Vow to Back Trump If He's GOP Nominee

In an extraordinary day for the Republican Party, the GOP’s past two presidential nominees, Mitt Romney and John McCain, denounced Donald Trump, saying the current Republican front-runner is a danger to the nation and the party. "Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud," Romney said. "His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University." Hours after Mitt Romney spoke, Donald Trump came under more criticism at a debate in Detroit, but all three of his remaining challengers vowed to support him if he wins the nomination...
Interview:
https://youtu.be/UdsqbIlUJnA

The Darwin Day Lecture 2016, with Jerry Coyne | Evolution and atheism: best friends forever?

A packed auditorium of almost 1,000 people attended the Darwin Day Lecture 2016 in London on 12 February, which was presented by Professor Jerry Coyne, author of Why Evolution is True and Faith vs Fact. The lecture explored whether comprehension of evolution was inimical to religious belief. It was chaired by British Humanist Association Patrons Professor Steve Jones and Professor Alice Roberts.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/sazo1J4Zsj4

Cruz Says He's Spent 'Much' Of His Life In Law Enforcement—Except He Hasn't

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said at the Republican presidential debate on Thursday that he spent "much" of his life in law enforcement, but that's not quite what his resume shows...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-law-enforcement-experience-fact-check

Real Time with Bill Maher: Sarah Silverman Feels the Bern (HBO)

https://youtu.be/9SUQvEyobck

China Redoubles Its War On Coal

“In a nutshell, Beijing has been watching this play out just like all of us, and now they are stepping in to fix it. So much of this is top-down policy so we often see them turn one dial, watch what happens, then realize they need to turn another one to get what they want. They were already dialing up on the shut-down of existing inefficient plants. Now they are dialing down the new-construction pipeline.”
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/29/3753342/china-war-coal/

Why We Believe in Gods - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09 (repost)

Interview:
https://youtu.be/1iMmvu9eMrg

Guy P. Harrison: Discouraging Irrational Belief

Atheist Community of San Jose presents award-winning writer and author Guy P. Harrison. He will present an upbeat and hopeful talk on how skeptics can be more successful in discouraging irrational belief. Harrison will offer practical tips for having positive and productive interactions with believers. He will detail some of the mistakes most people make when discussing or debating gods; the importance of knowing something about brain evolution, cognitive biases, how vision and memory work; the need for humility in the skeptic; and the single most effective way to promote nonbelief worldwide.

Harrison is an “expert blogger” for Psychology Today and the author of six highly acclaimed bestsellers that promote science and reason. His new book is "Good Thinking: What you need to know to be smarter, safer, wealthier, and wiser". His other books are: "Race and Reality"; "50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True"; "Think: Why you should question everything"; "50 Simple Questions for Every Christian"; and "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God". Learn more about Guy and his work at www.guypharrison.com . Guy’s Psychology Today blog is at www.psychologytoday.com/experts/guy-p-ha­rrison . On Twitter he’s at twitter@Harrisonauthor and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Harrisonauthor/
Interview:
https://youtu.be/9Inb7TMQeWQ

Debate #12 Historicity of Jesus with Dr Richard Carrier

Great debate on Jesus - was he a real historical person or made up from whole cloth?
Interview:
https://youtu.be/HhvmuLxBxXU