Pope's Stance Leaks; Calls For Urgent Action On Environment

Francis backs up his comments with science showing the impact on the planet of the continual loss of biodiversity in Amazonian rainforests, the melting of Arctic glaciers, the overfishing of the seas and the pollution of the world's water supply...
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/top-stories/stories/popes-stance-leaks-calls-urgent-action-environment-17974.shtml

Evangelicals hope to find candidates in the pulpit

More than 300 ministers, many from South Carolina, are expected to assemble in North Charleston on Friday to receive training on how to run for school board, city council, the State House and Congress.

“No one is convinced that the kingdom of God will arrive on Air Force One. No one thinks Wall Street will save America,” said David Lane, who heads the American Renewal Project, the California-based evangelical group sponsoring the training. “We’re looking for people – who know the word (of God), who know the culture – to run.”
http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article23425071.html#storylink=cpy

Mitt Thinks Hillary Clinton Is Too Insincere To Be President

Mr. 47% seems to think Hillary Clinton is too insincere to be president: "When you see her on a stage or when she comes into a room full of people, s... Read more
https://youtu.be/9_mPWOtkXHg

Beware that fake smartwatch. It's a malware magnet

With the rise of Internet-connected wearables such as the Fitbit and Apple Watch, fakes are proliferating, too. They are cheap but can also carry mali... Read more

Jeb Bush Reaches For Latino Votes While Promoting Policies That Drive Them Away

On many key issues -- from climate change to health care to the minimum wage -- Bush's policies are in direct contradiction to ... Read more

Protesters Urge The Smithsonian Institution To Cut Ties With Koch Money

Protesters delivered over 400,000 petitions to the Institution, urging the Smithsonian to take down it's Koch-funded science ... Read more

Poll Finds One State Where Sanders Could Beat Clinton In A Primary

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) could give Hillary Clinton a run for her money in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, according to a new Morning Consult ... Read more

What A Police Expert Calls The Most Ignored Cause Of Cop Violence

What led to McKinney, Texas, Police Corporal Eric Casebolt's unnecessarily aggressive approach to breaking up a crowd of predominantly black teens at ... Read more

Private Prison Van Guards Allegedly Locked Man In Cage And Urinated On Him

The nurse tending to his injuries allegedly told him they "had seen much worse come off that bus."  ... Read more

Here Are 5 Reasons House Republicans Don’t Want To Limit Smog Pollution

House Republicans had varied reasons for opposing EPA updates to smog pollution regulations on Friday. ... Read more

New Jersey Lawmakers’ Plan To Enact Automatic Voter Registration Without Chris Christie’s Support

...While Christie has made it clear he would not support legislation to expand voting opportunities, his Democrat-controlled legislature is moving forward with it anyway. Democratic leaders plan to introduce and fast-track the “Democracy Act” this week which would make it the second state to adopt automatic voter registration and would expand early voting opportunities, among other changes...
 ... Read more

‘We Are Not God': Pope Francis’ Leaked Encyclical Rails Against Exploitation Of Fossil Fuels

The leaked document flatly rejects traditional conservative Christian justifications for exploiting the planet.  ... Read more

The "trickle down theory" is dead wrong

Wealth does not trickle down from the rich to the poor. Period.
That's not Senator Elizabeth Warren talking. That's the latest conclusion of new research from the International Monetary Fund.  Read more

America can afford a $15 minimum wage, tech CEO says

America should have a $15 minimum wage.
That's what billionaire Marc Benioff, the founder and CEO of Salesforce.com (CRM, Tech30), believes. Corporate leaders need to do a better job of balancing the needs of their employees with the desires of their shareholders, he argues.  Read more

FOX News Attempts to Justify Police Brutality Against Children, So Russell Brand Let them Have It

On Russell Brand’s latest episode of “The Trews,” he tackles the controversy that has swept the nation in the wake of the police brutality at the McKinney pool party incident last week...
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https://youtu.be/y1oVl9TeaXQ

There’s No Water, Let ‘Em Drink Sand: Selfish, Rich Californians Refuse To Adapt To Drought

Rich Southern Californians are balking at conserving water. That's for the peons. This attitude will cost them money, now. How ... Read more

Paul Krugman on Why Wall Street May Finally Be Losing Its Grip on Democrats

The columnist sees a budding populism and unrepentant liberalism in a once centrist party.
...  Read more

A mystical calm day on the Coeur d'Alene River [4128 x 2322] OC Cataldo, ID

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Genes of brain-eating tribe members shine light on prion protection

The study of a unique genetic mutation, which guards Papuan tribesmen from kuru, may shine a light on other dementia defense strategies.
http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/religious-freedom-and-sexual-discrimination-wcz/

Oregon Passes Original Birth Control Law

...The Catholic church opposes contraceptive expansion, saying Oregon's measures could have "moral implications and social consequences."...
http://www.oregonherald.com/oregon/local.cfm?id=9150

Fundamentalists Think Science Is Atheism

...Adam and Eve thus stand on the bullseye of the controversy about evolution -- a controversy that has taken on new urgency over the past few decades as the human genome has been mapped. This progress has established with near certainty that humans are closely related to chimps and bonobos, with whom they share a common ancestor; that the human race originated in Africa millennia before the events in Genesis took place; and that the human race never consisted of only two people. The conclusion is clear: The couple described in the opening pages of the Bible never existed -- and thus could not have precipitated the disaster known as "The Fall."...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karl-giberson-phd/fundamentalists-think-science_b_7557282.html

Raul F. Amaya: Religion, government are best kept separate

If the claim that the government was founded on Christian principles was true, why doesn't the Constitution mention Jehovah, Yahweh, Jesus, his teachings or the Ten Commandments?

Why doesn't it require members of Congress, the president, the vice president and Supreme Court justices to be Christians?

James Madison, the Constitution's principal author, wrote to Jefferson, "Religion ... has been much oftener a motive to oppression than a restraint from it."...
http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_28312753/raul-f-amaya-religion-government-are-best-kept

Louisiana’s War On Sex Ed Is Crippling Health Research, Scientists Say

The most prominent group lobbying against comprehensive sexual education in the state is the Louisiana Family Forum, a Christian organization that opposes abortion, gay marriage, and comprehensive sex education...
http://www.buzzfeed.com/catferguson/louisianas-war-on-sex-ed-is-crippling-health-research-scient#.vn3P6pvlw

Anti-Gay Lunatic Fears Obama’s Trade Deal Will (Wait For It) Spread Gay Agenda Worldwide

Bryan Fischer believes that stopping fast-track for the TPP helped to stop something else that wasn't going to happen in the ... Read more

Dems On Benghazi Committee Publicly Call Out GOP’s Political Game-Playing And Delays

Rep. Elijah Cummings calls out the Republicans for their political games with the latest Benghazi Committee. Enough! Read more

You Must Hate The Constitution If You Think ‘Under God’ Should Remain In The Pledge Of Allegiance

Some people really need to finally understand this... Read more

TIL that a Stanford study found a high correlation between walking and creative thought output.

Compared to sitting, those who walked demonstrated a 60 percent increase in creative thought output, regardless of walking outside or on a treadmill in a blank room.Read more

Roger Ailes Has Reportedly ‘Personally Taken Charge Of Some Of Fox’s Recent Attacks’ On Hillary Clinton

A fascinating article about the ascension of Rupert Murdoch's son, James Murdoch, to CEO of 21st Century Fox, which owns Fox News, predicts that Roger...  Read more

George Will Calls Democrats 'Radicals' For Stance On Campaign Finance, Trade

Someone needs to tell Fox's George Will that "radical" is in the eye of the beholder. Apparently George Will's definition of a "radical" is someone wh...  Read more

Fox News Host Grills Paul Ryan On Obamacare Fix

Pushed on whether House Republicans would make sure millions of Americans would be able to keep their subsidies, Ryan would say ... Read more
Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) swore on Fox News Sunday that the GOP had a plan in place in case the Supreme Court eliminated the Affordable Care Act’s federal subsidies, potentially stripping health care from at least six million people. He declined to say anything about that plan, however, and faced questions from an increasingly skeptical Chris Wallace.

Ryan promised the GOP will have a solution that will give people “freedom from Obamacare.” (Ahem.)

But when Wallace asked if that solution would allow those millions to keep they’re subsidies, Ryan deflected. “Well, we will have a solution that addresses this law,” Ryan said. “We’ll have a solution for the people caught in this law, so that they’re not caught in the lurch.” In response to several followup questions about the specificities of the GOP response, Ryan said he wanted to wait until the Court ruled before he said anything.
https://youtu.be/hNPwKo8pOV4

5 Things You Should Know About Jeb Bush

Jeb Bush is set to announce his candidacy for president Monday. If he wins, he would be the third Bush to be president in the last 25 years. Jeb Bush has said he's his own man. Well, here are five things you should know about him...
Read more
https://youtu.be/YQt_E4acnWo

Israel Bringing Its Years Of Desalination Experience To California

Israel has invested in repairing leaking pipes, run ad campaigns promoting conservation and built a separate water industry around recycling sewage water. Eighty-six percent is now recycled, he said, providing farmers half of their annual need...
Read more

Pastor: Gay Rights About ‘Repopulating’

Some bigots have particularly novel reasons for waging war on LGBT rights and marriage equality. For instance, some people (like a certain former cong...  Read more

Christian Right’s New Global War on Gays

The news looks bad for America's conservative rear-guard. This month's decision by the Supreme Court may soon make marriage equality the law of the la...  Read more

Christopher Hitchens - Mother Teresa: Hell's Angel

Christopher Hitchens investigates whether Mother Teresa of Calcutta deserves her saintly image. Probes her campaigns against contraception and abortion and her relationships with right-wing political leaders. Contributors include the cameraman who worked on the 1969 film `Mother Teresa of Calcutta' which was presented by Malcolm Muggeridge, the journalist Mihir Bose, and former volunteer Mary Loudon.

Among the comments on YouTube below the video:

I volunteered at one of Mother Teresa's homes for the dying a few years ago, and while - naive as I was at the time - I was moved by the work being done, I can't deny that everything Hitchens says here is absolutely right. Millions upon millions have been squandered, and Mother Teresa's anti-abortion anti-contraception crusade was absolutely grotesque. Those calling into question what Hitchens did for charity are total morons. It couldn't be less relevant. Documentaries such as these are vital and meaningful work in and of themselves, and we're deeply fortunate that someone with such intelligence and passion was willing to devote himself to tackling the figures most wouldn't have the stomach for. 

and...

I am from INDIA and i hate Teresa and every missionary who come here on the name of charity.They have done more damage to the nation than any one else.They convert the poor people giving money,wash their minds with Christian dogma and make them intolerant toward others.the diversity of India is incredible and unimaginable , in spite of that every one is happy with the idea of Unity in diversity.But this idiot Christian missionaries and Muslims are destroying the pluralistic base of the nation.They want every one to be converted and are promoting religious disputes every where.

Interview:
https://youtu.be/65JxnUW7Wk4

Critical Thinking and Anti-Intellectualism, with Dr. Michael Britt (The Humanist Hour #147)

In this episode, Bo Bennett speaks with Dr. Michael Britt, host of The Psych Files podcast. Listen as they discuss critical thinking and anti-intellectualism—why it’s a problem, examples, and what we can do about it.

Dr. Britt has a Ph.D. in psychology from The State University of New York at Albany (with a specialization in social and industrial/organizational psychology), and a B.A. in Psychology from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. He attended L’Ecole des Psychologues Praticiens in Paris, France.

Dr. Britt taught psychology at Marist for 10 years at the graduate and undergraduate level. He currently runs B & E Productions, LLC – a mobile app and social media firm – from his home in Rhinebeck, NY.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-147-critical-thinking-and-anti-intellectualism-with-dr-michael-britt

Awkward Moments in the Bible, with Horus Gilgamesh (The Humanist Hour #140)

In this episode, Bo Bennett interviews Horus Gilgamesh, author of the Awkward Moments (not found in your average) Children’s Bible series.

From Horus’ website:

Horus was raised Catholic before being “born again” in college when he began following a calling toward full-time ministry. Early on, his efforts were focused on youth evangelism and Biblical literacy around the world. When he was on a missions trip to Africa, a fearless young boy approached, pleading, “Chakula? Maji?“- the Swahili words for “food” and “water.” Unfortunately, Horus had no food or water to offer the poor child – only Bibles.

A few days later, Horus met a humanitarian relief worker from Spain who shared five simple words of wisdom that would change his life forever – “Empty stomachs have no ears.” Horus realized that he was not meeting the very real needs of the people he was hoping to help – he was struggling to finding a purpose in his own life, as a self righteous servant of his Creator.

To many Christians, the most important gift you could ever give to a man is a chance at eternal life through the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Living Water. But what about this life? There are billions who would give anything for a drink of regular old H2O.

Over the years, Horus became more interested in critical needs and social justice initiatives, helping those at risk of severe poverty, disease, or violence. The pain and suffering he saw first hand led him to be more and more troubled by God’s apparent disregard for the children of His creation. This led Horus to years of re-studying the Bible for himself, away from the “rose-colored” teachings of any church or seminary. He never returned.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-140-awkward-moments-in-the-bible-with-horus-gilgamesh

Gains By ISIS Prompt Questions About U.S. Strategy (Diane Rehm Show)

The Iraqi government is calling for volunteers to join in the fight to retake the city of Ramadi. The fall of Ramadi days ago to the group calling itself the Islamic State has set off alarms in the region and Washington. Several prominent Republican lawmakers have urged the Obama administration to send 10,000 U.S. troops to Iraq. The White House has downplayed the significance of the Ramadi defeat and says it has no plans to put American combat forces back on the ground in Iraq. We look at how recent gains by ISIS in Iraq and Syria have renewed concerns over U.S. strategy to fight the militant group.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-05-20/gains-by-isis-prompt-questions-about-u-s-strategy

Feminism, Religion, and Science Communication, with Matthew Facciani (The Humanist Hour #149)

In this episode, Bo Bennett answers some listener feedback about critical thinking and interviews humanist Matthew Facciani about his activism and research in the areas of feminism, religion, and science communication.

From Matt’s website:

Matthew Facciani is a PhD candidate in cognitive neuroscience at the University of South Carolina. He completed his undergraduate education at Westminster College, PA receiving a B.A. in Psychology with honors. Facciani has done research on neuroimaging methods and is currently studying the themes of race, class, and gender in comic books. His dissertation will be on the neuroscience of religiosity. He is also an instructor at the University of South Carolina where he teaches psychological statistics.

Facciani’s writing has been featured on Faith Street, The Good Men Project, The Feminist Observer, Patheos, Skeptical Raptor, Feministing, Secular Nation, and others which are linked in the writing section of this site.

As for activism, Facciani is involved with various organizations and projects which promote gender equality and religious tolerance. Facciani also travels around the country to give talks about gender equality and the psychology of religious belief.

Once Facciani finishes his PhD, he plans to complete a post-doctoral fellowship furthering his cognitive neuroscience research and become a college professor and science communicator.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-149-feminism-religion-and-science-communication-with-matthew-facciani

Policy Divisions Among Democrats And What They Mean For The Party (Diane Rehm Show)

President Barack Obama is no stranger to Congress putting up roadblocks to his policy agenda but that opposition typically comes from members of the other party. That was not the case last week as Democrats held firm against Obama’s push to move forward with an expansive trade deal with Asia. The rift highlights what some say is a party struggling with internal dissent on a number of issues like income inequality and environmental regulation. Guest host Susan Page takes a look at divisions among liberal and centrist democrats and what it means for the party.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-05-18/policy-divisions-among-democrats-and-what-they-mean-for-the-party

Megan Fox, Evolution Exhibit "Auditor" (The Friendly Atheist #51)

Megan Fox is the apparent evolution-denier who “debunked” a science exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History and posted the video on YouTube.

In a long, far-ranging, and sometimes infuriating interview, we talked about the reactions to her “audit” videos, whether her gender plays a role in the backlash, and why she doesn’t consider herself a Creationist.

We also discussed why she believes not censoring the Internet in a local library’s adult section sanctions “taxpayer funded access to child porn.” (In response to her battle with the Orland Park Public Library, readers of this site raised nearly $7,000 for the library’s general fund.)
More info
Interview:
http://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2015/04/19/megan-fox-evolution-exhibit-auditer/

5 Right-wing Doozies This Week: Climate Deniers Square Off Against the Pope

Crazy GOP-er suggests connection between abortion and the California drought.
...  Read more

GOP Lawmaker Wants ‘Important’ Parts Of Constitution Taught – Like God & Guns

Why teach our kids about the entire constitution when all they need to know is religion and guns are good? Read more

POTUS Interview Gets Emotional When Reporter Thanks Him For Saving His Life (VIDEO)

The Affordable Care Act isn't just about subsidies and insuring those who couldn't get coverage, it's also about protecting ... Read more

Anti-Gay Hater: Imminent Russian Invasion Will Be God’s Judgment On America

In a butthurt rant against an Alaskan radio station that dropped his show, Rick Wiles warns Alaska--and the rest of us--that ... Read more

Connecticut’s permit to purchase law...

...in effect for 2 decades, requires residents to undergo background checks, complete a safety course and apply in-person for a permit before they can buy a handgun. Researchers at Johns Hopkins found it resulted in a 40 percent reduction in gun-related homicides.

Read more

"Get a dog" they said, "it'll be fun" they said.

Read more

Walker Caught Lying About British Prime Minister

The gentle reader might have noticed by now that Scott Walker is a compulsive liar. Whether its about his record on job creation or dealing with prote...  Read more

California Lawmaker: Abortion, Liberal Politicians May Have Caused Drought

If Californians would like to see an end to the extreme drought the state is facing, they should consider passing more restrictions on abortion. That,... Read more

High Carbon Levels Can Make It Harder For Plants To Grow

A new study's findings are in contrast to a common conservative argument that more CO2 in the atmosphere will be good for ... Read more

Christian Denomination Plans To Avoid Civil Rights Laws By Pretending Receptionists Are ‘Ministers’

The plan seeks to immunize religious employers from literally any civil rights lawsuit brought by a fired employee.  ... Read more

Strange Practices Of Ex-Gay Therapy Revealed In Trial Testimony | ThinkProgress

It was Saturday night and we were in a room. Someone came into the room and started handing out garbage bags and said that this next process is going to be done without clothes on. So we took our clothes off and then they blindfolded us, and we were instructed to link arms, and we walked through the woods into another room. 

Once we got into the room, we were able to take our blindfolds off, and there was a bunch of people standing around. There was like a — there were some — there were candles on a table, and I think they called it an initiation ceremony. There was people dancing, and there was a lot going on.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/06/12/3668842/jonah-ex-gay-trial/

George W. Bush Has A Familiar Suggestion For Dealing With ISIS In Iraq

"And so I chose the path of boots on the ground," Bush said. "We will see whether or not our government adjusts to the ... Read more

Hillary Clinton unleashes attack on Wall Street

In her first major campaign speech, the Democratic presidential contender on Saturday tore into CEOs, hedge fund managers, Corporate America -- and the Republicans who support them.
Here's what she had to say about Wall Street during her nearly hour-long remarks on New York City's Roosevelt Island, just a few miles from the financial center...
Read more

Hillary Clinton Blasts GOP’s ‘I’m Not A Scientist’ Rhetoric In Campaign Kickoff Speech

"We will make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century," she said.  ... Read more

Trickle-down’s middle-class massacre: Failure of conservative economics should discredit these bankrupt ideas forever

Supply-side economics hollowed out the middle class. It's time to stop listening to the architects of inequality On April 30, 2012, Edward Conard, a former partner for the financial management company Bain Capital and a multimillionaire who retired at age 51, sat across from Jon Stewart, host of ...

http://www.salon.com/2015/06/13/trickle_downs_middle_class_massacre_failure_of_conservative_economics_should_discredit_these_bankrupt_ideas_forever/

Lucent (2014) - full documentary

Through a combination of hand-held and hidden camera footage, Lucent explores the darker side of Australia's pig farming industry, highlighting the day-to-day cruelty accepted by the industry as standard practice.

Lucent is the result of a successful crowdfunding campaign initiated in late 2013. Narrated by Lindsay McDougall (The Doctor from Triple J), the film contains footage from over 50 farms and slaughterhouses across Australia - much of this footage has never been seen before.
https://youtu.be/KArL5YjaL5U

New Rent Laws Aim to Keep Paris From Becoming Only for the Rich - CityLab

France looks set to implement a series of groundbreaking laws designed to induce landlords to rent to a wider variety of income levels.
http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2013/07/new-rent-laws-aim-keep-paris-becoming-only-rich/6187/

Owl Creek Pass, Colorado [1920x1080] by Stuart Gordon

http://i.imgur.com/DuMqW96.jpg

Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – June 12, 2015 (HBO)

https://youtu.be/rFB5oKXZkjc

Christie Comes Out Against Free College, Suggests Issuing Stock

Oh, the way conservatives think! Christie also mentioned income share agreements, which allow students to essentially issue stock in themselves. It a...  Read more