Defending Discrimination: The Religious Right Is Unhappy About Americans United’s New Project To End Religion-Based Refusals

Like most of the Religious Right, FRC President Tony Perkins confuses not getting his way with actual persecution.
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/defending-discrimination-the-religious-right-is-unhappy-about-americans

Jarring: 'Everybody Has a Killer in Their Family': Growing Up Black in West St. Louis

"'Everybody in My Neighborhood Has a Killer in Their Family': Growing Up Black in West St. Louis" ... Read more

Santorum Calls For A Constitutional Amendment To Ban Same-Sex Marriage

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) put some daylight between himself and other 2016 contenders who are calling for a constitutional amendment to scale b... Read more

The Last-Minute Change That Scott Walker Made To The Wisconsin Budget

Walker's changes puts the state at serious risk of being sued over constitutional violations.  ... Read more

Australian Government Deals Big Blow To Public Investment In Renewable Energy

The Abbott administration continues its campaign against renewable energy.  ... Read more

Hillary Clinton Lays Out Unexpectedly Tough Agenda On Wall Street

The Democratic candidate is separating herself from the financial institutions she courted last campaign.  ... Read more

This Study Should End The Debate About Whether Women Regret Having Abortions

Feelings of relief outweigh any negative emotions, even three years after the procedure.  ... Read more

What You Need To Know About Congress’ Effort To Speed Up Drug Approval

Here's what you need to know about what's in the bill and where advocates stand.  ... Read more

Steve King Wants Congress To Officially Resolve That Equality ‘Perverts’ Marriage

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) really doesn't like same-sex marriage.  ... Read more

Media Reports The World Will Enter A ‘Mini Ice Age’ In The 2030’s. The Reverse Is True.

U.K. tabloids, conservative media, and others are (mis)reporting that the Earth will enter a "mini ice age" in the 2030s. In ... Read more

This Is Why You Film Police: Cellphone Video Exposes Cop Bashing Faces for No Reason

"The video begins with officers standing around while a witness reminds everyone not to talk, just to film. Next thing we know a woman is having her face slammed into the hood of a cop car. That woman, Lisa Simmons, was one of many community residents participating in a block party celebrating two artists signing a big recording contract. ... " Read more

"The Lord’s My Sex Guru": Pious Perverts and the Twisted World of Religious Sexual Repression

Evangelicals are penning sex manuals, and purity movement oddballs are on the move.
...  Read more

Paul Krugman Explains One of Jeb Bush and the GOP's Favorite Lies About Non-Rich People

"It all adds up to a vision of the world in which the biggest problem facing America is that we’re too nice to fellow citizens facing hardship," Krugman writes. "And the appeal of this vision to conservatives is obvious: it gives them another reason to do what they want to do anyway, namely slash aid to the less fortunate while cutting taxes on the rich." ...  Read more

The Terrible Reason Scott Walker Probably Can't B.S. His Way To The Presidency

In a National Journal story, an adviser to Scott Walker openly boasts that Walker is going to flip-flop if he's the Republican presidential nominee ne...  Read more

Caveman's cavity: 14,000-year-old tooth sheds light on early dentistry

Humans have been prying out cavities for longer than previously thought, a new study has found. ... Read more

What 'Scandalous' Changes Could Be Coming To The Catholic Church?

It may or may not have something to do with LGBT Catholics.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-scandalous-changes_559ebad6e4b01c2162a61864

Anti-Vaxxers Have a Plan to Get Around California's New Vaccination Law

California recently passed a new law eliminating the “personal belief” exemption for vaccines, which means anti-vaxxer parents can no longer send their unvaccinated kids to public schools. While advocates are hopeful it will mean a boost in vaccinations rates, anti-vaxxers are already looking for loopholes and stopgaps, and making plans the fight the law to the bitter end...
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/anti-vaxxers-have-a-plan-to-get-around-californias-new-vaccination-law

Indiana's Marijuana Church Sues State, Claims Pot Prohibition Infringes On Its Religious Beliefs

Indiana's First Church of Cannabis -- a religion that embraces marijuana as a holy sacrament, newly born under the state's recently enacted and controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act -- sued the state and the city of Indianapolis this week, claiming the state's marijuana prohibition laws infringe on the church's religious beliefs...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/indianas-marijuana-church-sues-the-state-claims-pot-prohibition-infringes-on-its-religious-beliefs_559ff718e4b096729156024d

A Mischievous Thorn in the Side of Conservative Christianity

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — It is hard to know what to hope for when meeting a couple of Satanists. Horns? Sulfurous fumes? Faint strains of organ music? But when they sit down in an organic food cafe and order plates of fettuccini Alfredo, it’s hard to take them seriously as worshipers of the Dark Lord of the Underworld...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/11/us/a-mischievious-thorn-in-the-side-of-conservative-christianity.html

Politico: Bernie Sanders Has a Secret

“The middle class is collapsing. Income and wealth inequality is greater now than it has been at any point since before the Great Depression. The American people are working longer hours for lower wages, and they’re angry. Those kinds of things, you should know.”
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-119927_Page4.html#ixzz3fmyabzZs

Battling Barriers: Birth Control Access Helps Women, But Religious Right Groups Threaten To Get In The Way

One of the main areas of focus of Americans United’s new project, Protect Thy Neighbor, is ensuring that religion is not used to deny women access to reproductive healthcare. ... Read more

White House Rips Republicans Over Confederate Flag Fracas, Trump

So did you hear the one about the House of Representatives passing a bill to remove the Confederate flag from government property before they tried to... Read more
https://youtu.be/5GamZKrTCiM

Donald Trump: Resistance Leader

There's a reason why Donald Trump is stirring up the Republican race. The Republican Party has become a resistance movement, and Trump is leading the ...  Read more

Donald Trump: It's 'Okay' To Call Undocumented Immigrants 'Rapists'

Donald Trump continues to defend his offensive comments about illegal immigration and border security, claiming in an interview published on Sunday th...  Read more

Delusion in the Desert

"LAS VEGAS -- I'm here at Planet Hollywood as the token liberal to participate in two debates -- one on what is killing the American Dream; the other a..."  Read more

Israel frees Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike

Khader Adnan, who was held without charge, released after 55-day hunger strike amid fears that he might die.  Read more

'Money Cannot Be The God Of Life': Bernie Sander Backs Pope Francis' Attack On Austerity

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders praised Pope Francis over the weekend for his recent condemnation of unbridled capitalism. While vis...  Read more
https://youtu.be/-eP7Enw8af0

Todd Starnes' Insane Anti-gay Sermon: 'The Cultural Purging Of The Dukes Of Hazzard' Is A Warning

Fox News radio host Todd Starnes over the weekend delivered a sermon encouraging Christians to fight back against same-sex marriage and transgender eq...  Read more
https://youtu.be/jxfDWZAPFzI

Can computers replace lawyers? A Silcon Valley company says yes

Technology such as Modria's can provide legal support to people and businesses that have written off lawyers and the court system as too expensive and... Read more

Hillary Clinton to lay out plans for the economy. GOP says she’s out of touch

Hillary Clinton is to give a major speech on the economy Monday with an emphasis on middle class wages and income inequality. Republican opponents por... Read more

Survey: U.S. Uninsured Rate Hits Record Low

A newly released Gallup study found that the uninsured rate among U.S. adults over the age of 18 has fallen to 11.4 percent—the lowest recorded since ... Read more

100s Of Civilians Plan To Monitor Possible Military Takeover Of Texas

If President Barack Obama really is planning to implement martial law under the guise of a military training exercise beginning Wednesday, hundreds of... Read more

Hillary Clinton To Focus On Boosting Wages In Her Economic Agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to make boosting middle class income and wages the focus of her economic agenda. The Democratic preside... Read more

WATCH: David Letterman Has A Special Top 10 List For Donald Trump

Former "Late Show" host David Letterman thinks he may have retired a little too early. "I was complacent. I was satisfied. I was content," he said Fr... Read more

Obama Permanently Protects More Than One Million Acres Of Public Lands

The designations include pristine wilderness landscapes in Nevada, scenic mountains in California, and a fossil-rich site in ... Read more

Study: We’re Already In The ‘Worst Case Scenario’ For Sea Level Rise

"The ice sheets appear to be out of equilibrium with the climate based on what's happened in the past."  ... Read more

Violence in Defense of Christian Privilege - Ed Brayton - Reasonfest 2014

https://youtu.be/wvVGDpSHRZo

GOP Responsible For 9 Murders – FBI Says Dylann Roof Should Have Failed Background Check

"We tried to solve this problem after Newtown; Republicans blocked it."
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/10/gop-responsible-for-9-murders-fbi-says-dylann-roof-should-have-failed-background-check/

‘Persecuted’ Anti-Gay Bakers Forced To Pay $135,000 After Sharing Lesbian Couple’s Address on Facebook

For what seems like eternity, we have been hearing the right prattle on about how Oregon bakers were “persecuted” for their religion, because they refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. New information, however, tears that narrative to shreds faster than a catnip-covered pillow in a room full of adorable kittens...
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/10/persecuted-anti-gay-bakers-lied-forced-to-pay-135000-for-sharing-lesbian-couples-address/

"Male Shame" by Dr. Darrel Ray - KC Oasis

https://youtu.be/YL3Yow2KWFs

How Billionaire-Backed Lobby Groups Are Trying to Squash Iran Nuclear Deal

"... the most compelling reason that so many elected officials will oppose the deal is the power of lobby groups and think tanks, backed by hawkish billionaires who are determined to quash a deal they see as bad for Israel..."
Read more

21 Questions For Donald Trump

"I've covered Donald Trump for 27 years. Here are some questions for him." ...  Read more

Scott Walker Poised To Give Payday Lenders Radical New Powers To Prey On The Poor

Payday lenders could soon start selling even more abusive financial products to Wisconsin's vulnerable.  ... Read more

How Israel Used F-16s and High-Tech Soldiers to Devastate Gaza

Max Blumenthal's new book looks at Israel's deadly assault on Gaza from last year.
http://www.alternet.org/world/how-israel-used-f-16s-and-high-tech-soldiers-devastate-gaza

Paul Krugman: GOP Is Determined to Bring Greek-Style Economic Crisis Here

Severe austerity and hard money is the toxic brew pols like Paul Ryan want to bring home.
http://www.alternet.org/economy/paul-krugman-gop-determined-bring-greek-style-economic-crisis-here

Florida Supreme Court orders redrawing of some U.S. congressional districts

Florida's Supreme Court says state's voting districts were created in 2012 with "unconstitutional intent to favor the Republican Party and incumbents," must be redrawn.

Read more

The Real Story Behind How Dylann Roof Got The Gun He Allegedly Used To Murder 9 People [UPDATED]

A background check should have prevented him getting his hands on a gun.  ... Read more

Pope Francis: “I say this to you with regret: many grave sins were committed against the native people of America in the name of God.”

He added: “I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offense of the church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.”
Read more

Fireworks For The Fourth: No, The United States Was Not Founded To Be A ‘Christian Nation’

All Americans should be equal in the eyes of the government, yet the Christian nation concept sends the message that there is a 'true' religion – Christianity – and all other beliefs are merely tolerated, at best... Read more

Protect Your Neighbors (Yes, All Of Them)

At a press conference this morning, Americans United announced a bold new initiative to combat claims that religious freedom is a constitutional right to discriminate...
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/protect-your-neighbors-yes-all-of-them

Lindsey Graham: Trump Is Going To Kill The Party

Senator and Presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham told CNN that Trump's anti- Mexican rant is killing the GOP. Graham has a history with The Donald, who... Read more

Draft Or Peace?

Read more

Fact-checking Donald Trump: How he gets a lot of things wrong.

Billionaire developer and TV personality Donald Trump is known for generating outrage when commenting on just about anything, most recently immigratio... Read more

Bernie Sanders Is Taking Back One Of The GOP’s Favorite Insults

Two weeks ago Senator Claire McCaskill, a Hillary Clinton enemy-turned- supporter, told Morning Joe's audience what they already knew, that Bernie San... Read more

Unarmed Black Man Allegedly Strangled To Death By White Cop

Just like Eric Garner, he reportedly said, "I can't breathe."  ... Read more

California Has No Idea What’s In Its Fracking Chemicals, Study Finds

A California fracking study finds much to wonder about.  ... Read more

What China Can Do With The Data It Stole From 21.5 Million Americans

Think of every spy and computer hacking movie you've ever seen. Then magnify it. ... Read more

Private Prison Allegedly Forced Immigrant Detainees Into Labor, Paid Them Just $1 Per Day

Those who refused to work were allegedly put in "the hole," or solitary confinement.  ... Read more

Best of Neil deGrasse Tyson Arguments And Comebacks Part 3

https://youtu.be/ci_ijPx8vwY