Walmart Workers Escalate Thanksgiving Wage Protests With Weeks Of Fasting

Workers say they frequently share food in the breakroom to save their friends from going hungry despite recent improvements to ... Read more

Obama’s Solar Power Plan For The California Desert

The plan Obama will boost renewable energy in the solar-rich California desert while protecting millions of acres of sensitive ... Read more

What You Need To Know About The Huge Student Protest Sweeping The Country Today

"Education should be free. The United States is the richest country in the world, yet students have to take on crippling debt ... Read more

Video Shows 3 Cops Repeatedly Using Stun Guns On Handcuffed Man Before His Death

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Three Virginia police officers repeatedly used stuns guns on a man who later died in their custody, according to recently release... Read more

AP: Carson Profits From Ties With Felon Convicted Of Health Care Fraud

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential contender Ben Carson has maintained a business relationship with a close friend convicted of defrauding insurance companies and testified on his behalf, even as the candidate has called for such crimes to be punished harshly...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ben-carson-business-partner-felony-fraud

O'Reilly Hits Trump On His Praise For 'Operation Wetback': It Was 'Brutal'

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Wednesday night challenged Donald Trump over the Republican presidential candidate's support for the deportation model ... Read more

Wilmore: 'Trump Is Stupid. Plain And Simple.' (VIDEO)

"The Nightly Show" host Larry Wilmore has been incredibly forthright in his dislike of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. On Wednesday n... Read more

How solar is turning American energy on its head

It's early days, but solar power is beginning to show how it could recast the entire American power grid. Some power companies are worried. But in Vermont, they're giddy with excitement... Read more

Cavuto Brings Parade Of CEO's On To Lie About The Minimum Wage

Tuesday's debate kicked off with an acknowledgment of the protesters outside the debate who were calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 pe... Read more

Ben Carson's Fact-Free Flip-Flop On Minimum Wage

This moment in Tuesday's debate is a fine example of exactly why Ben Carson's character is fair game for media to challenge. He lies about all manner ...  Read more

Carly Fiorina Comes Unglued Over The CFPB

Here's what I can say about Carly Fiorina's performance in tonight's debate: She was, for the most part, a study in quiet psychotic behavior. The only...  Read more

Ben Carson Spews Word Salad On Too Big To Fail

Move over Sarah Palin! You've got some competition in the word salad department. MSNBC's Chris Jansing caught up to Ben Carson shortly after the Fox B...  Read more

Carly Fiorina: 'Obamacare Isn't Helping Anyone'

Carly Fiorina delivered a lecture on the Affordable Care Act during the Republican Fox Business debate tonight. I'm going to quote driftglass' live bl... Read more

Bertrand Russell - Why I'm Not a Christian

"It seems to me a fundamental dishonesty and a fundamental treachery to intellectual integrity to hold a belief because it's useful and not because you think it's true."
Read more

This guy is taking ultimate revenge on Jeep for selling him a lemon. In superb style, that is to say.

This guy made a rap video about his problems with his new car.
https://youtu.be/5sVmoOZRypk

Algae has been genetically engineered to kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

The algae nanoparticles, created by scientists in Australia, were found to kill 90% of cancer cells in cultured human cells. The algae was also successful at killing cancer in mice with tumors.
Read more

Republicans Realize Taking Obamacare Away From Their Voters Maybe Isn't A Great Idea

WASHINGTON -- Republicans have enjoyed big electoral wins over the past year that put them on the verge of being able to do major damage to Obamacare....  Read more

4 GOP Candidates Offer Ridiculous Opinions on Unrest at Yale and Mizzou

The anti-racism protests at the University of Missouri and Yale have become a topic of national conversation, which means politicians are also weighing in. As the party of old white cranks who think the only racism that exists in this country is against white men, it’s pretty much the job of the GOP presidential hopefuls to try to outdo each other yelling about how much they are not on board. (Considering that there are anti-racist protests happening at Ithaca, Smith and the University of Kansas, among several others, they’ll probably have more to say in coming days.) Here are some prize reactions from the Republican presidential contenders. ...  Read more

New Poll Shows Bernie Sanders Leads Trump and Bush by Double-Digits

Sanders outpolls GOP frontrunner Trump and establishment candidate Bush.
...  Read more

Ted Cruz Will Never 'Let It Go': The Right Wing's Insane New Fear of 'Frozen'

Conservatives target 'Let It Go' and make up stories about 'abortion regret' because they fear women's autonomy.
...  Read more

Utah judge removes lesbian couple’s foster child, says she’ll be better off with heterosexuals

...Johansen said that “through his research he had found out that kids in homosexual homes don’t do as well as they do in heterosexual homes.” She added that, when the judge was asked to show the research, he wouldn’t...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/12/utah-judge-removes-foster-child-from-lesbian-couple-saying-shell-be-better-off-with-heterosexuals/

Ben Carson promises law to protect religious objectors to same-sex marriage

The Republican presidential candidate defends his anti-evolution stance at a Christian university in Virginia: ‘Everybody believe what you want to believe’.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/11/ben-carson-promises-law-to-protect-religious-objectors-to-same-sex-marriage

Remember: Hobby Lobby Turns to God to Resolve Employee Disputes

...The New York Times has investigated how corporations have helped forge a “privatization of justice” by forcing employees and customers to sign contracts forfeiting their right to sue and instead agreeing to resolve a dispute—even one as serious as a medical malpractice claim—in what’s known as arbitration...
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/11/10/remember-hobby-lobby-turns-god-resolve-employee-disputes/

Top U.S. and World News Headlines for November 12, 2015

https://youtu.be/LXdebbhuNwQ

Planned Parenthood Attack Group Can’t Catch a Break in Court

The Center for Medical Progress’ (CMP) streak of bad legal luck continued last week, as the anti-choice front group lost its latest bid to avoid providing information to the National Abortion Federation (NAF) about the names and identities of the people involved in CMP’s smear campaign against Planned Parenthood...
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/11/09/planned-parenthood-attack-group-cant-catch-break-court/

The dirty little secret about religious conversion stories

"His selling point is that he is a man of integrity, said Michael Duduit, dean of the College of Christian Studies at Anderson University in South Carolina. "If it turns out he made up stories out of whole cloth, that would be very disconcerting."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/10/politics/carson-religious-conversion/index.html

The 4th GOP Debate Was A Thing That Happened

Drama! Horror! Welding! The 4th GOP Debate truly had everything.
https://youtu.be/LGq1a4B3r-A

Brian Greene Explains That Whole Special Relativity Thing

Theoretical Physicist Brian Greene explains how the universe works using a water bottle and disco music.
https://youtu.be/0jjFjC30-4A

Stephen Puts The Christ Back In C(hrist)offee

Starbucks wants to de-Christmas the holiday season with its bland red and green cups? Not on Stephen's watch.
https://youtu.be/ypFGaW4eXj0

Fact checking the Republican debate

Dozens of lies! Busted!
https://youtu.be/eH1ph8g3gR4

Want To Make A School Better? Get Kids To Show Up

...He has studied high school dropouts for years, and in his research he kept seeing a red flag: chronic absences in elementary and middle school. Students who miss a couple days a month fall behind in reading — and if they can't read, they can't pass tests.

"To miss a month of school when you're 11 and 12, there's got to be something behind that," Balfanz says — and at Wolfe Street Academy there were. The list included things like tooth decay, mental health issues and not having a winter coat...
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/11/12/455052958/want-to-make-a-school-better-get-kids-to-show-up

Donald Trump Just Endorsed 'Operation Wetback' at the GOP Debate

...So there you have it: Donald Trump's model for deporting undocumented immigrants "warmly and humanely" is an unabashedly racist program in which nearly a million human beings were terrorized by our government and treated with less dignity than farm animals...
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/donald-trump-just-endorsed-operation-wetback-at-the-gop-debate-20151110

No, climate change skepticism isn’t really about doubting science

...So there's a big gap in Americans' understanding of the scientific community's consensus and the scientific community's actual consensus on climate change...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/11/09/no-climate-change-skepticism-isnt-really-about-doubting-science/

Many non-religious people still believe in God – what is that all about?

The time where a religious authority could issue a decree and expect it to be obeyed without question is passing. It may have worked when churches had a stranglehold on their members’ access to information, but they’ve lost that power, much to their frustration...
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/09/many-non-religious-people-believe-in-god

Survey | Americans Shift Preference for “Happy Holidays” over “Merry Christmas”

Nearly half (49%) of Americans agree stores and businesses should greet their customers with “happy holidays” or “season’s greetings” instead of “merry Christmas” out of respect for people of different faiths...
http://publicreligion.org/research/2013/12/prri-rns-dec-2013-survey/

Action Alert: Tell Your Legislators to Support the “Every Child Deserves a Family Act”

November is National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate families brought together through adoption and take action to ensure all youth in the care of child placement agencies have the opportunity to find a permanent and loving home. Unfortunately, many adoption and foster care agencies deny placing children with families who want them, citing religion as an excuse to discriminate against LGBT and other nontraditional families.
http://action.secular.org/secular/app/onestep-write-a-letter?0&engagementId=143833

What are some funny lies to tell small children?

Read more

Chlamydia rampant at Texas abstinence-only high school

Federal health officials call it an epidemic
Read more

Top U.S. and World News Headlines for November 10, 2015

https://youtu.be/zv0FAYd1LK8

Refugees arriving in the United States are often placed in unlikely cities

The country’s Refugee Resettlement Program accepted almost 70,000 refugees last fiscal year.
https://youtu.be/9nFPo2MBgao

CRITICAL THINKING - Fallacies: Equivocation [HD]

Joseph Wu (University of Cambridge) explains the fallacy of equivocation, the fallacy that occurs when the same term is used with different meanings in an argument. Along the way, he discusses whether Miley Cyrus is an exploding ball of gas.
https://youtu.be/bmIqWT7qMj4

One Million Maniacs?: Religious Right Group Attacks Magazine For Highlighting Family Headed By Same-Sex Couple

One Million Moms is a front group for the American Family Association, one of the nastiest and most homophobic Religious Right outfits in the country. The Southern Poverty Law Center calls it a hate group.
... Read more

The battle over BDS --

Patricia Sabga explains how the BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction corporations that do business with Israel) movement is galvanizing pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israeli students on college campuses.
https://youtu.be/8IsK3b9f1xA

Do atheists ever turn to God?

https://youtu.be/LnANZxc8Ots

Millennial voters and young activists rally for social justice

The social movement 'Our Generation, Our Choice,' looks to bring about policy change in Washington.
https://youtu.be/_KarhS4tBaI

Carson And Jesus: Best Buds

"Wow. Just wow. Actual painting from Ben Carson's house...  Read more

Carly Fiorina Doesn't Have To Tell You Moochers Details Of Her Tax Plan

Carly Fiorina wants all of us moochers to know she doesn't need to reveal her stinkin' tax plan before she's elected Queen of All the United States an...  Read more

Which US states are the most corrupt? (Hint: MICHIGAN)

A recent data-driven study grades all 50 US states on their transparency and accountability, highlighting both disturbing trends and signs of progress... Read more

How much do you know about landmark Supreme Court decisions? Take our quiz.

Test your knowledge on some of the most important decisions made by the United States' highest court. ... Read more

This map should change the way you think about foreign aid - Vox

...As you can see, the biggest recipient by a long way is Israel (this is fiscal year 2014 data, but nothing's changing), and two other big ones are Egypt and Jordan, which both have aid packages that are tied up with their peace treaties with Israel. None of these are poor countries (indeed, Israel is downright rich), and the point of the money is to advance an American foreign policy agenda — not to help the poor... http://www.vox.com/2015/11/8/9684494/foreign-aid-map

Bachmann Warns: Rapture Coming Soon, So Convert As Many Jews As Possible

Ex-U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) warned Wednesday that Jesus is "coming soon," making the task of converting the masses – particularly Jews – even... Read more

Missouri College Republicans Apologize For 'Terrorist Neckerchief' Protest Tweet

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A University of Missouri Republican student group is apologizing for a tweet likening students protesting the school's handling o... Read more

Investigation Finds World’s Largest Coal Company Misled Public On Climate Change

Peabody will have to correct its financial statements under a deal with New York's attorney general.  ... Read more

Youth Activists Take To The Street In Washington D.C.

Activists shut down central Washington D.C. this morning to demand political action on climate change, immigration, and racial ... Read more

After Endorsement From Oil Industry, Vitter Calls For End To Solar Tax Credits

For every $1 in Louisiana tax credits that goes towards the solar industry, approximately $14 goes to oil and gas ... Read more

BREAKING: Chris Christie Vetoes Legislation Making It Easier To Vote In New Jersey

It would have automatically registered 1.6 million voters. The post BREAKING: Chris Christie Vetoes Legislation Making It ... Read more

The Fallacy of the Latest Contraception Case

...This should not be a difficult case. In a secular society, religious freedom demands respect and accommodation, not a veto over government action that benefits others who believe differently...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/opinion/the-fallacy-of-the-latest-contraception-case.html

New books allege financial scandals at the Vatican

Rome (CNN)Vatican documents and taped conversations, leaked to Italian journalists and published in two new books, allegedly reveal numerous financial scandals and extravagant expenditures in the Vatican as well as the private admonitions of Pope Francis to his closest advisers...
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/04/world/books-vatican-scandals/index.html

Sen. Ted Cruz: Atheists Aren’t “Fit to Be Commander-in-Chief of This Nation”

He’s entitled to his opinion and we’re entitled to think he’s an ignorant fool.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/11/08/sen-ted-cruz-atheists-arent-fit-to-be-commander-in-chief-of-this-nation/

EPIC: Syrian-American Woman Rips Into War Monger McCain At Town Hall Meeting

Oldie but a goldie. At a Town Hall meeting (09/05/2013) a Syrian-American woman who lost a member of her family at the hands of the U.S. backed terrorists that would benefit from a U.S. strike against Syria, one that AZ Senator John McCain supports, rips into him about spilling more Syria blood.
https://youtu.be/kHaxFS9pwzE

The Saint of Small Type

"I’m all for giving old time Catholic priests a little sainthood now and again, but does it have to be for a guy who prescribes whippings and offers up his own shackles? Having grown up in California, I was taught that Father Junipero Serra was a kind fellow who just wanted to convert some natives, raise some cows and get a foothold in the state for Spain."
https://youtu.be/yP0kKrvP5Wg

Mexico’s Supreme Court rules that smoking pot is a fundamental human right

...Essentially, it amounts to something like a right to self-determination: The state can't prevent you from say, eating junk lots of junk food, even if it's not great for your health. As long as you're not harming other people, you have the right to autonomy. And in this instance, the Supreme Court ruled that possessing and consuming marijuana falls under this category...Read more

Marijuana is literally the least of the nation’s drug worries, the police have announced

...The findings indicate a statement by law enforcement of a fact that drug policy experts and researchers have known for a long time: compared to other recreational substances, including alcohol, marijuana doesn't cause that much harm. It's probably even safer than many people think. And whether you're worried about potential harms to individuals or to communities, marijuana is very low on the list of recreational substances...
Read more

7 Reasons to Volunteer on Your Next Vacation

Frontierofficial/ Flickr Travel can offer rewarding, life-changing and humbling experiences. Exploring an unfamiliar environment can open your eyes to...  Read more

Ben Carson Sounds Off About the Media, West Point, Aliens (parody)

https://youtu.be/24GbGIlDs1A

Good Thinking, with Guy P. Harrison (The Humanist Hour #174)

In this episode, Bo Bennett speaks with Guy P. Harrison about his latest book, Good Thinking: What You Need to Know to be Smarter, Safer, Wealthier, and Wiser. Later, Peggy Knudtson speaks with Dr. Jeffrey Jarman at “The Skeptics of Oz” conference about the art and science of debate.

Guy P. Harrison has held numerous positions in the news industry, including editorial writer, world news editor, sports editor, photographer, page designer, and columnist. He is a veteran travel writer, having visited and written about more than 25 countries on five continents. He has also had some very rewarding jobs teaching history and science to bright kids.Guy holds a degree in history and anthropology from the University of South Florida. He has won many awards for his writing, including the World Health Organization Award for Health Reporting and the Commonwealth Media Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Dr. Jeffrey Jarman teaches courses in strategic communications at Wichita State University’s Elliott School of Communication, including communication analysis and criticism, argumentation and advocacy, and various seminars on political communication.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-174-good-thinking-with-guy-p-harrison

Black Lives Matter, Cops And American Crime (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

A hot assertion from the head of the FBI in recent days. That video cameras and Black Lives Matter and uproar over race-driven police misconduct may now be keeping cops from doing their jobs. That crime is up in some places because police morale or willingness to intervene is down. The White House says not true. President Obama yesterday in Chicago, saying let’s not go to “us” and “them.” But then, there’s the video out of Columbia, South Carolina of a schoolgirl flipped on her head by a deputy, and we’re there again. This hour On Point, race, policing, and the “Ferguson Effect.” - Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/28/black-lives-matter-ferguson-fbi-crime

President Obama And FBI Director James Comey Speak Out On Policing And Crime (Diane Rehm Show)

Yesterday President Obama traveled to Chicago to address police chiefs from around the country. The President sought to defend their work telling the group that “too often law enforcement gets scapegoated for the broader failures of our society”. The message comes as a national debate goes on about police force and the death of unarmed black men. It follows recent statements from FBI Director James Comey who said police anxiety has led to a spike in crime in some cities — the so-called “Ferguson effect” which many, including the President, dispute. Diane and her guests discuss police, race relations and trends in violent crime.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-10-28/president-obama-and-fbi-director-james-comey-speak-out-on-policing-and-crime

Limits And Growth In China's Knowledge Economy (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Clay Shirky is one of the smartest guys out there on information technology and society and how they come together to change the world. For the last year he’s been in China, following the story of a very particular Chinese company called Xiaomi. It makes really good, low-cost smartphones – Chinese designed – that are now challenging Apple iPhones all over the world. They are also challenging – whether they mean to or not – the Chinese Communist Party. Info tech challenges central control. Or does it? This hour On Point, Clay Shirky on the Chinese knowledge economy. - Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/28/limits-and-growth-in-chinas-knowledge-economy

Man Slammed To The Ground By Austin, Texas Police For Jaywalking

Early Friday morning, this man was slammed to the ground by Austin police – for jaywalking.
https://youtu.be/h6uHPvgTwyg

Best of Carl Sagan Arguments And Comebacks Part 1

http://youtu.be/ujYGdmXH2yY

Ben Carson: Addiction occurs 'in people who are vulnerable, who are lacking something'

https://youtu.be/MQb4g3G0ufw

Spotlight TRAILER (HD) Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo Thriller Movie 2015

https://youtu.be/Zg5zSVxx9JM

Cancer Treatment Pioneer Dr. Vincent DeVita (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)

During his decades-long career, oncologist Vincent DeVita helped develop the combination chemotherapy regimen that cures most cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma. His new book is 'The Death of Cancer.' TV critic David Bianculli details four recent DVD box sets, and book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews 'The Witches.'
Interview:
http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/national-public-radio/npr-programs-fresh-air-podcast/e/cancer-treatment-pioneer-dr-vincent-devita-41036941

Bill Maher: Proof of Heaven and Stupid Smart People

http://youtu.be/olfFNq8b1_E

Awkward: Read a Christian Doomsday Cult's Excuse for Why the World Didn't End as They Predicted

Dialing back the big promise.
...  Read more

Death is Not Final (Intelligence Squared Debates)

If consciousness is just the workings of neurons and synapses, how do we explain the phenomenon of near-death experience? By some accounts, about 3% of the U.S. population has had one: an out-of-body experience often characterized by remarkable visions and feelings of peace and joy, all while the physical body is close to death. To skeptics, there are more plausible, natural explanations, like oxygen deprivation. Is the prospect of an existence after death “real” and provable by science, or a construct of wishful thinking about our own mortality?
Interview:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates/item/1020-death-is-not-final -- Click the Video/Audio tab.

Humanism: Its Vision, Modern History and Future (Fred Edwords at Red Bank Humanists)

Interview:
https://youtu.be/SNxZF8Ym-3c

"The Arguments for God's Existence and Why They Suck" (JT Eberhard)

Interview:
https://youtu.be/BegaokiNqrc

Film Shines A 'Spotlight' On Boston's Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal

A new movie chronicles the team of journalists who uncovered the clergy sex abuse scandal in Boston. Director Tom McCarthy and former Boston Globe editor Walter Robinson join Fresh Air to discuss 'Spotlight.' Ken Tucker considers three songs by three artists: Elvis Costello, Lana Del Rey, and Eleanor Friedberger.
Interview:
http://freshairnpr.npr.libsynfusion.com/film-shines-a-spotlight-on-bostons-clergy-sex-abuse-scandal

Why Do I Criticize Religion? - JT Eberhard - Skepticon 2 Redux

Interview:
http://youtu.be/MxDrYbJ5_ac