Still running like a hamster on a hot plate. I think I got that wrong.
"The number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases in California reached a record high last year and officials are particularly concerned by a spike in stillbirths due to congenital syphilis, state health authorities said Monday." Good thing those abstinence only programs are working so well, eh?
"Friday night’s prom at the Double Tree Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center featured the tiger and several other animals — and also included fire dancers dressed in animal costumes, WPLG-Ch. 10 reported."
"Facebook revealed Tuesday that it removed more than half a billion fake accounts and millions of pieces of violent or obscene content during the first three months of 2018… The site removed 583 million fake accounts in the first quarter of the year, roughly 100 million fewer than were removed in the last quarter of 2017." So I wonder if it's in the general consciousness that not only are computers driving a lot of the content, they're also the ones creating the accounts in the first place? (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"The so-called Amazon Tax will cost the city's biggest companies, with annual sales of more than $20 million, around $275 a year for each full-time employee over a period of five years. While that figure is about half of the original proposal of $500, Seattle hopes to raise around $250 million from the new tax plan and use the cash to build affordable housing and improve services for the city's homeless." Of course they're fighting it.
"Over the past century, Louisiana has lost more than 2,000 square miles of coastline, leaving it more vulnerable to storms, flooding and sea level rise. State officials have been fighting back, building levees, artificial marshes and barrier islands. Now they want to harness the muddy Mississippi River, diverting its sediment-rich waters into shrinking marshes and wetlands." Reads history, "Um, guys, I think there may be a problem here." (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
On the Media podcast episode "This is America." "Today, more than 45 million Americans live in poverty. The problem has been addressed countless times since the nation’s founding, but it persists, and for the poorest among us, it gets worse. America has not been able to find its way to a sustainable solution, because most of its citizens see the problem of poverty from a distance, through a distorted lens. So in 2016, we presented 'Busted: America's Poverty Myths,' a series exploring how our understanding of poverty is shaped not by facts, but by private presumptions, media narratives, and the tales of the American Dream."
Sure there's no rampaging racism in America. "On April 29, a black family set up their charcoal barbecue in the designated barbecuing area in Oakland, Californias' Lake Merritt, only to have a hostile white woman come and demand that they move on or face arrest, because they were using charcoal in one of the areas designated for gas grilling."
"A barista at a coffee shop in Riverside, Calif., refused to serve a man after he appears to insult the woman, who was wearing a black niqab, a headscarf that covers most of the face except her eyes." I think we can dispense with the softening tone of "he appears". There's video.
"The Trump administration is making preparations to warehouse migrant children on military bases, according to Defense Department communications, the latest sign the government is moving forward with plans to split up families who cross the border illegally." IIRC the Obama administration program was in response to a surge of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. This Trump plan is different in that they will separate children from parents and then house them in the bases. (Grokked from Lizz Winstead)
"A federal judge ruled Sunday that anonymous teenage plaintiffs helping to challenge Florida's sweeping anti-gun law must identify themselves publicly, even as he acknowledged the order would probably expose them to intense leftist 'vitriol' and 'harassment.'" You gotta show up for these things, peoples. And no, it's not a new precident. If you're suing, your name goes on the docket. It really is that fucking simple.
Big stinking caveats for the next story. "A Republican gubernatorial candidate in Oklahoma proposed euthanasia for people on food stamps who are too disabled to work." There's some question if his facebook page was hacked. Mostly because he doesn't seem to be able to write a coherent sentence. But the guy certainly looks like a whackaloon (his campaign page). And frankly the claim doesn't seem all that out of line for this guy. Fortunately Oklahoma has several other whackaloons they can pick from. However please note I wasn't able to find more mainstream reporting on this. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"Georgia gubernatorial candidate Michael Williams campaigns with 'deportation bus'." Guess which party. It's no fun unless you guess. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Political appointees at the White House and Environmental Protection Agency worked to block the publication of a federal study that found dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in water supplies, according to a new report from Politico." (Grokked from Michele)
"The Trump administration has killed NASA's Carbon Monitoring System, which was responsible for compiling data from separate satellite and aircraft measurements of CO2 and methane emission across the Earth… This program allowed scientists to have a picture of the flow of carbon all over Earth."
"Russia is seeking to undermine European democracies with 'malign activities', the MI5 chief has warned." Taps earphone, "Also, water is wet."
"The CIA -- a spy agency charged with effecting propaganda and disinformation campaigns in foreign countries -- is now waging a propaganda campaign in support of Haspel. They have selectively declassified documents about Haspel that put her in a good light (while refusing to declassify documents that their Senate oversight committee wants made available to the public) and have sent lengthy, upbeat news briefings to national media."
"Democratic worries are mounting in the House, as well, where the party has been more confident of gaining the 23 seats it needs to retake the majority. Democrats are picking strong candidates in dozens of Republican-held suburban districts where Trump has lost significant support — but recent surveys suggest the races may be tightening." Just wait until gas is $3.25 again this summer.
And then there's the GOP candidates who are phoning it in. "As GOP Rep. Ann Wagner prepared to introduce candidates in a Republican Senate debate here Friday, she took a pointed jab at one contender who didn’t make it — front-runner Josh Hawley."
"Eisen on Monday tweeted in response to a recent report that a major development project linked to Trump in Indonesia is expected to be supported by $500 million from the Chinese government." I'm sure this has nothing to do with our president's tweet over the weekend about directing the Department of Commerce to reverse it's rolling regarding ZTE, a Chinese telecom that was found to be supporting the Chinese spy apparatus. You know, even through it happened at the same time. I'm sure it's just a coincidence and not our president selling out our country for his (family's) personal gain. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
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