In the news, Friday, January 12, 2018

________

JAN 11      INDEX      JAN 13

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Asia Times Online

The history and politics behind Trump’s Jerusalem decision
US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6 surprised the international community and triggered the wrath of Palestinians and many Arab states. We do no have an absolute explanation at the moment why the president acted in this way, overthrowing traditional US policy and the international consensus on this issue, but at first sight it seems that internal calculations prevailed over other variables.

________

from BBC News (UK)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

Germany coalition talks: Merkel welcomes breakthrough

German politicians have achieved a breakthrough in talks aimed at forming a new coalition government. A blueprint for formal negotiations was agreed between Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their former coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD).

________

from The Heritage Foundation

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C

7 Ways Congress Can Rein in Out-of-Control Spending
Congress achieved major success in 2017 by passing the first meaningful tax reform in decades, but fell short in other areas of the budget and spending. This year, important issues loom, including defense and non-defense appropriations for the remainder of the year, the debt limit, an infrastructure plan, and health care and entitlement reforms, among others.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from Tribal Tribune
Media/News Company in Nespelem, Washington

Since Europeans: Two-thirds of Chinook lineages lost
The last people on the Columbia River you need tell that there has been a loss of salmon returning to the traditional fisheries are the tribes – especially those of the Upper Columbia where salmon have been blocked since construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in 1941.

________

In the news, Thursday, January 11, 2018

________

JAN 10      INDEX      JAN 12

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Episcopal News Service

Christian groups decry U.S. policy change on Salvadorans as Episcopalians offer support
The Episcopal Church and ecumenical partner organizations are calling on Congress to act if the Trump administration refuses to reconsider its decision to end immigration protections for nearly 200,000 Salvadorans who have for years been allowed to establish roots and raise families in American communities. At issue is the policy known as Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. The Trump administration has taken a hard line on the policy, saying it never was intended to offer immigrants permanent residency. The status typically is granted to foreign nationals from countries suffering from natural disasters or wars.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Move Over Ambulances, Uber’s Coming
As a mode of transportation to a hospital when a patients’ illness, injury or affliction precludes them from driving, ambulances are a blunt method that is far from perfect. Patients sometimes find themselves hit with substantial bills or end up at out-of-network hospitals that raise the price of care. Recent policy changes may also be exacerbating the situation, as one study found that the Affordable Care Act slowed ambulance response times by almost 20 percent. According to a new working paper by David J. G. Slusky of the University of Kansas and Leon S. Moskatel of Scripps Mercy Hospital, some people are foregoing ambulances and opting for ride-hailing services instead.

________

from First Things

LIGHT FROM DIRTY HARRY ON BIBLICAL MORALITY
Acting is what human beings do very well, but only because we do not know how to be ourselves. Opaque to ourselves, we take up roles on cue, as soon as other people feed them to us. We love moralizing roles the best, because they conceal our own inner darkness and lack of integrated identity. If there is any kind of acting that can operate within the biblical vision of the human person, it would be one that sets its face against the human quest for a starring role, or any self-invented role. We would learn to inhabit the anonymous role of the “man with no name,” that is, a name known to God alone.

________

from The Heritage Foundation

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C

The Obstruction of a Vital Election Integrity Commission
President Trump dissolved his Advisory Commission on Election Integrity last week before it could complete its work. The commission’s assignment was to examine the integrity and security of the American election process. It was similar to work done by several prior presidential commissions. This time, however, unprecedented obstruction from many state election officials and partisan “lawfare” made fulfilling our responsibilities virtually impossible.

________

from The Hill

LEFT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, newspaper in Washington, D.C.

This is how Congress can avoid a bad budget deal for Americans
Congress has passed three continuing resolutions since the beginning of fiscal year 2018. The third one expires Jan. 19, ending federal funding for defense and domestic programs. Given the current funding impasse, Congress can best serve the American people by adopting a continuing resolution for the remainder of the fiscal year and providing for critical defense needs through the use of the overseas contingency account, paid for with domestic spending offsets.

________

from MyNorthwest.com

Media/News Company in Seattle, Washington

Is there a Washington state soda tax in the works?

The new soda tax in Seattle might be just the beginning as an effort to take the tax statewide continues in Olympia. House Bill 1975 was introduced last February. It’s floated around the finance committee ever since, not moving any further. But on Jan. 8, a resolution was passed to reintroduce the bill. It is strikingly similar to Seattle’s soda tax law, referencing the health effects of sugar consumption, from tooth decay to obesity. It also notes minorities see twice as many advertisements for sugary drinks.

________

from Psephizo  (Blog)

Five essentials of Biblical Interpretation no. 4: content
It might seem an odd thing to say in the context of interpreting the Bible, but as we read we do need to actually attend to what the text says, and not what we think it says. The reason for this is the phenomenon of ‘confirmation bias’; it is well documented, as part of psychological research, that people will see what they want to see in a situation, even if it is not actually there. This is especially the case when looking at something familiar—and many Christians do think that they are looking at something familiar when they are reading the Bible.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from The Wall Street Journal

Climate of Unaccountability
Are foundations running state energy policy without transparency? With President Trump putting economic growth above climate alarums, green activists are turning to progressive states to press their regulatory agenda. Governors from 15 states have formed the U.S. Climate Alliance, for example, to enforce the Paris Climate Agreement despite Mr. Trump’s withdrawal.

________

In the news, Wednesday, January 10, 2018

________

JAN 09      INDEX      JAN 11

________

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Montesquieu's Ideas Shaped America and Still Apply Today
January 18 marks the birth of Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron Montesquieu, who Robert Wokler called “perhaps the most central thinker…of the enlightenment.” He was such an important influence on America’s founders that one writer called him John Locke’s “Ideological co-founder of the American Constitution.”

There's No Such Thing as a Presidential Mandate
President Trump wants a border wall so much, he’s making its funding a condition of passing DACA. The wall was his signature campaign promise, a fact he surely uses to justify his resolve. Such is the foolish reasoning of the presidential mandate. The presidential mandate is based on the lofty claims that a majority of voters prefer the winner’s policies and that because the people prefer the president’s policies, the president’s policies should triumph if Congress and the president disagree. These claims presume a unique power that transcends the constitution.

Close-Knit Communities Put the Individual First
With no individual rights, there is no meaningful community, and with no community, there is nothing more than every man for himself. With no property rights established, we find that next to no other rights can be reasonably protected. There is no enforcement of the right to life if someone decides he wants what you have. There is no free speech, no right to assemble, no worship if your exercise upsets a person who has no reservations about using force. These are precisely the ingredients that make up a dystopia.

Bitcoin Cynics Are on the Wrong Side of History
People will look back on the cryptocurrency naysayers of today with the same incredulity that we have for the telephone cynics of 1876.

________

from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

Why We Shouldn't Obsess Over Economic Inequality
Inequality can sometimes be a reflection of some social ills. But it can be a reflection of social progress too, and some purported cures for it are much worse than the disease.

How Markets Brought Refrigeration to the Masses
According to the latest government data more than 99.8 percent of American homes own at least one refrigerator. Furthermore, the US Census Bureau estimates the US poverty rate to be 13.5 percent. That means that essentially everyone in poverty, as defined by the government, has access to a technology that was reserved for the mega-rich just 200 years ago. Additionally, almost 25 percent of Americans now have two refrigerators to store their excess food and drink. The growing prevalence of refrigerators is partly due to their declining cost and partly due to people’s growing incomes. In 1919, the Frigidaire was the first self-contained refrigerator. It cost $775 (over $11,000 in today’s money). As the average hourly wage in 1919 was just $0.43, it took the average American 1,802 hours of work to afford this luxury appliance. The Frigidaire was a marvel back in its day, but had only five cubic feet of storage. As such, it would be classed as a “mini-fridge” today.

________

from Psephizo  (Blog)

How much are clergy worth?
What are Christian clergy worth, and how should that be reflected in what they are paid?

________

from Religion News Service

Ex-Mormons launch FaithLeaks to root out abuse and corruption in churches
A new website called FaithLeaks aims to bring transparency to the workings of religious congregations and denominations by publishing documents and data sets provided by anonymous sources. The web portal was founded by two former Mormons who have previously gained access to documents shedding light on the inner workings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its position on controversial issues such as gay marriage. This week, the two founders — Ryan McKnight and Ethan Dodge — published a trove of 33 letters and documents detailing an internal investigation of alleged sexual abuse within a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Landmarks: Bridge builder’s home being restored
When the James and Sarah Bayley House was first constructed in Ross Park Addition near the Spokane River on the near northeast side of the city, it was one of several fine dwellings belonging to some of the area’s most noted entrepreneurs, politicians and members of the social elite. And until recently the Queen Anne home that was built 129 years ago was one of just two of those original homes still standing there. It’s still standing, but not there.

________

In the news, Tuesday, January 9, 2018

________

JAN 08      INDEX      JAN 10

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Big Think

Time Is Actually Slowing Down and Will Come to a Halt, Says a Radical Theory
A theory proposes that the universe is not speeding up in its expansion but that time is actually slowing down.

________

from Daily Wire

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, American news and opinion website

WALSH: This Cross-Dressing Child Is Not 'Expressing' Himself. He Is Being Sexually Abused.
An "erotic" gay clothing line that specializes in racy apparel — "a kinky Victoria's Secret for gay men," as the Daily Caller describes it — announced on Twitter this week that a nine-year-old boy would be their new "cover girl." The boy, real name Nemis Quinn, is a "drag queen" who regularly performs in drag shows to the delight of the pedophilic gay men who come to watch.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

4 Common Capitalism Myths Debunked
The term Marx coined stuck and has led to some confusion about why markets actually work
Myth #1: Capitalism Was “Created”; Myth #2: Capitalism Creates Poverty; Myth #3: Capitalism Is about Capital; Myth #4: Capitalism Creates “Winners” and “Losers”.

________

from The Heritage Foundation

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C

The Wall Is Not Enough. Here’s How to Solve Illegal Immigration.
President Donald Trump held talks with leaders of both political parties on Tuesday to discuss a major agenda item for this year: immigration. This issue, specifically illegal immigration, is one that Trump has devoted great energy to since the early days of his campaign. And it’s one conservatives must make a top priority this year. We’ve made some important strides in this area. 2017 saw border crossings fall to their lowest level since 1971, thanks to the Trump administration’s policies. But there are still hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants trying to cross into the U.S. There are also hundreds of thousands of visitors to the U.S. who continue overstay their visas. So it’s worth considering, at the outset of 2018, how to solve this problem.

________

from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

Why We Shouldn’t Obsess Over Economic Inequality
The idea that more inequality is a bad thing and less inequality a good thing permeates public debate. It is the moral foundation of Corbyn’s call for extensive government redistribution of income and wealth. But according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton, worrying about whether inequality causes problems, such as slower growth or impaired democracies, looks at things through the wrong end of the telescope. “Inequality is not so much a cause of economic, political, and social processes as a consequence,” he concludes. Inequality can sometimes be a reflection of some social ills. But it can be a reflection of social progress too, and some purported cures for it are much worse than the disease.

________

from New York Post

Newspaper in New York

The CIA arranged an affair for a king that produced a dwarf, and then things got weird
The CIA introduced King Hussein of Jordan to a Jewish B-list Hollywood actress in 1959 — touching off an affair that produced a dwarf love child who later killed her, reports say. Sensational new details of the king’s relationship with actress Susan Cabot were revealed in a recently declassified government memo, according to USA Today. The CIA was bucking to curry favor with the randy young Mideast leader when it agreed to procure women for him during his visit to Los Angeles in April 1959, the three-page document shows.

________

from Reason Magazine

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Deregulatory Successes Point to Direction for Trump Administration
Even as CNN talking heads remain in shock that Donald Trump is actually president, and the man himself apparently sees social media as a means to go full drunk-uncle on an international scale, millions of Americans continue to support the current resident of the White House. FiveThirtyEight has Trump's approval ratings at 38.8 percent as I write, and an insight into why many Americans continue to put their faith in this president landed last week in the form of a Washington Post article on the relief felt by Iowa farmers over the Trump administration's push to roll back much-resented regulatory red tape.

________

from Salon

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Jeff Bezos deemed richest man in world while Amazon warehouse workers suffer grueling conditions
Amazon’s soaring stock this year has granted Jeff Bezos a title of a lifetime: the richest man in the world. Some claim that he’s the richest man in history. According to Bloomberg’s billionaire tracker, Bezos’ total net worth is $105 billion. This week alone, CNN reports he’s added $1.4 billion to his fortune; Amazon stock increased 1.4 percent on Monday and Bezos reportedly own 78.9 million shares. Market forecasters have publicly predicted that they don’t foresee a downward trend for Amazon in the near future. The richest man in the world doesn’t become the richest man in the world without a little help, though. In Bezos’s case, his help is thousands of workers at fulfillment centers who are reportedly subjected to grueling work conditions— workers who are vital to Amazon’s success; ensuring Amazon’s picking, packaging and sorting.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from The Times and The Sunday Times

London, United Kingdom

Top Oxford hospital cuts cancer care due to lack of staff
A leading NHS hospital is delaying chemotherapy for cancer patients and those who are terminally ill face cuts to their treatment because of a chronic shortage of specialist nurses, according to a leaked memo. Andrew Weaver, head of chemotherapy at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, which treats thousands of patients from across the region, said in a memo to staff that treatment was being delayed. He also warned that the number of chemotherapy cycles offered to the terminally ill would have to be cut because of a lack of staff trained to deal with medication. The centre has a 40 per cent shortfall in nurses on the unit that administers chemotherapy.

________

from Tribal Tribune
Media/News Company in Nespelem, Washington

Major work to be done at Keller Ferry in 2019, WSDOT tells tribal council
Washington State Department of Transportation staff met with the Colville Business Council’s Community Development Committee today to discuss a 2019 project to repair damage to the terminal floats at the Keller Ferry. While some work was done on the terminal docks when the new San Poil vessel was put into operation in 2013, new work on the terminals is needed in what WSDOT assistant project engineer Becky Spangle called ‘a future emergency replacement.’

________

In the news, Monday, January 8, 2018

________

JAN 07      INDEX      JAN 09

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Aleteia English

Catholic Media/News Company

Christians who have given their life for Christ in 2017

The blood of martyrs continues to be the seed of new Christians at the beginning of 2018. This is the conclusion we can draw from reviewing the testimonies of men and women who, in various countries around the world, have shed their blood for their faith in Jesus.

________

from Business Insider

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

The effort to block the FCC's repeal of net neutrality just hit an important milestone
The effort to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's recent repeal of its net-neutrality rules just crossed an important threshold. Thirty senators have now signed on to sponsor a resolution that would nullify the repeal, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts announced Monday on Twitter. That's significant because it's the number of senators needed to essentially force a vote on the FCC's move.

________

from Daily Wire

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, American news and opinion website

Oprah Gives Much-Ballyhooed Speech on #MeToo. Here Are 4 Problems With It.
On Sunday evening, Oprah Winfrey received the Cecille B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. She proceeded to launch into an emotional speech about the power of women to fight back against sexism and sexual malfeasance — a speech that led to widespread celebration in Hollywood, where everyone knew about the problem of sexual harassment and assault and nobody did anything for years, but where one speech from the most powerful woman in the history of media can apparently cure all ills. But it would be nice if Oprah had used some of her power to fight the Harvey Weinsteins of the world years ago, rather than leading from behind.

________

from The Heritage Foundation

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C

New Offshore Drilling Plan Will Reverse Obama Restrictions, Unleash U.S. Energy Dominance
The United States is the only country in the world that has placed a majority of its territorial waters off-limits to natural resources extraction. Until now, that is. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s draft plan is the first part of a multiyear process that would make more than 90 percent of the total federal acreage available, which includes 98 percent of the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Outer Continental Shelf.

Time to End or Mend the Iran Nuclear Agreement
U.S. foreign policy is strongest when the President acts with clear congressional backing. However, if Congress is unable to reach a consensus regarding the Iran nuclear agreement, President Trump should unilaterally terminate the agreement. President Trump should keep his options open, renew the nuclear sanctions waivers, and work with Congress to address problems inherent in the nuclear deal.

________

from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

Things are getting better – so why are we all so gloomy?
Over the last 200 years or so, the world has experienced previously unimaginable improvements in standards of living. The process of rapid economic growth started in Europe and America, but today some of the world’s fastest growing countries can be found in Asia and Africa – lifting billions of people from absolute poverty. Historical evidence, therefore, makes a potent case for optimism. Yet, pessimism is everywhere.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from The Washington Post

Newspaper in Washington, D.C.

Get a grip, people. Oprah should not run for president.
Last night at the Golden Globe awards, Oprah Winfrey received a lifetime achievement award and gave a very moving speech, which immediately led all kinds of people to proclaim that she should run for president. This is not the first time this suggestion has been made, nor is Oprah the first celebrity who has inspired that kind of talk. But let’s all take a breath. If you watched her Golden Globes speech and said “She should run,” then the 2016 election and the first year of the Trump presidency have addled your brain.

________

In the news, Sunday, January 7, 2018

________

JAN 06      INDEX      JAN 08

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Asia Times Online

Caught up in an economic race between man and machine
The faster new technology is introduced, the more jobs it eats up, but the quicker its promised benefits are realized. As automation gains pace, there is no reason to expect a net loss of human jobs – or anything but continual improvements in living standards.

Many questions unanswered in the battle for India’s soul
As 2017 came to a close these assertions by Anantkumar Hegde, India’s minister of state for skill development, signify the battle that is being waged over how India sees itself as a country. Challenges to the basic tenets of the constitution have become the norm, with several key ministers and leaders from the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party defending the articulation of India as a “Hindu Rashtra” and criticizing “secularism” as a boogeyman for minority appeasement. The largest obstacle to the dream of a Hindu Rashtra has been the caste question that each Indian political party has had to answer, to remain relevant in the country’s political reality. The difficulty has always been to allay the fears of one caste group while protecting the interests of another.

Indian PM Narendra Modi must shun bigots to win re-election
Witnessing Mumbai suffer caste violence on January 2  was a rude reminder of one of the biggest threats to India’s development goals: bigotry and intolerance. It’s a reminder for Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the dangerous company he keeps, and the price he and India could pay. I may be among the few journalists believing the sincerity of Modi’s development agenda, but that trust has always been clouded by the threat of bigots among his followers. And the dark forces in Modi’s party are gaining alarming strength.

Pakistan’s response to Trump’s tweets requires deft strategy
US President Donald Trump’s recent tweets blaming Pakistan for all the failures in Afghanistan are seriously distorted. Since previous US administrations have also failed to achieve anything substantial in Afghanistan — the “graveyard of empires” — the current administration is desperate to find scapegoats. Besides Trump’s scathing tweets, the recent US National Security Strategy (NSS) is likely to further undermine Pakistan/US relations. The strategy’s major pillars over-emphasize the vicious geopolitical competition and exaggerate the use of military power to curb the challenges Washington faces.

________

from MyNorthwest.com

Media/News Company in Seattle, Washington

Dori: Why I am certain the global warming cult is phony

For the last couple of decades, we’ve have the global warming cultists like Al Gore and Jay Inslee tell us that global warming is the greatest threat facing mankind. If they truly believed that, they would live their lives in a way that is consistent with their dire predictions. But they clearly don’t believe their own words.

________

from New York Times

Newspaper in New York

In Clash Between California and Trump, It’s One America Versus Another
When drivers entered California recently from the borders with Arizona and Nevada, they were greeted with signs welcoming them to an “official sanctuary state” that is home to “felons” and “illegals.” It was a prank, but the message was clear: By entering California, they might as well have been entering foreign territory. And in many ways it feels like that these days, as the growing divide between California and the Trump administration erupted this past week over a dizzying range of flash points, from immigration to taxes to recreational marijuana use.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claims victory against anti-government protests
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Sunday that the nation and its security forces have ended the wave of unrest linked to anti-government protests that erupted last month. In a statement on its website, the force blamed the unrest on the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as an exiled opposition group known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, and supporters of the monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

________

In the news, Saturday, January 6, 2018

________

JAN 05      INDEX      JAN 07

________

________

from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

Things Are Getting Better, So Why Are We All So Gloomy?
At the end of last year on CapX, I documented the constant stream of technological, scientific and medical breakthroughs that are improving the lives of billions of ordinary people. Given all this good news, the real question is why people are so unbelievably pessimistic. Judging by a 2016 poll of close to 20,000 people in some of the world’s richest countries, you could barely overstate the extent of the gloominess.  In response to the question “All things considered, do you think the world is getting better or worse, or neither getting better nor worse?”,  just 10 per cent in Sweden, 6 per cent in the US, 4 per cent in Germany and 3 per cent in France thought things were getting better. Why? Because, it turns out, we are pessimists by nature.

________

from New York Daily News

Newspaper in New York

Astronaut John Young, who walked on moon and commanded first space shuttle flight, dies at 87
Legendary astronaut John Young, who walked on the moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, has died, NASA said Saturday. Young was 87. The space agency said Young died Friday night at home in Houston following complications from pneumonia. NASA called Young one of its pioneers - the only agency astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs, and the first to fly into space six times. He was the ninth man to walk on the moon.

________

from PBS (& affiliates)

Trump says he’s ‘like, really smart,’ ‘a very stable genius’
If there were any doubt these are political times like none before, consider that the American president felt compelled Saturday to let the world know he’s playing with all his marbles and is among the brightest cookies around.

________

from Psephizo  (Blog)

Is Epiphany plausible?
The Feast of the Epiphany in the church’s liturgical calendar is based on the events of Matt 2.1–12, the visit of the ‘wise men’ from the East to the infant Jesus. There are plenty of things about the story which might make us instinctively treat it as just another part of the constellation of Christmas traditions, which does not have very much connection with reality.

________

from The Seattle Times

LEFT-CENTER BIAS,  HIGH,  Newspaper in Seattle, Washington

Geologist warns Yakima-area landslide could be worse than officials expect
An expert in the geology of Central Washington warned Friday that a landslide from Rattlesnake Ridge near Yakima could be much more destructive than government officials project, slamming into Interstate 82 and the Yakima River. Bruce Bjornstad, a retired geologist from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and an independent consultant, said a past landslide nearby appears to have spread quickly and covered much of the valley floor. “This situation has all the elements needed for a big landslide,” he said. “When, and if, that thing goes, it could wipe out dozens of cars on the interstate, it could potentially dam the river and affect that whole valley.” But other geologists, including an engineering firm hired by the quarry where a large crack first appeared in October, say any slide is likely to be slow-moving and mostly contained by the mined-out pit, sparing the freeway and river.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Paul Ryan-backed super PAC supporting Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2018 contest
National Republicans plan to throw a counterpunch in Washington’s 5th Congressional District, which has become a midterm bull’s-eye for energized Democrats. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a political action committee able to raise unlimited cash and backed by House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan, announced this week it would open a field office in Eastern Washington. The office, one of 27 the organization has launched since the beginning of last year, will support Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, whose seat is the only one in Washington currently receiving support from the group.

________

In the news, Tuesday, April 1, 1997

________

APR 05      INDEX      APR 07

________

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Benjamin Franklin: The Man Who Invented the American Dream
Benjamin Franklin pioneered the spirit of self-help in America. With less than three years of formal schooling, he taught himself almost everything he knew. He took the initiative of learning French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. He taught himself how to play the guitar, violin, and harp. He made himself an influential author and editor. He started a successful printing business, newspaper, and magazine. He developed a network of printing partnerships throughout the American colonies.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

________

In the news, Friday, January 5, 2018

________

JAN 04      INDEX      JAN 06

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Big Think

Scientists Accidentally Discover a Breakthrough Treatment for Alzheimer's
Scientists found a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease by testing an existing drug used for another illness. Researchers from Lancaster University in the UK discovered that a drug developed for type 2 diabetes has "significantly reversed memory loss" in mice. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and affects nearly 44 million people around the world, according to 2016 stats from Alzheimer’s Disease International. In the United States alone, 5.3 million people suffer from the illness. And these numbers are expected to keep rising.

________

from Competitive Enterprise Institute

Justice Department Breaks Trump Vow to Leave Marijuana up to States
There were high expectations that Trump would leave Marijuana policy up to the states. Sadly, these promises appear to be up in smoke, with Attorney General Sessions deciding to blaze a different trail. Congress needs to make a joint decision to fix our federal drug laws.

________

from EUobserver

Kosovo's EU future at risk in war crimes dispute
Leading EU countries and the US have warned Kosovo of "severe consequences" if it walked away from a special tribunal on war crimes allegations.

Turkey seeking better EU ties as journalists await prison
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Paris on Friday (5 January) as part of a broader charm offensive to mend ties with the European Union. Erdogan is set to meet French president Emmanuel Macron where the two plan to discuss security and defence among other issues. Erdogan's move follows a continued government led-purge of the country, as some 17 journalists were put on trial over Christmas for their alleged role in a terrorist organisation. Around 150 journalists are now imprisoned in Turkey, more than any other country.

________

from First Things

DONALD TRUMP AND THE EVANGELICAL “CRISIS”
Recently, Ross Douthat raised some important questions about the future of evangelicalism in and after the Trump era. Douthat, who is Catholic, cites evangelicals Jared Wilson and Alan Jacobs in order to argue that Trump has forced a “crisis” in evangelicalism. His analysis is thoughtful and intriguing. But Douthat, Wilson, and Jacobs all seem to assume that evangelical support for Trump is a sign of heresy and hypocrisy. This assumption presumes a great deal about evangelical voting behavior in an increasingly fractured political culture. Elite observers should allow for the possibility that evangelical voters are capable of making a range of prudential judgments—which may not qualify as hypocrisy, even if they are out of step with elite opinion.

________

from The Heritage Foundation

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C

U.S. Must Condemn Iranian Regime, Back Protesters
It’s not its perceived “enemies” in the United States, in Israel or Saudi Arabia that Iran really fears — it’s a liberating counterrevolution to the repressive 1979 Islamic Revolution that Tehran’s thuggish theocrats really dread. The people of Iran have lots of good reasons to be fed up with the regime’s tyrannical political, economic and social policies that it has meted out on them without their consent for nearly four decades now. We shouldn’t expect that the regime will relinquish its death grip on Iran, but it’s important that the Iranian people — and the world — understand that the United States backs their desire for political, social and economic rights and liberties.

________

from Indian Country Today Media Network
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

Senator’s bipartisan bill became law in 2016 to address challenges facing Native children and will address issues of poverty, substance abuse and domestic violence
U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced Wednesday that President Trump has appointed Jesse Delmar, Director of the Navajo Division of Public Safety, to the Commission on Native Children, which was created by Heitkamp’s bipartisan bill that became law in October 2016. Delmar joins seven other Commission members already appointed by the President, U.S. Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, and the U.S. House Minority Leader. Once the Speaker of the House appoints three additionally needed members, every position on the 11-member Commission will be filled and the Commission will begin to study strategies to address the challenges facing Native American children ... and offer real solutions to address them.

________

from The Inlander

After the 2018 Spokane Women's March was suddenly canceled, activists scrambled to resurrect it
Twice, it appeared the 2018 Women's March in Spokane was canceled. The first time was a Facebook glitch. The second time it had really been canceled — because of internal division among the group organizing it. Despite continued anger about the Trump presidency, it looked like Washington state's second largest city wouldn't have an official organized protest on the second anniversary of Trump's inauguration. The Spokane Women's March was off. But quickly, Democratic precinct committee officer Cynthia Hamilton and other activists started working furiously behind the scenes to guarantee it would happen.

________

from Psephizo  (Blog)

Christian doctrine and Schrödinger’s Cat
Erwin Schrödinger was one of the pioneers of quantum theory in the early 20th century, and Schrödinger’s Cat was a thought experiment designed to explain the paradoxical principle of ‘quantum superposition’ in one particular theory of quantum physics. But the illustration has seeped into popular culture, and a great example of this comes in an early episode of The Big Bang Theory. Penny has been asked by Leonard, and she cannot work out whether this is a good thing or not—whether the fact that Leonard (who is short and nerdy) is so different from her previous boyfriends (large, athletic and unfaithful) means the relationship will actually work out or not. Sheldon comes to her rescue with the illustration of Schrödinger’s cat. "Just like Schrödinger’s cat, your potential relationship with Leonard can be thought of as both good and bad. It is only by opening the box that you will find out which it is."

________

from The Seattle Times

LEFT-CENTER BIAS,  HIGH,  Newspaper in Seattle, Washington

Costco suggests shoppers go to Tukwila to avoid Seattle’s sugary drinks tax
Costco Wholesale has some alternatives at the ready if shoppers feel sticker shock from Seattle’s new tax on sugary beverages. Essentially, consider shopping outside Seattle. Signs apparently posted in the retailer’s Seattle store explain that the newly taxed items are also available at Costco locations in Tukwila and Shoreline.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from Zero Hedge

CONSPIRACY-PSEUDOSCIENCE,  MIXED,  financial blog with aggregated news and opinion

FBI Launches New Investigation Into The Clinton Foundation
Exactly two weeks after we reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions instructed DOJ prosecutors to dig into the FBI's handling of the Uranium One investigation, we learn that the FBI has opened a new investigation of the Clinton Foundation launched by the DOJ - spearheaded by its Little Rock, Arkansas field office, according to John Solomon of The Hill.

________

In the news, Thursday, January 4, 2018

________

JAN 03      INDEX      JAN 05

________

Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from Aleteia English

Catholic Media/News Company

Monks of Tibhirine, depicted in ‘Of Gods and Men’, to be beatified

The decree of beatification of 19 martyrs killed in Algeria in the 1990s – including the seven monks of Tibhirine – could be signed by the end of January. These are the monks depicted in the marvelous film, "Of Gods and Men".

________

from The American Conservative
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS

How Europe Built Its Own Funeral Pyre, Then Leapt In
The single most significant issue of our time is not North Korea’s drive to develop long-range nuclear missiles. It is not the threat posed to Europe by the Russian land power or the threat posed to America’s Asian dominance by Chinese sea power. It is not Iran’s growing Mideast influence, nor the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in U.S. elections and possible “collusion” by the Trump campaign. No, the defining issue of our day is mass immigration into the nations of Western heritage. This growing inflow threatens to remake those nations and overwhelm their cultural identity. This is the issue that played the largest role in getting Donald Trump elected. It drove Britain’s Brexit vote. It is roiling the European continent, mounting tensions inside the EU and driving a wedge between the elites of those nations and their general populations.

________

from Arab News

Media/News Company in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Outrage in Turkey over ‘child marriage green light’

ANKARA: Turkey’s religious affairs state agency came under heavy criticism on Thursday from the main opposition party after it reportedly said girls as young as nine could marry under Islamic law.

The Diyanet religious affairs directorate said on Tuesday the minimum age for girls to marry was nine, while for boys it was 12, according to Turkish media including Hurriyet daily quoting the agency’s official website.

________

from Asia Times Online

Trump’s National Security Strategy marks return to realism
The five major threats to the implementation of US security strategy have been declared as Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and “jihadist".

Regime-change fans should know democracy does not guarantee peace
American leaders and pundits proposed that US engagement with authoritarian regimes would encourage the latter to become more democratic; but that didn't happen in reality.

________

from Breitbart

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, American conservative news and opinion website

Philip Morris Makes ‘New Year’s Resolution’ to Quit Smoking
Philip Morris International has taken out full-page ads in a variety of UK publications, though it has yet to spread its message further west. Its message is clear: “Our ambition is to stop selling cigarettes in the UK,” the ad says. “It won’t be easy.” It says that the “best action” the approximately 7.6 smokers in the United Kingdom can take is to quit smoking altogether. While the company’s marketing department suggests that “many will succeed,” Philip Morris International (PMI) has decided to do their part by offering to replace traditional cigarettes with electronic ones, as well as “heated tobacco” products. These alternative Reduced-Risk Products, or RRPs, are part of PMI’s pursuit of a new “vision” for a “common-sense approach for public health.”

________

from EUobserver

Macron vows law against fake news
French president Emmanuel Macron is seeking to give authorities powers to remove or block social media content deemed as fake news during election seasons. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (3 January), Macron said the plan is needed to protect liberal democracies following Russian-led attempts to thwart his own presidential campaign last year.

________

from The Heritage Foundation

RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C

Once Again, North Korea Is Reaching Out to the South. We Should Be Receptive, but Wary.
It has become tradition among North Korea watchers to dissect Pyongyang’s annual New Year’s Day speech for clues of potential policy changes. Each year, some experts interpret benign-sounding passages as indicating North Korean reform or greater willingness to engage diplomatically with Washington or Seoul. Others interpret passages that extol North Korea’s military accomplishments as threats of imminent attack on the U.S. or its allies. To get the full picture, it is important that we assess each benign or bombastic passage within the broader context of the speech, as well as in comparison with speeches in previous years.

1 Year in Office: Trump Keeps Defying His Critics
Pince the day Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016, the Dow Jones industrial average has risen by some 35 percent, making the last 14 months one of the greatest bull market runs in history. Some $6 trillion of wealth has been created for Americans — which is very good news for the 55 million Americans with 401(k) plans, the 25 million or so who have IRAs, and another 20 million with company pension plans and employee stock ownership plans. The left was certain exactly the opposite would happen with a Trump presidency. When it comes to Trump's critics, so far almost all have been dead wrong.

"Internet of Things" Devices Have Their Security Risks. How Regulators Should Address Them.
The government should focus on making sure its own systems are secure before attempting to impose security regulations on others. The internet of things and other emerging technologies will be beneficial for American consumers, even as they give rise to threats that are not currently foreseeable. Congress should avoid attempting to solve potential problems with slow and static regulations.

________

from Newsweek

LEFT-CENTER BIAS,  HIGH,  American weekly news magazine

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AND GENOCIDE IS WORSE NOW THAN “ANY TIME IN HISTORY,” REPORT SAYS
The persecution and genocide of Christians across the world is worse today “than at any time in history,” and Western governments are failing to stop it, a report from a Catholic organization said. The study by Aid to the Church in Need said the treatment of Christians has worsened substantially in the past two years compared with the two years prior, and has grown more violent than any other period in modern times. “Not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of persecution,” the report said.

________

from Psephizo  (Blog)

The one thing women leaders in the Bible had in common
Marg Mowczko writes: At the moment, I’m preparing a message on 1 Timothy 2:12. For one of my points, I have made a list of godly Bible women who ministered to men. As I was making the list I saw something I had not noticed before: all the women, except for one,[1] are described in Scripture as being prophetesses or having a prophetic gift.

________

from The Roman Anglican  (blog)

An Italian celebration of Christmas
Nowadays, not many are aware that Christmas does not end on December 25th, but it goes on for twelve nights! To say the truth we can say it lasts until Candlemass, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus to the Temple at the end of Epiphany Season, we could say a continuation of Christmastide. Tomorrow the twelve days will end with the Adoration of the Child Jesus by the Magi, a very important continuation of the Nativity where the humble community of shepherds is joined by three kings bringing gifts to the holy child. In Italy, this feast or better, "Epiphany Eve" has always been just as important as Christmas culturally, and Italian children not only have to wait for Santa Claus or Father Christmas but also for a lovely elderly lady called "La Befana" (after "Epifania" = Epiphany).

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________