In the news, Friday, July 19, 2019

________

JUL 18      INDEX      JUL 20

________

________

from Anglican Communion News Service

Incense in doubt as loss of Boswellia trees leads to global shortage of frankincense

A global shortage of frankincense could threaten the production of church incense which some traditions use during worship as a visible sign of prayers ascending to God. The aromatic resin, used to produce incense, comes from Boswellia, a genus of trees and shrubs from the Horn of Africa, Arabian Peninsula and India. According to a report in a sustainability journal, there is a danger frankincense supplies will collapse after researchers found the Boswellia trees are being destroyed by cattle farming, drought and conflict. Frankincense is the main ingredient in all church incense recipes and when blended with myrrh, cassia and various natural oils, it produces a unique fragrance when burned.

________

from The Heritage Foundation
RIGHT BIAS,  MIXED  American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Maine and Nevada Show Why the Electoral College Helps Small States, Not Red States
The National Popular Vote compact, which is an agreement between states, requires a participating state to award all of its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes across the nation, not to the candidate who actually won the vote in that state.In other words, states are agreeing to ignore what the majority of voters in their state decide when it comes to who they believe should be president.

________

from KOMO News (ABC Seattle)

4.5 million gallons of sewage spill into the Puget Sound
Power outages at King County's two largest sewage plants this week caused millions of gallons of sewage to spill into the Puget Sound, according to the Washington Department of Ecology.
Seattle scolds need to remove the environmental log from their own eyes before lecturing the rest of the state about splinters.

________

from National Review  RIGHT BIAS

The Rise of the Chinese-American Right
New generations of Chinese immigrants hate affirmative action — and some are beginning to love Trump.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Thursday, July 18, 2019

________

 JUL 17      INDEX      JUL 19

________

________

from Feminist Current

Women warned you: Yaniv’s human rights case is the inevitable result of gender identity ideology

On the inevitable absurdity of pretending biology is irrelevant to gender.

Women warned the media, politicians, activists, and the public about the repercussions of gender identity ideology and legislation, and now that those repercussions are being played out in real time, those warned remain silent.

________

from The Inlander

Media/News Company in Spokane, WA

Cheap Eats 2019: Your guide to eating cheap in the Inland Northwest
In this year's Cheap Eats issue, we focus on four Inland Northwest institutions that have proven that great food at a great price is a good way to build a business — and a dedicated following among local food lovers. We also sent writers out to explore four staples of cost-effective dining — burgers, Mexican food, sandwiches and Asian cuisine — to find some of the best deals the region has to offer, nothing more than $12.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Wednesday, July 17, 2019

________

 JUL 16      INDEX      JUL 18

________

________

from AIER | American Institute for Economic Research

How a Leftist Echo Chamber Became the New Norm on Campus
A pronounced and growing hostility to free markets has turned the academic humanities into an ideological echo chamber. Over the past 20 years, faculty in English, history, foreign languages, and philosophy have shifted sharply to the political left, resulting in a nearly complete exclusion of dissenting perspectives from these fields. College students as a whole have a roughly even divide in their political beliefs, with a clear plurality classifying themselves as moderates and smaller groups identifying on both the left and right of center. In the humanities, however, the political left overwhelmingly dominates the student landscape as well as the faculty.

________

from The Archive

Apollo 11, 50 Years Later: The Space Race That Defined a Decade
In the 1960s, America saw culture flourishing and technology advancing. Space exploration in particular was growing fast thanks to displaced Cold War tensions. American progress was largely spurred by the Soviet Union’s own rapid accomplishments: The Soviet Union was the first nation to send probes, unmanned rockets, and eventually a person into space to receive imagery and data of a world previously untouched. Fearful of what the Soviet Union could do with this information, the United States government began allocating more funds into their own space research and technology. The term “space race” was coined as President Kennedy and President Nixon made promises to put American men on the moon itself before the decade ended. Not only would a spectacular moon landing one-up the Soviets, but the whole world would see America’s scientific superiority. 

________

from Business Insider

American kids want to be famous on YouTube, and kids in China want to go to space: survey

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

US removes Turkey from F-35 program after S-400 fiasco

In a widely expected move, the White House has formally begun the process to remove Turkey from its advanced fighter jet program. Turkey has opted for Russian military hardware over its US equivalent.

________

from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

The Planet's Future Shouldn't Be Left to the Catastrophists

Green catastrophism has its roots in thousands of years of religious doom-mongering. The fate of the planet is too important to be left to the prophets of doom.

________

from Psephizo  Blog

Has the church followed the Bible on slavery?
This question is a bit of an old chestnut—but I thought it worth revisiting, not least in the light of an interesting Twitter exchange I had with an Australian academic (whom I do not know in person). Robert Myles is lecturer in lecturer in New Testament and Religion at Murdoch University, and has published academically on slavery. I don’t know what interest he has in the debate on sexuality, but the conversation started (as it often does) in connection with a a discussion about the recent revision of the basis of faith of the Evangelical Group of General Synod (EGGS) in relation to sexuality:

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from The Vancouver Sun

B.C. history comes alive in Uno Langmann's photo collection
UBC was ecstatic, stating “it is considered the premiere private collection of early provincial photos.” Selections from the collection have been shown in critically-acclaimed exhibitions at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver and the Audain Gallery in Whistler. But Langmann being Langmann, he kept collecting. So now he’s donating another 2,500 photos.

________

from The Washington Times

News & Media Website in Washington, D.C.

Roughly 50% of voters say racist charges against Trump politically motivated: Rasmussen poll
A new poll has tracked the nuances of racism charges that continue to surround President Trump. “Voters are closely divided over whether President Trump is a racist, but one-in-three Democrats think it’s racism any time a white politician criticizes a politician of color,” said a Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 likely U.S. voters released Wednesday. It found that 47% of all voters think Mr. Trump is a racist, down three percentage point from 50% revealed in a similar poll conducted 18 months ago. Yet a near a majority of voters — 49% — now disagree and say the president’s opponents and critics are accusing him of racism “only for political gain.” That has risen from 43% in the earlier survey.

________

In the news, Tuesday, July 16, 2019

________

 JUL 15      INDEX      JUL 17

________

________

from Freedom Wire

New Trump Tweets Spark Leftist Outrage

If there is one thing our president is guilty of, it’s NOT having a filter. It’d be nice, once in a while, if he would just take five minutes to think before tweeting whatever comes to mind,  He could save conservatives a LOT of headaches.

________

from Forbes

The Democrats' Plan To Nationalize Land, Democratic Socialism In Action

A Wall Street Journal editorial of July 10th lays out what the House Democrats’ most recent socialist scheme (H.R.3195 - Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act) is all about. In June, the Democrats who sit on the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R.3195, which is currently winding its way through the House. This bill mandates permanent funding of $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) each year. This would be a whopping two and a half times greater than the Fund’s average annual expenditures over the past 15 years. Just what does the LWCF do? The Fund was created in 1964. It is primarily funded by federal oil and gas drilling royalties. Its main activity has been to gobble up private land (read: nationalize) and put it under government ownership, management, and political control. Among other things, this means that the newly nationalized lands will be poorly managed.

________

from The Jewish Press

Archaeologists Find Fabled Crusader Moat Outside Jerusalem’s Old City Walls
Archaeologists have discovered an 11th century moat just outside Jerusalem’s Old City walls—the first hard evidence of a fabled Crusader siege against the city 920 years ago. Attested to in several historical documents, many scholars nonetheless believed the siege was a myth

________

from The New American Magazine

RIGHT BIAS: John Birch Society

Facebook Slaps John Birch Society With “Hate Speech” Violation Over Immigration Post
The John Birch Society had a post censored and monetization of its videos suspended by Facebook last week for alleged violation of “hate speech” standards after the organization encouraged its social media followers to obtain a copy of The New American (TNA) magazine’s “Immigration Invasion” edition. Facebook removed the post from public visibility on the grounds that it “goes against our Community standards on hate speech.”

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Monday, July 15, 2019

________

 JUL 14      INDEX      JUL 16

________

________

from Asia Times

LEAST BIASED, HIGH;  News & Media Website based in Hong Kong

Israel secretly tracking Palestinians with FRT
Israel’s most high-profile facial recognition technology (FRT) startup, Anyvision Interactive Technologies, is being used by the army to monitor West Bank Palestinians at checkpoints on the way into Israel — while using a network of cameras deep inside the West Bank, Haaretz reported. Anyvision has cameras deep inside the West Bank, allowing Israel to spot and monitor potential assailants.

The US was in a mess before Trump came along
Donald Trump is probably the first US president since World War II without a war agenda. He is trying to draw down US troop deployment from Afghanistan, negotiate a settlement for the North Korean nuclear program, disengage from the Syrian civil war, and increase non-military pressure on Iran. Trump’s use of non-war pressure tactics has enemies in the media, academia, and among military-industrial complex lobbyists and politicians. To his detractors, Trump is the scapegoat for a litany of shortcomings faced by the US including the domestic economy, trade, and global policing, none of which are of his making.

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

Italian police find huge stash of weapons during far-right investigation

An investigation into far-right extremist groups in Italy led to the police finding an air-to-air missile, machine guns and rocket launchers. The huge weapons haul was almost without precedent, authorities said.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

What If Charity Replaced Taxation?

Health care. Education. Among others, these goods have been considered so important that most current governments make a huge effort to provide them to people with inadequate incomes. Surely, it would be crazy to deny how important these goods are. However, is publicization through state activity the only or best way to provide those services to the poor? Do we have alternatives? How about charity? Couldn’t charity replace taxation? It could—and with solid advantages.... Perhaps if the government demanded less (coercively), people would give more voluntarily.

________

from National Review  RIGHT BIAS

Donald Trump’s Tweets Were Malicious, and Republican Silence is Deafening
Trump is fully employing malice as a political strategy. It’s not clever. It’s not shrewd. It’s destructive and wrong. The fact that so few Republicans can muster enough courage to state this obvious truth speaks to a sad reality — the rot extends far beyond 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from The Times and The Sunday Times

London, UK

Wise action needed to stop frankincense supplies running out
The Romans once sent an army to control the production of frankincense, a commodity that so beguiled the ancient Egyptians they called it “the sweat of the gods fallen to Earth”. The aromatic resin is in demand once again and scientists are warning that supplies are in danger of collapse. Their research suggests that the trees from which it comes are being destroyed by cattle farming, drought, war and a scramble to meet booming demand in the West, where it is marketed as an antidote to anxiety.

________

In the news, Sunday, July 14, 2019

________

 JUL 13      INDEX      JUL 15

________

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Saturday, July 13, 2019

________

 JUL 12      INDEX      JUL 14

________

________

from Asia Times

LEAST BIASED, HIGH;  News & Media Website based in Hong Kong

Istanbul’s new mayor faces stiff road ahead after landslide win
Turkey’s main opposition scored a major blow against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month when it won control of Istanbul, but now faces a wounded government reluctant to relinquish power. With Erdogan expected to stay in office until at least 2023, the new mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu of the secular Republican People’s Party, knows he must find a way to work with the president. But the signs are mixed. After Erdogan’s ruling AKP party lost Turkey’s largest city in a rerun vote on June 23, the president congratulated Imamoglu and described the vote as the “will of the people.” But just days later his government moved to strip Imamoglu of key mayoral powers of patronage. The show of strength raises strategic questions for Imamoglu, who has vowed to work “in harmony” with Erdogan but is also talked about as a future presidential challenger.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Alfred Sommer: The Ophthalmologist Who Saved Millions from Blindness
Sommers discovered that vitamin A deficiency was the leading cause of preventable blindness in children.

________

from Psephizo  Blog

Should clergy expect deference?
My friend Richard Peers caused something of a stir at the weekend when he questioned whether ‘senior’ clergy should expect to be treated with deference. His reflections arose from noticing a comment made by Justin Welby at the IISCA enquiry into sexual abuse.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Friday, July 12, 2019

________

 JUL 11      INDEX      JUL 13

________

________

from Conciliar Post

ABUSE’S PERVERSION OF THE INCARNATION

Despite a plethora of theological differences, the church of the 21st century is united by the common scandal of abuse. Moving forward involves (even) more than taking steps of prevention and accountability. Followers of Christ must also address the spiritual turmoil generated within the souls of victims and their families. This wound cries out for a healing process—one which includes a reconstruction of an incarnate understanding of Scripture.

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

S-400 missile system: What is it and why does Turkey want it?

Turkey is set to become the first and so far the only NATO member to use Russia's advanced S-400 missile system. What is so special about this weaponry — and why is Turkey risking its US ties over it? DW has the details.

________

from HumanProgress.org  Education Website

Heroes of Progress, Pt. 22: Virginia Apgar
Introducing the anesthesiologist who created the "Apgar Score," a test that has saved millions of babies' lives.

________

from Miami Herald

Leonard Pitts Jr.: The Holocaust happened. Period. End of story

‪“I can’t say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee,” said Principal William Latson. Apparently, the moral atrocity of “ both-sideism” has now reached our schools.

________

from National Review  RIGHT BIAS

Gender Dissenter Gets Fired
On academic freedom and speaking truth to political correctness.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Sue Lani Madsen: If illegal immigration is in crisis, legal immigration is chronically ill
Comprehensive immigration reform is overdue for legal immigrants. Take down the walls.

________

from The Washington Examiner

News & Media Website in Washington, DC

Rand Paul is right: We should quadruple employment-based legal immigration
Birth rates are down, death rates are rising, and in the not-too-distant future, all net population growth in the U.S. will come from immigration. Yet some conservatives, such as President Trump, somehow still think our country is “full” and that we should decrease levels of legal immigration.

________

In the news, Thursday, July 11, 2019

________

 JUL 10      INDEX      JUL 12

________

________

from The American Conservative
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS

Welcome to the Hellfire Club
Our elites cavorted with a pedophile, almost certainly aware of what he was up to. This is how revolutions begin.

________

from College Pulse

8 in 10 Philosophy Majors Favor Socialism

President Trump has claimed his Democratic 2020 rivals are socialists, despite the fact that Bernie Sanders is the only self-described democratic socialist. As the leftist political theory continues to come up in the presidential race, voters’ views of socialism could play a significant role in determining who occupies the White House. But college students’ opinions greatly differ depending on their major.

________

from Competitive Enterprise Institute

Empowering Government to Regulate Speech Would Harm Americans' First Amendment Rights
This afternoon, the White House is convening a group of elected officials, public policy organizations, and private citizens for a “Social Media Summit.” CEI research fellow Patrick Hedger said: “Issues surrounding social media and speech have become more contentious and complicated in recent years, and are worthy of presidential attention. However, it’s disappointing the White House is elevating voices that advocate for the use of government against private individuals and companies with whom they have political differences. Empowering bureaucrats to police speech and fairness in any industry is a dangerous idea. Conservatives and free-market advocates should remember that not long ago the shoe was on the other foot and IRS employees weaponized regulation against political enemies. Inserting government into decisions properly left to the private sector doesn’t eliminate ‘bias’ or stop ‘censorship,’ as some claim. Only the government has the power to engage in censorship and asking it to intervene in questions about speech on social media could lead to severe curtailing of First Amendment rights under both President Trump and any future president.”

________

from DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

German arms export approvals spike

Permits for German arms exports soared in the first half of 2019, defying dips and restraint over the past three years, government data has shown. Hungary is the top destination for new weapons exports. Hungary topped the 2019 current recipient list with €1.76 billion in arms, followed by Egypt receiving €800 million and South Korea €278 million. Sixth on the list was the United Arab Emirates with €206 million.

________

from National Review  RIGHT BIAS

A Herd Has No Mind
The question before us is whether American democracy can think — which would necessitate the rediscovery of rigorous literary language and political culture properly understood — or will abandon literacy and content itself with signaling.

________

from The New American Magazine

RIGHT BIAS: John Birch Society

The Poison of Socialism Claims Another Victim
Supporters of socialism typically explain the failure of its implementation in a country by saying either that it was not “done right,” or that it was sabotaged by its enemies, internal or external, or even both. But in the end, it is never done right — it cannot be done right — because socialism is intrinsically poisonous. It goes against human nature, and despite cultural differences in various nations in which it is tried, the poison of socialism, if pushed to its logical conclusion, will ultimately destroy the economy and society along with it. Such is the case with Venezuela.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

In the news, Wednesday, July 10, 2019

________

 JUL 09      INDEX      JUL 11

________

________

from Competitive Enterprise Institute

Free Trade Needs Louder Cheerleaders
There’s a new RealClear Opinion Research poll out, and it shows a disappointing lack of support for free markets and trade. RealClear found that only half of registered voters thought global trade had been a net positive for the U.S. over the past ten years. This is a significant decline in support, down from what had been a bipartisan consensus for decades.

CEI Files Formal Complaint Regarding NASA's Claim of 97% Climate Scientist Agreement on Global Warming
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) petitioned NASA to remove from its website the claim that 97 percent of climate scientists agree humans are responsible for global warming. The petition, filed under the Information Quality Act (IQA), points out the major flaws in the studies cited by NASA to substantiate its claim. It requests the agency remove the claim from its website and stop circulating it in agency materials.

Restaurant Chain Announces Bankruptcy, Says Minimum Wage Hikes to Blame

Restaurants Unlimited, a Seattle-based chain with restaurant locations in 47 US cities, announced on Sunday it was seeking Chapter 11 protection, citing “progressive” wage laws. The company, which has operated since the Lyndon Johnson Administration, said rising labor costs—part of a national trend of government-mandated minimum increases—were part of its decision.

________

from Psephizo  (blog)

Do we really need the clergy?
The Church of England is currently engaged in discussion and action which is pulling in rather different directions in relation to the importance of its clergy, and these debates were exemplified in the latest meeting of the General Synod in York over the weekend.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from Vox

Media/News Company based in Washington, D.C.  LEFT BIAS, HIGH

A new Trump executive order on kidneys could save thousands of lives
It’s one of the biggest government actions on kidneys in decades. The order has three major parts: one on living kidney donors, one on deceased donors, and one on alternatives to center-based dialysis.

________

from Washington Policy Center

Educational Research Center in Seattle, Washington

Spokane climate activists proclaim their soul-cleansing piety
“Fanaticism consists of redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim.” That comment from George Santayana (who also said “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it”) captures the approach of 350 Spokane, a group of climate activists who penned a revealing op-ed in Spokane’s Spokesman-Review last weekend. The op-ed criticizes WPC for holding the group accountable for demanding that people pay a price that they themselves are unwilling to pay to advance their extremist policies. They claim their purpose is to cut CO2 emissions to fight climate change. Their op-ed, however, demonstrates that is not their priority.

________

from Yahoo News

Billionaire Home Depot co-founder shreds Trump haters in new Facebook post
Billionaire Home Depot co-founder and noted philanthropist Bernie Marcus — forever a feisty fella even at the youthful age of 90 —has no plans to run from his fresh batch of social media trolls. Marcus has been under fire all week after telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he supported President Donald Trump’s election bid. The now frequent Fox News commentator didn’t stop there, however. Marcus told his hometown digital paper that he plans to support Trump’s re-election bid. The president deserves kudos for a strong jobs market, pushing back on China on trade and taking action against Iran, according to Marcus. Obviously, that hasn’t sat well with the anti-Trump crowd. Said legion has since taken to Twitter calling for a boycott of Home Depot (HD). The home improvement retailer has tried to distance itself from Marcus, noting he hasn’t been with the company for nearly 20 years.

________

In the news, Tuesday, July 9, 2019

________

 JUL 08      INDEX      JUL 10

________

________

from Miami Herald

Leonard Pitts Jr.: If anyone knows the power of a free and vibrant press, it’s Jeffrey Epstein

‪The arrest of Jeffrey Epstein is a victory for the girls he allegedly molested, yes. But it’s also a reminder of the power of daily newspaper journalism - a reminder sorely needed in these days of the industry’s decline.‬

________

from Military Times

and Air Force Times, Army Times, Marine Corps Times, and Navy Times

Texas billionaire and Navy veteran H. Ross Perot dies at 89
H. Ross Perot, the colorful, self-made Texas billionaire who rose from a childhood of Depression-era poverty and twice ran for president as a third-party candidate, has died. He was 89. The cause of death was leukemia, a family spokesman said Tuesday. Perot, whose 19% of the vote in 1992 stands among the best showings by an independent candidate in the past century, died early Tuesday at his home in Dallas surrounded by his devoted family, family spokesman James Fuller said.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

________

from The Washington Post

Newspaper in Washington, D.C.

Joe Biden earned $15.6 million in the two years after leaving the vice presidency

Joe Biden on Tuesday reported earning $15.6 million in family income over the past two years, making him the highest earner among the top competitors for the Democratic presidential nomination. The vast majority of the former vice president’s income — which totaled $11 million in 2017 and $4.6 million in 2018 — came from book payments and speaking fees, according to newly released tax returns and financial disclosure forms required of federal office-seekers.

________