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from BBC News (UK)
Notre Dame: Cathedral's spire will be restored to 19th Century design
The spire of Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed in a fire last April, will be restored according to the original Gothic design. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision, putting an end to speculation that the spire would be rebuilt in a modern style. Mr Macron had previously hinted he was in favour of a "contemporary gesture". However he has said he wants the restoration to be completed by 2024, when Paris is hosting the Olympics. The Elysée said Mr Macron's main concern was "not delaying the reconstruction and making it complicated - things had to be cleared up quickly".
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from CNN
FDA warns against using two dozen hand sanitizers that could contain toxic wood alcohol
The Food and Drug Administration has added more hand sanitizers to its growing list of products that contain wood alcohol, which is toxic if absorbed through the skin. More than two dozen various hand sanitizers sold by the Mexico-based company 4E Global -- many carrying the Blumen label -- contain high levels of methanol, or wood alcohol, and have been recommended for recall.
Congress releases declassified Pentagon files showing deployed US troops were exposed to dangerous toxins
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday released a collection of newly declassified Defense Department documents indicating that US troops who were deployed to a Central Asian base in the wake of the 9/11 attacks were likely exposed to a dangerous mix of toxins and other hazards, which some believe has led to increased cancer rates among US service members stationed there. The base in question was a former Soviet military installation called Karshi-Khanabad air base in southern Uzbekistan, often referred to as "K2," which served as a key logistical hub for US forces during the campaign to target al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Watchdog says former top VA official steered $5 million contract to friend
A former top official at the Department of Veterans Affairs improperly steered a $5 million contract for leadership development and training services to a friend's business, according to an investigation by the agency's independent watchdog. The VA inspector general said the move not only qualified as unethical conduct but also resulted in the waste of government funds.
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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization
Joe Biden Supports 2 Regulations That Would Destroy Entire Industries—and My Job
Supposedly, the appeal of Biden’s presidential campaign is a return to stability. Yet his platform includes endorsements of radical regulations that would undermine the economy as we know it. Consider Biden’s stated support for California’s AB 5, a crushing regulation that has killed too many jobs to count in the Golden State. The former vice president has endorsed similar regulation on the federal level. The former senator also supports a regulatory change that would destroy social media and the technology sector. Biden has backed repealing Section 230, the provision which gives social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook liability protections for the content that users post. It has been dubbed the law that “created the internet,” and only by holding users, not companies, liable for their posts can platforms even exist. Just imagine how much potentially defamatory content gets posted to social media every day, and you’ll quickly realize why repealing Section 230 would immediately put Silicon Valley out of business—and put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of a job.
3 States Account for 42 Percent of All COVID-19 Deaths in America. Why?
Despite the recent coronavirus surge in southern states, three states—New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts—account for about 42 percent of COVID-19 deaths in America.
Joe Biden Supports 2 Regulations That Would Destroy Entire Industries—and My Job
Supposedly, the appeal of Biden’s presidential campaign is a return to stability. Yet his platform includes endorsements of radical regulations that would undermine the economy as we know it. Consider Biden’s stated support for California’s AB 5, a crushing regulation that has killed too many jobs to count in the Golden State. The former vice president has endorsed similar regulation on the federal level. The former senator also supports a regulatory change that would destroy social media and the technology sector. Biden has backed repealing Section 230, the provision which gives social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook liability protections for the content that users post. It has been dubbed the law that “created the internet,” and only by holding users, not companies, liable for their posts can platforms even exist. Just imagine how much potentially defamatory content gets posted to social media every day, and you’ll quickly realize why repealing Section 230 would immediately put Silicon Valley out of business—and put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of a job.
3 States Account for 42 Percent of All COVID-19 Deaths in America. Why?
Despite the recent coronavirus surge in southern states, three states—New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts—account for about 42 percent of COVID-19 deaths in America.
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'It's gonna cost lives. Period': SPD concerned about proposed restrictions on K-9 officers
Spokane Police talked about three levels of force on Thursday: 1. Control, 2. Impede, 3, Stop. "Stop" refers to deadly force, which Spokane Police say they are always trying to avoid and one way they do that is through de-escalation techniques, which fall under the "Impede" category. Among the techniques, the deployment of K-9 officers. However, the Spokane Police K-9 Unit said a resolution from Spokane City Council wants to move the deployment to K-9 officers to the "Stop" category and essentially only allow them to be deployed when "deadly force" is justified. The K-9 Unit says this move would put lives at risk.
from The Living Church
Magazine of The Living Church Foundation (Anglican)
THE PLAGUE AND THE PANDEMIC
Unsurprisingly, amidst this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Albert Camus’ The Plague has again become popular. According to the writer Samuel Earle, in Japan more copies sold in March than during the previous 31 years, and in France “it has sometimes seemed as if La Peste itself is a vaccine.” Earle recalls the early critical reception was mixed, as some readers judged Dr. Bernard Rieux’s line, “The only way to fight the plague is with decency,” as overly sentimental, safely apolitical. But that line, with its presently elusive “common decency” opposed to now-familiar panic and tyrannical and incompetent forms of government, as well as the absurdity of disease itself, has shown up again in newspaper and magazine articles.
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Contradictory Conclusions and Assessments
There are a lot of contradictory conclusions and assessments out there. Some of it stems from good-faith disagreements from smart people looking at the evidence they can gather and coming to different conclusions. Some of it stems from people who had a preexisting opinion — “Public transportation is good”;“My party’s governors are good, the other party’s governors are bad”; “Unelected public-health officials are apolitical wise men/part of the deep state, power-hungry and untrustworthy”; “Everything the president says must be wrong/must be right”— and who are hell-bent on shoehorning the evidence into a narrative that fits that preexisting worldview.
from KHQ Local News (NBC Spokane)
'It's gonna cost lives. Period': SPD concerned about proposed restrictions on K-9 officers
Spokane Police talked about three levels of force on Thursday: 1. Control, 2. Impede, 3, Stop. "Stop" refers to deadly force, which Spokane Police say they are always trying to avoid and one way they do that is through de-escalation techniques, which fall under the "Impede" category. Among the techniques, the deployment of K-9 officers. However, the Spokane Police K-9 Unit said a resolution from Spokane City Council wants to move the deployment to K-9 officers to the "Stop" category and essentially only allow them to be deployed when "deadly force" is justified. The K-9 Unit says this move would put lives at risk.
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from The Living Church
Magazine of The Living Church Foundation (Anglican)
THE PLAGUE AND THE PANDEMIC
Unsurprisingly, amidst this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Albert Camus’ The Plague has again become popular. According to the writer Samuel Earle, in Japan more copies sold in March than during the previous 31 years, and in France “it has sometimes seemed as if La Peste itself is a vaccine.” Earle recalls the early critical reception was mixed, as some readers judged Dr. Bernard Rieux’s line, “The only way to fight the plague is with decency,” as overly sentimental, safely apolitical. But that line, with its presently elusive “common decency” opposed to now-familiar panic and tyrannical and incompetent forms of government, as well as the absurdity of disease itself, has shown up again in newspaper and magazine articles.
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from National Review RIGHT BIAS
Contradictory Conclusions and Assessments
There are a lot of contradictory conclusions and assessments out there. Some of it stems from good-faith disagreements from smart people looking at the evidence they can gather and coming to different conclusions. Some of it stems from people who had a preexisting opinion — “Public transportation is good”;“My party’s governors are good, the other party’s governors are bad”; “Unelected public-health officials are apolitical wise men/part of the deep state, power-hungry and untrustworthy”; “Everything the president says must be wrong/must be right”— and who are hell-bent on shoehorning the evidence into a narrative that fits that preexisting worldview.
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from NPR (& affiliates)
Nonprofit Broadcasting & Media Production Company
Defense Secretary Esper, In Careful Exchange, Denies Being Briefed On 'Bounties'
Defense Secretary Mark Esper never received a briefing about alleged Russian practices against U.S. troops in Afghanistan that included the term "bounty," he told Congress on Thursday. Esper said so in an answer to a carefully worded question from Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who appeared to be aware about how to cue Esper, potentially from the lawmaker's own awareness of the still-secret underlying intelligence about the Russian allegations. "To the best of my recollection, I have not received a briefing that included the word 'bounty,' " Esper said. He and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vowed they are working to ensure American forces in Afghanistan are as well-equipped and well-protected as possible and they suggested the reports about alleged bounties paid by Russian intelligence to Taliban insurgents still aren't confirmed.
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Defense Secretary Esper, In Careful Exchange, Denies Being Briefed On 'Bounties'
Defense Secretary Mark Esper never received a briefing about alleged Russian practices against U.S. troops in Afghanistan that included the term "bounty," he told Congress on Thursday. Esper said so in an answer to a carefully worded question from Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who appeared to be aware about how to cue Esper, potentially from the lawmaker's own awareness of the still-secret underlying intelligence about the Russian allegations. "To the best of my recollection, I have not received a briefing that included the word 'bounty,' " Esper said. He and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vowed they are working to ensure American forces in Afghanistan are as well-equipped and well-protected as possible and they suggested the reports about alleged bounties paid by Russian intelligence to Taliban insurgents still aren't confirmed.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
Sue Lani Madsen: Celebrating America’s rebellious origins with a bang – and a bunch of nervous goats
The barrages started before dusk and continued well past midnight for three days. The sounds were not all safe and sane. The governed were clearly not giving their consent to municipal bans on fireworks. Anyone responsible for the mental health of just one dog during the Independence Day holiday has cursed John Adams for suggesting a celebration with “guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations.” We were responsible for two dogs last weekend in Pierce County. Plus 220 goats. What started on July 2 and 3 with an intermittent pattern of booms and crackling turned into a furious fusillade on July 4. It was a soundtrack worthy of “Saving Private Ryan.” Heaven help the men and women experiencing flashbacks from their service in a war zone.
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from UnHerd
Media/News Company in London, UK
How HR is strangling the Church of England
The Church of England has disappointed many people over these last few months. Many experiencing loneliness and confinement were looking for a finger that pointed to the divine, a reminder from their comforters-in-chief that God was present amidst it all. Yet as busy evangelical executives counted their increasing Zoom followers, the buildings of the church were abandoned by the very people whose job it was to keep them open. Instead, the internet became the latest fresh expression of church, and — just whisper it — potential way of restructuring a Church with less clergy around to run it. ... In truth, most bishops end up disappointing people. And archbishops more than most. It is an impossible job, especially in an age where Christianity feels like it is in retreat. Last month the Diocese of Chelmsford announced that due to financial pressures it has been forced to plan for a reduction of 60 clergy posts over the next 18 months. And such reductions may well be a thing of the future as the Church continues to contract. But what is more dangerous to the overall mission and credibility of the church is the fearful reaction that often accompanies reductions and closures. Financial pressure stimulates panicky missionary initiatives with inviting sounding names dreamt up in the religious PR department. Bishop Ched managed with the Bible, faith in the living God and a good pair of shoes.
Sue Lani Madsen: Celebrating America’s rebellious origins with a bang – and a bunch of nervous goats
The barrages started before dusk and continued well past midnight for three days. The sounds were not all safe and sane. The governed were clearly not giving their consent to municipal bans on fireworks. Anyone responsible for the mental health of just one dog during the Independence Day holiday has cursed John Adams for suggesting a celebration with “guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations.” We were responsible for two dogs last weekend in Pierce County. Plus 220 goats. What started on July 2 and 3 with an intermittent pattern of booms and crackling turned into a furious fusillade on July 4. It was a soundtrack worthy of “Saving Private Ryan.” Heaven help the men and women experiencing flashbacks from their service in a war zone.
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from UnHerd
Media/News Company in London, UK
How HR is strangling the Church of England
The Church of England has disappointed many people over these last few months. Many experiencing loneliness and confinement were looking for a finger that pointed to the divine, a reminder from their comforters-in-chief that God was present amidst it all. Yet as busy evangelical executives counted their increasing Zoom followers, the buildings of the church were abandoned by the very people whose job it was to keep them open. Instead, the internet became the latest fresh expression of church, and — just whisper it — potential way of restructuring a Church with less clergy around to run it. ... In truth, most bishops end up disappointing people. And archbishops more than most. It is an impossible job, especially in an age where Christianity feels like it is in retreat. Last month the Diocese of Chelmsford announced that due to financial pressures it has been forced to plan for a reduction of 60 clergy posts over the next 18 months. And such reductions may well be a thing of the future as the Church continues to contract. But what is more dangerous to the overall mission and credibility of the church is the fearful reaction that often accompanies reductions and closures. Financial pressure stimulates panicky missionary initiatives with inviting sounding names dreamt up in the religious PR department. Bishop Ched managed with the Bible, faith in the living God and a good pair of shoes.
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from UPI News Agency (United Press International)
Media/News Company
State Department to invite China to join trilateral arms talks with Russia
The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that it will invite the Chinese government to engage in face-to-face arms control negotiations in Vienna. In a press release issued Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus also recommended China meet with Russia "to consider next steps for trilateral arms control negotiations."
State Department to invite China to join trilateral arms talks with Russia
The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that it will invite the Chinese government to engage in face-to-face arms control negotiations in Vienna. In a press release issued Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus also recommended China meet with Russia "to consider next steps for trilateral arms control negotiations."
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