In The News

Here is some stuff in the news today!

[Content Note: Guns] The NRA has amassed a database of tens of millions of the nation's gun owners, while publicly advocating against a government registry. Ha ha whooooooops! "That database has been built through years of acquiring gun permit registration lists from state and county offices, gathering names of new owners from the thousands of gun-safety classes taught by NRA-certified instructors and by buying lists of attendees of gun shows, subscribers to gun magazines and more... NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam declined to discuss the group's name-gathering methods or what it does with its vast pool of data about millions of non-member gun owners. Asked what becomes of the class rosters for safety classes when instructors turn them in, he replied: 'That's not any of your business.'"

[CN: War] Syrian opposition activists report that chemical weapons attacks delivered via rockets launched at the Damascus suburbs have killed or injured hundreds of people.

Whistleblower Pfc B. Manning has been sentenced to 35 years. Laila Lalami observes: "That's 35 years more than the people who started the Iraq War." Tim Ireland observes it's "more than 3 times the maximum sentence faced by anyone involved in Abu Ghraib torture."

[CN: Violence; incitement] Michigan Republican Representative Kerry Bentivolio says it would be "a dream come true" to see President Obama impeached. As Shaker Mod aforalpha noted here, these calls for impeachment do not exist in a void: "Someone tried to send the president a ricin-laced letter. Someone else shot a window in the residential area of the white house. There was a widely publicized foiled assassination plot. That's just what I can think of off the top of my head. I think the repeated calls for impeachment represent a refusal to accept his legitimacy as president, which is harmful rhetoric that feeds the violent rage of those who would harm the president and his family."

Republicans can't handle the healthcare truth.

[CN: Rape culture] Dr. Phil is fucking terrible. Exhibit A: Tweeting yesterday: "If a girl is drunk, is it OK to have sex with her? Reply yes or no to @drphil #teensaccused."

A fundamentalist preacher chose THE PERFECT photo for the cover of his self-published ebook.

[CN: Racism] Obviously, conservatives have some terrific theories about the Obamas' new dog.