In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today!

Federal district judge Richard J. Leon has ruled that the NSA's "program that is systematically keeping records of all Americans' phone calls most likely violates the Constitution." Ha ha ya think?! Over at Think Progress, Ian Millhiser highlights what he calls the most important paragraph in Judge Leon's decision.

National security expert Jeh Johnson will replace Janet Napolitano as Homeland Security chief.

[CN: Misogyny] Brandi Kostal, a graduate student at Logan College in Missouri, who was "two weeks away from completing her masters and doctorate-level classes when she began having medical issues with her pregnancy and required an emergency C-section," prompting the college to tell her "that its policy did not excuse pregnancy or childbirth-related absences" and fail her on the exams she couldn't take, has reached a settlement with the college. "The discrimination suit was settled last week when Logan College agreed to adopt policies for pregnant and parenting students under Title IX that excuse pregnancy-related absences, include the policy on its website and student handbook, and hold an annual training on the issue. It will also remove the F's from Kostal's transcript and allow her to complete the courses at no cost." It really shouldn't have necessitated a discrimination suit to make that happen.

About 15% of USians lacked health insurance last year, including 5 million children. Conservatives don't want to fund national health insurance for all kids, because they say people shouldn't have kids if they can't afford them, even as they pursue policies that limit reproductive choices. So fucking gross.

Mike Huckabee is launching his own publication called the "Huckabee Post" next January. Sounds terrific! I can't wait to not read it!

Science takes on the mystery of cat domestication: "Bones recently discovered in a Chinese village add weight to the idea that felines took on pest-control duties in ancient times, says researcher Fiona Marshall of Washington University in St. Louis." Look, we all know how cats got domesticated: Because they chose to domesticate themselves! And they will undomesticate themselves if they feel like it, too!

I love this story about the friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Colin Farrell at the end of Taylor's life. I remember reading how they had become friends/companions, and it's neat to get to hear Farrell talk about it a little bit.