In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today!

Janet Yellen has been confirmed by the US Senate as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. Congrats, Ms. Yellen!

[Content Note: Guns] A federal judge has overturned Chicago's ban "on the sale and transfer of firearms, ruling that the city's ordinances aimed at reducing gun violence are unconstitutional. ...The decision is just the latest to attack what were some of the toughest gun-control laws in the nation. In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Chicago's long-standing gun ban. And last year, Illinois legislators were forced by a federal appeals court to adopt a law allowing residents to carry concealed weapons in Illinois, the only state that still banned the practice." Perfect.

AT&T's new policy threatens Network Neutrality: "AT&T today confirmed a long-rumored plan to monetize wireless data caps by charging content providers for the right to serve up video and other media without chewing up consumers' monthly data limits." AT&T claims the new policy doesn't threaten net neutrality, because the cost is charged to content providers instead of consumers, but yeahno.

[CN: Violence; police brutality; disablism] Keith Vidal's family are seeking answers after the 18-year-old was shot and killed by a police officer: "Mark Wilsey, the young man's stepfather, told reporters that the family called police to help subdue Vidal because he was holding a small screwdriver and threatening to fight his mother during a schizophrenic episode. But the situation appeared to be under control, with two officers restraining the 90-pound Vidal, when the third officer arrived and shot Vidal point-blank, Wilsey contended," after the officer reportedly said, "I don't have time for this. Tase him. Let's get him out of here." Once the teen had dropped to the floor after being hit with a stun gun, Wilsey alleges the officer shot him. When he asked why the officer shot him, he reportedly replied that he was "protecting my officers." From a 90-pound teenager who was lying on the floor. "He reached right up, shot this kid point-blank, with all intent to kill," Wilsey said. "He just murdered him flat out."

[CN: War on agency] A judge in Texas says pregnant people should stop whining about having to drive 150 miles to the nearest abortion clinic: "Do you know how long that takes in Texas at 75 miles an hour? This is a peculiarly flat and not congested highway." Ha ha fuck off.

[CN: Racism] Amy Chua, the author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, is back with another new book that sounds terrific: "[The Triple Package] claims some ethnic and religious groups are inherently more likely to succeed because of three specific traits... The book highlights Jews, Indians, Chinese, Iranians, Lebanese-Americans, Nigerians, Cuban exiles and Mormons as groups with three qualities that set them apart. A superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control are the 'three cultural forces' driving these groups to achieve a disproportionate amount of success." Um.

This story about fisherman John Aldridge surviving going overboard on the North Atlantic is amazing!

[CN: Animal cruelty] Here's a perfect example of the damage done by blanket discrimination against individual dog breeds. Seethe.