In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Martial law] The Thai military has imposed martial law in Thailand "to preserve law and order," but says that it's not staging a coup: "Soldiers have taken over TV and radio stations, and blocked off roads in the capital, Bangkok. Martial law comes after months of escalating tensions between the government and the opposition. Correspondents say the move could enrage supporters of the government, especially if it is seen as amounting to a coup. The army has staged at least 11 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. ...The military has also ordered media censorship in the interests of 'national security.' Both pro and anti-government protesters have been told not to march anywhere in order to prevent clashes." Yikes.

[CN: War; violence] Russia has promised to draw back troops on the Ukrainian border: "NATO, which estimates that Russia has 40,000 troops along the border with Ukraine, said it is watching the situation closely but could not yet confirm a change. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu challenged Russia on Tuesday 'to prove that they are doing what they are saying.' The Russian Defense Ministry said it would take time for troops to dismantle their camps and load equipment on trucks for a march to railway stations. It did not say how many troops were being pulled out from the three regions or how long it would take."

[CN: Class warfare] NPR's "All Things Considered" has done a yearlong investigation and found "that the costs of the criminal justice system in the United States are paid increasingly by the defendants and offenders. It's a practice that causes the poor to face harsher treatment than others who commit identical crimes and can afford to pay." That is not justice. That is wholly antithetical to any meaningful concept of justice.

[CN: Misogyny] Speaking of NPR, Ira Glass, the host of "This American Life," says he doesn't know who former New York Times editor Jill Abramson is and doesn't care. Neat! What a neat guy!

[CN: Misogyny] Meanwhile, New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. says he "would have done it differently." By which I can only assume he means fire Abramson in a way that is less humiliating for him, rather than pay her what she deserved and support her in her position as the first female editor of the Times from the start of her tenure.

News from the Conservative Legislation Lab: "[Republican Indiana Governor Mike Pence], who as a conservative Republican congressman in 2010 fought bitterly against [the Affordable Care Act] and who as governor of Indiana refused to implement it...just announced his intent to take the money Obamacare provides for Medicaid expansion and to use it on his own terms to broaden health-care coverage for the working poor. ...He thinks he has a conservative alternative to the new law's expansion of Medicaid: He wants to broaden the 'Healthy Indiana' plan started by his predecessor Mitch Daniels (R) by using financial incentives to get the working poor to contribute to their health coverage under a private alternative to Medicaid. The Obama administration appears likely to grant Indiana a waiver for the experiment—and if it works, other states will be free to follow the example." Welp.

[CN: Misogyny] Sarah Palin kind of has a point, about how some lefties were totes okay with policing her reproductive healthcare but not okay with Karl Rove policing Hillary Clinton's health. I say she "kind of" has a point, because: 1. Despite her conflation of the media with the political left, Salon is not Karl Rove. 2. Her conclusion is essentially that if she was policed, it's cool to police Clinton, whereas I would strongly argue it's not okay to police anyone this way—which is why policing her reproductive health was off-limits at Shakesville.

(Also? No one—but no one—was a more tenacious Trig birther than Andrew Sullivan, who is a conservative.)

[CN: Misogyny] Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers [football] cheerleader Manouchcar Pierre-Val has alleged that the team only paid her $2/hour. This is part of an ongoing raft of complaints against NFL franchises for egregiously underpaying their female cheer employees.

The youngest-ever player has qualified to play in the Women's Open [golf]: Lucy Li is only 11 years old! Wow.

[CN: Cancer] And finally! Dogs are being trained to detect prostate cancer with their powerful noses—and though findings are still very preliminary, they currently have a 98% accuracy rate. "Dogs are also being tested in their ability to detect lung tumors and ovarian cancer as well." GOOD DOGS!