In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Guns; death; terrorism] The Globe and Mail has a comprehensive compendium of information about the Ottawa attacks and immediate political responses to the attacks: "Ottawa aftermath: What we know so far."

[CN: Illness] Dallas nurse Nina Pham, who contracted Ebola after providing care for Thomas Eric Duncan, "is now virus-free and will be discharged on Friday, National Institutes of Health officials confirmed." Hooray!

[CN: Terrorism; misogyny; abduction] This is so fucking awful: "Despite Nigerian military officials announcement last week that they had negotiated with militant group Boko Haram for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April, it appears the girls have not be brought home—and residents say more women and girls have been kidnapped since." According to residents of the Wagga community in northeast Nigeria, members of Boko Haram went "door-to-door looking for young women and girls and abducted 40 of them. Lazarus Baushe, an elder of the Wagga community, said: 'They left 1,500 naira (£5.67) and some kola nuts in each home where they seized a woman, apparently as a bride price.'" An additional 20 women and girls were abducted from Gwarta, according to witnesses.

[CN: Misogynist terrorism] Prove the point MORE: "Actress Felicia Day Opens Up about GamerGate Fears, Has Her Private Details Exposed Minutes Later."

[CN: Police brutality; racism] Levar Jones, the South Carolina man who was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop for a seatbelt violation, speaks out about the incident, saying of the officer: "I really feel he needs to be charged with something that holds felony status. That way he will have to sign the Gun [Control] Act, will no longer be able to carry a gun, will no longer be able to be a police officer." YES.

[CN: Misogyny; harassment] This report by Meagan Damore on Marvel Comics' annual "Women of Marvel" panel at New York Comic Con last weekend is amazing. Kelly Sue DeConnick, writer of Captain Marvel, asked all the women in the audience who currently or aspire to work in comics industry to stand, then told them: "Before you sit back down, take a moment and look around at each other. You need community to do this. You need the support of one another. Writers, find artists. Artists, find writers. People who do the whole ballgame yourself, you need to get out of your room every once in a while, find a friend. Making a living in any creative endeavor is difficult. The most important bit of advice that we can give you is: You need to start; you need to start now. I am 44 years old and I have two children and I don't sleep enough… So those of you who are young, especially, but those of you who are even older than me, it is not too late. But you haven't a moment to spare. You have to start making comics... Be brave. Do it. We believe in you and we are here for each other. Most importantly, we need your voices."

[CN: Fat hatred; food policing; classism; privilege] Former model Twiggy goes off on how obesity is "a tragedy," blames it on people eating fast food, and, incredibly, in the same interview, says: "Some models starve themselves but I was just a naturally skinny kid. I used to eat everything, even big bars of chocolate, but I could not put on weight." It never ceases to amaze me how someone who can't put on weight, no matter what, can't imagine that there are people who can't lose weight, no matter what. BODIES ARE DIFFERENT. This is not a difficult concept. For fuck's sake.

Madeleine Albright 2, Conan O'Brien 0.

Wow: "Science Graphic of the Week: Spectacular, Twisted Solar Eruption."

I mean: A dog who survived Hurricane Katrina is now working in the Arizona Humane Society's kitten room as a nanny dog, to help kittens become comfortable around dogs. ♥