In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: War on agency] Black women are organizing against Tennessee's "highly controversial and extreme anti-choice ballot initiative" Amendment 1, which, if passed, would give "state lawmakers the power to enact, amend, or repeal state laws regulating abortion by writing into the state constitution language that includes, 'nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.'" Says SisterReach founder and CEO Cherisse Scott: "We stand today because pending legislation has the potential to send women back to the back alleys where we died from unsafe and unsanitary abortions." SisterReach is one of many women's organizations involved in the fight against the horrendous Amendment 1. I love Scott's absolutely blunt statement on what's at stake.

[CN: Racism; eliminationist violence] What the absolute fuck: "A North Carolina math teacher is under investigation for allegedly telling a student that 'if she had 10 days to live, she would kill all black people.' ...WAVY-TV's Jason Marks reports that 'several students' told the 'same story' to investigators. [Camden County High School math teacher Cynthia Ramsey], who is head of the math department, was suspended with pay. A few days later, however, Ramsey returned to the classroom. ...Ramsey has the potential to face criminal charges, but that decision is in the hands of the district attorney. The local school board will reportedly discuss this incident in a few weeks." Well, don't strain yourselves with urgency or anything.

[CN: Homophobia; transphobia; disablism] In good news: "The Philadelphia City Council has unanimously approved a measure that would provide additional penalties for crimes motivated by hatred regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, or disabilities." Naturally, the good news is contingent upon those crimes actually being acknowledged for what they are and prosecuted accordingly.

[CN: Rape apologia] I haven't heard the name Dennis Prager in awhile, and it's no surprise that, hearing it again, it's because the conservative radio host has said something completely terrible: "At a rally to get out the vote for Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Tuesday, conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager called the issue of campus sexual assault 'a big lie' invented by 'the feminist left.' ...'Culture of Rape? No. I'll tell you why it exists on the campus, and that is: a rape of the culture.'" Rick Scott must be so thrilled. It continues to be a mystery why Republicans don't have the female vote locked down.

[CN: Food insecurity] Welp: "A small town outside Pittsburgh is getting a new, unusual grocery shopping option. Denise Marte is opening a store that will sell dented cans, bent boxes, and expired packages of food and other necessities at cut-rate prices in Rural Valley, PA." Grocery stores known as "food salvage stores," which "buy damaged goods that traditional retailers refuse," are increasingly not unusual in the US. And they're a good idea, since the food is regulated and what's sold is perfectly good. (Some grocery stores have long sold this exact kind of food in-store at discounted prices.) "Necessity is the mother of invention, and America's neediest families are indeed innovative about staying fed." Food should be a right. Fuck.

[CN: Animal endangerment] Here's an interesting piece on the elephant crisis in Africa, and what some humans are doing in order to try to combat it.

Beautiful: "A Stunning View of Sunlit Seas on Titan."

I am not a Hiddleston-head (I don't dislike him at all, but I'm just not wild for him like SOME PEOPLE I KNOW), but SOME PEOPLE I KNOW are major Hiddleston-heads, and, if you are one of those people, then you might enjoy this news: "AMC Lands Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston Limited Series 'Night Manager.'"

And finally! You can't break this cat's concentration, so don't even try, pal!