In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

Leslie Feinberg, who identified as an anti-racist white, working-class, secular Jewish, transgender, lesbian, female, revolutionary communist, has died at age 65. The Advocate has an obituary penned by hir partner and spouse Minnie Bruce Pratt here. Hir last words were: "Remember me as a revolutionary communist."

Alice Lee, influential Alabama lawyer and church leader, and sister of author Harper Lee, has died at age 103. She "practiced law until a few years ago. For a time she was Alabama's oldest practicing attorney. Lee also helped guard the privacy of her famous sister Harper Nelle, who in 1961 won the Pulitzer Prize for" To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Content Note: Police brutality; racism. Covers next two paragraphs.] The FBI has issued a warning that the grand jury decision regarding Officer Darren Wilson, who killed Michael Brown in August, is likely to "lead some extremist protesters to threaten and even attack police officers or federal agents." The warning is being reported in many outlets in a way that suggests the FBI is warning about Ferguson protestors, but that is not the case: "Peaceful protesters could be caught in the middle, and electrical facilities or water treatment plants could also become targets. In addition, so-called 'hacktivists' like the group 'Anonymous' could try to launch cyber-attacks against authorities. 'The announcement of the grand jury's decision … will likely be exploited by some individuals to justify threats and attacks against law enforcement and critical infrastructure,' the FBI says in an intelligence bulletin issued in recent days. 'This also poses a threat to those civilians engaged in lawful or otherwise constitutionally protected activities.' The FBI bulletin expresses concern only over those who would exploit peaceful protests, not the masses of demonstrators who will want to legitimately, lawfully and collectively express their views on the grand jury's decision."

Still, with Democratic Governor Jay Nixon having preemptively declared a state of emergency, and activating the National Guard, the message about protestors being communicated by local authorities is clear. Nixon declaring a state of emergency is also extremely antagonistic. If, if, something happens, it cannot be divorced from this decision. But it will be.

[CN: Violence; war] An attack was made on a Jerusalem synagogue this morning by two Palestinian men armed with axes, knives, and a gun. The two men, who were members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, were killed in a shoot-out with police, after they killed four people and injured a number of others. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a "heavy hand" response, starting with an order to demolish the homes of the attackers.

[CN: Class warfare] Income inequality in the United States continues to worsen. And, despite conservatives' incessant caterwauling about taxation, it's because taxes are not high enough in the US, and thus our social safety net is shit.

[CN: Heterocentrism; violence] Convicted murderer Charles Manson has been issued a marriage license. I don't believe in the "sanctity" of straight marriage, but, if I did, THIS would undermine it. This is what straight privilege looks like, folks: An imprisoned murderer with a swastika tattooed on his forehead can get a marriage license one week after legal marriage for same-sex couples was rolled BACKWARDS by a court who ruled that marriage was for the purposes of procreation. Fuck. This.

[CN: Voter suppression] The Republicans are already trying to figure out how to rework election law to rig the 2016 election. The Electoral College needs to go the way of the dodo altogether, like, yesterday.

[CN: Misogyny] While I spent the entirety of yesterday getting hammered for writing about sartorial misogyny, IN A SHOCKING TWIST, this white dude is getting ALL THE COOKIES for his commentary on the same subject, after revealing he wore the same suit to his job as a TV anchor every day for an entire year and no one noticed.

If you want to see the Leonid Meteor Shower tonight, but don't want to go out in the cold, you can watch it live care of The Slooh Community Observatory starting today at 8:00pm EST.

And finally: Jumping baby jumping dog! Hahahahahaha!