In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Extreme weather; death] At least five people have died as a result of a terrible snowstorm hitting the eastern US: "The first snowstorm of the season has resulted in five deaths in this area so far and possibly set an all-time U.S. record for snowfall. Three people had heart attacks from shoveling snow, officials said. The snow is still falling with more than 5 feet already on the ground, and some areas south of the city are expected to get a year's worth of snow—almost 6 feet—in just three days. Temperatures in all 50 states fell to freezing or below overnight. ...Crews say some areas have so much snow that it's like plowing a brick wall. Rescuers, who have been using snowmobiles, also have been walking car to car to try to dig out people stuck in their vehicles."

A picture is worth 1,000 words: Here is a dog greeting a literal wall of snow outside her front door.

[CN: Police brutality; racism] St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says "he expects 'widespread civil disobedience' following the announcement on whether a white police officer will face criminal charges for killing an unarmed black 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri. Giving one of the starkest warnings so far by a regional official about what they expect to follow a grand jury decision that is anticipated in the coming days, Francis Slay also said he had asked for 400 national guard troops to protect his city during potential unrest." Again: This is unnecessarily antagonistic, and the government officials who keep saying these things will not, if something happens, be held accountable for their provocation, but will instead be hailed as prescient. Which is appalling.

[CN: Disablism; misogynoir; police brutality] Another person with mental illness is dead following an altercation with police, and, once again, the police account differs dramatically from the account of the victim's family.

[CN: Disablism; choice policing] David Perry, the father of a boy with Down syndrome and a journalist on disability issues, writes a thoughtful piece about false binaries in decisions regarding aborting fetuses with Down syndrome. Spoiler Alert: We need better support for people with disabilities, and for parents of children with disabilities.

[CN: Class warfare] A new study has found what all of us already knew: "Millennials are stuck between having a financially responsible mindset and having the resources and discipline to pull off long-term results." That's a nice way of putting it. The fact is, survival spending and savings are incompatible.

And finally! Here is a kitten in an epic battle with hir own reflection. LOL! Oh cats.