In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Environmental damage] Holy shit: "Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea."

[CN: Extreme weather; video may autoplay at link] California is bracing for what is "expected to be one of the strongest storms in terms of wind and rain" in five years: "A system fueled by the 'Pineapple Express' is delivering a steady stream of moisture directly from Hawaii to the West Coast starting Wednesday. Meteorologists describe the Pineapple Express as a long, narrow plume that pipes moisture from the tropics into the western United States. ...Some spots could see as much as 9 inches of rain. The rainfall could overwhelm waterways and road drainage systems, possibly leading to flash floods."

[CN: Domestic violence] Travis Waldron: "The National Football League's owners ratified a new personal conduct policy Wednesday afternoon, and it took league representatives less than an hour to admit that the new reforms, enhanced in the wake of several high-profile domestic violence scandals, were little more than a public relations ploy. ...The owners, [New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was on the committee that helped design the new policy] said at a Wednesday press conference, considered handing [the authority to make the final decision on any discipline] to an independent arbitrator. But they ultimately decided, he said, that an arbitrator was a 'one-off' figure who 'can compromise or water down what our best interests are.' Instead, the owners left the authority with [NFL commissioner Roger Goodell] because the commissioner is 'the one person who understands the long-term best interests of the game,' Kraft said. It is almost impossible, given the events of the last six months, to see that as anything but an admission that this is about public relations. That's exactly what 'the best interests of the game' are."

[CN: War on agency; Christian supremacy] Oh for fuck's sake: "Doctors and administrators at a Catholic hospital in Grand Blanc, Michigan, are unnecessarily putting pregnant patients at risk by refusing to provide tubal sterilization to cesarean section patients and should be investigated by the state, according to attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union." As of 2011, 1 out of 6 US hospital patients were treated by Catholic hospitals.

Oh boy Rick Perry: "[MSNBC's Kasie Hunt] asked the governor, quite candidly, 'Are you smart enough to be president of the United States?' He replied: 'Running for the presidency's not an IQ test. It is a test of an individual's resolve. It's a test of an individual’s philosophy. It's a test of an individual's life experiences. And I think Americans are really ready for a leader that will give them a great hope about the future.' I'm a little surprised the governor didn't reply with a more direct, 'of course I'm smart enough' answer." LOL! Steve Benen FTW.

Did you love the first season of Fargo? Then you may be excited to hear that the second season is currently being cast. And I say "may," because whether you're excited probably depends on how much you like Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, aka Breaking Bad's Meth Damon. Sounds fine to me!

Keanu forever.

And finally! This video of a rescue kitten making friends with the dog in his new family is probably the cutest thing I've ever seen. ♥