In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has died at age 90. His successor is his brother, Salman, who has already been crowned king. King Salman is expected to maintain King Abdullah's oil policy, which means that the US wil continue its "la la la we don't see any human rights abuses" policy.

[Content Note: Trans hatred; violence; death] RIP Lamia Beard, a black trans woman of 30, who was shot and killed January 17 in Norfolk, Virginia. There have been no arrests in her murder. Following the predictable story, local media misgendered and victim-blamed her. My condolences to her family and friends, and to everyone in the trans community who mourns another sister.

[CN: Misogyny; war on agency; sexual assault] The Republican Party continues to be a hot misogynist anti-choice mess.

[CN: Misogyny; war on agency; sexual assault] But they're still not the hotter even more misogynist anti-choicier mess that the "pro-life" movement would like them to be!

[CN: White supremacy; anti-blackness; discussion of racism, misogyny, and violence] Robert Jones, Jr. pens a stunningly moving open letter to Ava DuVernay, the director of Selma.

[CN: Harassment; abuse] So actress Jessica Chastain gave a speech at the Critics Choice Awards last week on the importance of diversity in the film industry, and now, after saying that artists must "stand together against homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, and racist agendas," she's getting all kinds of pushback from people with those agendas: "I've had really terrible people who are racists comment on the speech and say really terrible things. I'm understanding that some people in this world, how much hate they can have." Prove her point more, assholes.

Neat! "Fish Found in Extreme Spot Beneath Antarctic Ice Shelf."

This video of whales and dolphins playing together is a couple of years old, but I only just saw it for the first time (thanks to Shaker aforalpha for passing it along). I was struck both by how little we really know about animals and play and interspecies play, and by how completely ginormous whales really are, when you see how tiny dolphins look beside them!

And finally! Reggie the Cat is the most patient puppy-sitter in the entire world. ♥