In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: War on agency] Maryland is the latest state to introduce a 20-week abortion ban: "HB 492, introduced last week, would make abortion illegal after 20 weeks due to the stated belief that a fetus can feel pain starting at that time. The 'Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,' which has been the ban of choice this legislative session, shares its name with similar bills introduced this year across the country, including in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Oregon. A 'fetal pain' 20-week ban is also expected to be introduced in Ohio, where a prominent anti-choice organization has identified it as a priority this legislative session. Bills of the same name passed last week in the GOP-controlled South Carolina and West Virginia houses." No word on any Democrats introducing "Pain of Forced Pregnancy and Birth" bills.

[CN: War on agency] Relatedly: Tara Culp-Ressler on "Why States Keep Trying to Ban Abortion Procedures That Don't Exist."

[CN: War on agency; terrorism] And because anti-choicers just weren't odious enough: "A Republican South Dakota lawmaker on Monday compared Planned Parenthood to the Islamic State in a blog post about his bill banning a surgical abortion procedure. In a blog post titled "Planned Parenthood worse than ISIS and lying about it," state Rep. Isaac Latterell (R) wrote about the beheadings of prisoners by ISIL, likening the executions to abortion. 'Planned Parenthood abortionists in Sioux Falls are similarly beheading unborn children during dismemberment abortions,' Latterell wrote. 'Most people are unaware that this is happening, because Planned Parenthood of Sioux Falls denies that they behead or otherwise dismember unborn children.'" That's because they don't: Planned Parenthood "only performs first trimester abortions in South Dakota."

[CN: Video may autoplay at link] Wal-Mart says it's giving its employees a raise: "The move by one of the country's largest employers ensures hourly associates earn at least $1.75 above today's federal minimum wage, or $9 per hour, in April. By Feb. 1, 2016, current associates will earn at least $10 per hour. Some states already have a minimum wage at or above $9 per hour, including California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Rhode Island." A raise to still not a livable wage. Give them all the cookies. So they can munch on them while figuring out how to cut employees' hours to avoid giving them full-time benefits.

[CN: Disease] Oh shit: "The Food and Drug Administration warned hospitals and medical providers Thursday morning that a commonly used medical scope may have facilitated the deadly outbreak of a superbug at UCLA. The warning, posted by the federal agency through its safety communications systems, comes after a Los Angeles Times report that two people who died at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center were among seven patients there infected by a drug-resistant superbug. Hundreds of patients at medical centers around the country, including Seattle's Virginia Mason Medical Center, may have been exposed to the bacteria after physicians used the scopes in their treatment. The FDA cautioned that the design of the scopes may make them more difficult to effectively clean. And the agency called on medical providers to meticulously wash the devices. But even washing the scopes may not be adequate, the FDA warned. 'Meticulously cleaning duodenoscopes prior to high-level disinfection should reduce the risk of transmitting infection, but may not entirely eliminate it,' the warning noted." Swell.

[CN: Police brutality; racism] Though the Justice Department almost certainly won't bring federal charges against Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, they may sue the Ferguson Police Department over a demonstrated pattern of racial bias: "The Justice Department did find a pattern of racial discrimination in the department's tactics, and is prepared to sue if the force does not implement changes."

[CN: War; displacement; video may autoplay at link] This is so heartbreaking: "Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees who fled fighting in the east gather at the train station of the Russian southern city of Rostov-on-Don from where migration authorities send them to other regions."

[CN: Body policing; misogyny] Breaking News: Beyoncé is a human being. (Seriously, I don't know how famous women function with this kind of dehumanizing shit. Fucking hell.)

[CN: Animal cruelty] I can't say this often or more forcefully enough: End greyhound racing worldwide NOW.

Absolutely beautiful: "A spiral galaxy gets twisted out of shape after coming too close to a cosmic neighbor in a gorgeous photo captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope."

Wow! "An alien star passed through our Solar System just 70,000 years ago, astronomers have discovered. No other star is known to have approached this close to us. An international team of researchers says it came five times closer than our current nearest neighbour—Proxima Centauri. The object, a red dwarf known as Scholz's star, cruised through the outer reaches of the Solar System—a region known as the Oort Cloud."

And finally! A newly discovered Dr. Seuss book will be published later this year, and it's about getting a pet! "A never-before-seen Dr. Seuss story titled What Pet Should I Get? is being published on July 28th, more than 20 year's after the author's death. The manuscript and illustrations for the book were found in a box in Dr. Seuss's home (real named Theodor Geisel) in 2013 by his widow Audrey Geisel. ...'While undeniably special, it is not surprising to me that we found this,' said Audrey Geisel in a statement. 'Ted always worked on multiple projects and started new things all the time—he was constantly writing and drawing and coming up with ideas for new stories. It is especially heartwarming for me as this year also marks twenty-five years since the publication of the last book of Ted's career, Oh, the Places You'll Go!'" ♥