In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

The AP reports that Hillary Clinton private email account used to conduct government business while she was Secretary of State was run on her own private email server registered to her family's home in New York. "The highly unusual practice of a Cabinet-level official physically running her own email would have given Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, impressive control over limiting access to her message archives. ...In theory but not in practice, Clinton's official emails would be accessible to anyone who requested copies under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. Under the law, citizens and foreigners can compel the government to turn over copies of federal records for zero or little cost. Since Clinton effectively retained control over emails in her private account even after she resigned in 2013, the government would have to negotiate with Clinton to turn over messages it can't already retrieve from the inboxes of federal employees she emailed." See, this is my problem with this entire thing: Irrespective of how much Clinton's team says she "complied with the letter and spirit of the" Federal Records Act, we just have to trust that. There's no oversight and no transparency. That is not good, and I honestly don't care who it is, because everyone in government needs meaningful accountability. And there can be no meaningful accountability without real transparency.

[Content Note: Descriptions of injuries; worker exploitation] A joint project of ProPublica and NPR documents "The Demolition of Workers' Comp" in the US. "Over the past decade, state after state has been dismantling America's workers' comp system with disastrous consequences for many of the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer serious injuries at work each year... The changes, often passed under the banner of 'reform,' have been pushed by big businesses and insurance companies on the false premise that costs are out of control. In fact, employers are paying the lowest rates for workers' comp insurance since the 1970s. And in 2013, insurers had their most profitable year in over a decade, bringing in a hefty 18 percent return."

[CN: Domestic violence; racism; misogyny] This is horrendous: "A unanimous jury found Korean immigrant detainee and domestic violence survivor Nan-Hui Jo guilty Tuesday of child abduction charges filed by her child's father and alleged abuser, Jesse Charlton. Now, Nan-Hui is also facing deportation and permanent separation from her child immediately after the hearing. ...The case highlights how instead of being granted protection and given support, survivors of domestic violence (who are disproportionately women and children) are often criminalized or ignored while their abusers enjoy immunity."

This video, a PSA challenging implicit bias by the Ad Council, featuring people dancing behind a screen so only their skeletons can be seen, before they reveal who they are, is really terrific. The campaign, Love Has No Labels, challenges viewers to examine their expectations rooted in internalized bias: "A lot of us make snap judgments based on what we see—whether it's race, age, gender, religion, sexuality, or disability. Yet most of us aren't even conscious of our prejudice. That's why it's called implicit bias." I just wish the campaign included sizism. A big miss there.

[CN: Animal endangerment] So awful (and so concerning): "The monarch butterfly population has plummeted in less than 20 years, leading one environmental group to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take action. The Natural Resources Defense Council filed suit in a New York City federal court seeking an order to force the EPA to review an emergency petition that it filed last year. The NRDC claims the EPA never responded to the request. The group also wants the agency to review within six months its rules governing glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, a commonly used herbicide that has wiped out the milkweed plant in many parts of the country. Monarch butterflies rely on the milkweed for their survival. The monarch population has dwindled from 1 billion in 1997 to 56.5 million this winter—a drop of 90%, according to the complaint."

[CN: Images of shark at link] Everything you ever wanted to know about the very cool and very creepy goblin shark!

Sony has announced its Project Morpheus virtual reality headset will go on sale next year. (Time for Oculus to make its announcement BECAUSE I WANT ONE OF THOSE STAT!)

And finally! This is the sweetest story about a scared kitten who was rescued by someone special who knew just how to give her the perfect home. "Now she's the queen of the castle." Blub.