In the News

Here are some things in the news today...

Heads-up: Blue Bell Creameries has issued a product-wide recall because of the risk of lysteria. So beware if you buy Blue Bell frozen treats of any kind.

[Content Note: Police brutality; misogynoir] Unsurprisingly, legal experts are just as flummoxed and outraged as I was by Judge Dennis Porter's decision to let Rekia Boyd's killer, Chicago police officer Dante Servin, walk because the charges weren't severe enough: "'This is incredible!' University of Illinois Director of Trial Advocacy J. Steven Beckett said. 'It appears to me that a lesser included offense was ignored because the proof of the greater offense was obvious. This put prosecutorial decision-making under scrutiny beyond anything imaginable.' In other words, the prosecutors were punished for not having charged Servin with a more severe crime."

Well, Democrats have made some sort of devilish compromise with Republicans on the abortion language in the anti-trafficking bill the Republicans were using to hold up Loretta Lynch's confirmation as Attorney General, so now Lynch should be confirmed later this week.

Hey, guess what? It turns out Obamacare is pretty popular. Now, just as many USians like it as don't like it, and that number continues to move in a favorable direction. I suppose people like having access to healthcare. Go figure.

Hillary Clinton's team is bemused by the contention that Clinton is new to populist rhetoric and probably pretty frustrated that her economic populism is being framed as aping Senator Elizabeth Warren for political expediency. And you know what? They're right. As I said in comments the other day: "I do believe that Hillary Clinton is inviting and welcoming input from Senator Elizabeth Warren, but I also want to point out that the narrative Clinton hasn't previously spoken about these issues is largely a media creation. I saw Clinton speak in person several times during the 2008 election, and here was my description of the first appearance I attended: 'Clinton spent over an hour talking about and answering questions about policy in amazing detail—and, throughout, she spoke the language of the labor movement specifically and progressives generally; there was no rightwing framing, no triangulation. She was impressively blunt about the Republicans playing class warfare and about her determination to raise taxes on corporations and the rich, and she was much more explicitly anti-corporate in some of her statements than I expected. At one point, I leaned over to KenBlogz to whisper, 'This woman is a communist!' All of which is arguably actual news, given her reputation. (Although I suppose it isn't news to the media which has been dutifully not reporting it.)' ...If you hear that she hasn't been talking about this stuff, I can't say this any more plainly: It's a lie."

Yowza! "A Japanese magnetic levitation train has broken its own world speed record, hitting 603km/h (374mph) in a test run near Mount Fuji. ...Maglev trains use electrically charged magnets to lift and move carriages above the rail tracks." Cool.

[CN: Misogyny] I love this quote from actress Carey Mulligan: "Given the choice, I'd rather not play accessories." Perfect.

What is Michele Bachmann even talking about? "In an interview with End Times broadcaster Jan Markell that was aired this weekend, former Rep. Michele Bachmann said that people should 'not despair but rejoice' that the world has reached the 'midnight hour' and that 'we in our lifetimes potentially could see Jesus Christ returning to earth and the Rapture of the church.' The former Republican congresswoman from Minnesota said that President Obama's policies, including support for marriage equality and nuclear negotiations with Iran, are to blame for the world's imminent demise." So Obama is convincing god to rapture the shit out of us, which is viewed as a joyful event for (some) Christians, but they still hate Obama. I don't even know.

[CN: Video may autoplay at link] Headline of the Day: "Vampire Squid Have Strange and Unusual Sex Lives in the Deep Sea." Good for them!

FYI: My birthday is coming up, so if you're looking for ideas for a suitable present...

And finally! Rescuers walked walked over 60 miles over the course of four days to reunite this elephant calf, who'd been abducted for use in the tourism trade, with her mother. Blub. HAPPY FLAPPING EARSIES!