In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: War; death] Kenya has responded to the the assault by the militant Islamist group al-Shabab at Garissa University last week, which left 148 people dead, by sending fighter jets to Somalia to bomb al-Shabab's military positions. "The warplanes had targeted two camps in the Gedo region, used by al-Shabab to cross into Kenya, [a military spokesman has told the BBC]. ...Kenyan army spokesman David Obonyo told the BBC that the military had responded to 'threats' by launching the air strikes on Sunday night in the remote region. Two camps had been destroyed, he said, adding: 'The bombings are part of the continued process and engagement against al-Shabab, which will go on.' ...President Uhuru Kenyatta had vowed to respond to the attack 'in the severest way possible'."

[CN: Class warfare; classism; choice policing; food insecurity] This is awful: "Anger toward those living below the poverty line seems to only be increasing. Maine and Missouri have proposed bills limiting residents' food choices if they use SNAP. Missouri House Bill 813 would bar the state's 930,000 food stamp recipients from using their benefits to buy cookies, chips, soda, energy drinks, steak and seafood. (The legislature also implemented mandatory drug testing for TANF applicants in 2011.) If the bill becomes law, a Missourian can't buy a can of tuna with an EBT card. Tortilla chips to go with salsa? Nope. Flank steak—tough, stringy and the only cut of beef I can afford—is off-limits, too. Who are these people, and what makes them think that what we eat is their business? And given that the average food stamp allotment in my state in 2013 came out to just $1.41 per person per meal, I wonder if they understand that recipients couldn't buy lobster if they wanted to." People are entitled to food. And they are entitled to whatever the fuck kind of food they want and need.

[CN: Racism; police brutality] This piece by Anita Chabria for the Guardian about California's lynching law, which is being (mis)used against protesters, is a must-read. Absolutely rage-making.

[CN: Classism; disablism; misogyny] This piece by Jorge Rivas for Fusion about how consolidation of HIV/AIDS funding might diminish healthcare access for poor HIV+ women and children is also a must-read: "The Obama administration says consolidating the two programs will reduce redundancies and relieve administrative burden. (Last year, 67 percent of groups funded by Part D also received funding from Part C.) It also says the consolidation will increase points of access for the population. But advocates for women and children with HIV say they're concerned the new proposal doesn't specify what portion of federal dollars would fund services for women and children, who have unique health-care needs."

Whooooooooops! "Likely Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush, who was popular among Spanish-speaking voters while Florida governor, marked himself as 'Hispanic' on a 2009 voter registration application, The New York Times reported on Monday. The newspaper posted a fuzzy copy of the form, which it said it obtained from the Miami-Dade County Elections Department. The circle marked 'Hispanic' was checked. The next circle said 'White, not Hispanic' and was not checked. 'My mistake! Don't think I've fooled anyone!' Bush wrote on Twitter on Monday, responding to a message from his son calling him an 'honorary' Latino.' (Please note that Bush's son is himself Latino, as his mother is Latina.)

This is a pretty cool headline: "Is Hillary Clinton Any Good at Running for President?" Well, considering she almost won her party's nomination, I'd say yes. But what do I know?

You go, grrl! "Mieko Nagaoka, a 100-year-old Japanese woman, became the first centenarian to complete a 1500m swim in a 25-meter pool, according to weekend reports. Nagaoka completed 30 lengths of the pool in 1 hour, 15 minutes, 54 seconds, in a masters event in Matsuyama, Japan, on Saturday. ...'I feel relieved that I could complete swimming 1500m,' Nagaoka said though her son, according to CNN. 'But I will still continue swimming ahead.'"

Neat! "NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a set of wispy, goblin-green objects that are the ephemeral ghosts of quasars that flickered to life and then faded. ...The ethereal wisps outside the host galaxy are believed to have been illuminated by powerful ultraviolet radiation from a supermassive black hole at the core of the host galaxy. The most active of these galaxy cores are called quasars, where infalling material is heated to a point where a brilliant searchlight shines into deep space. The beam is produced by a disk of glowing, superheated gas encircling the black hole."

BOOOOOOOOOOO! "Director David Lynch has confirmed he will not direct the sequel to Twin Peaks, citing disagreement over money. Writing on Twitter, Lynch said he had not been given enough money 'to do the script in the way I felt it needed to be done'. 'This weekend I started to call actors to let them know I would not be directing,' he added." Well, shucks.

And finally! "28 Majestic Owls Caught on Camera." Oh, owls. How I adore you.