In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Terrorism; violence] Recommended reading at the Southern Poverty Law Center: A special report examining the "Rise of the Lone Wolf."

[CN: Video may autoplay at link] The Supreme Court is expected to imminently issue a decision in King v. Burwell, the case dealing with subsidies for individuals who purchase health insurance on the federal exchange. SCOTUSblog has a live feed discussing whatever decisions may come out of the Court today. Reportedly, their same-sex marriage decision will be delayed until at least next week, but King v. Burwell may come as soon as today.

[CN: Terrorism; violence; self-harm] Fuck: "A Taliban suicide bomber and six gunmen attacked the Afghan parliament on Monday as lawmakers met to consider a new defense minister, and another district in the volatile north fell to the militants as they intensified a summer offensive. The brazen assault on the symbolic center of power, along with territorial gains elsewhere, highlight how NATO-trained Afghan security forces are struggling to cope with worsening militant violence. Fighting has spiraled since the departure of most foreign forces from Afghanistan at the end of last year. The insurgents are pushing to take territory more than 13 years after U.S.-led military intervention toppled them from power."

[CN: Racism; guns] On Sunday's Meet the Press, host Chuck Todd, who is the worst, aired a video on gun violence that featured exclusively black convicted murderers who expressed regret for their crimes. He introduced the video by saying: "The circumstances you are about to see are very different from the racist violence in Charleston. In this case, in the inmates are African-American that you're going to hear from. But their lessons remain important. And we simply ask you to look at this as a color-blind issue that's about just simply gun violence." Fuck off. Following criticism, Todd then defended the decision to air the video with a bunch of shit which culminated in this swill: "As I say to all audiences, Meet the Press should make all viewers uncomfortable at some point or we are not doing our job." Fuck. Off.

[CN: Transmisogyny; violence] RIP Mercedes Williamson, who is the ninth (known) trans woman to be murdered in the US so far this year. Her alleged killer was charged after confessing to his father, who turned him in to police. My condolences to those who knew and loved Mercedes, and to members of the trans community.

[CN: Police misconduct; sexual assault] Fucking hell: "A Florida sergeant pulled over a young lesbian couple for making an illegal U-turn. Then he allegedly forced one to strip while he masturbated, threatening to arrest her if she didn't comply." I hope the victim of this assault is provided the support she needs, both legally and psychologically. This is yet another example of why admonishing survivors they must report their assaults to police is ignorant and hostile.

The Rev. Billy Graham's grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, has resigned from his pastorship at Coral Ridge Presbyterian, a South Florida megachurch, after disclosing that he had an extramarital affair. That would hardly merit mention here, except I love (ahem) his explanation for why he had the affair: "As many of you know, I returned from a trip a few months back and discovered that my wife was having an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, I informed our church leadership and requested a sabbatical to focus exclusively on my marriage and family. As her affair continued, we separated. Sadly and embarrassingly, I subsequently sought comfort in a friend and developed an inappropriate relationship myself." I bet she totes made him eat that apple, too.

Cool: "Back in April, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft sent home the first-ever image of Pluto in near-true color. It was pixelated and tiny, but for the first time humans got a glimpse of what the dwarf planet might really look like. Now NASA has released the first moving color images, showing that Pluto and its largest moon Charon have very different colors—even though they're locked in a close orbital dance."

[CN: Image of bat at link] As you may recall, I am a lover of bats and this is amazing: "Researchers studying 16-million-year-old sediment in New Zealand have discovered a new extinct bat species that walked on all four limbs. And it would have been at least three times larger than today’s average bat." I want to hang out with a giant walking bat! Not you.

And finally! This video of a dog and her owner being reunited after she was lost might be the cutest thing you see all day. ♥