In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Anti-choice harassment; privacy violations; war on agency] Anti-choice hackers have attacked Planned Parenthood's website and "released Planned Parenthood's website databases as well as names and email addresses of the organization's employees. It does not appear that the breach exposed the personal data of patients or employees of Planned Parenthood's affiliate organizations. ...One of the hackers, who goes by the pseudonym 'E,' told the Daily Dot that the cyberattack was politically motivated. 'Trying to mold an atrocious monstrosity into socially acceptable behaviors is repulsive,' said E. 'Obviously what [Planned Parenthood] does is a very ominous practice. It'll be interesting to see what surfaces when [Planned Parenthood] is stripped naked and exposed to the public.' ...On the website featuring the database dump, the hackers gave some insight into their possible motivations. 'We've noticed quite a lot of attention has been diverted to a supposedly malicious organization known as Planned Parenthood. The actions of this 'federation' are not seen as right in the eyes of the public. So here we are, the social justice warriors, seeking to reclaim some sort of lulz for the years and thousands of dollars that Planned Parenthood have wasted and made harvesting your babies.'" Jesus fucking Jones.

[continued CN] Meanwhile, this is how the Washington Post opens their story on this attack: "Planned Parenthood has been swept up in a storm of controversy in recent weeks, after an antiabortion group started to release undercover videos of officials at the organization discussing how it provides organs from aborted fetuses for research. Now, even the group's Web site is on the defense." FUCK YOU. That is not how any responsible news organization should talk about the latest attacks in what is the most brazen, unapologetic terrorist campaign in the US.

[continued CN] In good news: "California Attorney General Kamala Harris will review whether the group behind the Planned Parenthood attack videos violated any laws in making the deceitful recordings, which depict Planned Parenthood officials talking about the organization's legal fetal tissue donation program."

In other "liberal media" news, the New York Times has published the most absurdly anodyne "Editors' Note" about their terrible and irresponsible coverage of Clinton's personal email account usage while serving as Secretary of State.

[CN: Violence; death; assault] A woman who is a sex worker killed a client in self-defense after he assaulted her, and police suspect the man she killed may have been a serial killer responsible for the deaths of other women. I grieve that she was placed in that situation, but she may not have just saved her own life, but the lives of many others. Wow.

Congratulations to Jen Welter, who has been hired by the Arizona Cardinals football team as an assistant coaching intern, making her "the first woman to hold a coaching position of any kind in the NFL." I don't give the tiniest shit about the NFL, nor am I inclined to give their foul organization an ounce of credit for hiring a woman, but good for her for achieving something she really wants!

[CN: Hunting; animal abuse; images of killed animals] As if hunting for sport isn't repulsive enough, these big game hunters who don't even "hunt" so much as walk up to lured, drugged, or captured animals and shoot them are disgusting human beings: "Cecil the lion—the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks—was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow... Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park [using bait] and shot. ...Animals cannot be killed within the confines of the park." Sob.

[CN: Homophobia] Honestly, if it weren't the Pride flag that had accidentally been flown in place of the US flag, would anyone have even noticed and would the Mayor of Reno be expected to apologize? Good grief.

[CN: Climate change; disablist language] Well played, Hillary Clinton. Well played.

Boo: Rihanna wasn't allowed to walk with protesters in Baltimore and give a free concert. The permit was denied, or never granted. Shitty.

Wow: "Europe's Sentinel-2a satellite is on course to go into full operation in early or mid-October. The spacecraft, which takes visible and infrared pictures of the Earth, was launched in June and is now undergoing a period of commissioning." There are some sample images at the link, and they are pretty incredible.

[CN: Gifs at links] Tom Hardy and a baby elephant! I repeat: TOM HARDY AND A BABY ELEPHANT!!!!!!!

And finally! Animals who want to be photographers. Aww, lol.