In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Anti-choice terrorism; war on agency] Yeah, the thing about terrorist campaigns is that they terrorize and harm people: "In a letter to California Attorney General Kamala Harris, 32 attorneys from across the country asked that her investigation of the anti-choice front group behind the Planned Parenthood attack videos be conducted with the 'utmost urgency,' due to what they call 'a real threat to abortion provider safety.' ...On Tuesday, the group of attorneys argued that in exposing the identities of abortion providers, CMP may have put them at risk of harassment, intimidation, or worse. ...Writing for RH Reality Check, David S. Cohen, one of the letter's signatories, discusses the threat of violence abortion providers must live with: 'This kind of individual targeting takes on a variety of forms—from hate mail and death threats, to regular large-scale demonstrations in front of people's homes and stalking providers outside of work. At its most extreme, this kind of targeting has resulted in eight abortion providers murdered since 1993, the most recent being Dr. George Tiller in the foyer of his Wichita, Kansas church in May 2009.'"

[continued CN; graphic anti-choice image at link] And it's incredible that anti-choice terrorists are trying to sway opinion with a new variation on "the oldest tactic in the book: Distributing graphic images of fetuses to construe abortion as a barbaric procedure that Americans cannot in good conscience allow to continue," given that what they are doing turns my stomach more than any abortion ever could.

[CN: War; terrorism; death] The Afghanistan government said today that "Mullah Omar, elusive leader of the Taliban movement behind an escalating insurgency against the government in Kabul, died more than two years ago. The announcement came a day or so before a second round of peace talks had been tentatively scheduled, and news of [his fate] could deepen Taliban divisions over whether to pursue negotiations and who should replace him. ...'The government...based on credible information, confirms that Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of the Taliban, died in April 2013 in Pakistan,' the presidential palace said in a brief statement, without specifying what the information was. 'The government of Afghanistan believes that grounds for the Afghan peace talks are more paved now than before, and thus calls on all armed opposition groups to seize the opportunity and join the peace process.'"

[CN: Homophobia] Good Maude Almighty! "Two rabidly anti-gay billionaire brothers from Texas have made a record contribution to Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign. Dan and Farris Wilks, who made their fortune in the West Texas fracking boom, have contributed $15 million to Keep the Promise, a super PAC supporting Cruz. According to AllGov.com, it's the largest contribution so far in the 2016 race, and represents nearly half of the $38 million raised by Keep the Promise." What. The. Fuck.

[CN: Hunting for sport; animal abuse] The dentist who killed Cecil the Lion has a history of sexual harassment and once "pleaded guilty to a federal charge of making false statements in relation to a bear hunting incident." He was also a Romney supporter, probably because Romney treats animals terribly and lies about it, too. He seems great. (That was sarcasm.)

Twitter, you are not Facebook. Why are you even imagining that you are, or should be?! "Twitter is in trouble. With user growth stalled, staff fleeing the company by the hundreds, and the company's stock still at the bottom of the cliff it fell from in April, sources say the company's futile obsession with matching its biggest competitor for scale is costing it dearly. ...'Honestly, I think part of the fundamental issue is their relentless fixation on how they compare to Facebook, and I think that's in some ways a fatal posture,' one former Twitter executive told the Guardian. 'I mean, no one will say on the record 'We compare ourselves relentlessly to Facebook,' because that's a losing position, but of course they do.'"

[CN: Image of insect at link] Neat-o! "Scientists in Israel have discovered how ants co-operate to move big chunks of food back to their nests. A large team of ants does the heavy lifting but they lack direction, while a small number of 'scouts' intervene and steer for short periods. They appear to have a mathematically perfect balance between individuality and conformism, the researchers said."

This is so cool: "Facebook-owned Oculus VR on Tuesday presented Henry [a short animated film about a lonely hedgehog who just wants a hug] to an exclusive audience during an invite-only event in Beverly Hills. Attendees strapped on consumer versions of the Oculus Rift headset, and were immersed in a 360-degree view of Henry's world as he made his birthday wish." The potential applications for this technology are extraordinary. Iain got a chance to try one and it BLEW HIS MIND. I can't wait to try one myself!

Are you a major Married with Children-head? Then you might be excited to hear that David Faustino (Bud) is reportedly developing a spin-off of the series, in which the other lead actors will have at least bit parts.

And finally! A border collie on a sheep farm helps save a newborn lamb. Oh dogs!