In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

"President Obama addressed the Cuban people directly for the first time Tuesday morning, saying he had come 'to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.' The address in Havana's newly renovated Gran Teatro, before an audience of invited guests of the U.S. and Cuban governments, represented the keystone event in Obama's 2^1/2-day visit to the island. Speaking before Cuban President Raúl Castro and other government dignitaries, Obama outlined his vision of the future to ordinary citizens here, and to Cuban Americans at home. Speaking both to his critics in the United States as well as citizens here, Obama acknowledged that when it comes to the thaw in relations between the two former enemies, many are asking, 'Why now?' 'There is one simple answer: What the United States was doing was not working. ...We have to have the courage to acknowledge that truth,' he said. 'We should not fear change, we should embrace it.'"

[Content Note: Climate change] "The current rate of global warming could raise sea levels by 'several meters' over the coming century, rendering most of the world's coastal cities uninhabitable and helping unleash devastating storms, according to a paper published by James Hansen, the former Nasa scientist who is considered the father of modern climate change awareness. The research, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, references past climatic conditions, recent observations and future models to warn the melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets will contribute to a far worse sea level increase than previously thought. Without a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the global sea level is likely to increase 'several meters over a timescale of 50 to 150 years,' the paper states."

[CN: War on agency; anti-immigrationism] A must-read piece by Tina Vasquez: "For Undocumented People Seeking Health Care, 'The Barriers Can Seem Endless': 'The fear that accessing [health] services will get you deported is very real in undocumented communities,' said Alma Leyva, a research coordinator at the UCLA Labor Center's Dream Resource Center."

[CN: Video may autoplay at first link] I didn't think anyone besides opportunistic and mendacious conservatives could seriously imagine that Bill Clinton was referring to the Obama administration rather than Republican obstructionism when he said "the awful legacy of the last eight years," but I failed to consider that Bernie Sanders is running against the Democrats.

[CN: Misogyny] Welp! "According to Politico's Glenn Thrush, Jill Abramson, the former New York Times executive editor, said in a recent interview that she agreed with Media Matters founder David Brock that the Times has given an unfair 'level of scrutiny' to Hillary Clinton." That's the same Glenn Thrush who accused Clinton of "shouting" just last week.

[CN: Misogyny] Tell 'em, Serena! "After a tennis tournament director said female pro players 'ride on the coattails of the men' and are 'lucky' and 'don't make any decisions,' Serena Williams called the director's remarks 'very much mistaken and very, very, very inaccurate.' ...[Williams] called Moore's comments a 'disservice' to tennis legend Billie Jean King as well as 'every woman on this planet that has ever tried to stand up for what they believed in and being proud to be a woman. We as women have come a long way. And we shouldn't have to drop to our knees at any point,' Williams said."

RIP Rob Ford, former Mayor of Tornto. My condolences to his friends, family, and admirers.

[CN: Homophobia] "When Matt Bomer signed on to play Montgomery Clift in the upcoming biopic Monty Clift, he immediately felt as though his connection to the Hollywood icon was more than skin-deep. 'I kind of saw myself in him,' Bomer told People on the red carpet for the PaleyFest tribute to his series American Horror Story. ...'He was one of those really early screen icons for me to start with,' Bomer, 38, said. 'Then once I learned the circumstances of his life, I realized how he was someone who did not want to be relegated to the times he lived in and was so progressive in so many ways. ...He had to deal with so many things that we don't have to deal with as much these days,' explained Bomer. 'So I thought it was an important story for people to remember.'"

Even though the public voted to name a new polar research vessel "Boaty McBoatface," its final name will be selected by the Natural Environment Research Council. And apparently they don't love Boaty McBoatface. Boo!

Blub: An animal shelter in New Hampshire was robbed, but then: "Soon after the incident, the shelter's press release about the theft went viral and locals flooded the rescue home with food supplies. [T]he shelter has close to 10 times more food supplies than it had before the incident. Most importantly, many animals got adopted, too! And the supplies keep coming."

And finally! "Stray Kitten Chooses Her New Owner in a Park." LOOOOOOOVE.