In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: War; terrorism] "A U.S. Navy SEAL was killed Tuesday in an attack by Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, highlighting the evolving nature of the Pentagon's mission in Iraq and how American troops are serving closer than ever to the front lines. The SEAL, an enlisted petty officer first class whose identity was withheld until family members were notified, was killed by enemy fire about 9:30 a.m., said U.S. military officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information publicly. ...It marks the third time a U.S. service member has been killed in combat since the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State began June 2014." My condolences to the SEAL's family, friends, and colleagues.

[CN: Anti-choice terrorism] Another must-read from Jessica Mason Pieklo: "Dillard, Daleiden, and Dear: A Summer of Abortion Violence Trials Starts Now." I am so deeply grateful for all the work she and Imani Gandy do covering the legal aspects of the war on agency and anti-choice terrorism.

[CN: Misogyny] New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continues to be terrible: "New Jersey's lawmakers want to require employers to pay women the same as men for essentially the same work. But Gov. Chris Christie (R) thinks they went too far." Why? Because it actually addressed pay equity or comparable worth, i.e. requiring that women must be "paid equally if they're doing the same tasks in a different role," thus denying businesses the ability to pay women less by giving them a shittier job title, basically. "Christie specifically objected to this piece of the bill in his veto, calling it 'nonsensical' and saying that it 'makes New Jersey very business unfriendly.'" Of course he did.

[CN: Disablist language; discussion of bigotry] Donald Trump isn't actually "literally delusional" because he thinks beating Hillary Clinton will be "easy," but he is hilariously and aggressively wrong. And Greg Sargent makes a strong case for precisely why he is so hilariously and aggressively wrong.

[CN: Misogyny] GOOD FUCKING GRIEF: "How Bernie changed Hillary: Sanders has left a lasting imprint on Clinton's candidacy, even if few in her camp are willing to admit it." A+ Politico. If only her campaign videos from 2008 were available online to show what she was talking about then! OH WELL. (P.S. No, Bernie Didn't Make Hillary a Better Candidate; She Did That Herself.)

In related news: Here's a story about Hillary Clinton addressing some of her critics and their criticisms. And apologizing for using imprecise and scary language. And promising, with regard to protests outside the venue: "I will do whatever I can regardless of whether people are yelling at me and whether people are misrepresenting me or whether people are not looking at everything I say and taking something out of context. That's part of it, I understand that. But I'm gonna get up every single day trying to figure out what to do to help you provide the kind of future for your children that they deserve to have." Somehow, I don't think Bernie Sanders taught her to do any of that.

[CN: Racism] Another company (Old Navy) features an akyriarchetypical family (interracial) in an advert, and bigots (racists) lose their shit over it, but love wins as many families who look like the family in the ad (interracial) post pictures of themselves and thank the company (Old Navy) for recognizing their existence, prompting the company (Old Navy) to vow their commitment to diversity. It's a MadLib at this point, because bigots are so infuriatingly predictable. Just fill in the blanks.

Congratulations to Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast and the crew and the fans and everyone !!! after the show made history by receiving 16 Tony nominations. Sixteen!!!

This is the most David Bowie thing ever: "David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, was a 'parting gift' to fans before his tragic death, according to his long-time producer Tony Visconti. ...Users of imgur, the image-sharing website, have discovered something quite touching about the vinyl edition of the album. If you leave take the gatefold sleeve, which contains the record (and which you'd be wise to remove first, lest you damage the record) and leave it in the sun, it transforms and depicts a different image. Instead of the titular black star, you're greeted by an entire galaxy." Blub.

Neat! "A Belgian-led team reported Monday that it's discovered three Earth-sized planets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star less than 40 light-years away. It's the first time planets have been found around this type of star—and it opens up new, rich territory in the search for extraterrestrial life. Because this star is so close and so faint, astronomers can study the atmospheres of these three temperate exoplanets and, eventually, hunt for signs of possible life. They're already making atmospheric observations, in fact, using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope will join in next week. Altogether, it's a 'winning combination' for seeking chemical traces of life outside our solar system, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Julien de Wit, a co-author of the study, released by the journal Nature."

And finally! This made me laugh out loud SO HARD! "Hilarious Bulldog Repeatedly Rolls Herself Down a Hill." As advertised!