In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

OMG. Let the blubbing begin yet again: "Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Thursday welcomed President Barack Obama's endorsement, telling Reuters in an interview that it 'means the world' to her that her former rival has her back in the 2016 campaign. 'It is absolutely a joy and an honor that President Obama and I, over the years, have gone from fierce competitors to true friends,' Clinton said."

[Content Note: Video may autoplay at link] Bernie Sanders headed to DC today to meet with President Obama at the White House, ahead of the President's endorsement of Hillary. I bet that was a fun conversation! Afterwards, he didn't really say anything he hasn't said before: "I look forward to meeting with [Clinton] in the near future to see how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent." Cool. But that doesn't suggest he acknowledges her as the nominee, nor that he'll be supporting her, not merely "working together" with her. If it means he'll stop attacking her, though, that's something.

[CN: Guns] Whoa: "Firearm owners have no constitutional right to carry a concealed gun in public if they face no specific danger, a divided federal appeals court in California ruled on Thursday, in a victory for gun control advocates. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which sets a legal precedent in western states, was seen as unlikely to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in the near future. ...'We hold that the Second Amendment does not protect, in any degree, the carrying of concealed firearms by members of the general public,' Judge William Fletcher wrote in a 52-page opinion." That is a pretty big deal!

[CN: Video may autoplay at link] After Donald Trump used "We Are the Champions" as his entry music at his rally on Tuesday (as if Freddie Mercury wouldn't hate the everloving bejeesus out of Trump), Queen "is exploring legal options" to stop Trump from using their music. Said Brian May: "My personal reaction to Donald Trump using our music? We'd never give permission. We are taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue." Because simply asking Trump not to be a fucking thief who uses other people's property without their consent won't do it.

LOLOLOLOL LOVE: History > bedtime.

[CN: Anti-immigrationism] Oh Republicans: "House Speaker Paul Ryan is unveiling the House Republican national security agenda Thursday... The 23-page document includes broad themes on terrorism, securing the border, strengthening alliances, reforming the State Department and modernizing the military. ...[T]he agenda also contains some gentle pushback to Trump's foreign policy pronouncements—including his border wall with Mexico... House Republicans propose more Border Patrol agents, 'high fencing' and better surveillance." Yeah, fuck that wall! We need "high fencing" instead.

The Sierra Club has endorsed Hillary Clinton: "We firmly believe Secretary Clinton will be the strong environmental champion that we need to lead our country, which is why the Sierra Club is proud to endorse her and her vision for America."

[CN: Transphobia] Another must-read piece on an important legal issue by Imani Gandy: "Dignity Health Sued over Refusal to Offer Insurance Coverage for Transition-Related Care: 'I was shocked when Dignity, which is supposed to be in the business of healing and holds itself out to the public as a bastion of 'human kindness,' told me they would not authorize insurance coverage for my doctor-prescribed treatment,' Joe Robinson said in a statement released by his attorneys at the American Civil Liberties Union."

This is a great profile of Kimberly Peeler-Allen and Glynda C. Carr, the co-founders of Higher Heights for America, a group formed to support Black women candidates: "Statistics for Black women in elected office are pretty abysmal. ...Black women's underrepresentation in office comes within the context of their extremely high voting rates. With 64 percent voting in 2008 and 74 percent in 2012, Black women have the highest voter turnout of any race/gender subgroup in the U.S. 'Black women come to the polls because we recognize the importance of government,' says Peeler-Allen. 'I think we're now just coming up on the first generation who may not have someone in their household who was part of the Civil Rights Movement. It's still a really fresh battle to get the right to vote.'"

"You'll soon see four new names on the periodic table of the elements, including three that honor Moscow, Japan, and Tennessee. The names are among four recommended Wednesday by an international scientific group. The fourth is named for a Russian scientist. ...Joining more familiar element names such as hydrogen, carbon and lead are: moscovium (mah-SKOH'-vee-um), symbol Mc, for element 115, and tennessine (TEH'-neh-seen), symbol Ts, for element 117... oganesson (OH'-gah-NEH'-sun), symbol Og, for element 118. The name honors Russian physicist Yuri Oganessian [and] nihonium (nee-HOH'-nee-um), symbol Nh, for element 113. The element was discovered in Japan, and Nihon is one way to say the country's name in Japanese. It's the first element to be discovered in an Asian country."

[CN: Moving gif at link] And finally! "Boy Sneaks into Neighbors' Garage Every Day to Hug Their Dog." Aww lol. This could have had an unhappy ending, but it doesn't! So yay!