MSNBC’s Irin Carmon has read all the amici briefs (or “friend-of-the-court” briefs) submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in its upcoming same-sex marriage case (to be heard next week), and picks out some of the oddest arguments against gay marriage. Read the whole thing: 1. Marriage equality will kill people. The group Mike Huckabee Policy Solutions — which says it is “neither … Read More
Most Christians Support SSM
Also Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and a surprising percentage of Muslims, too….
Amy Schumer and Women’s Issues
Comedian Amy Schumer’s brand of humor isn’t for everyone. She’s a bit of a potty mouth (if that matters to you), and sometimes her sexual humor misses. But other times, she is really on the mark about the objectification of women and rape culture. Two examples of that are below… from the first show of her third season (“Inside Amy … Read More
Rapists And Parental Rights
For the life of me, I can’t imagine why this is even controversial. Not only do many conservatives believe that women should be forced to bear their rapists’s children against their will…. now some conservatives apparently think women must also share parental rights with their rapist after they give birth: Iowa Republican has held up legislation that would prevent convicted rapists from … Read More
Controversial “Feminist”?
Hard to believe this actually is happening in 2015: One middle school class photo is getting a lot of attention — because of what it doesn’t include. Eighth grader Sophie Thomas wore a black t-shirt emblazoned with the word “Feminist” in silver for a recent picture day at Clermont Northeastern Middle School in Batavia, Ohio. Yet when the teen — … Read More
Yet Another Black Man Killed By Overzealous Cops
The name this time around is Freddie Gray, the city this time is Baltimore, and the death this time was from complications of a massive spinal injury suffered while in police custody. Relatives, activists and even Baltimore city officials have more questions than answers about what happened to Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died one week after he was rushed … Read More
Our Favorite Ex-Congresswoman Predicts The End Of Times
Go ahead, Michele Bachmann. Break out your “THE END IS NEAR” sign. You know you want to. She came close in a radio interview: Michele Bachmann says the rapture is coming, thanks to President Barack Obama’s policies on Iran’s nuclear program and marriage equality. In a radio interview last week, Bachmann, the former Minnesota Republican congresswoman, told “End Times” host … Read More
Free Range Parents: What Is Neglect And What Isn’t?
There’s a good chance you’ve heard about the Meitiv kids (especially if you have children of your own or friends with children). The kids, ages 10 and 6, were walking home from a park a mile from their house in Maryland when they were spotted by a zealous citizen-protector, reported to the police, picked up 3 blocks from home, and … Read More
New World Trade Center Elevators Are Awesome
It’s opening soon. When you take the elevators to the observatory atop One World Trade Center, you’re going to be in for a treat. An animated time lapse in all 5 elevators shows the development of the city’s skyline, from the 1500s to today from the perspective of your exact spot inside One World Trade Center. Watch:
Deepwater Horizon Disaster, Five Years Ago Today
Let’s have a look back at the nation’s worst-ever oil spill, by the numbers:
Campaigning “As A Woman”
The horrible thing about Maureen Dowd’s op-ed in yesterday’s New York Times (“Granny Get Your Gun”) is not what she says, but the existence of the op-ed in the first place. For those of you not wanting to click through, Dowd writes about Hillary Clinton’s problem, which she describes this way: “She can’t figure out how to campaign as a woman.” … Read More
Twenty Years Ago Today
Carried out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a 16-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings, causing at least an estimated $652 million worth of damage. The bombers were tried and convicted in 1997. … Read More
Bad Interview
Here’s a tip from one lawyer to all other lawyers out there: Don’t let your accused client go on television unless you (and your client) really know what you are doing. And that sounds vague to you, then you don’t know what you are doing. Look, 95 times out of 100, you are not going to turn public sentiment in … Read More
Log Cabin Republicans Barred From Conservative Convention
The Western Conservative Summit is a gathering of the most influential newsmakers of the right. The convention this year is scheduled for June in Denver, where thousands of conservative activists will gather to hear Republican presidential hopefuls like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Pennsylvania Sen Rick Santorum speak. The event is organized by The Centennial Institute, a think tank affiliated with … Read More