Pope Versus Trump by Clay Jones Just when you think campaign 2016 can’t get any crazier, Donald Trump enters a feud with the Pope. The Pope. Pope Francis. The guy who lives in the Vatican. Yeah, that Pope. You can create a who’s who list of everyone Donald Trump has feuded with, Fox News, Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace, President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Pope Versus Trump
Poll: President Bernie? Sanders now tied with Hillary
Does Bernie Sanders really have a shot at winning the Democratic nomination? The Vermont senator"s dark horse candidacy, once dismissed as a political sideshow, is now expanding beyond its traditional base of support in New England, threatening what was once considered a "coronation" for Hillary Clinton. In the latest Quinnipiac poll, Sanders was in a statistical… … [Read more...] about Poll: President Bernie? Sanders now tied with Hillary
A Hit and a Miss for Pope Francis
The trip that Pope Francis made to the US-Mexican border resulted in both a hit and a miss for the pontiff. The hit came when Francis said something in favor of birth control. From The Hill: "Pope Francis suggested Wednesday that people could use contraception if they are trying to avoid getting pregnant because of the Zika virus despite the Catholic Church's … [Read more...] about A Hit and a Miss for Pope Francis
Drum: Sanders’ Economic Proposals in Fantasyland
Kevin Drum gets into the specifics of the Sanders campaign proposals on the economy on Mother Jones. At issue is the campaign's reliance on UMass Amherst professor Gerald Friedman's predictions of the results of implementing all of Sanders' proposals. WTF? Per-capita GDP will grow 4.5 percent? And not just in a single year: Friedman is projecting that it will grow by an … [Read more...] about Drum: Sanders’ Economic Proposals in Fantasyland
Cartoons: Christian Nation
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Christian Nation
Is Increased Surveillance the Answer to Countering Terrorism? (Guest Voice)
Is Increased Surveillance the Answer to Countering Terrorism? by Holly Whitman How do you fight what you can’t see? That’s the question before us now, with entities like ISIS and Al Shabaab taking their recruitment and mobilization efforts onto the Internet. You know — the very same Internet you and I use on a daily basis and likely take for granted. One potential … [Read more...] about Is Increased Surveillance the Answer to Countering Terrorism? (Guest Voice)
COULD MICROCEPHALY IN BRAZIL BE CAUSED BY A CHEMICAL IN DRINKING WATER, NOT ZIKA VIRUS?
Could Microcephaly in Brazil be Caused by a Chemical in Drinking Water, Not Zika Virus? by Miriam Rafterty (San Diego) — Zika virus has been the main culprit suspected in thousands of cases of babies in Brazil born with microcephaly, a condition that causes small skulls and under-developed brains. But now a group of doctors and researchers in Argentina have published a … [Read more...] about COULD MICROCEPHALY IN BRAZIL BE CAUSED BY A CHEMICAL IN DRINKING WATER, NOT ZIKA VIRUS?
Seriously
SERIOUSLY (inspired by an email exchange with Dr. E) When I left Pakistan about 25 years ago, it was for the many same reasons we are now seeing on display, in the American politics. In Pakistan, we used to call the influence of money in politics, bribery and corruption. Here in America, we call it lobbying, and it is perfectly legal. For us American … [Read more...] about Seriously
Pope vs. Trump: This has to be a joke, right? (Guest Voice)
' OK, whoever had "Donald Trump gets into feud with Pope Francis" in the Unlikely Presidential Campaign Developments Pool, please step forward and collect your riches. When asked about Trump during a Wednesday news conference, Pope Francis said: "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian."… … [Read more...] about Pope vs. Trump: This has to be a joke, right? (Guest Voice)
Misguided Fear of Bernie Sanders From The Center
Thomas Friedman is again upset that everyone is not firmly in the middle of the road and does not understand why so many voters are opposing the establishment of both parties: I find this election bizarre for many reasons but none more than this: If I were given a blank sheet of paper and told to write down America’s three greatest sources of strength, they would be “a … [Read more...] about Misguided Fear of Bernie Sanders From The Center
Republicans’ Supreme Court contortions
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ron Johnson plays a mean game of Twister. Right hand red! "Let's let the American people decide and let the next president nominate." Left foot blue! "I never said that we shouldn't vote." Left hand yellow! "I would also say that doing nothing is also an action." Right foot green! "By the time I would actually take the vote if … [Read more...] about Republicans’ Supreme Court contortions
Pope Francis: Donald Trump is not “Christian” Over Harsh Immigration Stance (UPDATED)
“Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis suggested that Donald Trump ‘is not Christian’ because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border,” the New York Times reports. Pope Francis: “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building … [Read more...] about Pope Francis: Donald Trump is not “Christian” Over Harsh Immigration Stance (UPDATED)
Pope Francis Suggests Trump “Not Christian”: Trump Calls Pope “Disgraceful”
Pope Francis made it very clear what he thinks about showman Donald Trump, who now seems poised to effectively put his brand on the Republicay Party and become the literal face of it as its nominee, whether the GOP establishment likes it or not. And Trump has now called the Pope's characterization "disgraceful." Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope … [Read more...] about Pope Francis Suggests Trump “Not Christian”: Trump Calls Pope “Disgraceful”
The Limits of Privacy
PRIVACY! scream advocates of privacy, and normally I'd be with them. Apple Unlocked iPhones for the Feds 70 Times Before Shane Harris / The Daily Beast Apple CEO Tim Cook declared on Wednesday that his company wouldn’t comply with a government search warrant to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers, a significant escalation in a long-running debate … [Read more...] about The Limits of Privacy
The Daily Beast: Obama Refuses Military Request to Hit ISIS’s Libyan Capital
Is the Obama administration holding back the military in some of its plans to battle ISIS? An exclusive report by The Daily Beast's Nancy Yousseff says the administration has nixed plans to go hit ISIS's Libyan capital and to, in effect, continue battling the expansionist-minded, self-proclaimed terrorist nation-state the way it has been doing. If correct, this will give … [Read more...] about The Daily Beast: Obama Refuses Military Request to Hit ISIS’s Libyan Capital
Deadpool film review
It’s been a couple of days since I’ve watched the film and the key question I have about Deadpool is whether I would have loved it as much if it was released in 2008, the same time as Iron Man. I really don’t know the answer to that question. … Here’s the thing – I loved this film. Deadpool and Mad Max: Fury Road have made me so bullish and excited about the future of … [Read more...] about Deadpool film review
Cartoons: Nomination Nuttiness
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Nomination Nuttiness
FBI to Apple: create an iPhone backdoor
The Obama Administration has flirted with Silicon Valley for more than eight years. But it has never invited privacy to the ball. On the contrary. The latest sortie -- and I use the language of war deliberately -- is DOJ v Apple. The ostensible enemy: domestic terrorists. (Fully engaging the chief fear-mongering meme of America's political right.) Early headlines … [Read more...] about FBI to Apple: create an iPhone backdoor
Things are heating up in the South China Sea
Editor's note: This is Chatter, our morning rundown of what you need and want to know around the world. Fortunately for us all, you can have Chatter emailed to you every day. Just sign up here! NEED TO KNOW It’s no secret that China despises the pesky US drones and spy planes circling above the South… … [Read more...] about Things are heating up in the South China Sea
Getting Obama’s story straight
There is an imbalance in the argument at the heart of the 2016 presidential campaign that threatens to undercut the Democrats' chances of holding the White House. You might think otherwise. The divisions among Republicans are as sharp as they have been since 1964. Donald Trump may be building on the politics of resentment the GOP has pursued throughout President Obama's … [Read more...] about Getting Obama’s story straight