The Weekend Off – The News You Missed
Alaska
The New York Times – Past Road’s End, Democrats Dig for Native Votes
“NAPASKIAK, Alaska — No roads go this deep into the tundra, especially not for Democrats. Not that politics weigh too heavily on the mind when people are consumed with more basic needs, like catching enough fish to eat or scraping together the $6 a gallon it costs to fill up their boat with gas.”
Alaska Dispatch – For Senate candidates, no escape from “trackers” on the trail
“The Chamber of Commerce, and other groups involved in Alaska politics, are on the alert for “trackers” — the entry-level political operatives aligned with both parties who are paid to follow the Senate candidates around Alaska with their cameras rolling, hoping for a gaffe.”
USA Today – Dozens marooned by flooding in Alaska
“DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Alaska (AP) — Officials have organized an airlift for dozens of lodge guests and lodge employees at Denali National Park and Preserve after flooding hit one lodge and flooding and rockfalls prompted the closure of the only road into the park.”
Anchorage Daily News – Remembering man of many hats who profoundly shaped Alaska
“Walt Parker lived the kind of mythic life we all imagine possible in Alaska, staying sharp and involved all the way to the end. He would have been 88 on August 11. Instead, his family will be holding a celebration of life that day.”
Fairbanks Daily Miner – No Fukushima radiation found in Alaska seafood
“ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska health officials say testing of Alaska seafood revealed no radiation contamination from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, which was damaged by a tsunami in 2011.
Officials from the Alaska departments of Environmental Conservation and Health and Social Services on Friday announced results of U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests.”
National
“Despite having their own 100-foot buffer zone of protection at the Court, the U.S. Supreme Court Justices unanimously struck down Massachusetts’ state-wide 35-foot buffer around reproductive healthcare clinics in this country with their McCullen v Coakley decision today.
They have just announced that it is ‘Open Season’ on reproductive healthcare clinics in this country.”
LA Times – Jeh Johnson says ‘no free pass’ for children after border crossings
“Moments after Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson took his first tour of a southern Arizona detention facility housing about 900 migrant children in makeshift cages Wednesday, he had a message for Central American parents who are on the brink of sending their children illegally and alone into the United States.”
Salon – The Supreme Court’s baffling tech illiteracy is becoming a big problem
“This week was a huge one for technology at the Supreme Court. The Court issued three opinions — Riley v. California, United States v. Wurie, and American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Aereo — that taken together served as an endorsement of cell phone privacy and a condemnation of the online retransmission of TV shows to paid subscribers.
The months leading up to the decisions had been a rough ride for the justices. Following oral arguments for these cases, they were called “black-robed techno-fogeys.” They were ranked based on technological incompetence. Their discussions of “the cloud” became the soundtrack for a comical YouTube video, and the blogosphere cringed when Chief Justice John Roberts learned, for the first time, that some people carry more than one cell phone. So, was all that nervous taunting warranted?”
All In With Chris Hayes – Video: The real story behind Chicago’s crime numbers
Huffington Post – GOP Senator Fights Against Clean Water Rule
“Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) continued his fight against the Environmental Protection Agency this week, urging his colleagues to block a proposed rule that would redefine several forms of surface water under the landmark 1972 Clean Water Act.
The EPA has extended the time available to comment on the rule for the general public until Oct. 20. The agency says the regulation would not protect any new waters, but rather clarify waters, such as streams and wetlands, that are already protected under current law.”
International
BBC – How the world went to war [Excellent history lesson of WW1 in the style of current news]
“In the summer of 1914, Europe went to war. It began a conflict that would engulf almost the entire world. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand pushed existing animosities and alliances into the most catastrophic war the world had ever seen.”
The Guardian – Boko Haram Islamists ‘kill dozens’ in attack on churches in Nigeria
“Suspected Boko Haram Islamists armed with explosives attacked a series of churches near Chibok on Sunday , the north-eastern Nigerian town where more than 200 teenage girls were kidnapped in April, witnesses said.
Residents said dozens of people may have been killed in the raids on villages roughly six miles (10km) outside Chibok, but no one was able to offer an authoritative death toll and the military was not available to comment.”
The Guardian – US flying armed drones in Iraq
“The US has confirmed it is flying armed drones over Baghdad to protect US troops who recently arrived to assess Iraq’s deteriorating security.
The military for more than a week has been flying manned and unmanned aircraft over Iraq, averaging a few dozen sorties daily for reconnaissance, according to the Pentagon. The decision to arm some of the drones follows the deployment to Baghdad of troops whose publicly stated role is to advise and assist Iraqi forces fighting Isis militants who have seized a number of cities and key facilities.”
First there is a mountain. Then there is no mountain, then there is.
Off to dreamland with an aching back. Pleasant 4th to all. Visions of dead and mortally wounded deer in my head.
Word of caution. If I EVER see Lee Greenwoods face or hear his sappy “I’m proud to be an ‘murrican” ever again,I am gonna go nukular on the entire Western Hemisphere,too still yet.
Other than that,have a nice day. 🙂 🙂
I hope you can hear this one mikey…
nothing sappy here 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BTNjeKqpEk
I’ll join you in that effort….if you don’t mind.
http://www.juanitajean.com/2014/07/03/when-a-plan-comes-together/
Bristol asks for tweets from Hobby Lobby shoppers and gets more than she bargained for.
Life rilly sucks when the little smileys come out wrong. Sheesh.
😀
Willie Nelson has a black belt in karate and another in Korean mixed martial arts.Who knew?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1tqtvxG8O4
Where have all the flowers gone? Where have all the mudpups gone?
This ‘pup is hiding out from the news for a restorative week or 2.
When I am so ticked off I end up sounding like wordsaladwhatzername (like my comment at the beginning of this thread) it is time to walk away from this crap for some days.
Garden is good even though we had record rainfall for June (and lower temps than norm) .
Bears are not behaving very well in recent days . (Actually that is not true- they are behaving just like bears do when they get used to humans leaving all kinds of foodstuff all around outdoors)
Fireworks at midnight tonight-is dark enough to see em and early enough that if they have to be cancelled for stormy weather they can be rescheduled for tomorrow night close to midnight.
And that is the news from the ridge…in the forest… next to the shrinking icefields…
::)
Fireworks at friends tomorrow, harvesting tomatoes and raspberries now- plums pretty soon… then plum jam for my Northern friends!
There’s over 50 acres of pasture land here that weasels like Cliven Bundy and his tax cheating,free graze cattle would kill for,so why do deer insist on eating my garden crops and weeds? Fed up mikey went through my green beans,carrots and lettuce(the nubs the deer left for me) and sprayed them with Round-Up. We’ll soonm find out if deer like their bitter harvest. I hope they choke on it. Happy Independence Day you garden wrecking,four legged,wingnut bastards. 🙂
http://madvilletimes.com/2014/07/hobby-lobby-bolsters-case-for-returning-black-hills-to-tribes-for-religious-purposes/
Pasture patties is gonna hit the wind generators if this ever happens. Thomas Roberts Scalito-Kennedy stepped in it this time,with any luck.
I’m thinking that if Corps now have “Free Speech” rights, and now Religous Rights, then they should start giving up some of those Corporate Protections…. Like the CEO’s and Board Members becoming personally liable for any wrong doings and going to jail …. rather than the Corp paying a fine….
😀
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/06/24/israeli-court-ruling-cited-in-al-awlaki-drone-assassination-memo
Obama Admin. cites an Israeli court ruling allowing for the assassination of Americans abroad. How does that work?
http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/15376/sexism-at-texas-boys-state
Cold beer and T#tties. Texas Boys State teaches future wingnut leaders misogyny.
The Suckpreme Kourt has struck a blow to women’s rights,again. 5-4 activist nutters decided korporate Hobby Lobby has religious rights to deny women access to birth control. Not a surprise if you have followed the pro-korporation,anti-worker,anti-women’s rights fun bunch. Also Scalia’s wife is a sidewalk counselor who protests at healthcare clinics against abortions.
NYT’s rural AK story is ok – not great, maybe not even good but ok. Voting issues for Native peoples in other parts of the country are touched on.
A fair amount of silliness about the few votes available for all the work to get them dealie.
NYT- you rarely irritate me- this barely ok story did irritate me.