The Weekly Town Crier (02/12/21)
All the week’s news that’s fit to cry about (02/12/21)
We’ll Miss You:
Read “Christopher Plummer dead as Sound of Music star dies aged 91” at Daily Record.
Read “US congressman Ron Wright dies with coronavirus, aged 67” at BBC.
Read “Supremes Co-Founder Mary Wilson Dead at 76” at Pitchfork.
Read ‘Elliot Mazer, Engineer-Producer for Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, and the Band, Dead at 79” at Rolling Stone.
Read “Larry Flynt, Founder of Hustler Magazine, Dies at 78” at Variety.
Religion and Stuff:
Read “An American Lent: It’s time for evangelicalism to embrace the act of confession” at Religion News Service. “Without disciplines like corporate confession and Lent, there is little within popular evangelicalism to restrain the triumphalism of white American culture from overshadowing the cross of Christ.”
Read “A Catholic scholar weighs Biden’s future with Vatican and US bishops” at Religion News Service.
Read “Christian Rapper Lecrae Brushes Off GOP Activist’s Attempt To Cancel Him” at Yahoo.
Read “Faith-based refugee resettlement groups describe what it will take to rebuild program after Trump cuts” at Religion News Service.
Read “No touching! Churches get ready for Ash Wednesday in a pandemic” at Religion News Service.
Read “LGBTQ singer-songwriter ‘GameStops’ Christian music with No. 1 Christian album on iTunes” at Religion News Service. “‘Preacher’s Kid’ carries a parental advisory for explicit lyrics and at turns lacerates youth group lock-ins and short-term mission trips — staples of an evangelical Christian upbringing — while professing a complicated faith.”
Read “Still Baptist. Still evangelical” at Karen Swallow Prior at Religion News Service. “My childhood church has come to mind a lot lately, perhaps because these days in church life have so dismayed and disoriented me.”
Read “If I Were an Abuser, What Church Would I Want to Attend?” by Dr. Nancy Murphy.
Read “Welcoming Migrants and Refugees: A Biblical Ethic of Kinship” at Christianity Today.
Read “Don’t Immanentize the Eschaton: Against Right-Wing Gnosticism” at The Public Discourse.
Read “It’s Time to Talk About Violent Christian Extremism” at Politico.
Read “Most Evangelicals Support Women in Church Leadership” at Christianity Today. “Despite the ongoing debates over gender roles, surveys show significant agreement in favor of female Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, speakers, and preachers.”
Read “Evangelist Ravi Zacharias taught his followers to ask tough questions — just not about his sexual conduct” at Washington Post.
Read “Religion Evangelist Ravi Zacharias engaged in rape, financial misconduct and spiritual abuse, report says” at Washington Post.
Read “Ravi Zacharias Hid Hundreds of Pictures of Women, Abuse During Massages, and a Rape Allegation” at Christianity Today.
Read “Investigation Finds Ravi Zacharias Reportedly Raped a Massage Therapist; Sexually Molested Others” at Roys Report.
Read “Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey: If you need stimulus check, you are ‘screwed’” at Religion News Service.
Read ‘Survey: More than a quarter of white evangelicals believe core QAnon conspiracy theory” at Religion News Service.
Legal/Justice and Social Justice and Race or Gender or Sexism-Related Stuff:
Read “Immigrants, activists worry Biden won’t end Trump barriers” at KTAR.
Read “'We cannot tolerate extremist behavior': Admiral condemns recent racist incidents in Navy” at NBC News.
Read “Inside Trump and Barr’s Last-Minute Killing Spree” at Pro Publica. “Private executioners paid in cash. Middle-of-the-night killings. False or incomplete justifications. ProPublica obtained court records showing how the outgoing administration is using its final days to execute the most federal prisoners since World War II.”
Read “Violent attacks on elderly Asian Americans in Bay Area leaves community members 'traumatized'“ at ABC News. “A community leader say there have been at least 20 attacks.”
This week in traitorous, white-supremacist Confederate monuments (and/or Columbus monuments // and/or other “American monuments” // and/or weird Confederacy stuff):
Read “FBI Raids Home Of Rachel Powell, Mercer County Mother Of 8 Suspected In Capitol Attack” Pittsburgh CBS Local.
Read “The Barbarians at the Gate: The Sack of Rome and the Attack on the U.S. Capitol” at The Reveal. “The problems with imagining who the barbarians are in the U.S. today.”
Read “The majority of the people arrested for Capitol riot had a history of financial trouble” at Washington Post.
Read “Sen. Shirkey baselessly claims U.S. Capitol riot was 'staged' by Trump haters, recording shows” at Metro Times.
Read “She Lived Through the Capitol Attack. Now This GOP Staffer Is Calling Out Her Friends’ Conspiracies” at Vice. “Leslie Shedd used to politely change the topic when friends would float fringe right-wing conspiracy theories. Not anymore.”
Read “Texas woman charged in Capitol riot says she bought into Trump 'lie': 'I regret everything'“ at The Hill.
Read “Five people associated with Proud Boys arrested for Capitol riot on conspiracy charges” at CNN.
Read “Military officials were unaware of potential danger to Pence's 'nuclear football' during Capitol riot” at CNN.
Read “FBI arrests two Kentucky men associated with the 'Boogaloo Bois'“ at The Hill.
Read “Mark Finchem Planned Jan. 6 D.C. Visit With Right-Wing Activist Ali Alexander” at Phoenix New Times.
This Week In Protest-Related News:
Read “Tucker Carlson Bizarrely Ties The Capitol Riots To George Floyd’s Death” at Okay Player.
This Week With The Police:
Read “Health care workers replaced Denver cops in handling hundreds of mental health and substance abuse cases — and officials say it saved lives” at CBS News.
Read “Is This Beverly Hills Cop Playing Sublime’s ‘Santeria’ to Avoid Being Live-Streamed?” at Vice. “Police officers in Beverly Hills have been playing music while being filmed, seemingly in an effort to trigger Instagram’s copyright filters.”
Read “How ABC15 Linked A Phoenix Police 'Challenge Coin' To Neo-Nazism” at KJZZ.
Read “Charges dismissed against Buffalo cops who shoved elderly protester” at New York Post.
Read “The Staten Island Files: Explore Hundreds of Previously Secret NYPD Misconduct Findings” at Gothamist.
Education and The Learnings // School Re-Openings
Your Weekly Coronavirus Roundup:
Read “This Health Advocate Is Calling on Rich Countries to Stop Hoarding COVID-19 Vaccines” at Global Citizen.
Read “Fully vaccinated people don't need to quarantine if exposed to Covid” at NBC News.
Read “Fauci says it will be “open season” for COVID-19 vaccine by April” at Salon.
Read “Biden Announces Deal For 200 Million More COVID-19 Vaccines” at NPR.
Read “Why Are Chicago’s Playgrounds Still Closed?” at WBEZ.
Miscellany Cultural Items (and some Technology):
Read “Who Really Created the Marvel Universe?” at The New Yorker. “Stan Lee presided over a world of superheroes, but his collaborators and readers sustained his vision—and his characters outlasted it.”
Read “Hacker Changed Chemical Level in Florida Water Plant” at Bloomberg.
Read “Dallas Mavericks cease playing national anthem before games at Mark Cuban’s direction” at The Athletic.
Read “The Dallas Mavericks Stopped Playing the National Anthem Before Games and No One Noticed” at Okay Player.
Read “Twitter considering subscription fees to ensure 'revenue durability'“ at The Hill.
Read “How the Measles Vaccine Went From No Big Deal to Anti-Vaxxer Obsession” at Slate.
Read “When Republicans Attack 'Cancel Culture,' What Does It Mean?” at NPR.
Read “Portia De Rossi Says Ellen DeGeneres Helped Her Realize Being Gay Was OK” at Huff Post.
Read “Looking to avert evictions, L.A. seeks $46 million to buy Chinatown apartment building” at Los Angeles Times.
Read ‘Donald Trump’s Twitter Ban Is Permanent, CFO Confirms” at Consequence of Sound.
Read “Twitter permanently bans Project Veritas account” at CNN.
Read “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been banned from Instagram” at CNN.
Read “After the ballots are counted: Conspiracies, political violence, and American exceptionalism” at American Survey Center. “Findings from the January 2021 American Perspectives Survey.”
Read “Thread Man” by Liz Lenz. “Seth Abramson’s viral meta-journalism unreality.”
Read “Some Parkland Survivors Are Not Amused By David Hogg's Pillow Venture” at Jezebel.
Internationalities:
Read “Haitian Gov’t Claims It Halted a Coup Amid Dispute over Jovenel Moïse’s Presidency, Ongoing Protests” at Democracy Now.
Read “Saudi Activist Who Led Campaign To Legalize Driving For Women Is Released From Jail” at NPR.
Politics And Sucheries:
Read “American Democracy Isn't Doing So Hot” at Vice. “Almost half of Americans say U.S. democracy isn't functioning very well.”
Read “GOP Sen. Richard Shelby announces he won't seek re-election in 2022” at NBC News. “Shelby, 86, is now the fourth Republican senator to announce plans to retire at the end of the current Congress.”
Read ‘House Oversight chair demands Parler financing information” at The Hill.
Read “Biden DOJ to continue to seek Assange extradition” at The Hill.
Read “The Predator in the Lincoln Project. “Weaver used his power to get jobs for young men he allegedly harassed. His colleagues were warned” at New York Magazine.
This Week In Political Corruption:
Read “Trickle down Trumpism: How Pennsylvania's Republican Party radicalized against democracy” at Salon.
Read “Georgia Prosecutors Open Criminal Investigation of Trump Phone Call” at New York Times.
Read “Trump’s political operation paid more than $3.5 million to Jan. 6 organizers” at Open Secrets.
Read ‘One Of Trump’s Impeachment Lawyers Once Sued Him Over Baseless Ballot ‘Fraud’ Claims” at Huff Post.
Read “Trump's attack on Gov. Doug Ducey, Maricopa County election protest cited in impeachment trial” at AZ Central.
Read “As riot raged at Capitol, Trump tried to call senators to overturn election” at CNN.
Read ‘A Million-Dollar Pardon Offer at the Trump Hotel” at Atlantic. “Corey Lewandowski allegedly wanted a hefty fee in exchange for helping a government whistleblower win a pardon from the former president.”
Music-Related News and Such:
Read ‘Inside Sun Ra’s 1971 trip to Egypt” at Vinyl Factory.
Read “KISS’ Gene Simmons says young fans are “culprits” for the death of rock: “You killed the thing that you love” at NME. “He also blamed streaming and digital downloads.”
Read “Robbie Robertson on Reworking the Band’s ‘Stage Fright’: ‘This Is What It’s Supposed to Be’” at Rolling Stone.
Read “Wolf Alice Singer Ellie Rowsell Says Marilyn Manson Filmed Up Her Skirt” at Consequence of Sound.
Read “Marilyn Manson’s streaming figures for his back catalogue rise despite abuse allegations” at NME.
Read “Corey Feldman Has Accused His Former Band Members Of Being Satanists Working With Marilyn Manson Since 2018” at Celebrity Insider.
Read “Marilyn Manson Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Minors In Florida, Calls For An FBI Investigation Under Way” at Celebrity Insider.
Read “Danielson’s Daniel Smith Wrote These Fake Christian Hair Metal Songs For The New Movie Electric Jesus” at Stereogum.
Read “Goodbye, Dolly” at The Baffler. “Mythmaking in Dolly Parton’s America.”
Read “Kill Rock Stars Is Turning 30. No One Is More Surprised Than Founder Slim Moon” at Williamette Week.
Read “Celebrities Join Push To ‘Free’ Britney Spears After New Documentary Airs” at Huff Post.
Read “Court blocks Britney Spears' dad from re-taking full control of her estate” at AV Club.
Read “Morgan Wallen's record sales skyrocket after racial slur controversy” at CNN.
Read “Jason Isbell Donating Royalties From Morgan Wallen’s Version of “Cover Me Up” to the NAACP” at Pitchfork.
Read Morgan Wallen: Country star says fans shouldn't defend his use of racist language” at ABC News.
Listen to “JPR Live Session: H.C. McEntire” at Jefferson Public Radio.
Read “Breaking Down Bruce Springsteen’s Uncharacteristic Super Bowl Commercial” at Pitchfork. “The rock icon’s first-ever ad appearance is filled with the sorts of platitudes he has transcended in the past.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: Let’s not forget the Christian Nationalism imagery.)
Read “Bruce Springsteen faces drunken driving charge in New Jersey” at 12 News.
Read “Bruce Springsteen’s Jeep Ad Pulled From YouTube After Report of DWI Arrest” at Pitchfork.
Read “Bruce Springsteen busted for DWI after one shot of tequila” at New York Post.
Browse Rolling Stone’s picks for “Black Women Who Shaped Rock & Roll".
Read “Did Van Halen Have a Fourth Singer? Mitch Malloy Tells His Story” at Rolling Stone. “Mitch Malloy tells all about his (very brief) time with Van Halen, after Sammy Hagar and before Gary Cherone.”
Read “The Prodigy to Receive Full-Length Documentary Treatment” at Spin.
Read “Shaun Ryder says his home is still being invaded by aliens” at NME. “It comes after the Black Grape frontman previously claimed to have been visited by a "spider" spaceship.”
Read “Saint Disruption: John Medeski & Jeff Firewalker Schmitt Travel From the Jungle to the Street” at American Songwriter.
Read “Mark Cuban Wants A Piece Of The Growing Audio Business.” at Inside Radio.
Read “Phoebe Bridgers Reflects on ‘Kyoto’ and its impact: “Forgiveness Is A Gift To Yourself” at MTV.
Read “Phoebe Bridgers Calls SNL Guitar-Smashing ‘a Bucket List Thing’ as Boomers Continue to Fume” at Spin.
Read “Man builds guitar out of his dead uncle’s skeleton, uses it to play black metal” at Guitar World.
Read “Someone collected 1.5 hours of Slayer’s ’80s stage banter” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Reaches Diamond Status” at Consequence of Sound. “23 years after its release, the iconic LP has has surpassed 10,000,000 units sold.”
Movies/TV/Video Games/Etc.:
Browse The Guardian’s picks for “52 perfect comfort films – to watch again and again.”
Read “Why Fox News canceled Lou Dobbs” at MSN. “Fox News' official reason for canceling Lou Dobbs' show -- a post-election programing adjustment -- doesn't quite add up.”
Read “'Buffy' star Charisma Carpenter accuses Joss Whedon of abusive behavior” at The Hill.
Read “Sarah Michelle Gellar, More ‘Buffy’ Actors Respond to Joss Whedon Allegations: ‘I Stand With All Survivors of Abuse’ at Variety.
Read ‘Netflix's Cecil Hotel Doc Attempts to Find Out What Happened to Elisa Lam” at Vice. “Infamous CCTV footage of her behaving bizarrely caught the attention of online sleuths who thought it was proof of paranormal activity. The reality is much more grim.”
Read “You Literally Can't Believe The Facts Tucker Carlson Tells You. So Say Fox's Lawyers” at NPR.
Read “Lucasfilm Calls Gina Carano Social Media Posts “Abhorrent”; Actress No Longer Employed By ‘Mandalorian’ Studio” at Deadline.
Read “Tucker Carlson claims George Floyd died of a drug overdose — and links it to Trump's impeachment” at Salon.
Books/Reading/Authors
Design/Artsy Things:
Science/Animals/Nature/Environment/Etc.:
Read “The world's first 3D printed lab-grown rib-eye steak is unveiled” at The Hill. ““It incorporates muscle and fat similar to its slaughtered counterpart,” Aleph Farms said.”
Read “Hallucinatory 'voices' shaped by local culture, Stanford anthropologist says” at Stanford News. “Stanford anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann found that voice-hearing experiences of people with serious psychotic disorders are shaped by local culture – in the United States, the voices are harsh and threatening; in Africa and India, they are more benign and playful. This may have clinical implications for how to treat people with schizophrenia, she suggests.”
Food Cultures:
Misc. Oddities:
Local:
Read “Inside the case: Watch testimony behind the Phoenix protest gang charges” at ABC 15.
Read “Arizona Republicans Threaten to Arrest GOP Officials If They Don't Turn Over Ballots for Another Recount” at Second Nexus.
Read “Arizona legislators to hear first in series of 'anti-protest' bills Wednesday” at 12 News.
Read “Arizona Senate OKs asking voters to curb governor's emergency powers” at Tucson.com.
