The Weekly Town Crier (08/21/20)
All the week’s news that’s fit to cry about (08/21/20).
We’ll Miss You:
Read “R.I.P. Todd Nance, Founding Drummer of Widespread Panic” at Relix.
Religion and Stuff:
Read “Why Jerry Falwell Jr.'s social media 'yacht' posts were problematic for Liberty University” at Religion News Service. “Religion News Service verified that Jerry Falwell has liked a handful of images posted on Instagram showing young women—some who are Liberty students—in swimsuits and scantily clad outfits.”
Read “Liberty Alumni Pastors Urge University Board to 'Permanently Remove' Jerry Falwell Jr. as President” at CBN News. “"The students of Liberty University need a chancellor and president that embraces the responsibility to live out their faith with integrity and passion both publicly and privately.”
See Jerry Falwell Jr.’s workout routine to deal with all the stress he’s under.
Read “How Megachurches Spent Coronavirus Relief Funds” at Christianity Today. “Religious groups got $7.3B in forgivable loans. That financial security helped ministry teams focus.”
Read “The California Court of Appeal today set aside a lower court order that would have allowed indoor services to take place at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley” at Yubanet.
Read “Joe Biden Campaigns on Faith” at Christianity Today. ““He may not be the conservative Catholic that a lot of evangelicals would like him to be, but when he talks about his faith, it rings true,” said Richard Mouw, former president of Fuller Seminary.”
Read “Joe Biden’s Catholic politics are complicated—but deeply American” at America Magazine.
Read “By embracing faith, Joe Biden and the Democrats have the potential to transform American politics” at Religion News Service.
Read “QAnon: The alternative religion that’s coming to your church” at Religion News Service.
Read “It’s Not Enough to Broadcast a Service. Churches Need to Foster Community” at Christianity Today.
Read “Is the White Church Inherently Racist?” at New York Times. “White Christianity has not merely been a passive bystander in the construction of this nation’s racial caste system, it has been the primary cultural and religious institution creating, promoting and preserving it.”
Read “A New Face for Canadian Social Conservatism” at Christianity Today.
Read “Compassion begins in the eyes” at Christian Century.
Read “Americans want churches open but aren’t attending when they are open” at Baptist News.
Read “Evangelicals Call for Police and Criminal Justice Reform” at Christianity Today.
Legal/Justice and Social Justice and Race or Gender or Sexism-Related Stuff:
Read “President Donald Trump calls NBA players 'very nasty' and 'very dumb' for kneeling during anthem” at AZ Central.
Read “Facebook goes after Apple” at Axios. “Facebook is seeking to force a face-off with Apple over its 30% in-app purchase commission fee, which Facebook suggests hurts small businesses struggling to get by during the pandemic.”
Read “8 Years After Proving Racism Affected His Trial, North Carolina Inmate Taken Off Death Row” at Time.
Read “What we know about the killing of 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant” at Washington Post.
Read “Federal Appeals Court Throws Out California Ban On Large-Capacity Gun Magazines” at NPR.
Read “Portland Is Still Protesting. Where Is the Church?” at Christianity Today. “Christian leaders weigh when and how to engage in the city’s mounting clash over racial justice.”
Read “Dolly Parton Talks Black Lives Matter, Says 'Do We Think Our Little White Asses Are the Only Ones That Matter?' at The Root.
Read “Greece secretly sent away more than 1,000 migrants, abandoning them on the open sea” at Business Insider.
Read “President Trump's suburbs” at Axios. “President Trump cast an outdated vision of "the 'suburban housewife'" as he swiped this week at Joe Biden's newly minted running mate Kamala Harris — building on his months-long play to drive a wedge through battleground-state suburbs by reframing white voters' expectations.”
Read “Who Wrote The Pledge Of Allegiance — And Why Its History Is Controversial” at All That’s Interesting.
Read “Antifa crackdown is the new red scare” at The Real News.
Read “Jordan: Escalating Repression of Journalists” at Human Rights Watch.
Read “Russian opposition figure Navalny in coma after poisoning” at Politico.
This Week In Protest-Related News:
Read “Far-right groups clash with anti-racism protesters in U.S. cities” at Axios.”Far-right and anti-racism groups have clashed in several U.S. cities — including in Portland, where Black Lives Matter protesters were targeted with paintball from a paintball gun as they marked their 80th straight day of protests, per local media.”
Read “Proud Boys, antifa clash in downtown Kalamazoo” at The Detroit News.
Read “Maker of tear gas used on Washington, D.C., protesters will exit business” at CBS News.
This Week With The Police:
Read “FL Sheriff Who Threatened to Hunt Down Godless BLM Looters Faces Felony Charges” at Patheos.
Read “Millions in lawsuit settlements are another hidden cost of police misconduct, legal experts say” at ABC News.
Read ‘Cops Who Shot and Killed a Queer Black Man Won’t Be Charged’ at New, Now, Next. “Kawaski Trawick accidentally got locked out of his apartment while cooking and called 911 because he thought he may have accidentally started a fire. Fire Dept arrived & let him in. Police arrived & killed him in his doorway. They will not be charged.”
Read “The Infuriating History of Why Police Unions Have So Much Power” at Mother Jones.
Read “Campus cop whines after she’s fired for putting ‘KKK member’ in her Twitter bio: ‘Not one person had my back’ at Raw Story.
Education and The Learnings/School Re-Openings:
Read “Less Than A Week After Starting Classes, UNC-Chapel Hill Reports 4 COVID-19 Clusters” at NPR.
Read “UNC reverses plans for in-person classes after 130 students test positive for Covid-19” at CNN.
Your Weekly Coronavirus Roundup:
Read ‘CDC director says U.S. could have "worst fall" ever if public health measures are not followed” at CBS News.
Read “One in three Americans say they won't get coronavirus vaccine” at The Hill.
Read “The cardiac threat coronavirus poses to athletes” at Axios. “Cardiologists are increasingly concerned that coronavirus infections could cause heart complications that lead to sudden cardiac death in athletes.”
Read “Trump eyes new unproven coronavirus "cure" at Axios. “A senior official told Axios, "The involvement of the Secretary of HUD and http://MyPillow.com in pushing a dubious product at the highest levels should give Americans no comfort at night about their health and safety during a raging pandemic."
Read “Sweden’s disease expert says just wearing face masks could be ‘very dangerous’” at New York Post. In case you, like me, do not like this headline, the full context is that he argues: “it’s “very dangerous” if people believe the coverings alone will stop the spread of the coronavirus.”
Miscellany Cultural Items:
Read “American Passports Are Useless Now” at The Atlantic.
Read “Cultural Marxism” at Hedgehog Review (from 2018).
Read “Facebook begins merging WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger infrastructures” at Axios.
Read “Japan’s Been Proudly Pacifist for 75 Years. A Missile Proposal Challenges That.” at New York Times.
Read “The Company Behind Fortnite Is Waging a Righteous War Against Apple” at Slate.
Read “Snapchat adds in-app voter registration targeted at young people” at Axios.
Read “750 million genetically engineered mosquitoes approved for release in Florida Keys” at CNN.
Read “Uber and Lyft get reprieve from court, won't shut down in California for now” at CNN.
Politics And Sucheries:
Read “Biden hits Trump for vow to block USPS funding: "He doesn't want an election"“ at Axios.
Read “Biden on track to beat Trump with Harris, as Dems eye the "next AOC" at MSNBC. “As Biden continues to beat Trump in the polls, Sen. Kamala Harris sparks a record-breaking $48 million in donations for Biden.”
Read “Could Kamala Harris’s Presence on the Ticket Help Usher in a Third Reconstruction?” at The Nation.
Read “Iran foreign minister accuses Western countries of using Beirut blast to dictate policies” at PBS News Hour.
Read “Poll: Biden Expands Lead; A Third Of Country Says It Won't Get Vaccinated” at NPR.
Read “Poll: 58% of Biden voters say vote is more "against" Trump than "for" Biden” at Axios.
Read “Trump tightens screws on ByteDance to sell Tiktok” at Axios.
Read “Trump administration looks to ease showerhead water flow rules” at PBS News Hours.
Read “Rep. Ilhan Omar Wins Congressional Primary” at NPR.
Read “Trump campaign to flood the web with ads during Democratic convention” at Axios.
Read “Mike Pompeo signs deal to send U.S. troops from Germany to Poland” at Axios.
Read “Trump says ‘No one will be safe in Biden’s America’ at NYPD event” at PBS News Hour.
Read “House Republicans Get Cranked Up” at Slate. “QAnon is headed for Capitol Hill.”
Read “Biden Faces A Convention Test, To Offer A Vision Beyond Beating Trump” at NPR.
Read “Puerto Rico governor loses primary” at Axios.
Read “O'Brien on deterring Russian meddling: "There’s almost nothing left to sanction" at Axios.
Read “Here are five questions to ask when analyzing political polls” at NBC News. “Not all political polls are created equally so here are five key questions to ask when reading them.”
Read “The ‘Rage Moms’ Democrats Are Counting On” at New York Times.
Read “Trump announces he'll posthumously pardon Susan B. Anthony, convicted of voting illegally as a woman in 1872” at ABC News.
Read “The Senate Intelligence Committee’s new Russia report, explained” at Vox.
Read “Bernie Sanders Becomes The “Party Unifier” at News and Guts.
Read “Effort appears to be underway to qualify Kanye West for the presidential ballot in Arizona” at AZ Central.
This Week In Political Corruption:
Read ‘U.S. Postal Service Confirms It Has Removed Mailboxes in Portland and Eugene” at Willamette Week.
Read “USPS removes mail collection boxes and reduces post office hours as critics accuse Trump administration of voter suppression” at CNN.
Read “Obama: Americans could be "collateral damage" in Trump's war on mail-in voting” at Axios.
Read “"He needs to cheat to win": Dems condemn Trump's USPS attacks” at Axios.
Read “Postal service inspector general reviewing DeJoy's policy changes and potential ethics conflicts” at CNN.
Read “Postal workers' union endorses Biden” at Axios.
Read “Mail sorting machines across the country being removed, multiple reports say” at 12 News.
Read “New Postmaster Hasn't Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns” at NPR.
Read “Postal Service Warns States – No Guarantee Ballots Will Arrive In Time To Be Counted” at News and Guts.
Read “Trump says postmaster general wants to make USPS "great again” at Axios.
Read “Phoenix Mayor Gallego stresses importance for Postal Service funding” at KTAR. “Absentee ballots have been an important part of voting in Arizona. We were one of the first states where anyone could vote by mail without an excuse."
Read “Katie Hobbs asks Arizona AG to investigate Trump administration over USPS” at 12 News. “The timing of the changes prior to a major election where most will be mail-in voting is conspicuous, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said.”
Read “Romney rebukes Trump on mail-in voting” at Axios. “Sen. Mitt Romney said on Friday that he's unaware of "any evidence that voting by mail would increase voter fraud," countering repeated claims from President Trump that mail-in voting will lead to rampant fraud.”
Read “President Trump requests mail-in ballot for upcoming Florida primary, despite rhetoric” at News and Guts.
Read “Pelosi Calls House Back From August Recess To Act On “Postal Sabotage” at News and Guts.
Read “Postmaster general to testify before Senate committee on Friday” at Axios.
Read “USPS to Suspend Changes Until After Election” at Wall Street Journal. “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says agency won’t remove equipment or cut hours amid congressional scrutiny ahead of an expected surge in mail-in voting.”
Read “Senate committee sought investigation of Bannon, raised concerns about Trump family testimony” at PBS News Hour.
Read “Trump And His Campaign Amplify Untrue 'Birther' Conspiracy Against Kamala Harris” at NPR.
Read “AP Fact Check: Harris meets constitutional requirements” at Associated Press.
Read “One Tough Question For DOJ If Biden Is Elected: Whether To Prosecute Trump” at NPR.
Read “Feds Ignored Warnings of Border Wall Construction Impacts, Emails Show” at Phoenix New Times.
Read “Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon arrested on fraud charges in border wall fundraising scheme”
Music-Related News and Such:
Read “Elvis Costello Announces New Album Hello Clockface, Shares Latest Single” at Spin.
Read “Billie Eilish to Perform at 2020 Democratic National Convention” at Pitchfork. “The Chicks, Maggie Rogers, John Legend, Leon Bridges, and others are also set for the virtual DNC.”
Read “Kathleen Edwards Left Behind Roots-Music Stardom to Sell Coffee. Now She’s Back” at Rolling Stone.
Read “Two Men Charged with Murder of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay” at Consequence of Sound. “Indictments come 18 years following the death of the iconic DJ.”
Read “A History of North American Death Metal in 30 Albums” at Treble.
Read “Student gets a D in art, picks up report card in amazing homemade GWAR costume” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “Sun Kil Moon’s UK tour cancelled following allegations against Mark Kozelek” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “Mark Kozelek: “I reject the false allegations and innuendo in the recent press” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Watch “Fiona Apple Narrates Video About ICE Arrests” at Pitchfork.
Read “Bruce Springsteen, Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams Set for Massive Joe Strummer Tribute Livestream” at Consequence of Sound. “Josh Homme, Beto O'Rourke, Jim Jarmusch, and Steve Buscemi are also expected to appear.”
Read “How the U.S. Postal Service Gave Us John Prine” at Rolling Stone. “Delivering the mail provided a steady job at a crucial time for one of America’s greatest songwriters.”
Read “Mariah Carey Announces Rarities Album, New Song Out This Week” at Pitchfork.
Read “Non-verbal teenager Tyler Hartfield writes music inspired by Nick Cave” at ABC.
Read “Tom Petty Estate Announces ‘Wildflowers & All The Rest’ Collection, Shares Video for “Wildflowers (Home Recording)” at Relix.
Movies/TV/Etc.:
Read “George Orwell's Animal Farm Is Becoming a Videogame” at Paste.
Read “The Ellen DeGeneres Show Fires 3 Producers Amid "Toxic" Work Environment Allegations” at Yahoo.
Books/Reading/Authors
Read “How ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ Saved My Life” at The Millions.
Science/Animals/Technology/Environment/Etc.:
Read “Interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua could still be alien technology, new study hints” at Live Science.
Read “Pentagon unveils Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force” at Axios.
Food Cultures:
Read “How Former Samurai and Farmers Cultivated the First Japanese Apples” at Gastro Obscura.
Read “Krispy Kreme to open NYC flagship location next month with world’s largest 'Hot Light' after COVID-19 delay” at USA Today.