The Weekly Town Crier (10/16/20)
All the week’s news that’s fit to cry about (10/16/20).
We’ll Miss You:
Read “Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan dies at 77” at ESPN.
Religion and Stuff:
Read “5 Ways Your Predominantly White Church Can Work for Racial Justice and Reconciliation” at Missio Alliance.
Read “I was in the pro-life movement. But then, widowed with 6 kids, I prepared for an abortion” at USA Today. “The pro-life movement's caricatures make for good propaganda but terrible policy. People, real people, become pregnant.”
Read “One Jehovah’s Witness acquitted in Russia as others get months of restrictions” at Religion News Service.
Read “God intended it as a disposable planet’: meet the US pastor preaching climate change denial” at The Conversation. “Every so often you come across a piece of writing so extraordinary that you cannot help but share it. One such piece is a sermon on global warming by American pastor John MacArthur. Full of beautifully constructed rhetorical flourishes, it is forcefully delivered by an experienced and impassioned preacher to a large and appreciative audience.”
Read “Jesus Christ, Superspreader?” at Rolling Stone. “Preacher-musician Sean Feucht stages Nashville concert, ignoring Covid-19 precautions.”
Read “Vatican takes step toward making teen youngest contemporary person declared a saint” at The Hill.
Read “How will the post-pandemic church pay the bills?” at Religion News Service.
Read “The Fundamentalist War on Wokeness is a War on Christian Love” at Patheos.
Read “CRT: conservative evangelicalism’s latest Marxist chimaera” at Faith, Philosophy, and Politics.
Read “Investigation into Allegations Against Chris Rice” at Tates Creek Presbyterian Church.
Read “Trump refuses to disavow QAnon conspiracy theory” at Financial Times.
Legal/Justice and Social Justice and Race or Gender or Sexism-Related Stuff:
Read “Militia group plan to kidnap Whitmer was part of attempt to start civil war” at The Hill.
Read “13 charged by state, feds in plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer” at WXYZ.
Read “Graham says SC people of color can go anywhere in the state but 'need to be conservative, not liberal' at The Hill. “I care about everybody, if you’re a young African American or an immigrant, you can go anywhere in this country,” Graham said. “You just need to be conservative, not liberal.”
Read “In this LA neighborhood, residents unite to bless one of its most sacred murals” at Religion News Service. “On a recent Sunday afternoon, more than 100 people gathered at a northeast Los Angeles intersection to honor what some refer to as the neighborhood’s most sacred mural.”
Read “We have a story to tell: Indigenous scholars, activists speak up amid toppling of Serra statues” at Religion News Service.
Read “The All-American Mind of a Militia Member” at The New Republic. “I’ve spent years with men like the ones charged in a Michigan plot to kidnap the governor. They aren’t outsiders—they’re intimate products of American democracy.”
Read “Early voting begins in Georgia with long lines, high turnout” at NBC News. “Race is one of the strongest predictors of how long a person waits in line to vote, research shows.”
Listen to “No Compromise” at NPR. “Discover a social media empire with an unapologetic vision of gun rights—generating millions of likes, follows, and dollars. From Guns & America, reporters Lisa Hagen of WABE and Chris Haxel of KCUR expose how three brothers from the most uncompromising corner of the gun debate are turning hot-button issues into donations and controversy.”
Read “Mexico says 2 women may have had nonconsensual surgery in ICE detention” at NBC News. “Mexico said it has identified two women who may have been operated on without their consent while they were detained by U.S. immigration authorities.”
Read “Giffords launches national Gun Owners for Safety group to combat the NRA” at The Hill.
Read “I’m a Teenage Biathlete Who Grew Up Shooting. Here’s Why I Support Gun Safety Laws.” at Giffords.Org.
This week in traitorous, white-supremacist Confederate monuments (and/or Columbus monuments // and/or other “American monuments” // and/or weird Confederacy stuff):
Read “SBTS trustees retain building names, address history, establish $5 million scholarship for African American students” at SBTS.
Read “Al Mohler Needs to Say Their Names” at Word and Way.
This Week With The Police:
Read “11-Year Old Boy Busted For Jacking School Bus . . . Went on JoyRide, Cops Say” at TMZ.
Your Weekly Coronavirus Roundup:
Read “Despite a Strong COVID-19 Rebound, China Isn't Going Back to Normal Anytime Soon” at Time.
Read “Harris Says Covid Aid Should Be Senate Priority” at Bloomberg.
Read “Maynard James Keenan Had COVID-19” at Spin. "It was ugly," Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer frontman says.
Read ‘Chris Christie has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for a week. That’s not unusual for this disease, doctors say” at NJ.com.
Read “Fox News Doctor To Examine Trump, And Twitter Users Jokingly ‘Leak’ Footage” at Huff Post. “Trump’s televised medical exam will be as honest and transparent as Trump’s taxes,” one Twitter user promised.”
Read “As a pandemic presses on, waves of grief follow its path” at Associated Press. “In a strong voice tinged with her Irish homeland, Fiona Prine talks hauntingly about loss. From her COVID-19 infection and isolation — self-imposed in hopes of sparing her husband, folk-country legend John Prine — to his own devastating illness and death, she’s had more than her share in this year like no other.”
Read “Is There a Safe Way to Be Home for the Holidays?” at The Atlantic. “Throughout the pandemic, Americans have been tempted to violate public-health experts’ recommendations. The winter holidays might be the strongest temptation yet.”
Read “A Redding Megachurch Leader Came to Humboldt and Flouted Mask Rules. Her Ministry is Now the Source of a Major COVID Outbreak.” at Lost Coast Outpost.
Read “CDC optimistic coronavirus vaccines will be released by end of the year” at CNN.
Read “Alabama Coach Nick Saban Tests Positive for Covid-19 as Virus Disrupts SEC” at Wall Street Journal.
Read “Putin Announces Approval Of A Second Unproven Coronavirus Vaccine” at NPR.
Read “Oxford researchers develop rapid COVID-19 test capable of producing results in under five minutes” at The Hill.
Read “Jetliner Cabins Are Quickly Cleared of Virus, Pentagon Says” at Bloomberg.
Read “OSHA Doesn’t Expect Employers To Report COVID-19 Hospitalizations Anymore” at Huff Post.
Miscellany Cultural Items:
Read “California Will Keep Burning. But Housing Policy Is Making It Worse.” at Pro Publica.
Read “How Airbnb Pulled Back From the Brink” at Wall Street Journal. “Lessons from the home-sharing giant’s near-death experience: Focus on the core business, keep expenses low and listen to customers.”
Read “Facebook removes hundreds of fake profiles tied to pro-Trump group” at The Guardian.
Read “Removing Holocaust Denial Content” at Facebook.
Read “An Ethical Computer-Repair Shop Wouldn’t Do That to Hunter Biden” at Slate. “The New York Post’s controversial “scoop” involves some shady behavior by a laptop repairman.’
Read “NBC Actors, Producers Protest Network’s Decision to Host Trump Town Hall at Same Time as Biden’s ABC Event” at Wall Street Journal.
Read “Twitter Changes Course After Republicans Claim ‘Election Interference’” at New York Times.
Internationalities:
Read “Vietnam flood death toll rises as storm Nangka dumps more rain” at Al Jazeera.
Politics And Sucheries:
Read “Biden Campaign Continues To Deflect On Court-Packing” at NPR.
Read “Biden Affirms: “I Will Eliminate Your Student Debt” at Forbes.
Read “Why the Affordable Care Act Is Such a Hot Topic” at Wall Street Journal.
Read “'Courts Are Not Designed To Solve Every Problem,' Barrett To Say In Opening Statement” at NPR.
Read “Marjorie Taylor Greene spars with GOP lawmaker over QAnon, antifa” at The Hill.
Read “The battle over a Texas order limiting ballot drop-off locations, explained” at Vox.
Read “Texas surpassed 1 million votes on first day of early voting” at Houston Chronicle.
Read “Ice Cube Clarifies Role in Helping Trump Admin Develop ‘Platinum Plan’” at Rolling Stone.
Read “Senate committee sets Oct 22 confirmation vote” at Al Jazeera.
This Week In Political Corruption:
Read “Williamson nurse charged after shooting woman in abdomen” at WCHSTV.
Read “White House Refuses to Say if Trump Still Contagious Before First Event Since Diagnosis” at Slate.
Read “Trump Told Supporters to ‘Watch’ Voting. His Staff Is More Than Watching" at New York Times.
Read “Mike Pompeo: Clinton emails could be released before election” at New York Post.
Read “California elections officials order GOP to immediately remove unofficial ballot boxes” at Los Angeles Times.
Read “Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end census count” at Politico. “A federal judge had ordered the Census Bureau to continue enumeration until Oct. 31.”
Read “As Virus Spread, Reports of Trump Administration’s Private Briefings Fueled Sell-Off” at New York Times. “On Feb. 24, Trump's economic team privately addressed the Hoover Institution and implied that a COVID outbreak could prove worse than advisers were signaling to the public. Aides appeared to be giving wealthy party donors an early warning.”
Music-Related News and Such:
Read “Juice WRLD’s Mother Pens Open Letter About Son’s Struggles for World Mental Health Day” at Rolling Stone.
Read “The Haunting of Slint’s “Good Morning, Captain” at Treble.
Read “Anatomy of a Sound: Garcia Peoples” at Inside Hook. “These are the songs fueling one of the best new jam bands around.”
Read “The Best Tenor Player In the World; Pharaoh Sanders at 80” at Los Angeles Times. “Just let the music come, and spend as much time as you can listening.”
Read “Crass Walks Us Through Their Entire Bandcamp Discography” at Bandcamp.
Watch “Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires Cover John Prine’s ‘Storm Windows’” at Rolling Stone.
See “‘In My Room’ With Thurston Moore” at Rolling Stone. “Musician performs mostly instrumental versions of songs off his latest solo effort, By the Fire.”
Read “Jeff Tweedy Wants To Teach You How To Write One Song” at Uproxx.
Read “The Mountain Goats Post New Song Picture Of My Dress” at StereoBoard.
Browse “From Brian Eno to Sufjan Stevens: A playlist of chill out music to keep you calm” at Far Out Magazine.
Read “The Flaming Lips: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” at NPR.
Watch “Bill Callahan & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy cover Hank Williams Jr w/ Matt Sweeney” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “The Age Of Adz Turns 10” at Stereogum.
Read “On Leaders And Leadership - A Conversation With Chuck D” at The Quietus.
Read “Jerry David DeCicca — The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures (This Is a Self-Release)” at Dusted.
Read “How to Handle the Hate in America’s Musical Heritage” at New York Times.
Read “David Crosby apologizes for “not cool” Eddie Van Halen tweet” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “Sturgill Simpson to Release First Bluegrass Album ‘Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1′” at Rolling Stone.
Read “Jimmy Page says he “reconnected with guitar” during lockdown” at Guitar World.
Read “Texas Punk Rock, Straight From the Pit” at New York Times.
Read “Yo La Tengo :: We Have Amnesia Sometimes/Sleepless Night” at Aquarium Drunkard.
Read “An Oral History Of Tom Petty’s Landmark 1994 Album, ‘Wildflowers’” at Uproxx.
Read “Remembering the Original Knitting Factory” at JazzTimes. “Owners and musicians tell the story of the New York jazz club that defined "downtown".
Read “Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill Musical Leads Tony Awards with 15 Nominations” at Consequence of Sound.
Movies/TV/Video Games/Etc.:
Read “HBO to Develop Scripted Series About Elon Musk’s SpaceX” at Variety.
Read “C-SPAN's Steve Scully suspended after admitting to lying about Twitter hack” at The Hill.
Books/Reading/Authors
Read “Five Indigenous SFF Authors You Should Be Reading” at TOR.com.
Browse “Honoring Indigenous Peoples: 20 Recommended Reads” at New York Public Library.
Browse “10 Native North American Women Writers To Read This Fall” at Book Riot.
Read “Bookworms, How Many Of These Classic Books By Indian Authors Have You Read?” at BuzzFeed.
Read “Alan Moore Gives Rare Interview: ‘Watchmen’ Creator Talks New Project ‘The Show’, How Superhero Movies Have “Blighted Culture” & Why He Wants Nothing To Do With Comics” at Deadline.
Browse “5 books not to miss: 'Culture Warlords' by Talia Lavin, P. Djèlí Clark's 'Ring Shout'“ at USA Today.
Read “Every page makes you hungry': 20 chefs pick their favourite starter cookbooks” at The Guardian.
Local:
Read “Interim Tempe Police Chief Glover to be sworn in at city council meeting” at KTAR.
