The Weekly Town Crier (09/04/20)
All the week’s news that’s fit to cry about (09/04/20).
We’ll Miss You:
Read “'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman has died” at CNN.
Read “Trail Blazers on the Passing of Blazers Great, Cliff Robinson” at NBA.com.
Read “Itaru Oki 1941–2020” at The Wire. “The Japanese free jazz trumpeter and instrument builder died on 25 August.”
Read “Original Freedom Rider, Bill Harbour, passes away at age 78” at CBS42.
Read “Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame pitcher, dies at 75” at CNN.
Religion and Stuff:
Read “Former pool attendant details alleged relationship with Becki and Jerry Falwell Jr.” at ABC News. “The Falwells told him during that first encounter that they had visited a Miami swingers' club the previous night...”
Read “What Jerry Falwell Jr. Taught Me at Liberty University” at New York Times. "At Liberty, our minds may have been receiving correct content, but our hearts were being trained to love wrongly: to love political power, physical security and economic prosperity as higher goods than they are.”
Read “Trailer Park Boys Video Reveals Raunchy Falwell Family Culture With Many Ties to Liberty U” at Roys Report.
Read “Liberty trustees failed Falwell, too” at Alabama.com. ““You know who else was due some love and protection? The faithful and sincere members of the Liberty faculty who had to walk into the classroom each day and face students who were confused and angered by the brazen hypocrisy going on all around them.”
Read “Liberty University launches investigation into Jerry Falwell Jr.’s tenure as president” at WFXRTV.
Read “Larry Flynt: My Final Farewell to the Falwells” at Daily Beast. “The Hustler publisher, who won a landmark First Amendment legal battle against Jerry Falwell Sr., writes about Jerry Falwell Jr.’s fall from grace—and the Trump of it all.”
Read “As Billy Graham's granddaughter and a proud evangelical, I worry for our country under Trump” at Independent. “Where is the fight for the marginalized communities Jesus exemplified? The church has been quicker to condemn an NFL player peacefully protesting than they are the racism that brought the protestor to his knees in the first place.”
Read “One-third of evangelicals believe Jesus was a “good teacher," but "not God”” at Disrn.
Read “Christian Dandy Throws A Punch” in which Rod Dreher defends Eric Metaxas for punching someone: “You just get so sick of these people and their filthy mouths, and their berserk screaming at people. ... Sometimes you have to use violence to preserve order.”
Read “Rod Dreher: “I don’t care that Eric threw a punch at that guy. He had it coming.” at The Way of Improvement.
Read “Eric Metaxas says a protester on a bike menaced him, ducks questions about punch” at Religion News Service.
Read “John MacArthur: There is No Pandemic” by Warren Throckmorton. "In truth, 6% of the deaths that have occured can be directly attributable to COVID, 94% cannot. Of the 160,000 people who have died, 9,210 actually died from COVID. There is no pandemic."
Read “Los Angeles County Evicts Grace Community Church From Parking Lot” at Todd Starnes. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is not persecution.
Read “John MacArthur claimed there is 'no pandemic.' He was politicizing science, experts say” at Religion News Service.
Read “What ‘Black Panther’ Means for Christians” at Christianity Today.
Read “On the Front Lines, Some Pro-Life Activists Think Twice About Supporting Trump” at Christianity Today. “A pro-life spokeswoman quit her job rather than endorse Donald Trump for another term in the White House.”
Read “More than 350 faith leaders endorse Biden, citing 'need of moral leadership'“ at The Hill.
Read “American Christianity’s White-Supremacy Problem” at The New Yorker. “History, theology, and culture all contribute to the racist attitudes embedded in the white church.”
Read ‘Can Christians Justify the Violence on America’s Streets?” at Christianity Today.
Legal/Justice and Social Justice and Race or Gender or Sexism-Related Stuff:
Read “Authorities find 123 missing children in just ONE day during a Michigan sex trafficking operation” at MSN.
Read “U.S. Marshals find 39 missing children in Georgia” at My Fox 8.
Read “U.S. Marshals rescue another 25 missing and sex-trafficked children” at DISRN.
Read “Banksy bought a refugee rescue boat and its crew is saving lives” at Boing Boing.
Read the opinion piece “RNC Spectacle Revealed Sheer Hypocrisy of Trump's Immigration Policy” at Newsweek.
Read “NBA to resume games after player protest, turn stadiums into voting sites” at Reuters.
Read “NBA Players Urge Activism but Only 20 Percent Are Registered to Vote” at Mediaite.
Read “Why You Should Think Twice Before Sharing Your ‘Blackout Tuesday’ Post on Instagram” at W Magazine.
Read “Billionaire T. Denny Sanford Was Under Investigation for Child Pornography” at Pro Publica. “The richest man in South Dakota, T. Denny Sanford, was investigated for possible possession of child pornography, according to four people familiar with the matter. Sanford is a major donor to children’s charities and Republican politicians.”
Read “Activist Shaun King Accused of Profiting off Chadwick Boseman's Death” at Newsweek.
Read “California bans flavored tobacco sales in response to a surge in teen use” at Yahoo.
Read “King James' Profanity Prayer” by David Dark at Paste.
Read “Why is the Border Patrol undermining humanitarian aid efforts at the southern border?” at Christian Century.
Read “Ron Jeremy Charged With 20 More Counts of Sexual Assault” at Rolling Stone.
Read “Trump's latest weird theory involves a 'plane loaded with thugs' at MSNBC. “People lurking "in the dark shadows" controlling American streets? A plane full of black-uniformed "thugs"? What on earth is Trump talking about?”
This week in traitorous, white-supremacist Confederate monuments (and/or Columbus monuments // and/or other “American monuments” // and/or weird Confederacy stuff):
Read ‘Mississippi to vote in November on new state flag featuring magnolia” at CNN.
This Week In Protest-Related News:
Read “Amazon protesters outside Jeff Bezos' home construct guillotine” at Fox Business.
Read “Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, faces first-degree intentional homicide, five other charges in Kenosha protest shootings” at AZ Central.
Read “ASU conservatives raising funds for Kenosha protest shooter Kyle Rittenhouse” at AZ Central.
Read “Vigilante? Militia? Confusion And Politics Shape How Shooting Suspect Is Labeled” at NPR.
Read “Militias, Armed Vigilantes Encouraged Online to Head to Kenosha Before Deadly Attack” at NBC Chicago.
Read “Christian fundraising site has raised over $220,000 for accused Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse” at Raw Story.
Read “Trump Defends Kenosha Shooting Suspect” at NPR.
Read “Kenosha Protests, Violence Expose Racial Disparities Among The Worst In The Country” at NPR.
Read “One Author's Argument 'In Defense Of Looting' at NPR.
Read “Rand Paul recounts confrontation with protesters after RNC” at Axios.
Read “1 killed in Portland amid clashes between Trump supporters and counterprotesters” at Axios.
Read “Wolf says "all options" on the table for ending violent protests in Portland” at Axios.
Read “Oregon State Police deploying to Portland after fatal shooting” at Axios.
Read “Oregon State Police troopers deputized by feds” at KATU.
Read “Athlete Activism Against Police Violence Reminds Ken Shropshire Of '85's 'Sun City' at WBUR.
Read “NBA playoffs to resume after agreement on social justice initiatives” at Axios.
Read “New Jersey teen behind Black Lives Matter rally receives bill for thousands of dollars for police overtime” at CBS News.
Read “Mark Meadows: "Most of Donald Trump's America is peaceful" at Axios.
Read “Kentucky AG says he has received ballistics report in Breonna Taylor probe” at Axios.
Read “Court Records Show Drug Suspect Offered Plea Deal to Name Breonna Taylor as Part of 'Organized Crime Syndicate' at The Root.
Read “Arrest of Tampa protesters under scrutiny; lawyer calls it a ‘joke charge’” at Tampa Bay Weekly.
Read “ACLU Demands Resignation of Top Cops in Kenosha for Racism & Brutal Response to Jacob Blake Protests” at Democracy Now!
Read “Trump Moves to Cut Federal Funding From Democratic Cities” at New York Times. “The president directed officials to identify “anarchist jurisdictions” and move to withhold funds as he tries to build his campaign around the unrest that has accompanied racial justice protests.”
This Week With The Police:
Read “Police reforms face defeat as California Democrats block George Floyd-inspired bills” at The Sacramento Bee.
Read “The FBI warned for years that police are cozy with the far right. Is no one listening?” at The Guardian.
Read “NYPD to adopt guidelines for disciplining officer misconduct” at PBS News Hour.
Read “Los Angeles sheriff’s office says Black bicyclist fatally shot by police had dropped a gun” at PBS News Hour.
Read “Whistleblower Testifies Deputy Who Shot Gardena Teen Was “Chasing Ink” at Spectrum1 News.
Read “Ex-Boston Police Union Pres. Charged With Raping 4 More Children” at NBC Boston.
Read “The Little Cards That Tell Police 'Let's Forget This Ever Happened' at Vice. “Some cops give their friends and family union-issued "courtesy cards" to help get them out of minor infractions. The cards embody everything wrong with modern policing.”
Education and The Learnings:
Read “Photo of children using Taco Bell's free WiFi to do schoolwork sheds light on digital divide” at KCTV5.
Read “Man, 21, busted for posing as 14-year-old and enrolling in high school” at Boing Boing.
Your Weekly Coronavirus Roundup:
Read “Sen. Thom Tillis says he “fell short” by not wearing mask at Trump's RNC speech” at Axios.
Read “Iowa was reporting false COVID-19 information for months, until this nurse blew the whistle” at The Gazette. “State epidimiologist knew about the problem since July.”
Read “Far right using coronavirus as excuse to attack Asians, say police” at The Guardian.
Read “Rise in coronavirus cases as 123 positive tests overnight in Scotland” at The Daily Record.
Read “The U.S. Can Fix Its COVID Testing Failures” at Slate. “We need more rapid results tests, and we need them now.”
Read “Can you be evicted during the pandemic? It depends on your ZIP code” at CNBC.
Read “White Man in Alaska Demonically Screams in the Face of Walmart Worker, 'You Have No Authority Over Me' at Raw Story.
Read “'Small events add up to a lot': Limited gatherings quietly emerge as source of coronavirus infections” at AZ Central.
Read “Northern California church accrues $25,000 in fees for violating public health orders” at Religion News Service. “"If I get COVID, God bless you," Rev. Jack Trieber, the church's pastor said. "It's going to be a great funeral."
Read “Herman Cain account tweets coronavirus 'not as deadly' as claimed after his death from COVID-19” at The Hill.
Read “Ducey's maskless photos came as Arizona has spent $3M on 'mask up' campaign” at Tucson.com.
Read “Uber to require that passengers provide face-mask selfies” at 12 News.
Read “The Trump Administration Is Backing Out of a $647 Million Ventilator Deal After ProPublica Investigated the Price” at Pro Publica.
Read “Making Gyms Safer: Why The Virus Is Less Likely To Spread There Than In A Bar” at NPR.
Read “CDC requests states ready COVID-19 vaccine distribution by November” at Axios.
Read “Three Phoenix-Area Bars Shut Down By State Officials Over COVID-19 Violations” at Phoenix New Times.
Read “Surly Brewing Co. to close its destination beer hall in Minneapolis” at Star Tribune. ““This space is built for a lot of people, for socializing and getting together with friends,” said Surly owner Omar Ansari. “That’s not the way the world is working right now. There’s a pandemic going on, and there’s just no way for places like ours to make it in a COVID world.”
School Re-Openings:
Read “Utah coronavirus case numbers spike to 458 on Saturday, with another hospitalization tied to a school outbreak” at Salt Lake Tribune.
Miscellany Cultural Items:
Read “Study says Oklahoma ranked No. 1 in states with the most despair” at KFOR.
Read “FDA removes top spokesperson after 11 days on the job” at Axios.
Read “The Furious Hunt for the MAGA Bomber” at Wired. “Scarred by trauma and devoted to Trump, a man began mailing explosives to the president’s critics on the eve of an election. Inside the race to catch him.”
Internationalities:
Read “EU warns Turkey of sanctions as east Mediterranean crisis worsens” at Al Jazeera.
Read “French spying: Senior army officer investigated” at BBC.
Read “Russiagate Was Not a Hoax” at The Atlantic. “The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence confirmed what the Mueller report could not.”
Politics And Sucheries:
Read “Rival Themes Emerge as Race Enters Final Weeks: Covid vs. Law and Order” at New York Times. “Mr. Trump’s aides said he enjoyed the frustration and anger he caused by holding a political event on the South Lawn of the White House, shattering conventional norms and raising questions about ethics law violations. He relished the fact that no one could do anything to stop him, said the aides, who spoke anonymously to discuss internal conversation.”
Read “The GOP’s norm-shattering convention showed how the two parties are worlds apart” at PBS News Hour.
Read “Here Is How RNC Speakers Addressed Two of the Most Pressing Issues in America Today” at Slate.
Read “Mitch McConnell’s campaign hires Covington teen Nick Sandmann” at New York Post.
Read “Top general says no role for military in presidential vote” at Associated Press. “The comments from Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, underscore the extraordinary political environment in America, where the president has declared without evidence that the expected surge in mail-in ballots will make the vote “inaccurate and fraudulent,” and has suggested he might not accept the election results if he loses.”
Read “Donald Trump’s pathology of victimhood: It's dangerous for his own party — and the rest of us” at Salon. “As a clinical psychologist, what I see in Donald Trump is a classic and destructive pattern of malignant narcissism.”
Read “The Ford Administration Rolled Out a Vaccine Program Right Before the 1976 Election. It Backfired—And Not Just Politically” at Time.
Read “Kanye West Is Trying Hard to Get on Arizona’s Presidential Ballot This Fall” at Phoenix New Times.
Read “Steve Scalise draws fire and then doubles down over doctored video of a disabled activist” at NOLA.com.
Read “Fact Check: Trump's Address To The Republican Convention, Annotated” at NPR.
Read “Joe Biden call for 'lawless' rioters to be prosecuted in push back to Donald Trump's criticism” at The Telegraph. “'Does anyone believe there will be less violence if Trump is re-elected?'
Read “The Payroll Tax Delay Is Here, But So Is Confusion About It” at NPR.
Read “Facebook And Twitter Remove Russia-Backed Accounts Targeting Left-Leaning Voters” at NPR.
Read “U.S. Debt Is Set to Exceed Size of the Economy Next Year, a First Since World War II” at Wall Street Journal.
Read “Generation Z In The GOP: Young Republicans Reflect On The Future Of Their Party” at NPR.
This Week In Political Corruption:
Read “Justice Dept. Never Fully Examined Trump’s Ties to Russia, Ex-Officials Say” at New York Times. “The former deputy attorney general maneuvered to keep investigators from completing an inquiry into whether the president’s personal and financial links to Russia posed a national security threat.”
Read “Oklahoma Governor Asked EPA to Strip Tribes of Environmental Authority” at TYT. “GOP Leaders Quietly Working to Circumvent Supreme Court Ruling Giving Tribes Control of Half the State.”
Read “The USPS Is Actively Being Destroyed By Trump—Here's How to Help” at Yahoo.
Read “Trump encourages North Carolina residents to vote twice to test mail-in system” at CNBC. EDITOR’S NOTE: It is illegal to vote more than once in an election, meaning the president urged people to break the law. And he did it publicly.
Read “Postal Service Has Paid DeJoy’s Former Company $286 Million Since 2013” at New York Times. “Documents obtained through a public records request showed the degree to which XPO Logistics, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s former employer, is intertwined with the agency he now oversees.”
Read “House Democrats launch probe into Postmaster General Dejoy” at Al Jazeera. “The investigation comes amid reports that Dejoy illegally reimbursed former employees for political campaign donations.”
Music-Related News and Such:
Read “Public Enemy Announce New Album, Return to Def Jam” at Pitchfork.
Read “Turntable Lab’s NYC store has closed” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “Leonard Cohen Estate Considering Legal Action After RNC Plays “Halleujah” at Slate.
Read “Taylor Swift Spends a Fourth Week at No. 1 Thanks to Full Album Sales” at New York Times.
Read “Justin Townes Earle and the Burden of Names” at Paste.
Watch “Dave Grohl and 10-Year-Old Nandi Bushell Face Off in Drum Battle” at Consequence of Sound.
Read “Getting To Know Sundressed” at Something You Said.
Read “David Byrne addresses wearing Blackface in ‘Stop Making Sense’ promo video” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “Public Enemy’s New Album to Feature Beastie Boys, George Clinton, Cypress Hill, Run-DMC, More” at Pitchfork.
Read “Toots Hibbert Hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit” at Pitchfork.
Read “Soul Coughing’s Mike Doughty On His New EP Ghost Of Vroom 2” at Stereogum.
Read “Master P launches “Uncle P’s” line of food products as alternative to Aunt Jemima & Uncle Ben’s” at Brooklyn Vegan.
Read “H.C. McEntire :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview” at Aquarium Drunkard.
Read “Devandra Banhart Honors the Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah Anniversary With Cover” at Spin.
Movies/TV/Etc.:
Read “Owen Teague Playing Tommy Stinson In Replacements Biopic” at Stereogum.
Books/Reading/Authors
Read “Douglas County Library Board of Trustees will investigate library director, staff over support for BLM movement” at Sierra Nevada Ally.
Read “Everything We Know About Stephen King’s New The Stand Miniseries” at Rotten Tomatoes.
Read “Donald Trump Jr. wants to use his social media power to disrupt publishing” at Axios.
Science/Animals/Technology/Environment/Etc.:
Read “The science of stoking fear” at Axios. “Academics codified it as the "fear drive" method in the 1950s, referring to the idea that engaging with fear can be the motivation for people to buy into anything that would make the feeling of fear go away.”
Read “NASA data shows glacial lakes swelling 50% due to climate change” at CNET.
Read “Musk Says It Will Be Possible For Owners To Telepathically Summon Their Tesla With Neuralink Implant” at Yahoo.
Misc. Oddities:
Read “Heart of Belgian city mayor found entombed in fountain” at BBC.
Read “Airline pilots reported seeing 'a guy in a jetpack' flying 3,000 feet over Los Angeles” at NBC News.
Local:
Read “'Black Lives Matter' could be painted on a street in downtown Phoenix” at AZ Central.