Michele Kearney's Snuffysmith's Blog: January 2019

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Michigan Gas Outage Seen Boosting Trump Bid to Save Coal Plants - Bloomberg

Michigan Gas Outage Seen Boosting Trump Bid to Save Coal Plants - Bloomberg: A natural gas supply disruption forcing Michigan residents to lower thermostats and automakers to suspend operations could bolster President Donald Trump’s effort to keep coal plants operating possibly by invoking national security powers.

It’s Time to Trust the Taliban – Foreign Policy

It’s Time to Trust the Taliban – Foreign Policy: Afghanistan’s jihadi insurgents are ready to give America what it wants: defeat without humiliation.

PG&E Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: Here's how it'll affect customers, employees, shareholders | abc7news.com

PG&E Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: Here's how it'll affect customers, employees, shareholders | abc7news.com: Will your gas and power stay on? Here are some answers to other questions you may have about how PG&E's bankruptcy will affect customers, employees and shareholders.

Judge Says PG&E Has “Clear-Cut” Pattern of Starting Wildfires

Judge Says PG&E Has “Clear-Cut” Pattern of Starting Wildfires: A federal judge who has emerged as a vocal critic of PG&E Corp.'s safety record, said the California utility giant has a "clear-cut pattern" of

Here's How PG&E's Bankruptcy Might Hurt California's Ambitious Climate Goals : NPR

Here's How PG&E's Bankruptcy Might Hurt California's Ambitious Climate Goals : NPR: PG&E is key to helping California meet its ambitious goal of zero carbon electricity by mid-century. Now there's concern that the utility's bankruptcy may set that back.

In PG&E Bankruptcy, Another Judge May Play Key Role - WSJ

In PG&E Bankruptcy, Another Judge May Play Key Role - WSJ: Now that PG&E has filed for protection from its creditors because of California wildfire liabilities, all eyes are on the bankruptcy court.

PG&E restructuring highlights arcane California legal rule | Business Insurance

PG&E restructuring highlights arcane California legal rule | Business Insurance: (Reuters) — PG&E Corp.’s chances of emerging from bankruptcy proceedings hinge in part on an arcane California legal rule that threatens to keep the utility owner perpetually on the hook for liabilities from catastrophic wildfires.

Editorial: Bankruptcy marks PG&E failure, PUC breakdown

Bankrupt PG&E plans $130 million in bonuses for thousands of employees - SFChronicle.com

Bankrupt PG&E plans $130 million in bonuses for thousands of employees - SFChronicle.com: Thousands of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. employees are eligible for a combined $130 million in 2018 performance bonuses the utility wants approved as part of the bankruptcy process it entered Tuesday, court papers show. PG&E sought permission to pay the cash bonuses through its short-term incentive plan because the bankruptcy court now has say over all the company’s major decisions. About 14,000 employees are eligible for bonuses to be offered in March for 2018 job performance, PG&E said in one of many filings on its first day seeking protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The average payout is expected to be about $13,000, though individual amounts range from about $5,000 to $90,000, PG&E said.

Israel Just Admitted Arming anti-Assad Syrian Rebels. Big Mistake

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-israel-just-admitted-arming-anti-assad-syrian-rebels-big-mistake-1.6894850?utm_source=smartfocus&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-daily&utm_content=https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-israel-just-admitted-arming-anti-assad-syrian-rebels-big-mistake-1.6894850

On Assimilation | National Review

On Assimilation | National Review: The idea of rapid assimilation, integration, intermarriage, and Americanization was once melting-pot clear. Immigrants arrived in the U.S. eager to find something better (whether economically, politically, culturally, or socially) than what they ...

McConnell amendment pits GOP security establishment against Trump

McConnell amendment pits GOP security establishment against Trump: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has set the stage for what could become a Senate rebuke of President Donald Trump’s stewardship of America's wars.

What Would You Do? | Henry Karlson

What Would You Do? | Henry Karlson: If Jesus came before you today, how would you treat him?

Sacred Forms: Maternal Mortality | Kristy Burmeister

Sacred Forms: Maternal Mortality | Kristy Burmeister: We think of pregnancy-related deaths as a problem that existed back in the “olden days,” but it’s still a major issue today. In fact, maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are rising. According to the CDC, about 700 women die from pregnancy or delivery related complications each year.

Trust God with the Rest

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/contemplatioculture/2019/01/trust-god-with-the-rest/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Catholic&utm_content=45

The incredible story of a midwife who delivered 3,000 babies in Auschwitz -- Aleteia

The incredible story of a midwife who delivered 3,000 babies in Auschwitz -- Aleteia: Stanislawa Leszczyńska put her own life at risk to help women safely deliver their children.

Walling in the Opioid Crisis? There Is a Real National Emergency in America, It’s Just Not the Wall

Walling in the Opioid Crisis?
There Is a Real National Emergency in America, It’s Just Not the Wall
By Rajan Menon
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to declare a national emergency if Congress refuses to pony up $5.7 billion to build the “great, great wall” he promised his base during the 2016 election campaign. In an apocalyptic televised address early in January, he even warned -- falsely, as fact checkers revealed during the speech -- that a tsunami of hard-core criminals and drugs was sweeping across the U.S.-Mexican border.
Fabricating national emergencies is unconscionable, especially when there are real ones requiring urgent attention.
Here’s an example: since 1999, 400,000 Americans have died from overdoses of opioids, including pain medications obtained legally through prescriptions or illegally, as well as from heroin, an illicit opioid. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that prescription medications were involved in 218,000 of those fatalities.
Even the president labeled opioid addiction a “public health emergency” after a commission he appointed in March 2017 issued a report detailing its horrific consequences. Trump’s efforts led Congress to allocate $6 billion to combat the crisis in 2018 and 2019, and the president sought another $7 billion for 2019. Since then, however, his attention has turned to the “emergency” along the border with Mexico, the equivalent, by comparison, of a gnat bite on an elephant.
Click here to read more of this dispatch.http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176522/tomgram%3A_rajan_menon%2C_addicts%2C_addicts%2C_everywhere.../#more

China and Russia could disrupt critical national infrastructure in the US, says intelligence report

https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/612849/china-and-russia-could-disrupt-us-critical-national-infrastructure-says/?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=69473914&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--bbk6Ec_xQcA5x599Cw4XnlhcnuF_qbKEUtJ5nayOHtxZ0O7ohQPZwpib5Q769Cj4aUc66_nZp7qLvQ_sfZwq-9VF6svyMluXOFL2fBEq-gQI9eVc&_hsmi=69473914

Welcome Diplomatic Progress on Afghanistan – LobeLog

Welcome Diplomatic Progress on Afghanistan – LobeLog: by Paul R. Pillar Much remains to be negotiated, but the partial agreement reached between the United States and the Afghan Taliban is a positive development. Commendation for this progress is in o…

Pakistan: A Dominican Preaches in the Mosque - ZENIT - English

Pakistan: A Dominican Preaches in the Mosque - ZENIT - English: Recalls Great Imam, Promoter of Peace

U.S.-Japan Trade Talks: What to Expect | Center for Strategic and International Studies

U.S.-Japan Trade Talks: What to Expect | Center for Strategic and International Studies: The United States and Japan are scheduled to launch formal trade negotiations soon. The precise timing is unclear: although a statutory 30-day waiting period after publication of the U.S. negotiating objectives ended on January 20, the government shutdown in Washington has sharply curtailed staffing at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and halted work at the U.S.

Knowing What We’re Up Against - The Catholic Thing

Knowing What We’re Up Against - The Catholic Thing: Stephen P. White on Church governance: Nothing is more important for the laity than to fight the spiritual battle and to know what we’re really up against.

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection January 31, 2019

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Memorial of Saint John Bosco

Mark 4:21-25

Friends, today’s Gospel shows how the light of Christ affects our lives. Well, light is wonderful in the measure that it illumines and brightens and delights. But light can also be disconcerting. Think of how bad most of us look in direct light! I discovered this while filming the CATHOLICISM series. I much prefer the indirect light that you can produce indoors. The full glare of the sun reveals every flaw, imperfection, and peculiarity of your face.

Think of what happens when you suddenly shine a light into a dark corner in your basement or down a lonely alley. The bugs and the vermin reveal themselves. Unsavory things scurry about for cover, afraid of the light.

When you invite Jesus into your life, you are inviting the light into your life. Again, this is wonderful, but it is also frightening. Jesus will shine his light in every corner of your life, in every room of your house. Things that look okay in the dark or in the indirect light will suddenly stand out in all of their unpleasantness.

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Lectionary: 320

Reading 1 Heb 10:19-25

Brothers and sisters:
Since through the Blood of Jesus
we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
that is, his flesh,
and since we have "a great priest over the house of God,"
let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
We should not stay away from our assembly,
as is the custom of some, but encourage one another,
and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Gospel Mk 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,
"Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear."
He also told them, "Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

CREEPING INFANTICIDE: NY style ghoulish abortion bill now introduced in Virginia | Fr. Z's Blog

Canonist Ed Peters on trying Gov. Andrew “the Ghoul” Cuomo for heresy. Fr. Z makes some observations. | Fr. Z's Blog

Multiple States Now Considering Legalizing Late-Term Abortion

Multiple States Now Considering Legalizing Late-Term Abortion: New spate of proposals come on the heels of NY's radical abortion law

On excommunicating Andrew Cuomo for heresy | In the Light of the Law

On excommunicating Andrew Cuomo for heresy | In the Light of the Law: Apologies for a long post. I don’t have time to write a short one. Canonist Edward Condon has an essay at First Things wherein he calls for the excommunication of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, not on…

Real Catholic media don't look for heretics everywhere, official says. Published 1/28/2019. World.: VATICAN CITY (CNS)

Real Catholic media don't look for heretics everywhere, official says. Published 1/28/2019. World.: VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The rise of media that call themselves Catholic but seem to exist only to judge others is less about criticizing Pope Francis and more about the misguided notion that to affirm o

Bishops must realize seriousness of abuse crisis, pope says. Published 1/28/2019. World.: ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM PANAMA (CNS)

Bishops must realize seriousness of abuse crisis, pope says. Published 1/28/2019. World.: ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM PANAMA (CNS) -- The primary goal of the Vatican's February summit on clerical sexual abuse and child protection is to help bishops understand the urgency of the crisis, Po

Excommunicate Cuomo | Ed Condon | First Things:

Excommunicate Cuomo | Ed Condon | First Things: Our daily blog content exclusive to the web hits on hot topics in both religion and public life and will keep you informed and entertained all week.

Focusing on adoption and foster care in the pro-life movement:

Focusing on adoption and foster care in the pro-life movement: Lisa Wheeler is a foster and adoptive mother: She and her husband have had 15 children in their home over the years, two of them they’ve adopted, and three more are going through the process. She spoke to Crux about adoption and foster care in the pro-life movement.

The church needs Vatican III | National Catholic Reporter:

The church needs Vatican III | National Catholic Reporter: Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore has taken unilateral action to address the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. He should be commended for doing so. While his efforts are unlikely to resolve ...

On excommunicating Andrew Cuomo for heresy | In the Light of the Law:

Fr. Warren's Week Reflection

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement Serving Other For Over 120 Years - THIS WEEK'S REFLECTION from Fr. Bob Warren, SA

In our second reading today you heard a letter from Paul to the Corinthians, and I would not be surprised if you knew absolutely nothing about the city of Corinth. Corinth was a cosmopolitan city. People flocked there from all regions of the Roman Empire. It was a center of government, of trade, of sports, and was also known as sin city.

To live like a Corinthian came to mean “wallow in immorality.” At a recent excavation of the city they uncovered in one small area 33 taverns. What happened in Corinth, stayed in Corinth.

This was the city to which Paul brought Christianity, and five years later, he writes them the letter we have just heard. And we hear that this Corinthian church is divided, torn into four factions following different leaders all going their own way. Paul writes to them to try to heal the divisions. He likens the Church to the human body with its many parts where no single part is insignificant, without worth or value, and he tells them that is what the church should be like: all different parts working together with Christ as the head and every part of the body linked to Christ and to each other.

When we look at our Church today I suspect that we could recognize ourselves in some of the conflicts of the Corinthian Christians. Roman Catholics no longer all think the same way, and we have all been hurt by recent scandals: we now have contrasting opinions on almost everything. But, in spite of any differences we may have, we cannot lose sight of the fact that we form a single body because we are linked to the Risen Christ and we call ourselves His body.

You and I are linked to Him by our baptism. And in St. Paul’s words, because there is one bread, many as we are in number, we are one body for we share the one bread. When we approach to receive Holy Communion we become what we receive: the Body of Christ. Not that dogma and morality, how we think and what we do, are unimportant. Only that, even more importantly, God’s water and God’s bread transforms us, changes us from isolated individuals to a single body that Christ claims as His own. And His command to us is love one another. How? As I have loved you.

It was in the 1980s that I worked part time as a prison chaplain. There was a large HIV/ AIDS population in the prison hospital: isolated, cut off from the rest of the world, these AIDS patients all were very sick, thin and weak. The ward was a large room lined with beds. There was always noise, even during Mass as the nurses had to take care of the men, but I will always remember the silence that befell the ward the day we read the Gospel of Jesus reaching out, touching the leper.

Some of the men tried to decorate the card table that was used as an altar. They made paper flowers, and painted a cross to hang in front of the table. One made a banner that said, “Love is all we have for now. What we don’t have is time.”

When we look around our world, at the war, famine, the violence, we may not see much love. But when it is a question of what it means to be human, to be Christian, what makes the difference is love.
St. Paul put it another way to the Corinthians in our first reading. He said, “In the end, only faith, hope and love are left. But the greatest of these is love.”
Love, after all, is the one gift that can make our world more human than Corinth. Other gifts can help, economics and education, health and housing. But without love, unless deep down we care, and yes, unless we live Christ’s command, love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself, we will be little more than a contemporary Corinth.

As a Church, as a parish, as an individual, I may indeed go to Mass and receive Christ, but without love the rest is a charade, playacting. And when the final judgment is passed on me it will rest on one four-letter word. Did you really love?

With that question goes the second line of the banner: what we do not have is time. That is true not only of those who have a serious illness, but it harasses all of us. No one can promise themselves time, however young, however strong. I have never forgotten a sign I read years ago in a convent chapel. It said, “Priest of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass. As if it were your last Mass. As if it were your only Mass.” Something similar can be said to each of you. Live this day as if it were your first day. As if it were your last day. As if it were your only day. Each new day is a chance to be more Christ-like.

My friends, a well-known singer and bandleader wrote in his autobiography, “Women, horses, cars, clothes: I did it all. And do you know what that is called, ladies and gentlemen? It is called living.”

Wouldn’t it be more satisfying if someday you could say this about yourself? People, those I liked and those I didn’t, all people but especially the homeless and the hopeless, the naked, and the hungry, the lonely and the unloved, those who are different from me, drug addicted and the AIDS afflicted, I did not do it all, but I did what I could. And, do you know what that is called, ladies and gentlemen? It is called loving. Love is all we have for now, what we do not have is time.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Bob Warren, SA

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement Serving Other For Over 120 Years

www.AtonementFriars.org

GRAYMOOR P.O. Box 301, Garrison, NY 10524

For more information call us at 888-720-8247.

Elizabeth Warren's plan to tax the super-rich has been tried before. Here's what happened.

Elizabeth Warren's plan to tax the super-rich has been tried before. Here's what happened.: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., made a splash with a proposal to tax the wealthy. But it's not a new idea and some countries have a wealth tax right now. What can they teach us?

Washington Monthly | Coal Country Is Dying. All Trump Has Are Lies.

Washington Monthly | Coal Country Is Dying. All Trump Has Are Lies.: Whether out of ignorance, complacency, or malice, the result is that communities continue to suffer.

Intelligence Chiefs Diverge From Trump On Main Threats to US - Defense One

Intelligence Chiefs Diverge From Trump On Main Threats to US - Defense One: The things that worry America’s intelligence community can’t be stopped by a wall.

Russia, China Will Exploit West’s ‘Isolationist Tendencies,’ Says New Intel Strategy - Defense One

Russia, China Will Exploit West’s ‘Isolationist Tendencies,’ Says New Intel Strategy - Defense One: The intelligence community’s warning arrived as the House rebuked President Trump for his attacks on NATO.

After Four Votes, Senate Passes Unconstitutional Anti-Boycott Bill - Defending Rights & Dissent

After Four Votes, Senate Passes Unconstitutional Anti-Boycott Bill - Defending Rights & Dissent: The Senate considered for the fourth time S1, which contains the Combating BDS Act. This unconstitutional bill passed 74 to 19.

U.S. Seeks To Cripple Venezuela’s No.1 “Vehicle For Embezzlement’’ | OilPrice.com

U.S. Seeks To Cripple Venezuela’s No.1 “Vehicle For Embezzlement’’ | OilPrice.com: New U.S. sanctions on Venezuela will seriously impact the nation’s crude oil flows, and are aimed at an accelerated regime change

As The Arctic Warms, US Navy Considering Summer Transit, Bering Sea Port - Defense One

As The Arctic Warms, US Navy Considering Summer Transit, Bering Sea Port - Defense One: The Navy secretary says his service must be ready to answer Russian moves at the top of the world.

A Grand Plan to Clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | The New Yorker

A Grand Plan to Clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | The New Yorker: Carolyn Kormann writes about whether a controversial young entrepreneur can rid the ocean of plastic trash.

How frigid polar vortex blasts are connected to global warming

How frigid polar vortex blasts are connected to global warming: A record-breaking cold wave is sending literal shivers down the spines of millions of Americans. Temperatures across the upper Midwest are forecast to fall an astonishing 50 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) below normal this week – as low as 35 degrees below zero. Pile a gusty wind on top, and the air will feel like -60 F.

Many Countries at UN Oppose Trump Interference in Venezuela | naked capitalism

Many Countries at UN Oppose Trump Interference in Venezuela | naked capitalism: The US plans for Venezuela don't have the degree of foreign support that the press would have you believe.

A Reminder: Year-to-Year CPI Comparisons for Individual Countries are Meaningless, Misleading, and Should Be Avoided | GAB | The Global Anticorruption Blog

A Reminder: Year-to-Year CPI Comparisons for Individual Countries are Meaningless, Misleading, and Should Be Avoided | GAB | The Global Anticorruption Blog: Today, Transparency International released its new Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2018. At some point, hopefully soon, I’ll have time to look closely at the new data and accompanying …

Should Governor Andrew Cuomo be Excommunicated? - The Catholic Thing

Should Governor Andrew Cuomo be Excommunicated? - The Catholic Thing: George J. Marlin raises a question very much on the minds of many Catholics. Surely, some kind of rebuke from New York’s bishops is necessary.

Neither the Seamless Garment, Nor Merely Anti-Abortion

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2019/01/30/neither-the-seamless-garment-nor-merely-anti-abortion/?utm_source=The+Catholic+Thing+Daily&utm_campaign=16d0163ffa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_12_07_01_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_769a14e16a-16d0163ffa-244213773

A Sino-Russian Entente Again Threatens America - WSJ

A Sino-Russian Entente Again Threatens America - WSJ: The U.S. must revise its policy toward Moscow if it is to meet the threat from a rising China.

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection January 30, 2019

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Third Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 4:1-20

Friends, our Gospel for today is the parable of the sower and the seed. It has to do with the growth and development of the kingdom of God. We hear that Jesus began to teach by the sea and that a very large crowd gathered around him. This is Jesus speaking to the whole world.

He then presents the parable of the sower: A sower goes out to sow, and as he sows, some of the seed falls on the path, where the birds eat it up; some falls on rocky ground, where it is scorched in the sun; some falls among thorns, where its life is choked off; and some falls on rich soil, where it bears fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

Keep in mind that Jesus himself, in person, is the seed sown. Jesus is the Logos that wants to take root in us. This seed is sown far and wide, through all sorts of means, but in you, let the seed be sown deep, where it can’t be stolen, scorched, or choked.

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 319

Reading 1 Heb 10:11-18

Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever
those who are being consecrated.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:

This is the covenant I will establish with them
after those days, says the Lord:
"I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,"

he also says:

Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

Gospel Mk 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that

they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,

when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

The Devastating Effect of Euthanasia on Dutch Culture | Matthew Schneider

The Devastating Effect of Euthanasia on Dutch Culture | Matthew Schneider: In 2002, the Netherlands legalized euthanasia. This has had devastating effects on their culture. 1 in 4 deaths in 2017 was by man's hand. We need to look at how this devastated culture so we have another reason to reject euthanasia elsewhere.

California regulators make preparations for PG&E bankruptcy | Energy Central

PG&E CORP FILES (8-K) Disclosing Bankruptcy or Receivership, Triggering Events That Accelerate or Increase a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement, Regulation FD Disclosure, Other Events, Financial | Energy Central

PG&E CORP FILES (8-K) Disclosing Bankruptcy or Receivership, Triggering Events That Accelerate or Increase a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement, Regulation FD Disclosure, Other Events, Financial | Energy Central

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Nuclear Threat With Russia at `Dangerous Levels,' Nunn Says - Bloomberg

Nuclear Threat With Russia at `Dangerous Levels,' Nunn Says - Bloomberg: The potential for cyber interference is raising the threat of a nuclear war between Russia and the U.S. to ‘dangerous levels,’ according to former Senator Sam Nunn, a longtime national-security specialist.

Iran Nuclear Deal Is Working Despite Trump’s Withdrawal, U.S. National Intelligence Director Says

Utility companies worry about demand on supply system when Polar Vortex hits, offer safety tips | cleveland.com

Utility companies worry about demand on supply system when Polar Vortex hits, offer safety tips | cleveland.com: The Polar Vortex jet stream winds that normally circle the North Pole has weakened and a piece of it in the form of an intense low pressure system packing near-zero and below-zero temperatures is expected to arrive here late tonight and early Wednesday. Dominion East Ohio, Columbia Gas of Ohio and FirstEnergy are preparing for it and have a few tips for consumers to safely survive.

Tomgram: William Astore, Turning Victory Into Defeat | TomDispatch

Tomgram: William Astore, Turning Victory Into Defeat | TomDispatch: null

Searching for a Progressive Foreign Policy – LobeLog

Searching for a Progressive Foreign Policy – LobeLog: by James A. Russell The debacle of the Trump presidency has had one useful effect. It has re-energized parts of the American electorate that had been on the sidelines watching the Republican pursui…

This Map Shows Where in the World the U.S. Military Is Combatting Terrorism

The infographic reveals for the first time that the U.S. is now operating in 40 percent of the world’s nations

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/map-shows-places-world-where-us-military-operates-180970997/#3UoRoiMyMyczT7qD.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

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Tomgram: Smithberger and Hartung, The Pentagon's Revolving Door Spins Faster | TomDispatch

Tomgram: Smithberger and Hartung, The Pentagon's Revolving Door Spins Faster | TomDispatch: null

America Has a Commitment Problem – Foreign Policy

America Has a Commitment Problem – Foreign Policy: Eight reasons that Washington has repeatedly made the mistake of making promises around the world it can’t keep.

California Regulators Clear Way For PG&E Bankruptcy Filing – CBS Sacramento

California Regulators Clear Way For PG&E Bankruptcy Filing – CBS Sacramento: California utility regulators on Monday removed a major hurdle to a planned bankruptcy filing by Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. at a raucous, last-minute meeting where protesters repeatedly denounced and spoke over members of the panel.

Donald Trump: Breaking With The Past (The Beltway Ain’t Happy) « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary

Donald Trump: Breaking With The Past (The Beltway Ain’t Happy) « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary: President Trump is breaking with the past. He’s arguing that Washington must cut its losses, withdraw its forces, climb out of the Middle Eastern and Afghan money pits, and acknowledge that Seoul (with U.S. backing) won the war on the Korean Peninsula. Washington hates him for doing these things, but most Americans and future generations of Americans will love him for it.

What’s really wrong with the Chinese economy and why it matters | East Asia Forum

What’s really wrong with the Chinese economy and why it matters | East Asia Forum: Author: Editorial Board, ANU The downturn in Chinese economic growth is top news around the world. That’s for good reason. China is the second largest

U.S. Slips In Annual Global Corruption Rankings : NPR

U.S. Slips In Annual Global Corruption Rankings : NPR: The latest Corruption Perceptions Index shows the U.S. dropped six spots, to No. 22 out of 180 countries and territories. It's listed right after France and before the United Arab Emirates.

Mike Pompeo’s Deranged Foreign Policy – Consortiumnews

Mike Pompeo’s Deranged Foreign Policy – Consortiumnews: The U.S. secretary of state is a Christian zealot who sees the U.S. as incapable of doing ill, writes Lawrence Davidson.
By Lawrence Davidson
TothePointAnalysis.com
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo started out the new year—the date was Jan. 10—preaching “the truth” about U.S. foreign policy in

Progressive Race to the Bottom | National Review

Progressive Race to the Bottom | National Review: Abolishing ICE, offering ‘free’ college to all, raising taxes to 70 percent: Will the somnolent GOP take notice?

Catholic Abortion Supporters Like Cuomo Must Face Penalties

Catholic Abortion Supporters Like Cuomo Must Face Penalties: It must be made clear to all that no Catholic can support such legislation.

Progressive Inhumanity, Part One: The State against the Family - Crisis Magazine

Progressive Inhumanity, Part One: The State against the Family - Crisis Magazine: When they were casting for the old western The Rifleman, one small boy was brought into the room after another, to meet the star Chuck Connors and the director. Then young Johnny Crawford came in, a little gangly in the arms and legs, with tousled hair and large brown eyes. “That’s the son of Lucas …

Will Bishops Coodle, Foodle, and Noodle Address the Crisis? - Crisis Magazine

Will Bishops Coodle, Foodle, and Noodle Address the Crisis? - Crisis Magazine: Look to the generals, the great patrons and architects, the captains of industry, and the princes of the Church for a gauge of an institution’s vitality. Virile epochs, however tumultuous, make way for a Charlemagne, an Abbot Suger, a Carnegie, or a Leo the Great. In effete, self-doubting times, froth and effluvium ride the waves …

Bishops Wring Their Hands at the Whirlwind of Hell - Crisis Magazine

Bishops Wring Their Hands at the Whirlwind of Hell - Crisis Magazine: Several years ago, after I taught a course on Church history, my students presented me with a gift. It was an 8-inch tall action-figure of Pope Innocent III they purchased from a novelty store in Frankenmuth, MI. A pope of the thirteenth century, Innocent III, besides approving the Rule of St. Francis, is also known …

Cardinal Dolan: Why are Cuomo, Democrats alienating Catholics?

Cardinal Dolan: Why are Cuomo, Democrats alienating Catholics?: It’s been a rough time for faithful Catholics recently in our state government’s frantic rush for “progressive” ideas.

What kids aren’t telling parents about porn on Instagram and Snapchat

Adult content is rampant on social media. Here’s what parents need to know.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2019/01/29/what-kids-aren-telling-parents-about-porn-instagram-and-snapchat/z12WPJFUGYt0vm1fDOndDP/story.html?et_rid=1925983868&s_campaign=globesmostpopular:newsletter&et_rid=1925983868&s_campaign=globesmostpopular:newsletter

Israel’s Drive to Become a Modern-Day Sparta – Consortiumnews

Israel’s Drive to Become a Modern-Day Sparta – Consortiumnews: A former army chief may present a challenge to Benjamin Netanyahu, but his campaign’s exultation of destruction and oppression is chilling, reports Jonathan Cook.
By Jonathan Cook
Jonathan-Cook.net
With April’s elections looming, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has good reason to fear Benny Gan

Bishop of Albany addresses questions about excommunication, Canon 915 and Governor Cuomo | Deacon Greg Kandra

Bishop of Albany addresses questions about excommunication, Canon 915 and Governor Cuomo | Deacon Greg Kandra: Watch the latest video at foxnews.com From the Diocese of Albany website, words from Bishop Ed Scharfenberger, who also talked about it in the video interview above: The passage of the so-called Reproductive Health Act continues to raise questions about the status of Catholics who voted or strongly promoted the

Meet the CBS anchor who prays every morning and is an ordained minister

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2019/01/meet-the-cbs-anchor-who-prays-every-morning-and-is-an-ordained-minister/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=BRSS&utm_campaign=Catholic&utm_content=204

Some call for N.Y. governor to be excommunicated for supporting abortion | National Catholic Reporter

Some call for N.Y. governor to be excommunicated for supporting abortion | National Catholic Reporter: Since Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed New York's new expansive abortion measure into law Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, some Catholics have called for the governor, who is Catholic, to be excommuni...

Yemen conflict complicates pope's upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi | National Catholic Reporter

Yemen conflict complicates pope's upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi | National Catholic Reporter: Pope Francis is set to become the first Catholic pope to visit the Arabian peninsula with a trip to the United Arab Emirates next month, but some Middle East experts are wishing he would reconsider th...

Cost to taxpayers to clean up nuclear waste jumps $100 billion in a year

Cost to taxpayers to clean up nuclear waste jumps $100 billion in a year: Most of the increase is due to costs at the Hanford site in Washington state, where millions of gallons of radioactive waste have still not been cleaned up.

Opinion | The Fleecing of Millennials - The New York Times

Opinion | The Fleecing of Millennials - The New York Times: Their incomes are flat. Their wealth is down. And Washington is aggravating future threats.

Anand Giridharadas interview: Why elite philanthro-capitalists do more harm than good

Anand Giridharadas interview: Why elite philanthro-capitalists do more harm than good: Anand Giridharadas interview: Why elite philanthro-capitalists do more harm than good

The author of Winners Take All on how the “fake change” offered by billionaires such as Mark Zuckerberg perpetuates “systems of exclusion and inequality”.

PG&E Files for Bankruptcy Following California Wildfires - WSJ

PG&E Files for Bankruptcy Following California Wildfires - WSJ: California utility PG&E filed for bankruptcy as it struggles with billions in potential liabilities from its role in sparking wildfires, triggering one of the most complex corporate reorganization cases in years.

Trump Leads Plunge Lower by Populists in Annual Corruption Index - Bloomberg

Trump Leads Plunge Lower by Populists in Annual Corruption Index - Bloomberg: The U.S. plunged in an annual global corruption index as a surge in support for populist leaders and the erosion of democracy hobbled efforts to tackle graft around the world.

Report: Saudi Arabia Has Systematically Helped Saudi Felons To Flee The United States – JONATHAN TURLEY

Report: Saudi Arabia Has Systematically Helped Saudi Felons To Flee The United States – JONATHAN TURLEY: There is a disturbing account in The Oregonian/OregonLive that raises a long-standing issue that few people want to talk about in Washington: the long record of Saudi Arabia in violating our laws and helping felons flee the country before trial or sentencing. The article addresses just a few cases but it is a problem nationwide…

Pope fears 'bloodbath' in Venezuela

Pope fears 'bloodbath' in Venezuela: Pope Francis said Monday he was terrified the political crisis enveloping Venezuela would descend into a "bloodbath". A bloodbath," the first Latin American pontiff told journalists aboard a plane on his return trip from Panama, adding that "the problem of violence terrifies me"