News You Can Use

NPR News

• United Methodist Church To Debate LGBTQ Clergy And Same-Sex Weddings February 23, 2019
  United Methodists are among the last mainline Protestant denominations to address the issue, and some worry it could cause a major rift in the church.
• Venezuelan Military Fires On Protesters, Killing 2, In Confrontation Over Aid February 23, 2019
  The clashes between protesters and security forces came as Venezuelan opposition activists prepare to bring humanitarian aid into the country against the orders of President Nicolás Maduro.
• Are Democrats Ready To 'Feel The Bern' Or Is Sanders The 'MySpace' Of 2020? February 23, 2019
  The Vermont independent showed he can still raise boatloads of money, but with so many progressive choices, Sanders may be at a disadvantage.
• Oakland Teachers Strike, And West Virginia Teachers Say Trust Issues Persist February 23, 2019
  Also in this week's roundup, an investigation into a reform school's "hidden history of abuse."
• Trump Nominates Kelly Craft, Ambassador To Canada, For U.N. Post February 22, 2019
  Craft's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations follows State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's withdrawal from consideration.
• California Couple, Parents Of 13, Plead Guilty To Abuse, Torture, Imprisonment February 22, 2019
  David and Louise Turpin face 25 years to life behind bars in an abuse case the DA said was "among the worst ... ever seen." It included charges of starving and shackling children to furniture.
• Microsoft Workers Protest Army Contract With Tech 'Designed To Help People Kill' February 22, 2019
  They say Microsoft's contract "crossed the line" into weapons development for the first time and that the company is failing to inform its engineers "on the intent of the software they are building."
• Botswana Weighs Lifting Hunting Ban, With Eye On Reducing Elephant Population February 22, 2019
  A government group recommends elephant hunting resume within limits, and also calls for the animals to be slaughtered for meat used in pet food production.
• R. Kelly Under Arrest On 10 Charges Of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse In Illinois February 22, 2019
  The R&B star singer has been dogged for decades by allegations that he has sexually abused underage girls and women. Kelly now faces 10 counts of abuse.
• Judge Rules Against State Department In Same-Sex Couple's Citizenship Lawsuit February 22, 2019
  Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks have twin sons, born four minutes apart. The State Department has maintained that one is a U.S. citizen and one is not. A judge sided with the couple.

Pew Research Fact Tank

• Americans with higher education and income are more likely to be involved in community groups February 22, 2019
  Nearly six-in-ten Americans participate in some type of community group or organization, including 11% who say they take part in at least four such groups. The post Americans with higher education and income are more likely to be involved in community groups appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• Many immigrants with Temporary Protected Status face uncertain future in U.S. February 21, 2019
  Roughly 318,000 people have this protected status after fleeing dangerous conditions in their countries. Nearly all are expected to lose TPS this year or next. The post Many immigrants with Temporary Protected Status face uncertain future in U.S. appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• Fewer Americans view deficit reduction as a top priority as the nation’s red ink increases February 20, 2019
  About half of Americans say reducing the budget deficit should be a top policy priority this year for the president and Congress. The post Fewer Americans view deficit reduction as a top priority as the nation’s red ink increases appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• The way U.S. teens spend their time is changing, but differences between boys and girls persist February 20, 2019
  Teens are spending their time differently than they did a decade ago, but gender differences remain in time spent on leisure, grooming, homework, housework and errands. The post The way U.S. teens spend their time is changing, but differences between boys and girls persist appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• Latinos have become less likely to say there are too many immigrants in U.S. February 19, 2019
  The share of Latinos who say there are too many immigrants living in the United States has declined sharply since 2002. The post Latinos have become less likely to say there are too many immigrants in U.S. appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• British attitudes on national identity and religious minorities not unique in EU February 19, 2019
  On issues including national identity and religious minorities, views among UK adults align very closely to general opinion across the EU. The post British attitudes on national identity and religious minorities not unique in EU appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• The changing face of Congress in 6 charts February 15, 2019
  Apart from its political makeup and policy objectives, the new Congress differs from prior ones in other ways, including its demographics. The post The changing face of Congress in 6 charts appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• More people around the world see U.S. power and influence as a ‘major threat’ to their country February 14, 2019
  A growing share of people globally see U.S. power and influence as a major threat to their country. Views are linked with attitudes toward Trump and the U.S. as a whole. The post More people around the world see U.S. power and influence as a ‘major threat’ to their country appeared first on Pew Research […]
• 8 facts about love and marriage in America February 13, 2019
  The landscape of relationships in America has shifted dramatically in recent decades. Read eight facts about love and marriage in the country. The post 8 facts about love and marriage in America appeared first on Pew Research Center.
• 7 things we’ve learned about computer algorithms February 13, 2019
  Pew Research Center released several reports in 2018 that explored the role and meaning of algorithms in people’s lives today. The post 7 things we’ve learned about computer algorithms appeared first on Pew Research Center.

BBC-World

• Assam toxic alcohol deaths: 99 people die in north-eastern Indian state February 23, 2019
  Another 100 people are being treated after drinking bootleg alcohol in India's Assam state.
• R Kelly: Singer charged with sexual abuse in Chicago February 23, 2019
  The R&B star as been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, some involving minors.
• Nigeria election 2019: Atiku Abubakar challenges Muhammadu Buhari February 23, 2019
  President Muhammadu Buhari seeks a second term against ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
• Venezuela soldiers abandon posts at Colombia border February 23, 2019
  The soldiers abandon their posts as tensions rise over the delivery of humanitarian aid.
• Vatican abuse summit: Cardinal says files were destroyed February 23, 2019
  Speaking called for more transparency, saying victims' rights were "effectively trampled underfoot".
• Pablo Escobar's former home demolished in Colombia. February 23, 2019
  The building will be replaced with a memorial to the victims of the drug lord's reign of terror.
• Samir Flores Soberanes: Thousands march in Mexico City over activist's murder February 23, 2019
  Environmental activist and journalist Samir Flores Soberanes was shot dead on Wednesday.
• Rival concerts on either side of Venezuela-Colombia border February 23, 2019
  One had the support of embattled President Nicolas Maduro, while the other was backed by opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
• R Kelly: Singer charged with sexual abuse in Chicago February 23, 2019
  The singer's lawyer says he maintains his innocence of the 10 charges, at least nine involving minors.
• Trump announces Kelly Knight Craft as UN ambassador pick February 23, 2019
  The US president plans to nominate Kelly Knight Craft, after his previous pick Heather Nauert withdrew.

Political Wire

• Republican Silent on Voter Fraud Scheme Tied to Party February 23, 2019
  “Republican politicians across the country have for years railed against the threat of voter fraud. Some have made unproven claims about how rampant it has become in order to pass voter ID laws and open sweeping investigations. The sanctity of the vote, they have said, must be protected at all costs,” the New York Times […]
• Feinstein Lectures Children on Green New Deal February 23, 2019
  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) “isn’t backing the Green New Deal, and she wasn’t shy about letting a group who does support it know it — even if they are children,” NBC News reports. “A group of schoolchildren visited the senator at her San Francisco office Friday and urged her to get on board with the […]
• What Will Beto O’Rourke Run On? February 23, 2019
  Aaron Blake: “O’Rourke’s decision on whether to run is due in the coming days, and it looks as though he’s in. But what exactly will he run on? We tend to judge candidates like O’Rourke relative to whom they’re running against — in O’Rourke’s case in 2018, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). But is he really […]
• Average Tax Refunds Down Double-Digits February 23, 2019
  “Average tax refund amounts are down double-digits compared to last year, according to the latest batch of weekly IRS data about the 2019 tax-filing season released late Friday,” The Hill reports. “The average refund through Feb. 15 was $2,640, which is 16.7 percent smaller than the average refund through Feb. 16, 2018, according to the […]
• Murkowski Will Oppose Trump Emergency Order February 23, 2019
  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said she is likely to support a resolution of disapproval over President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to secure more money for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
• Manafort Filing Still Not Public February 23, 2019
  “The public will have to wait a little longer to read Paul Manafort’s sentencing memo from special counsel Robert Mueller,” CNN reports. “The critical filing had a midnight Friday deadline set by the federal court, but the report was not publicly released.” Associated Press: “Mueller’s team was to have weighed in by the end of […]
• Biden Sees Opening In Democratic Field on Foreign Policy February 23, 2019
  ABC News: “In speeches over the past month, Biden sought to position himself as an authoritative counterweight to President Trump’s isolationist and nationalistic impulses.” “The moves reflect the vulnerabilities the 76-year-old Biden could face in a crowded primary with rivals who are decades younger and looking to appeal to the party’s liberal base. In that […]
• Some Democrats Worried About Party’s Drift to the Left February 23, 2019
  Reuters: “Party activists have been energized as Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and other candidates endorsed plans to provide Medicare coverage to every American, some form of tuition-free college, a national $15 minimum wage and the so-called ‘Green New Deal’ advocated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” “But Trump and his allies in the Republican Party […]
• The 6 Essential Cons that Define Trump’s Success February 23, 2019
  Jonathan Greenberg: “Nearly four decades ago, Donald Trump deceived me into including him on the first Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans. He claimed a net worth of $100 million but was actually worth less than a tenth of that. Last week, President Trump declared a national state of emergency to bypass the constitutional […]
• Trump Nominates Kelly Craft as U.N. Ambassador February 22, 2019
  Washington Post: “Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, would succeed Nikki Haley, who left her post at the United Nations at the end of last year.” “President Trump originally said he would nominate Heather Nauert to be his next U.N. ambassador, but she withdrew from consideration earlier this month.”

The Atlantic

• The Documentary Highlighting the Real Green Book February 23, 2019
  A new Smithsonian film positions the guidebook for black travelers as a necessary response to white-supremacist violence—and as a community-building tool.
• Fighting With My Family Is a Curious Biopic About Pro Wrestling February 23, 2019
  Produced by The Rock, this fairly standard sports movie follows a real-life WWE icon from her humble beginnings in England to international fame.
• The Best Combs a Presidential Candidate Could Use to Eat a Salad February 23, 2019
  Senator Amy Klobuchar reportedly once resorted to this strange method. So I tested out some combs.
• What Does It Mean to Be a Canadian Citizen? February 23, 2019
  The country offers a cautionary tale about democracy and voting rights.
• Americans Don’t Need the Mueller Report to Judge Trump February 23, 2019
  The fevered speculation about when the special counsel will conclude his work overshadows how much the public already knows about the president and Russia.
• The Two Amy Klobuchars February 23, 2019
  In light of the revelations about the senator’s temper, let’s revisit her interrogation of Brett Kavanaugh.
• The Atlantic Daily: The Last Undecided 2018 U.S. House Race Will Be Re-Run February 23, 2019
  Plus understanding the Jussie Smollett controversy, a guide to the hostless 91st Oscars, why cats look like psychopaths, and more
• The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Schrödinger’s Mueller Report February 22, 2019
  A Department of Justice official is now saying that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report will not be delivered this week or next.
• The Family Weekly: The Consequential Legal Battle Over One Dallas Family’s Adoption February 22, 2019
  Plus: How much leisure time is too much?
• Letters: ‘It Is Difficult to Accept That One of Our Own Would Betray Us’ February 22, 2019
  Readers discuss the Jussie Smollett case—and John McWhorter’s argument that “victimhood chic” is a 21st-century phenomenon.

Five Thirty Eight

Real Clear Politics

• Europe Can't Keep Coddling Iran February 23, 2019
• Can Pandas Fly? The Struggle to Reform China's Economy February 23, 2019
• Will Uighurs Upend Turkey-China Relations? February 23, 2019
  Semih Idiz, Al-MonitorAnkara's angry outburst over the alleged death of a renowned Uighur folk musician while in Chinese detention has exposed the weakness of Turkey's claims of defending the minority and its dire need to maintain good relations with Beijing.
• America in Race Against China to Control Future of Tech February 23, 2019
  Newt Gingrich, FOX NewsChina and the West are locked in a struggle for control of the future of communication technology. If America doesn't take decisive action soon, we'll lose.
• An Emergency for Republicans February 23, 2019
• For 2020 Candidates, Smollett Story Shows 'Woke' Perils February 23, 2019
  Philip Wegmann, RCPIt was the perfect politically motivated crime, until the Chicago Police Department said it was not. Jussie Smollett, the openly gay star of the television show “Empire,” told Chicago police that two men assaulted him outside his apartment last month.
• Defending Bangladesh's Election February 23, 2019
  Tahseen Ali, RealClearPoliticsIt has become accepted wisdom that if a political party in a far-flung country wins an election overwhelmingly, the election must have been stolen. A healthy democracy should have competitive elections and governments that lack competition must be dictatorships.
• Venezuela's Food Crisis Reaches a Breaking Point February 23, 2019
  Stephania Taladrid, The New YorkerMore than three million Venezuelans have fled the country in the years since the crisis began, and those who remain have seen their quality of life deteriorate to previously unthinkable levels.
• Can Peer Pressure Defeat Trump in 2020? February 23, 2019
  Amy Chozick, New York TimesIn 2020, Democrats need millennials to turn out. Vote shaming apps can help.
• Donald Trump, Gay-Rights Hero February 23, 2019
  Bruce Bawer, PJ MediaIn the days following the alleged attack on a previously obscure TV actor named Jussie Smollett in the early morning hours of January 29, politicians, journalists, and fellow entertainers lined up behind him.

NPR Podcast Feed

• Friday, February 22, 2019 February 22, 2019
  The North Carolina State Board of Elections has voted to hold a new election in the 9th Congressional District amid many signs that the outcome was tainted. And, Chicago police say actor Jussie Smollett staged an attack on himself. Also, a landmark summit in Rome aims to address sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
• Thursday, February 21st, 2019 February 21, 2019
  Update: Since this podcast published, Jussie Smollett has been taken into custody on charges of disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report about being attacked on the street. A 24-year-old woman who fled America to join ISIS now wants to return, but the Trump administration says she has no right to return. Also, […]
• Wednesday, February 20th, 2019 February 20, 2019
  The House Oversight Committee says the Trump administration sought to rush the transfer of American nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. Also, why were five armed Americans arrested in Haiti amid violent protests there? And we go to a lab in Italy where scientists are experimenting with genetically modified mosquitoes to combat malaria.
• Tuesday, February 19th, 2019 February 19, 2019
  President Trump continues his push for regime change in Venezuela. North Carolina election officials are looking into the outcome of the state's 9th Congressional District, which may involve fraud. Also, the latest from Syria.
• Monday, February 18th, 2019 February 18, 2019
  President Trump is likely facing several lawsuits against his national emergency declaration. What are they challenging? And former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe blasts the president in a new book and an interview with NPR. Also, the latest twist in the case of an alleged attack against actor Jussie Smollett.