https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/national/national-politics/trump-unifying-democrats-instead-consolidating-his-base

Nice neutral source.

https://chapelboro.com/news/unc/unc-moves-quickly-removes-silent-sam-pedestal-on-folts-authorization

This is the most interesting part:

«This came hours after Folt’s letter to the student body, in which she announced her resignation and authorized the removal of the remainder of the Confederate monument statue.»

(This article courtesy of my pastors at University UMC.)

https://www.newsweek.com/world-health-organization-who-un-global-health-air-pollution-anti-vaxxers-1292493

Wow.

Below are 10 of the most significant issues that the WHO and its partners will tackle in 2019 (in no particular order.)

And they are:

• Air pollution and climate change
• Noncommunicable diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes)
• Global influenza pandemic — The WHO warns that a global influenza pandemic could strike at any time.
• Fragile and vulnerable settings — Crises—such as drought, famine, conflict and population displacement—and poor health services
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Ebola and other high-threat pathogens
• Weak primary health care
• Vaccine hesitancy
• Dengue
• HIV

I imagine not many mainstream pastors would haul off and say this to their congregations on a Sunday morning, but…

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance….

…the folks who listened to this took a special trip to hear it. Like taking a trip to that Really Good Restaurant in New York or Boston where the waitstaff treats you curtly. You take the trip for the experience and then you go home from vacation or your “retreat”.

I bet none of THOSE folks would have wanted to hear something similar in their home congregation, either.

Honestly, I don’t think we’ve (“we”, not “y’all”) changed in 2,000 years.

NEW YORK—As part of its effort to provide the most comprehensive reporting possible on the freshman congresswoman, Fox News announced Wednesday the debut of a new premium television channel that will offer continuous, around-the-clock updates on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “For an extra $8.99 per month, you’ll have an all-access pass to the AOC Zone, which features wall-to-wall coverage of every word Ocasio-Cortez utters, as well as in-depth analysis of her wardrobe and any videos we’re able to dig up from her college days,” said Fox spokesperson Avery Mattison, adding that the new channel will include uninterrupted live footage of the 29-year-old representative every time she appears in public, along with nonstop commentary from a 12-person panel of experts. “We know our viewers will come to depend on this outlet for 24-hour coverage of AOC, which is why her tweets, Instagram posts, and her latest wacky policy proposals will appear in a ticker at the bottom of the screen. We’re particularly excited for the premiere of the channel’s flagship program, AOC Tonight With Tucker Carlson.” Minutes after AOC Zone began broadcasting, sources confirmed its ratings had already surpassed those of Fox News.

Source: Fox News Debuts Premium Channel For 24-Hour Coverage Of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/is-the-age-of-tech-over/580504/

«Publicly traded companies that are classified as “tech” now trade at one of the smallest premiums in history, according to a recent JP Morgan analyst note. The most famous of these companies—the so-called faangs, of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google—have seen their price-earnings ratios collapse by more than 60 percent in the past two years.

….

Facebook and Google have grown to dominate digital advertising. But in the U.S., overall ad spending has historically averaged no more than 3 percent of GDP. How do you grow forever in a sector that isn’t growing? That’s easy: You don’t. There may be a Malthusian trap in the attention economy. Eventually, revenue growth bumps up against the natural limitations of population and waking hours. [Note: Not sure I see Malthus here, since the limitation is declared to be population, which grows geometrically, not arithmetically. I think somebody just wanted to use the word “Malthusian”. — John.]

….

Software ate media, and media went down pretty smoothly. Now it has to gnaw through the harder, crunchier parts of the global economy. Software eating life sciences? Software eating elderly care? Software eating household construction? Software eating money? Good luck.

….

[All the awful things that can go wrong with books:] When you buy Lolita on Amazon, you’re not worried that it will arrive missing the first page, or smelling like fish, or saying “by Dan Brown” on the cover.»

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1085177058135810048.html

The Beeb gets EXCORIATED. [And this problem isn’t just limited to the BBC.]

Thread by @a9ri: “Oh hi. Let’s look at this bullshit article on the BBC website, shall we? First of all it’s on the BBC so you’re like oh wow be a big deal. You read that there have been calls, calls for Gillette to post an apology video! Damn. Oh th […]”

https://apnews.com/c39334f65f99465582b49489c5077781

Wow. I wonder what the odds are of at least one Supreme Court Justice not even reading the opinion?

«In a 277-page decision that won’t be the final word on the issue, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that while such a question would be constitutional, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had added it arbitrarily and not followed proper administrative procedures.»