Iraq'd, ISIS, Benghazi; Ukraine and Russia, China; Corruption; Bad Sports, Sterling; Church and State, Trojan Horse, Educamation, Extermists

Iraq'd

• The Case for Doing Nothing in Iraq—"The same people who got us into this mess want America to 'do something.' Ignore them." Politico
• Neocons promised Iraq would be Model of Democracy, Left US Holding the Bag
• FLASHBACK: Remember When Paul Wolfowitz Said Not to Worry About Sectarian Violence in Iraq?—"The former Bush administration official is perhaps the worst person to give advice about the current crisis in Iraq—but that hasn't stopped him from speaking out."
• Media Malpractice: Iraq War Blunderers Keep Getting Invited to Criticize Obama
• Americans poorly served by media on Iraq, Benghazi
• Cheneys reach the bottom of the barrel, drill deeper
• Jay Carney Had The Perfect Response To Dick Cheney On Iraq
• Sorry, George W. Bush, but this whole mess is still your fault—"GOP wants to pin Iraq on Barack Obama. Perhaps they need a simple refresher in the real history of the last decade." Salon
• How the Top Iraqi Terrorist Was Helped by a Bush-Signed Agreement—"Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who heads the jihadists threatening Baghdad, was freed from prison under a deal W. struck with Iraq. "
• Gunmen Attack North of Baghdad as Obama Weighs Options for Iraq
• Iraq formally asks US to launch air strikes against rebels
• 5,000 Iranians volunteer to defend Iraq holy sites from ISIL militants
• Saudis give apparent warning to Iran: don't meddle in Iraq
• Jon Stewart blasts John McCain over Iraq foreign policy Salon
• Glenn Beck admits: Liberals got Iraq right Politico

ISIS

• ISIS storms across Iraq: What would a jihadist state look like?
• The rules in ISIS' new state: Amputations for stealing and women to stay indoors.
• The ISIS Extremists Causing Havoc in Iraq Are Getting Funds and Recruits From Southeast Asia
• ISIS's Savage Strategy in Iraq—"The brutality currently on display, initiated by the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham, is more than a carnival of revenge."
• Someone Is Spilling ISIS's Secrets on Twitter

Benghazi

• Obama Administration Won't Send Benghazi Suspect To Gitmo
• Benghazi Suspect Said He Was Moved To Take Revenge For American-Made Video
• Hiding in plain sight: Captured Benghazi suspect an enigma
• Abu Khattala was an unlikely leader before Benghazi attacks — and a loner afterward WaPo
• Harry Reid Slams 'Disgusting,' 'Pathetic' GOP Response To Benghazi Arrest
• 7 Republicans Who Said Obama Wasn't Trying Hard Enough to Bring the Benghazi Attacker to Justice
• GOP's Benghazi humiliation: Capture of suspect upends deranged agenda—"With alleged ringleader now in custody, the Benghazi Select Committee just lost a prized grandstanding opportunity." Salon

Ukraine and Russia

• Tanks and gas politics in eastern Ukraine: The crisis heats up again while the world is distracted by Iraq
• Russia cuts natural gas supply to Ukraine
• Ukraine Says Mysterious Pipeline Explosion Is Not So Mysterious
• Ukraine's Poroshenko 'to order unilateral ceasefire'
• Russia 'using words to destroy meaning', say writers—"Group of authors including two Nobel laureates condemns Russian Federation's 'waves of propaganda' against free expression."

China

• To bolster its claims, China plants islands in disputed waters
• Chinese Hackers Are Practicing How To Blow Up US Pipelines And Shut Down Power Plants
• German security firm finds spyware on Chinese-made smartphone

Corruption

• How Corrupt Is the U.S.? Just Watch 'House of Cards,' China Party Arm Says
• Mayor of Venice resigns after corruption inquiry
• Russia's Former Top Anti-Corruption Cop Commits Suicide During Questioning

Bad Sports

• The Brazil World Cup Could Be The Last True Sports Mega-Event
• World Cup Produces Arrest of Mexican Drug Lord Going to Game
• France cries foul at World Cup "spy drone"—"Quadrocopter buzzed French practice facilities near Sao Paulo, Brazil."
• The Odds of a World Cup in Qatar in 2022 Are Falling
• "Open Wide for Some Soccer!": The Simpsons' Brilliant Parody of the Beautiful Game

Sterling

• Donald Sterling pulls support from Clippers sale, suing NBA again
• Donald Sterling hires 4 private investigators to dig up dirt on NBA heads, owners
• Donald Sterling, New Black Girlfriend Vacation In Palm Springs Following Racism Allegations Against NBA

Church and State

• S. Korean PM Nominee: Japan's Occupation Was 'God's Will'—"A leaked video shows Park's prime minister nominee saying that Japan's occupation and Korea's division were 'God's will.'"
• GOP lawmaker: I'm like Paul the Apostle because God told me to run for Congress
• GOP State Legislator Asks Why America Can't Be More Like Saudi Arabia—"A Republican state legislator miffed about an Arkansas judge's ruling that struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban suggested on a conservative radio show that politicians should emulate Saudi Arabia by basing laws off Christian doctrine...."
• Spain to Deport Pakistani Refugee for Criticizing Islam
• New Facebook Group to Block 'Offensive' Posts Against Religious Figures—Say no to sectarian censorship. FSM forever!

Trojan Horse

• UK PM 'concerned' over Muslim schools row—"Remarks come as education minister prepares to submit report on alleged Birmingham plot by 'Islamic extremists.'"
• Dossier of Trojan horse evidence finally laid bare after leaks and allegations
• Books 'promoting stoning' found at Olive Tree Primary School

Educamation

• Christian homeschoolers accused of running 'concentration camp'
• Allegations of racism surface in Israel's ultra-Orthodox schools
• Tony Abbott spends millions to push God in schools—"The prime minister has allocated $226 million for more chaplains, all while slashing his country's education budget." Salon

Extremists

• Nigerian army arrests 486 alleged Boko Haram members—"Boko Haram, which has killed more than 1,500 people in Nigeria this year, is also the group responsible for abducting more than 200 schoolgirls."
• Saudi minister says beheading, lashings 'cannot be changed'
• Mob torches Christian shops in Egypt ahead of trial
• Alleged kidnappings, murder and a female Christ: The banned religious group that has China worried
• Woman in Sudan sentenced to death for apostasy forced to give birth 'with her legs chained'
• Muslim convert to Christianity sues Tulsa church—"The Tulsa County resident, identified only as John Doe in court papers for his own safety, alleges that because the news of his conversion appeared on the Internet, he was kidnapped on a trip to his native Syria by radical Muslims seeking to enforce Shariah law."
• Provocative Islamic sign that says 'Do not walk your dog here! Muslims don't like dogs' investigated by police

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, Islamic, Church and State, Prayer, Educamation, Creationism, Atheism

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day

• Islamic Extremists Now Crucifying People in Syria—and Tweeting Out the Pictures
• Suffering under ISIL rule: testimonies from al-Raqa—"Syrian residents living under the rule of the al-Qaeda-inspired 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) in al-Raqa suffer "daily oppression" and "crackdown on freedoms"."
• Sudan judge sentences Christian woman to death for apostasy
• Saudi Arabia calls for criticism of religion to be outlawed in Norway
• Deemed "disparaging," anti-Muslim website denied trademark—"Activist claims decision based on fears of reprisal from 'Islamic supremacists.'"

Islamic

• Lloyds Bank accused of religious discrimination over free overdrafts on Islamic accounts
• Subway removes ham and bacon from nearly 200 stores and offers halal meat only after 'strong demand' from Muslims—The (paying) customer is always right?
• Keep Indonesia Secular, Yudhoyono Urges

Prayer

• Town Meetings Can Have Prayer, Justices Decide—"In a 5-4 ruling that split the Supreme Court's liberal and conservative members, the justices said that towns may start their sessions with sectarian prayers." NYT
• Town of Greece v. Galloway: Roanoke, Virginia, already seeing the effects of the Supreme Court prayer decision.
• Prompted by U.S. Supreme Court Ruling, Florida Satanist Wants to Open Meeting With Prayer
• Roanoke County Supervisor Reiterates That Non-Christians Will Be Banned from Delivering Invocations—"The freedom of religion doesn't mean that every religion has to be heard."
• Hindu Prayer Interrupted In Senate By Christians

Church and State

• Here's the First Look at the New Satanic Monument Being Built for Oklahoma's Statehouse
• Iowa GOP Senate Candidates Vow To Block Judges Who Won't Follow 'Biblical' Law
• Occupy Christ? White House hopeful wants state religion, gays off TV, and CEO pay cap
• Watch: Alabama Chief Justice Says Freedom of Religion Should Only Apply to Christians
• Americans Claim to Attend Church Much More Than They Do NYT

Educamation

• 'Trojan horse' teacher breaks into girl's phone—"Parent complains to police over school's action to uncover 'forbidden' relationship with a fellow 16-year-old pupil."
• Public School Superintendent Says No to Graduation Prayers; Now He's Under Fire from the Community
• Teen ejected from prom after dads experience 'impure thoughts'
• Seattle school renames Easter eggs 'Spring Spheres'
• Bryan College losing nearly 25% of faculty after 'Adam and Eve' controversy—"The dispute at Bryan College, named for William Jennings Bryan, began in February when trustees clarified the school's statement of belief to state that Adam and Eve were historical people who were not created from previously existing life forms."

Creationism

• Science wins: Religious language struck from South Carolina state fossil bill—Fossilized thinking in the Palmetto State.
• Pat Robertson says Young Earth Creationists are "deaf, dumb and blind"—"The televangelist also says the belief that Earth is only 6,000 years old makes fundamentalists 'look silly.'" Ken Ham reacts.
• Leading GOP Senate Candidate: Creationism Should Be Taught in Public Schools—"Inside Montana Rep. Steve Daines' curious ties with creationism—and dinosaur museums."

Atheism

• Christianity's faith-based freakout: Why atheism makes believers so uncomfortable—"Rather than respecting the right of atheists to disbelieve, christians are constantly forcing them to fake it." Salon
• Atheist TV: Coming soon to a television near you WaPo
• Ken Ham Is Furious That My Book Will Be Handed Out to High School Students in Kentucky

Marriage Equality, Christianists, Mozilla, Same-Sex Spouses; Politics, Educamation, LGBT; Religion, Creationism; Abortion and Birth Control, Rape, Culture Clash; Sexism, Equal Pay, Gender Identity

Marriage Equality

• Supreme Court declines free speech, gay marriage case—"The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider whether a New Mexico photography company had free speech grounds to refuse to shoot the commitment ceremony of a same-sex couple."
• Ohio will have to recognize gay marriages, judge says
• Michigan lesbian who gave post-wedding TV interview is attacked
• Legal fight over dead gay man's estate: his mom, 75, vs. his husband
• Lesbians' baby baptized by Catholic Church in Argentina
• Alabama House approves call to put same-sex marriage ban in U.S. Constitution
• Oregon GOP governor candidate links gay marriage and murder, suggests return to mid-century lawbooks

Christianists

• Welby: backing gay marriage could be 'catastrophic' for Christians
• "Anti-Christian religious bigotry" is apparently what conservatives are now calling LGBTQ rights—"NOM president Brian Brown is seeing a rise in 'anti-Christian' bigotry, which is just a rise in LGBTQ rights." Uh, take that log out of your eyes. Salon
• Head of Anglican church: We must discriminate against gays lest someone think we're gay and bash us

Mozilla

• Brendan Eich resigns as Mozilla Corporation CEO—Can't see how someone who advocates discrimination could have stayed in a company that "believes both in equality and freedom of speech." How would he have treated employees in same-sex marriages?
• After Eich resigns, conservatives slam Mozilla—and call for boycott—Turnabout is fair play?
• No, Andrew Sullivan, Calling Out Bigotry is Not 'Intolerance'
• OkCupid's CEO Donated to an Anti-Gay Campaign Once, Too —What's the diff?
• Just a Reminder: The Campaign for Prop 8 Was Unprecedentedly Cruel

Same-Sex Spouses

• Obama Administration Opens Medicare To Same-Sex Married Couples
• Same-Sex Spouses Can Amend Past Tax Returns for a Bigger Refund
• Same-sex retirement benefits retroactive to June 2013, IRS rules

Politics

• Fox News Hails Doctor Who Said Gay Rights Lead to Child Molestation—"Meet the right's new anti-Obamacare hero."
• LGBT housing non-discrimination bill killed by Louisiana lawmakers
• Mississippi Passes Watered-Down Version Of Arizona's Anti-Gay Bill
• Russian Court Declares Ban on LGBT Rights Protests Illegal
• Gay conversion therapy should have no place in NHS, says health minister
• Beware the Gay Mafia—"Why are conservatives afraid of LGBTQ activists?"

Educamation

• Nun Reportedly Tells Catholic School Kids That Masturbation Makes Guys Gay
• Mississippi's Sex-Ed Classes Teach Kids That Homosexuality Is Illegal, Even Though It Isn't
• South Carolina Senator Convinces University To Cancel Play, Says It Was 'Recruiting' Lesbians
• Transgender substitute teacher upsets Lumberton ISD parents
• Parent Requests Gay Book Pulled from Fauquier High School's Library

LGBT

• 'Gay of Thrones' Is Also Back, With a Vengeance
• Gay male seeks straight guy—"A new study sheds light on the allure of same-sex encounters with heterosexual men." Salon
• Match.Com Will No Longer Make Bi Users Pay For Two Separate Profiles

Religion

• How the Internet Is Taking Away America's Religion—"Using the Internet can destroy your faith. That's the conclusion of a study showing that the dramatic drop in religious affiliation in the U.S. since 1990 is closely mirrored by the increase in Internet use."
• How evangelicals won a culture war and lost a generation
• Congressman Who Campaigned on "Faith, Family, and Hard Work" Caught Kissing Staffer on Tape—Hypocrite.
• Megachurch pastor resigns, citing 'moral failing'
• New Policy in Italy: Catholic Bishops Are Not Obligated to Report Child Sexual Abuse
• Judge slams church over paedophile priest secrets—"A priest who allegedly witnessed predatory pedophile Gerald Ridsdale raping a young girl 40 years ago has been slammed by a judge, but the clergyman’s identity has been withheld from the public."
• Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on Atheism; New Laws Declares It Equivalent to Terrorism
• 'Islamic takeover plot' in Birmingham schools investigated
• France's Le Pen: ban non-pork meals in schools—"Leader of France's far-Right party says schools should not pander to Jewish and Muslim children by offering non-Pork alternatives for lunch."
• Book critical of Scientology, banned from America for 27 years, now goes on sale in US
• Who's Behind Newsweek?—"Pastor David Jang hopes that media companies will 'rain down blessings' on his Christian sect."

Creationism

• Two Christian SC Senators Block Third Grader's State Fossil Proposal Because Jesus —One of them wants to give God credit.
• This GOP House Candidate Is Running for Office So His Daughter Won't Have to Learn About Evolution
• PBS vs. Creationists: A Fight Over Our Fishy Ancestors—"A PBS series aims to show how humans evolved from creatures of the deep. But creationists have denounced it as an attempt to 'package unconditional blind faith in evolution as scientific literacy in an effort to create interest in science.'"
• Lawrence Krauss: I Have No Idea How I Ended Up in That Stupid Geocentrism Documentary
• "Star Trek" actress denounces creationist movie she narrated—"Kate Mulgrew distances herself from geocentrism documentary, and creator's ultra-conservative, anti-Semitic views." Oh Janeway. Salon

Abortion and Birth Control

• The Return Of The Back-Alley Abortion
• Court Keeps New Arizona Abortion Rules On Hold
• Why Antonin Scalia's 'Abortifacient' Confusion is Dangerous—Ignorantly believes contraception induces abortion.
• Murder charges dismissed against Mississippi woman on trial for giving birth to a stillborn—"The murder charge against Rennie Gibbs has been dismissed, but the state plans to re-present the case." Salon
• Wait, Did An Oklahoma Hospital Try to Ban Birth Control Prescriptions For An Entire Town?
• Is '16 And Pregnant' An Effective Form Of Birth Control?—"A study released Monday suggests that the MTV show 16 and Pregnant has contributed to a decline in the nation's teen birthrate. The researchers looked at teen births, Nielsen ratings, Google searches and tweets, and attribute one-third of the decline to the TV show."
• Sengalese girl, 10, raped, now pregnant, denied abortion—"Authorities have ruled she must carry to term. Senegal gives a 10-year sentence to a woman guilty of having an abortion."
• Philippines Supreme Court declares reproductive health law constitutional—"The Court however strikes down some provisions."

Rape

• Dear Harvard: You Win—Anonymous victim laments university's lack of action, but it looks like the school now is responding to the allegation.
• 3 get death sentence in India gang rapes
• This Guy Is Using 'Good Looks' as a Rape Defense—"This guy is using 'good looks' as a rape defense."

Culture Clash

• Afghan girl married at six to cover her father's debt
• Iraq ready to legalise childhood marriage—"Children under nine years old could be legally married and wives forced to comply with sexual demands under newly tabled legislation described by critics as a setback for women's rights."
• Islamophobia in action? 'Honor Diaries' screening shut down by CAIR
• The Pink Gang in India: Victims No More—In other news, the Gulabi Gang gets shut down by Komen for choosing pink. (Not really... but stranger things have happened.)

Sexism

• Staffer Who Was Caught Kissing Vance McAllister Resigns, While Congressman Keeps His Job
• Conservative Pundit Wonders Why Women Voters 'Are So Easily Fooled And Manipulated'
• 'Dirty Old Man' Judge Wants To Tell Women Lawyers What To Wear
• Princeton Mom Is Everything That's Wrong With Everything
• Thousands protest in support of breastfeeding 'tramp'

Equal Pay

• Hillary Clinton: For women, 'Double standard is alive and well'
• Republican Slams Dems' Equal Pay Push As 'Condescending' To Women
• Senate Republicans Block Bill on Equal Pay—"A Democratic-sponsored bill meant to close the pay gap between men and women failed in the Senate, framing an election-year fight over whose policies are friendlier to female voters." NYT
• Republicans kiss votes from women goodbye WaPo
• Mikulski Tears Into Stereotype That Women Are 'Too Emotional'
• Obama Actions Test Workplace Ideas—"Obama will sign an executive order Tuesday barring federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss their pay with each other." Check out GlassDoor.

Gender Identity

• The Problem With Your Problem With Pink
• Girl and boy toys: Childhood preferences for gendered toys are not innate
• I will let my son play with Barbies

World Backup Day; Marriage Equality, LGBT, Intolerance of Religion, Think of the Children; Church vs. State; War on Women, Culture Clash; Catholic Coffers; Gotta Have Faith

World Backup Day—PSA: Back Up Your Shit.

Marriage Equality

• Gay marriage: 'When people's love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change,' says PM as first same-sex couples tie knot
• Rick Snyder: Michigan Won't Recognize Same-Sex Marriages—But the federal government will [NYT].
• Gay Firefox developers boycott Mozilla to protest CEO hire—"Brendan Eich's Prop 8 donations come to light, and internal response is mixed." For other and perhaps related reasons, three Mozilla board members resigned.
• Gay Couples Find Uneven Access To Health Insurance
• Anti-gay bigots won't give up: Why marriage equality triumphalism is a big mistake—"The gay rights movement has made huge strides, but it would be a mistake to assume its work is finished. Here's why." Salon

LGBT

• Russian thugs beat up St Patrick's flashmob after mistaking it for gay activists
• Top Kenyan MP classifies homosexuality as terrorism
• Miss. Anchor Says He's Sick Of LGBT News, Tells Activists To Go On 'Gaycation'

Intolerance of Religion

• Hobby Lobby Owners Backed Arizona Anti-Gay Law, Sent Millions To Religious Right Wing Network
• Catholic Diocese Under Fire for Refusing to Sell Property to Gay Couple
• Arizona Pol Apologizes For Praising Fred Phelps After Onion Obituary Dupes Him

Think of the Children

• 10 weirdest things the Christian right thinks will turn your kids gay—"Did you know that the pro-gay agenda is being promoted by penguins? How about Harry Potter? You've been warned." Salon
• Christian School Tells Eight-Year-Old Girl She Looks Too Much Like A Boy
• Tennessee Passes Bill Allowing The Bullying of LGBT Students In The Name Of 'Religious Freedom'

Church vs. State

• Why Christians — America's most populous religious group — feel so victimized
• Carroll commissioner 'willing to go to jail' over right to pray—"Plaintiffs' attorney: 'Any continued defiance of the court order will leave us with no choice but to seek a contempt order.'"
• Alabama Governor Declares 'Day of Prayer Over Students'

War on Women

• Former President Jimmy Carter's call to action: : Women, Religion, Violence and Power—"My own experiences and the testimony of courageous women from all regions and all major religions have made it clear to me that as a result of these two factors there is a pervasive denial of equal rights to women...."
• Pat Robertson: Atheist women were likely raped, and that's why they reject Jesus
• Vatican punishes Wisconsin priest for saying Mass with female priest

Culture Clash

• Concern as Brunei brings in system of Islamic law with punishments that include the dismemberment of limbs and stoning to death
• Exclusive: 'locked-up' Saudi princesses' message for Obama
• Horrific Taboo: Female Circumcision on the Rise in US—Fuck those who practice this evil shit.

Catholic Coffers

• German 'bishop of bling' resigns over spending scandal—He casts some blame onto his deputy.
• Archbishop Hebda may be as tone deaf as Archbishop Myers
• Suspected Fraud Plot Foiled At Vatican Bank

Gotta Have Faith

• Girl talks to pope on immigration, then dad freed WaPo
• How Biblically Accurate Is Noah?
• Man swept out to sea during Sunday morning baptism WaPo

International Women's Day; Belle Knox, Sexism, War on Women; Abortion and Birth Control; Culture Clash; Japanese Revisionism, Rape and Sexual Assaults, Blame the Victim; Military; Ukraine, UK-Reined

International Women's Day

• On International Women's Day: Working to make it right—"Let's celebrate International Women's Day by remembering women around the world working towards peace."
• Men Are Target for UN Women's Rights and Empowerment Campaign
• Stop female scientists being written out of Wikipedia history—"The Royal Society is urging people to help it shine a light on the achievements of women in science in a forthcoming 'edit-athon.'"
• The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary—"A school dropout from a poor family in southern India has revolutionised menstrual health for rural women in developing countries by inventing a simple machine they can use to make cheap sanitary pads."
• The New Barbie: Meet the Doll with an Average Woman's Proportions—"Artist Nickolay Lamm thinks some dolls should look like anatomically correct women. And a former Mattel exec is helping."

Belle Knox

• I'm Finally Revealing My Name and Face As the Duke Porn Star—Her slutshaming went on overdrive.
• Duke porn star Belle Knox says she wants to help sex workers after bankrolling law degree with sex
• Bully who outed Duke porn star has his porn preferences publicized

Sexism

• Hey Microsoft: The 1950s called, they want their sexist ad back—"This isn't the first time Microsoft has resorted to regressive gender norms." Salon
• Female WestJet pilot posts passenger's sexist note on Facebook
• I Witnessed Hollywood's Sexism Firsthand -- And Said Nothing
• Sexism in sport: Why do internet trolls target women?
• This Prankster in Yoga Pants Makes Powerful Point About Sexism

War on Women

• Virginia GOPer Refers To Women Seeking An Abortion As Just A 'Host'—And the baby is a parasite?
• GOP Lawmaker: We Need to Ban Sex-Selective Abortions Because of Asian Immigrants—"Supporters of a South Dakota bill say Asian Americans don't value girls as much as boys."
• Former Dem Rep. Who Lost House Seat To McLeod Calls Her A 'Bimbo'
• Dem TX District Attorney Candidate: Domestic Violence Is 'So Overrated'
• O'Reilly ponders 'downsides' to women presidents

Abortion and Birth Control

• I Can't Afford to Let My Boss Interfere With My Health Care Decisions
• The Doctor Is Out—"Conservative governors are pushing abortion politics onto health boards—and threatening doctors’ independence on other medical issues."
• The Seven Most Common Lies About Abortion—"Debunking anti-choice misinformation about women's health."
• US Supreme Court: Arizona can't withhold Planned Parenthood funds over abortion
• Planned Parenthood comes up clean in state investigation—"Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast has not been using government funds to provide or recommend abortions in Louisiana, according to a report released Monday morning by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. "
• Arizona advances bill for surprise inspections of abortion clinics
• Arizona sued over rules limiting abortion drug use
• Alabama anti-cloning bill would allow hospitals to turn away miscarrying women
• Alabama lawmakers weigh strict 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban—Would there be an instance where abortion is mandated?
• 2 More Texas Abortion Clinics Shut Down Because Of New Anti-Abortion Law
• The Afterlife of "After-Birth Abortion"
• Are teen parents costing Vt. taxpayers?

Culture Clash

• Saudi Arabia: Women's visits to hospitals without male guardians banned—They still aren't allowed to drive due to this male guardianship.
• Frustration in Afghan women's rights struggle
• Egypt's Security Forces Once Again Using Virginity Tests On Female Detainees
• Sudan court convicts Ethiopian woman over 'gang-rape'—"An Ethiopian woman who says she was gang-raped in Sudan has been convicted of 'indecent acts.'"
• The Bikini Question—How is this Christian author's view not different from other religion's imposing on women to cover up?

Japanese Revisionism

• Controlling Public Art By Lawsuit: Japanese-American Citizens Sue To Remove "Comfort Women" Memorial—Whitewashing history.
• Sex slavery an 'indescribable' wrong: Murayama
• Japanese historians slam sex-slave apology review—"A group of Japanese historians Friday stood behind their government’s 1993 apology over wartime sex slavery, slamming Tokyo's possible move to revise it as 'unforgivable.'"

Rape and Sexual Assaults

• Montana Prosecutor Allegedly Told Mother of 5-Year-Old Sexual-Assault Victim That "Boys Will Be Boys"
• Girl, 14, gang raped while walking home through Sydney park
• Canadian Doctor Sentenced For Sexual Assault—"A Canadian anesthesiologist convicted of sexually assaulting 21 sedated women during surgeries was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison."
• Troubles at Women's Prison Test Alabama—"The Tutwiler women’s prison is rife with sexual crimes, the federal government says, but the appetite for costly reform in tough-on-crime Alabama appears minimal." NYT
• Police Testify That Patricia Esparza "Consented to" Being Raped
• Condom piercer loses Supreme Court appeal—"Craig Jaret Hutchinson convicted in December 2011 and sentenced to 18 months behind bars."

Blame the Victim

• Wall Street Journal Columnist: Victims Of Sexual Assault Need To Take Their Share Of Blame, Too
• At Evangelical College, Woman Who Was Assaulted Is "Responsible for What Happened to Her"
• Montana judge admits fault for blaming victim of rape

Military

• Senate Blocks Bill To Overhaul Prosecution Of Rape In The Military—The filibustered bill, that would have civilian court handle rape cases, has had a difficult time getting passed.
• Army's top sex assault prosecutor suspended after assault allegation
• Army disqualifies 588 soldiers after sexual assault review
• Fort Hood solider charged in prostitution case—"A Fort Hood sergeant who was a coordinator of the post's sexual assault and harassment prevention program faces multiple charges after he was accused of setting up a prostitution ring involving cash-strapped female soldiers."
• AP findings on US military sex crimes in Japan—"Hundreds of records detailing sex-crime investigations involving U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan show most offenders were not incarcerated, suspects received light punishments after being accused of serious violations, and victims increasingly were wary of cooperating with investigators."
• 20 Years Ago, an Army Veteran Reported a Sexual Assault. She's Still Waiting for Justice.
• UK: MoD denies cover-up in Anne-Marie Ellement inquest as documents found—"Coroner delays ruling in military police rape claim inquest after lawyers for MoD uncover discs with 1,400 unseen documents."
• UK military allowed to investigate sexual assaults without involving police—"Commanding officers can deal with what military sees as 'lesser' sexual offences without independent scrutiny."

Ukraine

• For First Time, Kremlin Signals It Is Prepared to Annex Crimea NYT
• Who Will Protect the Crimean Tatars?—"As Crimea prepares for a referendum on its future, its native Muslim residents are preparing for the worst."
• Crimea: paramilitaries shown with gun to journalist's head
• 21 Times Journalists Have Confirmed Masked Troops in Crimea Are Russian
• CNN team told to stop broadcasting from Crimea Politico
• Ukraine: Is This How the War on Terror Ends?
• Why Russia Can't Afford Another Cold War—"The old Soviet Union was all but impervious to foreign economic or business pressure. But now it has a stock market, and an economy heavily reliant on exports to Europe." NYT

UK-Reined

• Britain's KGB Sugar Daddy—"To understand Britain’s cowardice in standing up to Vladimir Putin, just follow the money."
• Nick Clegg hints at Crimea deal if Vladimir Putin 'drops KGB mentality'—"Deputy prime minister says Crimea is in different category from rest of Ukraine, and Russia has 'pronounced imprint' there."
• David Cameron's serious Twitter photo mocked by celebrities, Sir Patrick Stewart

Ukraine; Discrimination, Arizona, Uganda; Church and State, Scouts; Sex Abuse Scandal; Catholic Coffers; Religion

Ukraine

• Ukraine orders full military mobilisation over Russia moves—Which is a considered a 'declaration of war.'
• Ukraine Finds Its Forces Are Ill Equipped to Take Crimea Back From Russia NYT
• Obama urges Putin to pull troops back
• Harper recalls ambassador, tells Putin to withdraw
• Russia told to 'back off' by Abbott
• UK pulls out of preparatory talks for G8 summit in Sochi
• Kerry condemns Russia's 'incredible act of aggression' in Ukraine
• UNSC, EU, NATO to hold urgent meetings over Ukraine
• Thousands March In Pro-Invasion Rally In Moscow
• The Wikileaks cables that anticipated the Russian invasion of Crimea
• UNSC, EU, NATO to hold urgent meetings over Ukraine
• The Wikileaks cables that anticipated the Russian invasion of Crimea

Discrimination

• The Week The 'Religious Freedom' Movement Hit Its High Water Mark
• When 'Religious Liberty' Was Used To Justify Racism Instead Of Homophobia
• Who Favors Discrimination against Gay Newlyweds? Most Republicans, old People, Southerners, Evangelicals
• GOP lawmaker says he 'regrets' offensive statements about gays, abortion
• NYC Church Warns That 'Homo Demons' Unleashed By Obama Will Steal Men

Arizona

• Arizona's antigay bill: Did warnings about Muslim religious freedom help prompt a veto?
• Arizona Not Done! Bill Would Allow Judges To Discriminate Against Gays
• It's Still Legal to Fire Gays in Arizona—"Jan Brewer’s veto of SB 1062 doesnt change a thing: discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is quite alright by the law."
• Tempe, Ariz., approves LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance
• Opinion: Arizona Did Us All a Favor—"Recent legal movements are fraught with trouble for a country founded on the idea that church does not dictate to state." NYT
• Stephen Colbert Makes a Cake for Gays

Uganda

• World Bank delays loan to Uganda over anti-gay law—Uganda claims this is 'blackmail.'
• Scots bid to offer Ugandan gay law asylum
• Anti-gay filmmaker Jason 'Molotov' Mitchell challenges for NC Senate seat—"Mitchell made news nationally in 2010 when he posted a video in support of a Ugandan anti-homosexuality law that would have imposed the death penalty on violators."
• Uganda bans miniskirts, pornography
• Ugandan women protest anti-miniskirt mobs

Church and State

• Alabama House committee passes school prayer bill without votes
• Ten Commandments bill on way to Alabama Senate after passing out of committee
• Conservatives Boot American Atheists From Booth At Conference
• Deal could allow gays in Boston St. Pat's parade
• Texas Religious-right Politicians Fall Prey to Scam by ‘Godly Man’

Scouts

• Disney cuts ties with Boy Scouts over ban on LGBTQ troop leaders—"The Walt Disney Company's corporate guidelines ban discrimination based on sexual or gender identity." Salon
• Small tent: Georgia pastor boots Boy Scouts to keep gay scouts from camping with other boys
• N. Va. priest who ousted Cub Scouts over gays kept the popcorn money for Christian group—"Fairfax cleric who severed ties with Cub Scouts over gays kept $4,000 to fund new Christian group." WaPo
• Boy Scouts See Ranks Shrink After Policy Shift on Gays—"Says other factors could contribute to the lower number of participants."
• Alternative to Boy Scouts, formed in wake of gay controversy, finds its footing

Sex Abuse Scandal

• Mom of two abused boys: Archdiocese is trying to blame me
• Former altar boy reveals grim details of Philadelphia priest’s alleged sex abuse
• Catholic church will publicly name 50 or more former priests who abused kids in western Montana
• Croatia Church finds priest guilty of pedophilia
• Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge dismayed by Catholic Church sex abuse claims—Those who "had ignored and excused sex abuse claims."

Islam

• Nigeria school raid 'leaves dozens dead'—"Suspected Islamist militants from the Boko Haram group in north-eastern Nigeria have attacked a school and shot some students, the military has said."
• 19 Islamic words banned for non-Muslims in Brunei—"They are azan; baitullah; Al Quran; Allah; fatwa; Firman Allah; hadith; haji; hukum syara'; ilahi; Ka'bah; kalimah al syahadah; kiblat; masjid; imam; mufti; mu'min; solat; and wali."
• Muslims Worldwide Sign Petition to Ban Blasphemous Katy Perry Video from YouTube
• Tunisian pardoned over Prophet cartoons—"Decree clears man jailed since 2012 for posting caricatures of Prophet Muhammad online, but no word yet on his release."
• US court orders removal of anti-Islam film from YouTube—Should freedom of speech pay the price because of a spurious copyright notice? Google doesn't think so.

Catholic Coffers

• Pope Talks Poverty, Eyes Overhaul Of Vatican Finances
• Pope revolutionizes Vatican by opening finances to scrutiny
• Big Spending NJ Archdiocese Doesn't Want To Talk About Pope's Call For Modesty
• A Church So Poor It Has to Close Schools, Yet So Rich It Can Build a Palace NYT
• Bling bishop used charity millions for HQ: report—"A disgraced German bishop who spent €31 million building a new headquarters used cash reserved for good causes to fund his lavish projects...."

Religion

• Why must Jesus be sexy in film?—Mmm... homem bonito.
• Kentucky Baptists use gun giveaways to lure unchurched to Christ
• Pastor of Korean Megachurch Convicted for Embezzling $12 Million
• Illinois Woman Charged With Vandalizing 20 Churches, Mosques
• "Hipster" Christianity: 9 hilarious attempts by the religious right to be cool Salon

Ukraine; GOP and Homophobia, Africa, Religion, Intolerance, Educamation, Politics and Media, Marriage Equality

Ukraine

• Yanukovych Tries to Flee Ukraine as Opponents Take Power
• Ukraine uprising: The private zoo, the galleon moored on a private lake, the fleet of vintage cars - Ukrainians left open-mouthed at the opulence of Yanukovych's country estate
• Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov named interim president
• Ukraine ex-PM Tymoshenko calls for protests to continue
• Russia feels double-crossed over Ukraine – but what will Putin do?

GOP and Homophobia

• GOP Lawmakers Want To Define Anti-Gay Discrimination As 'Religious Freedom'
• Inside the Conservative Campaign to Launch "Jim Crow-Style" Bills Against Gay Americans—"In this new up-is-down world, anti-gay religious folks are 'practicing their faith' when they're baking cakes or renting out hotel rooms to travelers.
• Idaho GOPer responds to outcry, pulls two virulently anti-gay laws from consideration—'Rep. Lynn Luker says his legislation has been "misinterpreted" and he reserves the right to reintroduce it later." Salon
• Kansas Republicans Decide Anti-Gay Bill Is "Discrimination," Kill It—Was this a ploy all along?
• South Dakota: LGBT Bill Dies, Cited As Discrimination—State. Sen Jensen, primary sponsor of the bill, said that, "As a follower of Jesus Christ, I’m commanded to love, to love everyone. That doesn’t mean I must condone the lifestyle choices that someone chooses. The GLBT movement doesn’t just want societies approval. They want their lifestyle choices applauded; they want standing ovations."
• TN lawmakers drop wedding vendors bill
• Maine Rejects 'Religious Freedom' License To Discriminate Against Gays
• AZ Senate: Businesses citing religion should be able to refuse service to gays—The bill, which passed the legislature, has repurcussions.
• GOP Candidate: Protecting LGBTs From Getting Fired Is 'Segregation'
• Former GOProud Head Not Impressed With CPAC's New Gay "Inclusion"
• Fired Grocery Store Worker On Gov. McCrory: 'He Was Hating On Me For Being A Fag'—"The grocery store cook who lost his job over a face-to-face tiff with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) has no ill-will toward his former employer."
• How the Mind Rationalizes Homophobia—"It's not easy to justify gut feelings with logical arguments. But that doesn't stop people from trying—in the NFL, in state legislatures, and beyond."

Africa

• John Kerry Denounces Yahya Jammeh's 'Unacceptable' Anti-LGBT Comments—The Gambian President called gay people 'vermin'.
• Africa's horrifying persecution of gays
• Homophobia: Africa's new Apartheid
• Frank Mugisha: 'Homophobia is not African. It's imported'
• It is homophobia, not homosexuality, that is alien to traditional African culture—"Gay rights are in crisis across Africa, yet diverse sexual practices and identities have always existed in these societies."
• The church's role in, and against, homophobia across Africa WaPo
• Anti-gay Africa: Radio 4 is bravely tackling homophobia with humour. But will it work?

Religion

• How US Evangelicals Helped Create Russia's Anti-Gay Movement—"Meet the Fox News producer, the nightclub impresario, and the oligarchs who teamed up to write inequality into law."
• Malawi Muslims Reject Homosexuality Vote—"As debate on whether to decriminalize homosexuality or not rages on in Malawi, the Muslim community in the Southern African nation is against proposals to hold a national referendum to decide on the matter, describing the move as a threat to the 'sanctity of religion.'"
• Gay patient says Catholic chaplain refused him last rites WaPo

Intolerance

• Neil Francis apologises for saying gay people have 'no interest' in sport
• Canadian Forces probes Facebook group belittling gay and lesbian members
• Man Who Brutally Beat Gay Texas Man Said It Started As 'A Joke'

Educamation

• Alabama high school overruled after trying to ban same-sex prom couples
• Middle school protest draws about 300 students in support of gay couple
• South Carolina's College of Charleston dollars cut for 'promotion of lesbians'

Politics and Media

• How Gigi Chao sparked Hong Kong gay rights debate
• Irish grapple with gay rights in New York and Ireland
• Patrick Stewart Has An Awesome Response To Being 'Outed' As Gay By The Guardian

Marriage Equality

• Dear GOP: Top 5 Biblical Marriage Moments far worse than Gay Marriage—Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian™, explains best a Bible-based marriage.
• McConnell Challenger: Gay Marriage Could Lead To Parent-Child Marriage
• Gov. Rick Snyder asks federal judge to uphold same-sex benefits ban for public employees
• Gay Couples Sue Colorado For Marriage Rights
• Idaho Couples Ask Judge to Rule on Gay Marriage
• Oregon won't defend gay-marriage ban in lawsuit—"... arguing it cannot withstand a federal constitutional challenge."
• Fed Judge: Gay Couples Don't Have To Wait To Wed In Chicago
• UK Supreme Court judge Lord Wilson backs gay marriage—Things are already changing.

Pope Francis; Intolerance of Religion; Marriage Equality, Utah; LGBT

Pope Francis

• The Francis factor: Pope's economic ideas rattle GOP Politico
• CNN Poll: Pope's approval rating sky-high
• Atheists are good if they do good, Pope Francis says
• Paul Ryan lectures the pope—"The Catholic conservative who insists he cares about the poor says Pope Francis doesn't understand capitalism." Salon

Intolerance of Religion

• Pastor John Hagee to atheists: Get out of U.S.—Theocracists only!
• M&S faces furious backlash from customers over Muslim policy—"Marks & Spencer's official Facebook page is deluged with messages from customers furious at bosses' decision to let Muslim staff refuse to serve pork and alcohol to customers, as campaign is launched to boycott store."
• Wife: Saudi blogger sentenced to death for apostasy
• Extremist: Allah Says We Must Decapitate, Forbids Cannibalism

Marriage Equality

• Scalia Gets Another Nod From Ohio Judge in Gay Marriage Decision
• Indiana Finds It's Not So Easy to Buck Gay Marriage Trend—"Supporters of same-sex marriage say victory in a generally conservative place would mark a turning point in a fight that has largely been waged in more left-leaning states or in the courts." NYT
• State National Guards Cave, Provide Benefits to Gay Couples
• Catholic School Asked Gay Administrator to Dissolve His Marriage

Utah

• Same-sex couples shatter marriage records in Utah
• Utah To Ask SCOTUS To Block Same-Sex Marriage Decision During Appeal
• Couple suing Utah County for refusal to grant marriage license—"Woman says she and partner have faced years of hostility."
• Utah. Gay marriage. Boy Scouts. Pizza. Say no more

LGBT

• Prancing Elites lose spot in MoonPie Over Mobile parade
• A Texas Ban on Gay Two-Stepping Shows Why We Still Need Gay Bars
• Orangetree's Rainbow Flag Fright—"Residents in Irvine neighborhood complain about 'fag flag' flying over home." Merry Christmas, homophobes.
• Boy Scouts open ranks to gay youth on Jan. 1

World AIDS Day; Pope Francis, Mormonic, Sex Abuse Scandals; Islamists; Church and State; Marriage Equality; Religion, Bad for Your Health; RIP Paul Walker

World AIDS Day

Pope Francis

• Pope Francis calls for decentralisation of Church powers—"Pope Francis has called for power in the Catholic Church to be devolved away from the Vatican, in the first major work he has written in the role."
• Pope Francis Calls Unfettered Capitalism 'A New Tyranny'
• Pope ramps up charity office to be near poor, sick—"Pope Francis has ramped up the Vatican's charity work, sending his chief alms-giver and a contingent of Swiss guards onto the streets of Rome at night to do what he usually can't do: comfort the poor and the homeless." WaPo
• Vatican Hires International Accounting Firm To Get Books in Order
• The PR Guru Behind the Pope Who Is Charming the World—"Every modern-day media darling needs a PR machine, and Pope Francis is no exception. Enter Greg Burke: the 53-year-old Fox News correspondent turned Holy See handler."

Mormonic

• Mormon Church in UT State Supreme Court CHALLENGING Reporting about Sex Abuse Victims
• Mormon church denies lawsuit's claims of sex abuse coverup
• Ex-Mormon bishop admits sex crimes with teen church members—"Ex-bishop Todd M. Edwards, 49, admits committing felony acts on two teenage girls who attended his Menifee church."

Sex Abuse Scandals

• "Rape the gay away" pastor won't serve time—"Iowa pastor and youth counselor Brent Girouex, who claimed with a straight face that he was trying to 'cure' teenage boys of their 'homosexual urges' by having sex with them, has had his sentence reduced from 17 years in prison to sex offender treatment and probation." Salon
• Australia: Pedophile priest guilty on new charges
• Disciplined Priest accused of abuse stripped of title
• Owner of alleged Satanic sex abuse daycare released as case against her falls apart—Kids' outrageous lies.
• Blast from the Past: Ex-priest convicted of trying to hire hit man to kill abuse accuser

Islamists

• Central African Republic 'descending into chaos'
• Jihadists cut down 150-year-old oak in Syria
• German writer Abdel-Samad missing in Egypt—"A German writer threatened with death after criticizing Islamists has gone missing in Egypt. Police suspect that Hamed Abdel-Samad was abducted by religious extremists, but the investigation is still ongoing."

Church and State

• Supreme Court will take up new health law dispute—"The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to referee another dispute over President Barack Obama's health care law: whether businesses may use religious objections to escape a requirement to cover birth control for employees."
• SC school cancels Christmas toy drive under legal pressure—American Humanist Association not acting humane.
• OH Supreme Court rules firing justified for teacher accused of advancing religion in classroom
• Science Education Advocates Thwart Late-Night Hijacking of Texas Science Textbook Adoption
• Atheists Take On The IRS—"IRS policies on church tax exemptions aren’t just potentially making America poorer – they also illegally discriminate against atheists, a lawsuit alleges."
• FFRF, Gaylor, Barker overturn 'parsonage exemption' clergy privilege—"The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker have won a significant ruling with far-reaching ramifications declaring unconstitutional the 1954 'parish exemption' uniquely benefiting 'ministers of the gospel.'"
• Gay snub Cornish B&B owners lose Supreme Court appeal—"The Christian owners of a guesthouse who were ordered to pay damages for turning away a gay couple have lost their UK Supreme Court fight."
• Moscow mayor: No more mosques in my city—"The mayor says that the move is meant to discourage illegal immigration, but critics say it is corruption that is fueling migration, not mosques."

Marriage Equality

• Jury Sends A Message On Marriage Equality And Fines Gay Couple One Cent
• Texas National Guard To Let Same-Sex Couples Sign For Benefits—State law was preventing it [WaPo], but using federal personnel overcomes that roadblock.
• Oklahama Gov. Fallin halts all spouse benefit applications at state-owned National Guard facilities
• Chattanooga: Domestic partner benefits passes on final council vote
• Mary Cheney Joins Fight Against Indiana Gay Marriage Ban
• Houston Mayor: Benefits will be offered to same-sex spouses of city employees
• Judge Allows Terminally Ill Chicago Woman To Marry Her Partner Before Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect
• Croatia holds referendum on same-sex marriage ban

Religion

• Right-wing "family expert": Treating husbands and wives as equals is unchristian—"Russell Moore called egalitarian marriages 'false gospel' that defy the Bible." Salon
• Head teacher apologises over 'racial discrimination' letter—"A head teacher has apologised for sending parents a letter saying a "racial discrimination" note would be added to their child's education record if they did not go on a religious trip."
• Christian leaders rage at naming of gay US ambassador to Dominican Republic—"The arrival of a new envoy and his husband in Santo Domingo has incensed prominent Catholics and evangelicals."
• Harvard Journal Essay Argues Jews Suffer Because They 'Killed Jesus'
• Costco Apologizes for Labeling Bibles as Fiction

Bad for Your Health

• Ohio Amish Girl, Family Flee to Avoid Forced Chemo
• Parents of Injured Baby Choose Emergency Baptism Over Hospital Visit, With Fatal Consequences
• The vaccination problem can't simply be prayed away—"Political correctness has meant practices that endanger children aren't publicly condemned."

RIP Paul Walker—Had a major crush on him over a decade ago. He'll always be a Walker to Remember.