A Nightmare Is Unfolding in the Great Barrier Reef

If scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef is on your bucket list, you might want to book tickets soon. This week, marine biologists dropped some horribly depressing news: the Great Barrier Reef is dying. The world’s largest reef is in the midst of a widespread coral bleaching event, and scientists aren’t sure whether it will fully recover.

A Nightmare Is Unfolding in the Great Barrier Reef

sigh…

Clinton to climate activist: ”I’m so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about me’/ 

…donations from people who work for oil and gas companies. Clinton’s [campaign] has taken more than $300,000 from people who work for those companies, according to Greenpeace. Clinton’s campaign has not received any money directly from oil and gas companies, as that would violate election law.
“Bernie Sanders has taken more than $50,000 on this campaign from individuals working for oil and gas companies.

Assuming they don’t believe their own candidate is bought by the fossil fuel industry, they should stop the false attacks and do what they’ve claimed the campaign is about: debating the issues.”  [- Clinton campaign spokesperson Nick Merrill]

Clinton to climate activist: ‘I’m so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about me’ – CNNPolitics.com

hmmm

Barney Frank is not impressed by Bernie Sanders.

It’s ironic that we complain about voter suppression and shortened voting times and then we have so many caucuses. The caucuses are the least democratic political operation in America. They cater to the people who have a lot of time on their hands, and what’s interesting is Sanders is the nominee of the caucuses and Hillary is the nominee of the primaries.

Barney Frank is not impressed by Bernie Sanders.

hmmmm

Bratton Has ‘Strong Concerns’ About Arrest of a Mailman in Brooklyn

Members of the [Police Department’s Conditions Unit] are expected to work in uniform, [New York City’s police commissioner] Bratton said, and the officers who arrested Mr. Grays were wearing street clothes. After the arrest, which resulted in Mr. Grays being issued a summons for disorderly conduct, the officers were removed from their assignments and put on patrol pending an investigation by the Internal Affairs Bureau, the commissioner said.

…The arrest forced Mr. Grays to leave a United States postal truck unattended, raising questions about potential violations of federal law regarding the interruption of mail delivery. A representative of the United States Postal Service said in an email last week that its Office of Inspector General was investigating the matter. That an unsecured truck had been left double-parked on a busy street after Mr. Grays was taken into custody “would be a significant issue of concern in terms of the investigation going forward,” Mr. Bratton said.

…In an interview last week, Mr. Grays said he was not given a seatbelt. On the way to the 71st Precinct, he said, the car struck a vehicle in front of it.

…Over the past six years at least three of the officers involved have been named in federal civil rights suits alleging false arrest, among other claims.

Bratton Has ‘Strong Concerns’ About Arrest of a Mailman in Brooklyn

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I can only hope the USPS throws the book at them and every officer is not only convicted of multiple charges but ends up in jail, where they so clearly belong.

Germany to Refugees: Integrate or Lose Your Right to Live Here 

“For those who refuse to learn German, for those who refuse to allow their relatives to integrate—for instance women or girls—for those who reject job offers: for them, there cannot be an permanent residence permit after three years,” German interior minister Thomas de Maizierede told ARD television (link in German).

Germany tells refugees: Integrate or lose your right to live here permanently – Quartz

hmmm

When Is A Launch Not A Launch? When It’s The Oculus Rift 

Yesterday marked the “launch” of the Oculus Rift, the world’s first high-end retail [Virtual Reality] headset. It’s certainly kind of a “one small step for man” moment in tech history, and it’s amazing how far the project has come from its Kickstarter inception. But as a product launch? It’s kind of a mess.

When Is A Launch Not A Launch? When It’s The Oculus Rift – Forbes

hmmm

California Jewish School Celebrates 8th Grader’s Gender Transition with Ceremony

[Tom] Sosnik’s Jewish ritualized coming out as transgender in front of classmates, teachers and family at the Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito, California, is believed to be the first time that a Jewish day school has sanctioned and performed such a ceremony.

…The 40-minute ceremony …[which] included various blessings and readings from traditional Jewish sources about change and new beginnings, had the feel of a bar mitzvah crossed with a baby naming.

California Jewish school marks 8th grader’s gender transition | The Times of Israel

Awww, that’s so nice.