Magazine Posts

* "Tonight saw a Friday night news dump that will go into the history books". || by Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American

* "Fractured Skulls, Lost Eyes: Police Often Break Own Rules Using ‘Rubber Bullets" || by Liz Szabo and Jay Hancock ~ KHN 

* The Trump Administration Paid Millions for Test Tubes — and Got Unusable Mini Soda Bottles || by J. David McSwane and Ryan Gabrielson

Employees of Apple, Google, and Microsoft have raised millions of dollars for the Black Lives Matter Foundation thinking it's the international racial justice movement seeking to end police brutality. That couldn’t be further from the truth............... Read more

From late March into April, Timothy Regan had severe coughing fits several times a day that often left him out of breath. He had a periodic low-grade fever, too.

Wondering if he had COVID-19, Regan called a nurse hotline run by Denver Health, a large public health system in his city. A nurse listened to him describe his symptoms and told him to immediately go to the hospital system’s urgent care facility..........................Read more

FALLS CITY, ORE. — A few hundred feet past this Oregon timber town, a curtain of Douglas fir trees opens to an expanse of skinny stumps.
The hillside has been clear-cut, with thousands of trees leveled at once. Around the bend is another clear-cut nearly twice its size, then another, patches of desert brown carved into the forest for miles.

Logging is booming around Falls City, a town of about 1,000 residents in the Oregon Coast Range. More trees are cut in the county today than decades ago when a sawmill hummed on Main Street and timber workers and their families filled the now-closed cafes, grocery stores and shops selling home appliances, sporting goods and feed for livestock..........Read more

* What Happened to Crime in Camden? by Sarah Holder - Citylab

* Former Police Chief Of Reformed Camden, NJ Force: Police Need 'Consent Of The People' || by James Doubek ~ NPR 

The 5 year request is for use of the State Parks for up to 3 days at a time, and up to 36 training events a year. Time frames  cover all year except December, including the parks' peak season of June through November. The requests also include three, 5 year renewal options. Which means 20 years.
You can read all 29 requests here. The Cama Beach S.P. request is on page 11 and the one for Camano Island S. P. is on page 20.  Learn more or Comment online 

* Should the role of the Police be redefined?  Read: A talk with Alex S. Vitale, author of the 2017 book The End of Policing || by Leah Donnella ~ NPR

* The J1 Visa. A State Department "cultural exchange program" with little oversight that amounts to a privatized guest-worker program — one in which the worker pays to obtain a job. Read: She Paid Thousands for a Visa to Work in the U.S. Then She Got Laid Off. Now, She’s Trapped. || by Bernice Yeung ~ ProPublica

* History Will Judge the Complicit || by Anne Applebaum - The Atlantic             

* Trump began the day with a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin || by Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American

Home gardening has taken root and spread across the nation. In a world without theaters, sports events, concerts, and theme parks, tending a garden is the perfect home-based activity for all ages. Whether you’re a furloughed worker, a parent with small children, or a housebound senior, gardening can benefit your body, mind, and soul.

With temperatures getting milder and days getting longer, now is the ideal time to start. And it’s a great way to support local businesses, with garden centers deemed as “essential” by most states. Whether you’re a farmer or a florist at heart, nursery staff are happy to advise what to plant in your local climate and conditions.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of gardening is getting us outside at a time when we’re all feeling cooped up indoors. Gardening promotes physical health by exposing us to fresh air, sunlight, and a healthy dose of vitamin D. Weeding, digging, and planting burns calories and strengthens the heart; in fact, the CDC says that one hour of gardening can burn 330 calories. The activities of gardening provide a whole-body workout, by using many different muscles and increasing strength, flexibility, and stamina—all without a gym membership.

Case studies show that gardening also improves our mental outlook, by reconnecting us with nature and providing a respite from the challenges of everyday life. The predictable rhythms of gardening can be comforting in uncertain times, and green environments can decrease levels of cortisol, the hormone linked to stress. In turn, gardening activities prompt the release of endorphins, the hormones that help us feel relaxed and content. And inhaling the healthy soil bacteria M. vaccae can increase serotonin, known as the “happiness hormone”—giving a whole new meaning to “a breath of fresh air”!

If that’s not enough to get you digging, consider that gardening rewards us for our efforts, whether it’s the beauty of flowers, the symmetry of a manicured hedge, or the bounty of fresh produce. As the old saying goes, “Gardening is cheaper than therapy—and you get tomatoes.”

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, gardening fosters a sense of faith in the future. Indeed, planting a seed or a sapling is a hopeful thing to do. And what better time for hope?

Newly Released Transcripts Show Michael Flynn Betrayed the United States by David Corn || Mother Jones

What the arrest of a black CNN journalist on air taught us by Francine Prose || The Guardian