Rob Lowe Gets It: Explains the Appeal of ‘Roseanne’ in One Tweet

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Actor Rob Lowe — one of the only free-thinking individuals left in Hollywood — perfectly summed up the appeal of the hit show “Roseanne” in one concise tweet: It’s not that the show is pro-Trump, but that it showcases actual tolerance for differing political ideologies; something we don’t see a lot of in today’s political climate.

“The secret to [Roseanne] massive ratings is that it celebrates people with huge political differences who are able to laugh and love together as they passionately disagree,” wrote the actor.

The reboot captured over 18 million viewers on its debut night; hitting a grand total of 21.9 million when next-day DVR and video-on-demand viewers were counted, according to CNN Money.

Mark Hemingway of The Weekly Standard agreed with the rational take, adding that conservatives just want to be represented accurately, and not as unlovable backward hicks. “Exactly,” he wrote. “The issue isn’t that the show caters to conservatives. It just gives them a seat at the table rather than pretending half of America is backwards or doesn’t exist.”

(Read more from “Rob Lowe Gets It: Explains the Appeal of ‘Roseanne’ in One Tweet” HERE)

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Is One of the Big Continents Going to Split in Two?

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By WND. Alarming reports are coming out of Africa that a 50-foot-deep crack that has developed in the earth across many miles actually could end up – eventually – splitting the continent into two parts.

The crack has appeared along Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and runs from Somalia, in the northeast part of the continent, hundreds of miles down to South Africa, they say.

CBS explained it opened “suddenly” and “many scientists believe it could end up breaking Africa’s continent apart . . .

CBS quoted Smithsonian geologist Ben Andrews with the comment, “We’re seeing a crack that in all likelihood formed over many thousands of years or hundreds of thousands of years.”

Denying the obvious concern that those in that region have, commenters followed the CBS report with a variety of opinions, including “This is horrible. We should restrict gun sales in the U.S.” and “Well, this is alarming. Winged de
mons coming out of there?” (Read more from “Is One of the Big Continents Going to Split in Two?” HERE)

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Breaking up Is Hard to Do: Africa Could Eventually Split Into Two Continents

By USA Today. It’ll take tens of millions of years, but Africa may eventually split into two parts.

While geologists have known about this possibility for a while, it became news recently when a large crack, stretching several miles in length, made a sudden appearance in southwestern Kenya following heavy rain.

The tear, which continues to grow, collapsed part of a highway and “was accompanied by seismic activity in the area,” said Lucia Perez Diaz, a postdoctoral researcher on tectonics at Royal Holloway, a university in London.

The crack is located in a region known as the East African Rift Valley. It measures more than 50 feet in depth and 65 feet across, according to National Geographic. A rift valley refers to a lowland region where tectonic plates rift, or move apart.

(Read more from “Breaking up Is Hard to Do: Africa Could Eventually Split Into Two Continents” HERE)

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‘Zombie’ Raccoons Terrifying Residents

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By WND. Youngstown police were busy this weekend fighting crime — and raccoons. Several scared homeowners called, saying the animals were in their yards, acting strangely. Police said it didn’t seem like rabies was the cause.

In the past couple of weeks, Youngstown police have responded to over a dozen of these raccoon calls — all of them with reports of the same strange, zombie-like behavior. The majority of the calls happened in the daytime, too, even though raccoons are nocturnal.

“I looked over there and got distracted because I saw a raccoon coming our way,” said Robert Coggeshall, whose playtime with his dogs was interrupted by a fiesty and sick raccoon last week . . .

Once inside, the wildlife photographer grabbed his camera to document what he called “extremely strange behavior.”

“He would stand up on his hind legs, which I’ve never seen a raccoon do before, and he would show his teeth and then he would fall over backward and go into almost a comatose condition,” Coggeshall said. (Read more from “‘Zombie’ Raccoons Terrifying Residents” HERE)

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‘Zombie’ Raccoons Are Terrifying Ohio Residents in Broad Daylight With Odd Behavior

By Fox News.
“Zombie-like” raccoons have made for a spooky sight in one Ohio city.

Authorities in Youngstown “have responded to over a dozen” calls in recent weeks about the mammals behaving oddly in the daytime, WKBN-TV reported Tuesday . . .

The animals were probably suffering from distemper, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) told WKBN.

The viral disease causes coughing, tremors and seizures and leads raccoons to lose their fear of humans.

“Raccoons can transmit rabies, canine distemper, and parvovirus to domestic animals and humans,” DNR warns online. “You should avoid any raccoon that is active during daylight hours, has lost its fear of humans, or appears uncoordinated, confused or listless.” (Read more from “‘Zombie’ Raccoons Are Terrifying Ohio Residents in Broad Daylight With Odd Behavior” HERE)

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YouTube Shooter Was a Leftist, PETA Activist, Likely Motive Identified

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By The Times of Israel. Gunfire erupted at YouTube’s offices in California Tuesday, leaving three people wounded and sparking a panicked escape before the suspected shooter — a woman — apparently committed suicide.

Two law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the suspect as Nasim Aghdam, a 39-year-old San Diego resident.

California news outlets late Tuesday said she appeared to be a vegan-themed content creator who has raged against YouTube on her personal website for what she saw as censorship of her videos.

“There is no free speech in real world and you will be suppressed for telling the truth that is not supported by the system,” read a post on a website identified as Aghdam’s by the San Francisco Chronicle . . .

Aghdam was quoted in a 2009 story in the San Diego Union-Tribune about a protest by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against the use of pigs in military trauma training. She dressed in a wig and jeans with drops of painted “blood” on them, holding a plastic sword at the demonstration outside the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. (Read more from “Youtube Shooter Identified as Leftist Activist” HERE)

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The Latest: Father Says Suspect Was Angry at YouTube

By ABC News. . . .The father of a woman suspected of shooting three people at YouTube’s headquarters says she was angry at the company because it stopped paying her for videos she posted on the platform.

Ismail Aghdam told the Bay Area News Group that he warned police his daughter, Nasim Aghdam, might be going to YouTube because she “hated” the company.

Ismail Aghdam said he reported his daughter missing on Monday after she did not answer her phone for two days.

He said the family received a call from Mountain View police around 2 a.m. Tuesday telling they found Nasim sleeping in a car and he warned them she might go to YouTube.

Mountain View Police spokeswoman Katie Nelson confirmed officers located a woman by the same name asleep in a vehicle asleep in a Mountain View parking lot Tuesday morning. (Read more from “The Latest: Father Says Suspect Was Angry at YouTube” HERE)

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Meet the OTHER David Hogg; He’s 16, Already in College and Has a Message for the Anti-Gun Club

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As Parkland student activist David Hogg runs laps with his media appearances touting gun control and attacking the Second Amendment, it seems his fame has had a direct effect on another student.

The mass shooting at his Florida high school in February catapulted Hogg to his new-found fame and increasing Twitter followers – now at over 720K – but also affected another David Hogg who decided to leave Twitter for a time . . .

But the social media attention on the Parkland Hogg became too much for the [conservative, pro-gun] 16-year-old who suspended his Twitter account after things got too overwhelming for him and his family. He announced his return last week, clarifying that he was not to be confused with the other Hogg.

Hogg’s mother echoed her son’s statement in a tweet of her own, calling out the irony of the Parkland student decrying bullying while engaging in the very act himself. Hogg launched a boycott against Fox News host Laura Ingraham after she tweeted that he “whined” about not getting accepted into some colleges . . .

“I do not think we should ban law-abiding citizens from buying guns because that will increase problems,” he said in the video, also calling for a “more regulated background check” and a national policy on gun ownership instead of state-by-state laws. (Read more from “Meet the OTHER David Hogg; He’s 16, Already in College and Has a Message for the Anti-Gun Club” HERE)

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Take Heart! Even Though Planned Parenthood Is Still Funded, Pro-Life Victories Are Everywhere Else

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. . .In 2017, 19 states adopted 63 restrictions on abortion—the highest number of restrictions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood’s research arm, since 2013.

And that might be just the beginning. As The Hill noted, “that trend could continue in 2018 — state legislatures have proposed 15 bills that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, and 11 bills that would ban abortions if the sole reason is a genetic anomaly like Down syndrome.” And 2018 has already been a fruitful year for pro-life activists. Consider just a few examples:

On January 17, President Donald Trump spoke to the March for Life, addressing tens of thousands of pro-life activists gathered in Washington, DC. It was the first time a sitting president addressed the March, and was yet another example of Trump’s transformation from an avowedly pro-choice New York businessman to a politician dedicated to his pro-life allies.

Also on January 17, Congress passed the Born-Alive Survivors Act, which would protect babies who were born alive after failed attempts to abort them. The act both prohibited medical practitioners from denying the proper care to these survivors, required abortion workers to immediately bring these children to the hospital for medical attention, and instituted criminal penalties for those who refused to do so.

On January 18, President Donald Trump announced extensive conscience protections for medical professionals who have ethical, moral, or religious objections to performing abortions—a high priority for the pro-life movement in a cultural moment where religious liberties are under attack from every side.

(Read more from “Take Heart! Even Though Planned Parenthood Is Still Funded, Pro-Life Victories Are Everywhere Else” HERE)

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Washington Makes It Illegal for Therapists to Help Kids With Unwanted Gay Attractions

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. . .Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed SB 5722 into law Wednesday, the Spokesman-Review reports. It declares the state has a “compelling interest” in “protecting” the physical and mental health of anyone under 18 from the “serious harms caused by conversion therapy.”

Under the law, “conversion therapy” is defined as any counseling or treatment by a licensed medical professional intended to “change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” or “eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”

Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is controversial in large part because it challenges the notion that sexual attraction is biologically rooted and unchangeable. Prominent medical organizations such as the World Psychiatric Association have condemned the practice, but many former homosexuals attest to the treatment’s effectiveness.

Supporters of therapists helping people overcome unwanted attractions point out that therapy is about helping clients achieve their goals – and some seeking therapy want to cease or not act on same-sex attractions.

Now classified as “unprofessional conduct” in Washington, conversion therapy is grounds for suspending or revoking a medical license regardless of whether a minor seeks it out, and the law contains no exception for parental request or approval of the treatment. (Read more from “Washington Makes It Illegal for Therapists to Help Kids With Unwanted Gay Attractions” HERE)

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Veteran Sues Air Force After Forcibly Removing Him From Ceremony for Speech Mentioning God

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An Air Force veteran has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force claiming he was pulled from a ceremony in the middle of a speech when he mentioned God.

Senior Master Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez told Fox News his First Amendment rights were violated . . .

Video from the April 3, 2016 military retirement ceremony showed service members at Travis Air Force Base in California physically removing Rodriguez as he recited a traditional passage in a flag-folding ceremony. Rodriguez was invited to speak at the event by an outgoing fellow Master Sgt. Chuck Roberson from the 749th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, who was retiring from the U.S. Air Force after 27 years of service.

“I was removed from the speech because my script mentioned God. Air force officials did not want me to utter those words,” the 33-year veteran told Fox News. “There was no direct communication between the Air Force and myself to forbid me from making this speech.”

U.S. Air Force officials would not comment to Fox News on the pending litigation, but had released a statement last year: “Evidence indicated Mr. Rodriguez was removed by members of the squadron because he attempted to participate in the ceremony even though his participation had been disapproved by the hosting squadron commander… When it became clear that Mr. Rodriguez intended to act inconsistent with the commander’s restrictions he was removed by several squadron NCOs (noncommissioned officers). The inquiry found no evidence that the NCOs were motivated to impair Mr. Rodriguez’s constitutional rights of freedom of speech or religion.” (Read more from “Veteran Sues Air Force After Forcibly Removing Him From Ceremony for Speech Mentioning God” HERE)

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Move Over Tide Pods, Teens Discover Viral ‘Challenge’ That’s Even More Disturbing

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By The Daily Caller. Teenagers have moved on to snorting condoms rather than eating tide pods, according to a Fox News Monday report.

Just when you thought it could not get worse, teenagers decided to amp up the “Tide Pod Challenge” by trying out the “Condom Challenge:” sticking a condom up their nostrils, inhaling it then pulling it out from their throats, Fox News reported. This bizarre challenge is nothing new; the earliest recording of a person snorting a condom was back in 2007. However, the challenge went viral on social media in 2018.

This fad might be taking off on social media, however, it also reaps many health risks. A condom, comprised of latex, rubber and covered in spermicide, can damage the inner lining of the nose. Condom snorting can also block your breathing and cause you to choke, especially since the prophylactic is much larger than a nostril, according to Bruce Y. Lee, an associate professor of international health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a Forbes column. (Read more from “Move Over Tide Pods, Teens Discover Viral ‘Challenge’ That’s Even More Disturbing” HERE)

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Teens Snort Condoms Then Pull Them Through Mouths in Disturbing New Trend

By Fox News. Now teens are taking on an even grosser challenge in pursuit of Internet fame — and this one is making stomachs turn, as it is as disgusting as it is dangerous.

The latest challenge involves snorting a condom up one nostril, inhaling, and finally pulling it from the throat out the mouth.

Like other viral fads, this one has been around for years but is just now catching fire on social media, mostly via YouTube . . .

Forbes cites two cases reviewed in medical journals in which women accidentally swallowed condoms, developing ailments ranging from pneumonia to appendicitis.

The condom snorting fad follows a recent trend of people eating Tide Pods and encouraging or daring others to do the same. That stunt, dubbed “The Tide Pod Challenge,” resulted in poison centers reporting 142 incidents just in January, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). (Read more from “Teens Snort Condoms Then Pull Them Through Mouths in Disturbing New Trend” HERE)

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Gun-Free London’s Murder Rate Surpasses New York’s for the First Time

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By CBS News. A surge of stabbings in London was blamed Monday for the city overtaking New York’s monthly murder tally for the first time in modern history. Fifteen people were murdered in London during February, compared to 14 in New York, according to police figures.

The British capital also suffered 22 fatal stabbings and shootings in March, higher than the 21 in New York. There have been 10 fatal stabbings in London in the last 19 days, following on from the 80 fatal stabbings recorded in the city last year.

London’s murder rate has grown by nearly 40 percent in three years, while police figures show that New York’s has fallen by 87 percent since 1990, raising pressure on London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick.

As CBS News partner network BBC News reported, London saw its first homicide of April on Monday night, when a 17-year-old girl was fatally shot near her home in Tottenham, north London, “for no reason at all,” according to a friend who arrived on the seen quickly. The same evening a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in another part of north London, leaving him with life changing injuries, according to the Metropolitan Police.

“There is no single cause, but there has been a big spike in both gun crime and knife crime across London,” Parliamentarian David Lammy, who represents Tottenham, told the BBC. “Certainly my constituency finds itself at the epicenter of that. There are real issues about a lack of resources.” (Read more from “Gun-Free London’s Murder Rate Surpasses New York’s for the First Time” HERE)

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Is London’s Murder Rate Really Worse Than New York’s?

By The Independent. New figures published over the weekend suggested that an alarming tipping point had been reached when it came to comparisons of UK and US crime rates.

The Sunday Times compared the crime figures of London and New York, and found that for the first time in modern history the murder rate in the UK capital was higher than that in the Big Apple.

But how valid was the comparison, and what was the truth behind the statistics?

So is it really true that London’s murder rate is now higher than New York’s?

Yes. (Read more from “Is London’s Murder Rate Really Worse Than New York’s?” HERE)

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