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‘Constitutional Carry’ Gun Bill Moves in Florida Legislature (Maria)
The author writes, “A proposal that would allow Floridians to carry concealed firearms without licenses began moving through the Florida House on Tuesday, as a debate emerged about whether the bill lives up to the ‘constitutional carry’ label given by supporters. The House Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law, & Government Operations Subcommittee voted 10-5 along party lines to approve the measure, after an at-times tense three-hour meeting. … [Pinellas County Sheriff Bob] Gualtieri said the bill would not change current prohibitions on where people can carry concealed weapons, such as at schools and polling places, and said the bill ‘protects people’s right to protect themselves.’”
How Koch Manipulates the Media (DonkeyHotey)
From Popular Information: “On Sunday, Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action), one of the principal political organizations controlled by right-wing billionaire Charles Koch, released a memo to the media. The memo claims that the ‘Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that go against core American principles.’ Now, AFP Action ‘is prepared to support a candidate in the Republican presidential primary who can lead our country forward, and who can win.’ … Although the memo doesn’t mention Trump’s name, the clear intention is to signal a break between the Koch political network and MAGA Republicans, particularly Trump. The media responded with a flood of credulous coverage. What is not mentioned in any of these stories is that, for years, Koch has repeatedly announced he was reorienting his political strategy away from far-right Republicans, including Trump — with no discernible change in his actual political activity.”
New State GOP Chair Pushes Early Voting (Al)
From Urban Milwaukee: “The new chair of the state Republican Party is encouraging more Republicans to vote early, a sharp contrast to the message pushed in the last two election cycles by former President Donald Trump. Longtime GOP operative Brian Schimming was selected to lead the Republican Party of Wisconsin last December. The decision to hire Schimming to the job followed an election cycle in which Republicans lost races for governor and attorney general among other statewide offices, falling short of the ‘red wave’ many Republican activists had expected.”
Olympia’s ‘Silly’ Little Scandal Is Another Step in Something Big (Reader Steve)
From The Seattle Times: “Down at the Statehouse in Olympia [WA], they are embroiled in what seems like a silly little scandal. It involves state lawmakers invoking an obscure doctrine called ‘legislative privilege’ as a dodge to keep their official emails and texts secret. We inherited this notion of legislative privilege from the British. It holds that a politician is immune to being sued or, worse yet, locked up because of something they said while legislating. The concept was born back in the days of the English kings and the emerging parliaments. Apparently sometimes a furious royal would take a lord who said something they didn’t like and load them straight into the stocks.”
What Do We Owe Lab Animals? (Laura)
The author writes, “The standard ethical guidelines encourage minimizing the use of, and harm to, animals used in research. Some experts propose an additional courtesy: repayment.”
Unchecked Deforestation Destroying Evidence of Lost Amazon Civilization (Mili)
The author writes, “At midday on the road into Grünland, a Mennonite colony in the Bolivian department of Beni, the only sound is a distant chainsaw. On either side, strips of deforested land extend into the distance. Underfoot, the soil is scattered with shards of ceramic and bone: remnants of the pre-Columbian peoples that this part of the Bolivian Amazon, known as the Llanos de Mojos, once supported. Archaeologists are only just beginning to understand the scale and complexity of these societies, but all the while, the agricultural frontier keeps advancing, destroying sites before they can be studied.”
This Shape-Shifting Robot Can Liquefy Itself and Reform (Dana)
The author writes, “Researchers have created a miniature robot that can melt and reform back into its original shape, allowing it to complete tasks in tight spaces or even escape from behind bars. The team tested its mobility and shape-morphing abilities and published their results Wednesday in the journal Matter.”
