NPR NEWSLETTER: Trump Meets Putin; Too Hot To Think; Mini-Math Memoir 16JUL18

Monday, July 16, 2018

FIRST UP: What you need to know now Opinion on U.S. immigration policy shaped by where you watch TV news The way your local news covers the controversial topic can be a better predictor of your opinion of immigration than your political affiliation, according to a new NPR-Ipsos poll. Pollsters asked more than 1,000 people about the differences in where they lived, whether they knew anyone born outside the U.S., or whether they were an immigrant themselves. Read more. Heat can make your body and brain slow way down New research suggests that summer’s hot-and-hazy weather can make thinking clearly difficult. Researchers at Harvard studied college students living in dorms during a summer heat wave in Boston. “Indoor temperature can have a dramatic impact on our ability to be productive and learn,” noted Joe Allen, co-director of Harvard’s Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment. Read more. War of words between Elon Musk and British rescue diver after Thai cave rescue Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk took aim at Vern Unsworth, the British diver who helped save 12 Thai soccer players and their soccer coach, calling Unsworth a “pedo guy” on Twitter. The Tesla CEO’s tweet came after Unsworth called Musk’s offer to use a submarine to free the trapped team a “PR stunt.” Unsworth says he is considering a libel suit against Musk. Read more.

IN THE NEWS: Digging deeper Trump meets Putin in historic Helsinki summit Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images With only their interpreters present, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Monday for a stand-alone summit. The two-hour meeting was followed by a working lunch, which Trump called a “very, very good start for everybody.” Prior to their meeting, Trump said the two leaders would discuss “everything from trade to military to missiles to nuclear to China.” Trump tweeted that the relationship between the U.S. and Russia has never been worse, blaming “many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity” for the issue. He also called the ongoing investigation into charges of Moscow’s 2016 election interference a “rigged witch hunt.” The joint post-meeting press conference yielded more details about Trump and Putin’s closed-door discussions. Trump reversed course by saying both countries were to blame for the political tension. He also noted the two leaders discussed the issue of Russian interference in U.S. elections, adding that Putin was “extremely strong and powerful” in his denial. The highly anticipated gathering took place days after the U.S. Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers on charges related to the hacking of email servers used by the Democratic National Committee. Today’s meeting brings to a close Trump’s week-long trip to Europe, where he caused a diplomatic uproar at the NATO summit in London. NPR’s Scott Horsley is covering the summit in Helsinki and will continue to update his story with news. BEFORE YOU GO Sonya Sones/HBO The lovely HBO documentary on Robin Williams explores the mind of a creative genius. Oui, oui! France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final on Saturday. Sacha Baron Cohen’s new Showtime show, Who is America?, makes a splashy debut. Writing a mini-math memoir could relieve math anxiety. Think twice before calling the po-po: 911 isn’t a personal customer service line. Today's newsletter was written by Jill Hudson and Gabriela Saldivia.

NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002

Lewis Black Slams Rush Limbaugh With A Big Ol' F*CK YOU! & Limbaugh Uses Public Radio To Exploit Robin Williams – Here’s How The Public Fights Back 14&12AUG14

Lewis Black strikes back at rush limbaugh for his cruel comments on Robin Williams suicide. From +Daily Kos .....

Thu Aug 14, 2014 at 01:54 PM PDT

Lewis Black Slams Rush Limbaugh With A Big Ol' F*CK YOU!

by Leslie Salzillo

The very thunderous and politically outspoken comedian, Lewis Black, lashed out at Rush Limbaugh yesterday for Limbaugh's recent comments about the late Robin Williams. Black posted on his own Facebook page:

Fuck You Rush Limbaugh. Your statements were beyond cruel and stupid. They were intolerable. Enough is enough from you. You are an idiot. Don't you ever demean the death of another human being. He was my friend. You disgust me."

Lewis Black is not alone in his sentiments. The 'Hate Radio' talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, disgusts the majority of people in and outside of the country. He has been getting away with racism, homophobia, misogyny and bigotry, on our tax-paid public radio, for decades. Finally, the public is doing something about it. There are several ways to protest Rush Limbaugh.

Sign: Limbaugh Sponsor & Clear Channel Petition
Visit/Like: BoycottRush Facebook Group
Join: The Fight To Flush Rush
Visit: StopRush.net for a list of Limbaugh Sponsors

On Tuesday, Lewis Black reminisced, in a Time.com piece, about his friendship and collaboration with Robin Williams. They entertained troops together during two USO tours in the late 2000's. Many stories of sorrow, love, and respect for Robin Williams continue to flood mainstream and social media. If there is a heaven, he is there, out of his pain. Millions around the world will love and miss him dearly. H/T and special thanks to Kimberly A. Johnson/Liberals Unite and Kimberly A. Johnson on Facebook

Limbaugh Uses Public Radio To Exploit Robin Williams – Here’s How The Public Fights Back

August 12, 2014 |  Posted by: Leslie Salzillo

inShare

I rarely quote Rush Limbaugh’s shock statements anymore. It doesn’t help anyone to give this man’s despicable commentary attention. These days, I write about his demise and how the national boycott is destroying his career. I write about Limbaugh losing radio stations, sponsors, rankings, listeners, and how his hate is finally destroying his career.

So why am I giving Limbaugh publicity today for exploiting the death of Robin Williams? I’m writing in hopes that more of the country will see how hate mongers like him are poisoning our public airways. I’m writing to hopefully encourage more Americans to speak out against Limbaugh and his ilk. And I’m writing to offer solutions. Limbaugh intentionally themed his show around Robin Williams to advance his political agenda. In doing so, he spits on those suffering with the mental illness and depression. He publicly increases the immeasurable pain the surviving friends and family of Robin Williams are feeling over his loss. This is what Limbaugh does. He hurts people, provokes racism, misogyny and bigotry – and laughs about it. He has been laughing all the way to the bank for decades. But his radio days are coming to an end.
Here is the text from today’s show where Limbaugh blames the ‘Left’ for Robin Williams’s death. I had a hard time getting through it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most people don’t make it to the end: Transcript:

LIMBAUGH: So our last caller from Des Plaines, Illinois, wanted to know, “What is the politics in the coverage of the suicide of Robin Williams?”

Well, I believe there is some. But I don’t think that the politics is driving it. I think there was, on the part of media and Hollywood, genuine affection for the guy that is driving it, but there is politics. If you notice the coverage is focused on how much he had, but it wasn’t enough.

“He had everything, everything that you would think would make you happy. But it didn’t.”

Now, what is the left’s worldview in general? What is it? If you had to attach not a philosophy but an attitude to a leftist worldview, it’s one of pessimism and darkness, sadness.

They’re never happy, are they? They’re always angry about something. No matter what they get, they’re always angry.

They are animated in large part by the false promises of America, because the promises of America are not for everyone, as we see each and every day. I mean, right here there’s a story Fox News website. Do you know, it says right here, that the real reasons that Robin Williams killed himself are he was embarrassed at having to take television roles after a sterling movie career.

He had to take movie roles that were beneath him, sequels and so forth, and he finally had to do television just to get a paycheck because he was in so much financial distress. He’d had some divorces that ripped up his net worth, and he had a big ranch in Napa that he couldn’t afford any longer and had to put up for sale, and a house in Tiburon that he couldn’t afford anymore. This is all what’s in the Fox News story.

He had it all, but he had nothing. He made everybody else laugh but was miserable inside. I mean, it fits a certain picture, or a certain image that the left has. Talk about low expectations and general unhappiness and so forth. Right here it says that one the contributing factors to Robin Williams deciding to kill himself was “survivor’s guilt.” It’s in the headline.

I read that and I thought, “Survivor’s guilt? What? What survivor’s guilt? What?” So I read it, and it turns out that three of his closest friends, the story says — Christopher Reeve, John Belushi, and Andy Kaufman… The source, unnamed in the story, said that Robin Williams felt guilty that he was still alive while his three friends had died young and much earlier than he had. He could never get over the guilt that they died and he didn’t.” Audio: Media Matters

In today’s show, Rush Limbaugh displayed his ignorance and contempt in the most despicable and insidious manner. He shames the media industry. He couldn’t care less about Robin Williams – or anyone suffering from depression.
Robin Williams died because of an illness. Williams was not making a ‘statement,’ and he did not want to hurt anyone. He left us because the excruciating pain of depression outweighs one’s rationality and reason to live.  He left  because he felt he didn’t deserve love and was a burden to others. He left because he thought the world would be better off without him in it. That’s the thinking behind suicide. How do I know? Because I’ve been there.

The world loved Robin Williams, more than he ever realized. Once the news of his death was released, it became headline news around much of the globe and statements of shock and sorrow came pouring in, including one by President Obama.
As for the Rush Limbaugh, I want to say horrible things about him, much worst than I’ve already stated above. I won’t, because that will serve no purpose or good. What I can do is join hundreds of thousands of others who are working to take this man off our tax-paid public radio by protesting, boycotts, and petitions. And it’s working. Eventually good trumps evil. And the good starts with people speaking out and taking action against evil. To help remove one of the most hateful human beings from our public airways here are some things we can do:

• Sign: Limbaugh Sponsor & Clear Channel Petition 
• Use: The StopRush Extensive Limbaugh Sponsor Database
• Visit: Facebook: BoycottRush Facebook Group and The Fight To Flush Rush   

If you are feeling suicidal or know someone who is, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-263-8255 or visit National Suicide Prevention Hotline site. Your call is confidential and will be answered by a trained counselor at a local crisis center. Please share. You can make a difference.
Rest in peace, Robin Williams. If there is a heaven,  you are there, and out of your pain. We will miss you dearly.

Be sure to check out Lewis Black’s response to Limbaugh’s hateful comment at:
Lewis Black Says ‘F*ck You Rush Limbaugh… (Robin Williams) Was My Friend’

Please Like Boycott Rush Limbaugh’s Sponsors to SHUT HIM DOWN on Facebook.

ROBIN WILLIAMS 11AUG14

A tribute to Robin Williams, a man who made us laugh so hard and then often think when the laughter faded away. It is so very sad he reached the point in his life that he decided the only way to deal with all his issues was to end it.

Robin Williams

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-robin-williams-dies-20140811-story.html

Actor, comedian Robin Williams dies at 63 in apparent suicide

Robin Williams, a comic and sitcom star in the 1970s who became an Oscar-winning dramatic actor, died Monday at 63 in Marin County. The Marin County Sheriff's Office said he appears to have committed suicide.

The news of the beloved actor’s death rocked the nation. Channels broke into their usual programming to make the announcement, and within minutes, he dominated online trending topics.

Williams was hailed as a comic genius was a star of both movies and television for more than three decades. But he also suffered from substance abuse problems. 

The actor "has been battling severe depression of late," his publicist Mara Buxbaum said. "This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time."

Williams was found unresponsive at his home in Tiburon at around noon Monday, sheriff’s officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dubbed “the funniest man alive” by Entertainment Weekly in 1997, Williams brought audiences hours of laughter, putting his imaginative spin on characters in film and television. He was lauded for his serious roles as well, winning a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance as Sean Maguire, the therapist who counsels Matt Damon’s math genius in “Good Will Hunting” (1997), and receiving nominations for “The Fisher King” (1991), “Dead Poets Society” (1989) and “Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987).

Williams was known for being open about his problems with cocaine and alcohol over the years.

The actor spent time on a Hazelden campus in Oregon in 2006. He later explained that drinking had gradually become a problem again after 20 years of sobriety.

"You're standing at a precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,'" the "Mrs. Doubtfire" star told ABC News in October of that year. "The same voice that goes, 'Just one.' … And the idea of just one for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not the possibility."

This summer, he returned to rehab to "fine-tune" his sobriety. 

Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams became one of only two students accepted into John Houseman’s prestigious acting program at Juilliard, the other being Christopher Reeve, who became a lifelong friend.

Williams gained fame as Mork, the bizarre, suspenders-sporting alien on the sitcom “Mork & Mindy,” a spinoff from “Happy Days.” Williams departed from the script so often that producers intentionally left blank moments on page for him to have space to indulge his ad-libbing genius.

That talent for ad-libbing functioned as a gift and a shield.

"He was always in character -- you never saw the real Robin," said Jamie Masada, founder and chief executive of the Laugh Factory. "I knew him 35 years, and I never knew him."

"He was a wonderful guy," Masada added. "I remember John [Belushi] and Robin, both of them always complained to me -- no matter where they were people would recognize them. They sold their privacy to the public. They could be in the middle of talking in the street and someone would come up for an autograph.... he [Robin] didn't realize how much he sold his privacy to people."

“We have lost one of our most inspired and gifted comic minds, as well as one of this generation’s greatest actors,” said Chris Columbus, who directed Williams in the 1993 comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” and was scheduled to work with him again on “Mrs. Doubtfire 2,” a sequel recently set in motion.

“To watch Robin work was a magical and special privilege,” Columbus said. “His performances were unlike anything any of us had ever seen, they came from some spiritual and otherworldly place.... We were friends for 21 years. Our children grew up together, he inspired us to spend our lives in San Francisco and I loved him like a brother.”

Williams' last post on Twitter was about his daughter.

GOD'S POLITICS BLOG 14AUG14

GUEST COMMENTARY: When Terror Wears a Badge
by Ryan Herring

Get a FREE trial issue of Sojourners

Donate Today!

Over the past three weeks there have been four separate incidents that have led to the deaths of four unarmed black men at the hands of police. For many black people, myself included, the moments following these tragic events are filled with despair, sorrow, anger, and frustration. Each incident serves as a reminder that as a black man in America, my life holds little to no value in the eyes of the general public. To be young and black in the United States means to live under constant pressure, something most non-black American citizens know nothing about.
For the majority of black people, the police do not represent protection or safety, rather they are a menacing force that terrorize those they are supposed to serve. I have never felt safe in the presence of law enforcement. In fact, whenever police are in close proximity to me, I feel in danger. Whenever a cop drives behind me or beside me I feel anxious, not protected.
Is my paranoia justified?
I have no criminal record, however I have had numerous run-ins with the police, none of which my actions provoked. The most common of course is being followed around a store. I have never committed a traffic violation, but I have been pulled over several times. A few of those times I was asked to step out of my vehicle to be frisked and forced to sit on the curb in humiliation while being verbally intimidated and having my car searched. The reasons I was given as to why this type of action was necessary...
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
Ryan Herring is Marketing and Circulation Assistant for Sojourners. You can find more of his writing at The Ghetto Monk.
ON THE GOD'S POLITICS BLOG
View the latest articles from the God's Politics blog »

Is There a Nonviolent Response to ISIS?
by Derek FloodAlarm and outrage have been growing over the mounting humanitarian crisis in Iraq at the hands of the Islamic State. Christians in the region are being forced to convert, pay tribute, or die as the al Qaeda breakaway group sweeps into predominantly Christian villages and hamlets in Iraq, sending tens of thousands fleeing for their lives. The news is devastating and overwhelming. Suicide and Pain: What Are We Missing?
by Carmille AkandeYesterday morning I was prepared to write about being a sacred place where others could come for healing, encouragement, and restoration. I had no idea Robin Williams committed suicide yesterday. I didn't hear the news because all evening I was sitting with a friend who is going through one of the most difficult times in her life. Relationships are hard. Discipleship is messy. Love takes sacrifice. But I believe it is what Jesus has called for us to do!
Jesus Wasn't American—Neither Is The Bible
by Stephen MattsonSometimes it seems that American Christians all read the exact same Bible—a truly “American Standard Version,” where every verse, account, story, and parable within scripture is interpreted through the lens of being an American. God originally authored this scripture with the intention of blessing America, protecting America, supporting her interests—and generally ignoring the rest of the world. The collateral damage of this type of thinking comes in the form of dehumanizing others.
How I Kissed Evangelizing Goodbye
by Cindy BrandtI went to the mecca of evangelicalism for college — a beautiful campus in the suburbs of Chicago, where I received a scholarship from none other than the Pope of evangelicalism, Billy Graham, for my work in street evangelism. As in, speaking to random strangers on the street in order to convert them to Christianity.
NEW! In the SojoStore

Racism has been called America's "original sin." Struggles around affirmative action, welfare and immigration reform, and other policies show that the racial divide in the United States wasn't healed in the civil rights era. This study guide is designed to spark discussion and thought about how to live out God's call for justice in our world. It's perfect for small groups or individual study! Each of the 4 sessions includes Sojourners' articles, questions for discussion, and ideas for further study. Purchase HERE!