It’s a rainy, wet Thursday, Blogtown! Let’s have some news.
Authorities have identified the two shooters in yesterday’s rampage in San Bernardino, and more details are coming in. We heard a lot yesterday about how there have been more mass shootings in 2015 than there have been days, including a second one yesterday that didn’t receive as much attention. As this BBC announcer said, It’s “just another day in the United States of America, another day of gunfire, panic, and fear.”
Thinking about all the shootings in the US is depressing enough, but this Guardian chart, where all the victims and shooters are portrayed by little human figures, is especially sobering.
To match the mood left by yesterday’s events, it’s going to be a pretty dreary rest of the week:
Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steencamp, in 2013. He’s served a year of his sentence for culpable homicide, but could be sentenced again.
The Feds warned newspaper publishers out of the blue yesterday that it’s illegal to mail newspapers containing weed ads. Weed ads don’t really equal weed, but they haven’t caught on to that, apparently
The folks in Lake Oswego will still have to leave town to get their legal weed, as city councillors last night voted to extend a citywide ban on dispensaries.
In Portland, though, the city’s commissioners did a great thing yesterday afternoon when they voted to extend maternity leave to six weeks for city employees.
Britain yesterday launched its first air strikes against Syria in a government approved attack on ISIS.
In all this gloomy news, maybe take a minute to think of everybody’s favorite painter of fluffy white clouds and happy little trees, Bob Ross, and read this article about his popularity even after his death. There, that’s better.
In more good news, some Portland restaurants are donating their leftover pre-packaged food to the hungry.
Let’s end Good Morning, News by taking this fun little quiz that tells you precisely how evil you are. I’m sure it’s very scientific.
This has been a downer Good Morning, News, so here’s something to laugh to:
I don’t understand why yet another subsidy for having children is such a great idea. I support the right to sabbaticals for all workers, but the idea that someone should get a 6 week paid vacation everytime they have a kid, even if they choose to have 6 or 7 or 8 of them is kind of ridiculous. There is no reason to tie this to having a child, just allow everyone to take 6 weeks off paid once every 5 years or something similar.