Links

I am happy Trump changed his policy of separating children and parents.
Please don't make derogatory comments here. There is no reason for him to do better if he gets as much criticism no matter what he does. What is important is that the right things get done, not indulging in bashing people we don't like. If you bash anything Trump does just because you don't like him, you doing the same things conservatives do to others.

Melania Trump Pressured President Trump To Change Family Separation Policy.
Separately, every other living first lady also condemned the practice of separating children from their parents.
https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/621930721/melania-trump-pressured-president-trump-to-change-family-separation-policy


I've been around long enough to know that a lot of people saying their problem is with people coming here "illegally", have no problem with themselves breaking the laws, like speeding, cheating on taxes, etc.
I do think that too much immigration at one time causes problems, and that is the case now, but I deplore the way many people, including political leaders, use our primitive tribal instincts against outsiders to rev up hate against immigrants for their own political gain.


A Texas sheriff's deputy was being held Monday on a charge of "super aggravated sexual assault" of a 4-year-old girl after authorities say her mother, an undocumented immigrant, was being blackmailed to stay silent about the abuse — or face deportation.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/texas-deputy-sexually-assaulted-undocumented-immigrant-s-child-sheriff-says-n884176?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_lw


President Trump Hired Undocumented Immigrants for $4 An Hour for Demolition Project: Court Docs
http://www.newsweek.com/trump-undocumented-immigrants-tower-demolish-724845


'How Democracies Die' Authors Say Trump Is A Symptom Of 'Deeper Problems'
https://www.npr.org/2018/01/22/579670528/how-democracies-die-authors-say-trump-is-a-symptom-of-deeper-problems
the primary way in which democracies have died since the end of the Cold War, over the last 30 years or so, is at the hands of elected leaders, at the hands of governments that were often freely or close to freely elected, who then use democratic institutions to weaken or destroy democracy.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/2/16929764/how-democracies-die-trump-book-levitsky-ziblatt
Since the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by generals and soldiers but by elected governments themselves. Like Chávez in Venezuela, elected leaders have subverted democratic institutions in Georgia, Hungary, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Ukraine. Democratic backsliding today begins at the ballot box.


Why are so many migrants crossing the U.S. border? It often starts with an escape from violence in Central America
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/central-america-s-violence-turmoil-keeps-driving-families-u-s-n884956


NASA outlines its plans to deal with a large asteroid impact
[Happy to see they are going to take action. Only thing that scares me more than global warming, except that global warming is happening right now, and it might be a long time before the next life-threatening asteroid hit. Or it could be next week, but probably not. We need to be prepared before it happens. At this time, we are the only creatures who can prevent this. Doing so could justify our otherwise destructive existence.]
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2172233-nasa-outlines-its-plans-to-deal-with-a-large-asteroid-impact/


Researchers find last of universe's missing ordinary matter
https://phys.org/news/2018-06-universe-ordinary.html


A Republican strategist who managed Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign said Wednesday he is leaving the Republican Party in the wake of the Trump's administration's immigration policies that have led to the separation of families.
"29 years and nine months ago I registered to vote and became a member of The Republican Party which was founded in 1854 to oppose slavery and stand for the dignity of human life. Today I renounce my membership in the Republican Party. It is fully the party of Trump," Steve Schmidt tweeted early Wednesday morning.
Schmidt went on to call the party "corrupt, indecent and immoral."
"With the exception of a few Governors like (Massachusetts Gov. Charlie) Baker, (Maryland Gov. Larry) Hogan and (Ohio Gov. John) Kasich it is filled with feckless cowards who disgrace and dishonor the legacies of the party's greatest leaders," Schmidt said in a series of tweets.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/politics/steve-schmidt-leaves-gop/index.html?sr=fbCNNp062018steve-schmidt-leaves-gop1126AMStory&CNNPolitics=fb


If you have a school-aged student in need of breakfast and lunch this summer, simply text “FOOD” to 877877 and receive a message back with a location closest to where they can get free summer meals.
Even if you aren’t in need, someone else’s kids are. No child deserves to go hungry, ever.
This is a nationwide program so please repost for all of the children who are struggling to get enough food.
To use the service, text “FOOD” to 877-877 and enter your zip code when prompted. Spanish-speakers can also text “COMIDA” to 877-877.
https://chpn.net/2018/06/03/no-child-deserves-to-go-hungry-and-you-can-help-by-spreading-the-word/


Why employment rates in the US have lagged other countries
https://voxeu.org/article/why-employment-rates-us-have-lagged-other-countries