Christian Science Monitor: “As the United States armed forces begin to integrate women into combat roles, some of the historically masculine terminology used by various branches is becoming obsolete. On Monday, the Marine Corps announced the decision to rename 19 different military occupational specialties (MOS) to be more gender neutral.”
CNN: “The Pentagon said Thursday it was ending the ban on transgender people being able to serve openly in the U.S. military.The announcement — which removes one of the last barriers to military service by any individual — was made by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who had been studying the issue for almost a year.”
pbs newshour:
HARI SREENIVASAN: ….Carter’s announcement today that transgender people can serve openly will impact the estimated 2,500 to 7,000 transgender soldiers currently serving, out of a total 1.5 million on active duty. There are between 1,500 and 4,000 transgender reservists.
Our John Yang has been reporting on the new policy. He joins me now.
So, what’s the big impact, today’s announcement?
JOHN YANG: Well, starting today, transgendered men and women in the services can no longer be kicked out simply for being transgendered.
The entire policy is going to be phased in over a year, but starting in 90 days, medical services, medical treatments for transgendered service people, hormone treatments, and even sexual reassignment surgery itself will be covered under the military health care system. That’s a first. They have had to go outside the system and pay for it themselves until now.
also interesting was this segment last night on pbs newshour “Can Hillary Clinton convince voters that she’s honest and trustworthy?”
i liked this metaphor/simile observation and peter’s solution sounded a lot like what craig has been saying:
PETER HART: Well, I think the options are to get back to — Hillary Clinton, I see as sort of a great antique desk that has been painted over a million times, and if you could just strip away all of that, she’d have a much better chance.
And I don’t think it’s on integrity. I think it is on being easygoing and likable, her friendships, her depth, all of those things. People think of her as competent. They don’t trust her. But they don’t like her at this stage of the game. That’s the thing that she needs to deal with.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So how does she — is this the kind of thing a candidate can change?
PETER HART: Of course they can. I mean, it just is, as much as anything, all of her friendships. Those things need to get across.
Somehow, she needs to be able to have that nice interchange, which she can do so well. Everything is too much of a platform. You don’t get that easygoing qualities that you can see. And if you create that, then I think integrity becomes a subpart, instead of the major part.
They will be playing the Imus interview with Gary Byrne and his book on the clintons
http://streema.com/radios/77_WABC
coming up after the half hour
Great topic to start the Independence Day weekend. We’re all together in this wonderful experiment called America.
***
And wishing a great nation ( & neighbor ) Peace, Prosperity, Happiness on this Canada Day.
realclearpolitics:
From Clinton’s speech on Monday:
love looking at onthisdate… fascinating stuff like: on july 1st
in 1200 In China, sunglasses are invented
>1934 1st x-ray photo of entire body, Rochester, NY
and so it goes
so for those in doubt about choosing between Hillary and the drumpf, weigh instead their choices of veeps to help settle your mind: lizzie/castro vs christie/gingrich
The Ongoing BS from BS
🙁
Flags are hyper-partisan and un-American
Oddly enough article being touted by Hugh Hewitt
Lyin’ Donald used $12,000 in charity funds to buy himself a Tim Tebow helmet & jersey that he gave away to a golfing buddy. Ho wstupid are the people supporting this sheister?
Last night we meet with one of our partners, Iglesia Getsamani, a neighborhood hispanic church. Every year they reach into their pockets and pay for school supplies for neighborhood children. Most of the congregation are low wage walmart/factory workers yet between themselves they raised $800 which paid for backpacks and school supplies for 112 children. But there were more that didn’t get supplies.
So Last night we were discussing possible grants they might get to expand their efforts but Grants are for next year and school is coming up in 2 months,
So Sherry (Mrs. Jack) and I are reaching out to friends family and co-worker to see if we can help. All of the money received will go directly for buying school supplies and Juan knows how to find a bargain.
So if you wish to help our new website has a paypal button where you can donate
Thank you very much
Jack
Paypal may be the best thing ever invented. I’ve gotten to the point that I won’t buy anything from a website that doesn’t offer the option.
Well, it had to happen, didn’t it? Round 2. BS’ dead ender supporters sue the DNC and Debbie Wasserman-Shultz.
The suit is based upon an unauthenticated memo supposedly acquired by Guccifer 2.0 in its hack of the DNC files.
This is exactly the kind of BULLSHIT BS has brought to the table. Remember, last December his campaign sued the DNC claiming negligence and breach of contract when after BS staffers stole Clinton donor information and the DNCsut off the campaign’s access to its database when the theft was uncovered. BS campaign denied it,
Awfully specific identification o f something that didn’t occur. BS campaign dropped the lawsuit.
I’ll bet that 103 of 104 were die-hard repubs until just this year, when they joined the Sanders campaign for just this purpose.
To start your 4th of July weekend
huffpo:
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is open to the possibility of supporting presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, a woman she respects despite her “very different philosophies” when it comes to politics.
In an interview on former Obama advisor David Axelrod’s podcast, “The Axe Files,” Collins spoke about the time she spent alongside Clinton in the U.S. Senate. She said she respected the former Secretary of State and admired her “real effort to reach out to members on the other side of the aisle.”
“Not just moderates like me, but conservatives as well,” Collins said. “She was good to work with, I had a very good relationship with her in the Senate working on Alzheimer’s in particular, but also on some economic development issues.”
Collins went on to praise Clinton as “diligent” and “very well-prepared,” and criticized presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s persistence in labeling the candidate “Crooked Hillary.”
“I don’t like that Donald Trump calls anyone names. I think that that is un-presidential and not worthy of the kind of public discourse that we should have,” she said on the podcast. “I think that demeans her accomplishments, and as a woman, I am particularly concerned when someone demeans the accomplishments of a person who has done a lot in her life, even if I don’t agree with that person.”
A flame thrower is a firearm, isn’t it ? We use them up here to destroy stands of buckthorn and marijuana, and to wipe out infestations of Japanese beetles, tent caterpillars, and tussock moths.
Everybody should carry a flame thrower for personal defense ! Why, if every gas station attendant had a flame thrower there would soon be far fewer stick-ups and criminals, not to mention gas stations.
This message is brought to you by your National Flamethrower Association, THE NFA, protecting your 2d Amendment Right to keep and bear actual firearms.
XR, I’d have to say a flame thrower is the ultimate firearm.
NEW THREAD by Blue Bronc