October 27, 2017

60% of guns used to commit crimes in Chicago from 2009 to 2013 originated outside of Illinois.

Love this comment on their Facebook page:

Chicago turned its city into a no-peeing section of a public pool. And then they got surrounded on all sides by a bunch of asparagus-eating yeehaws with full bladders.

Which is why every conservative who starts a gun debate with "what about Chicago" needs to shut up.





OCT. 26, 2017 AT 1:16 PM
Gun Laws Stop At State Lines, But Guns Don’t
By Jeff Asher and Mai Nguyen

Graphics by Rachael Dottle

Filed under Guns

Soon after the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas, the White House batted down the idea of enacting more gun control with the argument that many cities with strict gun laws have high murder rates. The White House specifically pointed to Chicago and Baltimore as “some of America’s cities with the strictest gun laws” coupled with “the highest rates of gun violence.” While the statement has some merit — Chicago and Baltimore had the first and third most murders nationally in 20161 — evidence suggests a city or state’s gun laws may only be as effective as those of the state next door.

The relationship between state gun laws and the flow of firearms between states can be measured using data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which traces guns’ origins and where law enforcement recovers them. An analysis of data from 107 pairs of bordering states2 throughout the country shows a relationship between the strictness of a state’s gun laws relative to its neighbor and the number of firearms recovered3 from that neighbor.4
Jens Ludwig, a professor at the University of Chicago and director of the University of Chicago crime lab, notes that ATF data “that has been analyzed by academics across the country regularly shows that in cities that try to control gun violence by supplementing federal regulations with additional local gun laws, those laws are regularly undermined by crime guns coming in from other states.”

?w=575&h=563&quality=90&strip=info

More: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/gun-laws-stop-at-state-lines-but-guns-dont/?ex_cid=538fb

October 25, 2017

The Jones Act And The Debt Crisis

Another article from VOX

The Jones Act, the obscure 1920 shipping regulation strangling Puerto Rico, explained
Protectionism and exploitation at its worst.

The island of Puerto Rico is devastated, with millions lacking power, infrastructure destroyed, homes damaged, and an entire year’s worth of agricultural output essentially ruined. Like any disaster-struck place, it will be in need of supplies brought it from elsewhere in the country.

But getting goods from the US mainland to Puerto Rico is much more expensive than sending them to Texas or even to other Caribbean islands as a result of a century-old man-made disaster that’s been crippling the island’s economy for a long time.

Meet the Jones Act, an obscure 1920 regulation that requires that goods shipped from one American port to another be transported on a ship that is American-built, American-owned, and crewed by US citizens or permanent residents.

For most Americans, this isn’t a big deal — it enriches a small number of American shipowners while introducing some weird distortions into the overall pattern of economic activity in the United States.

More:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/27/16373484/jones-act-puerto-rico

October 18, 2017

Jim Jeffries: Harvey Weinstein is a total piece of shit! Fox News hypocrisy also shredded!

October 16, 2017

Secrets of Finland's Education

October 11, 2017

When 4th Grade Me Accidentally Showed My Parents Homemade Porn To The Entire Class

Reddit user rniscior shared this story of the time he nearly traumatized his whole class during show and tell:

“I’ve never spoken about this since it happened, but out there somewhere, there are 30 former fourth graders who, if asked, can recall the horror on my face.

It all began the summer of 1995. We had taken a family trip to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. My dad brought a camcorder he had recently purchased and taped many of the tours we went on. We had a great time.

Fast-forward to the school year.

We were studying geology at the time, and my teacher decided to incorporate this into our regular show and tell session. We were to gather rocks from our neighborhoods and bring them into class. Naturally I recalled the awesome rock formations I had seen at Mammoth Caves, and asked if I could bring the video instead. My teacher was thrilled, and agreed.”

Sounds good so far.

“I went home and asked my mom and dad if I could share one of the tapes. They agreed and told me I could retrieve the tapes myself.

More: http://awkwardmom.com/4th-grade-accidentally-showed-parents-homemade-porn-entire-class/?utm_source=TH-FB-Page&utm_medium=TH-FB-Page&utm_campaign=TH-FB-Page

October 10, 2017

Never knew this. Kaepernick was told by a former Green Beret that kneeling would be more respectful

than sitting down. Sorry if I am the only person on DU who didn't know this. If not then here you go:

Snip: From the time the protest gained attention, Kaepernick reiterated he was not doing it to be anti-American or anti-military or to disrespect troops. He was doing it to bring serious social issues to light and try to evoke change. That stance led to him slightly adjusting the protest. Kaepernick met with former Green Beret and brief NFL long snapper Nate Boyer, and after the discussion decided to shift from sitting to taking a knee during the anthem.


https://www.sbnation.com/2016/9/11/12869726/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-seahawks-brandon-marshall-nfl

October 7, 2017

Shields and Brooks on Las Vegas tragedy, Trump-Tillerson tensions