The New York Times gives readers a glimpse of what lies in store for the 50 anonymous men who have stayed behind at the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan to help contain the damage from the reactor shutdowns: They crawl through labyrinths of equipment in utter darkness pierced only by their flashlights, listening for … Read more
Over at the Daily Caller, Mark Judge looks at NPR’s recent federal funding problems and offers a solution: It’s time for affirmative action at NPR. The beleaguered liberal organization, which is on the verge of losing its federal funding, can begin to get up off the canvas if it does one simple thing: hire a few conservatives. … Read more
This story from last week about New Hampshire Republican lawmaker Martin Harty is despicable: Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that “the world is too populated” and there are “too many defective people,” according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. Asked … Read more
Along with all the other troubling reports out of Japan, Americans seem to be keeping a particularly close eye on updates about the nation’s nuclear power plants, two of which were disabled in the immediate wake of the disaster. Joe Lieberman, among others, has suggested we “quickly put the brakes on” nuclear power in this … Read more
I know we have all been riveted, and horrified, by the news coming out of Japan this weekend in the wake of Friday’s massive earthquake and tsunami. Below is just a sampling of some of the stories, images, and ways to help out there on the Web right now: Above, a before-and-after Google Earth image … Read more
Time for a few Friday links: John Allen on Pope Benedict’s latest book: “It’s likely to cement the impression that Benedict XVI is his own best spokesperson.” Diary of a Part Time Monk: A man decides to fast on doppelbock beer (“liquid bread”) and water for the whole of Lent — just like monks used … Read more
After two months of deliberation, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) has signed legislation to abolish the death penalty in that state: Quinn called this the hardest decision he has had to make as governor, but one he felt was required. “If the system can’t be guaranteed 100 percent error-free, then we shouldn’t have the system,” … Read more
Ash Wednesday as a solemn day of penance must take on new meaning for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia today: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Tuesday that it had suspended 21 priests from active ministry in connection with accusations that involved sexual abuse or otherwise inappropriate behavior with minors. The mass suspension was the single-most sweeping … Read more
A recent CDC study found that the number of 15 to 24 year olds who reported being virgins in 2008 had increased slightly since 2002. In his latest column, Ross Douthat sees in that trend a reason for optimism — not because he thinks we’ll ever really see an end to premarital sex, but because … Read more
C. S. Lewis is big business these days, but is the new “Lewis Bible” taking things a bit too far? The Lewis Bible, available in cloth (18,000 copies sold since its November debut) or leather (6,000), shares a recycling genre with “A Year with C. S. Lewis,” a collection of 365 Lewis readings, which since … Read more
Time for some Friday morning links: France’s ban on the niqab, or face veil, goes into effect next month: Face veils will be outlawed virtually anywhere outside women’s own homes, except when they are worshipping in a religious place or travelling as a passenger in a private car, although traffic police may stop them if … Read more
Pope Benedict’s second book on Jesus of Nazareth — Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection — is set to be released next week, but readers can get a sneak peek at a few sections now. Amy Welborn teases out one of the interesting chapters on “The Dating of the Last Supper.” … Read more
Pope Benedict’s second book on Jesus of Nazareth — Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection — is set to be released next week, but readers can get a sneak peek at a few sections now. Amy Welborn teases out one of the interesting chapters on “The Dating of the Last Supper.” … Read more
Earlier today, the Supreme Court decided 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church’s right to be egregiously hateful by protesting at military funerals. Offensive as their speech may be, the majority opinion states that they have a right to it: Westboro believes that America is morally flawed; many Americans might feel the same about … Read more
Last month I blogged about Shahbaz Bhatti, the Catholic politician in Pakistan who had been courageously speaking out against the anti-blasphemy laws in that country, even in the face of death threats. “I follow the principles of my conscience, and I am ready to die and sacrifice my life for the principles I believe,” he … Read more
One of the (few) bright spots in Sunday’s Oscar show had to be Luke Matheny’s acceptance speech upon winning Best Short Film. It was nice to see someone genuinely surprised and excited to be on that stage — and who thanked his mother, “who did craft services for the film,” and the great state of … Read more
Aldo Maria Valli, a Vatican expert for the Italian television network RAI, has recently published a book titled, The Truth About the Pope: Why He Is Attacked, Why He Must Be Listened To. In it, he poses the question: “Why is the present Pope the absolutely most attacked public figure and why are his words … Read more
A couple in England lost their right to be foster parents because “they said they could not tell a child a ‘homosexual lifestyle’ was acceptable”: Lord Justice Munby and Mr Justice Beatson ruled that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation “should take precedence” over the right not to be discriminated against … Read more
Time for some Friday morning links: Catholic bishops back Wisconsin protestors? Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, CA, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on domestic justice, said: “The debates over worker representation and collective bargaining are not simply matters of ideology or power but involve principles of justice, participation and how workers can have a … Read more
While I occasionally hear stories of women being “ordained” to the priesthood by the group Roman Catholic Women Priests, I’ve never heard of any women leaving the heretical organization…until now. Norma Jean Coon, who participated in one of these ordinations in 2007, recently posted the following on her personal website: [T]he ordinations were illegitimate and … Read more