MicCheck Radio

Trouble In Somalia

According to a new report from the U.N. Security Council, as much as half of the food sent to help the poor in Somalia "is diverted from needy people to a web of corrupt contractors, radical Islamist militants and local United Nations staff members." [NYT]

Tags: africa, humanitarian aid

Full-Court Press

Source: flickr/sebastienb

When Scotus Met Phelps

Court Watch
The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday said they would hear the case over whether hate-monger "Rev." Fred Phelps has a First Amendment right to disrupt funerals of fallen U.S. troops with signs like "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God For Dead Soldiers." Oral arguments for the next Court term begin in October. [ABC News]

Tags: justices

And Justice For All

Abortion Subway Ads

New anti-abortion advertisements are running in New York subways reading, woman saying, "I thought life would be the way it was before." We liked Salon's Broadsheet's response: "Not that abortion can change a woman, but that it always does, and that is quite simply a lie. It isn't the sort of message born of concern for women, but rather a concern for converting women. Also, you know what is guaranteed to change you and your life in a profound way? Motherhood. But I don't recall seeing any subways ads featuring a woman knee-deep in dirty diapers with the text, "I thought life would be the way it was before." [Salon]

Tags: right to choose, women

Right Wing Wackiness

Source: flickr/therocketeer

Glenn Beck Doesn’t Like Your Church

Glenn Beck is trash talking your church. The right-wing megamouth is telling his listeners that Christian churches they must quit any churches that talk about "social justice" (aka: poverty or human rights) because that's "code" for socialism. "I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!" [Belief Net]

Tags: glenn beck, faith and religion

Health & Wellness

Source: flickr/roadsidepictures

Soda Diet

According to nutrition researchers at the University of North Carolina, if the price of soda were increased by 18%, we'd all consume an average of 56 fewer calories a day and weigh about 5 lbs. less every year. Adding more ammo to those politicians who want to levvy a "soda tax" on our fizzy drinks, Prof. Barry Popkin at the University of North Carolina says, "What shocked me is that it's a much higher weight reduction than we expected. If we could reduce everyone in America's weight by five pounds, they'd be happier and healthier." [USA Today]

Tags: obesity