Traffic Congestion Pricing: It Works

"Public streets play a big role in our day-to-day lives.  And if you’ve visited any large metropolitan city, you’ve seen just how much traffic can fill up roadways. New York City became the first city in America to implement congestion pricing, a program aimed at generating revenue and making streets less crowded. But the initiative hasn’t been immune to opposition, including from the Trump administration, which has ordered the city to end the program. Janno Lieber is the chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. He joins WITHpod to discuss the effects of congestion pricing in NYC, legal fights ahead and more."

Click on the link below for a podcast presenting the findings that this controversial practice actually works to achieve its goals:

What's the Deal with Congestion Pricing?

Rockefeller: The Source Of The USA's Education Problems?

"The American educational system, a cornerstone of societal development, has undergone numerous transformations over the years. One influential figure in shaping the landscape of education was John D. Rockefeller, a name often associated with wealth and industrial prowess. However, as I delve into the annals of history, a disconcerting truth emerges — one that raises questions about the true motives behind Rockefeller’s educational endeavors."

Click here, and on the link below, for an enlightening view of a basic problem with USA education.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1412003936836149

If you think that there is no problem with US education after partaking of the above, the link below will help you to understand how sheepish humans are without critical thinking skills:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=630867306389189&rdid=ERcLkK6IRiEJmNYq

The Key To Personal Wealth

It's not working hard or getting a higher education: it's business ownership (sole proprietorship or stocks).

Click on the link below for an informative video on the above. And, NO, it is NOT a sales pitch:

The System Is Designed To Keep You Poor

Vaccines: History's GREATEST Success Story

Click on this link for a podcast episode that should bury the anti-vaccine bilge (but you know how THAT goes).

Oh, and this link puts Mr. Pseudoscience (RFKJr) in his place on the subject.

Unvaccinated Kids Are A Threat To All

 Click on this link for a podcast presenting the truth about vaccines: they are the success story of the century.

Trump, MAGA, and J Edgar Hoover

"J. Edgar Hoover is one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history. And the seeds he planted as the decades long founding director of the FBI continue to shape much of today’s conservative political landscape. Kash Patel, who now leads the FBI, has openly vowed to find ways to punish Trump’s political enemies. While that’s appalling, it’s not the first time an FBI director has used abused institutional power. There’s a lot of historical precedent that we can compare and contrast with the current moment. Beverly Gage is a historian at Yale University and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century.” She joins WITHpod to discuss Hoover’s influence, the politicization of the FBI, the abuse of its power, the FBI in Trump 2.0 and more."

Click on the link below for a podcast relating J Edgar Hoover to today's US politics from the Far Right:

Weaponization of the FBI from Hoover to Trump

How The USA Became A Dictatorship

"A sobering message from a history teacher about America turning from democracy to authoritarianism:
I teach both American and international government. 

"For years, I’ve been going over 'case study' states, from mostly democratic (UK), to democratizing-but-corrupt (Mexico, Nigeria), to illiberal-authoritarian (Russia), to theocratic (Iran), to traditional authoritarian (China).

"When it comes to the difference between democracy and authoritarianism, one thing Americans need to understand is that there’s never one single moment when you become an authoritarian state; no leader will stand up and announce, 'I am now a dictator'.”

Click on the link below for examples that point to how the USA got into its present political state:

 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18GiL37LpF/

They Are Telling Us Who They Are

 

A Zoomed-Out Picture

 

A Snapshot Of The Issues Of The Day

"First: Now that USAID is gutted, we hear from frontline humanitarian David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee.

"Then: The Netflix hit sparking an important conversation: Adolescence—it’s about young minds, male rage, and the dangers of social media. Star of the show Stephen Graham joins me.

"Plus: Fear in the occupied West Bank as Israeli settlers, often violently expand their illegal outposts. CNN is there.

"Then: High stakes for Europe and the limits of Trump’s Ukraine-Russia diplomacy. Former Pentagon official Celeste Wallander joins me.

"And: From the archive—on World Water Day, a warning from Sarajevo: painful echoes of water as a weapon of war, from Bosnia back then to Gaza and Ukraine today."Click on the link below for a podcast summary of some of the news of the times that we are in:

USAID Cuts Imperiling Lives (and more)

It's Simple, Stupid

https://overcast.fm/+AAMzRnlXMU0

 

How To Know Your Media Is Trustworthy

"How can we determine which news sources are trustworthy?

"There's a general rubric I like to follow. Basically, it's a five-step system that the folks at the News Literacy Project came up with.

"First, you have to figure out what other (credible) sources say about the outlet or news source — you need to get off-platform to do this and check out sources like fact-checking websites.

"If the source seems to check out, second, you find out what their editorial standards are. Any credible media organization will have these and they should be easily discoverable somewhere on their website. If they don't have them, that's a red flag.

"Third, find out who funds and creates the content — again, at any legit outlet, this should be transparently stated somewhere on the website. There also shouldn't just be transparency around who funds the whole organization, but around which articles are sponsored and which aren't. If this isn't obvious, that's a problem.

"Fourth, look at how they handle errors. Seeing a "correction" appended to an article, for example, isn't a bad thing — everyone makes mistakes, and it's way more of a red flag when these aren't transparently corrected.

"Fifth, ask yourself about the quality of the coverage in general. For example, is the language inflammatory? Are headlines click-baity? Is the journalism original, or just parroting content from other sources? Is it clear when something is opinion, vs fact-based? And how does the coverage of a particular topic compare to that on other, legitimate sites?

"None of this is a guarantee of trustworthiness, but if a source fails to meet these standards, it's for sure a sign you SHOULDN'T trust that source."

Click on the link below for the rest of the interview:

Examining the Media: an interview with Amanda Ruggeri

The Underlying Problem With MAGA: Childish/Magical Thinking

One major trait of Trumpers/MAGA is childish/magical thinking. Everything is black and white. There is no room for understanding that reality can be much more than good or bad/right or wrong in many serious topics/circumstances. Unsupported certainty can be the enemy of nuance, humility, and understanding

There is a reason why fear works so well on them: they are easily blocked from considering that they may be incorrect in their opinions. The majority probably were raised within a religion and that religion poisoned their brains from challenging the dogma to which they were exposed.

Below is an emblematic of this problem: 

• "I am afraid of the 'other' that I was taught to hate. Those immigrants will harm me and take my job. I must support deporting them as fast as we can, to Hell with due process/the Rule of Law."

The More We Know About Our Origins, The More Awe-Inspiring It Is

"Did you know that many of us have up to 4% Neanderthal DNA? And that 100% of your DNA may come from outer space? No joke. The biochemistry that defined the coding system of your DNA may have happened off-world, and perhaps even long before Earth existed."

Click on the link below for a 18-minute video explaining the evidence:

Your DNA's Codes Are (Probably) From Outer Space

Democrats Need To Change Its Leadership And Tactics NOW

"While a recent NBC News poll revealed Trump's approval rating is the highest it's ever been, the data behind the poll tells a much different story. Steve Schmidt breaks down the numbers in the poll and explains why Trump's approval rating isn't as positive as it might seem."

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Steve actually focused on two things in this video:

• Most pollsters are not adequately educated in the science of polls (i.e. the first image below is the typical media poll that is too superficial and narrow.)
• The MAJOR point is what the second image below shows: the Democratic Party is in a deep hole with the public and must change what it is doing fast by changing its leadership and plan.

Click on the link below for the video:

The Real Story Behind Trump's Recent Poll Numbers

How Biology Challenges The Male-Female Binary

"In this documentary-style episode, Outrage Overload dives into the intricate and often misunderstood world of sex development, using the controversy surrounding female boxers at the Paris Olympics as a case study. We unpack the science, ethics, and personal stories behind Differences in Sex Development (DSDs), challenging the oversimplified narratives that dominate today’s polarizing debates.

"Join us as we explore:

• Why the biology of sex development is more complex than the XX/XY binary.
• How the Paris Olympics highlighted the tension between fairness, inclusion, and misinformation.
• The real-life impact of DSD diagnoses on individuals and families.
• A thoughtful discussion on the challenges of sports eligibility

"Featuring expert insights from Dr. Richard Auchus, a leading endocrinologist, and Amethysta Herrick, a transgender woman and advocate, this episode is a deep dive into science, empathy, and the lessons we can learn about navigating difficult conversations."

Click on the link below for the podcast episode which is an up-to-date presentation of our understanding of sex/gender:

Fairness, Biology, and Outrage: The Complexity of Sex Development

The USA Is Now A Kingdom

"In Common Sense, when he made the argument against monarchy that would drive the colonists to create their own new form of government, Thomas Paine warned his neighbors that without the rule of law, the country belongs to a king. He urged them to turn away from a world that gave one man such absolute power. '[S]o far as we approve of monarchy,' he wrote, 'in America the law is King. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other.'"

Click here and here for evidence supporting the title of this blog post.

Attacking Misinformation With Exposure To It

"Misinformation and logical fallacies lurk in almost every corner of social media, so it can be tempting to shield kids entirely. But new research from UC Berkeley suggests that exposure to misinformation in a supervised environment can help kids become more diligent fact-checkers. Banning social media and other digital platforms might not be the best way to equip children with long-term media literacy.

"I will begin an overview of this study and then offer some suggestions of how educators can use controlled online exposure to strengthen students’ critical thinking and digital literacy skills while minimizing the risk of harm."

Click on the link below for the details of this study:

Turning Misinformation Into Education

The Worst Of The Internet Has Arrived Within Its Mainstream

"Trolls have basically taken possession of the U.S. government. How have trolls been able to go from being mostly cordoned off in dark parts of the internet to gaining so much influence in American culture and politics? Our guest this week has spent years researching and reporting on-the-ground to learn more about how the battle online between the right and the left has moved into the real world. Elle Reeve is a correspondent at CNN and the author of “Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics.” She joins WITHpod to discuss the politics of “black pilled” and “red pilled” young men, the ways in which online extremism so often translates into political violence and more."

Click on the link below for a podcast delving into the above:

The Darkest Corners of the Internet

BOTH US POLITICAL Parties Will Not Stand Up

Everyone who has a functional brain and can objectively look at reality KNOWS that the present Republican Party is a piece of sh!t. 

Today, the DEMOCRATIC PARTY allowed the evil to have a clean pass into dictatorship. Folks, there are only two final blocks to it, and one is the justice system. Once the present blocks from such get to the Supreme Court, do you really think justice will be preserved with THIS Supreme Court? 

The bottom line? "We the people" have the final say in the voting process. Up to now, most of us have not even voted. Shame on us. Can we agree that we can do a better job?

Oh, In 1856, the anti-slavery party didn't cave (link).

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