SATURDAY 6-PACK: December 16, 2017

A weekly listing of articles, audio clips, and other tidbits I’ve encountered that seemed interesting, insightful, or otherwise useful …

Reports indicate that the compromise tax plan, worked out between Republicans from the House and the Senate along with various business lobbyists, now has enough votes to pass.  Of course, the exact details of the plan aren’t fully known … and might not be until after the vote to pass it. Whatever form the final tax bill takes, it will not fulfill the promises to improve wages for most Americans.  Lots of good quotes and non-technical analysis in this piece – and note the warning at the end:
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The other big news this weeks was the somewhat surprising victory for Doug Jones in the special election to fill the Senate vacancy in Alabama.  With all the post-election analysis, we know that the keep to Jones’ upset was the big turnout and solid support from African-American voters, especially the women.  Make now mistake: this was not about what a flawed human being Roy Moore happens to be; this is about issues that impact real people.  The people who voted expect action on these concerns:
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Here’s the two-fer for the week.  First up, things that were said by professed Christians in Alabama the day before the elction.  The pastor’s comments were particularly provocative.  Second, reactions from Tuesday night when the result came in.  This report features a different reaction by a different pastor.  Who best echoes what Christianity is about?

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/12/570093114/alabamas-special-election-is-now-up-to-the-voters

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/13/570387472/remarkable-win-sends-democratic-candidate-to-u-s-senate

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We also marked five years since the horrifc school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  The radio program  1A devoted the entire hour to this.  The PSA styled as a news report on “tomorrow’s school shooting” is a must-hear:

https://the1a.org/shows/2017-12-14/five-years-after-sandy-hook-are-schools-safer

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Trump and his echo-chamber were at work this week trying to undermine Robert Mueller’s credibility and stop the probe of Russian influence in the 2016 election from being completed.  The reason for seeking a premature stop is intuitively obvious (as my Algebra teacher would say).  That’s why Mueller and his team must be allowed to carry out the assignment they’ve been given.

http://www.startribune.com/let-mueller-do-his-work-or-nation-will-suffer/462898573/

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And finally, a good story … just because it’s really good and moving and timely for the season:

https://themoth.org/stories/love-song-for-malawi

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