According to aides who were present when Trump discussed the issue, but who choose to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, Trump said he was sick of Vance and wanted to fire him. “I wanted him to be my attack dog,” said Trump, “but he appears foolish on television. He dropped the college football trophy. He met with Pope Francis and the next day the pope died. Vance is toxic, and I don’t want him to come near me. He just doesn’t look as good on television as I thought he would.”   read more

Educational technology companies have hit the mother lode of data mining. Each time a pupil takes an online test, or a teacher notes a grade, those firms know about it. And data miners are striking it rich. One report concluded that the U.S. economy could grow by another $300 billion if those entities make education more efficient. One data analytics firm, Knewton, is already tracking more than four million students throughout the U.S.   read more

U.S. Special Operations Command has asked for money to support troops’ physical health--via exercise and dietary advice--to help those suffering from depression and suicidal tendencies. But members of Congress argue the funding request of $23 million should go toward more mental health programs to help Special Ops warriors, like Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, who are killing themselves at a rate that exceeds that of those in the regular armed forces.   read more

Senator Harry Reid has crusaded lately against the Koch brothers, claiming their right-wing priorities represent a threat to ordinary Americans. The amendment proposal would reverse the Citizens United and McCutcheon rulings that erased limits on corporate contributions. “The Court has repeatedly used the First Amendment – not to protect the voices of all Americans, but as an instrument to amplify the voices of billionaires and corporations,” said Senator Patrick Leahy.   read more

China has used designs of the U.S. Capitol and the White House as inspirations for various Chinese government buildings. The latest is a 4,000 square foot facility featuring the Romanesque dome and columns found on Capitol Hill in Washington. But inside the elaborate building are toilets for staff and visitors to use. It was brought to light by local farmer Wu Ketao. “I took the pictures because the toilet looked very luxury and reminded me of Capitol Hill,” he said.   read more

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that people are entitled to have certain information about them removed from search engine results and websites. Executives at the Internet giants were shocked. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales called it “one of the most wide-sweeping internet censorship rulings that I’ve ever seen.” IAPP CEO Trevor Hughes said it will “fundamentally change the landscape...in the field of privacy [and] the information economy generally.”   read more

Some conservatives continue to insist climate change is an exaggeration or hoax. But the institution so beloved by the right-wing—the U.S. military—believes climate change is real and represents a serious threat to long-term national security. A new report warns that climate change could disrupt important military operations in the U.S., and flooding could jeopardize military ports. The Norfolk Navy base, for one, "would go,” said Gen. Charles Wald.   read more

Those who should use Truvada, according to the CDC, include homosexual males who have unprotected sex; heterosexuals with high-risk partners, and anyone who regularly has sex with an HIV-positive person. “This is wonderful,” said Damon Jacobs, who is HIV negative and has been on Truvada for three years. “When an institution like the CDC makes a statement, it makes a profound difference to the doctors who are ambivalent.”   read more

Legalized marijuana has a lot of people in the marketing world conceiving of ways to make a buck off a fast-growing industry. There are companies offering machinery that can transition the growing of marijuana plants into a mechanized state of mass production. Big corporations know the importance of branding, and some businesses may soon set up pot subsidiaries. “I wouldn’t doubt in five years we’re going to see a Super Bowl commercial...featuring marijuana,” said Greg Wagner.   read more

Between the California drought and earthquake concerns, fracking opponents have convinced about a dozen local governments in the state to curtail or prohibit fracking altogether. These include Butte County, home of California’s second largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, which has lost a third of its water during the drought. A bill introduced in the state Senate would establish a temporary moratorium on fracking while experts study its effects.   read more

The U.S. may be a democratic, open society, but it’s got nothing on China, Russia, or even Albania when it comes to letting people know what corporations are up to. In other words, corporate transparency is not America’s strong suit. In fact, it ranks 26th in the world. Margot Williams summed up America’s problems this way: “Here in the U.S., the search for public records, corporate registration and potential litigation is a challenge, even in the era of online access."   read more

An overwhelming majority of journalists in the U.S. say it’s vital to investigate government misdeeds. But a much smaller percentage are willing to take risks to carry out such investigations,. Why have journalists become more risk adverse? "The post-9/11 surveillance state," suggests Eric Levenson, as well as the Obama administration’s “unprecedented targeting of whistleblowers [which] likely has played a role in turning opinions against the use of secret documents."   read more

The researchers tested 96 substances and found about 30% of them disrupted the way sperm functioned and their ability to fertilize eggs. The problem is high calcium levels in the sperm, which causes poor swimming and early release of enzymes needed to break into an egg. “This is really the first report on the direct effects of endocrine disruptors on sperm function,” said Niels Skakkebaek. “The effects we see could explain these not-uncommon cases where people cannot have a child....”   read more

Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from alcoholism, but most have never been prescribed medications that can help people with their addictions, a new study shows. Research found two drugs which were approved over a decade ago to treat alcoholics are rarely given to patients with drinking problems. Both are designed to adjust a person’s brain chemistry to reduce cravings for alcohol. “Our findings show that they can help thousands and thousands of people,” said Dr. Daniel E. Jonas.   read more

Automated warfare machines, or “killer robots,” do not exist. But the possibility of them in operation—in the near future—is enough to worry many world leaders and Nobel laureates who have called for a ban on such technology. South Korea already has deployed surveillance robots that can fire built-in machine guns without a person in control. Israel is working on a drone that can choose its own targets, and the U.S. has its armed unmanned drones.   read more

Roanoke County supervisor Al Bedrosian wants to change a rule that permits anyone to offer a non-sectarian prayer prior to board meetings. He wants only Christians to offer prayers. “The freedom of religion doesn’t mean that every religion has to be heard,” he said. “If we allow everything, where do you draw the line?" He said denying non-Christians “does not infringe on their freedom of religion. The truth is you’re trying to infringe on my right, because I don’t believe that.”   read more

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has issued another edict that prohibits intelligence employees from referencing news reports that contain unauthorized leaks. The rule follows an order that prohibits speaking to the media, which is defined so broadly that it might include anyone who has shared a story about an intelligence agency on Facebook. “You’re basically saying people can’t talk about what everyone in the country is talking about,” said former staffer Timothy Edgar.   read more