TRM Weekly

Thurs., Sept. 29, 2022

Critical thinking is vastly misunderstood; increasingly lacking in students AND adults, according to studies; yet also at the heart of decision-making, empathy and public discourse. Here's a peek at how one measure of critical thinking -- willingly exposing ourselves to debate and discussion with those whose beliefs are different than ours -- has changed in the last four years.

Source: The Reboot Foundation and survey resultss from 2018, 2019 and 2022.

NEWS BITS

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NATIONAL

SPACE EXPLORATION IS LITTERING MARS

Fourteen missions to Mars over 50 years have left almost 16,000 pounds of garbage on Mars in the form of discarded hardware, inactive spacecraft and crashed spacecraft. (Newsweek)

STUDY: VOICE ASSISTANTS HINDER KIDS' GROWTH 

Kids in families that use a lot of Alexa, Sirius and other home voice assistants may grow up lacking social skills, empathy, and critical thinking skills ,  according to a new study. (Guardian UK) 

JEWISH UNIVERSITY, LGBTQ+ GROUP CLASH

After the U.S. Supreme Court refused last week to hear its request NOT to recognize an on-campus LGBTQ+ group, Yeshiva University in New York cancelled all student groups. The move prompted the Pride Alliance student club to delay its push for recognition to prevent all student groups. at the Jewish university from being for being "punished" for its clash with university officials, reports  Metro Weekly.

NEW DATABASE TRACKS ANTI-LGBTQ+ CORPORATE DONATIONS

More than 130,000 corporate  corporations have been made to legisltors who support proposals to "inhibit. the rights of others," according to the Real Allies Database, a project by Accountable for Equality Action . (Advocate)

ILLINOIS

THIRD PRISON GUARD CONVICTED OF MURDER IN EARVIN DEATH

ROCKFORD --A third Illinois prison guard has been convicted of "civil rights deprivation resulting in bodily inuury and death" in. the June 2018 death of Larry Ervin. Todd Sheffler and two others assaulted Ervin while transfering him from his regular cell to an isolated confinement cell in 2018 while imprisoned at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sturling. The officers also lied about the incident afterwards, prosecutors say. (U.S. Department of Justice)

PRESS IS ON TO MAKE ILLINOIS AN ABORTION SANCTUARY STATE

The state of Illinois should be declared a sanctuary state for abortion services, voted the Forest Park Village Council Sept. 12. (Forest Park Review) Illinois is experiencing an influx of people seeking abortion services as neighboring states pass bans or restrictions.

BARRINGTON BOARD REJECTS LGBTQ+ BOOK BAN BIDS

Two LGBTQ+-themed books will stay on library shelves in the Barrington School District, following a 4-3 vote by the Barrington School Board. The nonfiction This Book Is Gay and the novel Flamer were targeted  targeted for a ban because of content that objectors had labelled "pornography." The school board also rejected a request to ban Gender Queer last month.  (WBEZ Chicago)

IOWA

AG-GAG LAW RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL 

An Iowa law that criminalizes undercover investigations of animal cruelty at slaughterhouses, factory farms and puppy mills has been declared unconstitutional a fourth time by a judge who ruled the so-called Ag-Gag Law limits free speech. (Animal Legal Defense Fund).

LIBERTARIAN OPPONENT PRESSES GOV. REYNOLDS ON LEGALIZATION 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' opposition to legalizing cannabis is the focus of a new ad by libertarian candidate for governor Rick Stewart. "What the hell, Kim?" and "Dear Kim, WEED!" dominate Stewart's ad, released this past weekend. Stewart and Democratic governor's candidate Deirdre DeJear have both publicly stated they support cannabis legalization  (Des Moines Register)

IOWA MAN GETS 7 YEARS FOR JAN. 6 INSURRECTION ATTACK 

A 38-year-old Iowa man has received one of the longest sentences so far of rioters involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. Kyle Young, caught on video as one of the rioters who beat police officer Michael Fanone , cried and apologized before receiving a seven-year sentence for assaulting an officer. Video showed Young and his 16-year-old son also threw a speaker and flashed a strobe light into officers' eyes. (We Are Iowa)

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