So, about that…

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/04/1084139878/reading-rainbow-is-getting-a-reboot-but-without-levar-burton

After the original show was cancelled, Burton signed a contract with WNED / Buffalo Toronto Public Media to develop stuff for the Reading Rainbow brand. He did a Kickstarter, raised $5M and talked to Netflix about making a series but reportedly didn’t get Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s OK first, so they sued him. They eventually settled with Burton abandoning the Reading Rainbow brand name.

Burton is still out there promoting childhood reading but not using the Reading Rainbow name.

This is your casual reminder that Lemmy was built to support RSS. Just look for the RSS logo on the top of any community’s list of posts:

And for those pining for the old days of Google Reader, I have been a huge fan of Newsblur.

Bless you, Portland.

So uh, realistically what can someone do in this scenario?

Spread the word. Let people know this is happening. Your allies, your conservative relatives; everyone.

Here’s the link to the actual interview, not a summary news article:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF6Fsg2_5xM

Last time Microsoft tried something like this, they got the shit slapped out of them by federal antitrust regulators:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.

Testing replies and edits…

Now hear me out. Instead of a space elevator…

Sadly this doesn’t seem to be working (as of Mon Sept 22 2025, 01:11 AM UTC).

Update (Wed Sept 24 2025 17:17 UTC): It works!

west hollywood indeed

Rich enough to outrun consequences.

Finally these guys are getting a new ride.

Could you not?

10 PRINT BUTTS

20 GOTO 10

This is all hilarious of course, but that sandwich thrower would probably be dead if he wasn’t white.

I watched Pritzker’s press conference. You can here. He said no such thing.

He told Trump not to send the National Guard to Chicago; that they are neither needed nor wanted there. And he told citizens that when it does happen to engage in peaceful protest, noting that any guard members that arrive are likely doing so under duress (denying to deploy would risk court martial), and insisting that citizens look to “members of the faith community” for guidance on how to organize.

I don’t really agree with that specific choice, but that’s what he said.

But also, this:

The state of Illinois is ready to stand against this military deployment with every peaceful tool we have. We will see the Trump administration in court. We will use every lever at our disposal to protect the people of Illinois and their rights. Finally, to the Trump administration officials who are complicit in this scheme. To the public servants who have forsaken their oath to the Constitution to serve the petty whims of an arrogant little man. To any federal official who would come to Chicago and try to incite my people into violence as a pretext for something darker and more dangerous, we are watching and we are taking names. This country has survived darker periods than the one that we’re going through right now and eventually the pendulum will swing back, maybe even next year. Donald Trump has already shown himself to have little regard for the many acolytes that he has encouraged to commit crimes on his behalf. You can delay justice for a time, but history shows you cannot prevent it from finding you eventually. If you hurt my people, nothing will stop me, not time or political circumstance, from making sure that you face justice under our constitutional rule of law.

That’s more like it.

In case you weren’t sure how to feel about reading this obit, here’s a handful of this guy’s impact on the world…

• Dobson viewed marriage as a transaction in which women exchange sex for protection: “The natural sex appeal of girls serves as their primary source of bargaining power in the game of life. In exchange for feminine affection and love, a man accepts a girl as his lifetime responsibility-supplying her needs and caring for her welfare. This sexual aspect of the marital agreement can hardly be denied.” — James Dobson, Dare to Discipline (1970)
• Dobson opposed sex education curricula that were not abstinence-only and supported private school vouchers (taking funding away from public schools) and tax credits for religious schools.
• Dobson contended that tolerance and diversity are “buzzwords” that were being misused as part of a “hidden agenda” to promote homosexuality. (citation)
• In 2012, Dobson said that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary (killing 26 people including 20 children) was a judgement by God because of American acceptance of gay marriage and legal abortion. (citation)
• Dobson flip-flopped on his views on abortion, opting for silent support early in his career before changing course to be obstinately anti-abortion, insisting that abortion invites women to reject God, diverts women from their natural role as mothers, and prevents more Christians from coming into the world. (citation)
• Dobson encouraged “daddy–daughter dating” in which fathers and daughters set aside time for special activities together. Because he believed heterosexuality must be cultivated, Dobson intended these romanticized attachments to model proper heterosexual partnership to girls age six or younger. (citation)
• He viewed the gender binary as fundamental to humanity and waxed lovingly about historical periods where being transgender in a bathroom could get you killed. (citation)

I could go on, but I’m feeling the sudden urge to go dance in the street.

Update: for further reading, please have a look at the obituary written by Erik Loomis on the Lawyers Guns & Money blog. It’s outstanding.

Further reading gives additional context on that.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/costco-asserts-that-it-wont-sell-abortion-pill-mifepristone/

Reportedly, Costco has never carried mifepristone, ever, and according to Costco’s own analysis, there has not been significant demand from Costco members to warrant adding it.

For even more context, mifepristone is only ever meant to be administered under the direct supervision of medical staff. That doesn’t mean a doctor prescribed this pill for you to take at home, it means you only get the pill in a doctor’s office, with the doctor and staff there to care for you.

People I know who have taken mifepristone confirm: it does fuck you up and you DON’T want to take it at home.

Bad news about Costco: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/costco-not-sell-abortion-pill-mifepristone-its-us-pharmacy-stores-aug-14-2025-08-14/

UPDATE (for additional context): Reportedly, Costco has never carried mifepristone, ever, and according to Costco’s own analysis, there has not been significant demand from Costco members to warrant adding it.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/costco-asserts-that-it-wont-sell-abortion-pill-mifepristone/

For even more context, mifepristone is only ever meant to be administered under the direct supervision of medical staff. That doesn’t mean a doctor prescribed this pill for you to take at home, it means you only get the pill in a doctor’s office, with the doctor and staff there to care for you.

People I know who have taken mifepristone confirm: it does fuck you up and you DON’T want to take it at home.