Why somepeopletalkveryfast and others … take … their … time − despite stereotypes, it has nothing to do with intelligence

  Pop culture abounds with examples of very fast talkers. There’s the Judy Grimes character played by Kristen Wiig on “Saturday Night Live,” or that guy from the 1980s who did commercials for Micro Machines and FedEx. Of course, there are also extremely slow talkers, like the sloth in “Zootopia” and the cartoon basset hound Droopy.

  Real-life fast talkers are staples in some professions. Auctioneers and sportscasters are known for their rapid delivery, though the slower commentary in golf shows there is a range for different sports.

Have religious conservatives lost their minds?

  Although the phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear in the Constitution, the concept is based on the First Amendment, which reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

  Down through history, the union of church and state has resulted in great evils. Even today, in the twenty-first century, some countries have state religions or state churches. This includes not only Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia but also “Christian” countries like Norway and the United Kingdom.

Throwing Alabama’s children and physicians to the wolves

  Three federal judges exposed Alabama physicians to felony charges last week.

  But U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa wanted everyone to know it was complicated.

  “This case revolves around an issue that is surely of the utmost importance to all of the parties involved: the safety and wellbeing of the children of Alabama,” Lagoa wrote in a 49-page majority opinion allowing Alabama to make it a crime to offer medical treatment to transgender youth under age 19. “But it is complicated by the fact that there is a strong disagreement between the parties over what is best for those children. Absent a constitutional mandate to the contrary, these types of issues are quintessentially the sort that our system of government reserves to legislative, not judicial, action.”

9 ways the Freedom to Vote Act would strengthen democracy

  On July 18, 2023, Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives jointly refiled the Freedom to Vote Act (S. 1, H.R. 11), 18 months after a previous version passed the House and had the support of 50 senators but was ultimately filibustered in the Senate. This far-reaching reform package would set baseline national standards for federal elections that would override many anti-democracy laws passed by at least 20 state legislatures in the past few years. It would also reduce the corrupting influence of special interest money in politics and end partisan gerrymandering.

Looking for a US ‘climate haven’ away from heat and disaster risks? Good luck finding one

  Southeast Michigan seemed like the perfect “climate haven.”

  “My family has owned my home since the ‘60s. … Even when my dad was a kid and lived there, no floods, no floods, no floods, no floods. Until [2021],” one southeast Michigan resident told us. That June, a storm dumped more than 6 inches of rain on the region, overloading stormwater systems and flooding homes.

  That sense of living through unexpected and unprecedented disasters resonates with more Americans each year, we have found in our research into the past, present, and future of risk and resilience.

Tipping etiquette and norms are in flux − here’s how you can avoid feeling flustered or ripped off

  Tipping has gotten more complicated – and awkward – in North America.

  The ever-growing list of situations in which you might be invited to tip includes buying a smoothie, paying an electrician, getting a beer from a flight attendant, and making a political donation.

  Should you always tip when someone suggests it? If yes, how do you calculate the right amount? And if you don’t, are you being stingy?

Steve Flowers: Inside the Statehouse - Big Jim’s run for congress

  We're continuing with the saga of Alabama’s most colorful governor, the legendary Big Jim Folsom. 

  Jim Folsom, Jr. shared a story about his father’s early political life.

  Big Jim always knew that he wanted to go into politics, so he jumped right in. His hometown of Elba in Coffee County was in the sprawling old third congressional district which encompassed the southeastern part of the state. It was referred to as the “Wiregrass” district.

Black female prosecutors like Fani Willis face the unequal burden of both racist and sexist attacks

  On the day he was indicted on financial fraud charges in a New York City courtroom, former U.S. President Donald Trump launched an attack against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

  One of the handful of Black female prosecutors in the country, Willis has led a criminal investigation into Trump’s alleged campaign interference in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

  “In the wings, they’ve got a local racist Democrat district attorney in Atlanta who is doing everything in her power to indict me over an absolutely perfect phone call,” Trump said on April 4, 2023.

As the mental health crisis in children and teens worsens, the dire shortage of mental health providers is preventing young people from getting the help they need

  The hospital where I practice recently admitted a 14-year-old girl with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, to our outpatient program. She was referred to us six months earlier, in October 2022, but at the time, we were at capacity. Although we tried to refer her to several other hospitals, they too were full. During that six-month wait, she attempted suicide.

  Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common story for young people with mental health issues. A 2021 survey of 88 children’s hospitals reported that they admit, on average, four teens per day to inpatient programs. At many of these hospitals, more children await help, but there are simply not enough services or psychiatric beds for them.

‘Uncivil obedience’ becomes an increasingly common form of protest in the US

  When Utah legislators passed a bill requiring the review and removal of “pornographic or indecent” books in school libraries, they likely did not imagine the law would be used to justify banning the Bible.

  Utah’s H.B. 374, which took effect in May 2022, “prohibits certain sensitive instructional materials in public schools.” It joins a series of conservative book bans that supporters claim protect children but critics have argued unfairly target LGBTQ+ content and minority authors.