Subtle semantic shift Effective whenever we think about it, the Progressive Review will replace the terms “Christian right” and “Christian extremist” with the more theologically correct phrase “Christian heretic.” That which is known as fundamentalist Christianity is in fact a…

Sometimes cell phones save lives, as witness this high school kayak trip in the ocean off Florida that got hit by a storm. Hall and Moody paddled for hours, disoriented. Their luck finally turned around midnight, when they spotted some…

Trauma of Iraq war haunting thousands returning home Lt. Julian Goodrum, an Army reservist from Knoxville, Tenn., is being treated for PTSD with therapy and anti-anxiety drugs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. He checked himself into a…

From Dave Winer, who was instrumental in the invention of blogs, rss news feeds, and podcasting, and who just led the charge against Google’s odious AutoLink. One side goes down, the other goes up. On yesterday’s radio show, the host,…

Supreme court bans execution of juveniles The ruling will spare 72 convicts who killed before 18. The majority opinion cites ‘evolving standards of decency’ as well as global norms. The US, until this ruling, was the only country that permitted…

Vermont residents vote on pulling US troops out of Iraq .  Vermont voters went to the polls Tuesday to overwhelmingly support a referendum to bring US troops home from Iraq, according to preliminary returns released early. I love Vermont, and…

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan stressed that the selection of a new government “should be free of all foreign interference.” “That means Syrian military forces and intelligence personnel need to leave the country,” he said. “That will help ensure…