Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi — both renowned, of course, for their judicious and carefully non-partisan approach to matters in Washington — have now called for Jeff Sessions not only to recuse himself from any investigations of Russian meddling in the recent national election but to resign as Attorney General.   Absolutely shocking, right?   Well, sit down and prepare yourself for further shock:  There seems to be little merit in the allegations... Read more

    For those, like me, who worry about the prospects for tolerance and pluralism in the contemporary world, this story is a gripping one.  Much rides on it.  For those who regard Islam as a monolithic menace but whose minds are open to the possibility of revised understanding, it may prove at least a slight eye-opener:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/445369/jakarta-indonesia-governor-election-ahok-chinese-christian-muslim-religious-tolerance     Read more

    Isn’t it really quite stunningly amazing that the most efficient data-storing medium known to us is DNA?   http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/dna-could-store-all-worlds-data-one-room   Isn’t it astonishing that the supposedly unintelligent natural universe is so marvelously effective at archiving information?  Don’t you find that striking?  I certainly do.     Read more

    Available on the Interpreter website:   Laura Hales introduces the LDS Perspectives Podcast series, and interviews Professor Thomas Wayment.   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/lds-perspectives-podcast/     Read more

    It’s about time that somebody speak up against the regular misbehavior at Gonzaga:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674651/Dear-Mr-Harshbarger-of-Gonzaga-BYU-nation-salutes-you.html   Good for Mr. Harshbarger.     Read more

    “Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.” Washington Irving (1783-1859)     Read more

    I think that I’ve failed to call attention to this interesting speculative discussion, by Neal Rappleye,  of the background of Lehi and Nephi in the Book of Mormon:   http://www.studioetquoquefide.com/2017/01/some-thoughts-on-scribes-and-smelters.html#more     Read more

    From today’s Deseret News:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674612/Can-the-Book-of-Mormon-be-explained-as-the-work-of-a-conspiracy.html     Read more

    If you can muster 8.5 minutes . . .   This is absolutely brilliant:     As Guy Briggs, who kindly brought this to my attention, said, “It’s got a cappella! It’s got Disney! It’s got science! It’s got Middle East! What more could you want, Daniel Peterson?”   Really.  This is extraordinarily clever.  But be sure to follow the captions at the bottom, because things go fast.     Read more

    This is an encouraging story:   Muslim veterans offer to guard Jewish sites across US   Thanks to Matthew Wheeler for drawing my attention to it.     Read more