READING FOR THE WEEK (Nov. 18, 2014)

The city council of Nome, Alaska wants to remove tax exempt status of nonprofits and churches (KNOM Radio Mission).

The United States is the developed world's second most ignorant country (Mother Jones).

Scientists are afraid to talk about the Robot Apocalypse, and that's a problem (Business Insider).

The 8 hour sleep myth: How I learned that everything I knew about sleep is wrong (Raw Story).


U.S.-MEXICO BORDER ISSUES
Half of U.S.-Mexico border now patrolled only by drones (The Guardian).

Illegal border crossings at lowest levels in 40 years (CNN Politics).

4 out of 5 drug busts on U.S.-Mexico border involves U.S. citizens (Center for Investigative Reporting).

Mexico reels, and the U.S. looks away (LA Times).

When government succeeds (NY Times).


EUROPEANS LAND SPACE CRAFT ON COMET / WE BLOW UP ON LAUNCH PAD
How a European spacecraft has chased a comet for 300 million miles, and is now poised for a landing (CS Monitor).

European comet-landing spacecraft, now silent, was an 'incredible scientific success' (CS Monitor).

Meanwhile, in America, we're privatizing NASA and watching simple cargo rockets that we used to send in our sleep blow up on launching pads (BBC / Mark Martinez).

OBAMACARE NEWS
NC rejects Medicaid expansion, rural hospital closes, woman dies (Non Profit Quarterly).

This explains why the GOP wants to repeal Obamacare: Over 70% of Americans who bought health insurance policies through Obamacare rate their health care coverage as "excellent" or "good" (Gallup). 


RICH PEOPLE DOING STUPID THINGS
The brazen messages among bankers that rigged markets and produced a $4.3 billion fine (WP).

Monopoly Men: How two billionaires are destroying high speed rail in America (ATTN).


CONSERVATIVES BEHAVING BADLY
After nonsensical comments on Net Neutrality, conservatives rage against Ted Cruz (Daily Kos).

Right wing freaks out over China-U.S. climate change deal (David Horsey / LA Times).

Republican Trey Radel busted on cocaine charge, voted for drug testing food stamp recipients (Huffington Post).


NEED A REASON TO PROCRASTINATE? TAKE THESE USELESS QUIZZES
Are you a real SF Giants fan (CS Monitor)?

Which Beatles song describes your life (PlayBuzz)?

What type of Californian are you (Brain Fall)?


MISCELLANEOUS
California water officials aren't following own call for conservation (Center for Investigative Reporting).

Out of the Box: 10 amazing underground homes (Details).

1912 eighth grade exam: Could you make to high school in 1912 (CS Monitor)?

Paying for college in 1978 vs. paying for college in 2014: Why almost no one can pay for college without going into debt (ATTN).

Roseanne destroys every Republican who just won the 2014 mid-term elections ... 20 years ago (Addicting Info).

- Mark