The Daily Populous

Tuesday October 17th, 2017 morning edition

image for The ironic, enduring legacy of banning ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ for racist language

“There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable,” school board vice president Kenny Holloway vaguely told the Sun Herald.

“We can teach the same lesson with other books,” Holloway explained to the Herald last week.

Similarly, we could illustrate the history of U.S. censorship with countless books other than “Mockingbird.”.

Engaged parents should call the school district with the clear message: Our kids are tough enough to read a real book.

“It’s slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.”.

“When school districts remove ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ from the reading list, we know we have real problems,” Duncan wrote.

The enduring lesson of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. »

Man Rescued From Taliban Didn't Believe Donald Trump Was President

Authored by newsweek.com

A Canadian man rescued from a Taliban-linked group in Afghanistan last week said he thought his captors were joking when they told him Donald Trump had been elected president of the United States.

They didn't even know Justin Trudeau was prime minister of Canada, for example, until after they were rescued.

But when Boyle was forced to participate in a "proof-of-life" video, one of the captors told him Donald Trump had been elected president. »

LIGO Detects Fierce Collision of Neutron Stars for the First Time

Authored by nytimes.com

But neutron stars are full of stuff, matter packed at the density of Mount Everest in a teaspoon.

When neutron stars slam together, all kinds of things burst out: gamma rays, X-rays, radio waves.

Making reasonable assumptions about their spins, these neutron stars were about 1.1 and 1.6 times as massive as the sun, smack in the known range of neutron stars. »

Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado, 2000–2015

Authored by ajph.aphapublications.org

To examine the association between Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis use and opioid-related deaths.

Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis sales and use resulted in a 0.7 deaths per month (b = −0.68; 95% confidence interval = −1.34, −0.03) reduction in opioid-related deaths.

Legalization of cannabis in Colorado was associated with short-term reductions in opioid-related deaths. »

‘Trailer Park Boys’ actor John Dunsworth has died at the age of 71

Authored by globalnews.ca
image for

Actor John F. Dunsworth, best known for his portrayal of Jim Lahey in the comedy series Trailer Park Boys, has died at the age of 71.

“John left this world peacefully after a short and unexpected illness,” she wrote in an email.

Dunsworth acted in numerous CBC radio dramas had many starring roles in stage productions at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. »