Society's ChildS


Alarm Clock

Ukraine busts 'human trafficking ring' that sold BABIES to Chinese 'single men of certain orientation'


RT
Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:54 UTC
ukraine human trafficking
© (L) Anton Gerashenko Facebook; (R) FILE PHOTO AFP / BORYANA KATSAROV
Ukrainian police have raided a private reproductive clinic that has been allegedly "selling babies" to China. While the suspects are accused of "human trafficking," surrogate motherhood is a legal gray area in Ukraine.

The scandalous case was brought to light by the country's interior ministry late on Saturday. The police broke up a "human-trafficking" ring that was centered at a private reproductive clinic in Kiev.

Further details on the case were shared by the Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashenko on his Facebook page. The ring involved the head of the clinic, her son, as well as two other Ukrainian and three Chinese nationals. They were charged with human trafficking that may lead to 12 years in prison with property confiscation.

The majority of the clinic's clients were single Chinese males of "certain orientation," as Gerashenko put it. While the exact number of trafficked babies remains unknown, at least 140 more Chinese nationals are under investigation, the official added.
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Arrow Down

Repeated failures indicate it's time to dump current epidemic models

Michael Fumento
Issues & Insights
Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00 UTC
Deaths/day chart
© Unknown
"The ... crisis we face is unparalleled in modern times," said the World Health Organization's assistant director, while its director general proclaimed it "likely the greatest peacetime challenge that the United Nations and its agencies have ever faced." This was based on a CDC computer model projection predicting as many as 1.4 million deaths from just two countries.

So when did they say this about COVID-19? Trick question: It was actually about the Ebola virus in Liberia and Sierra Leone five years ago, and the ultimate death toll was under 8,000.

With COVID-19 having peaked (the highest date was April 4), despite the best efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase numbers by first saying any death with the virus could be considered a death from the virus and then again this week by saying a positive test isn't even needed, you can see where this is going.

Since the AIDS epidemic, people have been pumping out such models with often incredible figures. For AIDS, the Public Health Service announced (without documenting) there would be 450,000 cases by the end of 1993, with 100,000 in that year alone. The media faithfully parroted it. There were 17,325 by the end of that year, with about 5,000 in 1993. SARS (2002-2003) was supposed to kill perhaps "millions," based on analyses. It killed 744 before disappearing.

Comment: See also:

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Clipboard

USA Today Fact Check: Hospitals are paid more if patients are listed as COVID-19 and are on ventilators

Michelle Rogers
Anti-Empire
Sat, 25 Apr 2020 00:00 UTC
Ventilator
© Jack Guez/AFP/GettyHospital staffer checks the ventilator panel
Dr. Scott Jensen, a senator and physician in Minnesota, was interviewed by "The Ingraham Angle" host Laura Ingraham on April 8 on Fox News and claimed hospitals get paid more if Medicare patients are listed as having COVID-19 and get three times as much money if they end up needing a ventilator.

While his claim originated during an interview on Fox News, it was published on April 9 by The Spectator, a conservative publication and syndicator. WorldNetDaily shared it on April 10 and, according to Snopes, a related meme was shared on social media in mid-April.

Jensen took it to his own Facebook page on April 15, saying, in part:
"How can anyone not believe that increasing the number of COVID-19 deaths may create an avenue for states to receive a larger portion of federal dollars. Already some states are complaining that they are not getting enough of the CARES Act dollars because they are having significantly more proportional COVID-19 deaths."
On April 19, he doubled down on his assertion via video on his Facebook page.

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Ambulance

New York: Nursing home coronavirus patients admittance to underused fed hospitals denied

Penny Starr
Breitbart
Sat, 25 Apr 2020 00:00 UTC
Cobble Hill Health Center
© John Minchillo/APEmergency medical workers arrive at Cobble Hill Health Center
Coronavirus patients at a Brooklyn nursing home were denied admission to both of the medical facilities established in New York to handle victims of the pandemic even though beds were mostly empty.

The New York Post obtained access to email from the CEO of the Cobble Hill Health Center to state officials seeking to relocate sick residents.

"We don't have the ability to cohort right now based on staffing and we really want to protect our other patients," Cobble Hill CEO Donny Tuchman wrote in the chain of the emails.

"He was denied," the Post reported.

"I was told those facilities were only for hospitals" to send their overflow patients.
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Attention

Announcing self-governance, Yemen's Southern Transitional Council declares state of emergency


Sputnik
Sun, 26 Apr 2020 00:33 UTC
Yemen rally
© CGTN Official/TwitterYemeni attend support rally for UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council
Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) is introducing self-governance in the country's southern provinces and has declared a state of emergency in those areas, a statement of the council, obtained by Sputnik, says.

"A general state of emergency is announced from midnight April 25 in the capital Aden and all of the southern provinces, the armed forces and security forces have been ordered to implement it," the STC statement says.

The council is accusing the Yemeni government of corruption, failure to fulfill its obligations, plotting against the Yemeni people and using their resources for financing its activities. According to STC, the government has not been paying salaries to military servicemen and civilians for several months.

"The Southern Transitional Council is declaring self-governance starting from midnight April 25," the STC statement, obtained by Sputnik, says.

Comment: Not all are onboard with the new council...
Five provinces in southern Yemen have rejected the Southern Transitional Council's (STC) decision to introduce self-governance and declare a state of emergency in the region. The provinces of Abyan, Shabwah, Hadhramaut, Al Mahrah, and Socotra refused to support the council's decision.

The Abyan provincial administration confirmed renouncing the STC's announcement by calling it a violation of the agreement reached in Riyadh on the termination of the military confrontation between the government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) security forces, according to the outlet.


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NPC

Politico stealth edits article after claiming Trump currently 'owes' millions to Bank Of China

Shelby Talcott
The Daily Caller
Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:04 UTC
Trump Oval office
© Alex Brandon/AP PhotoDonald Trump
Politico quietly updated a story after first claiming that President Donald Trump currently "owes millions to the Bank of China" Friday.

The publication posted an article Friday suggesting President Donald Trump currently "owes" millions of dollars to the Bank of China, adding that "the loan is due soon." Politico was forced to quietly edit its story after it was determined that Trump apparently did not currently owe the Bank of China millions of dollars.

The publication updated the article, but did not admit that it may have bungled the story and did not retract its story.

"This article and headline were updated to include comment from the Bank of China and additional reporting," Politico wrote in its updated article.

Comment: RT adds:
In its "scoop" on Friday, Politico reported that Trump's real estate partner, Vornado Realty Trust, which has a 70 percent majority stake in the skyscraper at New York's 1290 Avenue of Americas, sought a loan in 2012 to refinance the property.

The 'bombshell' was quickly picked up on Twitter, with former spokesperson for President Barack Obama and the National Security Council Tommy Vietor calling it nothing short of a "blockbuster story on Trump's deep financial debt to China." Washington Post Global Opinions contributing columnist Isaac Stone Fish tweeted that "a massive scandal" should follow, describing the supposed loan deal as "an astonishingly huge conflict of interest with China."

Among those promoting the story was Andrew Bates, the rapid response director for Joe Biden's 2020 campaign, who drew a link between Trump's praise for China's coronavirus response (per CNN) and him reportedly owing Beijing "tens of millions."

Having a president owing the nation's main adversary millions of dollars might be truly unbecoming. However, there is a catch. A day after Politico published its "investigative" piece, it was forced to quietly amend the article... after it was refuted by the Bank of China itself.

Now, Politico has to face "incompetence" accusations, as the story has sparked backlash online.

"How about calling the Bank of China before you write the story? The entire premise changes because of this incompetence," a commenter noted.

But Orange Man Bad . . . . .

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Star of David

Tel Aviv: Thousands gather for Black Flag protest against coalition deal

Aaron Reich
The Jerusalem Post
Sun, 26 Apr 2020 01:58 UTC
Israel Protesters
© Avshalom Sassoni/MaarivProtesters at Rabin Square, Tel Aviv, Israel
Thousands of protestors took to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv for a Black Flag demonstration against the coalition deal signed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, which they claim violates "the Basic Laws of the State of Israel," N12 reported.

Despite the authorities encouraging social distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak, Tel Aviv police did not stop the demonstration. Instead, they blocked several main streets to allow it to take place and ensured the protestors did not violate the guidelines put in place for the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic is considered to have been a major force behind the establishment of an emergency unity government between Likud and Blue and White. However, the Black Flag protestors argued that the coalition does nothing to help improve the lives of citizens during the crisis, but rather is only concerned with benefits and passing legislation that allows the government to remain in power."

Comment: See also:

Israel: Anti-Netanyahu demonstrators protest but keep social distance

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Footprints

US-Russian cooperation: Putin and Trump release rare joint statement on Elbe Day's 75th anniversary


RT
Sat, 25 Apr 2020 20:57 UTC
US/Russian soldiers
© American and Soviet soldiers near the city of Torgau. April 25, 1945 Sputnik/Arkadiy ShayhetAmerican and Soviet soldiers near the city of Torgau. April 25, 1945
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump have released a rare joint statement, marking the 75th anniversary of the historic meeting between Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River.

The meeting that occurred on April 25, 1945 "heralded the decisive defeat of the Nazi regime," which was ultimately destroyed a couple weeks after. But most importantly, it clearly showed how the two nations can cooperate, the statement reads.
"The 'Spirit of the Elbe' is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause."
On Elbe Day, the allies who had been fighting the common enemy for years already finally met each other in person. Soldiers of the Red Army 5th Guards, led by General Alexey Zhadov, shook hands with their brothers-in-arms from the US First Army of General Courtenay Hodges at the bomb-shattered bridge over the famous German river.
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Blackbox

Harvard professor wants to ban homeschooling because it's 'authoritarian'

Selim Algar
New York Post
Thu, 23 Apr 2020 16:48 UTC
Elizabeth Bartholet
© Youtube
A Harvard University law professor has sparked controversy after calling for a ban on homeschooling.

Elizabeth Bartholet told Harvard Magazine that it gives parents "authoritarian" control over their kids — and can even expose them to white supremacy and misogyny.

"The issue is, do we think that parents should have 24/7, essentially authoritarian control over their children from ages zero to 18? I think that's dangerous," Bartholet said. "I think it's always dangerous to put powerful people in charge of the powerless, and to give the powerful ones total authority."


Comment: As if there is no danger in putting "powerful people" like teachers or priests, or anyone else not in the family unit in charge of children. At least with homeschooling parents have more control over whether or not to expose their children to idiots like Bartholet. Maybe once they're 18 they'll know to keep their distance from such freaks.


Bartholet's comments were met with backlash from homeschooling parents who said she unfairly stereotyped the practice.

"Aside from its biting, one-sided portrayal of homeschooling families that mischaracterizes the vast majority of today's homeschoolers, it is filled with misinformation and incorrect data," wrote Harvard graduate and homeschooler Kerry McDonald in a letter to the magazine's editor.

"She is concerned with families having this power, while I worry about giving that power to government," McDonald said.


Comment: But don't you see? For people like Bartholet, that's the whole point. Government exists to replace the family, and to indoctrinate children into the proper ways of thinking. Only government can properly reform the faulty minds produced by a free-thinking public.


Writing in Forbes, education policy analyst Mike McShane said Bartholet relied on "lazy stereotypes."
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NPC

Just when you thought wokeness and identity politics might be waning, Disney says its new 'Star Wars' show will be 'women-centric'

Nicholas Sheppard
RT
Sat, 25 Apr 2020 16:47 UTC
'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'
© Lucasfilm
According to Variety, another 'Star Wars' show, described as even more "female-centric," is in development, and will soon be available on the Disney+ streaming service. Don't they realise it's not what fans want?

Whenever it seems that the era of agenda-driven identity politics in popular culture might finally be coming to an end, announcements such as this remind us that studios are still willing to use their properties as vehicles for virtue signalling and wokeness, despite the inevitable disconnect with the fan base, lost box-office revenue, and failure to expand audiences.

The new 'Star Wars' project is confounding for so many reasons, not least because recent offerings have been so, well, female-centric already. The recent trilogy of 'Star Wars' films revolved around a determined female protagonist whose innate powers were so strong that audiences struggled to connect with her as a character.
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