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The Indian state where farmers sow the seeds of death

Vivek Chaudhary
The Guardian
Mon, 01 Jul 2019 11:03 UTC
punjabi farmer
© Ajay Verma/Reuters
Many farmers in Punjab are forced to work long days to pay off high-rate loans from unofficial lenders.
The road to Langroya village weaves its way through fields rich with crops that offer a vivid snapshot of India's kitchens. There is wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize, mustard seed and a rich variety of vegetables that have made this corner of the country India's most important agricultural region.

Like the majority of their compatriots in Punjab, Langroya's residents rely on farming for their existence. About three-quarters of the state's 30 million-strong population is involved in agriculture, with wheat the number one commodity. But while Punjab is known as "India's bread basket", there are challenges amid the abundance.

The list of concerns includes withering land, chronic illnesses, water shortages and an opioid drug epidemic that has wreaked havoc on village life. Over the past two years, more than 900 Punjabi farmers have killed themselves, and the state has the highest rates of cancer in India. A government survey estimates that more than two-thirds of households have at least one drug addict in the family. Added to this is the burden of paying off loans that many farmers take out from unofficial lenders at exorbitant interest rates.

Comment: See also:

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Info

Former top cop of NYC wants to classify Antifa as a domestic terror group

Danielle Wallace
Fox News
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:42 UTC
Bernard Kerik

Bernard Kerik
A former New York City police commissioner said Wednesday that he wants to see Antifa categorized as a domestic terror organization after its members brutally beat a conservative journalist covering a protest in Portland, Ore., last week.

Andy Ngo, a reporter for the conservative-leaning publication Quillette, was attacked by members of the anti-fascism group Antifa on Saturday when far-left antifascists clashed with far-right Proud Boys.


Comment: Renowned journalist Andy Ngo violently assaulted by Portland 'Nazi' Antifa


"This is an extremely violent group that goes out, threatens, intimidates, attacks with extreme violence for political reasons," Bernard "Bernie" Kerik, former NYPD commissioner, said on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight this week. Kerik started an anti-terror task force under Mayor Giuliani's administration, and Giuliani now represents President Trump.

Comment: See also:

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USA

One down, 20 plus to go: Eric Swalwell is the first candidate to drop out of the 2020 presidential race

Emily Larsen
Washington Examiner
Mon, 08 Jul 2019 13:11 UTC
Eric Swalwell

Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell
Eric Swalwell is abandoning his presidential bid, becoming the first of 25 Democratic presidential hopefuls to exit the race.

Swalwell, 38, a California congressman known for his frequent cable television appearances, is due to hold an afternoon press conference to announce his decision, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He struggled to gain traction in a crowded Democratic primary field packed with senators, governors, and former vice president Joe Biden since announcing his candidacy in early April. He was eclipsed by other youthful candidates like Pete Buttigieg, 37, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Tulsi Gabbard, 38, a Hawaii congresswoman.

His most memorable campaign moment came in the first debate when he attacked Biden, 76, on age. "I was six years old when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic Convention and said it's time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans," Swalwell, the third-youngest Democratic presidential primary candidate, said. "That candidate was then-Senator Joe Biden."
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Eye 1

Bollywood star's 'eye rape' claim sparks online debate


RT
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 12:58 UTC
Esha Gupta
© Global Look Press / ZUMAPRESS.com / Azhar Khan
Esha Gupta
Bollywood actress Esha Gupta has stirred up controversy online, after accusing a Delhi-based hotelier of "raping her with his eyes."

"This guy was literally raping me with his eyes. He was requested to behave thrice and then leave..then eventually 2 guards had to be around me..even the security cam can confirm this..who is this future rapist," Gupta wrote on her Instagram story and later tweeted.


She claims the man, whom she later identified as Rohit Vig, sat at a table opposite her and her friends and began to stare at her for an uncomfortably long time.

"If a woman like me can feel violated and unsafe in the county, then idk what girls around feel. Even with two securities around I felt getting raped... he deserves to rot," she added on Twitter, calling Vig "a swine."

She also retweeted a picture another user posted of the accused alongside the hashtag "#EyeRapist."
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Apple Red

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says most people should get off Facebook permanently

Mac Slavo
SHTFplan.com
Mon, 08 Jul 2019 00:00 UTC
Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak
Apple's co-founder, Steve Wozniak not only deleted his personal Facebook account last year, but he's warning the rest of us that "most" should also leave the social media giant's platform permanently. Wozniak says the lack of privacy just isn't worth it.

"There are many different kinds of people, and [to] some the benefits of Facebook are worth the loss of privacy," Wozniak told TMZ when reporters stopped him to talk with them at Reagan National Airport in D.C. "But to many like myself, my recommendation is — to most people — you should figure out a way to get off Facebook." Wozniak added: "who knows if my cellphone is listening right now?"

Wozniak also said that it is most definitely worrisome that Big Tech is spying on us, but he doesn't think anything can be done about it. "So I worry because you're having conversations that you think are private... You're saying words that really shouldn't be listened to, because you don't expect it. But there's almost no way to stop it," Wozniak said of the surveillance state we are all living under.

"But, everything about you... I mean, they can measure your heartbeat with lasers now, they can listen to you with a lot of devices. Who knows if my cellphone's listening right now. Alexa has already been in the news a lot," Wozniak stated to TMZ.
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Megaphone

Nelson Mandela's grandson slams Israel the "apartheid state"

Gavin O'Toole
Al Jazeera
Sun, 07 Jul 2019 12:00 UTC
Zwelivelile
© Leon Neal/Getty Images
Mandela sketched out a damning picture of the discrimination experienced by the Palestinian people
The grandson of anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela has delivered a damning condemnation of "Israeli apartheid", in a high-profile expression of solidarity between South Africans and Palestinians.

Zwelivelile Mandela, an MP of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), made the comments on Saturday at the Palestine Expo, an annual event in London aimed at showcasing Palestinian history, heritage and culture. Last year, it attracted 15,000 visitors.

Addressing a large audience, Mandela said that the Nation-State Law passed in 2018 declaring Israel to be the historical homeland of the Jewish people "confirmed what we have always known to be the true character and reality of Israel: Israel is an apartheid state".

Comment: And the situation for Palestinians is only becoming more unbearable:

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Handcuffs

Jeffrey Epstein arrested for sex trafficking of minors: Sources - UPDATES

Pervaiz Shallwani, Kate Briquelet, Harry Siegel
The Daily Beast
Sat, 06 Jul 2019 19:53 UTC
Jeffrey Epstein
© Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero/The Daily Beast/Getty
Jeffrey Epstein was reportedly arrested on Saturday and will appear in New York court on Monday to be charged with sex trafficking, according to multiple law enforcement sources

Billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was arrested for allegedly sex trafficking dozens of minors in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005, and will appear in court in New York on Monday, according to three law enforcement sources. The arrest, by the FBI-NYPD Crimes Against Children Task Force, comes about 12 years after the 66-year-old financier essentially got a slap on the wrist for allegedly molesting dozens of underage girls in Florida.

For more than a decade, Epstein's alleged abuse of minors has been the subject of lawsuits brought by victims, investigations by local and federal authorities, and exposés in the press. But despite the attention cast on his alleged sex crimes, the hedge-funder has managed to avoid any meaningful jail time, let alone federal charges.

The new indictment — which, according to two sources, will be unsealed Monday in Manhattan federal court — will reportedly allege that Epstein sexually exploited dozens of underage girls in a now-familiar scheme: paying them cash for "massages" and then molesting or sexually abusing them in his Upper East Side mansion or his palatial residence in Palm Beach. Epstein will be charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors — which could put him away for a maximum of 45 years. The case is being handled by the Public Corruption Unit of the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the district's human-trafficking officials and the FBI.

Comment:

UPDATE 7/8/2019: Multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein appeared in New York federal court Monday in connection with an indictment charging him with running a sex trafficking ring in which he sexually abused dozens of underage girls. CNN reports:
Multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein pleaded not guilty. US prosecutors alleged he operated a sex trafficking ring where he paid girls as young as 14 to have sex with him.

About the charges: He is charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors.

At Jeffrey Epstein's hearing today, the parties and the judge agreed to adjourn the detention hearing until Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.

Epstein will be detained until that time.

More alleged victims and attorneys have come forward in the last 36 hours

The US attorney's office has been contacted over the last 36 hours by attorneys and people who allege they were victims of Jeffrey Epstein, a prosecutor told the judge at Monday's hearing.

None of them had previously spoken with the office.

The prosecutor also said Epstein has refused to answer questions about his wealth or assets for pretrial services.

Sec. Alex Acosta's handling of the Epstein case is under review

A senior administration official told CNN there was an internal administration review of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case in Florida.

The official was cautious in assessing Acosta's standing with the White House.

"We will wait and see what develops. This is obviously a significant event," the official said about the Epstein case. "We need to see what comes of it."

The official could not say whether that review had been completed.

In November, the Miami Herald reported Acosta, who was the US Attorney in Florida, had brokered a deal with one of Epstein's attorneys, where he pleaded to two state prostitution charges, ultimately serving only 13 months and avoiding a federal trial in 2008. He also registered as a sex offender and paid restitution to the victims identified by the FBI.

The deal allowed Epstein to avoid major repercussions even though a federal investigation had identified 36 underage victims.

The non-prosecution agreement only applies to the US Attorney's office in Florida, which is why the Southern District of New York can file charges against Epstein.

Attorney General William Barr says he is recused from Epstein case

Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he is recused from the case involving multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

He told reporters in South Carolina one of the law firms that represented Epstein long ago was a firm Barr subsequently joined.


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Star of David

Minimum 78% of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians ends up in Israeli coffers

Jonathan Cook
Mondoweiss
Tue, 08 Mar 2016 00:00 UTC
Classroom rubble
© AP/Mahmoud Illean
EU condemns Israel over planned sale of seized West Bank aid as Bedouin children's classroom is reduced to rubble by Israeli army.
Diplomats may have a reputation for greyness, obfuscation, even hypocrisy, but few have found themselves compared to a serial killer, let alone one who devours human flesh.

That honour befell Laars Faaborg-Andersen, the European Union's ambassador to Israel, last week when Jewish settlers launched a social media campaign casting him as Hannibal Lecter, the terrifying character from the film Silence of the Lambs. An image of the Danish diplomat wearing Lecter's prison face-mask was supposed to suggest that Europe needs similar muzzling.

The settlers' grievance relates to European aid, which has provided temporary shelter to Palestinian Bedouin families after the Israeli army demolished their homes in the occupied territories near Jerusalem. The emergency housing has helped them remain on land coveted by Israel and the settlers.

European officials, outraged by the Lecter comparison, have reminded Tel Aviv that, were it to abide by international law, Israel - not the EU - would be taking responsibility for these families' welfare.

While Europe may think of itself as part of an enlightened West, using aid to defend Palestinians' rights, the reality is less reassuring. The aid may actually be making things significantly worse.

Shir Hever, an Israeli economist who has spent years piecing together the murky economics of the occupation, recently published a report that makes shocking reading. Like others, he believes international aid has allowed Israel to avoid footing the bill for its decades-old occupation. But he goes further. His astonishing conclusion - one that may surprise Israel's settlers - is that at least 78 per cent of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians ends up in Israel's coffers.

Comment: Case in point from The New Arab, 1 June, 2019: EU angered by Israeli theft, resell of aid for Palestinian schoolchildren
The European Union on Friday criticised Israel over plans to sell aid given to Bedouin villages in the occupied West Bank which was seized by Israeli authorities.

The tents and other humanitarian structures will be put up for auction within days by COGAT*, the Israel defence ministry unit which oversees civilian activities in the Palestinian territories, according to the EU's spokesman in Jerusalem. The supplies include "two school structures that had been consigned to Ibziq community; and two tents and three metal sheds to the al-Hadidiya community", Shadi Othman said in a statement.

The aid was seized in October and November by Israeli authorities and is worth 15,320 euros ($17,100), according to Othman. COGAT did not immediately respond to confirm a May 6 advertisement in the Maariv newspaper which detailed the sale of "seized property" from the West Bank. "In the case where the owners of these seized assets have not proceeded to request the return of their property within 30 days of the publication of this notice, the assets will be sold," it said.

The EU made an official request for the return of the structures but received no response, Othman said. "EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah had called on Israeli authorities to return the confiscated items to their intended beneficiaries without precondition as soon as possible" or provide compensation, the spokesman added.

The EU often finances humanitarian structures in Bedouin villages, which are frequently confiscated by Israeli authorities who claim the necessary authorisation has not been given.

*COGAT: Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories


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Attention

Suspect, identified in gone viral 'ice cream-licking video', could get 20 years in prison

Jack Phillips
The Epoch Times
Sun, 07 Jul 2019 00:00 UTC
BlueBellIceCream
© Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Police in East Texas said that a teenager from San Antonio was identified as the suspect who took a container of Blue Bell ice cream, licked it, put the lid back on, and then placed it back in the shelf at an area Walmart.

A video of the incident has gone viral, drawing horror from people on social media. "You foul," says a voice off-camera in the clip.

The teen's name was not revealed by police as she is a juvenile, CBS News reported on July 5, adding that detectives have spoken with the suspect. They won't be releasing her name to the public because she is a minor. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is now handling the case, said the Lufkin Police Department to CBS.

Before she was identified, reports said she could face as much as 20 years in prison. Officials were planning on arresting her on second-degree felony tampering charges.

Blue Bell issued a statement about the matter, saying the ice cream was not sold.
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Stock Up

The Hate-Crime Epidemic That Never Was: A Seattle Case Study

Wilfred Reilly
Quillette
Mon, 08 Jul 2019 17:13 UTC
hate free zone

Logo used by politicians and activists declaring Washington State a “hate-free zone” in 2016.
The Seattle Times recently reported that an epidemic of hate crimes is taking place in the Emerald City. According to the newspaper, more than 500 bias incidents were reported to Seattle police in 2018 alone, and this figure represents "an increase of nearly 400 percent since 2012." However, this widely circulated claim is, at the very least, misleading. An examination of the Seattle data indicates that fewer than 40 actual criminal cases resulting from real, serious hate incidents were successfully prosecuted between 2012 and 2017. This provides an excellent case study of how media coverage of flash-point issues such as hate crime can — whether intentionally or not — sensationalize and exaggerate the urgency of social problems.

In the Times piece, headlined "Reported Hate Crimes and Incidents up Nearly 400% in Seattle Since 2012," reporter Daniel Beekman suggests that the problem continues to get worse, estimating that since 2017 alone, hate cases have jumped 25 percent. He also reports that "community organizations say hate crimes are a serious issue," and cites sources claiming that "more support from the city" is needed to battle hate crime. Beekman's tone is relatively measured. But others have delivered more alarmist takes, creating fear that minority residents may be swept up in an "epidemic" of hate.

A look through the data that has been made available from Seattle's office of the City Auditor reveals that there is little basis for panic. First, most of the situations contained in the 500-plus documented incidents for 2018 turned out not to be hate crimes at all. Out of 521 confrontations or other incidents reported to the police at some point during the year, 181 (35 percent) were deemed insufficiently serious to qualify as crimes of any kind. Another 215 (41 percent) turned out to involve some minor element of bias (i.e., an ethnic slur used during a fight), but did not rise to the definition of hate crime. Only 125, or 24 percent, qualified as potential hate crimes — i.e., alleged "criminal incidents directly motivated by bias." For purposes of comparison: There are 745,000 people living in Seattle, and 3.5-million in the metro area.
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