Society's ChildS


Snakes in Suits

Two married Minnesota lawmakers admit to smearing ranger who caught them cheating

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© Minnesota House of RepresentativesMinnesota State Reps. Tim Kelly (R) and Tara Mack (R)
Two more married midwestern Republicans have apologized for sneaking around behind their spouses' backs and having a fling, with both lawmakers being forced to step down from spots on the Ethics Committee, according to the Killeeen Daily Herald.

Minnesota State Reps. Tara Mack and Tim Kelly apologized to "law enforcement" but not the park ranger they claimed lied about them making out in a car in Lebanon Hills Regional Park, where Kelly was discovered with his pants unzipped and pulled down three weeks ago.

Initially, the two asserted they met to swap documents — and not spit — relating to a health insurance company at the park and vowed to lodge a formal complaint against the ranger.

"Last week, I received a citation for a nuisance. Subsequently, I have been told the officer wrote in his notes — information that I've requested, but has not yet been made public to me — statements that are completely false and inappropriate (and apparently were obtained illegally). I will be filing a complaint with the sheriff's office regarding the officer's egregious and false statements," Mack said in a statement.

Sheriff

Cop fired for arresting elderly man using golf club as a crutch

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70-year-old William Wingate shortly before his arrest for allegedly threatening an officer with his golf club in July 2014
A Seattle police officer was fired on Tuesday over her arrest of an elderly black man last year who refused to drop a golf club he was using as a cane to help him walk, the police department announced.

"Officer Cynthia Whitlatch was served today with a termination notice for sustained policy violations involving bias, abuse of police discretion, and escalation of a contact on July 9, 2014," Seattle police said in a statement.

Whitlatch stopped William Wingate, now 70, as he walked down a city sidewalk leaning on the golf club, according to court documents.

In dashboard video of the incident, Wingate can be seen standing on a sidewalk, casually leaning on the club before the officer approaches and yells at him to drop his weapon. He refused for several minutes before he was arrested.

Arrow Up

So much for sanctions: Russia sees increased production of dairy, meat and fish products

Putin
© AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed the import substitution in dairy, meat and fish production a success. The government allocated $4 billion to support domestic agriculture.

"We already have serious achievements. This year, we have seen an increase in the production of dairy, meat and fish products - by 26 percent, five percent and six percent respectively. Russia is ready for cooperation in import substitution with Kazakhstan and other countries from the Eurasian Economic Union," said Putin at the Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum.

Comment: Western sanctions against Russia have been having a few unintended consequences, at least for EU states:


Che Guevara

Elton John will meet with Putin to discuss gay rights in Russia


Comment: It turns out that Elton John was pranked by two well-known Russian phone pranksters. See below for details.


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© GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty ImagesSir Elton John delivers a speech about tolerance and equal rights for all during 12th Yalta European Strategy forum (YES) in Kiev on Sept. 12, 2015
Elton John thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for reaching out to him to talk about LGBT rights.

The legendary artist posted on his Instagram Tuesday that Putin called him by telephone and they will meet in Russia to talk about LGBT equality.

"Thank-you to President Vladimir Putin for reaching out and speaking via telephone with me today," he posted. "I look forward to meeting with you face-to-face to discuss LGBT equality in Russia."

Putin's call came after Elton John did an interview with the BBC saying he wanted to meet with the Russian leader over his "ridiculous" attitude to gay rights.

"It's probably pie in the sky... He may laugh behind my back when he shuts the door, and call me an absolute idiot, but at least I can think I have the conscience to say I tried," he told BBC.

Elton John is currently in Ukraine and met with President Petro Poroshenko about the country supporting LGBT rights.

Attention

Explosion rocks ammunition room of police station in Turkey

explosion Diyarbakir Turkey
© Google Maps
An explosion rocked an ammunition depot in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir province on Wednesday, causing a fire, local media report.

Firefighters and more than 100 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene, Haber Turk reports. The depot belongs to the Diyarbakir police Special Operations Department, it added.

There have been no casualties or injuries, according to NTV.

Comment: Although the cause of the explosion is unknown, it is rather suspect that it occurred at the police 'special operations' department. Perhaps this was not an accidental explosion?

Turkey experiences 'unprecedented' series of terrorist attacks as war against Syria continues to heat up


Heart - Black

The NATO gift that keeps on giving: Refugees seeking new routes forced through old Croatian minefields

refugees minefield croatia
© File photoA warning sign in front of a minefield in the Bosnian town of Modrica, near the Croatian border
The country has scrambled teams of minesweepers

Thousands of desperate refugees who have been turned away at the Hungarian border may be forced to try and cross deadly Croatian minefields in search of safety in Europe.

Left over in the aftermath of the 1990s Balkan wars, there are thought to be between 60,000 and 100,000 landmines covering a 310 square mile area across Croatia.

Efforts to clear them were halted by extensive flooding in 2014, and it is unknown how many remain or are still active.

It makes for a potentially deadly prospect for refugees who, as of Wednesday morning, have begun arriving in Croatia on their way north towards Austria and Germany.

Minesweeping teams have been scrambled to the border area with Serbia, officials said. A spokesperson for the Croatian Demining Centre told Reuters: "Police have contacted us and we sent a team to the border area in eastern Croatia."

Volunteer groups on social media dedicated to helping refugees in Croatia have been publishing guidelines on how to avoid mines and maps showing where the main minefields are.

And while officials said active minefields were clearly marked with warning signs, hundreds have been killed and many more injured by mines since the end of the civil war in 1995.

Comment: It's not enough that these poor people have had to flee their homes because of western-backed violence, they have to contend with the horrors of previous western-backed violence


Bell

Bus breaks down on German rail crossing, driver saves some 60 children

Sixty pupils have escaped a bus-versus-train nightmare in Germany with only seconds to spare. All of them got off after quick thinking by the bus driver. Police put the vehicle damage at 300,000 euros.
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A bus driver's quick thinking, rushing dozens of children off the vehicle after it stopped on a level crossing, averted a tragedy in northern Germany on Wednesday.

Shortly after the bus broke down, a commuter train slammed into it on the crossing, as shaken pupils watched.

After bringing the children and herself to safety, the driver had also tried to alert rail staff by phone, but could not prevent the collision.

The crossing at Buxtehude southwest of Hamburg was reopened late on Wednesday afternoon after repairs.

Comment: Here is a video of the incident:




Brick Wall

German companies refuse to sell Hungary razor wire to use against refugees

One German company has described Hungary's use of razor wire against refugees including children as a "disgrace."
germany hungary razor wire
© Reuters A migrant touches a razor wire fence at the border with Hungary near the village of Horgos, Serbia.
At least two German companies have refused to sell razor wire to Hungarian authorities due to human rights concerns, according to reports Wednesday.

"(Razor) wire is designed to prevent criminal acts, like an intrusion, from taking place. Fleeing children and adults are not criminals," a spokesperson from German fence manufacturer Mutanox told Deutsche Welle.

According to Sputnik News, another unnamed supplier has also declined to make any deliveries, with its CEO stating, "Children, caught in the wire, are a disgrace."

Hungary is currently cracking down on refugees and migrants attempting to cross its border with Serbia, and also plans to erect a new fence on its border with Romania. Much of the existing fence on the Serbian border is already constructed with razor wire, and has sparked criticism from both human rights groups and Hungary's neighbors.

Significantly sharper than barbed wire, razor wire is typically only used for security at industrial, military and other sensitive sites. The razors can cause deep injuries, and are subject to restrictions in some parts of the world.

Global refugee levels are now at their highest point since the aftermath of World War II, and European nations have been divided over how to handle an influx of refugees and migrants.

At least two German companies have refused to sell razor wire to Hungarian authorities due to human rights concerns, according to reports Wednesday. "(Razor) wire is designed to prevent criminal acts, like an intrusion, from taking place. Fleeing children and adults are not criminals," a spokesperson from German fence manufacturer Mutanox told Deutsche Welle.

Megaphone

"Look in the mirror America": Conservative commentator goes on epic rant about Kim Davis, Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton, and dumbed-down America

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Ed Berliner
Ed Berliner is tired of hearing about anger, but he is apparently very angry at everyone.

The conservative commentator went on a rant posted to YouTube saying that Americans are stupid because they continue to participate in a political system that is broken.

Ed Berliner, a host for conservative news site Newsmax, showed clips of Republican candidates Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina, and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, (I-VT) talking about frustration of American voters who are tired of the status quo and never see change, no matter who they vote into office.

"Yes America's angry, but let's also face some facts. A good part of America is stupid," Berliner said. "We're a nation where a majority of people walk into a ballot booth and pull levers, punch out tiny tabs, or marking boxes, everything Republican or Democrat without a second thought."


Comment: It's good to hear at least one person pointing out the ridiculousness of the U.S. electoral process, where our highest position of president is Selected, not Elected.


Pistol

Bystander shot by police during SWAT standoff for holding phone

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© Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department / Facebook

Comment: People may start second-guessing recording police with their phones if police can get away with shooting them and then claiming they thought it was a gun.


A bystander was shot in the leg then arrested during a SWAT standoff with a man firing an automatic weapon. Police feared the witness was holding a gun, but it turned out to be a cell phone. He was shot while police were arresting the suspect.

Daniel Sanchez was standing with his phone outside his garage when police shot at him several times.

"He was yelling, 'Dad I'm shot, I'm shot,' so I grabbed him inside and closed the garage door. I put a tourniquet around his leg and a clean towel," his father, John Sanchez, told KCRA.

The elder Sanchez pointed out four bullet holes in his garage and several more in his car: "You can see how many shots they did: one, two three, four ‒ shooting at my son with a cell phone. C'mon that's ridiculous," he said.

"He went right there over to that corner and stood there with his phone, trying to get some pictures," the father told KOVR.