Society's ChildS


Sheriff

'He sold his badge to traffick drugs': Los Angeles County sheriff indicted after FBI sting


RT
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 18:10 UTC
LA County, Calif Sheriff's Department
© LA County Sheriff's Department / Instagram
A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff has been charged with operating a drug-trafficking ring in which other officers were hired to act as enforcers for dealers.

Kenneth Collins, 50, was arrested along with three other men in Pasadena Tuesday morning. The group is accused of offering protection services to an undercover team from the FBI for the transport of around 45lbs (20kg) of cocaine and more than 13lbs of methamphetamine - in return for a $250,000 cash payment.

"Deputy Collins sold his badge to assist an individual he thought was a drug trafficker," US Attorney Nicola Hanna said in a statement. "This case is part of our long-standing and ongoing commitment to root out corruption, particularly when it involves sworn law enforcement officers."

Two other men - David Easter, 51, and Grant Valencia, 34 - were also charged in the federal criminal complaint filed last week. A fourth man, Maurice Desi Font, 56, is expected to be charged by federal prosecutors in the coming days.
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Sherlock

Founder of Community Action Network looks at the major reasons for Los Angeles' homelessness and "off the rails" poverty


Sputnik
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 17:31 UTC
skid row la
© AP Photo/ Jae C. Hong
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has counted a disheartening number of individuals on the streets - about 58,000 in 2017, marking a 23 percent increase compared with the year before. Sputnik interviewed Pete White, the Founder of the LA Community Action Network, and summed up the facts about the most notorious hot spot for the homeless.

An astonishing video, featuring thousands of homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles, appeared on the web over Christmas. The number of people in the 50-block district Skid Row has risen to an estimated 20,000, with the majority of them having erected tents to have a shelter for the night. Pete White, the Founder and Executive Director of an organization that works to ensure that the rights to housing, health and security are maintained in the city, has shared his views on the plight.


Discussing the reasons for being homeless with Sputnik, White expressed his hopes that in 2018, society has moved beyond the idea that homeless people live in the streets by choice, or because they are suffering from mental illness or substance abuse.

"The three major reasons for people being homeless in Los Angeles County are: housing availability, housing affordability and poverty," he explained.
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Chart Pie

What do Americans really think about abortion? 76% favor substantial restrictions

Dr. Susan Berry
Breitbart
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 18:00 UTC
fetus
A new Marist poll reveals more than three quarters of Americans would restrict abortion to, at most, the first trimester of pregnancy.

The poll, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, is released as thousands begin to descend upon Washington, DC for the annual March for Life.


The survey finds that 76 percent of Americans are in favor of limiting abortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy, including 92 percent of Republicans, 78 percent of Independents, and 61 percent of Democrats.

Additionally, while 51 percent of Americans identify as "pro-choice," even 60 percent of those agree with substantial restrictions on abortion.

Comment: See also:

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Robot

Julian Assange keeps warning of AI censorship, and it's time we started listening

Caitlin Johnstone
Medium
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 17:43 UTC
Julian Assange
Throughout the near entirety of human history, a population's understanding of what's going on in the world has been controlled by those in power. The men in charge controlled what the people were told about rival populations, the history of their tribe and its leadership, etc. When the written word was invented, men in charge dictated what books were permitted to be written and circulated, what ideas were allowed, what narratives the public would be granted access to.

This continued straight on into modern times. Where power is not overtly totalitarian, wealthy elites have bought up all media, first in print, then radio, then television, and used it to advance narratives that are favorable to their interests. Not until humanity gained widespread access to the internet has our species had the ability to freely and easily share ideas and information on a large scale without regulation by the iron-fisted grip of power. This newfound ability arguably had a direct impact on the election for the most powerful elected office in the most powerful government in the world in 2016, as a leak publishing outlet combined with alternative and social media enabled ordinary Americans to tell one another their own stories about what they thought was going on in their country.
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Oscar

Brigitte Bardot: Vast majority of #MeToo actresses are hypocrites, just looking for publicity


AFP
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 17:43 UTC
Brigitte Bardot
© AFP/File / Eric Feferberg
French film legend Brigitte Bardot attacked the #MeToo movement Wednesday, claiming that actresses who complain of sexual harassment were just looking for publicity.

"The vast majority are being hypocritical and ridiculous," she told the French magazine Paris Match.

"Lots of actresses try to play the tease with producers to get a role. And then, so we will talk about them, they say they were harassed," declared the 83-year-old Bardot.

"I was never the victim of sexual harassment. And I found it charming when men told me that I was beautiful or I had a nice little backside," said the actress, who became a sex symbol overnight for "And God Created Woman" in 1956.

Her comments come a week after fellow French star Catherine Deneuve sparked a worldwide feminist backlash by defending men's right to "hit on" women.

She signed an open letter by 100 prominent women that claimed that #MeToo had become a puritanical "witch-hunt" which threatened sexual freedom.

Comment: Feminist thinking has so corrupted people's minds that they seemingly can't wrap their head around the fact that some women are not paragons of virtue. Some men (a tiny minority) are rapists - they should be tried in the courts. Some women lie about rape and sexual harassment. But apparently we should just take them all at their word - because no one would ever lie about such a thing, apparently - and assume the worst about the men in question. No questions asked, no due process, no evidence.

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Life Preserver

Lifeguard-piloted drone rescues teenagers from drowning in 'world first' (VIDEO)


RT
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 17:08 UTC
Drone rescue
© Surf Life Saving NSW / Facebook
A pair of teenagers, who got into difficulty while swimming off the Australian coast, were saved by a lifeguard-piloted drone in what is thought to be a world first.

Pals Gabe Vidler and Monty Greeslade reportedly got into difficulty in a three meter (10ft) swell at Lennox Head beach, an area popular with surfers south of Brisbane, on Thursday. In a fortunate coincidence, lifeguards at the the beach were just then preparing for a training mission in the use of drones for rescuing stranded swimmers.

At about 11:30am local time, a beachgoer noticed that the two 17 year olds were in trouble in the water and alerted lifeguards, who put their training into practice. Within minutes, they located the pair with the UAV and deployed the drone's rescue pod.
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Umbrella

America has a tourism problem: Travel coalition aims to reverse growing unpopularity of US as vacation destination

Justin Bachman
Bloomberg
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 21:12 UTC
Decline US tourism
As more international travelers decide to skip the United States, 10 business associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Restaurant Association, have created a travel industry group aimed at reversing the growing unpopularity of the U.S. as a vacation destination.

Historically, the U.S. had only to sit back and let foreign tourists and their money roll in. Over the past few years, though, that gravy train has begun to dry up, a trend that accelerated as President Donald Trump began to make good on campaign promises to restrict immigration. As a result, businesses that make up the multibillion-dollar industry relying on that revenue have grown increasingly nervous.

So on Tuesday, some of its biggest players unveiled the "Visit U.S. Coalition" to spur the Trump administration into enacting friendlier visa and border-security policies at a time when federal agencies are doing the opposite.

Comment: It appears that America's loss may have been Russia's gain as it is now one of the top ten countries visited by foreigners.
Russia ranks tenth in the ratings of the most visited countries in 2015 according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the press service for the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm) has reported.

According to the organization, 31.6 million foreigners visited Russia last year, which is a 6.2 percent increase from 2014. The top country in this ranking, according to UNWTO, is France (86.3 million), followed by the U.S. (77.9 million), Spain (68.1 million), China (56.9 million) and Italy (50.8 million). "We see a constantly growing foreign tourist interest in our country.

Rosturizm is working on making travel in Russia comfortable, accessible and safe. This [means] non-resource export of services, which is very important in the current economic situation. The sector is a locomotive of the economy, it creates new jobs, promotes self-employment and increases socio-economic stability. I am convinced that Russia has every chance to strengthen its position in the rating of the most popular tourist destinations," the press service quoted Oleg Safonov, the head of Rosturizm, as saying.


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Calendar

Riyadh Ritz-Carlton's 'luxurious jail' resumes booking hotel guests


RT
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 04:55 UTC
Riyadh Ritz-Carlton
© Giuseppe Cacace / AFPThe Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Saudi capital Riyadh
The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh will resume taking bookings next month, Bloomberg reports. The hotel in the Saudi capital was turned into a prison for the royal elite accused by the ruling regime of corruption.

The purge's goal is reportedly to recoup as much as $100 billion from the arrested Saudi businessmen. Riyadh claims it wants back misappropriated money. The sum is equal to the kingdom's national debt.

The Ritz-Carlton has been closed to guests since November 2017. Around 200 people, including businessmen, officials and 17 princes - were given rooms at the five-star hotel, which was turned into the world's most luxurious jail.

Comment: See also: Detained Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal negotiating settlement terms for his release

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Arrow Down

Crypto crash sparks investor appetite for gold


RT
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 17:19 UTC
gold bars
© Jochen Tack / Global Look Press
A major correction on the cryptocurrency market has revived investor interest in the world's oldest commodity. Gold has seen a breakneck-paced rally this month.

Bullion dealer Sharps Pixley said physical gold sales increased fivefold on Wednesday, as people were willing to sell digital gold and buy the real thing.

"Yesterday was a hell of a crazy day. Emails and phones did not stand still with customers asking how they could turn their crypto into gold," Director Daniel Marburger told Bloomberg.
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Sheriff

US immigration officials planning major sweep of Northern California sanctuary cities to enforce federal policy

Hamed Aleaziz
SFGate
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:52 UTC
Road to Immigration reform
© TapWires
U.S. immigration officials have begun preparing for a major sweep in San Francisco and other Northern California cities in which federal officers would look to arrest more than 1,500 undocumented people while sending a message that immigration policy will be enforced in the sanctuary state, according to a source familiar with the operation.

Officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, declined to comment Tuesday on plans for the operation.

The campaign, centered in the Bay Area, could happen within weeks, and is expected to become the biggest enforcement action of its kind under President Trump, said the source, who requested anonymity because the plans have not been made public.

Trump has expressed frustration that sanctuary laws - which seek to protect immigrants and persuade them not to live in the shadows by restricting cooperation between local and federal authorities - get in the way of his goal of tightening immigration.

The operation would go after people who have been identified as targets for deportation, including those who have been served with final deportation orders and those with criminal histories, the source said. The number could tick up if officers come across other undocumented immigrants in the course of their actions and make what are known as collateral arrests.

Comment: More on the sanctuary city debate:

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