Society's ChildS


Life Preserver

Trump signs executive order, alters healthcare rules, more market choices


RT
Thu, 12 Oct 2017 15:37 UTC
Honk sign
© Legal InsurrectionTrump just honked!
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order allowing the purchase of health insurance across state lines, aimed at creating more choice on the marketplace and reining in the rising insurance premiums. The new executive order will increase competition, choice and access to healthcare for millions of Americans, while costing the US government "virtually nothing," Trump said.

Introducing the president, Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) called the executive order "the biggest free-market reform of healthcare in a generation."

Vice President Mike Pence called it the "critical step to lower the cost of health insurance."

Allowing people to buy insurance across state lines will create "tremendous competition," Trump said, adding that "insurance companies will be fighting to get every single person to sign up," and costs will go down as a result. He said the new executive order would provide millions of Americans with relief from the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare.

Comment: Back in the day, the proponents of Obamacare had their 'savior' promotions, as well as hefty warnings by nay sayers. Opinion is just opinion until the reality of it proves to be one way or the other. Changes have to be made. Are these the right ones? Only time and process will determine the answer and if healthcare stays the course.

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Camcorder

Airbnb found rigged with hidden cameras, police say there could be hundreds of victims

Alberto Luperon
Law Newz
Tue, 10 Oct 2017 19:14 UTC
Wayne Natt
© Longboat Key Police
Police said on Monday that a man put his townhouse up an Airbnb, but the home was loaded with hidden cameras, according to a WFTS report.

This story comes out of Longboat Key, Florida. An Indiana couple told cops that they were renting the home of 56-year-old Wayne Natt. They noticed that one of the smoke detectors had a unsuspected pinhole, they said. They checked, and it turned out to a hidden camera pointed right at their bed, they said. Alleged victim Derek Starnes, who works in tech, told the outlet he and his wife were freaked out. When cops arrived at the scene, investigators discovered two "smoke detector" cameras with HD-quality footage and audio, the report said.

"We seized a lot of computer storage data devices, hard drives, computers, laptops SD cards anything that would store data," police Lt. Bob Bourque said. "We don't know if there are local victims, someone who may have been dating him or a companion that doesn't realize they are being videotaped, and then we have the other side of who he rented to through Airbnb."

Natt was arrested and charged with video voyeurism, soon posted bail, and lawyered up. Airbnb told WFTS that they've banned him from the service.
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Fire

'Cooked to death': The lethal toll of hot U.S. prisons

Maurice Chammah
The Marshall Project
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 07:00 UTC
Robert Allen
© Bryan Schutmaat/Weather Channel/The Marshall Project
On Mother's Day in 2011, Sidney Webb stunned his mother by suggesting that they visit his younger brother Allen in prison. As boys, he and Allen fished and got into mischief together but over the years had grown estranged. Allen struggled with alcohol and occasionally landed in jail, while Sidney built a life as a fire chief and funeral supply store owner near Houston. When their father, who had lung disease, fell and suffocated to death while Allen was with him, Sidney blamed him for not calling 911 sooner.

In 2009, Allen called from prison. He had been convicted of robbery. "I told him he was dead to me," Sidney said. "I didn't mean it, but I was trying to reach him, to say, 'This is the end of the line.'"

While incarcerated, Robert Allen Webb (his full name) was diagnosed with below average cognitive ability and housed with other developmentally disabled prisoners. Over time, Sidney grew to see his brother's behavior as more than just a series of bad choices. "Christ forgave us all," his wife told him. "What gives you the right not to forgive your brother?"

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Megaphone

Russian court issues arrest warrants for 4 Ukrainians suspected of attacking Russian embassy


RT
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 18:14 UTC
Kiev protesters
© SputnikSupporters of nationalist organizations during riots they instigated at the Russian Embassy in Kiev on June 14, 2014
A Russian court has issued arrest warrants on four Ukrainian citizens suspected in taking part in attacks on the Russian embassy in Kiev and consular office in Lvov, as well as of desecrating Russian flags.

Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee - responsible for solving especially important crimes - told reporters on Tuesday that the names of the suspects were Vladimir Romantsov, Aleksey Bakay, Vladimir Nazarenko and Vladimir Parasyuk.

Petrenko also said they all faced charges of attacking persons or organizations that are under international protection - in Russia this is a criminal offence punishable with up to 10 years in prison in cases when convicts sought to provoke a war or complicate international relations.

The charges deal with the events of 2014 when groups of Ukrainian radicals attacked the Russian embassy in Kiev and the 2016 attack on Russia's consular office in the west Ukrainian city of Lvov.

Two of the suspects - Nazarenko and Parasyuk - face additional charges of desecrating the flag of Russian Federation - which carries up to one year behind bars.
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Heart

Majority of Russians want to continue providing aid to Syrians after war is over


RT
Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:07 UTC
Russian soldier aid Syrian child
© SputnikServicemen of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria hand out humanitarian aid in Jiba in the Quneitra province, Syria
Almost three-quarters of Russians believe their country should continue helping Syria after the armed conflict there is over, according to a recent poll.

Research conducted by the state-run VTSIOM agency showed that 73 percent of Russians consider it necessary to continue helping Syria after the end of the war. An even larger share of respondents - 75 percent - said they would like to see Russia continue sending humanitarian aid to Syria.

Forty-five percent said that Russia's main ally in the Middle East should receive military-technical help and 44 percent backed diplomatic support. Just under a quarter - 22 percent - said that simple monetary aid would be preferable.

Nineteen percent of Russians said they were against helping Syria in any way.
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Pirates

Infamous ISIS recruiter Sally "White Widow" Jones reportedly killed in U.S. drone strike


Sputnik
Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:12 UTC
white widow
Sally Jones, a Daesh (ISIS) recruiter of British origin, was reportedly killed in a US airstrike in Syria.

Media report that Sally Jones (50), an infamous Daesh militant known as the 'White Widow' has been killed in Syria. The British woman left her homeland several years ago, fled to Syria and joined Daesh. She became known by her nickname "White Widow."

In Syria, Jones trained female fighters and promoted Islamic fundamentalism. She was one of the most wanted terrorists in the group.

​According to the media reports, she was eliminated by a drone attack while trying to escape from besieged Raqqa. It is noted that her 12-year-old son died with his mother.

Comment: Not to be confused with Samantha "White Widow" Lewthwaite, whose story is an odd one, to say the least: As for Sally Jones, see also:

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Boat

US Navy punishes USS McCain captain and chief officer for August collision


RT
Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:08 UTC
uss mccain
© Ahmad Masood / Reuters
The captain and executive officer of the USS John S. McCain have been relieved of duty and reassigned to administrative jobs in the Seventh Fleet, the US Navy said, blaming their poor judgment for the August collision that killed 10 sailors.

The captain, Commander Alfredo J. Sanchez, and his executive officer Commander Jessie L. Sanchez were relieved of their duties by Vice Admiral Phil Sawyer "due to a loss of confidence," the US Seventh Fleet announced on Wednesday.

The McCain, an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC on August 21 near Singapore. Ten sailors were killed and five injured in the incident.

"While the investigation is ongoing, it is evident the collision was preventable, the commanding officer exercised poor judgement, and the executive officer exercised poor leadership of the ship's training program," the Seventh Fleet said.

Comment: More on the Navy's "stellar" performance as of late:

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Evil Rays

How a former Russian estate agent went on to kidnap her son and become an ISIS recruiter


RT
Wed, 11 Oct 2017 17:45 UTC
Daria Itsankova
© Mikhail Mashedo
Before joining Islamic State, Daria Itsankova was a successful real estate agent and wrote fantasy stories for children. Things changed overnight when she became interested in Islam, kidnapped her four-year-old son and later moved to Syria.

Itsankova, 38, is on the wanted list for aiding terrorists and recruiting Russians into the ranks of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria.

Some seven years ago, Itsankova kidnapped her only son, David, from his father Mikhail and secretly took the boy first to Russia's southern republic of Dagestan, and then to Syria. Now aged 10, David is thought to be based somewhere in Iraq. He is apparently with his step-sister, whose father, a Canadian boxer and friend of convicted Boston Marathon-bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was killed in Dagestan several years ago.


Comment: That boxer was William Potnikov, and he allegedly knew Tamerlan, not Dzhokhar. He was killed in July 2012, just days before Tamerlan returned from Dagestan to the U.S.


Itsankova's husband recalled to RT Russian that after he found out that his wife "became part of a rebel group in the North Caucasus and later fled alongside IS militants" he simply could not believe it. "When we met, she was a completely different person," he said.

Comment: How does this radicalization process happen? Probably the best description is in Lobaczewski's Political Ponerology. It's basically a fishing process which gets the strongest reaction certain psychological types - usually those with traits typical of a range of personality disorders - as well as disaffected youths and those with an axe to grind who fall under the sway of persuasive personalities - "spellbinders".

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Smoking

UK hospital to ban smokers from receiving treatment if caught smoking on grounds and refuse to stop

Jacob Dirnhuber
The Sun, UK
Fri, 06 Oct 2017 10:42 UTC
Darent Valley hospital
© The Sun
A hospital has said it could ban people from receiving non-emergency medical care if they are caught smoking or vaping on its grounds and refuse to stop.

Bosses at Kent's Darent Valley Hospital extended a smoking crackdown to patients and visitors after banning staff from lighting up in early August.

Designated smoking areas have been abolished, while specialist anti-smoking wardens have started patrolling the grounds during the first week. Anyone who refuses to stop smoking when asked by a warden will be issued with a yellow card.

If they continue to smoke after that, the hospital revealed it could block them from receiving any non-emergency treatment.
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Heart - Black

4yo girl saved from pedophile after police posted pictures of her found on dark web

Andy Wells
Yahoo UK
Tue, 10 Oct 2017 16:52 UTC
picture girl dark web
Police circulated images of the girl found on the dark web
A four-year-old girl has been saved from abuse at the hands of a sick paedophile after police circulated pictures of her found on the dark web.

Police made the extraordinary decision to show the photo of the suspect's victim in an attempt to track him down and prevent further abuse.

The child and her mother saw the images when they were posted online and shown on television and visited their local police station in Germany.
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