Society's ChildS


Eye 1

Hackers access millions of Social Security numbers, 10 states affected by security breach


RT
Sat, 22 Jul 2017 12:01 UTC
Social security hackers
© Thomas Samson / AFP
A security breach in the Kansas Department of Commerce has exposed millions of Social Security numbers from people across 10 states to hackers. Many other accounts were also attacked.

Identifying information of millions of people in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont are in the hands of hackers, according to an open records request by a collaboration of sources through the Kansas News Company.

The open records request was made by the Kansas News Service on May 24, and Wednesday, the commerce department fulfilled the request.

Specifically, the hacked data was from websites that help people find jobs, such as KansasWorks.com. At the time of the breach, Kansas had been holding data from 16 states, but not every state had their information exposed.

Comment: See also: Privacy group sues Trump's voter fraud commission, states data request violates federal law

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Newspaper

Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal editorial writer found dead

Sydney Ember
The New York Times
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 13:54 UTC
Jospeh Rago
© Pulitzer Prize Board, via Associated Press
Joseph Rago, a 34-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal, was found dead at his home on Thursday evening. Police officers discovered Mr. Rago's body at his apartment in Manhattan at around 8 p.m. after a request to check on him, a spokeswoman for the New York Police Department said.

"It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the death of Joseph Rago, a splendid journalist and beloved friend," Paul Gigot, the editor of The Journal's editorial page, said in a statement. "Joe and his family are in our thoughts and prayers, and we will be celebrating his work in Saturday's paper."

Mr. Gigot had notified the newspaper's security officials after Mr. Rago did not appear at work on Thursday, according to an article published on The Journal's website on Friday. The officials then contacted the police.

Foul play is not suspected, the police spokeswoman said.
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Gold Bar

As predicted, a mini gold rush has descended on Northern California

Michelle Robertson
SF Gate
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 12:16 UTC
A man pans for gold
© James TensuanA man pans for gold at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park in Coloma, Calif. on Saturday, March 5, 2016.
When asking seasoned miners about this year's so-called gold rush in Northern California, it can be a challenge to obtain trustworthy information.

"People who are smart don't advertise what they've found," said Bob Van Camp, better known as "Digger Bob." "If you're finding nuggets in an area, you don't tell anyone about it; I've made that mistake before."

After all, if you're a professional miner looking to make your fortune, it's the nuggets you're after. Flakes and dust are milquetoast - and altogether worthless - compared to heavy chunks of the shiny yellow stuff.

Northern California was pelted with record rainfall this winter, and miners predicted that once all the water washed away, gold would be left in its wake. It appears that their predictions are panning out.

"Folks are finding more gold - 'flood gold' - than usual this year," said Diana Clayton, president of the Shasta Miners & Prospectors Association, which owns seven claims throughout Northern California and boasts about 350 members.
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Heart - Black

'Anti-Trump' Berkeley middle school teacher charged with inciting a riot

Dave Urbanski
The Blaze
Sat, 22 Jul 2017 13:08 UTC
Yvette Felarca
© YoutubeYvette Felarca, a middle school teacher in Berkeley, California — and a well-known "anti-Trump fighter" and left-wing activist — was arrested on three felony charges over her alleged participation in a violent protest last year in Sacramento, California.
A middle school teacher in Berkeley, California - who's also a well-known "anti-Trump fighter" and left-wing activist - was arrested this week on three felony charges over her alleged participation in a violent protest last year in Sacramento.

Yvette Felarca, aka Yvonne Felarca - who teaches at Martin Luther King Middle School - is charged with inciting a riot, participating in a riot and assault, KTVU-TV reported, citing prosecutors. She was arrested after boarding a plane at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday night, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office told the station.

Authorities said the 47-year-old - who has made frequent appearances on news shows and is with the leftist group By Any Means Necessary - was caught on camera hitting a member of the Traditionalist Worker Party, which KTVU called a "white nationalist group" that had taken out permits for a rally in the California capitol on June 26, 2016.
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Smoking

Israel moves to ban smoking


Sputnik
Sat, 22 Jul 2017 13:19 UTC
No smoking!
© Fotolia/vege
Israel's Health Ministry has moved to shut down all smoking rooms in public buildings, except for certain medical and mental health facilities.

To address the public health effects caused by smoking, the Parliament's Drug Abuse Prevention and Labor, Social Affairs and Health Committees are also supporting legislation that will allow lawsuits totalling NIS 40 billion against tobacco companies operating in the country.

Ya'acov Litzman, Israel's health minister, told a Wednesday committee session that the ministry intends to get tough on anti-smoking legislation, possibly in response to past criticism of taking it easy on tobacco companies.

The new legislation will include banning smoking in parts of hospitals, sports facilities, retirement homes, kindergartens, parking lots, playgrounds, zoos, restaurants and other public places, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Comment: Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State

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Heart - Black

'Bro, you scared to see a dead person?': Teens film, mock man as he drowned, police say

Alex Horton
MSM.com
Thu, 20 Jul 2017 21:19 UTC
teens film
© twitter
About seven seconds into the video, a teenager raises the specter of death.

"Get out the water, you're gonna die," one of the teens shouts to a disabled man whom his friends are watching struggle fully clothed in a fenced-in pond. "You shouldn't have gone in," says another. The kids laugh.

"He keeps putting his head under," another says. "Wow." Once the group realizes the weight of the situation, one of the boys prods another.

"Bro, you scared to see a dead person?" he asks.
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Star of David

Israeli military bars young Muslim men from Friday prayers in Jerusalem over fears of mass protests


Sputnik
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 00:00 UTC
Jerusalem Temple Mount
© REUTERS/ Eliana Aponte

Israeli police said Friday they had barred male Muslims under the age of 50 from entering Jerusalem's Old City and Temple Mount for Friday prayers due to the threat of mass protests.

Israeli military expects Friday will become a culmination day for protests of local Palestinian communities against metal detectors installed at the entrances to the Temple Mount, which is the third holiest site in Islam, after a deadly shooting at the site.

"In the light of the latest events, including the unrest near the Temple Mount gates and in various regions of the eastern Jerusalem as well as given the information on the extremists' intention to violate the law and pose threat to the peoples' security... it was decided to allow access to the Old City and the Temple Mount only to men aged over 50 and women without age limits," the police said on Friday.

Comment: See also:

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Target

Ramping up the fear: Hawaii prepares for 'unlikely' North Korean missile attack


RT
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 21:21 UTC
Honolulu, Hawaii
© Chris Wattie / Reuters
Even as they concede the probability of a North Korean missile attack is "very low," officials in charge of Hawaii's emergency management are rolling out a public relations campaign to prepare the state's 1.4 million residents for a worst-case scenario.

The campaign was announced on Thursday in local media, with the full roll-out expected Friday. Vern T. Miyagi, a retired US Army general now in charge of Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency, says he doesn't want to cause "undue stress" to the public, but his job is to plan for all eventualities.

"We don't know the exact capabilities or intentions of the North Korean government, but there is clear evidence that it is trying to develop ballistic missiles that could conceivably one day reach our state," Miyagi said in a statement published by the Honolulu Star Advertiser. "Therefore, we cannot wait to begin our public information campaign to ensure that Hawaii residents will know what to do if such an event occurs."

Comment: Something in the works? Washington also sent out a bulletin against traveling to N. Korea: US to urge all nationals in North Korea to 'depart immediately', bans tourists from visiting

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Smoking

Rise in prison violence after smoking ban in Wales prison


BBC
Thu, 20 Jul 2017 21:02 UTC
Parc Prison
© BBC
A rise in the number of violent and self harm incidents at Parc Prison could be linked to the smoking ban, a review has found.

The report said the ban at the Bridgend site had been well-managed and some prisoners had since stopped smoking.

But it said tobacco and other contraband was still getting in and it was concerned about drones being used.

The prison's director Janet Wallsgrove said the number of violent incidents increased but were now dropping.

Although no analysis has been carried out, the review said the ban "might be a factor" in the rise in violence.

Comment: Given the stress-reducing benefits of smoking tobacco, the rise in prison violence is not surprising. See:

A comprehensive review of the many health benefits of smoking Tobacco

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Cheese

Participation in U.S. food stamp program falls to lowest level in 7 years

Katherine Rodriguez
Breitbart
Thu, 20 Jul 2017 20:48 UTC
Woman grocery shopping
© iStock
Participation in the food stamp program took a dive to the lowest level it has been in seven years, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA statistics on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation showed that 42,609,852 people in the U.S. took part in the food stamp program in fiscal year (FY) 2017, the lowest level it has been since 2010 when 40,302,000 people enrolled in the program.

Food stamp usage has been on a steady decline after 2013, when enrollment in the government program swelled to 47.6 million, the highest amount it has ever been since the program's inception.

The increase in the number people receiving food stamps during that period can be attributed to the Obama administration's effort to allow those with higher incomes to receive benefits. Enrollment in benefits increased by 70 percent from the year former President Barack Obama took office in 2008 to 2013.
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