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TSA employees calling in sick to protest being forced to work without pay during govt shutdown


RT
Sun, 06 Jan 2019 10:45 UTC
TSA frisk
US Transportation Security Administration employees are calling in sick in protest over being forced to work without pay during the government shutdown, which shows no sign of ending after 14 days.

After a recent CNN report that call-ins have shot up, more than doubling in some cases and affecting four major airports, TSA and its parent agency initially denied the problem existed, and are now downplaying its scale.

TSA union officials claim the call-ins are not an organized protest, explaining that workers are being called out to work at second jobs as the shutdown begins to bite. But federal officials reportedly believe the "blue flu" - TSA uniforms are blue - has all the hallmarks of a coordinated protest against the shutdown.

TSA employees are considered "essential" - meaning even though their funding has run dry, they have to report to work anyway. Of the approximately 800,000 employees affected by the shutdown, about 420,000 are considered "essential" and forced to keep working.

Comment: No doubt travelers are breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of a less grievous airport experience: Is the TSA a Milgram Experiment?

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Pistol

Arkansas cop who shot dog in the face has been fired

Brittany Reese
KATV 7
Sat, 05 Jan 2019 15:41 UTC
Reese the dog
© Whitney Arnold
Update: Faulkner County Sheriff Tim Ryals has fired Deputy Keenan Wallace following an investigation. Sheriff Ryals says it does not appear that the deputy violated any state law or agency policy, but he will refer the investigation to the prosecuting attorney's office for further review. The sheriff posted the following message on Facebook explaining his decision:

"Good Evening,

Since taking office in 2017, I have been an advocate of integrity, professionalism and transparency. I hold my Deputies to the highest of standards to protect and serve the residents of our community. Unfortunately, a Deputy fell short to those standards.

I was notified Friday of an incident involving Deputy Keenan Wallace. Deputy Wallace fired his service weapon that injured an animal while in close proximity to a citizen. I believe there were numerous opportunities to de-escalate the incident.

Over the last 24 hours, at my request, Faulkner County Investigators have been working diligently to investigate whether Deputy Wallace violated any state law or our agency's policies and procedures. While it appears no policies or laws were violated, I hold every employee within our agency to the highest of standards and will be forwarding the investigation to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for further review.
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Bullseye

International child porn ringleader beaten to death in Michigan prison

Katherine Rodriguez
Breitbart
Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:00 UTC
Christian Maire
© LinkedIn
A man who ran an international child porn ring was beaten to death in prison this week, but one of his victims predicted his fate long before his demise.

A judge sentenced Christian Maire, a married father-of-two from upstate New York, to 40 years in federal prison in December for running an online operation where he and eight of his accomplices posed as teenage boys on dating sites trying to convince young girls to perform sex acts via their webcams.

The men even tried to convince their victims to cut themselves while in front of their webcams.

But at least one of Maire's victims did not seem surprised that Maire would suffer this fate. One female victim, who is now 20-years-old, predicted at Maire's December 2018 sentencing he would get beaten up in prison.
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Eye 1

Colombia: Four community leaders killed in first four days of 2019


TeleSUR
Sat, 05 Jan 2019 12:00 UTC
Wilmer Antonio Miranda
© Social media.
Wilmer Antonio Miranda was murdered Friday in Cauca, Colombia.
Campesino activist Wilmer Antonio Miranda and community leader Jose Rafael Solano were murdered in Cauca.

Colombian campesino activist Wilmer Antonio Miranda and Jose Rafael Solano, president of the Community Action Board (JAC), were fatally shot in the Cauca region Friday; the third and fourth social leaders murdered since January 1.

According to the political movement Marcha Patriotica (Patriotic March), at 6 p.m. four men in civilian clothing approached Miranda and shot him repeatedly, killing him instantly.

Miranda was a member of the Association of Campesino Workers, affiliated to the national agrarian union, the Association of Campesino Reserve Zones, and the Coordinator for Coca, Poppy and Marijuana Growers.

Comment: See also:

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Bizarro Earth

'Progress': Saudi courts will let women know by SMS they've been divorced


RT
Sun, 06 Jan 2019 09:57 UTC
Saudi women
© Reuters / Faisal Al Nasser
FILE PHOTO: Saudi women at an exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia September 28, 2017.
Saudi Arabia has adopted a new regulation that requires courts to notify women by text message if they've been divorced. The forward-thinking law is designed to crack down on the kingdom's penchant for "secret divorces".

Before the new rule, Saudi men were able to end their marriages without telling their wives. Starting from Sunday, the country's courts will be directed to send text messages informing women that their marriages are over.

The regulation, which bears a striking resemblance to relationship-ending tactics employed by twelve-year-olds, aims to ensure that women are aware of their marital status and can take necessary legal measures to protect rights such as alimony.

Comment: See also:

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People 2

Forgotten France rises up

Serge Halimi
Le Monde
Sun, 06 Jan 2019 13:18 UTC
female cleaner
© Jacques Demarthon · AFP · Getty
She's probably part-time, and doesn't want to be.
France's yellow vests, coming together in informally organised groups, took just one month to challenge policies on taxation, education, transport and environment, and make the Macron government back down.

December 15, place de l'Opéra, Paris. Three yellow vests read out an address 'to the French people and the president of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron' saying: 'This movement belongs to no one and to everyone. It gives voice to a people who for 40 years have been dispossessed of everything that enabled them to believe in their future and their greatness.'

The anger provoked by a fuel tax produced, within a month, a wider diagnosis of what ails society and democracy. Mass movements that bring together people with minimal organisation encourage rapid politicisation, which explains why 'the people' have discovered that they are 'dispossessed of their future' a year after electing as president a man who boasts he swept aside the two parties that alternated in power for 40 years.

Comment: See also: Also check out SOTT radio's:

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Hardhat

Niall Bradley on PressTV: 'Suppression of Yellow Vest Protests Will Likely Backfire on French Government'


PressTV
Sun, 06 Jan 2019 12:31 UTC
Niall Presstv yellow vests
Yellow vest protesters had promised to keep rallying into the new year, and that's what they did today. An 8th weekend of protests was held in defiance of the government dismissing protesters as agitators and hardliners, which appears to indicate a tougher stance against the movement.

It's not fuel price hikes that they are protesting against anymore. Macron's concessions have not appeased them either. The protesters are questioning the very state of democracy in the country and demanding fundamental change. While Macron's popularity rating plunges to a record low, for how much longer are the protests likely to go on?

On today's The Debate, we discuss the tense stand-off in France with columnist Catherine Shakdam in London, and Niall Bradley, editor at independent news site SOTT.net

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Light Saber

Jordan Peterson: It's a sad world when guidance to overcome despair is met with destructive cynicism and sarcasm

Jordan Peterson
National Post
Fri, 04 Jan 2019 21:16 UTC
Obi-Wan Kenobi
© Lucas Film
A young letter-writer likens a Jordan Peterson lecture to the scene in 'Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope' where Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) gives Luke his father's lightsaber.
In this occasional series, Jordan Peterson writes from his international speaking tour for his book, 12 Rules for Life, where he's speaking to sold out crowds throughout North America, Europe and Australia.

Over the last few years, I have received many tens of thousands of emails. I stopped even trying to keep up. But I read them from time to time, and often feel that it would be better to read and answer more. If I want to write my next book, and continue touring and lecturing, and stay on top of the other projects I am committed to (including producing new material for my YouTube channel and podcast) then it's not possible. It's too bad, because so much of what is sent my way is thoughtful and heartfelt and positive.

Today, Dec. 28, 2018, a few more letters than usual made it through the multiple barriers that are now in place to slow the onslaught of communication. Three came in close succession, each quite different. I thought it might be interesting to share them more broadly.
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Better Earth

Scientists say men are more disadvantaged than women in the UK, US and most of Europe

Jasper Hamill
Metro
Fri, 04 Jan 2019 12:19 UTC
YinYang Gender inequality
© Entrepreneur
Scientists have invented a new way of measuring gender equality and claimed it shows men are more disadvantaged than women in most developed countries. Researchers from the University of Missouri and University of Essex in the United Kingdom said previous ways of measuring inequality are 'biased to highlight women's issues'.

Their Basic Index of Gender Inequality (BIGI) instead measures three factors: educational opportunities, healthy life expectancy and overall life satisfaction. The academics calculated scores for 134 nations and used the results to suggest men are more disadvantaged than women in 91 nations.

They discovered that the most developed nations in the world came 'closest to achieving gender equality, albeit with a slight advantage for women'. However, in the least developed countries, women fall behind men because they don't have access to education. Using the index, Bahrain was named as the top nation for gender equality followed by the UK and the Netherlands. The US was ranked in position 34, with men falling behind in education as well as life expectancy and satisfaction. Most European countries with the exception of Italy were deemed to be better for women than men.

Comment: By far not an overall, nor comprehensive - three category, rating system.

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Passport

Plot thickens: Frmr US Marine detained in Russia on espionage charges holds multiple passports


RT
Sat, 05 Jan 2019 16:19 UTC
Paul Whelan
© Paul Whelan family archive
Paul Whelan
The plot thickens in the case of a former US Marine who was detained on spying charges in Russia before the New Year. It has emerged that Paul Whelan also holds UK and Irish passports, and maybe a Canadian one.

The American was arrested in a posh hotel overlooking the Kremlin in Moscow by Federal Security Service (FSB) before the New Year. He was put in custody and charged with espionage a few days later, facing between 10 to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Whelan is a former US Marine, who worked as a security director for BorgWarner, a major Michigan-based car parts manufacturer. Whelan had been visiting Russia since 2007 and this time he arrived to attend a friend's wedding, according to his family. He reportedly liked the country, had a profile on a Russian social media website, and even a basic command of the Russian language.

The Marines gave Whelan, who served two tours in Iraq, a bad conduct discharge in 2008 over accusations of theft. This detail, made public after his arrest, was a surprise for the family. He was also revealed to be a citizen of at least four countries - US, UK, Ireland and Canada - all of who are now issuing statements on his detainment.

Comment: Previously: Global News reports:
Whelan's family says he was in Russia to attend a friend's wedding. A Russian lawmaker, meanwhile, hinted Friday that the detainee could possibly be swapped for a Russian woman who has pleaded guilty to trying to influence U.S. politics.

Whelan's arrest came two weeks after Russian gun-rights activist Maria Butina pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiring to act as a foreign agent by trying to infiltrate conservative circles and the National Rifle Association to influence U.S. politics.

Butina has become a cause celebre for Russia - her face is being used as the profile picture on the Foreign Ministry's Facebook page - and the timing of Whelan's arrest has led to suggestions that he is being seen as a potential swap for her.

A top member of Russia's parliament, foreign affairs committee deputy head Dmitry Novikov, on Friday appeared to suggest that was a possibility once the investigation into Whelan was completed.

"I think that we have to give our special services the opportunity to finalize things with the detainees. Then we will see," he said, according to the Interfax news agency.


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