Society's ChildS


Dollars

Italy: "Here's some money, kids, don't become terrorists"

St. Peter's Square
© Alessandro Di Meo/European Pressphoto AgencyItalian police stand guard at a checkpoint in Conciliazione Street, next to St. Peter's Square, in Rome in Nov. 17, 2015.
As Europe struggles to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State and other militant groups, the Italian government is set to launch a scheme that will take the fight to a different level.

Starting mid-September, more than half a million 18-year-olds living in Italy are eligible to receive vouchers valued at more than $500 each. The vouchers will allow recipients to visit museums free, go to concerts for reduced prices or watch movies.

"It sends a clear message — a welcome for those who reach the age of 18 and a reminder of how crucial culture is, both for personal enrichment and for strengthening the social fabric of the country," Tommaso Nannicini, the official in charge of the program, was quoted as saying last week.

Comment: A one-time check for $500 is hardly enough to radically change a youth's worldview. It may be fun as a "culture bonus" for those who already appreciate Italian culture, but as an incentive to counter 'radicalization'... good luck. The only solution would have to be much more complex and involve not only a complete rearrangement of geopolitics away from Western hegemony, harsh penalties for organizations (like the CIA, Gulen, and Saudi networks that support and train terrorists), support for moderate and stable government in the Middle East and surrounding regions (e.g., Assad's Syria, Libya as it was under Gadaffi, Iran, Chechnya under Kadyrov), isolation and sanctions against radical regimes (e.g., Saudi Arabia), multi-religious education, cross-cultural sharing and socialization, and more. Russia has arguably been more effective in their approach over the past 20 years. It's not perfect, but it's far better than the alternatives on offer in the West:




Sheriff

Protecting their own: Cops cover for police chief caught driving 109 mph while drunk

mississippi police chief suspended DUI
Time and time again, police officers and public officials are caught driving drunk only to be let go or given a ride home — a convenience seldom afforded to the peasant class. Even when driving a dangerously fast 109 mph through neighborhood streets, and reeking of alcohol, the chief of police for Moss Point, Mississippi was shown a despicable level of favoritism and let go. The entire scene was captured on dashcam.

Only after the public became aware of the situation and forced the local government's hand, was Moss Point Police Chief Art McClung suspended — a month after he got off scot free.

"I saw the video," said Mayor Billy Broomfield, who pointed out that the suspension is only based on the video at this point. "Based on what we've seen, which is all we have, we have not received any legal certification or confirmation from anybody other than what we all have read or seen in the papers."

On Tuesday night, the town's board voted to suspend McClung after the dashcam of the incident was publicly released. In the infuriating dashcam, you can hear the responding officers admit he's drunk after they caught him driving at deadly speeds through city streets — only to uncuff him and bring him home.

Stock Down

The Canadian economy takes a hit, shrinking at the fastest pace since the last financial crisis

canadian flag
Things have not been this bad for the Canadian economy since the last global recession. During the second quarter of 2016, Canada's GDP contracted at a 1.6 percent annualized rate. That was the worst number in seven years, and it was even worse than most analysts were projecting. This comes at a time when bad news is pouring in from all corners of the global economy. While things in the United States are still relatively stable for the moment, the same cannot be said for much of the rest of the planet. Canada in particular has been hit very hard by the collapse in oil prices, and the massive wildfire in northern Alberta back in May certainly did not help things. The following comes from the BBC...
The recent drop in GDP was larger than analysts had projected, but not far off the predicted 1.5% loss.

"[The figure] could have been worse, given the hit from the wildfire, and clearly confirms the disappointing downward trend in exports over the last few months," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.

In May, wildfires devastated the parts of northern Alberta where much of Canada's oil and natural gas is produced.

Comment: Perhaps the big bankers are getting their dominoes in line?

Central banks are ready to make their 'brave new world'


Handcuffs

Cop fired and charged with animal cruelty after leaving his dog in patrol car for 38 hours, killing it

K9 police dog
An Oklahoma sheriff's deputy has been fired and charged with animal cruelty after his K9 partner succumbed to crushing heat while confined in the deputy's patrol car for 38 hours.

Now-former Stephens County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Peck left K9 Deputy Bak, his partner of four years, in the sweltering vehicle for over a day and a half, killing the animal.

According to the arrest affidavit, cited by local station KOCO, Bak died sometime between Wednesday night, August 3, and Friday morning, as outside temperatures climbed to 99 degrees. Court documents estimated this meant the patrol car's interior temperature could have exceeded 120 degrees — more than sufficient to kill the helpless animal, which had not been provided water or food.

A local veterinarian contacted by authorities and cited in court documents said that while the otherwise healthy eight-year-old Bak could have "easily survived through the night," once Thursday's temperatures began to rise, heating the interior to above 105 degrees, the dog would have no chance for survival. The vet surmised Bak had suffered heat stroke.

Airplane

Thawing relations: British Airways resuming flights to Iran for first time in four years

British Airways flights Tehran
© Stephen Hird / Reuters BA has become the second European airline to resume flights into Iran since Air France re-established routes in April 2016
The UK's flagship airline, British Airways (BA), is set to resume direct flights to Iran for the first time in four years after sanctions against the Islamic Republic were lifted earlier in 2016.

The British airline announced it will initially operate six return flights per week between London and Tehran, then progress to a daily service before the end of the year.

"The Iranians have been extremely helpful in setting up this important new route and have been as keen as we are for the service to start," a BA spokesman said.

"Tehran is an important destination for British Airways and we wanted to ensure that the service we offered met the highest standards our customers rightly expect of us from day one."


Attention

Turkey launches nuclear energy partnership with China

turkish chinese nuclear energy plant
The news follows last week's ratification by the Turkish parliament of the Sino-Turkish Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

As some claim that Turkey is distancing itself from its Western energy-business partners after the failed coup attempt of July 15, the country appears to be increasing focus on its technological capabilities and access to clean energy, as a means of becoming energy independent.

Ankara has opted to cooperate with Beijing, ratifying an agreement which includes not only nuclear power plant construction on Turkish territory, but also joint nuclear power development with China and the US.

The Chinese State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation will implement technologies obtained in collaboration with US-based Westinghouse Electric company. The potential technological tripartite arrangement could result in significant regional and global political clout, according to the Asia Times.

Vader

Barbaric: Saudi man gets 2,000 lashes, 10 years in jail for proclaiming atheism in tweets

Riyadh view
© AP/Hassan Ammar
Saudi Arabia has sentenced a 28-year-old man to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes for tweeting that he is an atheist.

The nation's strict Sharia law defines atheism as "terrorism," and the man refused to take back his words, insisting that he has a right to express his lack of belief.

Saudi religious police who monitor social networks found over 600 tweets from the man, mocking the Koran and stating that teachings of the prophet Muhammad's lies stokes cultural hostility.

In addition to imprisonment and violent punishment, he was also fined 20,000 riyals (over $5,300).

Laws defining atheism as terrorism were introduced under King Abdullah in 2014, aimed at stopping political and religious dissent that could "harm public order."

Comment: It's high time that the Saudi "royal family" (and all of their hangers-on) got flogged in public. And fined. And imprisoned.


Sherlock

Pollsters struggling to figure out Trump's "silent majority" of supporters

Trump
Pollsters are debating whether Donald Trump's "silent majority" of voters exists, and are scrambling to make sure that their surveys reflect the opinions of voters who might not ordinarily be included in opinion polls.

Democratic and Republican pollsters alike are determined to get their predictions for the 2016 elections right in the wake of a series of high-profile missed calls.

Partisan claims of skewed results have also escalated, with Trump and his unconventional claim asserting that polls aren't capturing the Republican presidential nominee's true support.

Trump claims his campaign will turn out millions of new or irregular voters in November, some of whom will be voting for the first time.

Some pollsters acknowledge the race presents some new challenges.

"We know some people who are traditionally seen as unlikely voters are going to vote," said Nick Gourevitch, a partner at Global Strategy Group, which polls for Democratic candidates. "You need to take those people into account, and if you just lop those people off, you're going to miss something."

Cell Phone

Samsung investigates exploding Galaxy Note 7 phones in S Korea

samsung 7
SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung has delayed shipments of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in South Korea for extra quality control testing after reports that batteries in some of the jumbo smartphones exploded while they were being charged.

Samsung said the delay affects only the South Korean market. Local reports that Samsung has stopped shipping the flagship phone are not true, according to company spokeswoman Sophia Kim.

Company officials did not reply to questions about how Samsung determined which phones are deemed safe and which require further testing.

The company said it is investigating the reports of phones catching fire and exploding. South Korea's Yonhap News said five or six explosions were reported by consumers. It cited pictures of severely damaged phones shared in local online communities, social media and YouTube. The photos and accounts could not immediately be verified.

V

Brazilian protests raging all across the country against Rousseff impeachment

brazil protests rousseff
© Paulo Whitaker / ReutersRiot police fire tear gas during a protest by supporters of Dilma Rousseff in Sao Paulo, Brazil August 31, 2016
Supporters of Dilma Rousseff staged mass protests following the impeachment of the country's first female president. As Michel Temer took charge of the country, pro-Rousseff rallies took place in at least ten states, with some resulting in violence.

The greatest act of civil disobedience took place in Sao Paulo, where protesters clashed with police on Avenida Paulista, in the downtown area; in Rio de Janeiro, where activists gathered in Cinelandia square; and in Brasilia, where activists rallied in the Praca dos Tres Poderes square.

The Pro-Dilma demonstrations and those against the effective president, Michel Temer, also took place in Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Norte, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Ceara, Parana and Para.

The biggest standoff took place in Sao Paulo where for a third-day a coalition of leftist groups continued staging protests that end up in clashes with authorities and rival groups. Organized through the use of social media, the Brazil Popular Front and People Fearless movement managed to mobilize thousands for the rally.

Scuffles with police in Brazil's largest city took place as the pro-Rousseff rally was met with equal support by the pro President Michel Temer demonstration.