Society's ChildS


Stormtrooper

Scenes from a militarized America: Iowa family 'terrorized'

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Watch this video, taken from a police raid in Des Moines, Iowa. Send it to some people. When critics (like me) warn about the dangers of police militarization, this is what we're talking about. You'll see the raid team, dressed in battle-dress uniforms, helmets and face-covering balaclava hoods take down the family's door with a battering ram. You'll see them storm the home with ballistics shields, guns at the ready. More troubling still, you'll see not one but two officers attempt to prevent the family from having an independent record of the raid, one by destroying a surveillance camera, another by blocking another camera's lens.


Bad Guys

Cop uses stun gun on accident victim, causing him to go into seizure

Chicago police Sgt Schultz
© Photo supplied to CBSBlue Island Police Sgt. Schultz used a stun gun on Donald Flores, the victim of a hit-and-run crash in 2012.
A Blue Island police officer used a stun gun on the victim of a hit-and-run crash, and the victim says the incident changed his life forever.

CBS 2′s Marissa Bailey reports on allegations of excessive force

Donald Flores needed help after a June 2012 hit-and-run incident. Instead, he says, police caused him further injury.

"I just wanted to go home to basically die, where I felt more at peace," Flores says

Dazed and covered in blood, he was walking home when he came upon Blue Island Police who had been called to do a well-being check on him.

"The first two officers, they did the right thing," Flores says.

But then he encountered Sgt. Schultz. Flores says the sergeant screamed at him, "'Are you out of your effin' mind? You're bleeding.

Arrow Down

More than 200 dead or starving alpacas discovered on Oregon farm

Alpacas
© Care2Alpacas
I am sad to be bringing you yet another story of animal abuse. This one comes from Falls City, a small community in Oregon, located about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio, with a population of under 700.

The owners of Jocelyn's Alpacas Ranch have each been indicted on 18 animal abuse charges after more than 200 starving or dead alpacas were found on their Falls City farm in December 2013.

Alpacas are rare and exotic creatures that have been considered a treasure of the Andes Mountains for more than 6,000 years. They look like small llamas or long-necked camels with no humps. Easily domesticated, alpacas are friendly, gentle and curious.

And yet they suffered this terrible abuse. The Polk County Itemizer-Observer reports that Jocelyn and Robert Silver were arraigned two weeks ago on identical charges, which include one count of felony first-degree animal neglect, one count of second-degree animal neglect and 16 counts of misdemeanor first-degree animal neglect.

Polk County Sheriff's Office began looking into conditions on the farm after receiving complaints from neighbors and the Animal Legal Defense Fund in early December. An initial investigation of the property found evidence of malnutrition in the animals.

"In this pasture there was no green forage growing anywhere," wrote Deputy John Kincaid in an affidavit requesting a search warrant. "The trees in this pasture appeared to be devoid of bark (as high as the animals could reach)."

Once a warrant was granted for a "herd health check" with a licensed veterinarian, investigators found even more evidence of mistreatment, including dozens of dead alpacas and many others that were emaciated and weak.

What a horrible, horrible tragedy, but such tales are not uncommon.

Top Secret

Congress keeps farm bill subsidies quiet

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All In reveals how lawmakers deleted a provision that would let the public learn how much lawmakers get in crop insurance subsidies.

Comment: More information about secrets in Congress' Farm Bill: Fee planted in farm bill could increase costs of home heating oil just as costs soar
Congress' mammoth farm bill restores the imposition of an extra fee on home heating oil, hitting consumers in cold-weather states just as utility costs are spiking.

The fee - two-tenths of a cent on every gallon sold - was tacked on to the end of the 959-page bill, which is winding its way through Capitol Hill. The fee would last for nearly 20 years and would siphon the money to develop equipment that is cheaper, more efficient and safer, and to encourage consumers to update their equipment.

It's just one of dozens of provisions tucked into the farm bill, which cleared the House on a bipartisan 251-166 vote last week and faces a key filibuster test in the Senate on Monday. It is expected to survive and face final passage Tuesday before heading to President Obama's desk.



Gold Coins

Senators try to end NFL's non-profit status

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© Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesThe National Football League’s nonprofit status, which relates to its classification as a business league, was established in the 1960s as the NFL was negotiating its 1970 merger with the former American Football League.

Sens. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, and Angus King, Maine Independent, have started a push to end the not-for-profit status for the National Football League, saying it's only fair to taxpayers.

"This is a directed tax cut that [went] to the league office, which means every other American pays a little bit more every year because we give the NFL league office a tax break and call them a non-profit," Mr. Coburn said on CNN's "New Day." "In fact, they're not."

Mr. King said on the program the bill only taxes the money that goes to the league office.

"The teams are separate entities - they pay taxes and they have their whole situation," he said. "The league has a foundation, charitable - wouldn't affect that. This is talking about the [approximately $180 million] a year that goes into the league office."

"The NFL doesn't promote college football, high school football, arena football - it's a group of teams," Mr. King continued. "And by the way, I'm a huge NFL fan. I mean, sponsoring this bill may be wiping out my possibility of being a quarterback for the Redskins, which is a lifetime goal, but I don't think this is right."

Newspaper

She's got a point: Nancy Pelosi is outraged: 'We did not treat President Bush this way'‏

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© J. Scott Applewhite / AP"Our view of the law is that it — if somebody is here without sufficient documentation, that is not reason for deportation," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said in an interview with Telemundo, a Spanish-language network. "If somebody has broken the law, committed a felony or something, that's a different story."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said Tuesday that a large segment of the GOP is "anti-government, anti-science and anti-Obama" and that while Democrats opposed much of President George W. Bush's agenda, Republican obstruction to President Obama is "something quite stunning."

"What's interesting to me is that Democrats and Republicans know what they believe," Mrs. Pelosi said on MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown." "They know what they believe, and that's what's happening in Congress ... what's happening here now is we have a large segment of the Republican party that is anti-government. We don't want any more government than we need, but they're anti-government, anti-science and anti-Obama."

"They have a trifecta that is going," she continued. "Now, I say to the Republicans: Take back your party ... you come with confidence with the debate that goes on and try to influence the decision, but to obstruct every initiative that the president's put forth on jobs and then say, 'Why don't we have more jobs?' We do have more jobs, but no thanks to the Congress of the United States."

Eye 2

Dumped Body Parts Case: Mom expected to be formally charged in killing, dismemberment of mentally ill son‏

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© Deadline Detroit
Eight months ago, Donna Scrivo sought guardianship and hospitalization for her son, Ramsay, who was diagnosed with psychosis and threatened to hang himself when his father died of a terminal illness.

Today, the St. Clair Shores mother is charged with the dismemberment and removal of her son's body, which was discovered in a grisly roadside find in bags last week in rural areas of St. Clair County.

Authorities haven't charged Donna Scrivo with murder and said they aren't able to comment on motive or time, cause and manner of death, which is pending further tests, in the unusual case. They also did not comment on whether there was other trauma to her 32-year son's remains.

Cowboy Hat

Officer cleared after going to wrong address, shooting innocent grandpa in his garage

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© Waller FamilyJerry Waller and one of his grandchildren in a photo taken before his death.
An elderly man was slain in his own garage because police "inadvertently began searching" the wrong address while investigating a burglary call. Spotting a man who appeared "standoffish" in his own garage, police opened fire, killing a 72-year-old grandfather. After months of investigation, the officer has been cleared and is back on the streets.

In the earliest hour of May 28th, 2013, Jerry Waller was awoken after midnight to the sound of his neighbor's home burglar alarm. Doing the neighborly thing, Mr. Waller got out of bed to check on the family next door. He took a pistol with him as his wife stayed behind.

Fort Worth Police were dispatched and arrived at the scene at 12:58 a.m. Only the officers didn't go to the address of the alarm. They "inadvertently began searching" the property of Jerry and Kathy Waller at 404 Havenwood - across the road from the automated burglary alert.

Officers B.B. Hanlon and R.A. "Alex" Hoeppner walked onto the Wallers' property and approached the darkened house with their flashlights lit. As Officer Hoeppner neared the residence, he spotted Mr. Waller, who was cautiously surveying the scene from inside his garage.

A confrontation ensued between the homeowner and the intruders carrying guns and flashlights. Unfortunately only one side survived to tell their version of the events.

The undisputed fact is that Waller was shot 7 times in his own garage.

Bizarro Earth

Revealed: the thousands of rape cases the police don't bother with - as charges fall following CPS guideline changes in the UK

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© ShutterstockThe Royal Courts of Justice.

Over the last two years the number of rape cases referred by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service for charging has fallen by a third - despite a 3% rise in recorded offences over this period.

Research by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveals that tougher evidence standards and early intervention from prosecutors have contributed to this dramatic decline. The findings were described by the Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry, as 'cause for profound concern'.

The CPS told the Bureau that as part of a wider review it would now examine whether changes in evidence standards imposed by police and its own charging guidance had affected referral rates. It added that there is 'currently no evidence' of a link between the drop in referrals and its lawyers' early involvement in rape cases.

Data obtained by the Bureau shows the decline in referrals has coincided with a fall in numbers of suspected rapists being charged.

In 2012/13 11% fewer suspected rapists were charged - 320 fewer than in the year before and the lowest level for five years.

The Bureau's research found no single factor was behind the decline in the number of cases referred for charging. However eleven forces, all of whose rape referrals dropped by at least 21% last year, told the Bureau tougher evidence standards, considering cases more carefully before referral or talking to prosecutors about the strength of a case at an earlier stage contributed to the decrease.

Gold Seal

Total ban on GM food production mulled in Russia

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© AFP Photo/Robyn BeckThe draft bans the production of genetically modified organisms and transgenic products of plant, animal or microbial origin for their use in human and animal foods.
A group of Russian MPs have prepared a bill severely restricting imports of genetically modified agricultural produce, and completely banning its domestic production.

The initiative is backed by Evgeny Fyodorov of the parliamentary majority United Russia and a group called Russian Sovereignty, which unites MPs from various parties and parliamentary factions.

The politicians want to amend the existing law On Safety and Quality of Alimentary Products with a norm set for the maximum allowed content of transgenic and genetically modified components. The powers to establish that norm go to the government and products with excessive content of GMO components should be banned for turnover and imports.

Currently there are no limitations on the turnover or production of GMO-containing foodstuffs in Russia. However, when the percentage of GMO exceeds 0.9 percent the producer must label such goods and warn consumers. Last autumn the government passed a resolution allowing the listing of genetically modified plants in the Unified State Register, but this resolution will come in force only in July this year.