Society's ChildS


Family

One of Florida's poorest counties shows the way forward

arcadia desoto county florida
© halbergman/Getty ImagesArcadia is the seat of DeSoto County, Fla.
When recently meeting with community leaders in DeSoto County, Fla., I got a question I often hear after describing The Harwood Institute's approach to community building: "Can this actually work?"

It's not a surprising question to get in America today, especially in a place like DeSoto. Inequities and disparities in the country are growing, not diminishing. Mistrust is pervasive. Hope is in short supply.

How does a community like DeSoto County have hope when it ranks 65th of 67 counties in the entire state for reading among third-graders? When its per capita income ranks at the bottom for Florida counties and inter-generational poverty is common? When it lacks adequate sewer and water lines, constraining growth?

I was in DeSoto to launch a new community-led initiative, in partnership with The Patterson Foundation, to catalyze efforts that address what matters to people while strengthening how the community works together. The initiative reflects the very essence of our nationwide campaign, "Enough. Time to Build."

Comment: The only true solutions to society's problems come from the ground up. Good luck to the people of DeSoto County as they take their future into their own hands.


Bizarro Earth

'Disgusting:' School district forced to release statement after video emerges of students licking toes of adults for fundraiser

deer creek students licking toes
Deer Creek School District released a statement Friday afternoon after a video was sent to Fox 25 that showed students licking toes during an event for the school's Wonderful Week of Fundraising.

"It was surprising," an anonymous student told Fox 25. "I didn't think they were going to do all that. I was just shocked. I didn't really have like a feeling. I was kind of disgusted, and then kind of glad I wasn't over there."

"Whenever she told me yesterday that was happening, I had to ask her, 'Wait, what? They're licking peanut butter off of toes," an anonymous parent said. "What?"

The week was spent raising money for Not Your Average Joe Coffee, which employs people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities.

"I am all for fundraising and all for really fun and silly things, but that right there just seems a little excessive," the parent said.

Handcuffs

Video shows FBI agents march out handcuffed conservative reporter arrested following Jan 6 stories

baker arrest
© The Blaze/screenshotHandcuffed arrest of Steve Baker
FBI agents escorted a handcuffed Steve Baker, an investigative reporter at The Blaze, following his reporting on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The FBI issued a signed arrest warrant ordering Baker to self-surrender Friday to a Dallas courthouse relating to his presence at the riot, according to Baker's Twitter thread from Tuesday. He worked as an independent journalist at the time and said he did not commit any property damage and only entered the U.S. Capitol building after the Senate and House were evacuated, according to Baker's Oct. 2, 2023 piece on the matter.

Two agents can be seen in the video walking a handcuffed Baker to a dark grey vehicle and seating him in the backseat Friday morning.

Comment: The American Police State is boldly obvious and growing stronger.


Beaker

Ukrainian behind over 100 UK suicide deaths

poisonseller
© hindi.news 24Ukrainian poison seller Leonid Zakutenko
A Kiev resident has reportedly established an "express" poison supply service to those willing to end their lives around the world...

Leonid Zakutenko, a resident of Kiev, has been revealed by Britain's state broadcaster the BBC to be a major poison supplier following a two-year investigation. The Ukrainian is reportedly active on a pro-suicide online platform and has been linked to at least 130 deaths in Britain alone.

The journalists discovered the first traces of Zakutenko's purported activities when they saw frequent mentions of a "Ukraine supplier" on a notorious online forum promoting suicide, which had tens of thousands of users from all over the world. The reporters then traced what they claimed were his online store, email address, and PayPal account, getting data on his identity.

In January 2022, BBC reporters contacted the man online, posing as a potential buyer, and he quickly confirmed that he could supply a chemical frequently used by those willing to take their own lives. However, when hostilities between Ukraine and Russia began in February 2022, they assumed that Zakutenko would no longer be able to run his business.

Comment: Question: How many of Zakutenko's 'clients' gave the poison to other than themselves?


USA

The Five FUBARs

"How many of these places where polite society turns out to be provably insane do we have to see before we stop taking their judgment on anything as significant?" — Bret Weinstein
Runway Train
© kunstler.com
The USA is a runaway train with a dead man in the engineer's seat. The conductor goes through the cars assuring the passengers that everything is fine. . . never mind the screeching wheels on the curves. . . or the blinding strobe effect of low sunlight passing through the trees out the window at a hundred and forty mph. . . or the bump that made half the stuff in the overhead luggage rack jump out. More than half the people on-board are at tachycardia levels of fright — some are screeching — but the other less than half just remain fixed on their phones and laptop screens. They can't be bothered to look out the window. . . .

Okay, that's a metaphor. But if you're a citizen of our country and care about it, these are the matters you'd better pay attention to, because they are all going off the rails:

The war in Ukraine. We started it in 2014 to mess with Russia and Russia is going to finish it. Who knows what our real motives were. A resource grab? A desperate ploy to erase our national debt by creating a global fiasco? Sheer psychopathic hatred of this Putin fellow? We can't bring ourselves to acknowledge the failure of this ill-conceived venture. Instead, our feckless allies in Europe are foolishly rattling their sabers, apparently forgetting that you don't bring a sword to a nuclear missile fight.

Mr. Macron in France affects to offer up his army for slaughter on the blood-soaked plains of Ukraine, just as the Ukrainians offered up a half a million of their young men so that Victoria Nuland could feel good about herself. Mr. Macron is insane, but the society he presides over is collectively insane, so perhaps he represents them well. Similarly, Olaf Scholz in Germany, whose top generals were caught on a leaked recording last week discussing their plan to blow up the Kerch Bridge that connects Crimea to Russia. Do you understand that this would be a direct attack on Russia, an act of War by NATO? And what the obvious consequence would be?

The phantom government of "Joe Biden" is too weak and mindless to join any negotiation. Ukraine and Russia are up to some kind of cross-talk down in Riyadh with Prince MBS. Even Mr. Zelensky went down for a day, though video appears to show him coked-up, sniffling and snarfling, not a good sign. If ever there was a time to end this stupid conflict, it's now, before the Russian election. After that, terms will only be more difficult for Ukraine, up to direct custodial supervision instead of remaining a nation. It was never any of our business (though the Biden family, BlackRock, and the CIA saw fabulous opportunity to profit there).

Whistle

Haiti announces state of emergency following mass prison break, gang boss vows to oust Prime Minister

haiti prison break
© APA demonstrator holds up a Haitian flag during protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. At least 10 people have been caught dead in crossfire following a mass escape from Haiti's largest prison.
On Monday, Haiti declared a national 72-hour state of emergency and imposed a curfew following a massive prison break from its largest prison, located in its capital, Port-au-Prince, which resulted in the deaths of over 10 people.

During the escape, three inmates were shot dead. Many others opted to remain in their cells fearing getting killed by prison guards, police, or in the crossfire, Sky News reported.

The consequential death toll is expected to rise, Spanish news agency EFE stated, however, the Haitian government has not given official updates regarding the situation. Haitian media reported that the government, nonetheless, tasked police with legally enforcing the curfew.

Comment: See also:


Quenelle

Israel mulls removal of Ultra-Orthodox conscription exemption, Jewish protesters warn they'd rather die than serve

israel truck military troop
© JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty-archiveUltra-Orthodox Jews studying at yeshiva religious establishments are currently exempt from military conscription in Israel
Ultra-Orthodox Jews demonstrated in Israel on Sunday against increasing opposition to the wholesale exemption from military conscription available to their community.

Hundreds of men blocked a key road near the city of Bnei Brak, close to Tel Aviv, The Times of Israel reported.

There were signs declaring "We will die and not enlist" and "We tell the High Court - we'll go to jail over the army".

The police cleared demonstrators off the road so vehicles could pass.

Footage showed a member of Israel's border police kicking one person sitting on the highway.

Comment: The leadership is perhaps realising that, with the rising body count, the lack of significant progress in the ground war, alongside proofs that the troops they are deploying are too weak to cope with the demands of being in an active military situation, that they're going to need to cast their net wider: Wave of resignations among senior Israeli army officers - Israeli media


Black Magic

Best of the Web: Israeli tanks deliberately crush dozens of Palestinian civilians alive, some were families sleeping in tents

gaza tank palestine
The Israeli army's repeated killings of Palestinian civilians by deliberately running them over alive with military vehicles was vehemently denounced by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor on Sunday, as was the widespread destruction of civilian property. These crimes are part of Israel's genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the rights group said, ongoing since 7 October 2023.

Euro-Med Monitor documented the Israeli army's killing of a Palestinian man who was deliberately run over in Gaza City's Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood on 29 February after he was arrested. The man was subjected to harsh interrogation by members of the Israeli army, who bound his hands with plastic zip-tie handcuffs before running him over with a military vehicle from the bottom to the top of his body.

Comment: Israel's crimes against the Palestinians has always been legion - with rampant organ harvesting and trafficking, rape and abuse of prisoners, endless terror raids and murder with impunity - but it seems that the nefarious infection that has possessed these perpetrators is worsening. Perhaps because, on some level, they know that their reckoning will come soon enough:


Video

Beating back the woke? Disney grandchildren back Bob Iger in board seat fight with Nelson Peltz

Abigail Disney Walt grandchild
© Santiago Felipe/Getty ImagesAbigail Disney
One letter calls activist investor Peltz one of the "wolves in sheep's clothing" and also one of the "villains" in a Disney story.

The grandchildren of Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney are voicing their support for Bob Iger in his board seat battle against Nelson Peltz.

Two separate letters were sent to shareholders Thursday from each set of grandchildren, including Abigail Disney, who has been outspoken against recent Disney practices.

In the letter from grandchildren of Roy O. Disney, which is signed by Abigail and three others, the grandchildren outline the "magic" they experienced at the company throughout their childhoods, and say that Iger can continue that spirit at the company. Meanwhile, they call Peltz one of the "wolves in sheep's clothing" and also one of the "villains" in a Disney story.

Syringe

Health Secretary urged to release data that 'may link Covid vaccine to excess deaths'

Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary
© HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY FOR THE TELEGRAPHVictoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, has been criticised over what the MPs and peers called a wall of silence.
MPs and peers criticise 'wall of silence' as Government blames waiting lists and pandemic backlog for increase.

MPs and peers have accused the Health Secretary of withholding data that could link the Covid vaccine to excess deaths, and criticised a "wall of silence" on the topic.

A cross-party group has written to Victoria Atkins to sound alarm about the "growing public and professional concerns" at the UK's rates of excess deaths since 2020.

Ministers have blamed the rise in excess deaths on record NHS waiting lists and the pandemic backlog.

But the parliamentarians are demanding to be shown the underlying data to support the Government's assertion that there is "no evidence" linking excess deaths to the vaccines for Covid-19.

Comment: See also: