Society's Child

A deeper look at a Wikipedia editor's long-running campaign to discredit anti-war campaigners and journalists

fivefilters
wikipedia.fivefilters.org
Mon, 21 May 2018 14:32 UTC

A Wikipedia editor called Philip Cross (Andrew Philip Cross and later "Julian" on Twitter) has a long record of editing the entries of many anti-war figures on the site to include mostly critical commentary while removing positive information contributed by others. At time of writing he is number 308 in the list of Wikipedians by number of edits.

Wikipedia entries very often appear first in search results, and so for many will be the first and only port of call when researching something. People unaware of the political nature of the editing that goes on on the site, in this case supposedly by a single, dedicated editor, are being seriously misled.

As an active editor for almost 15 years, Cross is very familiar with some of the more arcane Wikipedia rules and guidelines (along with their obscure acronyms) and uses them to justify removing information he dislikes in favour of his own inclusions. Often in a very subtle manner and over a long period of time. Anyone familiar with the work of the people he targets will recognise how one-sided and distorted those entries become.

Cross is, however, much nicer to the entries of people he likes. Former hedge-fund manager and Iraq war supporter Oliver Kamm, and right-wing author Melanie Phillips, both columnists for The Times, are two examples.

Propaganda alert! The Obamas team up with Netflix to pump out content

RT
Mon, 21 May 2018 16:55 UTC

Barack and Michelle Obama have joined forces with Netflix, entering into a multi-year contract to produce films and series with one of the world's biggest entertainment-on-demand services.

The Obamas will use their own company, Higher Ground Productions, to produce "scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries and features" on issues that the former president pushed during his eight years in office, according to a Netflix press release.

The deal will give the Obamas a platform to reach the 125 million households with Netflix in 190 million countries worldwide.

New batch of migrants headed to Croatia

b92.net
Mon, 14 May 2018 19:08 UTC

A means of defense is being sought, Croatian daily Jutarnji List writes.

Namely, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) is merely on the path of migrants, who, fleeing from their mostly war-affected countries, want to reach the EU. One of their routes goes through BiH, via which they enter Croatia and then Slovenia.

Due to the new influx of migrants seven police administrations along the border with BiH have been put on alert, the newspaper said. An order has been given to implement much stronger surveillance of the border, the article said, noting that additional equipment would be sent to these units.

Comment: See also: Wave of refugees break police lines, push through Croatia's border

New study shows 40% of US citizens above poverty line struggle to make ends meet

RT
Mon, 21 May 2018 18:22 UTC

A new study reveals that more than 40 percent of American citizens who live above the official poverty line are still unable to afford middle-class basics including cell phones and transport.

The study, conducted by United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Project and exclusively obtained by Axios, found that an overwhelmingly large group of US households were virtually struggling to make ends meet.

According to the study, two-thirds of US citizens were earning less than $20 an hour in 2016. As a result, a large band of US households sit uncomfortably just above the poverty line - but still struggle to pay for everyday expenses. The list of the basics found to be out of reach included rent, transportation, childcare and cellphones.

'Ramadan puts us all at risk': Danish minister calls for fasting Muslims to take time off work during holy month

RT
Mon, 21 May 2018 15:27 UTC

Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Stojberg

A minister from Denmark's center-right Liberal Party has called for Muslims to take time off during the holy month of Ramadan as their fasting could put wider society at risk.

Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Stojberg made the remarks in an op-ed for Danish newspaper BT Sunday, saying that Muslims who fast for up to 18 hours a day are placing themselves and others at risk, particularly bus drivers, machine workers, and hospital staff.

Stolberg argued that there are greater demands "in a modern, efficient society like Denmark's than there were in Medina during the time of Muhammad."

World's first sea-borne nuclear power plant reaches Russia's Arctic for maiden mission

RT
Mon, 21 May 2018 15:07 UTC

The first sea-borne nuclear power plant made in Russia has been towed to the country's Arctic port of Murmansk, ready to undertake its first mission, generating electricity in remote locations.

The water-borne power plant, named Akademik Lomonosov, was built by the state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom in St. Petersburg. The new vessel is set to pioneer a new power source for remote regions of the planet, the company says.

The floating nuclear power plant will take on board a supply of nuclear fuel and will then be towed to Pevek, a small town in the Far Eastern region of Chukotka. The port of Pevek, which is located in Russia's extreme northeast, is separated from the US state of Alaska by the 86-km (53 mile) wide Bering Strait.

Comment: See also: Russia launches floating nuclear power plant to provide energy to Far East

Cop rapes his co-worker's 13 y.o. daughter and is still drawing his salary

Jack Burns
The Free Thought Project
Sun, 20 May 2018 15:09 UTC

Yet another sex crime involving police officers has rocked the Los Angeles Police Department, and this time an officer was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a fellow officer's 13-year-old daughter.

The assault took place on April 4 following a night out of drinking, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. Kenneth Louis Collard, 51, was encouraged by his co-worker and fellow police officer to stay the night at said officer's home rather than drive home drunk. Collard obliged, but some time during the night made his way into the daughter's bedroom and reportedly assaulted the young child.

The girl then told her family she had been assaulted by Collard. A forensic evaluation was conducted and the career LAPD officer was officially charged with three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child and one count of sexual penetration by a foreign object.

He was allowed to post $400,000 bail and is now awaiting trial. In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Protective League's board of directors said the police officer's union was "sickened by the repugnant" allegations.

Ireland: Polls narrow on abortion vote, Google and Facebook change rules on advertising

Emma Graham-Harrison
The Guardian
Mon, 21 May 2018 14:39 UTC

© Brian Lawless/PA
Campaigning outside parliament in Dublin last week; while the Yes campaigners were initially in the lead, the No camp has gained significant ground, with the vote hinging on the undecided.

The polls have narrowed so much that a result once nearly taken for granted now hangs in the balance; the media are under fierce attack for bias; and questions are swirling about foreign influence and online ads.

As Ireland heads into the last week of campaigning for its historic referendum on abortion, the long shadow of two recent surprise election results - the Brexit referendum across the Irish sea, and Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 US presidential poll - is hanging over Irish voters.

They will decide on Friday whether to repeal an amendment dating back to the 1980s that enshrined in the constitution a near-total ban on abortion. The controls are the strictest in any western democracy, meaning that the battle has been closely watched by anti-abortion activists across the world.

The campaign began with a clear lead for the Yes campaigners, who support a repeal. But in a country where tradition and the church still have strong influence, the No camp has gained ground. Now the final result is expected to hinge on the one in five voters still undecided.

Jailed for being homeless: How councils across Britain are cracking down on the UK's most vulnerable

RT
Mon, 21 May 2018 09:15 UTC

Fined, jailed, and convicted - the UK's homeless are facing serious criminal consequences as councils use public space protection orders (PSPOs), introduced by Theresa May, to target those sleeping rough.

Homeless people are finding themselves banned from town centers, routinely fined hundreds of pounds, or even sent to prison if they're caught repeatedly begging thanks to the PSPO laws, wielded by local authorities across England and Wales. Since local councils were given more power to combat antisocial behavior by then Home Secretary Theresa May in 2014, hundreds of fines have been issued and criminal convictions have been pursued for those caught "begging" or"loitering."

Some charities have said the strengthened powers are designed to target those sleeping on the streets. Campaigners also say that bans on drinking booze and swearing in town centers are also being used to target the homeless, but councils insist that the strengthened laws are only being used to target antisocial behavior.

In one case, a judge admitted: "I will be sending a man to prison for asking for food when he was hungry." The defendant in that case was jailed for four months for breaching a criminal behavior order (CBO) in Gloucester for begging. Another man was fined a whopping £105 ($140) after a child dropped £2 ($2.70) in his sleeping bag.

New Kansas bill allows faith-based agencies to deny adoption to same-sex couples

Taylor Link
Salon
Sat, 19 May 2018 14:21 UTC

Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer signed a bill into law on Friday that will allow adoption agencies to refuse same-sex couples.

The bill, known as the Adoption Protection Act, was designed to insulate religious organizations that want to discriminate against the LGBT community. Approved in the Kansas Legislature earlier this month, the bill permits agencies to refuse homes "for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement of such child would violate such agency's sincerely held religious beliefs."

Similar adoption bills are being considered in Oklahoma and Colorado, and at least seven other states have already passed such laws. Some of these laws only apply to organizations that do not receive government funding. The Kansas law extends to agencies operating under taxpayer-funded contracts.

On Friday, Gov. Colyer signed the bill surrounded by legislators, faith leaders and foster care workers.

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Gator

There's no mileage in anything the Smith's have to say, their well versed in interfering with things. So we can all sleep safely in our bed...

Winternights3

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Buffalo_Ken

Forensic pathologists performed a postmortem and concluded that the man had probably died mid-flight Let me see ... he walked onto the plane,...

HashAttack2

This ain't no fucking real emergency. It is an effing emergency in the mind of a few....who thought they were gonna put the rest of us into...

Buffalo_Ken

Society's Child

A deeper look at a Wikipedia editor's long-running campaign to discredit anti-war campaigners and journalists

Propaganda alert! The Obamas team up with Netflix to pump out content

New batch of migrants headed to Croatia

New study shows 40% of US citizens above poverty line struggle to make ends meet

'Ramadan puts us all at risk': Danish minister calls for fasting Muslims to take time off work during holy month

World's first sea-borne nuclear power plant reaches Russia's Arctic for maiden mission

Cop rapes his co-worker's 13 y.o. daughter and is still drawing his salary

Ireland: Polls narrow on abortion vote, Google and Facebook change rules on advertising

Jailed for being homeless: How councils across Britain are cracking down on the UK's most vulnerable

New Kansas bill allows faith-based agencies to deny adoption to same-sex couples

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