Month: August 2018

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Construction worker says boss fired him after he refused to attend Bible Study

An Oregon man has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $750,000, claiming his employer fired him for refusing to attend weekly Christian Bible studies.

The plaintiff, Ryan Coleman, 34, a convicted felon and half-Native American, said the Albany, Ore.-based construction company, Dahled Up Construction, did not require its workers to attend weekly Bible studies until a month after he was hired as a painter, the Oregonian reported this week.

Joel Dahl, the company’s owner and founder, insisted his employees attend the studies as a condition of continuing employment, the lawsuit claims.

 

Coleman said he complied for nearly six months, fearing his past convictions would make finding other work difficult.

“I’m Native American and Christianity’s just not my thing,” Coleman told Fox News.

But in April, Coleman told Dahl he couldn’t attend the classes anymore and was fired. Coleman said he had received a pay raise only two weeks prior.

“I loved my job. I woke up every day excited to go to work. Not everybody can say that,” Coleman said.

Dahl, also a convicted felon, said he started his construction company to help other felons like Coleman get back on their feet, the Oregonian reported. Dahl’s attorney doesn’t dispute that Dahl requires employees to attend Bible study, but says it’s legal because Dahl pays them to attend.

“We believe that this requirement was not illegal. These are at-will employees and they were paid to go. It was part of their job, so they were expected to attend,” Kent Hickman, an attorney for Dahl, told NPR.

“We believe that this requirement was not illegal. These are at-will employees and they were paid to go. It was part of their job, so they were expected to attend.”

– Kent Hickman, attorney for employer Joe Dahl

But Coleman’s attorney, Corinne Schram, questioned the legality of the work requirement.

“Unless you are a religious organization like a church, you cannot force your employees to participate in religious activities,” Schram said.

“Unless you are a religious organization like a church, you cannot force your employees to participate in religious activities.”

– Corinne Schram, attorney for plaintiff Ryan Coleman

Coleman is suing his former employer for $50,000 of alleged lost income and $750,000 for “mental stress, humiliation, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life,” the lawsuit says.

Albany is located in northwestern Oregon, about 70 miles south of Portland. Coleman’s lawsuit was filed in Linn County Circuit Court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/30/employer-fired-him-because-stopped-attending-bible-study-lawsuit.html

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Ireland’s dangerous relationship with alcohol shows no sign of slowing with 54,000 treated for problematic use from 2010 to 2016

IRELAND’s dangerous relationship with alcohol shows no signs of waning — with almost 54,000 people treated for problematic use from 2010 to 2016.

A study by the Health Research Board reveals alcohol is still the main problem drug here, with 7,643 cases recorded in 2016.

 

That compares to 4,341 cases for opiates and 2,439 for cannabis addiction.

And, proving the chronic nature of addiction, half of all cases involved people who have relapsed and required repeat treatment.

Almost a fifth — 17 per cent — of problematic drinkers have also abused other substances, while men account for two-thirds of all cases.

The report, based on figures from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System, also points to the dangers of early exposure to alcohol.

 

The average starting age for problem drinkers was just 16 — the same age as TV star Adrian Chiles when he first got served in a pub.

The presenter, 51, hit the headlines this week in a BBC documentary, Drinkers Like Me, in which he admitted he consumes up to 100 units of alcohol per week but doesn’t consider it a problem.

His drinking habits are clearly mirrored in the Irish population, where the average age of a person receiving treatment is 41 years.

Despite the large numbers receiving treatment for alcohol abuse, one in ten are categorised as hazardous drinkers — those whose pattern of alcohol consumption carried an increased risk of harmful consequences.

 

Sixty-five per cent of cases were classed as alcohol dependent, while three in ten of that group were aged 50 years or older.

There was also a strong link between alcoholism and employment, as almost three-quarters, 73 per cent, of alcohol-dependent cases, involved people who were unemployed.

The study noted that the number of problem alcohol use cases had plateaued in the last four years.

Senior researcher Dr Suzi Lyons said: “This could be the result of a real decrease in numbers seeking treatment, the number of submissions to the reporting system, availability of services, or a combination of these factors.

“There has been an increase in the number of new cases who were already dependent on alcohol when they present to treatment for the first time, from 56 per cent in 2010 to 60 per cent in 2016.

“This means that more people are presenting when the problem is already severe and being alcohol dependent can make recovery more difficult.”

 

https://www.thesun.ie/news/3052958/irelands-alcohol-problematic-use-dangerous/

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A group suggested pregnant women can drink. It’s funded by the alcohol industry

It wasn’t the headline that raised eyebrows; it’s the tiny text below it.

“It’s safest not to drink while pregnant,” the headline reads, echoing the consensus among public health organizations around the world.

But the next text, in much smaller type, left some room for interpretation about whether alcohol is safe for pregnant woman.

“It’s not known if alcohol is safe to drink when you are pregnant,” reads the poster, copies of which were distributed by DrinkWise, an Australian organization founded and funded by the alcohol industry.

Public health leaders called out the organization over the poster’s message, which they saw as both inaccurate and misleading and undermines the body of research showing that alcohol, no matter the amount, is dangerous to pregnant women. DrinkWise withdrew 2,400 posters from hospitals and clinics, the Sidney Morning Herald reported, and changed the text into one that’s less ambiguous.

“A very important choice you can make for the health of your baby is to abstain from alcohol while pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breast-feeding,” the poster now reads.

Simon Strahan, DrinkWise’s chief executive, said the organization fixed the language after receiving a complaint from the Australian Medical Association.

“DrinkWise is committed to communicating the importance of women abstaining from alcohol while pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breast-feeding,” he told the Sidney Morning Herald.

Public health organizations around world, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia, and the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, have all said that no amount of alcohol, whether it be wine, liquor or beer, is safe for pregnant women. Drinking can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and lifelong disabilities, according to the CDC.

Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation of Alcohol Research and Education, or FARE, in the Australian capital city of Canberra, accused DrinkWise of engaging in a campaign “to stave off the threat of responsible and effective regulation.”

“The warning needs to be on all alcohol products and needs to be blunt and to the point – ‘Do not drink during pregnancy or if you’re thinking of becoming pregnant,’ ” Thorn told the Morning Herald.

DrinkWise was founded in 2005 and is funded by the alcohol industry. According to its website, it’s an “independent, not-for-profit organization” that focuses on bringing about “a healthier and safer drinking culture in Australia.”

https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/a-group-suggested-pregnant-women-can-drink-it-s-funded/article_59e6ec20-3fe2-5c47-bf63-2857370e0a06.html

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Tommy Sotomayor finally admits the Sotocruise was a scam only because the Police are watching.

 

 

Tommy Sotomayor has admitted the sotocruise was a scam but he is laying the blame on someone who he claims he has no contact with, strange thing is he claims to have helped this person pay their mortgage which would indicate he knew her address, you would not pay someones mortgage and not know their address, this person was and probably is still a business partner of his. Surely instead of paying out of his pocket to refund the victims of fraud he would contact the police instead and keep his money? We have seen him call the police on people up to 6 times in just the last 2 years alone over petty youtube squabbles so why will he not do it over someone using his name and reputation to defraud people……….unless he was involved and he is using “Mimi” as a scapegoat, how do we know that this lady is not just a “voice” actor he hired and he is really the “Mimi” character who organised this fraudulent trip?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tommy Sotomayor your mod Chassy Prejean was on the Sotocruise Committee, will you report her?

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B.C. government launches lawsuit against opioid manufacturers to recoup overdose crisis costs

The British Columbia government announced Wednesday it is suing 40 companies in connection with manufacturing opioids.

The province is looking to recoup healthcare costs associated with the province’s ongoing opioid epidemic that has killed thousands.

“Opioid misuse and addiction has taken a terrible toll on thousands of families and individuals in British Columbia. These British Columbians deserve our determination and support to end this epidemic,” said Attorney General David Eby.

 

This is the first lawsuit of its kind in Canada, with a government taking direct legal action against drug companies in connection with opioid addiction and overdose deaths.

A majority of overdose deaths have included people who become addicted to prescription opioids and then either continue to use the drugs or search alternatives that have frequently been laced with fentanyl.

There were 1,422 overdose deaths in 2017, a 43 per cent increase compared to 2016, which saw 914 deaths. So far, 2017 was the deadliest year in B.C.’s history for overdose deaths.

READ MORE: B.C. marks 2017 as deadliest O.D. death year in provincial history

At the heart of the lawsuit is Purdue Pharma. Victims have attempted to seek damages by filing a class action lawsuit against Purdue Canada. It led to a proposed $20-million settlement, with $2-million going to the provinces and territories and no admission of guilt. The settlement has stalled.

Purdue Pharma has lost a number of court cases in the United States. The company promoted the pain killer OxyContin as safer and less addictive than other opioids. The company has acknowledged in the United States that its marketing of OxyContin was misleading and paid US$634.5-million in 2007 to settle criminal and civil charges.

“I think what is very clear is that there have been few options that have been tried to date in Canada despite the ongoing crisis and I think trying this legal avenue is long overdue,” said Matthew Herder, the director of the Health Law Institute at Dalhousie University. “But whether it is successful, that is hard to say. There will be important factual questions about how much these different companies knew or ought to have known.”

Because there are so many companies involved, Herder expects the lawsuits to be dragged out and it could be years until there are any court resolutions. But Herder says one of the strong cases the B.C. government has is that drug users often are prescribed opioids that lead to their addiction.

“Many folks who become unfortunately addicted to opioid medication or stronger things that are available on the streets started on a pathway to that outcome from prescription drugs that will be the subject of this litigation,” said Herder.

 

B.C. government launches lawsuit against opioid manufacturers to recoup overdose crisis costs

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Rapid-onset gender dysphoria in adolescents and young adults: A study of parental reports

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202330&type=printable

 

Social and peer contagion. The description of cluster outbreaks of gender dysphoria
occurring in pre-existing groups of friends and increased exposure to social media/internet
preceding a child’s announcement of a transgender identity raises the possibility of social and
peer contagion. Social contagion [20] is the spread of affect or behaviors through a population.
Peer contagion, in particular, is the process where an individual and peer mutually influence
each other in a way that promotes emotions and behaviors that can potentially undermine
their own development or harm others [21]. Peer contagion has been associated with depressive
symptoms, disordered eating, aggression, bullying, and drug use [21, 22]. Internalizing
symptoms such as depression can be spread via the mechanisms of co-rumination, which
entails the repetitive discussion of problems, excessive reassurance seeking (ERS), and negative
feedback [21, 23–25]. Deviancy training, which was first described for rule breaking, delinquency,
and aggression, is the process whereby attitudes and behaviors associated with problem
behaviors are promoted with positive reinforcement by peers [26, 27].
Peer contagion has been shown to be a factor in several aspects of eating disorders. There are
examples in the eating disorder and anorexia nervosa literature of how both internalizing symptoms
and behaviors have been shared and spread via peer influences [28–32] which may have relevance
to considerations of rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Friendship cliques can set the norms
for preoccupation with one’s body, one’s body image, and techniques for weight loss, and can
predict an individual’s body image concerns and eating behaviors [28–30]. Peer influence is

 

intensified in inpatient and outpatient treatment settings for patients with anorexia and countertherapeutic
subcultures that actively promote the beliefs and behaviors of anorexia nervosa have
been observed [30–32]. In these settings, there is a group dynamic where the “best” anorexics
(those who are thinnest, most resistant to gaining weight, and who have experienced the most
medical complications from their disease) are admired, validated, and seen as authentic while the
patients who want to recover from anorexia and cooperate with medical treatment are maligned,
ridiculed, and marginalized [30–32]. Additionally, behaviors associated with deceiving parents
and doctors about eating and weight loss, referred to as the “anorexic tricks,” are shared by patients
in a manner akin to deviancy training [30–32]. Online environments provide ample opportunity
for excessive reassurance seeking, co-rumination, positive and negative feedback, and
deviancy training from peers who subscribe to unhealthy, self-harming behaviors. The pro-eating
disorder sites provide motivation for extreme weight loss (sometimes calling the motivational
content “thinspiration”). Such sites promote validation of eating disorder as an identity, and
offer “tips and tricks” for weight loss and for deceiving parents and doctors so that individuals
may continue their weight-loss activities [33–35]. If similar mechanisms are at work in the context
of gender dysphoria, this greatly complicates the evaluation and treatment of impacted
AYAs.
In the past decade, there has been an increase in visibility, social media, and user-generated
online content about transgender issues and transition [36], which may act as a double-edged
sword. On the one hand, an increase in visibility has given a voice to individuals who would
have been under-diagnosed and undertreated in the past [36]. On the other hand, it is plausible
that online content may encourage vulnerable individuals to believe that nonspecific symptoms
and vague feelings should be interpreted as gender dysphoria stemming from a transgender
condition. Recently, leading international academic and clinical commentators have raised
the question about the role of social media and online content in the development of gender
dysphoria [37]. Concern has been raised that adolescents may come to believe that transition
is the only solution to their individual situations, that exposure to internet content that is uncritically
positive about transition may intensify these beliefs, and that those teens may pressure
doctors for immediate medical treatment [18]. There are many examples on popular sites
such as Reddit (www.reddit.com with subreddit ask/r/transgender) and Tumblr (www.tumblr.
com) where online advice promotes the idea that nonspecific symptoms should be considered
to be gender dysphoria, conveys an urgency to transition, and instructs individuals how to
deceive parents, doctors, and therapists to obtain hormones quickly [38]. Fig 1 includes examples
of online advice from reddit and tumblr.

 

 

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Flight chaos as drunk tourist is TIED to his plane seat after huge bust-up

A FLIGHT from Bali was forced to divert after a drunk French tourist had to be tied to his chair following a huge row with his girlfriend.

The flight from Bali to Perth had to divert after an argument between two French passengers escalated so greatly that the man had to be strapped to his chair and tied down.

Police have said the French couple – a 32-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman – were drunk when they began arguing on the flight on Monday night.

Shocking footage captured the moment seven passengers had to restrain the man after the dispute grew heated.

The tourist’s wrists, feet and legs were tied and he was strapped to a chair in a bid to prevent him from causing any harm.

 

The argument between the couple had started out “jovially” but soon escalated, eyewitnesses said.

“They were completely sloshed. They were quite jovial, but he got out of control,” fellow passenger John Caputo told Australian TV news service Seven News.

“They were having to settle him down, constantly telling him to calm down, having to use force to keep him to his chair because he obviously wanted to get out,” Caputo added to Australian TV network Nine News.

As a result of the drunken dispute – and the ensuing diversion to Port Headland, Western Australia – the flight was delayed by two and a half hours.

“It was quick, quicker than usual, we all had to get ready for a quick landing,” Caputo said.

The two French tourists were arrested at South Hedland, a suburb of Port Hedland. Footage shows the man smiling as he was lead off the plane with his wrists tied together.

 

The flight continued to Perth where police spoke to eyewitnesses. “I’ve been on a plane a lot in my time and I’ve never seen anything like this happen. But you just take it as it comes,” Caputo said.

The rowing pair have been charged with interference with crew or aircraft and offensive and disorderly behaviour.

They are due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on September 14.

Yesterday, it emerged that a pilot on a Ryanair flight from London to Italy had fainted after bad weather resulted in a diversion.

The FR3918 flight was moments away from landing when the co-pilot passed out, forcing the captain to land the plane on his own.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1010187/flights-viral-video-bali-holidays-drunk-man-air-rage

 

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Chad: Muslims intimidating Christians and driving them from public life under new rules prioritizing Islam

“Source: Catholics face fear as Chad prioritizes Islam,” by Jonathan Luxmoore, Catholic News Service, August 27, 2018

OXFORD, England (CNS) — Christians in Chad are being intimidated and forced from public life, under new rules prioritizing Islam in violation of the North African country’s secular foundations, according to the Catholic Church.

A senior church source, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, called the situation “critical, as the great powers show complicity by turning a blind eye to violations of basic human rights under cover of resisting radical Islam.”

The source also said Catholic leaders fear for their lives after criticizing constitutional changes.

The comments were sent Aug. 27 to Catholic News Service, as the government of President Idriss Deby enforced a revised constitution, extending presidential powers in the predominantly Muslim state and requiring office-holders to take a religious oath.

“The new religious oath is exclusive and reductive in its vision of the state and appears to be another way of excluding Christians from public responsibilities,” the church source said. “What will now become of the many Chadians who are neither Muslims nor Christians, and what will be the purpose of our institutions of justice and regulation?”

The revised constitution, in force since May 4, abolishes the office of prime minister and extends the powers of Deby, in office since 1990, allowing him to seek a sixth and seventh term, running till 2033.

In April, the Catholic bishops’ conference criticized the religious oath and use of Diya — blood money or ransom. The bishops urged a referendum on the revised constitution and warned its adoption otherwise risked igniting “inter-communal bitterness” and “gravely perverting democratic rules.”

“Our country is traversing a social crisis — in this difficult context, a project for reforming the institutions has been set in motion which does not have the support of the body of citizens,” said the bishops. “As a church, we have reflected on our engagement in the service of charity and development … but we must stress that poverty is now growing as grave violations of fundamental human rights become the norm.”

Radio France International reported Aug. 13 priority had since been given to officials taking the religious oath “in the name of Allah the all-powerful,” adding that several top Christian officials had been dismissed for refusing it.

The church source told CNS Catholic leaders believed the religious oath would “do nothing to solve the real problems of Chad,” while the practice of Diya was “very specific to Muslim communities” and would “sow hatred” if imposed on Christians.

However, the source added that the government had “reacted violently against the Catholic Church” after it listed its objections and said bishops had been threatened and intimidated….

https://www.jihadwatch.org/2018/08/chad-muslims-intimidating-christians-and-driving-them-from-public-life-under-new-rules-prioritizing-islam

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B.C.’s new rules for provincial infrastructure projects challenged in court

VANCOUVER -The Independent Contractors and Business Association is asking the B.C. Supreme Court to strike down the provincial government’s new hiring model for taxpayer-funded construction projects.

The association filed a petition today with the court alongside several other building and trade organizations, as well as the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and two unions it says are not affiliated with the building trades: the Christian Labour Association of Canada and Canada West Construction Union.

In a statement, association president Chris Gardner says the policy means only members of building trade unions will be hired for public construction jobs and that’s not fair to the 85 per cent of construction workers who don’t belong to the unions.

When the new framework was announced last month, Premier John Horgan said it would allow everyone to bid on the projects, but it would make hiring local workers a priority and provide good wages for people building roads, bridges, transit and hospitals.

The B.C. government said projects worth billions of dollars will now be built under a so-called community benefits agreement that sets out job training, who can work on the projects and the wages to be paid.

It said the agreement is aimed at boosting apprenticeship opportunities and hiring more women, Indigenous people and other under-represented workers who will be organized under a new Crown corporation called BC Infrastructure Benefits Inc.

The provincial government couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

 

https://www.news1130.com/2018/08/27/new-rules-infrastructure-projects-bc-court/

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UNL investigating fraternity following hazing complaint

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials say Delta Tau Delta fraternity is being investigated following a hazing complaint.

The university confirmed a potential pledge became ill after a weekend of drinking at the Delta Tau Delta chapter house and an off-campus site.

The complaint says prospective new fraternity members were made to drink alcohol for four days straight over the weekend of Aug. 17 – Aug. 19.

Both UNL’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and Delta Tau Delta’s national organization are investigating. Alcohol is banned from campus and university housing. The student code of conduct also prohibits public intoxication or possession of alcohol by anyone under 21.

The fraternity has not been suspended, but it has been stripped of its student housing designation. That means freshmen members cannot live in the fraternity house.

Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs released the following statement on the incident:

“This reported behavior is not consistent with our University values. The health and safety of our students is our primary concern and we take any allegations of hazing seriously. The University supports Delta Tau Delta’s suspension of activities by the National Fraternity and is working with Fraternity staff members to investigate the concerns that we share. The University has made abundantly clear what its expectations are and the consequences for failing those expectations.”

 

http://www.wowt.com/content/news/UNL-investigating-fraternity-following-hazing-complaint-491572781.html

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Drunken Polish fork lift driver, 38, who downed an entire bottle of vodka to deal with his fear of flying before ‘reaching for the door’ on a Whizz Air flight to Birmingham is fined £300

A drunken Polish fork lift driver who downed an entire bottle of vodka during his flight back to the UK and ‘reached for the door’ in mid-air has been fined £300.

Andrzej Plawski, 38, flew from Warsaw to Birmingham with Whizz Air on June 5 this year.

But staff and passengers soon became alarmed when he started walking around the cabin, refusing to sit down during landing and trying to open the door.

He claimed drinking vodka was a way to settle his fear of flying and he was particularly stressed after visiting his mother with cancer in Poland.

But Sally Cairns, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court said: ‘About an hour into the flight the cabin manager noticed the defendant walking around.

‘He was unsteady on his feet and he smelt strongly of alcohol.

‘At that point the cabin manager warned the defendant about his conduct and asked him where he was getting his alcohol from, as drinks had not been served to him.

‘He did not reply to that question but became increasingly animated.

‘He was verbally and physically disruptive towards other passengers sat by him and was waving his arms about.’

Mis Cairns said due to safety concerns the defendant, who had been by an emergency exit, was moved to a different seat.

 

But when the plane started its descent and the seat belt signs came on, Plawski got up and started to get his bag out of the over head locker.

‘He then proceeded to stand by the doorway of the plane despite requests from cabin staff to take his seat,’ Miss Cairns said.

She added that eventually the cabin manager had to physically move the defendant back to his seat and put the seat belt on him because he seemed incapable of doing it himself.

On landing the police were called and arrested Plawski who was shouting and who punched the window of a police car.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6101775/Drunk-Polish-Whizz-Air-plane-passenger-drunk-bottle-vodka-tried-open-door-Warsaw-flight.html

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The truth — and lies — about Chicago’s gun laws

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-gun-control-chicago-dahleen-glanton-20171003-story.html

Chicago does not have the strictest gun laws in the country. It’s time for gun lovers to stop spreading that lie.

A decade ago that was indeed a title Chicago wore proudly. We were the only major city that still had an ordinance banning residents from keeping a handgun in their home.

The handgun ban made us the primary target of the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation, and in 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court forced Chicago to fall into line with the rest of the country.

Since then, the courts have peeled off so many layers of our once stellar gun ordinance that it’s barely recognizable. We’re still maneuvering to keep gun stores and shooting ranges from opening in the city limits. But the courts have ruled against us on that, too, so we know it’s just a matter of time.

 

Remember that old requirement that gun owners in Chicago register their firearms with the city and obtain a permit? Well, that’s gone too.

And thanks to the Illinois General Assembly, which was pressured by the federal courts to pass a concealed carry law in 2013, people can walk the streets of Chicago with a gun attached to their waist and another strapped to their ankle.

Sorry, gun lovers, your attempts to use Chicago as a prop to bolster your claims that gun control laws do nothing to curb gun violence just don’t hold up.

New York, in fact, has stricter gun laws on the books than Chicago. And guess what? Its homicide numbers are heading toward historic lows. Los Angeles has some pretty tough gun laws too. Its homicide numbers also pale compared with Chicago’s.

Those kinds of details don’t fit the conservative, pro-gun narrative, though. To use New York as a talking point, they’d have to admit that strict gun laws might actually have an impact on homicide rates.

We don’t make excuses for our ghastly homicide numbers in Chicago. With 762 people killed last year, no one has to remind us that we have a serious gun problem. We own it. And we have to do something about it.

But we are tired of Donald Trump and pro-gun advocates using our city to promote their political agenda.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dragged Chicago into the fray again on Monday when responding to a reporter’s question about gun policy in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

“One of the things that we don’t want to do is try to create laws that won’t stop these types of things from happening,” Sanders said at a news conference. “I think if you look to Chicago where you had over 4,000 victims of gun-related crimes, they have the strictest gun laws in the country and that certainly hasn’t helped there.”

Sanders should listen to U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., who argues that the problem is Chicago being surrounded by red states that have completely surrendered to the pro-gun lobby.

 

With no gun stores in Chicago and no background check loopholes for private sales, one thing is clear. The guns being used to kill people on the streets aren’t originating in Chicago. They’re coming from someplace else.

When politicians and others repeat that ridiculous statement about Chicago’s gun laws, it shows how out of touch they are with the problems urban areas face when it comes to gun violence.

When it comes to gun laws, big cities are only as strong as the states that border them. And in Chicago’s case, that’s Indiana. Thanks to Vice President Mike Pence, the former governor, Indiana has some of the weakest gun laws in the nation.

While Illinois has gone to great lengths to see that background checks are done for all gun purchases, Indiana has done the opposite. To buy a weapon in Illinois, the owner must have a valid firearms owner’s identification card, issued by the Illinois State Police.

With no permit or license required to purchase a gun in Indiana, it is incredibly easy for a trafficker to drive across the state line, obtain a gun and use it to commit a homicide on the streets of Chicago.

Those with felony convictions commonly use straw purchases, in which they enlist someone with a clean record to purchase multiple guns and bring them into the city.

Law enforcement officials say 60 percent of the guns confiscated on the streets of Chicago come from Indiana, Wisconsin and Mississippi. The other 40 percent come from suburban Cook County and nearby suburbs.

It’s tough, but we can try to sort out the bad apples in our own state and shut them down. But we’re helpless when it comes to regulating Indiana, Wisconsin and Mississippi.

Congress could do something, though. Lawmakers could pass legislation requiring universal background checks. That would close federal loopholes on background checks at gun shows and other private sales.

Congress could also limit the number of guns that can be purchased by one person in a period of time. And lawmakers could toughen penalties for straw purchases.

Military-style assault weapons already are banned in the city of Chicago, but in most other places in Illinois and in most other states, they can be purchased as easily as a handgun. If Congress really wanted to stop massacres like the one in Las Vegas from occurring, lawmakers could pass a federal assault weapons ban to replace the one that expired in 2004.

The gun lovers in Washington don’t want to talk about these things, though. It’s a lot easier to just keep picking on Chicago.

dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng

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Elderly cancer sufferer thrown out of pub because female customers thought he was a ‘pervert’

An elderly cancer sufferer was thrown out of a newly-opened pub in Wales after female customers told management he was a ‘perv’.

Harold Harris, 74, was booted from the Slug and Lettuce in Caer Street, Swansea, during a Saturday night out, WalesOnline reported .

He had been a regular patron at Yates – the pub that had been replaced by the high street chain earlier this month following a revamp – and decided to try it out one evening.

Mr Harris, of McRitchie Place in Gendros , suffers from prostate cancer , diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

He goes out on the weekend to take his mind off his troubles.

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/elderly-cancer-sufferer-thrown-out-13135275.amp

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A Complete History Of John McCain Calling For War Around The World

Earlier this week notorious war hawk US Senator John McCain (R-Az) was diagnosed with brain cancer. While the liberal and conservative establishments are sending their regards, Geopolitics Alert instead compiled a list of reasons why we don’t care about McCain.

 

The list is of course a history of all the instances McCain has called for US-led intervention around the world. There’s obviously a long history here, so Geopolitics Alert has compiled the largest examples from Europe to Asia. We’ll start with the obvious wars first.

Afghanistan and Iraq

Obviously every US senator (besides California’s Barbara Lee) voted to give president George W. Bush the power to invade Afghanistan following the events of September 11th. However, McCain wasn’t happy with just moving to invade Afghanistan. No, he had other targets on his mind as early as the day after the towers fell.

Despite McCain’s claim in 2014 that “the Iraq war probably wouldn’t have happened” if he had won the 2000 Republican primary and then general election, this assertion seems ridiculous. On September 12th 2001, McCain appeared on MSNBC presenting a long list of countries he felt were providing a “safe harbor” to groups like al Qaeda. This list of course included Iraq and several other countries that appear later on this list.

Syria

Another country on that 2001 list (of course) was Syria. Now, the Bush regime may have never gotten a chance to continue toppling Mideast countries (thanks to the failure in Iraq and the exposure of that war being sold on lies). But McCain seemingly never lost sight of his hatred for Bashar Al-Assad.

Shortly after the Arab Spring “broke out” in Syria, McCain – and his constant partner in war crimes Sen. Lindsey Graham – quickly found communication channels with the “Syrian opposition.” Just a few short months after the US endorsed protests in Syria (even having their ambassador attend), McCain and Graham began calling for arms to start flowing to the Free Syrian Army and other “rebel” groups.

Libya

McCain’s plans for Syria never quite worked the way he wanted but he probably should’ve know they would never yield a positive result. If McCain didn’t want to look at Iraq to prove that point, he had another more recent example he could’ve used: the NATO intervention in Libya.

It was less than a year before McCain wanted to arm Syrian takfiris that he had supported with the bombing and no fly zones in Libya. McCain even wanted tougher actions against the country. Which has now become an anarchic Wild West that’s home to all sorts of horrors from the Islamic State to a new slave trade.

West and Central Africa

McCain is also a champion of the “war on terror” in other parts of Africa. While McCain hasn’t directly supported terrorists in some countries in Africa, he still has called for more US intervention across the continent.

This list includes countries dealing with Islamic insurgencies, such as Mali. McCain has also called for plans like “deploying Special Forces” to rescue girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria and intervention in Sudan, where McCain and his wife have invested money for some time. 

Iran

Another country on the list of hated nations originally put forth by Bush undersecretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz, and also another long time target of McCain, is of course Iran.

Although McCain has always said “he prays” there will never be at war with Iran, the man constantly calls for it and even jokes about bombing the country when he feels the mood is right. The truth of the matter is, McCain’s positions towards Iran are so hostile that even flagship neoconservative institutions like the Cato Institute think he is too hawkish.

Bosnia and Kosovo

But McCain isn’t satisfied with just backing salafi jihadists in the traditional Middle East and North African theaters. He’s also backed violent radicals across the fringes of Europe. This trend really started in the mid 1990’s when McCain was a vocal supporter of then president Bill Clinton’s war in Bosnia.

Many of the Muslims traveling to Bosnia joining the mujahideen there have joined groups like IS in recent years. And IS flags can occasionally be seen in the Sunni areas of Bosnia now. McCain was still backing potential takfiri movements, recently accusing Russia of interfering in local affairs, and calling for more US intervention in the country.

McCain made similar decisions when he advocated US intervention in Kosovo in the late 90’s. In the Kosovo conflict, McCain backed the Kosovo Liberation Army: a genocidal jihadist organization with ties to Al Qaeda under Osama Bin Laden.

Ukraine

Don’t be fooled into thinking that McCain only supports jihadists in Eastern Europe though! He also backs the overt Nazis acting as death squads for Kiev in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.

This of course started in 2014, but McCain has continued to pledge support for Kiev’s crimes in the Donbass region to this day. This is all par for the course in McCain’s larger theme of challenging Russia– the country he believes controls the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

 

Russia

The story of McCain’s hatred of Russia spans back to the Cold War. We won’t get into McCain’s fear of communism that’s evolved into just general Russophobia. But we will say he didn’t have many excuses to focus on making threats towards Moscow for a good 15-20 year stretch.

This changed in 2008, with the war in South Ossetia between Georgia and Russia. During this conflict McCain was the loudest voice saying the US “should immediately call a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to assess Georgia’s security and review measures NATO can take to contribute to stabilizing this very dangerous situation.”

This same situation repeated in Ukraine in 2014 but McCain’s worst comments came this year. As soon as the US Intelligence Community’s accused Russia of interference in the 2016 US elections– and without any evidence– McCain was first to say the event was an “act of war.”

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DRPK/North Korea) was also an early target of McCain’s making his September 12th wish list. More recently though, the restyled “Trump opponent” McCain was all-in on the new regime’s saber rattling. Calling on Trump to strike the nuclear armed country.

Bonus: China

China is kind of in its own class with McCain, who’s made strange vague threats towards the country in the past. Such as “the Arab spring is coming to China,” whatever that means. China may be a target on the periphery for McCain but he does still encourage antagonizing the country to this day. Calling for things like more “freedom of navigation drills” and other naval exercises in the South China Sea.

*  *  *

So, in summation, next time someone asks why you don’t care about John McCain’s clock running out, show them this article. McCain has encouraged the spread of death worldwide. The day he leaves congress will be a victory for the human race.

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-22/complete-history-john-mccain-calling-war-around-world