All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

12 Protesters Killed as Troops Attack Pocket of Resistance in Northwest Myanmar — Radio Free Asia

12 Protesters Killed as Troops Attack Pocket of Resistance in Northwest Myanmar

Military junta forces fired rocket launchers and grenades to dismantle a protest camp in a city near Myanmar’s border with India Wednesday, killing 12 protesters in a region of northwest Myanmar where civilians have inflicted casualties on troops.

In a heavy crackdown that started before sunrise in the Sagaing region city of Kalay, security forces used heavy weaponry to smash the protester encampment dubbed “Fort Tahan” built to shield anti-coup demonstrators from gunfire by police and soldiers.

Witnesses said at least 12 local residents, including protesters, were killed, and many others were injured in Kalay. They were among at least 26 civilians killed Wednesday during nationwide crackdowns by Myanmar security forces on Wednesday, witnesses in various locations said.

Source: 12 Protesters Killed as Troops Attack Pocket of Resistance in Northwest Myanmar — Radio Free Asia

New Mexico ends qualified immunity | TheHill

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a bill on Wednesday ending qualified immunity for all government workers, including police. 

Grisham signed the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, which ends the use of qualified immunity as a defense for depriving a person of their civil rights, her office said.

Qualified immunity shields state and local police from civil suits unless they violated a clearly established constitutional right, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

New Mexico is the first state to end qualified immunity for all public bodies, the New Mexico House Democrats said on Twitter. However, it is not the only state to end the practice in some capacity. 

Source: New Mexico ends qualified immunity | TheHill

McConnell’s threat to punish companies opposing GOP policies is unconstitutional – Vox

the Supreme Court explained in Perry v. Sindermann (1972), “even though a person has no ‘right’ to a valuable governmental benefit and even though the government may deny him the benefit for any number of reasons, there are some reasons upon which the government may not rely.” Among other things, the government “may not deny a benefit to a person on a basis that infringes his constitutionally protected interests — especially, his interest in freedom of speech.” Source: McConnell’s threat to punish companies opposing GOP policies is unconstitutional – Vox

Biden restarts U.S. aid relief programs to Palestinians

  • The Biden administration announced it will restore U.S. humanitarian and economic development aid for Palestinians.
  • The aid package includes $75 million in economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza, $10 million for peacebuilding programs through the USAID, and $150 million in humanitarian assistance under the U.N.

Source: Biden restarts U.S. aid relief programs to Palestinians

EU drug regulator: Unusual blood clot is ‘very rare AstraZeneca side effect’ – BBC News

After a study looking at 86 European cases, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risk.

The report reflected data on 25 million Europeans administered with the jab.

The EMA could not list specific risk factors such as age or gender, but most blood clot cases were women under 60.

Source: EU drug regulator: Unusual blood clot is ‘very rare AstraZeneca side effect’ – BBC News

‘We deeply doubt it will help’ Kremlin warns that Ukraine joining NATO would exacerbate Donbas conflict — Meduza (Me: Putin… Sit down: stuff it!

Following Ukraine reiterating its desire to take the next step toward joining NATO this week, the Kremlin has warned that this would only exacerbate the conflict in Donbas. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, April 7, Lithuania announced that it will call on its NATO allies to support a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine. This comes amid a growing escalation of the conflict in Donbas, and rising concerns as Russia amasses troops near Ukraine’s border. Though Ukraine doesn’t meet NATO’s membership standards as of yet, the United States has expressed its support for Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to carry out the necessary reforms.

Source: ‘We deeply doubt it will help’ Kremlin warns that Ukraine joining NATO would exacerbate Donbas conflict — Meduza

 7th Day of April – Fatcowco – 1983 – The first Space Shuttle spacewalk – STS-6 was the sixth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

STS-6 was the sixth NASA Space Shuttle mission and the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Launched from Kennedy Space Center on 4 April 1983, the mission deployed the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-1, into orbit, before landing at Edwards Air Force Base on 9 April.

STS-6 carried a crew of four – Paul J. Weitz, commander; Karol J. Bobko, pilot; Story Musgrave and Donald H. Peterson, both mission specialists.

1983 – The first Space Shuttle spacewalk

Using new spacesuits designed specifically for the Space Shuttle program, Musgrave and Peterson successfully accomplished the program’s first extravehicular activity (EVA) on 7 April 1983, performing various tests in the orbiter’s payload bay.

Source: 7th Day of April – Fatcowco