All posts by nedhamson

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

The Saxon Kingdoms

English History

Book 2,Chapter 1, 449 AD to 597 AD – The Saxon Kingdoms – Continued

The establishment of these eight settlements, or kingdoms, as they were afterwards called, has been sketched thus hastily, because it is inexpedient to devote much space to an examination of the various theories, or to a decision between the conflicting tradition and fabulous chronicles, appertaining to that early period. The traditions themselves, however, taken in connexion with the slow progress of the invaders in effecting their settlements, prove that the Britons made a pro-longed resistance, and one which might have had another issue if the separate tribes had been united under one skilful leader. The natives, whose ancestors had known the first marauders by the name of Saxons, continued to give that appellation to all subsequent invaders, although, as a matter of strict accuracy, the several tribes who had settled north of the Thames, were…

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A New Platform Maps US Police Violence Against Protesters – bellingcat – 1000 incidents since May

Together with Forensic Architecture, Bellingcat has identified, verified, and archived over 1,000 incidents of police violence against protestors across the United States since May 2020. The data can be accessed here, and is available for use and visualization.

Bellingcat and Forensic Architecture have engaged in active outreach with organizations, activists, and journalists to ground our work in the context of the protests and assist ongoing cases with our data. Similarly, we have reflected on the ethical impact of publishing and locating these incidents alongside the historical and analytical importance of archiving them. In order to avoid amplifying imagery that has not been widely seen, we have limited our published dataset to media that already has at least 5,000 views. For more details, please view our mission statement.

The data has been visualized using TimeMap, a platform developed by Forensic Architecture that maps the incidents in space and time. We have categorized the data into different kinds of violence and misconduct: Physical (Assault, Arrest/Detention, “Less-lethal” rounds), Chemical (Tear gas, Pepper spray), Destruction/confiscation of property, Permissiveness to the far-right, Hiding identity, Attacks on legal observers, and Attacks on medics.

Source: A New Platform Maps US Police Violence Against Protesters – bellingcat

With One Word, Kamala Harris Sparked The ‘Chitthi Brigade’ – Gothamist

Senator Kamala Harris in a tan jacket, black shirt and pants, holding a microphone by a lectern with a sign that says Biden Harris Arizona. She is outside, with the desert in the background. In August, Indira Rajan was at home in Croton-on-Hudson, watching Senator Kamala Harris deliver a speech accepting the nomination to be Joe Biden’s running mate, when one word jumped out.

“Family,” said Harris, “is my uncles, my aunts, and my Chitthis.”

‘Chitthis’—literally one’s mother’s younger sister—is a term of endearment used by Tamil speakers to describe any woman who qualifies as an auntie, whether they’re related or not.

Rajan, 56, was already a fan of Harris, whose late mother was raised in Chennai, in South India. (She had excitedly tracked Harris’ and Mindy Kaling’s experiment in dosa-making.) But she was so taken by the speech that she called her friend, Yorktown Heights resident Shoba Viswanathan, 52, the next morning.

“I said, ‘Hey, let’s start something,'” Rajan recalled. “And Chitthi Brigade was born.”

Source: With One Word, Kamala Harris Sparked The ‘Chitthi Brigade’ – Gothamist

Rural Texas hospitals say some patients stranded amid new COVID-19 surge | The Texas Tribune

Rural hospitals say they’re in a bind as larger facilities in places like Lubbock, Amarillo and El Paso fill with coronavirus patients and often cannot accept gravely ill patients who need more advanced care than small hospitals can offer. Source: Rural Texas hospitals say some patients stranded amid new COVID-19 surge | The Texas Tribune

Justice Department quietly quashes probe into Tamir Rice killing | TheHill

Justice Department quietly quashes probe into Tamir Rice killing The Department of Justice (DOJ) last year quietly ended its investigation into the 2014 police killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The newspaper noted that no steps were taken to formally close the case, such as informing Rice’s family why no charges would be filed, but the probe was effectively abandoned in August 2019. The attorney representing Rice’s family, Subodh Chandra, said Rice’s mother, Samaira Rice, was devastated upon hearing the news.

Source: Justice Department quietly quashes probe into Tamir Rice killing | TheHill

‘Drink water and don’t be racist’: Ocasio-Cortez gives Republicans upset over Vanity Fair outfit ‘pointers’ on how to look better | TheHill

Ocasio-Cortez pushed back against the criticism not long after on Twitter Thursday, writing: “Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance. This time they’re mad that I look good in borrowed clothes (again).”

“Listen, if Republicans want pointers on looking your best, I’m happy to share. Tip : Drink water and don’t be racist,” she continued.

Source: ‘Drink water and don’t be racist’: Ocasio-Cortez gives Republicans upset over Vanity Fair outfit ‘pointers’ on how to look better | TheHill

Italy’s daily coronavirus cases hit new record, infections in Lombardy soar | New Europe

Italy has registered a record 24,991 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday, up from 21,994 on Tuesday. The ministry also reported 205 deaths compared with 221 the day before, taking the total to 37,905. The government on Sunday ordered the early closure of bars and restaurants and shutting down gyms, cinemas and theatres, among other measures. On Monday, violent protests broke out across several Italian cities. The crowds chanted: “Freedom” as they confronted police, which responded with tear gas. The northern region of Lombardy, which was the epicentre of the country’s epidemic earlier this year, reported 7,558 new cases on Wednesday and 5,035 on Tuesday.

Source: Italy’s daily coronavirus cases hit new record, infections in Lombardy soar | New Europe

White House coronavirus taskforce warns of ‘unrelenting’ spread | US news | The Guardian

“We are on a very difficult trajectory. We’re going in the wrong direction,” said Dr Anthony Fauci, the lead public health official on the taskforce and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci noted that coronavirus cases are rising in 47 states and patients are overwhelming hospitals across the US.

“If things do not change, if they continue on the course we’re on, there’s going to be a whole lot of pain in this country with regard to additional cases and hospitalizations, and deaths,” Fauci said in an interview with CNBC Wednesday night.

Source: White House coronavirus taskforce warns of ‘unrelenting’ spread | US news | The Guardian