All posts by nedhamson

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

Republicans falsely claim that killer of Oakland police officer was involved in racial justice protests | The Independent

“There is no evidence that these men had any intention to join the demonstration in Oakland as some as the media have asked. They came to Oakland to kill cops,” said John Bennet, the agent in charge of the FBI’s San Francisco division, according to CBS News.

Source: Republicans falsely claim that killer of Oakland police officer was involved in racial justice protests | The Independent

Catholic Bishop John Stowe critical of Trump’s pro-life views | Miami Herald

“Pope Francis has given us a great definition of what pro-life means,” Stowe said. “He basically tells us we can’t claim to be pro-life if we support the separation of children from their parents at the U.S. border, if we support exposing people at the border to COVID-19 because of the facilities that they’re in, if we support denying people who have need to adequate health care access to health care, if we keep people from getting the housing or the education that they need, we cannot call ourselves pro-life.”

Pope Francis questioned Trump’s pro-life stance in 2017 when the president tried to end DACA, a federal immigration program that offered protections to some people who were brought to the United States illegally as children.

“I have heard the President of the United States speak,” the pope said at the time, according to the National Catholic Reporter. “He presents himself as a pro-life man. If he is a good pro-lifer, he should understand that the family is the cradle of life and you must defend its unity.”

 

Source: Catholic Bishop John Stowe critical of Trump’s pro-life views | Miami Herald

Hackers are defacing Reddit with pro-Trump messages | ZDNet

A massive hack has hit Reddit today after tens of Reddit channels have been hacked and defaced to show messages in support of Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.

The hacks are still ongoing at the time of writing, but we were told Reddit’s security team is aware of the issue and has already begun restoring defaced channels.

A partial list of impacted channels (subreddits) is available below. This includes Reddit channels for the NFL, many TV shows, The Pirate Bay, Disneyland, Disney’s Avengers, several city channels, and more. Combined, the channels have tens of millions of subscribers.

 

Source: Hackers are defacing Reddit with pro-Trump messages | ZDNet

Trump to hold news conference after coronavirus aid talks hit stalemate – Excuses won’t even pass for ba·lo·ney 

“That’s a nonstarter,” Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said in response. Congressional Republicans have made offers closer to $1 trillion.

Trump argued Democrats had asked for extra money for “poorly run Democrat cities and states” for expenses unrelated to the coronavirus. Democrats and some Republicans have said aid for local governments is needed amid a financial crunch sparked by the pandemic to ensure vital services like police and firefighters are able to continue operating.

The greater than trillion-dollar gap remaining between the parties includes their disagreement on the continued unemployment benefits. Congress created a $600-a-week additional payment for the jobless earlier this year, but was unable to find a deal to extend the payments after they expired at the end of July.

The two sides also remain apart on how school funding should be disbursed. Pelosi told reporters the White House wants the money to go largely to schools that reopen; Democrats want the aid to also fund schools that are unable to reopen and must spend to launch and implement distance learning programs.

 

Source: Trump to hold news conference after coronavirus aid talks hit stalemate

Redefining Girlhood: Soad Hosny and Egypt’s Young Instagram Feminists — Egyptian Streets

Earlier this year in July, Egypt’s young and digital savvy feminists took on social media platforms, mainly Instagram and Twitter, to start their very own movement in exposing rapists in their community. In less than a month, they helped push for their arrest, a new law, catch the attention of international media and journalists, and…

Redefining Girlhood: Soad Hosny and Egypt’s Young Instagram Feminists — Egyptian Streets

In the safe space of their bedrooms, which for many also means being free from family, societal and political restrictions, these young women raise awareness and challenge the myth that harassment and rape crimes are rare in society. They share stories, feminist writings and quotes, legal information, political and social discussions, and collectively unite to support other survivors to refer them to the right places of support. “It starts conversations and encourages individuals who care about feminism to learn more and understand how they can help. It is basically like a safe space for a tiny community of activists,” Zeina Amr Al Dessoky, founder of Instagram account “Catcalls of Cairo” tells Egyptian Streets.

Anger and Sadness in Beirut

Eliane Eid, IPS correspondent in Beirut spoke to a cross section of people who shared their views and fears with her. On the third day of the deadly explosion, amidst an outpouring of anger from the Lebanese people, Angelina, 18, speaks about her lost home in the Mar Mikhael area. Josette, 27, talks about her experience of the explosion while she was on the road and Charbel, 28, shares his thoughts about being a volunteer at this critical time. They are all numb and speak calmly of how their lives were turned upside down, with this tragedy affecting thousands of people.

By Eliane Eid
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug 7 2020 (IPS-Partners)

Eliane Eid, IPS correspondent in Beirut spoke to a cross section of people who shared their views and fears with her. On the third day of the deadly explosion, amidst an outpouring of anger from the Lebanese people, Angelina, 18, speaks about her lost home in the Mar Mikhael area. Josette, 27, talks about her experience of the explosion while she was on the road and Charbel, 28, shares his thoughts about being a volunteer at this critical time. They are all numb and speak calmly of how their lives were turned upside down, with this tragedy affecting thousands of people.

 

The post Anger and Sadness in Beirut appeared first on Inter Press Service.