All posts by nedhamson

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

UTAH OFFICER WHO ARRESTED NURSE OVER BLOOD TEST PUT ON LEAVE

Good police should be supported – bullies and cowboys should not! Police body-camera video shows Wubbels, who works in the burn unit, calmly explaining that she could not take blood from a patient who had been injured in a deadly car accident, citing a recent change in law. A 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said a blood sample cannot be taken without patient consent or a warrant. Wubbels told Payne that a patient had to allow a blood sample to determine intoxication or be under arrest. Otherwise, she said police needed a warrant. Police did not, but Payne insisted. The dispute ended with Payne saying, “We’re done, you’re under arrest” and pulling her outside while she screamed and said, “I’ve done nothing wrong!” He had called his supervisor and discussed the time-sensitive blood draw for over an hour with hospital staff, police spokeswoman Christina Judd said.”It’s not an excuse. It definitely doesn’t forgive what happened,” she said.Payne wrote in a police report that he grabbed Wubbels and took her outside to avoid causing a “scene” in the emergency room. He said his boss, a lieutenant whose actions also were being reviewed, told him to arrest Wubbels if she kept interfering.The detective left Wubbels in a hot police car for 20 minutes before realizing that blood had already been drawn as part of treatment, said her lawyer, Karra Porter. Wubbels was not charged.”This has upended her worldview in a way. She just couldn’t believe this could happen,” Porter said.Wubbels and her attorneys on Thursday released the video they obtained through a public records request to call for change. She has not sued, but that could change, said attorney Jake Macfarlane.Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said that the video was concerning and called the police chief to ask for a criminal investigation.The department is open to the inquiry that will be run by Salt Lake County’s Unified Police, Judd said. Gill’s office will review the findings.In response to the incident, Judd said the department updated its blood-draw policy last week to mirror what the hospital uses. She said officers have already received additional training.

Source: News from The Associated Press

A Long-Pursued ISIS Preacher Is Finally Charged in New York – The New York Times

 

#TraitorTrump and #PatsySessions fool themselves on terrorism too! The charges against Mr. Faisal have also raised concerns among F.B.I. agents about whether federal prosecutors have lost their appetite to pursue overseas terrorists because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said they should not be tried in civilian courts.

The charges against Mr. Faisal have also raised concerns among F.B.I. agents about whether federal prosecutors have lost their appetite to pursue overseas terrorists because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said they should not be tried in civilian courts. “Dozens of wannabe terrorists have been successfully tried in civilian courts but #TraitorTrump wants to use torture and put people in military prisons without trial or poof.”

Heckler & Koch quietly becomes world′s first ethical gun-maker | Germany | DW | 31.08.2017

This means that H&K has become the first arms company in the world to have a more moral arms export policy than its own government (the German Economy Ministry declined to offer a statement or interview partner in time for this article) – and will not be selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and even Turkey (despite its membership in NATO), or any African country.

Source: Heckler & Koch quietly becomes world′s first ethical gun-maker | Germany | DW | 31.08.2017

Indian Immigrants in the United States | migrationpolicy.org

Immigrants from India are the second-largest foreign-born group in the United States, after Mexicans. Indian immigrants tend to be far more highly educated and have greater English proficiency than the foreign-born population overall. This Spotlight article offers the latest data on Indian immigrants, focusing on population size, state- and city-level distribution, occupation, educational attainment, and more.

Source: Indian Immigrants in the United States | migrationpolicy.org

Defense secretary quickly contradicts Trump over North Korea diplomacy | US news | The Guardian

Donald Trump appeared to rule out contacts with the North Korean regime in the wake of its missile test over Japan on Wednesday, declaring: “Talking is not the answer.”Minutes later, however, the defense secretary, James Mattis, flatly contradicted the president’s blanket statement, telling reporters: “We’re never out of diplomatic solutions.”

Source: Defense secretary quickly contradicts Trump over North Korea diplomacy | US news | The Guardian

Wednesday Open Thread | Georgia State Rep. Jason Spencer warns black attorney she ‘may go missing’ if she tries to remove Confederate monument | 3CHICSPOLITICO

“Continue your quixotic journey into South Georgia and it will not be pleasant,” Spencer replied. “The truth. Not a warning. Those folks won’t put up with it like they do in Atlanta.”“I can guarantee you won’t be met with torches but something a lot more definitive,” he continued, responding to Jones’ comment about the store-bought tiki torches used by the white supremacists at the Charlottesville rally earlier this month.After another person commented about the differences between Atlanta (a city who has a large African American population) and the rest of Georgia, Spencer agreed.“They will go missing in the Okefenokee [swamp],” he wrote. “Too many necks they are red around here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about ’em.”

Source: Wednesday Open Thread | Georgia State Rep. Jason Spencer warns black attorney she ‘may go missing’ if she tries to remove Confederate monument | 3CHICSPOLITICO

Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina on Trump, Putin: ‘I don’t think you want a future like this’ | The Seattle Times

But remember, she said: “This power, all this oppression is all based on fear. They are all afraid to lose this power and that’s why they oppress people who don’t agree with them.”So what to do? Stay involved, she said. Take risks, as she and her bandmates do.“Political acts are one of the strongest weapons,” Alyokhina said, “and so I really know and believe that political acts can change the world.”

Source: Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina on Trump, Putin: ‘I don’t think you want a future like this’ | The Seattle Times

Why the US and Japan didn’t shoot down latest North Korean missile | Ars Technica

If a missile launched by North Korea was deemed not to be a threat to Japan or the US or South Korea, the best choice available to the US and allies would be to simply observe the launch and collect data. Missing a shot at a missile just passing over Japan could have far-reaching political implications, as it would suggest that anti-ballistic missile systems are incapable of protecting people in South Korea, Japan, or Guam. And if a shot hit the missile, it could further provoke North Korea into much more dangerous actions.

Source: Why the US and Japan didn’t shoot down latest North Korean missile | Ars Technica