Category Archives: Fail!

John Kasich Signs One Abortion Bill in Ohio but Vetoes a More Restrictive Measure – The New York Times – Sick men still try to control women’s life without cause or right.

Gov. John Kasich of Ohio on Tuesday signed into law a ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but vetoed a far more restrictive measure that would have barred abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.In reaching the split decision on the two bans, adopted last week by the Ohio legislature, Mr. Kasich, a Republican, said the so-called heartbeat bill was “clearly contrary to the Supreme Court’s current rulings on abortion.” He called the 20-week ban the “best, most legally sound and sustainable approach to protecting the sanctity of human life.”

Israel officials snub Swedish foreign minister – The Local

No Israeli officials will meet Sweden’s foreign minister during her trip to the region, a spokesman has said.Erik Wirkensjö, spokesperson for Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, told the AFP news agency she had wanted to meet both Israeli and Palestinian officials during her visit from Thursday to Saturday.“This time it was not possible to visit Israel,” said Wirkensjö.Asked why there were no meetings planned, he said such questions must be “asked to the Israelis”.Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon blamed “schedule problems” and declined to provide further details.Earlier, Wallström told Swedish news agency TT: “I would have gladly seen myself travel to Israel as well, but unfortunately they do not welcome it.”There is no international airport in the Palestinian territories. Wirkensjö declined to comment on whether Wallström would fly to an Israeli airport and then travel to occupied West Bank or go via Jordan. She was not denied entry to Israel, he said.

Source: Israel officials snub Swedish foreign minister – The Local

How to whitewash the killing of two Palestinian teens | +972 Magazine

The Israeli state prosecutor will shortly sign a plea bargain with Border Police officer Ben Deri, who is on trial for killing Palestinian teenager Nadim Nawara in the West Bank town of Beitunia in May 2014. According to the deal, Deri will be charged with causing death by negligence, rather than manslaughter. As such his punishment will likely be symbolic, perhaps even just community service. Under the terms of the plea bargain, the indictment will say that the live bullet which killed Nawara “worked its way” into Deri’s rifle magazine, which was not supposed to have contained any bullet casings.

Source: How to whitewash the killing of two Palestinian teens | +972 Magazine

Hunger strikers lose their eyesight as Israel refuses to free them | The Electronic Intifada

The Palestinian Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs reports that Shadid, 19, has almost completely lost his sight and ability to speak and Abu Fara, 29, has completely lost sight in his right eye.The two men have refused all food since 25 September, to protest their indefinite detention without charge or evidence. They were arrested at the beginning of August.

Source: Hunger strikers lose their eyesight as Israel refuses to free them | The Electronic Intifada

‘Rebel’ Saudi Arabia woman who posted photo without head scarf is arrested | World news | The Guardian

After a fierce backlash from ultra-conservative critics online, Shehri took down the picture and deleted her Twitter account. Other Twitter users came out in support, with one comparing her to Rosa Parks.Thousands of Saudis signed a petition in September that demanded the government abolish the guardianship system, which prevents women from engaging in fundamental tasks without the permission of a male relative.

Source: ‘Rebel’ Saudi Arabia woman who posted photo without head scarf is arrested | World news | The Guardian

FBI covered up Russian influence on Trump’s election win, Harry Reid claims | US news | The Guardian

Harry Reid, outgoing Senate minority leader, compared FBI director James Comey to the agency’s notorious founder, J Edgar Hoover, and called for his resignation. A secret CIA analysis found that people with connections to the Russian government provided emails, hacked from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign, to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks in the final months of the election, according to a Washington Post report published late Friday.“ The FBI had this material for a long time but Comey, who is of course a Republican, refused to divulge specific information about Russia and the presidental election,” Reid told MSNBC’s AM Joy on Saturday.  Comey testified to Congress in July that he was no longer a registered Republican, though he belonged to the party most of his life. “Everyone should know WikiLeaks was involved from the very beginning,” Reid continued. “They leaked the information as if it was run by one of the great political operatives in America when in fact it was run by the political operatives in Russia. “Russia has a pretty good way of cheating. Look at what they did with athletes,” he added, alluding to the long-running doping scandal of Russian Olympic athletes.Pressed on whether he believed Comey had information on Russia’s influence and sat on it, Reid replied: “That’s right, that is true.”Advertisement“I am so disappointed in Comey. He has let the country down for partisan purposes and that’s why I call him the new J Edgar Hoover, because I believe that,” Reid added, calling for the director’s resignation.

Source: FBI covered up Russian influence on Trump’s election win, Harry Reid claims | US news | The Guardian

Watch: What is the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act? | The Electronic Intifada

 

the lead author of the anti-Semitism definition used by the State Department, Kenneth Stern, is urging US lawmakers not to advance the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act.In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Stern warns that incorporating the definition of anti-Semitism into law would be “unconstitutional and unwise” and would “actually harm Jewish students and have a toxic effect on the academy.”“I disagree with BDS,” Stern writes, “but it is wrong to say that BDS is inherently a form of anti-Semitism, and even if it were it would be improper to try and censor pro-BDS campus activity, which is political speech and should be answered by more speech and education, not suppression.”In the video, we speak about the history of Israel advocacy groups’ attempts to move the Department of Education to classify Palestinian rights activism as a form of discrimination and their increasing reliance on undemocratic measures to suppress the growing BDS movement.

Source: Watch: What is the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act? | The Electronic Intifada

Danish People’s Party MP: ‘Shoot at migrants’ – The Local – Trump thinking about offering him a job?

In one exchange, Berth said that migrants who try to reach Europe by boat should be shot.  “The only way you can do it effectively is simply to turn the boats away and say ‘You can’t sail into this territorial border, if you do you will either be shot or you will be turned around and sailed back’,” he said.  The debate’s host, Ole Stephensen, gave Berth the opportunity to clarify himself by asking if he really believed boats of migrants should be fired upon. Berth said it was “an example” of what could be done to protect the EU’s borders.  “We need to do what is necessary to ensure that the border is not violated,” he added.  His debate opponent Bosse seemed to hardly be able to believe what she had just heard.  “You cannot stand here and say that they be shot in the Mediterranean. I simply refuse to believe it,” she said.  As the clip of his comments began to circulate, Berth took to Facebook in an attempt to “address a coming press storm”.  “I of course don’t mean that a ship under the command of Nato or Frontex should shoot at migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. What I mean is that warning shots should be fired at a vessel that is crossing into European territorial waters!” he said.  A lawmaker for the ruling Venstre party, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, said on Twitter that the remarks were “not okay” and that “warning shots are… a warning of what is to follow.”

Source: Danish People’s Party MP: ‘Shoot at migrants’ – The Local

Woman charged with threatening Sandy Hook victim’s family | US news | The Guardian And all these nutcases can easily get guns!

A Florida woman has been charged with making death threats against the parent of a child who died in the Sandy Hook school shooting massacre because she thought the attack was a hoax, federal authorities announced on Wednesday. Lucy Richards, 57, of Tampa was arrested Monday after a grand jury indictment on four felony counts of transmitting threats, the US justice department said in a statement.

Source: Woman charged with threatening Sandy Hook victim’s family | US news | The Guardian

I Swore I’d Never Buy a Gun. And Then Trump Got Elected | Dame Magazine In a gun culture, everyone resorts to guns?

Amanda’s boyfriend, Arthur* did a stint in a foreign military, so he has gun training. He’s alarmed that neither Trump, nor the mainstream media, is doing due diligence in speaking out against this rise of white supremacy. “My grandparents’ family were all murdered by Nazis, and I won’t let anyone repeat that on me, or any other group in this country, not without a fight,” he explains. “I plan on protesting and supporting groups and politicians [that oppose Trump], but if [white nationalists] bring the violence, I want to be armed.” This stance has a spiritual kinship with the Jewish resistance fighters who took up arms against their Nazi oppressors—the goal wasn’t so much to wholesale dismantle the government killing apparatus (that would have been impossible), but to disrupt the murders however temporarily, defend Jewish honor, and avenge the victims.

Source: I Swore I’d Never Buy a Gun. And Then Trump Got Elected | Dame Magazine