Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Former Massachusetts Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking | OPA | Department of Justice

Matthew Engram, 35, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; two counts of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution; and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise. According to court documents, from January 2009 until August 2015, Engram and a co-conspirator recruited and trafficked three victims from a residence in Brockton and elsewhere, and Engram took all or part of the proceeds. Engram advertised the victims on websites, exchanged text messages with his co-conspirator to share advertisements, organized prostitution dates, and reserved hotel rooms. When the victims did not comply with Engram’s demands to prostitute for his profit, he physically assaulted them or directed his co-conspirator to physically assault them. Engram also transported or caused the transport of the victims to other states, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Florida and Maine, to perform commercial sex acts.

Source: Former Massachusetts Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking | OPA | Department of Justice

I can’t afford to heat a pizza for my son – this is the reality of Britain’s cost of living crisis | Jo Barker-Marsh | The Guardian

I have seen our gas and electricity charges double. We have just had our toughest winter yet as I couldn’t afford to turn on the heating. Instead, we bundled up in bed to stay warm. There is now a minimum of a third less in my shopping basket for the same money. It’s largely fresh food we are cutting back on, short shelf-life items, tiny luxuries and toiletries too, but even that won’t be enough soon. We are pretty savvy shoppers, people who are used to life on a low income, but this is absolutely impossible to manage and we cannot plan for this as costs continue to rise, and a terrifying winter comes into view.

We watch in disbelief as the government continues to fail to support families like mine, as we are told by politicians that food-bank users just need to learn how to cook, or those in working poverty just need to get better-paid jobs. How dare they gloss over rising food-bank use as if it’s normal in one of the richest countries in the world. How dare those in power tell us how to spend the appallingly low budgets we receive on social security while we perform the mental gymnastics of just getting through the day on 500 calories. Crying because we know how living in this way will affect our children, how deadly poverty can be for vulnerable people and older people among us. We are making generations of hungry people feel that it is their fault, and after two years of unprecedented strain, people are losing hope at a time when we need it the most.

 

Source: I can’t afford to heat a pizza for my son – this is the reality of Britain’s cost of living crisis | Jo Barker-Marsh | The Guardian

The Anti-Democracy Movement Run Amok

Filosofa's Word

As I lay in bed at 5:30 this morning seeking that elusive thing called sleep, I received an email with Robert Reich’s latest newsletter.  Despite my better judgment, I started reading the piece and there went any hope for sleep.  Peter Thiel’s name has crossed my radar before … he is a billionaire with a net worth of about $4.7 billion who has bankrolled some pretty nasty political candidates, most notably the former guy.  I didn’t know a lot about him, though, and Mr. Reich took care of filling in some gaps … some rather disturbing ones.  Please take a minute to read his piece, for it is well worth your time — just don’t read it at bedtime.


What you need to know about the anti-democracy movement

Who’s funding it, why it’s inspired by Viktor Orban, and what it aims to achieve

Robert Reich

May 19, 2022

Decades ago…

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Bigger Than Dreams

From Behind the Pen

Image Credit: Dagmara Dombrovska

Every day, we wake up, we have the choice of feeling refreshed and renewed or fatigued and dreading the day. While none of us have a crystal ball to read into what our future holds, we have this moment to make the most of it. As crazy as things may appear around us, we have a choice of not getting caught up in the madness. Regardless of the way things may appear to thwart your joy, peace, and happiness today, you have the choice to stand up, face it, and don’t allow it to squash your good mood, crush your positive attitude, or sideswipe your visions and dreams.

You may not be able to do something about the situation, but you still have a sayso in how you respond. The moment is now, the choice is yours.

Bigger Dreamers

How do I expand my dreams

where…

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Florida Power Company Pleads Guilty in Worker Death Case, Incident Resulted in the Deaths of Five Workers | OPA | Department of Justice

Tampa Electric Company (TECO) operates several facilities in Florida, including Big Bend, a coal-fired power plant outside of Tampa. At the time, the facility consisted of four large coal-fired furnaces. Underneath the furnaces were water-filled tanks designed to catch and cool the molten “slag” by-product that drips down from the furnace. On June 29, 2017, hardened slag had accumulated at the top and the bottom of the slag tank and could not be removed. Rather than shutting down the furnace, TECO called in a contractor to perform high-pressure water blasting to try and clear the slag with the unit on-line. The work proceeded without observance of several safety-related procedures required by law. Five people were killed when one of the slag accumulations came loose, spraying the area with molten slag.

Source: Florida Power Company Pleads Guilty in Worker Death Case, Incident Resulted in the Deaths of Five Workers | OPA | Department of Justice