Category Archives: News to use

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

Former Alabama Correctional Lieutenant Sentenced for Failing to Intervene in Unlawful Inmate Assault | OPA | Department of Justice

The Justice Department today announced that Willie M. Burks III, 41, a former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant, was sentenced in federal court to nine years’ imprisonment, with two years of supervised release to follow. Burks was convicted by a federal jury on July 21, 2021, of failing to stop an officer under his command from assaulting an inmate at ADOC’s Elmore Correctional Facility.

The evidence at trial established that on Feb. 16, 2019, former Correctional Sergeant Ulysses Oliver Jr., Burks’ subordinate, went to an observation room holding two handcuffed and unresisting inmates. Oliver, intending to punish the inmates for bringing contraband into the prison, pulled the first inmate from the observation room into an adjacent hallway, where he struck the victim multiple times with his fists and feet, and then used his collapsible baton to repeatedly strike the victim. Burks came into the hallway after Oliver had finished beating the first inmate. Burks then stood and watched as Oliver pulled the second inmate from the observation room, threw him on the floor, and beat the inmate with his feet and his collapsible baton. Despite having the duty, ability and opportunity to intervene to stop Oliver from beating the second inmate, Burks only stood by and said, “it’s fair.” Other ADOC correctional staff who reported to Burks were present for some or all of the assaults, but none intervened to stop Oliver from beating the inmates.

After the assault, Burks allowed Oliver to come back into the observation room where the victims were held. As Burks again stood by and did nothing, Oliver entered, stood over the victims, and shoved the tip of his baton into the face of one of the victims, lacerating the victim’s face.

Source: Former Alabama Correctional Lieutenant Sentenced for Failing to Intervene in Unlawful Inmate Assault | OPA | Department of Justice

Myanmar Junta Fails the Sovereignty Test

By definition, sovereign states are required to have a population, territory, government and ability to engage with sovereign peers elsewhere. The SAC is beset with shortcomings in every category.

First, it oversees a population who are in a nationwide armed revolt against military rule. In other words, Myanmar’s military, known locally as the Tatmadaw, does not have the acquiescence and acceptance of those over whom it is trying to rule. The evidence of its lack of popular acceptance can be seen in the results of the last two national elections, which overwhelmingly returned the civilian-led National League for Democracy (NLD) under Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to office, trouncing the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party by large margins. It is no wonder the vast majority of the civilian population are fighting back. As their voices were denied and they were robbed of their democratic rights, they are fighting back to reclaim what is theirs.

Source: Myanmar Junta Fails the Sovereignty Test

In a Landslide Victory, Mexican GM Workers Vote In an Independent Union | Labor Notes

Turnout among the plant’s 6,300 eligible voters was 88 percent. The independent union SINTTIA (the National Auto Workers Union) picked up 4,192 votes—78 percent of the vote. SINTTIA, which grew out of the successful campaign which ousted the previous corrupt union last year, promised to raise wages and fight for workers on the shop floor. Source: In a Landslide Victory, Mexican GM Workers Vote In an Independent Union | Labor Notes

‘Trump Is Wrong,’ Pence Says of False Claim About Overturning Election – The New York Times

Mr. Pence cast his opposition on Friday as larger than the immediate political moment, implying that the false claims pushed by Mr. Trump and his followers threatened to undermine American democracy.

“The truth is there’s more at stake than our party or our political fortunes,” he said. “If we lose faith in the Constitution, we won’t just lose elections — we’ll lose our country.”

Superstar

Karen was and is a shining star…

just drive, will you?

February 3, 1959 was immortalized by singer Don McLean as “the day the music died”, because of the tragic, untimely deaths of rock and roll artists Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson in a plane crash.

I was born in July, 1959, so obviously, their deaths didn’t really impact me, tragic as they were.

For me, February 4, 1983 is The Day The Music Died.

Karen Carpenter lost her life, at the age of 32, to anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder most of us had never even heard of before. It was a tremendous shock, and a heartbreaking loss to me and my wife (my girlfriend at the time).

Carpenters, featuring Karen and her brother, Richard, were a big part of the soundtrack of my life in the 1970’s. Tunes like “(They Long to Be) Close to You”, “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Yesterday Once More”, “Superstar”…

View original post 213 more words