Category Archives: News to use

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

Belarus’ state-controlled media resumes broadcasts with Russian production crews

Strange days – hope for best but collusion with Putin may sell out countries reformers.

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State-television presenters in Belarus have gone on strike or quit their jobs, fed up with putting a positive spin on the country’s turmoil.

Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, has led the country since 1994. He won a landslide victory in the August 9 election, triggering mass protests.

The vote was denounced by EU officials. The opposition says that Lukashenko’s main challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was the rightful winner and wants new elections.

Lukashenko has earlier said that Putin promised to send Russian military assistance if necessary to quell the ongoing unrest.

A director for a state television channel on Wednesday said that she and other striking workers were not allowed to continue doing their jobs, and that Russian specialists were brought in to take over.

A journalist has said that, as she and her colleagues went to the office building in the morning, an officer standing guard told them that they were on a “blacklist”, which she believes included the names of people who had complained about the election results.

The Belarus 3 director said that Russian crews had been flown in to take over for Belarussian journalists who have gone on strike or quit.

Earlier, Lukashenko gave distinguished service medals to riot police accused of torture and forced disappearances during the protests.

Greta Thunberg, Luisa Neubauer demand Merkel ′be brave′ on climate change | News | DW | 20.08.2020

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted Fridays for Future youth climate activists, including teenager Greta Thunberg, in Berlin on Thursday. The talks about climate issues marked the second anniversary of the founding of the movement.

Luisa Neubauer from Germany and Belgium’s Anuna de Wever and Adelaide Charlier joined the 17-year-old Thunberg for the hour-and-a-half meeting with the Chancellor.

“We asked her to treat the climate crisis like you treat any other crisis,” said Thunberg, following the meeting, repeating a key demand in an open letter sent to all EU leaders on July 16.

 

Source: Greta Thunberg, Luisa Neubauer demand Merkel ′be brave′ on climate change | News | DW | 20.08.2020

Are New Yorkers Wearing Face Masks? Here’s What We Found – The New York Times

By now, everyone knows the drill: Wear a mask. It saves lives.

And yet, not everyone does — especially men.

In New York City, those ignoring the mask rule are nearly twice as likely to be men as women…

Nearly one in three men were walking around unmasked, while only about one in six women were. (You’re so vain?)

 

Leaders Of ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors | USAO-SDNY | Department of Justice

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction.  While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle.  We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.”

Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said:  “The defendants allegedly engaged in fraud when they misrepresented the true use of donated funds.  As alleged, not only did they lie to donors, they schemed to hide their misappropriation of funds by creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes, showing no regard for the law or the truth.   This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law, not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist.”

 

Source: Leaders Of ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors | USAO-SDNY | Department of Justice

Trump Endorses Bigot Who’s Been Banned From 12 Tech Platforms

the list of companies that have banned her for far-right extremist views is extensive. Loomer lists a dozen bans, seemingly as a point of pride, in the promotion of her book Loomeredincluding:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Uber
  • Lyft
  • Uber Eats
  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • GoFundMe
  • Periscope
  • Medium
  • TeeSpring

Yes, TeeSpring, the custom t-shirt company has banned Loomer, by her own admission. It’s not clear what got her banned, but we do know the reason behind many of the other banishments from social media. Loomer was kicked off of Twitter, for instance, because she continually spouted hateful rhetoric about Muslims.

Source: Trump Endorses Bigot Who’s Been Banned From 12 Tech Platforms

Trump pushes for universities to reopen even as coronavirus cases spike on campuses | TheHill (BunkerBoy Trump: it’s ok to put teachers, staff, and local retailers at risk to make me look good for a few minutes)

“Instead of saving lives the decision to close universities could cost lives. It is significantly safer for  students to live with other young people than to go home and spread the virus to older Americans,” he said. “The coronavirus is far more deadly for older people and those with underlying conditions.”

Source: Trump pushes for universities to reopen even as coronavirus cases spike on campuses | TheHill

Iowa governor’s push to reopen schools descends into chaos

An aggressive push by Iowa’s pro-Trump governor to reopen schools amid a worsening coronavirus outbreak has descended into chaos, with some districts and teachers rebelling and experts calling the scientific benchmarks used by the state arbitrary and unsafe. The clash in the Midwest has illustrated in condensed form the tension between science and politics — and between economic concerns and health fears — that has characterized the nation’s response to the outbreak from the White House on down. The virus has devastated the U.S. economy and killed over 170,000 Americans.

Source: Iowa governor’s push to reopen schools descends into chaos

Stimulus: ‘A growing sense of panic’ with no fresh federal relief in sight – CNNPolitics

It’s been four months since most of the federal government’s $1,200 stimulus checks went out. The $600 a week federal boost to unemployment benefits expired three weeks ago, along with a moratorium on evictions. Many small businesses have already spent the money from their federal emergency loans.

Source: Stimulus: ‘A growing sense of panic’ with no fresh federal relief in sight – CNNPolitics