RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/December 2015

December 2015
Climate Accord Reached at Paris Summit A California methane gas pipeline has been leaking since October and has emitted an estimated 150 million pounds of methane. This is considered one of the worst environmental disasters since the BP oil spill in 2010. Justice, of sorts, for Ahmed Hajib Haider: Two sentenced to death, six to varied jailtime for one of the recent killings of secular Bangladeshi bloggers. The NSA has been caught spying on Netanyahu and his top aides including “the contents of some of their private conversations with members of Congress and American-Jewish groups” RIP Ian. Israel bans novel on Arab-Jewish romance from schools for 'threatening Jewish Identity', miscegenation fears. Israeli authors and politicians blast the move. The RINO dropped out. Ethan Couch and mother arrested in Mexico Lemmy Kilmister, finally Killed by Death. Our God has been violated! Oklahoma man caught having sexual intercourse with a goat on surveillance video Iraqi forces have finally recaptured Ramadi from Daesh. The Washington Post finds that police in the USA have fatally shot nearly 1,000 people in 2015. Another hidden provision in the recent US budget prevents people who have visited or are nationals of Iran, Syria, Sudan and Iraq, potentially including descendants of these countries' citizens, from being eligible for the Visa Waiver Program. Such legislation may be in violation with the US-Iran nuclear agreement. First reported in paywalled Israeli paper, Israeli settlers at wedding celebration wave and stab a photo of baby Ali Dawabsheh who was burned alive in an arson attack. This sort of depravity apparently goes on all the time. Latest Snowden revelation: U.S. and Brit spy agencies acquired the capability to covertly exploit security vulnerabilities in 13 different models of firewalls made by Juniper Networks, a leading provider of networking and Internet security gear. The Turkish military has begun week long operationagainst the Kurdish PKK resulting in mounting civilian deaths. Meanwhile the pro-Kurdish HDP leader has been welcomed in Moscow. The State of Israel is being sued by ex-ultra orthodox Jews who were left ignorant by state-funded yeshiva schools. Recently discovered medical records from Hitler's stay in Landsberg prison seem to provide evidence that Hitler had cryptorchidism. U.S. Dept of Homeland Security refuses to let UK Muslim couple and their nine kids board a plane to U.S. for Disneyland, a trip they'd been saving for. The War on Christmas that doesn't involve not getting a reindeer on your coffee cup: the Sultanate of Brunei has banned public celebration of Christmas. Somalia makes it two. FDA relaxes restrictions on gay and bisexual men donating blood; the lifetime ban is gone, but they still have to wait a year after having sex. SpaceX has done it. Stage 1 of a Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth and landed at Cape Canaveral. Please please please let this be Martin Shkreli's main defense in court. Oberlin College students are disrespected by ersatz ethnic cafeteria food. Lindsey Graham is out. Politifact fact-checks Bernie Sanders' comparison of healthcare in the United States to that in the United Kingdom and France: he tells the truth. Amazing, right? AP: Dovish Israeli groups say they face harsh crackdown. Somewhat new for mainstream media to be looking at this. Possibly huge news out of Mexico - a vaccine against has been approved, marking the first time prevention or cure is available for the three deadliest tropical diseases: Malaria, Yellow Fever, and Dengue Yes, it's Fox "News," but their poll claims that among Democrats, 45 percent favor banning Muslims from entering the U.S. if Trump’s name is not mentioned, yet when the plan is identified as Trump’s, support drops to 25 percent. Misleading phrasing. Another likely Srebrenica mass grave found in the [https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/another-srebrenica-mass-grave-unearthed?articleId=USRTX1YSR2 village of Kozluk. Investigators suggest the grave contains remains of victims who were buried in July 1995 as part of Europe's worst massacre since WWII.] Almost 100 drug offenders have had their sentences commuted by Obama. Most shouldn't have been imprisoned anyway. Rather than carry Israelis (in violation of Kuwait law), Kuwait Airways drops NYC-London route Where’s Bernie? Media ignores Sanders though he’s more popular than Trump 30% of Republicans support bombing Agrabah. Agrabah is the fictional sultanate of Disney's Aladdin. Also, 41% of Trump supporters. 19% of Democrats. Hate crimes against Muslim Americans and mosques -- from shootings to assaults to arson -- across the United States have tripled in the last month. Darwin Day resolution in the Senate The Institute for Creation Research is looking to expand its current headquarters in Dallas with a museum and planetarium and claims to have the funds necessary. The "Dallas Museum of Science and Earth History" would need a zoning change to be built so it's up to the city council (or a random mutation?) to start any construction. In newly released documents investment wonder kid Martin Shkreli performance was shown to be so terrible that during times the S&P gained 9-15% he could lose all of new investor money in about 2 months. During a news conference, Putin endorses Trump as "absolute leader in the presidential race" and "talented beyond doubt"....honour among thieves?? Cuba and the United States have resumed commercial flights.

Superb investigative journalism on rape, rape victims, and disturbing mistakes in law enforcement approaches and procedures. Ethan Couch, the rich kid who was acquitted of drunk driving and the manslaughter of 4 people, has not contacted his probation officer and is now presumed to be on the run. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/millionaire-ehsan-abdulaziz-who-said-he-accidentally-tripped-and-penetrated-teen-is-cleared-of-rape-a6774946.html Ehsan Abdulaziz, a Saudi businessman, has been acquitted of raping an 18 year old girl. His defense was that he fell and accidentally raped her.] Well-loved and heroic CEO Martin Shkreli, the one who arbitrarily raised the price of a life-saving cancer drug by 5000% for personal profit, has been indicted for fraud and conspiracy. Not for his egregious gouging of cancer patients, but for ripping off other rich people. New security measures in Hebron mean that Palestinian residents living under Israeli control will be assigned "numbers" EDIT: All Israeli citizens have been assigned "numbers" since 1982, and Palestinians as well. But that shouldn't stand in the way of a good "Israel is Nazis" story. The new House budget includes tax cuts, lifts the US ban on exporting oil, and includes CISA, another domestic spying bill. An evangelical college has suspended a professor for posting on Facebook that Christians and Muslims "worship the same God." Hillary Clinton portrays herself as a crusader against corporate crime while accepting cash from a "shadow bank" sanctioned by SEC; the president of the Wall Street firm hosts parties for her in his home. The United States is no longer seeking a regime change in Syria, at least for now. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vocativ/saudi-arabias-version-of_b_8812762.html Saudi Arabia has elected 20 women to local government seats in its first election with enfranchised women. 20 out of over 2000 is a start, at least.] Saudi Arabia has unveiled an anti-terrorist coalition that includes 34 Islamic countries. Though it is made up of Sunni majority countries and doesn't include Shia majority countries like Iraq or Iran. Children in Flint, Michigan have so much lead in their blood that a state of emergency has been declared. Putin has signed a law allowing Russia to overturn international courts decisions. Thai man faces up to 37 years in prison. His barbaric and heinous crime? Making a sarcastic comment about the king's dog. It appears Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was taken down by an electrical failure that turned it into a flying brick. JAMA Pediatrics has published a study finding that antidepressants taken during pregnancy increase risk of autism by 87 percent. Jenny McCarthy wasn't involved. Italian police seize 3500 fake apostolic blessings. How do you tell? Real medicines have lies told about their effectiveness too - Aussies order Nurofen "pain specific" range removed from shelves for false advertising - it is sold for up to twice the price of the regular product - but has exactly the same makeup. Taking a very liberal approach to Mohammed's warning against the killing of innocents, DAESH now rules that children with deformities and developmental problems are to be euthanised. Note that this story has very doubtful provenance (Snopes) ...except that the preschool teacher made it up. Neo-Nazi attacks against Muslims? Bans on religious clothing across Europe? Anti-immigration hysteria over Syria? Turns out DAESH considers the biggest threat in Europe to be French preschool teachers and their secular values. Lindsey Graham has a stopped clock moment, allying with Jon Stewart to continue funding for 9/11 responders. Le Pen's National Front gets its ass handed to it. Art Bell retires (again), due to some violent nut shooting at him. The fascinating history of how Jefferson and other Founding Fathers defended Muslim rights. A fire at a South California mosque was intentional. The FBI and ATF are currently investigating whether the fire was motivated by the San Bernardino shooting. Wingnut web sites claimed that USAF Vet had joined ISIS, a total lie. Smear spread around media, now debunked. The US is set to ban microbeads in cleaning products. Beijing's government issues its first ever "red alert" over extreme levels of smog. A comparative study of Swiss elections shows that compulsory voting increases support for left-wing policies. WaPo article by the study authors here. Two-pronged article: speculation on new planets in the solar system, and a look at how scientific publishing sometimes works in the age of the internet. Gun rights groups CATI Texas and DontComply.com have announced a planned protest against gun-free zones. And by "protest," they mean staging a mock mass shooting at the University of Texas campus during finals week complete with cardboard weapons and gun sounds blared from bullhorns. Oh dear god. Justice Antonin Scalia surprised the Supreme Court and the public during Wednesday’s oral arguments in a case challenging affirmative action when he suggested that black students do better in “less-advanced schools” that are on “slower tracks.” Muslim civil rights group’s D.C. office evacuated by police after receiving “foreign substance” in mail with hate message. Reuters confirms. Antivaxxers in Australia set up "black market" childcare that doesn't require vaccination. Predictably, it ends up showing why vaccines exist. Tennessee school wins right to ban gays and women who’ve had sex: ‘This is who we are’ Angela Merkel named Time Person of the Year. (Bernie Sanders won the online poll.) Campus censorship of pro-Palestinian advocates isn't just one example of campus free speech attacks. It's arguably the most common "PC" speech policing. ePetition to Parliament to ban Donald Trump from the UK for hate speech tops 200,000 300,000  400,000 500,000 after a BBC report. If you go to the petition page and hit "reload", you can actually watch the number going up in real time. The US is conducting an investigation to an allegation that Iran tested a mid-range ballistic missile. SCOTUS may change how voting districts are drawn. The Iraqi Army which has previously focused on gardening and interpretive dance is finally making some progress in the fight against ISIS. Exxon-Mobil, unlike the Republican Party, admits global warming is real. Times of Israel reports that more than 1 in 3 Americans, and almost half of Democrats, believe Israel has too much influence over U.S. politics. CNN exposes myths about Muslim-Americans. Scary news out of Malaysia: police to be given vastly expanded authority in poorly-defined 'secure areas' Is Godwin's Law finally disproved?? That South Carolina legislator who wants to return Confederate flag has now filed a bill attacking one of the flag's main opponents, a descendant of Jefferson Davis, implying she lied about her ancestry. Stay classy. Fascism in France. Front National, the French extreme-right party led by Marine Le Pen, made a historic breakthrough by winning more votes than any other party in the first round of the country’s regional elections. Venezuelan opposition wins parliamentary elections, beating the Chavist PSUV by a landslide. Feds to conduct civil rights probe of Chicago police. Jerry Falwell Jr, speaking at Liberty University, claiming the Bible as their chief authority and ignoring it when politically expedient: "If more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed them." Update on Jimmy Carter's brain cancer: it has been cured, four months after diagnosis. Ted Cruz, in reference to the San Bernardino shootings, claims in a shooting range you stop bad guys by using our guns. He declared that any "jihadist" who further tries to terrorize America will "encounter the business end of firearms" if he is president." Daily Heil not writing shit for a change: British (?) Muslim telling Islamists to fuck off.  Governor of Yemen city of Aden killed in attack  A triple suicide bombing kills 27 people on Lake Chad island.  3 people are injured in the London Underground after knife attack occurred. This attck is being investigated as a terrorist attack since one of the attackers screamed "this is for Syria". Update Londoners respond 95,000 Words, Many of Them Ominous, From Donald Trump’s Tongue. "[T]he House of Representatives unveiled a marble bust of former Vice President Cheney, which — until a person of conscience vandalizes or destroys it — will reside in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol." The New York Times runs a Page 1 editorial in its Saturday edition calling for stricter gun control. The Times last ran a Page 1 editorial in 1920. The editorial itself is here. The hot new event scheduled for the 2016 Olympics: Avoiding disease from the raw sewage in the water! Germany will now send air reconnaissance support and soldiers, for training purposes, against ISIL. Just when you thought it was over: South Carolina state legislator prefiles a bill to hold a referendum on returning the Confederate flag; also sends Christmas cards to fellow legislators accusing them of 'betrayal' by voting to remove the flag and including a quote from Dante about traitors in Hell. Claims it's a joke. Pentagon opens all combat jobs to women who can meet the required standards. (Well, technically the SecDef gave the services a legally-mandated thirty days to make sure they had things sorted out before) (yes, Jpatt over at Conservapedia has already begun losing it on their behalf) A new study finds Lots of People Think Complete Nonsense Is Profound. (Yes, they did use the Deepak Chopra Random Bullshit Generator in their tests.) So you've probably heard about the Zuckerbergs "giving away" their Facebook stock. Except they aren't donating it to charity. They're using it to set up an LLC they control. This was largely overlooked in the breathless initial reporting. NATO invites Montenegro to join. Surprising absolutely no one, Republicans in the U.S. Senate vote against gun control bills introduced after this month's mass shooting. is returning to the US from Peru. The US military now welcomes women to all combat jobs. John Kerry acknowledges air power alone cannot defeat ISIS. But by ground forces he did not mean Western units, of course. U.S. gun industry executives laud mass shootings as good for business. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addresses a women's conference in Istanbul, telling them "you cannot put women and men on an equal footing" along with other disparaging comments about feminism and "women's problems". UK joins the 2.0. America is reportedly heard calling off plans to rename the English language. Earth has lost a third of its arable land in the last 40 years, according to a University of Sheffield study. Impeachment proceedings are opened against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Donald Trump appears on the Alex Jones show, because why not? Active shooter(s) incident in San Bernardino. The Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket the funerals. Orange Orangutan wants to maximize collateral damage in order to "take down terror." Faith-based groups earn millions on refugee loan commissions. What Americans get wrong: Survey reveals gap between public perception and reality. Full international version here Judge: Maryland Cross Memorial Doesn't Violate Constitution. Leaked documents reveal that members of the Dothan, Alabama police force belonged to a Neoconfederate organization, and routinely planted drugs on young black men with the cooperation of the district attorney. In a very tolerant move, the IDF will allow HIV+ Israelis into the army, because having HIV shouldn't prevent you from assaulting Palestinian civilians. Bitcoin community falls for yet another Ponzi scheme en-masse. At least 10,000 people duped for about US$ 19 million in total. Pope Francis Loves Uganda but Didn’t Speak Out to Save LGBT Lives. This month's computer security breach: toy maker VTech had its systems compromised, giving access to accounts containing the personal information of millions of children, possibly including pictures and chat messages. Contrary to all those leftist lies Fox News is totally not racist, and by that I mean one of their hosts asked a black person on-air if she made Kool-Aid. (If you're not American, it's a black stereotype.) A Canadian man caught at a border crossing with 51 turtles taped to his body pleaded guilty to smuggling. China is constructing a military base in East Africa, where France, the US, and Japan (as part of the UN antipiracy force) also have bases. What could possibly go wrong? Attention Patriots! Climate change and global warming are threats to national security.