RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/June 2016

June 2016
Congress wants to exempt Minor League baseball players from minimum wage and overtime pay laws. The Feds are asking for a 27-month delay in release of Clinton staff emails. A federal judge has blocked Florida's anti-abortion law. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act because it creates a significant barrier on research on online discrimination. Encryption isn't obstructing law enforcement investigations. Iowa's Supreme Court rules that ex-offenders can be permanently stripped of their right to vote. Here are the FBI's classified rules for targeting journalists with National Security Letters. 31 science groups are urging Congress to take action against global warming. New Jersey becomes the 11th state to pass anti-BDS measures. A judge has ordered a man who made threats against a US senator on Twitter to never tweet again. The death penalty is largely driven by overzealous prosecutors. Why prison phone rates keep rising despite the FCC's recent regulations. (Autoplay video) Capitol Hill workers have been told not to drink the water inside the Cannon House Office Building because it is tainted with lead. Mark Kirk, Illinois's RINO senator, has exploited the recent Istanbul terrorist attack to smear Syrian refugees. Senate panel grants more visas for Afghans who supported US. A report has found that the US's efforts to regulate encryption have been flawed. Kabul to investigate child sex slavery fuelling insider attacks. U.S. military lifts transgender ban. Combat AI beats the Air Force's top tactical experts. , prophet of our current crisis, has died. The wrecked jet stream now runs from Pole-to-Pole. The Senate has passed the Puerto Rico "relief" bill that will create a commission that can cut pensions, lower the minimum wage, limit overtime pay. Six gay men in Ivory Coast were abused and forced to flee their homes after they were caught showing support to Orlando victims. Poor Louisiana defendants fight alleged debtors’ prison. [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/29/british-pedophile-domminich-shaw-sentenced-us? British paedophile sentenced to 85 years in US for trafficking child abuse images.] Hate crimes in the UK up 57% according to Huffington Post following Brexit vote Chris Christie's lawyers hid a personal e-mail account and a cell phone from investigators during the Bridgegate Scandal. Xenophobia in the UK following Brexit hits ridiculous levels the woman in question is a white German who has lived in the UK for decades. This is your doing, Nigel Farage! UNICEF warns that unless current trends in global poverty and education are addressed 69 million children will die by 2030. Ban Ki-moon criticises Israel's Gaza blockade as collective punishment. The UN is concerned about inequality in the UK. (Autoplay video) A daring American plan to defeat ISIS on their home turf turned into an embarrassing rout for the allies. Huge helium gas find in east Africa averts medical shortage An inside look at Charles Koch's plot to hijack American universities. Gunman dead after shooting woman in downtown Denver, Colorado. 1,000 southern Chinese villagers have marched against the government demanding their chief be released from prison. A terrorist attack in an Istanbul airport has resulted in 36 dead and 147 injured. (Autoplay video) Trump has used this to reiterate why the US should ban Muslim immigrants from entering the country. 2,500 marine scientists and policy experts are urging the Australian government to stop using coal in order to save the Great Barrier Reef. Rating agencies have downgraded the UK's credit rating from a AAA to a AA after the Brexit vote. An Amnesty International report shows widespread and systematic sexual assault against Mexican women by the police and military. (The downloadable report itself.) The US has most likely killed at least 6 Afghan hostages in an airstrike against the Taliban. A report by Detention Watch and the Center for Constitutional Rights has found that ICE officials are profiting from secret deals with private prisons over immigrant family detention. (The report itself.) A report by OpenTheBooks has found that between 2005-2014 67 agencies unaffiliated with the Department of Defense spent $1.48 billion on guns and ammo. A total of $335.1 million was spent by agencies traditionally viewed as regulatory or administrative. (The report itself.) A new report has found that teens are suffering from tinnitus which could lead to permanent hearing damage due to their exposure to loud music. Washington pharmacists must stock morning after pills and supply them when prescribed. A House report found no new evidence that could implicate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Benghazi attacks. Can we move on now? In case you missed it, a stupid Republican explained the real reason behind repeated investigations and hearings. 7 people were stabbed during a Neo-Nazi march in Sacramento. C.I.A. arms sent to the Syrian rebels have been sold black markets. Pakistani clerics declare transgender marriages legal in Islam. Officials held a 3-year-old immigrant alone in detention center for days. On the far-right the Austrian Freedom Party and Our Slovakia want a referendum on leaving the EU. France's "leftist" Economy Minister, Emmanuel Macron, wants a referendum, as well. Meanwhile, Australian republicans demand a referendum so they can leave the Commonwealth. Multiple outlets have reported an increase in hate crimes after the Brexit vote. Four reasons why killing insurgents in Syria might backfire. The Supreme Court has unanimously overturned former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell’s public corruption conviction sparking outcry from campaign finance watchdogs. The Supreme Court has ruled that "reckless" domestic abusers can be barred from owning a gun but justices Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor have dissented declaring that the "majority blurs the distinction between recklessness and intentional wrongdoing". Woman Wins $10,000 From Microsoft After Unwanted Windows 10 Upgrade A Texas law making abortions more difficult was found unconstitutional. Pope Francis says Christians should apologise to gay people. A major terrorist attack has occured at a Somali hotel in Mogadishu resulting in 15 dead. A mob in Myanmar has destroyed a mosque. Central American migrants at risk of trafficking. Turkey and Israel have ended their six-year standoff over the 9 Turkish activists killed in the Gaza flotilla incident. A Tennesee judge has refused to recognize the parental rights of a woman in a same sex marriage because she isn't the biological parent of the child. A judge has struck down Obama's fracking rules. Baltimore's police union faces a backlash over its tweets about the Freddie Gray case. Well that didn't take long........"Leave" leaders walking away from Brexit promises 1 in 10 Cal State students are homeless. Israeli soldiers shoot dead woman who allegedly rammed vehicle into a parked car, injuring two settlers. Hawaii has become the first U.S. state to place gun owners on the FBI's database. The FBI and local Cleveland police are knocking on the doors of activists who plan to protest the Republican convention. The FBI's secret surveillance budget costs hundreds of millions. The city of Fallujah has been fully liberated from ISIS. Britain's choice of pride and prejudice over sense and sensibility means bad news for scientific collaboration. An Indiana University frat house rapist will receive one-year of probation. Russia's Duma has signed some of the most repressive laws in its post-Soviet history. Extreme weather: A California forest fire has killed 2 people and burned 19,000 acres while a massive flood in West Virginia has killed 26 people so far. (Both links have autoplay videos) [http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/21/11946252/fda-approved-weight-loss-device-assistaspire-obesity Some doctors think AspireAssist (a stomach-to-bag weight loss tube) will encourage bad eating habits; some patients argue otherwise. Amidst the ruckus, the FDA approves it.] The Indianapolis Metropolitan PD is investigating an incident involving an officer slamming a handcuffed teen to a wall. The UN urges solutions to Dark Web drug trading. China has rejected India's bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Modi says this will result in a delay of the Paris Climate Agreement. #Texit? Ehh, they're all nuts - I say let 'em go. EU leaders' reaction to Brexit: Bye, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Spain: Hey, can we get Gibraltar now? Anti-EU parties in other EU countries want their own referendums. Trump: Brexit is a yuuuge win; also it's Obama's fault. AP: Clinton's State Dept. calendar missing scores of entries, many from her political and Clinton Foundation donors. So what are Britons searching for on Google, now that they're done voting? Schadenfreude grips the Remain votes as Farage admits his promise to spend money "saved" on the NHS was a lie. Apparently it's Jeremy Corbyn's fault that an internal Tory spat broke the UK. Colombia announces a peace agreement with the FARC rebel group, ending a 50-year conflict. David Cameron steps down as PM Victory for the Browncoats, down with the Purplebellies Britain votes to leave the EU. Stocks and the British pound are plummeting. Cameron's tenure is likely over. Scotland and Northern Ireland appear to have voted stay, meaning talk of secession is already being floated. Britain's defense secretary, Michael Fallon, has agreed to pay damages to an imam after repeating false claims that he was a supporter of Islamic State. The State Department scrambled on trouble on Clinton's server. A Washington judge has ruled that public hospitals must provide abortions on site. New York City will give all women in public schools, prisons, and homeless shelters free access to feminine hygiene products A gunman in Germany has been killed during a shoot off with police after he shot his gun off inside a theater. Luckily, he only had blanks. Actual science journal article title: Misperceiving Bullshit as Profound Is Associated with Favorable Views of Cruz, Rubio, Trump and Conservatism The ACLU has urged Congress to vote no on the effort to ban those on the terrorist watch list and no-fly list from owning guns. Up to 700 barrels of oil spills in Ventura County, California. SCOTUS has upheld the University of Texas's affirmative action plan (Autoplay video) but its split decision on Obama's immigration plan has upheld the lower court's decision to overturn it. “We Demand the Killing of Atheists” Was Trending on Arabic Twitter The Orlando shooter's former lover says the attack was about revenge and not ideology. U.S. House Republicans unveil their "plan" to replace the Affordable Care Act. It's basically just a repackaging of ideas they've been throwing out for years: cut and privatize everything. Some analyses:   (Meanwhile, it turns out U.S. health care spending has been much lower than projected.) U.S. law to regulate chemicals in consumer products is signed. After Colorado legalized recreational cannabis, the state has descended into a living hell of reefer madness. Just kidding, cannabis usage among Colorado teenagers has declined slightly. 11 million Americans spend half their income on rent. Germany has banned fracking indefinitely. Democrats hold a sit-in within the House of Representatives to demand gun control legislation. Unfortunately, one of the reforms they are pushing for is the secret, racist terror watchlist. UC San Francisco study finds even accepting one meal from a pharmaceutical company appears to make physicians more likely to prescribe the company's drugs. Why America's men aren't working. Bill Donahue celebrates defeat of Child Victims Act. He believed that it was meant to "rape the Church". Latino car wash workers reach a $1.65 million settlement for wage theft. A British undocumented immigrant has tried to assassinate Trump. Irish women using drones to get plan-B type birth control State legislators have introduced more than 80 pieces of anti-Muslim legislation since 2013. [http://fusion.net/story/316432/immigration-raids-midwest-2016/? ICE has arrested 331 undocumented immigrants in a month of deportation raids.] Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor gives a scathing dissent against the Court's decision that the police may use evidence obtained during an illegal search.

Surprising no one, the NRA Republican Senate defeats all four gun control measures brought up for vote on Monday. If suspected terrorists aren't allowed to buy guns, uh, only suspected terrorists will have guns? Microsoft avoids paying £100m a year in UK corporation tax. China outlines a plan to cut its population's meat consumption in half. The main goal is to improve public health, but the climate impact would be huge as well. The teacher's protest in Oaxaca has resulted in a clash with six dead. Update: 8 people have now been reported killed. NASA says the ozone layer will not fully recover until 2070. Workplace harassment isn't being reported because minorities feel that they will be retaliated against. Jeremy Corbyn says EU free movement means no immigration limit. Ex-White House officials criticize vague rules around disclosure of hacking tools. South Asian migrants say they were beaten and put in body bags for deportation from the US. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/20/world/middleeast/israel-west-bank-settlements-palestinians.html? Israel approves extra $18m for West Bank settlements.] NYPD officials busted in corruption investigation. A Chinese crackdown has begun and is aimed at rooting out Xi's opponents. LIGO announces a second detection of gravitational waves from a black hole merger.

Yes, Donald, we know Belgium is rather small. That doesn't mean it's a fucking city though. Pope Francis says most Catholic marriages are null because the spouses don't "understand" what a lifelong commitment is, causing some consternation among Catholics. (Alternative headline: "Lifelong bachelor tells married couples they don't know what they're doing") 51 U.S. State Department diplomats sign an internal "dissent" calling for the U.S. to bomb Assad. Because what we really don't have enough of is American military involvement in the Middle East. John McCain says Obama is "directly responsible" for the Orlando massacre. DAMN IT OBAMA WHY DID YOU SHOOT UP THAT NIGHTCLUB?!?! He later issued a half-hearted "clarification". For context: McCain is running for re-election this year, and many think this was an attempt to appeal to "Trumpistas". What's worse, honestly believing insane shit, or cynically parroting it to get votes? New research suggests a strong link between the public revelation of the Tuskegee Study and poor health outcomes for black men.

[http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/world/europe/thomas-mair-jo-cox-murder-charge-britain-court-appearance.html? Jo Cox's killer responds when asked about his name, “My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain.”] Doctors Without Borders will reject all EU funding in order to protest Europe's treatment of refugees. PepsiCo's affiliate in Indonesia has been linked to child labor, worker exploitation, unethically low wages and hazardous working conditions. Marines under investigation for allegedly threatening to attack gay bars. Southern Baptist Convention votes to condemn Confederate battle flag. Iraqi forces scored a major victory against losers ISIS. Cleveland police locked a man in a closet for four days without food or bathroom breaks. New York City has found a million intelligence documents on 1960s radicals. The Supreme Court's next case will deal with the US's epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct. Parkinson's disease, like schizophrenia causes a dramatic drop in religiosity, though not necessarily changing religious beliefs. U.S.'s first legally non-binary person. Congresspeople are at least trying to improve gun safety. This afternoon, literally everything cryptocurrency skeptics had been saying for months came true yet again. $50 million drained from the Decentralized Autonomous Organization through security bugs in the "smart contract" code. Also causing a price crash in Ethereum. Gun sales surge among gays and lesbians. The man who shot British MP Jo Cox seems to have bought a gun-making manual from a US neo-nazi group. After a study found racial bias among Oakland's police force, the Oakland PD have been implicated in a sex scandal. Border clashes have occurred on both the [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/world/africa/border-clashes-between-ethiopia-and-eritrea-heighten-fears-of-war.html? Eritrean-Ethiopian border] and the Afghan-Pakistan border. The UN has found that Eritrea has committed widespread crimes against humanity. Chinese loan sharks are exploiting female students by offering student loans in exchange for nude photos. Public schools across the US are violating the separation between Church and State. Scotland's police force participated with the GCHQ's mass surveillance program. Consumer groups have accused AT&T and Comcast of violating US privacy law by collecting user data without consent in order to sell it. Ethiopians and Sudanese refugees may be pretending to be Eritreans in order to gain asylum in other countries. A new study by a Florida State University researcher shows that both a lack of stimulation in the workplace and a dirty working environment can have a long-term cognitive effect on employees. Duterte's government has begun peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines. CIA declassifies documents detailing torture. (The report itself) Democrats embrace the secretive, discriminatory, flawed, and unaccountable terror watchlist in the fight against gun violence. The Federal Reserve has put rate hikes on hold due to Brexit. A defense spending bill would prevent transferring any detainees out of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. NATO has approved of expanded military basing in Afghanistan. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/16/kenya-upholds-use-of-anal-exam-to-determine-sexual-orientation? Kenya upholds use of anal exam to determine sexual orientation.] Shiite militias have reportedly killed and tortured Sunnis fleeing Fallujah. British MP shot dead apparently by British nationalist. The FBI has [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/15/fbi-facial-recognition-software-photo-database-privacy? 411 million photos in its facial recognition system] and refuses to disclose the locations of their utility pole surveillance cameras. US citizens have committed 80 percent of terrorist attacks since 9/11 Israel has cut off water to the West Bank during Ramadan. A pending bill in New York would bar funding for student organizations that want to boycott Israel, NATO members, and various other nations. NYC schools have suspended sexual assault victims because they’re black. [http://www.wired.com/2016/06/gay-men-still-arent-allowed-donate-blood/? Why most gay men are still not allowed to donate blood.] US spies are building software to spot your suspicious behavior in live video. A computer crash has wiped out years of Air Force investigations. A Chicago police officer stomped on a man's head during an arrest. (Autoplay video) A prison in West Virginia locked a man in solitary until he agreed to let them remove his penis marbles. Belief in tough-on-crime ideas such as death penalty and long prison sentences has no relationship to real world variables such as crime rates, prior victimization, knowing victims, or perceived risk of crime, but only related to ideology, race, and the amount of television news you watch (full paper) A Federal Appeals court has upheld net neutrality. U.S. top court rejects American Samoan birthright citizenship case. A gay Chinese man is suing a mental hospital for trying to "cure" him with drugs and beatings. Germany wants the UK to extend its inquiry into activities of undercover British officers in Germany. The Supreme Court has sided wth Puerto Rico's lenders by ruling that Puerto Rico doesn't have the ability to declare bankruptcy. Bengali Bust: Bangladesh has started a nationwide crackdown including over 5,000 arrests following international outcry over recent spate of brutal murders. The RCMP surveilled thousands of innocent Canadians for decades. In more progressive news, the Dutch woman arrested for being raped will receive a small fine and a deportation. Her rapist will receive 140 lashes. Not exactly ideal, but it's a start. Hooray Qatar, welcome to the 18th century! The FBI pursued questionable terror suspects before the Orlando massacre. The LAPD has arrested an armed man who wanted to attack the LA pride parade. An American-born non-muslim. The Ninth Circuit Court has ruled that the Second Amendment doesn’t protect a right to concealed firearms. Four Navajos have sued the Mormon church over child sex abuse. A federal judge has ruled that California must allow trans inmates items that match their gender. The Urban Areas Security Initiative appears to be a slush fund for surveillance of activists and police militarization. The NYPD have assaulted a rapper for being in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. ISPs are trying to fight competition. The DEA is trying to gain surveillance access to millions of private medical files. Over 100,000 Texas women carried out their own abortions after the State introduced new restrictions on abortion clinics. The US Supreme Court has decided the restrictions are unconstitutional. After Germany decided to recognise the Armenian Genocide as such, the 11 Turkish-German MPs that voted for the recognition received death threats, while Erdogan questions their Turkishness. 50 dead, 53 wounded in mass shooting at Florida gay club. Shooter is reported to be American-born Muslim. A speaker at a mosque about 20 miles from the massacre site quoted a text advocating killing gays, 'out of compassion'. It's not clear if Farrokh Sekaleshfar quoted that text at the nearby mosque or elsewhere.

Woman raped in Qatar, arrested for adultery.

China's attempt to provide higher education for its poor is leading to class conflict. An NLRB ruling has limited an employer's use of permanent replacements for striking workers. Thousands of objects taken from Holocaust victims have been rediscovered. An unknown freeman on the land group is spending big money on enigmatic "It's illegal to use a legal name" billboards across the UK. Singer Christina Grimmie is killed after performing at a concert. The NSA is trying to exploit the Internet of Things. The Supreme Court has ruled that a judge can't rule on a case they helped prosecute. Some private prisons are public. Syria has approved UN aid convoys to all besieged cities. Officer Kyle Baars, who admited to planting evidence on a murder suspect's backpack, will receive no jail time. The bill addressing Puerto Rico's debt crisis will cut the minimum wage to $4.25 for young workers. According to Amnesty International, Germany is failing to protect victims of racism. The NRA wants Republicans to be tougher on crime. Ban Ki-Moon has slammed Rodrigo Duterte's comments endorsing the killing of journalists. Residents of Austin, Texas are using Facebook in order to crowdsource rides. American ISIS defector charged despite no evidence of violence. Rand Paul wants to end the draft and force Congress to vote on authorizing war. Rabbi Michael Lerner brought down the house at Muhammad Ali's funeral.“We will not tolerate politicians, or anyone else, putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people.” NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo slips far past the bounds of reality to defend anti-free speech legislation: "New York stands with Israel because we are Israel and Israel is us." Gawker is filing for bankruptcy. It’s not a Fourth Amendment search if a cop swipes your credit card. Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, admits that he removed Saudi Arabia from its blacklist after the Saudis threatened to defund the UN. Hillary Clinton’s state department gave South Sudan’s military a pass for its use of child soldiers. Ron Huldai, Tel Aviv's mayor, blames the occupation of Palestine for the recent terror attack. The United Nations has told Ireland it must compensate woman forced to travel abroad for abortion. New documents show that the FBI found hundreds of classified files on Petraeus’s computer. The UK has secretly upgraded its Trident arsenal and developed an entirely new warhead. The Peace Index has found that global violence has increased because of the conflicts in the Middle East. The EU parliament has called for an investigation on the CIA black sites. The EU is considering a partnership with Eritrea over the refugee crisis despite the country's crimes against humanity. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/fbi-isis-terrorism-stings.html? The FBI is increasingly using its controversial sting operations in order to catch supposed ISIS affliates.] British police will train Saudis in hi-tech crime detection techniques. The last oil company has pulled out of planned Arctic drilling in the Chukchi Sea. FBI whistleblowers have no legal protections. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has issued a decision which says that a group of strippers should be considered full-time employees and not independent contractors. The Russian recession has caused a deep poverty spike. (Autoplay video) The Bilderberg Group will discuss the "precariat". Anti-government student protestors have been killed by police in Papua New Guinea. HIV news: India has seen an increase of HIV transmitted from transfusions due to a lack of screening. Though, Thailand has eliminated mother-to-child transmissions of HIV. The US government is set to approve of a private, unmanned moon mission. A Detroit man will be released from prison after he was coerced into admitting that he murdered 4 people at the age of 15. (Autoplay video) The Newseum has honored recently killed journalist but then hosts Israeli speakers who justified killing journalists. IUPAC will name four elements. The proposed names are Nihonium (Nh), for element 113, Moscovium (Mc), for element 115, Tennessine (Ts). for element 117, and Oganesson (Og), for element 118. Oklahoma police now skimming funds from prepaid credit cards under civil asset forfeiture laws. Michael Reagan, son of Ronald Reagan goes all in against Trump and people comparing his father to the Drumpf For-profit pipelines are growing, and eminent domain cases are growing because of them. The UN has removed Saudi Arabia off its human rights blacklist after just one week. A US-backed Kurdish-Arab militia is storming a strategic ISIS-held city, backed by US airstrikes. Donald Trump paid Pam Bondi, Florida's Republican attorney general, $25,000 to drop the case against Trump University. Trump has also begun to bankroll media executives in order to get more positive coverage. British MPs have passed new digital surveillance law. Meanwhile in the US, the FBI seeks expanded National Security Letter to include browser history and more. A secret UK spy report warned that British spies may have put their lives at risk because their surveillance systems were sweeping up more data than could be analyzed. Cancer drug prices are the highest in the US and least affordable in India and China. The State Department will release Clinton's emails on the TTP after the general election (autoplay video) on November 31st, a day that literally doesn't exist. Swiss voters reject proposal of a guaranteed minimum income with ~77% voting against the proposal. Last surviving 9/11 search dog has died Criminal immigrants reoffend at higher rates than ICE has suggested. Police fail to consistently report hate crime numbers to the FBI. A major Native American site is being looted. How prison debt ensnares offenders. John Oliver buys $15 million worth of medical debt, forgives it. Tor developer Jacob Appelbaum has quit amid allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied that he did anything wrong. Google voice will search records and store conversations people have around their phones. You can delete those files, though. The new payday-loan rules will not stop predatory lending. An ex-Stanford student has gotten the lenient sentence of six months in prison for raping an unconscious woman because the judge wants to avoid putting a "severe impact on him". His father, on the other hand, doesn't believe he should be punished for "20 minutes of action". Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve chairwoman, believes that the job market is weak but believes we should increase interest rates. Ukraine arrests a French ultranationalist on charges of attempting to smuggle weapons into Western Europe, prompting allegations of a far-right terror plot at the upcoming Euro 2016 Championship. Yet another "bomb train" filled to the brink with oil derails catches fire threatening the Columbia River Surprising, well, no one, North Carolina's lieutenant governor spills the beans on the real motivation for the state's anti-trans law: "...we've taken our eyes off God in America, we have turned our back on God, we have forgotten God in a lot of ways, so the moral compass is broken here". He also blames the media for the "controversy" over the law. Damn queers complaining about being discriminated against! The FDA has released new, voluntary sodium guidelines. Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest in his Kentucky home town of Louisville on Friday followed by a memorial service led by America's First Black President The FBI has continually asked Yahoo to release its user's emails w/o a warrant even though the Justice Department told them they needed one. Yahoo has disclosed 3 of its national security letters. Police reform in the US: Chicago releases hundreds of videos of police-related incidents while Cleveland continues to overhaul its police department. Louisana isn't budgeting for public defenders. In the US's rural West, residents have chosen low taxes over law enforcement. This is what that decision has resulted in. Recent documents show that Snowden tried to alert the NSA about surveillance concerns. Pope Francis has approved measures to sack bishops who mishandle child sexual abuse cases. Claire McCaskill has released a report showing that the VA denied benefits to 85% of US WWII veterans who were exposed to toxic gas during human experimentation. Muhammad Ali, GOAT, [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/sports/muhammad-ali-dies.html? dies aged 74.] They don't make 'em like that anymore. America's secret engagement with Khomeini. Biggest floods in decades hit parts of Europe. Large parts of Paris are flooded, with the Seine expected to peak at over 6 meters. 4 AM meteor lights up Arizona with fireball. So, humans, how's that space program coming along? Pedro Pablo Barrientos Núñez, a former Chilean army lieutenant who served under Pinochet, will face a civil trial for his involvement in the murder of Víctor Jara. BP will pay $175 million to settle claims by U.S. investors that its managers lied about the size of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill A new report by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Civil Rights Project finds that suspending students carries a very high economic cost. (The full report.) The US government is building a database in order to predict who will be the next whistleblower. MSNBC: "People might start accusing us of leaning too far to the right." Uber’s subprime leases put drivers on road, but leave some shackled. Indian researchers discover evidence of a culture 50% older than creation [http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jun/02/syrias-gypsy-refugees-sanctuary-istanbul-turkey-ghetto-how-long-will-last? Syrian Dom refugees are settling in Tarlabaşı, Istanbul's oldest ghetto, but gentrification may force them out.] The UN has buried a resolution addressing Gaza's environmental health due pressure from the US and Israel. BLM activist, Jasmine Richards, has been arrested for "felony lynching" after a protest. Four environmental activists in Alabama are facing a $30 million lawsuit after they tried to stop the construction of a toxic landfill. The Untold Story Behind Saudi Arabia’s 41-Year U.S. Debt Secret. Almost 46 million people are trapped in slavery. This is how Gitmo is planning on operating after Obama. The judge overseeing the premiere military tribunal at Gitmo conspired with the prosecution to destroy evidence relevant to Khalid Sheikh Mohammad's court case. A Guardian investigation shows that at least 33 US cities used water testing "cheats" over lead concerns. Germany has recognized the Armenian genocide and Turkey is enraged. A sentient orange wearing cotton candy Donald Trump promises he will reopen Trump University. No news on how he plans to win two class-action lawsuits and a lawsuit from the state of New York. [http://mondoweiss.net/2016/05/collecting-biometric-palestinians/? US thinktank report, co-authored by Israelis, urges collecting "biometric data" on Palestinians.] According to the Pentagon, US spec ops used "appropriate" force during a night raid that resulted in 7 civilian deaths. Obama is now for increasing Social Security benefits which is a change from his position in 2011 when he wanted to cut it. Congress boosts rehab but gives opioid pushers a pass. A shooting at UCLA prompts campus lockdown. So 2 people have died in an apparent murder-suicide.