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

July 2016
Faced with drought conditions, Israel has made major advances in economical water desalination and is now working with neighbouring governments to spread the technology through the region. A Canadian judge rules an anti-terror investigation was entrapment. Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism's website was taken down by a cyberattack. They have accused Duterte's government of targetting them for their coverage of his human rights abuses. (Autoplay video) Ryan Bundy files legal motion declaring himself an idiot Wayne Grudem attempts to solidify the evangelical vote for Donald Trump by saying not voting for him is a sin Chelsea Manning may face indefinite solitary confinement for her suicide attempt. Inside the CIA's penal colonies. The IMF admits its disastrous policies on the eurozone. (The Telegraph) France's prime minister plans to ban foreign funding to mosques. Haggard's Law strikes again. The 10-day armed standoff continues in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, after 30 gunmen who captured a police station took several doctors as hostages. They are demanding the release of opposition politician, Jirair Sefilian, and the resignation of President Serzh Sarksyan. The al Nusra Front has officially split from al Qaeda. Meanwhile, poverty and war in Afghanistan has led many men to fight for Assad in Syria's civil war. Amid the US's opioid epidemic, Congress has loosened pharmaceutical regulations. Canadian police have beaten a mentally ill Somali-Canadian man to death. Remember that historic flooding last year in South Carolina? It could have been far worse. If four workers hadn't refused to evacuate and lived at the water treatment plant for five days, working with almost no sleep, the entire capital city of Columbia could have been flooded with 150 million gallons of raw sewage a day. A jailer in Oklahoma choked a man to death on video and has yet to be charged. A BMJ study has found that in 2012 US police hospitalized 54,000 people during legal stops. Keep this in mind as the NYPD is exploiting fears about terrorism in order to further militarize themselves. Official who oversees whistleblower complaints files one of his own. The richest CEOs run the worst performing companies. A computer simulation demonstrates that a key prediction by climatology is consistent with gravitational physics. Top Saudi clerical body finds catching Zubat near bloody impossible, takes out frustrations on Pokemon in general. Taxes on groceries are hurting the poorest Americans. In the days after the attempted Turkey coup, WikiLeaks points at dump of emails and government data... [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zeynep-tufekci/wikileaks-erdogan-emails_b_11158792.html that doxxed millions of Turkish women's political affiliations and information. Oops.] The actual uploader is very sorry and has removed them (a bit late). In one day, first Tim LaHaye and now, Miss Cleo. Birds of a feather. The Great Barrier Reef is undergoing a complete ecosystem collapse. New UK trade minister Liam Fox opens a UK trade office in North Carolina, just as US companies are boycotting NC en masse. Genius! BREAKING: Syrian Army besieges rebel-held Aleppo city. 250,000 civilians besieged. The government has told all civilians in rebel-held districts via text message that they can leave without punishment. Video shows that children being held in the Don Dale detention center are being tortured. Meanwhile, [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/25/ferrovial-staff-risk-prosecution-for-managing-australian-detention-camps? the Spanish infrastructure company, Ferrovial, may be liable for crimes against humanity.] The UK Parliament's Work and Pensions and Business Committees are asserting that Philip Green was responsible for the BHS collapse, and specifically for the £571 million BHS pension hole. His knighthood is in danger. And Theresa May may have to act against a major Tory donor to back her words about corporate responsibility. Doomsday prophet profiteer Tim LaHaye has died. Another shooting in Florida An international tribunal has ruled that Indonesia's communist purges constitute as genocide and that the US, UK, and Australia were complicit in said genocide. Alaska's Supreme Court has ruled that parental notification for abortion is unconstitutional. ISIL has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Hazara protest in Kabul that has killed 80 people. Video shows a Swedish bus driver assaulting a Syrian refugee. Guards at a juvenile detention center at Fort Lauderdale offered a snack bounty to anyone who would brutalize a 13-year-old. A new study, funded by the DOJ, has found that far fewer minors are involved in sex trafficking than previously thought. After a black teacher is violently arrested, a police officer tells her that people are "afraid of black people because of their violent tendencies." (Autoplay video) Ongoing investigation in Munich, Germany after a shooting took place at a shopping mall. The official death count is ten, with the suspect having committed suicide in a park. Munich Police have identified the shooter as a local German-Iranian. Edward Snowden and Andrew Huang have published a paper detailing how you can prevent your smartphone from being used to spy you. (The paper itself.) Emails show that federal agents went undercover in order to spy on anti-fracking groups. Muslim detainees were fed garbage at a federal immigration facility in New York. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Miami Police shoot black man who is lying down with arms raised as he helps his autistic patient. He was shot in the leg and has survived his wound. He asked the policeman, 'Why did you shoot me?' the policeman replied, 'I don't know.' Kinsey claims he was handcuffed and left bleeding in the street for 20 minutes.] Update: The Miami police union president has released an excuse for the officer's action, the officer meant to shoot the unarmed austistic man. When he asked the officer why he shot him, the officer replied that he did not know. Further update: The autistic man was identified as Arnaldo Eliud Rios Soto. What's more Rios Soto was also treated as a criminal, he was kept handcuffed in a squad car for hours among other abuses. Rios Soto is now in psychiatric hospital and traumatized. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said Texas's voter ID law violates the Voting Rights Act, but doesn't strike it down. How predatory open access works: chemtrails advocate pays to publish articles, people notice the articles, they keep getting retracted. Repeat. Tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have been targeted by Erdogan's government, accused of links to Emmanuel Goldstein Snowball Fethullah Gülen. Nero has fallen. The US's broken justice system: Virginia is facing a statewide class action lawsuit over their scheme that suspends the driver’s license of anyone who can’t pay trivial fines. In Houston, an audit has revealed that 298 people have been wrongfully convicted for drug use. Mass incarceration is making infectious disease outbreaks worse and is overly impacting Americans with disabilities. Wikileaks has released almost 300,000 emails from Erdogan's AKP party after the failed coup. (The searchable archive itself.) A US coalition airstrike in Syria has killed at least 56 civilians. Norovirus strikes RNC staffers. Not content to have her husband have all the fun, Melania Trump gives a speech in which she rick rolls the RNC and plagarizes Michelle Obama's speech from the 2008 DNC. The Trump camp, of course, denies all. (Side-by-side comparison of speeches.) Republicans blame Hillary Clinton. The 7 biggest problems facing science, according to 270 scientists US Rep. Steve King preaches literal white supremacy on national television. (This is the same Steve King who has a Confederate flag in his office. But he's just celebrating his Iowan heritage!) Stopped clock for the Republican Party as they pledge to bring back Glass-Steagall. (More here.) The UN has unveiled a report that accuses both Ukraine and the Russian-backed rebels of war crimes. MSF says that Yemen's entire healthcare system is collapsing leaving many to needlessly die. A human rights group believes many migrants are dying in the Sahara desert while attempting to settle in Europe. Germany has finally recognized the Herero genocide and has apologized to Namibia. White House responds to petition to label Black Lives Matter a "terror" group. The response: Nope. (Video and text.) Michigan State Police will pick 5 counties for roadside drug testing pilot program. This program is meant to quickly drug test saliva during a roadside stop but critics assert that there isn't a way to judge the amount of a drug or the intoxication level of the driver. [https://news.vice.com/article/the-police-cant-track-your-cellphone-without-a-warrant-judge-rules? A federal judge rules that the police can't track your cellphone without a warrant.] The circle of violence continues as 3 policemen are shot in Baton Rouge A year since Sandra Bland died, at least 810 people have died in jail. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/nyregion/new-york-city-council-will-not-vote-on-police-reform-measures.html? New York City's Democrat-controlled council has voted down a police reform bill.] Newt Gingrich: the U.S. should "test" all Muslims in the country and deport them if they believe in sharia. (And since they could be practicing taqiyya we'll just have to deport them all, won't we? Note also one can follow sharia in one's personal life without believing it should be imposed on others, akin to halakha, not that Islamophobes know or care.)

Military coup underway in Turkey. Update: the coup appears to be failing, only backed by a faction in the military. 2,839 soldiers have been arrested since the coup has failed. Erdogan is now requesting the US extradite Gulen, the Islamic cleric he believes inspired the coup. 6,000 people have now been reportedly arrested in the aftermath of the coup. 2.700 judges have also been removed from their positions. The U.S. government has released a once-classified chapter from a congressional report on the 9/11 attacks that addresses Saudi connections about some of the hijackers. You can download it here. Herbalife has agreed to a $200 million settlement with U.S. regulators, under which the dietary supplements maker will change the way it does business and avoid being labeled a pyramid scheme. A study finds that it is becoming harder for US workers to move up the economic ladder. Fresno has released the police body cam video of the Dylan Noble shooting. How a modest contract for 'applied research' morphed into the CIA’s brutal interrogation program. International tribunal rules that China's claims on the South China Sea are invalid. Police in Nottinghamshire, England, will now treat misogyny and harassment of women as a hate crime. 84 are declared dead and dozens more injured in the coastal city of Nice, France after a truck was intentionally steered over the sidewalk of a busy street on Bastille Day. Police exchanged gunfire with the driver, who has since been confirmed dead, and counter-terrorism police are investigating the scene. The State of Emergency enforced after the November attacks has been extended until the end of October. The French press reports the attacker to be a local French-Tunisian non-practicing Muslim. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks about he has been targeted by police for being black. Conservatives, meanwhile, continue to bury their heads in the sand. When police tell women experiencing death threats and harassment on social media that they can't do much about social media harassment, this turns out not to be the case if it's them. Obama has written a scholarly paper advocating for a "public option". (The paper itself.) This is how the US trains foreign police forces and soldiers from across the world. An NYPD cop has recorded his captain encouraging him to racial profile minorities. Chris Simcox, leader of the racist Minutemen militia, has been sentenced to 19 1/2 years for child molestation. Philadelphia airport workers have voted to go on strike during the Democratic convention. They are demanding to be allowed to unionize, have increased wages, and better work schedules. With Prime Minister Theresa May fresh in power, the cabinet now consists of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary (presumably to see if he can actually get France to nuke Britain), and Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer, with George Osborne resigning from the government entirely. Hammond immediately goes against the Brexiters' wishes by stating that it would take six years to leave. As protesters shut down a bridge and refuse to move, a child stuck on it has a medical emergency and almost dies. Yeah, like that wouldn't have been another PR disaster... Oops, turns out the story is fabricated. Human Rights Watch is concerned about a possible mass cover up of Turkish army abuses. Police crackdown: Video from the Baton Rouge protest shows that the police arrested protestors who were invited on a woman's private property. These police crackdowns against BLM have been greenlit by the FBI. Now that North Carolina has finished ruining trans people's lives they have decided to no longer allow public access to police dash cam videos.

The House Financial Services Committee has found that Eric Holder prevented attorneys from prosecuting banks like HSBC for financial crimes. Even the Anglican Church of Canada is not immune to voting errors as Canadian Anglicans vote to allow same-sex marriage. Israel's Parliament has passed a law forcing human rights NGOs to label themselves as foreign-funded. The law only applies to NGOs who receive half of their funds from foreign governments, but not from foreign individuals or foundations. Philando Castile had been stopped by police 52 times for traffic violations. 86 of those violations were dismissed. Micah Johnson was blacklisted from various Black militant groups because he was believed to be "mentally unstable". Jahbat al-Nusra has become al-Qaeda's largest formal affiliate in history. Snowflake, Arizona: where the residents are allergic to life We have broken the record for hottest month ever recorded for the ninth time in a row. EU referendum: youth turnout almost twice as high as first thought (64%) Legalizing medical Marijuana has dropped Medicare prescription drug costs. AT&T workers in Nevada and California have walked out on their jobs in order to force AT&T to sign a contract with them. [http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/black-lives-matter-protests-span-country-fourth-day-n606556? Police have arrested hundreds of people protesting police brutality across the country.]

The internet is killing religion. Leaked tapes show that Libyan Gen. Khalifa Haftar is backed by French, British, and US forces despite his opposition to the Tripoli government. Telco businesses claim net neutrality threatens 5G rollout. They call this "a positive stance on innovation". A massive eviction in the Silicon Valley will demolish 216 unit complexes and displace hundreds of tenants. Epipens have more than quintupled in price since 2004. Chelsea Manning's legal team has confirmed that she has been hospitalized. It is assumed she attempted suicide. Police in Utah have finally released a video from 2014 shows a police officer assaulting and saying vulgar insults towards a handcuffed woman. Another released video, from June 25, shows Fresno police shooting an unarmed man lying on the ground. (Both links are NSFW) At a peaceful protest in Dallas, TX in response to the recent police shooting incidents, 12 police officers were shot by two snipers, four dead (AUTOPLAY VIDEO). [http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/08/us/philando-castile-alton-sterling-protests/index.html Update: 12 officers shot, five dead. Three suspects in custody, fourth was killed by explosive used by cops.] (AUTOPLAY VIDEO) Aftermath: The shooter, Micah Johnson, [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/08/micah-johnson-dallas-cop-killer-was-black-nationalist.html? supported militant black supremacist groups.] The Oath Keepers, a militant group, has called for "an armed struggle against Marxists while former IL representative, Joe Walsh, threatens "cop hater" President Obama. A general strike has started in Zimbabwe over police harassment and the country's failure to pay civil servants. It has already brought the country to a standstill.  Israel is targeting Palestinian protesters on Facebook. Kentucky's tax revenue transfer to Ken Ham The Noah's Ark playground and souvenir shop is now open for business. A Nigerian refugee of Boko Haram attacks is murdered by an Italian football hooligan. The Italian party "Lega Nord" (Northern League) condemns his death, but shifts the blame on to immigrants. Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson sues CEO Roger Ailes, alleging sexual harassment. Police brutality: In Louisana, video shows a police officer killing Alton Sterling, a black man who was selling CDs outside a convenience store. A second video shows that he was unarmed. (Autoplay video) Meanwhile, a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota has killed Philando Castile, a black man, during a traffic stop. (All links contain graphic videos) Update: This is everything we know about the Alton Sterling shooting. The ACLU says that the US is deporting countless veterans. UK police accessed civilian data for fun and profit. The US and UN have condemned Israel's plan to expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Chilcot report into Britain's role in the Iraq War says Tony Blair's case for war unjustified. Judge rules that sites like ChristianMingle and LDSSingles must allow same-sex matches. At least 45 people have been killed under Duterte's operation against crime and drug dealing. Suicide attackers launch a wave of strikes in Saudi Arabia. (Autoplay video) A Buddhist mob in Myanmar has burned down a mosque. Documents obtained by Adalah reveal that Israeli police are allowed to use lethal force against stone throwers and those who fire fireworks at them. (The report itself which is written in Hebrew) Secret records and lack of hearings raise concerns in merger review. (Autoplay video) A federal judge blocks Kansas's attempt to cut Planned Parenthood from Medicaid. A federal judge has ruled that the warrant that allowed the FBI's hacking in a child porn case was unnecessary. ISIL has burned 19 Yazidi women for refusing to have sex with their fighters. Thousands of pupils in England have seen school closures or disruption as the National Union of Teachers staged a one-day strike over funding. Well that didn't take long: Republicans are already criticizing the FBI decision to not indict Clinton. Rep. Mike Turner wants to bring back the Office of the Independent Counsel which was used against Bill Clinton and House Speaker Paul Ryan will hold hearings on the FBI's decision. Elite K-8 school begins separating classrooms to instruct white children about their privilege and to "challenge notions of colorblindness" and "raise awareness of Whiteness". Wonderful. F.B.I. Recommends No Charges Against Hillary Clinton for Use of Personal Email. Cue the conspiracy theorists and cries of "The fix is in!" Update: Loretta Lynch has revealed that the Justice Department will not charge Clinton. Israel continues siege on Palestinians in Hebron. The lobbying reform that enriched Congress. The Juno orbiter successfully reaches orbit around Jupiter, and begins a two-year survey. UAE Muslim visiting Ohio is arrested for wearing traditional garb and speaking Arabic on the phone. See, Trump was right; Muslims coming into the U.S. leads to violence! Two Muslim Youths have been beaten outside their mosque in Brooklyn, New York. Walmart retail workers in China have gone on strike due to unfair scheduling. Michael Foot's memorial has been vandalised with swastikas. Nigel Farage stands down as leader of UKIP. Black lives matter pulls out of SF Pride Parade in protest when organizers increase security presence in response to Orlando shootings. Their sister group in Toronto, despite given "Honoured Group" status, stalls the Toronto Pride Parade with a sit-in, refuses to move until parade organizer agrees to group demands to remove all police floats, among others. 126 people have died in a bombing in Baghdad. ISIL has claimed responsibility. (Autoplay video) A Muslim doctor has been shot and stabbed by three men outside of a mosque in Texas. Hundreds of Ethiopian Israelis protest police brutality in Tel Aviv. (A more in-depth link.) Facebook defends position on content standards after Israeli censure. Chatbot lawyer overturns 160,000 parking tickets in London and New York. [http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.728476? Israel approves construction of 42 units in West Bank settlement home to slain 13-year-old.] Disabled cancer patient slammed to the ground by TSA guards after she became confused at a checkpoint. A recent poll finds 71 percent of Americans believe U.S. economy is rigged. U.N. creates position to monitor violence, discrimination against LGBT people. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court will examine the Chilcot report for evidence of abuse and torture by British soldiers but have already ruled out putting Tony Blair on trial for war crimes. Elie Wiesel dies at age 87. Florida coast is affected by huge algae bloom after emergency releases from Lake Okeechobee. Unsurprisingly, this is the result of the state and federal governments not funding necessary public works. Over 100 Nobel laureates sign an open letter to Greenpeace criticizing its opposition to golden rice and other genetically modified foods. Boris Johnson, the man who spearheaded the Brexit movement all the way up to its The Producers-esque conclusion for purposes of becoming Prime Minister, has announced he will no longer be running for Prime Minister. This is how Chicago is handling police misconduct allegations. FBI asks agencies who responded to Pulse to deny records requests. Pedro Pablo Barrientos Nuñez, a former Chilean lieutenant under Pinochet, has been found liable for Victor Jara's torture and death. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/02/world/middleeast/us-increase-military-aid-israel.html? U.S. offers to increase military aid to Israel.] Major political news outlets are selling interviews at the DNC and RNC conventions. The US says that its air and drones have only killed between 64 to 116 people. Human rights groups estimate several hundred civilians have died in these bombings. Islamic militants stage attacks and take hostages in Bangladesh's capital. They appear to have targeted foreigners. Update: At least 22 people have died as a result of the 10 hour standoff. (Autoplay video) The libertarian paradise of Detroit charter schools. Hacked emails reveal that the supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, Gen. Philip Breedlove, plotted to overcome President Obama's reluctance to escalate tensions with Russia during the war in Ukraine.