Positive News from the USA

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 31 Mar 2015 05:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_8y0WLm78U
Monica Lewinsky: The price of shame

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 31 Mar 2015 09:32

sobering...

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/30/395069137 ... unresolved

If you're murdered in America, there's a 1 in 3 chance that the police won't identify your killer.

To use the FBI's terminology, the national "clearance rate" for homicide today is 64.1 percent. Fifty years ago, it was more than 90 percent.

And that's worse than it sounds, because "clearance" doesn't equal conviction: It's just the term that police use to describe cases that end with an arrest, or in which a culprit is otherwise identified without the possibility of arrest — if the suspect has died, for example.
...
Since at least the 1980s, police have complained about a growing "no snitch" culture, especially in minority communities. They say the reluctance of potential witnesses makes it hard to identify suspects.

But some experts say that explanation may be too pat. University of Maryland criminologist Charles Wellford points out that police are still very effective at clearing certain kinds of murders.

"Take, for example, homicides of police officers in the course of their duty," he says. On paper, they're the kind of homicide that's hardest to solve — "they're frequently done in communities that generally have low clearance rates. ... They're stranger-to-stranger homicides; they [have] high potential of retaliation [for] witnesses." And yet, Wellford says, they're almost always cleared.

What that tells Wellford is that clearance rates are a matter of priorities.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 01 Apr 2015 00:07

Ja suis Taser? -- http://www.news.com.au/world/north-amer ... public_rss

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 01 Apr 2015 01:22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5e4MLk9gCo

Don’t Wait for the Next War: A Discussion with Gen. Wesley Clark
Good summary

As a former supreme allied commander Europe and renowned military leader, General Clark is widely noted for being an exceptional strategic thinker. As the United States winds down from a decade of war and finds itself once again at the precipice of a new prolonged conflict, the country must chart a new strategic course to achieve success. Beyond those issues, terrorism, cybersecurity, financial instability, the rise of China, and global climate change will pose challenges and opportunities for the United States which, without a defined and robust strategy, would prove very difficult to effectively manage.

To meet these challenges, General Clark will outline what the United States should do to remain the global leader and prosper in this new global environment. He also will provide his rationale for why the United States should relearn the art of strategy to succeed now and into the future.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 01 Apr 2015 11:07

Right. Read this one -- http://www.wncn.com/story/28664509/firs ... ng-a-fetus

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 02 Apr 2015 04:45

exhibit a, and b vs. c.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 02 Apr 2015 09:42

Exhibit J -- http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comme ... 1_billion/

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 03 Apr 2015 12:00

This here is a twitter feed -- https://twitter.com/socialmedia_rk/with_replies

some of you may find this interesting. Very positive.

Multatuli · Post by **Multatuli** » 03 Apr 2015 20:28

No White Hood Required: Three KKK Prison Guards Arrested for Murder Plot

Three Florida correctional officers were plotting to kill a black inmate after his release.

Three Florida Ku Klux Klan members and current or former corrections officers were arrested Thursday by the FBI for allegedly plotting to kill a black inmate after his release. The planned murder was apparently an attempt to seek revenge after a fight between one officer and the inmate.

Two Klan members work for Florida’s Department of Corrections. The third Klan member no longer works for the state’s prison system.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/04 ... urder-plot

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 03 Apr 2015 20:36

Not the first woman of color

..
“Expanding access to preventive health care, recognizing the effects of poverty, racism, and the environment, and legislation based on public health instead of on morality and religion would decrease the suffering and deaths of both infants and women in Indiana.”
..
This legislation isn’t limited to Indiana—37 other states have passed similar laws, opening the door for more unjust treatment of pregnant women.
..

It is not an open season on witch hunting, but what's better than punishing non-believers to demonstrate something positive and keep the flock together at the same time! Read the comments, too, if you don't get it.

The bolded part seem to repeatedly occur when it comes to mixing religion and state.

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 04 Apr 2015 03:15

We try our medicines on animals and treat them completely humanely. If you dont believe it, take a look at this!

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 04 Apr 2015 03:31

Screw this! I long for the good ol days!

EDIT: Someone posted this great news above. May jeebus blez ya soul, and apologies for the repost.

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 04 Apr 2015 05:23

This American life: A story of a successful abortion and another about a dog who had its day

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 04 Apr 2015 06:22

Justice is blind: Abortion is a heinous crime, and a crime as heinous as this, gets the same punishment as this.

Yes! Justice is blind.

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 04 Apr 2015 07:29

With great sadness I announce this sad news!

Justice.. is really blind.

member_28638 · Post by **member_28638** » 04 Apr 2015 19:13

American Police Killed More People in March (111) Than the Entire UK Police Have Killed Since 1900

A total of 111 people were killed by police in the United States in March of 2015. Since 1900, in the entire United Kingdom, 52 people have been killed by police.

By Shaun King / Daily Kos
April 1, 2015

...

http://www.alternet.org/american-police ... M.facebook

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 05 Apr 2015 02:48

Only in Murica

Christian American Man Who Ejaculated Into Co-Worker's Coffee Pleads Guilty

Officials in Minnesota say a man who copped to masturbating in a co-worker's coffee because he was attracted to her ....

The woman told police she inspected her desk and noticed a strong odor that resembled urine, but was a bit different and strange.She said her coffee smelled the same way and noted that she had had an ongoing issue with a experiencing a foul taste in her coffee.

Haresh · Post by **Haresh** » 05 Apr 2015 22:25

Guatemalans deliberately infected with STDs sue Johns Hopkins University for $1bn

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015 ... MP=ema_565

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 06 Apr 2015 00:01

A survival guide for Atheists, Agnostics in the region of the holy book
Atheists in the Bible Belt: A survival guide
Read it all, it is damn weird.

Even the most religious states like Mississippi and Alabama have secular meetup groups, although many keep quiet and require long drives to attend.
..
wo neighbors in Georgia whose jaws dropped when they saw each other at an atheist gathering. Each had assumed that the other was a good, God-fearing Baptist. )
..
It’s no fun debating fundamentalists
..
People will think you worship Satan
..

Etc. etc. - the weird situation seems to be about believers v/s Atheists, Christians v/s gays, etc.

From a comment:

the laws still on the books EXCLUDING atheists from holding office in many states...is not imaginary.
The law in Arkansas, preventing atheists from testifying in court...is not imaginary.

Part and parcel of REAL AMERICA.

member_28638 · Post by **member_28638** » 06 Apr 2015 18:19

Snowden says NSA spying makes Americans vulnerable

Apr 6, 2015

American whistleblower Edward Snowden has said that the US government is putting American citizens at risk by the National Security Agency’s spying activities.

“The NSA has the greatest surveillance capabilities that we’ve ever seen in the history. Now, what they will argue is that they don’t use this for nefarious purposes against American citizens,” Snowden said in an interview with HBO's "Last Week Tonight."

“In some ways, that’s true, but the real problem is that they’re using these capabilities to make us vulnerable to them and then saying: ‘Wow, I have a gunpoint at your head, I’m not going to pull a trigger. Trust me,’” he added.

The former NSA contractor is currently in Russia after leaking thousands of the agency’s documents over surveillance programs.

He also defended his decision to reveal the classified documents.

“I did this to give the American people a chance to decide for themselves the kind of government they want to have,” Snowden said.

In June 2013, the US whistleblower revealed that the NSA has been collecting the phone records of millions of Americans and foreign nationals as well as political leaders around the world.

Following the revelations, Snowden fled the United States to avoid espionage charges.

In August 2013, Russia granted him asylum for one year and last year it granted him permission to stay in the country until August 2017.

"I do miss my country. I do miss my home. I do miss my family," Snowden said during his latest interview.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2015/04/0 ... US-Snowden

Haresh · Post by **Haresh** » 06 Apr 2015 22:13

Law Targets Abuse Of Native American Women

http://news.sky.com/story/1459336/law-t ... ican-women

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 06 Apr 2015 22:56

massa has a black man as prez. there will probably be a woman as prez. and even a gay guy soon, but the atheist will be the last of all these.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 08 Apr 2015 01:30

Move over, O Snowden-Interview-Quoter. U missed the really important part

Snowden: U.S. government has your nude photos

AoA! Eeph I write to Eph Bee Eye giving my naam as Barbara Bach...

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 08 Apr 2015 05:34

two piece atolls

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Apr 2015 12:08

More target practice for white cops.How to shoot at dark targets during the day.

South Carolina officer charged with murder after shooting man in the back
Video shows white police officer Michael Slager shooting 50-year-old black man Walter Scott in the back at least eight times as he ran away

Warning: video contains graphic footage
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015 ... der-charge

A white North Charleston police officer in South Carolina has been charged with the murder of a 50-year-old black man on Saturday, marking a remarkably swift move for justice in a fatal police incident.

Footage of the shooting, which occurred around 9.30 am after Walter Scott was pulled over for a traffic violation, shows officer Michael Slager firing eight times at Scott, who is running away. Slager initially told police he shot Scott because he feared for his life while the two fought over Slager’s stun gun.

Michael Slager’s booking photo. Photograph: Charleston County sheriff's office

After Scott is shot, the video also appears to show the police officer picking an object off the ground and dropping it next to Scott’s body. Scott does not appear in possession of the stun gun at any point in the video.

The footage was posted online by Charleston’s Post & Courier on Tuesday, and filmed by an anonymous bystander. It appears to show that a stun gun wire has already been deployed, but falls out as Scott runs away from Slager, who pulls out his firearm and shoots until Scott falls to the ground. The officer then walks over to the body and appears to talk into his radio. He reaches the body and shouts: “Put your hands behind your back now, put your hands behind your back”. Scott is motionless, his face down in the ground.

The uncounted: why the US can't keep track of people killed by police

The officer then appears to shout “Put your hands behind your back” again before picking up Scott’s limp arms and placing them in what look like handcuffs.

Slager then moves away from the body and picks up an item from the ground, near where he fired the shots. At this point another officer arrives on the scene and stands over Scott’s body.

Slager walks back over to the body and appears to drop the item he has picked up next to Scott’s body.

According to an incident file, reported by local TV news, Slager said over the radio that he deployed his Taser and “seconds later” he said: “Shots fired and the subject is down. He took my Taser.”

Neither officer appears to be aware they are being filmed, and the cameraperson seems to place his finger over the lens a number of times. It does not appear that Slager checks Scott’s pulse until three minutes and three seconds into the film.

Slager had initially released a statement through his lawyer, claiming he had “followed all the proper procedures and policies of the North Charleston police department”.

But at a press conference on Tuesday, North Charleston mayor Keith Summey told reporters that Slager had made a “bad decision”.

Link to video: officer who shot man in the back made ‘a bad decision’, says mayor.

“When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” Summey said as quoted by the Post and Courier. “When you make a bad decision, don’t care if you’re behind the shield or a citizen on the street, you have to live with that decision.”
North Charleston police chief Eddie Driggers said officer Slager, 33, had been arrested and charged with murder.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have launched also launched investigation into the shooting.

“The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office will work with the FBI in the investigation. The Department of Justice will take appropriate action in light of the evidence and developments in the state case,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Calls to the North Charleston police and the state law enforcement division – the outside organisation investigating the shooting – went unanswered on Tuesday.

The murder charges against Slager come amid a national debate on police practice after a spate of high profile death police killings around the country.

President Barack Obama convened a national police task force in the wake of death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last August, which sparked a wave of unrest in the small city and protests across the country.

The task force recommended a variety of criminal justice reforms last month, including that local law enforcement agencies report each officer involved shooting to federal government when they occur. At present there are no official national statistics on officer involved fatalities as local agencies are not required to provide information to the federal government.

Also in South Carolina, the Associated Press reported that a white police officer was charged on Tuesday in the case of a 68-year-old black man who was shot to death last year. A grand jury had earlier chosen to indict North Augusta officer Justin Craven on a charge of misconduct in office, rather than the manslaughter indictment sought by prosecutors, in the February 2014 death of Ernest Satterwhite. The new charge, discharging a gun into an occupied vehicle, is a felony.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 12:15

Things are so much worse than you can imagine. Its futile to even try to explain how bad.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 13:15

http://www.slashgear.com/uber-requests- ... -07377886/

No paco visa to US for this victim?

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 08 Apr 2015 14:05

This researchers travails are un-frickin'-believable.. all this in the biggest name places there are and what not.

http://rajesh-kumar.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

I hope he got a good payout (seems to have won one case) and regains his health

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 14:15

^^^ Nope. Not a dime on millions in legal costs. Check up PACER.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 08 Apr 2015 14:21

So how exactly does one pay for such a legal challenge??! I hope he didn't lose his own and legal firms stepped up (seriously i don't know)
With this kind of BS, how long will khan remain on top of the totem pole??

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 14:57

You spend what you have earned. If you want to step up, face the mafia then get ready to be ruined. You are not white, and no media will come to your rescue. It doesnt matter what the truth is, you will be ruined in every possible way. Your entire life will be spread open like a suitcase at the TSA station at an airport. And the lawyers will give you the guantanamo treatment.

Anyone who knew you willmove two states over just to avoid talking to you. Worse of all, if they cant buy you, they will buy your lawyers!

edit -- Totem pole? What totem pole? You call the chinese sweatshops they run research labs? Have you looked at the amount of fraud that goes on at *name your favorite institution*? This particular story was laughed at when first reported here on positive news. Check up front on this thread. The tenure holders here were the first to stab in the back.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 16:18

Lookie here!

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 08 Apr 2015 16:56

Shreeman wrote:You spend what you have earned. If you want to step up, face the mafia then get ready to be ruined. You are not white, and no media will come to your rescue. It doesnt matter what the truth is, you will be ruined in every possible way. Your entire life will be spread open like a suitcase at the TSA station at an airport. And the lawyers will give you the guantanamo treatment.

Anyone who knew you willmove two states over just to avoid talking to you. Worse of all, if they cant buy you, they will buy your lawyers!

edit -- Totem pole? What totem pole? You call the chinese sweatshops they run research labs? Have you looked at the amount of fraud that goes on at *name your favorite institution*? This particular story was laughed at when first reported here on positive news. Check up front on this thread. The tenure holders here were the first to stab in the back.

All said & done, really pathetic state of affairs. I haven't worked in the research side so didn't know of this at all. I do know (from friends etc) that research is usually very driven by individuals & i thought some institutes must be better off. I was mistaken I guess..
How are the other guys sticking on at that place though?

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 17:07

^^^ Fear. Plain and simple. Ask the tenured lot here if you want. They keep quiet and try to get by. In their own words.

It is much, much, much worse than you can imagine. And true to style mass defamation of asians and the like will happen (re. 41 of 43 articles retracted were chinese etc). You cant touch a white author if he kidnapped your wife, let alone if he committed fraud.

Like all delusion, degrees are worth less than toilet paper now. But much loss of H&D would result if you admit the true state of affairs. Any big brand educated idiot would simply lie -- catholic church style.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 08 Apr 2015 17:32

Wow.. true state of affairs huh. So much for grass has to be greener in khan land.. I wonder if things get better in desi-land would people return or prefer to stick it out under such conditions.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 08 Apr 2015 17:34

And some of these worthies - massa super science types- were busy dumping on current admin for even researching ayurveda and calling it junk science. I wonder why the insecurity? Was it truly motivated by dogmatic adherence to scientific principles (as they stand) or plain and simple, keep 'em 3rd worlders down while we do something similar and call it gold..

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 08 Apr 2015 17:58

Having visited the "better" IITs in some detail, I can assure you they are staffed to the gills by US tenure-rejects (my grad. school housemate, among others) and well below the standard of even the rotting carcass that is US academia. Education is pretty dead in the age of app development and wikipedia and MBAs and khan academy and udacity. Medical education is truly dead and buried.

Its just not important, unlike religion or language or skin color for people to care.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 08 Apr 2015 19:33

There was news of new law in Kansas that prohibits poor citizens from using public libraries,swimming pools and theaters. just heard on local Brussels radio. Any truth in it?

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 08 Apr 2015 19:40

Shreeman wrote:Having visited the "better" IITs in some detail, I can assure you they are staffed to the gills by US tenure-rejects (my grad. school housemate, among others) and well below the standard of even the rotting carcass that is US academia. Education is pretty dead in the age of app development and wikipedia and MBAs and khan academy and udacity. Medical education is truly dead and buried.

Its just not important, unlike religion or language or skin color for people to care.

Pretty depressing.. so you are saying the chance to even do better isn't really there..
I sort of disagree about uni education being dead when compared to online.. i mean, one can't do experiments on cadavers in one's own house or build a state of the art lab..
But things have to get sorted out..

abhik · Post by **abhik** » 08 Apr 2015 20:16

Gus wrote:massa has a black man as prez. there will probably be a woman as prez. and even a gay guy soon, but the atheist will be the last of all these.

A Jewish POTUS might come last.