What's in the news?

[Renegade Vile]

JK Rowling defends Donald Trump's right to be 'offensive and bigoted'.

Surprising, honestly, but I agree with her completely. Freedom of speech is what makes sure most people realize Trump is a loudmouthed jackass, and to be perfectly honest, it's not like most of the other candidates are any better, he just says what they think out loud. Better the evil you know, or something like that.

[Lilias]

I fantasise about Drumpf coming to the UK and being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman. (If it ever happens, popcorn's on me.)

[gaggedLouise]

A spectacular fireball sweeps across New England and Ontario, clearly at fairly low height. Very interesting, and so far there's no certainty if the piece of space rock all burned up in the upper atmosphere or if some part of it finally hit earth.

Any of you eastern Americans or Canadians saw it live?

[Beorning]

Former US President Bill Clinton says that Poland is moving away from democracy. The PiS government is offended:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/253276,Polish-PM-says-Bill-Clinton-should-apologise

In related news, the Polish constitutional crisis continues, as the European Commission issues a deadline to the Polish government:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/253378,European-Commission-gives-Poland-deadline-over-Tribunal

[Lustful Bride]

Former US President Bill Clinton says that Poland is moving away from democracy. The PiS government is offended:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/253276,Polish-PM-says-Bill-Clinton-should-apologise

In related news, the Polish constitutional crisis continues, as the European Commission issues a deadline to the Polish government:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/253378,European-Commission-gives-Poland-deadline-over-Tribunal

You know its bad when the pervert says you are messing up :P

[TheGlyphstone]

You know its bad when the pervert says you are messing up :P

I'm not sure we of E can exactly be throwing stones on that ground... ;D

[Lustful Bride]

European Court of Human Rights is allowing Amanda Knox to sue Italy for Violations of her Rights.*

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/court-allows-amanda-knox-to-sue-italy-for-trial-abuses/ar-BBtcx6h?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

This case is one big Cluster Fuck so I have no idea what to feel on this :/


*Questioning her without an Interpreter, physical hits to the head, not giving her access to a lawyer during questioning.

[Lustful Bride]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/on-the-anniversary-of-brown-v-board-new-evidence-that-us-schools-are-resegregating/ar-BBtahei?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

Some evidence suggests that schools are beginning to resegregate with mostly Hispanic and black students ending up in poorer schools and school districts.

Though I wonder if this is a case of...I cant remember what it is called...but where you rearrange Voting Districts to favor certain groups. It almost sounds to me like it is the same thing, but instead being done so for school districts.

[TheGlyphstone]

Gerrymandering, is the word you are looking for.

[Lustful Bride]

Gerrymandering, is the word you are looking for.

Gerrymandering! Yes thank you ^_^   

[TaintedAndDelish]

I can understand allocating more money to needy school districts so they can afford to pay for top notch educators and materials, but forcibly re-segregating schools ( ie. bussing kids to different neighborhoods ) is unfair to both parties. Those who pay higher property and school taxes deserve to get the services that they are paying for. Their kids should not be forced to attend a lower quality school in a poor neighborhood. This was done in Yonkers, NY years ago and did not go over very well.

[Avalon29]

Oklahoma has passed a bill criminalizing abortion. Hopefully it won't take too long to be struck down since this completely  ignores Roe V. Wade.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/oklahoma-lawmakers-bill-criminalizing-performing-abortion-39231148

[Lustful Bride]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/gay-gun-group-believes-its-dc-court-win-puts-homophobes-on-notice/ar-BBtdFfy?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

Gay Rights group wants more gay men carrying guns to protect themselves from violence.

I am for this.

[AmberStarfire]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/the-homophobic-gay-panic-law-and-the-catholic-priest-whos-fighting-to-abolish-it-400234.html?ref=yfp

Petitions to abolish the 'gay panic' law that's downgraded murder convictions to manslaughter.

[Lustful Bride]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/watch-police-officer-comfort-baby-after-his-mom-left-him-at-crash-scene/vi-BBtfxM2?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

Ow...right in the feels. Officer comforts toddler after mother abandoned him after crashing her car while drinking and driving.

T_T

[Blythe]

Oklahoma has passed a bill criminalizing abortion. Hopefully it won't take too long to be struck down since this completely  ignores Roe V. Wade.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/oklahoma-lawmakers-bill-criminalizing-performing-abortion-39231148

Gov. Fallin has vetoed it; remains to be seen if Sen. Dahm, the author of the bill, will try to organize an override of her veto, though.

[Beorning]

Back here, the top news subject is (unsurprisingly) what happened in the Parliament last Friday:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/253613,Poland-is-a-sovereign-state-Polish-PM

On Friday, our Prime Minister went on stand and made a big speech (which at least bordered on shouting, IMHO...), where she accused the opposition of the lack of patriotism, them being traitors etc. More importantly, she openly attacked the European Commission, claiming that some of its members are actually striving to break the EU up  ::) She also claimed the EC's probe into her government's actions regarding the Constitution Tribunal is a threat to our sovereignity. The overall tone of the speech was very confrontational and, in my opinion, really does show that the PiS government doesn't like the EU at all.

As a follow-up, the PiS MPs voted through this resolution:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/253740,Polish-MPs-adopt-resolution-on-defending-Polands-sovereignty

Again, suggestions that our sovereignity is threated by the European Union were made there...  ::)

One last, literally mind-boggling, thing from that day was a comment by one PiS MP who made a post on Tweeter comparing the PM's speech to the well-remembered 1939 speech of Józef Beck (who was our Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time) against the threats and pressure coming from the Nazi Germany. Seriously, do the PiS PMs see the European Union as a danger similar to the Nazis??? Are they out of their minds..?

[gaggedLouise]

One last, literally mind-boggling, thing from that day was a comment by one PiS MP who made a post on Tweeter comparing the PM's speech to the well-remembered 1939 speech of Józef Beck (who was our Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time) against the threats and pressure coming from the Nazi Germany. Seriously, do the PiS PMs see the European Union as a danger similar to the Nazis??? Are they out of their minds..?

No doubt inspired by Boris Johnson - in a debate or an interview last week (not sure which) looking towards the Brexit referendum in June, he made the same kind of sweeping comparison between attempts by Napoleon and Hitler to force unity on Europe (and entrap England) and - the EU.  ::)

[WhatLiesAbove]

This is a very... strange bill. I mean... How does this even work legally? What if one of these families decides to sue the Saudi-Arabian government. What happens next? How does a US bill force the hand of the Saudi government in any way to lend the lawsuit any credence?
As for whether it makes sense, I guess it depends to what degree Saudi-Arabia played a part in the attacks and whether proof of this involvement is sufficient.
Still, really weird.

I don't ink it forces the hand of Saudi Arabia. What it sounds like...and I could be totally off...is that it can go to a world court, and whatever protections Saudi Arabia has (being an ally) are not able to be used.

[TheGlyphstone]

I don't ink it forces the hand of Saudi Arabia. What it sounds like...and I could be totally off...is that it can go to a world court, and whatever protections Saudi Arabia has (being an ally) are not able to be used.

No, it's specifically in U.S. Courts:

The legislation, sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., gives victims' families the right to sue in U.S. court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks that killed thousands in New York, the Washington, D.C. area and Pennsylvania.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me either. Individual families aren't going to have access to any intelligence data proving the involvement of Saudi officials, so filing a lawsuit - against the entire government of Saudi Arabia, not just those members who were complicit - would be done blindly without evidence. No judge worth their title would allow a lawsuit on the grounds of 'yeah, I totally think these people were responsible, but I can't actually prove it'.

[gaggedLouise]

The taliban appoint a new leader and come up with a mystery man, sort of - a guy of whom there's almost no photos, and who, outside the inner circles of the movement, was known only to the file cabinets of various intelligence and spook outfits.

Around here in Sweden, there's a government reshuffle after weeks of turmoil around two comet politicians with islamist leanings within...the Green party (of all parties). Since the Greens are the junior coalition partner in the cabinet, the vivid and angry debate reflected back immediately on the two spokespersons (party leaders, sort of) of theirs and one of them had to step down - compounded by a string of blooper statements of her own over the last year or so. Her fresh replacement as spokesperson has now been promoted to the same government posts, and interestingly also to the vanity title of "vice prime minister". PM Stefan Löfven had already made it clear earlier that said title does not mean that the holder would take over his duties if he falls ill, that's something to be decided on seniority, on who has the longest government experience - so the title, under this cabinet, is essentially just a showpiece.  :D

[Beorning]

Hm. What's the point of having a vice PM, if the person doesn't have the vice PM's powers...???

Speaking of politicians: in the last few days, I've been shocked by some comments made by PiS politicians. One PiS councilwoman from one city made a post on Twitter, where she literally said that one of opposition MPs (a female) should be caught and have her head shaved  :o (for those that don't know the context: headshaving was a punishment employed by the Polish and French underground during WW2 against women who slept with Germans). Meanwhile, one PiS MP stated in an interview that she honestly believes that Polish opposition politicians who asked the EU for help regarding the actions of PiS during the last months, are traitors and, because of that, they deserve death by hanging...

[gaggedLouise]

Hm. What's the point of having a vice PM, if the person doesn't have the vice PM's powers...???

Yep - but the trick is that "deputy prime minister" is a title specified in the law (the constitution), while vice PM is just the colloquial version...so they don't really have to mean the same thing do they? Not in the world of politics.  :D The funniest aspect of this is that when this government was put together after the 2014 elections and there was the usual horse-trading with the Greens as the minor coalition party (and they had never held seats in a government before) they took it for granted that "vice PM" meant what it should mean. The dark truth only emerged when the PM actually fell ill for a few days last year and it turned out that Big Brother (the social democrats) had pulled a trick on the Greens.

This time around, they know it's essentially a vanity designation, but they accepted it anyway. I think someone close to the PM gave the vague explanation that "even if she's not the deputy, the title carries some weight when she's talking to foreign diplomats and the like".  ;)

Speaking of politicians: in the last few days, I've been shocked by some comments made by PiS politicians. One PiS councilwoman from one city made a post on Twitter, where she literally said that one of opposition MPs (a female) should be caught and have her head shaved  :o (for those that don't know the context: headshaving was a punishment employed by the Polish and French underground during WW2 against women who slept with Germans). Meanwhile, one PiS MP stated in an interview that she honestly believes that Polish opposition politicians who asked the EU for help regarding the actions of PiS during the last months, are traitors and, because of that, they deserve death by hanging...

*shakes head* Very uncool when MPs for the government party are calling out for putting democratic opposition guys at the pillory or in the gallows.   :-(

[Beorning]

Yep - but the trick is that "deputy prime minister" is a title specified in the law (the constitution), while vice PM is just the colloquial version...so they don't really have to mean the same thing do they? Not in the world of politics.  :D The funniest aspect of this is that when this government was put together after the 2014 elections and there was the usual horse-trading with the Greens as the minor coalition party (and they had never held seats in a government before) they took it for granted that "vice PM" meant what it should mean. The dark truth only emerged when the PM actually fell ill for a few days last year and it turned out that Big Brother (the social democrats) had pulled a trick on the Greens.

I admit that this is... kind of crazy :) A really dirty trick...

*shakes head* Very uncool when MPs for the government party are calling out for putting democratic opposition guys at the pillory or in the gallows.   :-(

And it's also deeply troubling, as it really shows the amount of zeal and hate at least some of the PiS politicians and supporters have in themselves. A few months ago, one journalist that is an ardent supporter of PiS (as well as one of the chief promoters of the "Smoleńsk plane crash was an assasination" conspiracy theory) publicly said that Poland should reintroduce death penalty, because the former PM Tusk should be executed...

You know what's especially infuriating about all of this? Even with all this bile they are throwing at their opponents (and let's be honest, that "shave her head" Twitter post clarifies for prosecution, as it smack of instigating violence against an individual), it's the PiS politicians who claim that they are the victims of "hate speech" and "industry of scorn"  ::)

[TheGlyphstone]

And people over here are upset about the idea of Trump becoming president. This is an entire government of Trumps, minus the entertainment factor.

(More like an entire government of Cruzes, really, but he's not topical anymore.)