What's in the News? 2.0

[Regina Minx]

God damn it, 2020. God fucking damn it.

Alex Trebek died from pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

[Blythe]

God damn it, 2020. God fucking damn it.

Alex Trebek died from pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Saw this a second ago across one of my social media feeds--this is so heartbreaking. Trebek's graceful way of handling his diagnosis and his perseverance & strength getting treatment were truly inspirational; he gave a lot of hope to a lot of people. 

Plus I loved Jeopardy. T_T

[Beguile's Mistress]

RIP Alex.  I'm going to miss you.   

[Mechelle]

American readers might be interested to know that Lord Kilclooney,  a member of the United Kingdom House of Lords originally from the Ulster Unionist Party, described Kamala Harris as "The Indian" when asking what happens "if Biden moves on and the Indian becomes President."  He has said he wasn't being racist, but just didn't know her name. Apparently, he has also referred to the former Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, as "the Indian" as well, so at least he isn't sexist, although I would have thought he would have known the name of the head of government of most of his island.

Members of the Conservatives and the Democratic Unionists have been very critical of his comments.



https://news.sky.com/story/lord-kilclooney-reported-after-being-accused-of-racism-over-kamala-harris-tweet-12128595

[Missy]

so basically his explanation is he's not racist, just too old or lazy to know how to use google?

[Haibane]

The UK is still proud to monopolize the use of Ignorant Old Farts in its "nobility". 

[TheGlyphstone]

Maybe he still thinks India is a British protectorate.

[Mechelle]

On the same sort of topic, Greg Clarke, who was the chairman of the Football Association, has resigned today following a conversation with a parliamentary select committee, in which he described black players as "coloured," "girls" as not liking a hard ball kicked at them,  gay players as undertaking a "lifestyle choice" and South Asians as being more interested in IT than football.

Nothing particularly offensive as such, but if there was one, he would qualify for an award for getting the most outdated language and lazy stereotypes into a conversation, and I would expect better from a public figure.

The FA have actually made strong efforts towards encouraging diversity in football, but some figures in their hierarchy have been resistant.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54894864

[Haibane]

This mess might go some way to explain why the UK government's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have been so chaotic during this autumn. I had a feeling during the spring and summer that we were on track to contain things pending the deployment of a vaccine but since about September everything has gone down the tubes and there have been numerous contradictory statements and rules from Johnson and his team. It seems like the cabinet is rent by power struggles. Great timing on doing that ladies and gents.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54913107

[Haibane]

Obvious Cummings was going to go after Cain quit... or was pushed... who knows?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54925322

[Oniya]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/move-bombing-apology-philadelphia-walter-wallace-20201112.html

Philadelphia City Council voted Thursday to apologize for the MOVE bombing 35 years ago that left 11 people dead, including five children, and burned 61 homes in West Philadelphia.

The resolution, approved unanimously, represents the first formal apology offered by the city for the May 13, 1985, bombing. It also establishes the anniversary of the bombing as “an annual day of observation, reflection and recommitment.”

[Callie Del Noire]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/move-bombing-apology-philadelphia-walter-wallace-20201112.html

I never understood, even then as a teenager, why they did this. You had turned off the water and power. You had time. No need to actually bomb them.

[Hrairoo]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/16/us/boy-scouts-sex-abuse-deadline-bankruptcy/index.html

At least 82,000 have filed sex abuse claims against the Boy Scouts, legal team says

"We are devastated by the number of lives impacted by past abuse in scouting and moved by the bravery of those who have come forward," a BSA statement said. "We are heartbroken that we cannot undo their pain."

Sex abuse in the BSA was an "unspoken norm," according to Andrew Van Arsdale, one of the lead attorneys, who says he has communicated with thousands of alleged survivors over the past 19 months.

"Based on what we are hearing from survivors, sexual abuse was a rite of passage in troops across the country, similar to other tasks where children had to ... perform certain duties to earn their coveted merit badges," he said in a statement.

If you read further in the article, they've(BSA) suspected this kind of thing has been occurring since the late 40's. ...the BSA was founded in 1910. Didn't take long. That's a lot of years and a lot of pain.

[Regina Minx]

If you read further in the article, they've(BSA) suspected this kind of thing has been occurring since the late 40's. ...the BSA was founded in 1910. Didn't take long. That's a lot of years and a lot of pain.

And if you read between the lines, the fact that we don't have any reports of this happening before the 40s is less to do with the fact that it didn't happen, and more to do with the fact that it was kept secret for so long.

[TheGlyphstone]

I guess declaring tactical bankruptcy didnt work for them, then?

[Regina Minx]

I guess declaring tactical bankruptcy didnt work for them, then?

The article discusses the effects that the bankruptcy declaration has against the cases going forward. Instead of suing in civil court, any claim against the BSA has to be adjudicated through bankruptcy court. Most, if not all, of the victims won't get their day in court and get a chance to present their story to a jury.

[Missy]

So here's the thing about the BSA though, they're an organization yes, but the individual troops are run by other groups such a church congregations and the like. Troopmasters and such are selected by a council body made up of parents and community members who are part of the organizations whihc commission their troops; so is the BSA necessarily responsible for the conduct of persons who are selected by a group of people who aren't actually directly employed by the BSA anyway???

[Haibane]

Wow. Macron is getting extremely serious over Islamic extremism in France.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55001167

[Haibane]

Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to be dismantled. Very sad news for such an iconic scientific instrument.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55008567

[Callie Del Noire]

Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to be dismantled. Very sad news for such an iconic scientific instrument.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55008567

Yeah hurricane damage. I imagine that had the second cable been on a different pylon they might have done it.

[Haibane]

The week in pictures, 14-20 November 2020

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-55016912

[Mechelle]

Welsh writer Jan Morris has died at the age of 94.
She was unusual in being well-known as James before undergoing gender reassignment in the 1970s, having been a prominent journalist who broke stories of the first ascent of Everest and of Franco-Israeli collaboration in the Suez War in the fifties. Subsequently, she had a long career writing about travel, although she did not like being classified as a travel writer, and Wales, as well as her own autobiography, Conundrum.
A well-filled life.



https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/20/jan-morris-obituary

[RedRose]

Wow. Macron is getting extremely serious over Islamic extremism in France.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55001167

missed this
so that's why we're up again with anti terrorism everywhere

[Lustful Bride]

So a Metal Monolith has bene found in the Utah desert. 2020 just keeps on giving doesn't it?

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-55056570

[clonkertink]

So a Metal Monolith has bene found in the Utah desert. 2020 just keeps on giving doesn't it?

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-55056570

I'll say. We're 19 years overdue!