What's in the news?

[Lustful Bride]

Watching Olympic coverage, and the announcers are all excited about how the  North and South Korean teams are entering together and forming a joint hockey team. All I can think of is how likely it is for every single one of those NK athletes to have a family member back home with a gun pointed at their head.

+1 :(  And its sad that compared to much of what they do to their own people, a gun to their head is tame.

[gaggedLouise]

The Pyeongchang games are also likely set to become the coldest winter Olympics of all time - a real surprise as this is one of the most southerly locations ever for the winter games (there's never been any winter games in the southern hemisphere).  They could soon drop down towards -20 C/-4 F. If the Russians had placed the previous games somewhere in central Siberia (as they should have, but Putin's favouritism ruled otherwise) they would likely have got it even colder though. And with an endless supply of natural snow...

[RedRose]

This. The roads are either The Walking Dead empty, or totally congested. Busses aren't there, or they're late, or their motor explodes from overuse. I'm not sure what's worse, people who don't even try to get a foot out of their house, or use obviously impossible roads and end up sleeping in their car.
https://www.thelocal.fr/20180207/how-can-so-little-snow-cause-so-much-travel-chaos-around-paris

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/college-student-fails-assignment-because-professor-thinks-australia-isnt-a-country/ar-BBIVKZT?ocid=sf

An Idaho woman failed a college assignment because her professor didn't believe Australia was a country.

Facepalming so hard. How in the everloving fuck can you not know Australia is a country?!

[Nachtmahr]

Welp, there is now a new super high tech way to swap people's faces onto porn using machine learning.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/30/16945494/deepfakes-porn-face-swap-legal

This is gong to be the new problem with revenge porn I bet.

To be fair, this isn't exactly a new concept. It's some impressive technology with lots of scary potential applications, but at the end of the day, it's not like people haven't had their likenesses used for these kinds of purposes before. Photoshopped fakes have been around on the internet for as long as I've been on it, and some can be quite convincing. Artists have drawn and animated actors in one form another - Emma Watson is of course a prime example of someone who get a lot of attention in this regard. Her likeness has been used in virtually all sorts of pornographic material, and.. Well.. Even on here people often like to use real pictures of real people as avatars for characters - If they don't actually insert the entire person into their story.

It's an enormous grey area, but at the end of the day, I'm more worried about how the potential regulations that will likely come into play at some point might damage people's ability to express themselves freely. It would be very easy to try and ban this sort of thing in such a manner that it ends up reaching further than it should. Not to mention that the debate regarding the ethics of all of this is going to be a very complicated one.

[Nachtmahr]

Gah! Can't edit posts. Sorry about the double post! I just spotted the post above mine and wanted to comment on that one too. >.<

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/college-student-fails-assignment-because-professor-thinks-australia-isnt-a-country/ar-BBIVKZT?ocid=sf

Facepalming so hard. How in the everloving fuck can you not know Australia is a country?!

That's absolutely astounding. It's amazing that you could be so well educated as to become a professor of anything, and somehow not be aware that Australia is a country. Better yet, the fact that the professor apparently stuck their guns on it and refused to back down until "doing some independent research" on the topic.

I'd be even more curious to know what countries they must have thought were in, or I suppose on, Australia..

[TheVillain]

Can't say that I'm surprised. I live in a country where Dr. Ben Carson is a thing.

[How can someone be a literal brain surgeon and yet be so dumb about pretty much everything else?]

[gaggedLouise]

Oassenger airplane crashes in Russia, 80 km (50 miles) off Moscow, after several days of heavy snowing; it had just started from the capital and was heading for Orsk in the southern Ural mountains region. 71 people were on board including the crew, nothing is known about how many killed or surviving. :(

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43024235

[gaggedLouise]

Edit: a passenger plane of course.

[Arianna]

Oassenger airplane crashes in Russia, 80 km (50 miles) off Moscow, after several days of heavy snowing; it had just started from the capital and was heading for Orsk in the southern Ural mountains region. 71 people were on board including the crew, nothing is known about how many killed or surviving. :(

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43024235

From ten minutes ago:

All passengers and crew were killed, officials say. Emergency services are working at the scene.

This is so damn sad... I hope they rest in peace :(

[Lustful Bride]

Explosion at Power substation in Puerto Rico leads to more blackouts. :(

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/fire-explosion-puerto-rico-power-substation-today-2018-02-11/#ampshare=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fire-explosion-puerto-rico-power-substation-today-2018-02-11/

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/02/11/woman-dragged-out-west-virginia-house-hearing-listing-oil-and-gas-contributions

Lissa Lucas traveled the 100 miles from her home in Cairo, West Virginia to the state capitol in Charleston Friday to testify against an oil and gas industry sponsored bill (HB 4268) that would allow companies to drill on minority mineral owners’ land without their consent. Lucas began to testify to the House Judiciary Committee, but a few minutes in, her microphone was turned off.

And Lucas was dragged out of the room.

Woman speaks out against a really rotten bill and listing that all those on the committee have been receiving money from the oil and gas companies that would benefit from said bill.

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/police-officer-wins-settlement-city-fired-him

Rookie cop comes across an armed black man who keeps saying shoot me, rookie cop deduces that this man isn't really a threat but someone who needs help. Falls back on military training to de-escalate the situation, and it is working when two other cops arrive and shoot the poor black man dead. Rookie cop who did the right thing by not firing as it turned out, the other gun wasn't even loaded. The poor man tried suicide by cop and well succeeded tragically. Instead of praising the young man for not firing, he himself get fired. oO

He has now won the courtcase against the police. But fucking hell.. what the HELL is wrong with this whole story?!

[Ari the Witch]

https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/police-officer-wins-settlement-city-fired-him

Rookie cop comes across an armed black man who keeps saying shoot me, rookie cop deduces that this man isn't really a threat but someone who needs help. Falls back on military training to de-escalate the situation, and it is working when two other cops arrive and shoot the poor black man dead. Rookie cop who did the right thing by not firing as it turned out, the other gun wasn't even loaded. The poor man tried suicide by cop and well succeeded tragically. Instead of praising the young man for not firing, he himself get fired. oO

He has now won the courtcase against the police. But fucking hell.. what the HELL is wrong with this whole story?!

Holy shit! It's really sad when the new guy is doing the job right only for more experienced coworkers to fuck it up by killing a person whose life could have been saved. It isn't fair that the new guy was fired when he'd gotten so close to talking the guy out of his suicidal mindset. I bet by that point, the man didn't even really want to die anymore with that cop's help. De-escelating the situation if possible is THE FIRST STEP. When the man was shot dead, the situation was de-escelated, and thus there was no need to shoot. This really says something awful about law enforcement. A life could have been saved here, but two asshats arrived to take that life instead. There is something inherently wrong with this.

[gaggedLouise]

A pride of lions in a South African wildlife park attacked a (strongly suspected) poacher, killed and grubbed all of him, except for his head and some remains (bones and clothing, I guess)

Poetic justice... :) The thought of finding just the head is a bit freepy, but it will make identification of the guy easier.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/12/585119784/suspected-poacher-eaten-by-lions-in-south-africa

[Lustful Bride]

Vanessa trump taken to hospital after handling a letter full of an unknown powder with the message "Now you get what you deserve" was written on the inside.

Luckily it turned out to be cornstarch and not a lethal substance.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vanessa-trump-taken-hospital-precaution-after-suspicious-letter-n847231

Even with how messed up things are, this is unacceptable. It sets a bad precedent and no one deserves it.

Plus we really don't want to give Trump justification to step harder on our freedoms.

[Regina Minx]

Even with how messed up things are, this is unacceptable. It sets a bad precedent and no one deserves it.

Plus we really don't want to give Trump justification to step harder on our freedoms.

If you believe it even happened at all.  Is Vanessa Trump the kind of person that would open her own mail even before she became daughter in law to the President? And now that she is a VIP with Secret Service protection, is there any chance she would ever physically handle a letter sent to her?

I have doubts is my point.

[Lustful Bride]

If you believe it even happened at all.  Is Vanessa Trump the kind of person that would open her own mail even before she became daughter in law to the President? And now that she is a VIP with Secret Service protection, is there any chance she would ever physically handle a letter sent to her?

I have doubts is my point.

That is up to the investigation team to decide. And to be fair the Secret Service has actually been stretched very thin as of late due to the trump familie's refusalo t just stay in one place. They actually had budget issues last year trying to protect Trump Jr. Because he kept getting on plane and flying all around for business.

[Regina Minx]

That is up to the investigation team to decide. And to be fair the Secret Service has actually been stretched very thin as of late due to the trump familie's refusalo t just stay in one place. They actually had budget issues last year trying to protect Trump Jr. Because he kept getting on plane and flying all around for business.

Secret Service mail intercept, X-Ray, irradiation, and biological/chemical hazard testing has been standard protocol since the early 2000s, and one of the few things that isn't impacted by the Trump family activities. The service puts intercepts on the mail, sends it to scanning and testing facilities, and then re-delivers it afterward.

[Lustful Bride]

Secret Service mail intercept, X-Ray, irradiation, and biological/chemical hazard testing has been standard protocol since the early 2000s, and one of the few things that isn't impacted by the Trump family activities. The service puts intercepts on the mail, sends it to scanning and testing facilities, and then re-delivers it afterward.

Meh *shrug* then either someone messed up or she did set this up herself. The investigation will see. Because if she did it herself I don't see the Service being all too happy at being made to look incompetent.

[Nachtmahr]

I don't expect a lot of people to care, but:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/denmark-prince-henrik-dies-age-83/

Danish Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe, dies at age 83. He was a figure that was perhaps as controversial for his ambition as he was beloved for his silly antics. May he rest in peace. I have never been much of a royalist, but I did find Prince Henrik to be oddly endearing in his own special way.

[gaggedLouise]

I don't expect a lot of people to care, but:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/denmark-prince-henrik-dies-age-83/

Danish Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe, dies at age 83. He was a figure that was perhaps as controversial for his ambition as he was beloved for his silly antics. May he rest in peace. I have never been much of a royalist, but I did find Prince Henrik to be oddly endearing in his own special way.

It topped the morning news here in neighbouring Sweden. It had been clear for a week or so, even in the news, that his days were numbered. Queen Margrethe is very popular in Sweden - she was once dubbed the coolest and most effortlessly dignified royal figure in any of the present-day Nordic countries, and her mother was a Swedish princess - Prince Henrik has always been seen as a bit more quirky, but also funny and with an odd sense of humour.

South Africa: the governing ANC party try to oust President Jacob Zuma, their own former leader. after he has lost the confidence of most of his party. Zuma refuses to go and in a day pr so the parliament are going to vote to force him out. Zuma has a mass of corruption scandals on his heels, so if he goes then the fall and his future could be very disgraceful.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/south-africas-anc-demands-zuma-resignation-threatening-no-confidence-vote/2018/02/14/02e1d06e-1173-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_zuma-756am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.66eefcd2d7f3

[Deamonbane]

School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/14/us/florida-school-shooting/index.html

Unknown number of fatalities at the moment.

[Wajin]

I don't expect a lot of people to care, but:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/denmark-prince-henrik-dies-age-83/

Danish Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe, dies at age 83. He was a figure that was perhaps as controversial for his ambition as he was beloved for his silly antics. May he rest in peace. I have never been much of a royalist, but I did find Prince Henrik to be oddly endearing in his own special way.

As a staunch Royalist and one of the many who think he should have been King Consort, I am saddened by the loss of our eclectic and beloved Prince Consort. He shall not be forgotten for many, many years to come.

Courtesy of r/Denmark: The Prince Consort entertaining guests while wearing a panda costume.

You will be sorely missed, Rest in Peace.

[RedEve]

So the 19th school shooting in the U.S. in 2018.

I'm an outsider, I have never lived in the U.S. so I don't know what the answer is. I do know that no other stable, democratic nation in the world would ignore this problem if it happened at an average of 2-3 times per week.

It's now moved past the realm of insane and into the surreal imho.