What's in the news?

[AmberStarfire]

US to seek social media details for visas:

http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/us-to-seek-social-media-details-for-visas/news-story/4f00c614fe06d70a3047957ed02aa237

[RedRose]

oO I didn't even know that was a law.

As a Swede I can just shake my head. Biked to school from first grade alone, was never supervised when I was playing outside (apart from when I was a baby of course). The fact that they state that a 12 year old might be too impulsive to walk home from bus stop alone just.. is mind boggling to me. If you where to tell a Swede that you are negligent as a parent for that you would be laughed out of the country.

Yeah, that. I don't understand.

[Oniya]

Yeah, that. I don't understand.

As far as I know, it's not any sort of national law (heck, kids were walking home alone from Little Oni's middle school, which is 11-13 year olds).  I think the 'free-range parenting law' might be more of an 'affirmative law' (I don't know the technical term), to keep the 'helicopter parents' from calling CPS because they see kids playing ball in their (the kids') own front yard without a parent sitting there watching.

[Valerian]

(This post is about US politics.)

http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/380045-wisconsin-gop-will-tinker-with-election-laws-rather-than-follow-court?__twitter_impression=true

So apparently Republican leadership in the state of Wisconsin is attempting to find some way to avoid having their power challenged.

I'm not American, and I'm hardly an expert on American politics, although I consider myself fairly well-versed on the topic. With that said, this seems like an outright assault on the concept of democracy itself. A blatant attempt to avoid a political confrontation by refusing to let a fair election take place.

To follow up on this: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/29/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-calls-special-elections-senate-leader-drops-bill/469000002/

Scooter (aka Scott Walker) has now been forced to call special elections after all.

After a three-month delay, a lightning-quick lawsuit and three orders from as many judges, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called two special elections Thursday and GOP senators dropped legislation to block the contests.

Republican efforts collapsed following a Wednesday ruling by an appellate judge ordering the governor to call the May primary and June general elections. In less than a day, Walker abandoned a state Supreme Court appeal to overturn the ruling and lawmakers in both the Senate and Assembly canceled plans to vote to leave the seats vacant.

"This is a victory for the citizens of Wisconsin who are without representation because of Governor Walker's refusal to do his job," said former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, whose national Democratic group brought the lawsuit against Walker on behalf of local voters. "Republicans in the Legislature should stop trying to find new ways to keep the people they're supposed to represent from voting."

They're still screaming about the cost to taxpayers, which is all the GOP's fault, too: had Scooter called for elections as soon as the seats were vacant, elections could have been held in conjunction with Wisconsin's spring elections, coming up next Tuesday, at no extra cost to anyone.

[RedRose]

As far as I know, it's not any sort of national law (heck, kids were walking home alone from Little Oni's middle school, which is 11-13 year olds).  I think the 'free-range parenting law' might be more of an 'affirmative law' (I don't know the technical term), to keep the 'helicopter parents' from calling CPS because they see kids playing ball in their (the kids') own front yard without a parent sitting there watching.

Mmmm. Then it's good. Gosh, I cannot imagine disturbing police forces over a child alone in his yard, or even in the street or mall, unless this is a lost toddler...

[Oniya]

Mmmm. Then it's good. Gosh, I cannot imagine disturbing police forces over a child alone in his yard, or even in the street or mall, unless this is a lost toddler...

CPS isn't quite on the level of police forces (Child Protective Services), but they are severely overworked with actual cases of child abuse. 

[elone]

Gazan's and Palestinians met with bullets for protests. Why does my country (US) support this murder. Note that the shots and shelling and tear gas and the rest are across the border. No one entered Israel or harmed IDF troops. This was a protest of Israels confiscation of lands that belonged to Palestinians. Snipers were there to target people they felt were instigators.

http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=779992

[AmberStarfire]

This is quite an interesting article (ignore the video):
http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/pentagon-hopes-time-crystal-research-will-propel-it-into-a-new-hitech-future/news-story/025fd3ee262ec87ab792fdc71cc36191

[Lustful Bride]

This is quite an interesting article (ignore the video):
http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/pentagon-hopes-time-crystal-research-will-propel-it-into-a-new-hitech-future/news-story/025fd3ee262ec87ab792fdc71cc36191

I hope this will be what we need to lead us into the true space age. :)

[AmberStarfire]

I hope this will be what we need to lead us into the true space age. :)

I guess only time will tell what comes of it.

[AmberStarfire]

Which was an unintended pun.

[RedRose]

CPS isn't quite on the level of police forces (Child Protective Services), but they are severely overworked with actual cases of child abuse.

Yeah...

I have a friend who lost her kids to social services. Granted she messed up. But the kids are certainly worse now, in "homes"/orphanage types dorms, separated, and with all kinds of problem children and overworked educators :(

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/04/02/revealed-grindr-is-sharing-the-hiv-status-of-users-with-outside-companies/

Gay dating app Grindr is sharing the HIV status of its users with outside firms, it has been revealed.

A Norwegian nonprofit has discovered that the information is being shared with two private companies that help “optimise” apps, Localytics and Apptimize. 

The information also includes users’ screen names, GPS data, email address and phone ID.

Yeah nothing wrong can come of that surely! *eyerolls*

[Nachtmahr]

Reports rolling in all over the place of an Active Shooter situation as YouTube HQ.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43635864

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.thelocal.se/20180403/in-pictures-sweden-pays-tribute-to-its-most-beloved-star-lill-babs

Sweden paid tribute to late artist Barbro 'Lill-Babs' Svensson, who passed away on Tuesday. She leaves behind a legacy spanning more than six decades. Here are some of her finest moments.

Probably few outside of Sweden know of her, but in Sweden she was really loved. I know I have many fond memories of her.

[Blythe]

Reports rolling in all over the place of an Active Shooter situation as YouTube HQ.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43635864

This is really terrifying--no reports yet as to who the shooter/s may be. I've been keeping up with the story & waiting on updates. 

[Lustful Bride]

Four Gas pipelines report being shutdown by cyber attacks.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/four-gas-pipeline-data-systems-shut-down-as-cyberattack-hits/ar-AAvqbkB?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz

[Lustful Bride]

This is really terrifying--no reports yet as to who the shooter/s may be. I've been keeping up with the story & waiting on updates. 

Apparently the shooter was female and based on her actual youtube account, she was an animal rights activist, preaching how animal rights were equal to those of a human, and ranted many times about how youtube was holding back her views and there was no equal opportunity at YouTube HQ.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/woman-suspected-of-opening-fire-at-youtube-had-battled-against-platform/ar-AAvqP4L?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz

I don't want to say she was some kind of PETA nutjob, but some of those people can be pretty insane. She seemed to lay the blame for all of her problems on youtube though.



So there is now a Seminar on 'Christian Privilege'.

I feel like these do more harm than good, they drive a wedge between people and make everyone more hostile and defensive rather than open and accepting.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/3/george-washington-university-host-seminar-addressi/

[Nachtmahr]

So there is now a Seminar on 'Christian Privilege'.

I feel like these do more harm than good, they drive a wedge between people and make everyone more hostile and defensive rather than open and accepting.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/3/george-washington-university-host-seminar-addressi/

While I'm not a Christian, I do agree with you. The debate over privileges has gotten very far out of hand. Radicals and ignorant individuals on both sides have poisoned the well to such an extent that it has become virtually impossible to talk about it at all without the debate devolving into a meaningless shouting match. :/

[Lustful Bride]

....so there is now a thing called the Condom Snorting Challenge.

Which involves stuffing a condom up your nose and snorting it until it comes out your mouth. And people are actually doing this.

I recommend not watching the video below because the description above is all you need to see.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/condom-snorting-challenge-experts-warn-dangerous-trend/

[Sara Nilsson]

People been doing that as a party trick for ages.

[Quick Ben]

In today's evening news... People are stupid.

God I love people.

[Ket]

People been doing that as a party trick for ages.

With spaghetti noodles...

But yeah, kids of every generation do stupid things like this. It just seems more prolific now because they post it to the internet for the world to see.

[Oniya]

With spaghetti noodles...

But yeah, kids of every generation do stupid things like this. It just seems more prolific now because they post it to the internet for the world to see.

Slightly less chance of asphyxiation if the spaghetti noodle goes the wrong way.

[Nachtmahr]

Slightly less chance of asphyxiation if the spaghetti noodle goes the wrong way.

Not mention that it's easily breakable if it should get stuck. And it's probably less like to cause irritation or damage to the inside of your nose, but that's admittedly just speculation on my part.

Either way, the way that [stupid thing]-challenge has spread as a concept is somewhat worrying to me. I feel like a lot of them end up going too far.