Friday, September 28, 2018

Former White Supremacist Mourns the Death of His Black Godmother

 
Scott Shepherd is pictured with Rebecca Scott Hawkins, the woman he credits with saving his life. "I love and miss her so much already," said Shepherd.

By Gary Glennell Toms

If there were organizations or individuals with racist views, chances are Scott Shepherd was closely associated with them. Shepherd, who spent the early part of his life in Mississippi and Texas, attended college in Mississippi and Georgia.

After graduating, he relocated to Memphis, Tennessee; where he was introduced to the white nationalist movement and went on to obtain a high-ranking leadership position within a number of white nationalist organizations. Shepherd was also a member of the Ku Klux Klan and served as Imperial Wizard, Grand Wizard, and national leader of the Omerta Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

His other affiliations included the National Association for the Advancement of White People and The European-American Unity Rights Organization, both founded by former Louisiana Congressman and Klansman David Duke.

In effort to teach what he described as "uneducated" whites about the movement, Shepherd created The National White Rights Association and The White Rights Organization. The Mississippi native also had connections to "pro-white" organizations in South Africa and other countries. These connections included extremist and anti-government groups. Some were labeled militia or mercenary groups and were considered paramilitary, such as The Civilian Material Assistance Group (CMA), an anti-government and anti-Communist organization with operations in Central America.

Shepherd was a candidate for state representative and governor in the state of Tennessee in the late 80's and early 90's and proudly campaigned as a white nationalist.

Today, Scott Shepherd has a very different view on race in America, which is largely due to a 10-day stint in a county jail in Nashville and interactions with people of color. He now speaks out against the white nationalist movement and other racist organizations he loved and supported. The man who spent the majority of his life vehemently campaigning for racial separation has become an advocate for racial harmony and the recipient of numerous death threats from individuals and organizations associated with the white nationalist movement. Despite the threats to his life, he is determined to prevent others, especially young people, from falling victim to the propaganda and recruitment tactics used by the white nationalist movement and other racist groups.

Shepherd credits his lifelong relationship with his godmother, Rebecca Scott Hawkins, as part of the reason for what many have described as "an incredible transformation". On September 27 of this year, Hawkins, whom family and friends lovingly called "Miss Becky", passed away peacefully in her sleep. She would have celebrated her 104th birthday on October 3. "I'll never be able to explain how this compassionate, loving and remarkable woman impacted my life, and to say I love her would be an understatement. "I'm so thankful to have had her in my life.," Shepherd stated. 

"Miss Becky" and Shepherd during her 103rd birthday celebration.

The former Klansman also noted that Miss Becky was always there and never turned her back on him, even when he was doing and saying the most hateful things as an international spokesman for the movement. "Without question, it was her faith in God, her faith in me, and her love that brought me through those dark years," he said. "Heaven gained a new angel today. I, and my family, will miss her dearly. She was my backbone, my source of strength and my heart! She was a mother and grandmother who, all around, held my heart. I love and miss her so much already, and I ask that people please pray for her family and mine. Fly high, Becky. You deserved it all. I love you, and I always will." 

'Jobs Alliance,' Funded by Trump Backer, Tries to Block Gas Plants That Would Bring Jobs to West Virginia

  
Murray Energy, one of the nation’s largest coal producers, is paying for lawyers trying to block natural gas plants that would support a growing industry.

by Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette-Mail

This article was produced in partnership with the Charleston Gazette-Mail, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.

Three years ago, a group of residents in West Virginia’s northern panhandle formed a new group, the Ohio Valley Jobs Alliance, and declared themselves a “voice for local jobs.”

A few months later, however, the group’s first major action was aimed not at creating jobs, but at blocking them.

In November 2015, the alliance, known as the OVJA, filed a legal appeal to challenge a key permit for construction of the Moundsville Power project, a natural gas-fired plant in Marshall County.

The move was puzzling. Backers of Moundsville Power said the project would be a significant boost for the area, providing 500 jobs annually during a three-year construction period and 30 permanent jobs once it was operational. Supporters said the project was a way for residents to capture more economic gains from West Virginia’s booming natural gas industry.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ProPublica

Challenged by Long Island Lawmakers, Police Will Look Into Treatment of Immigrant Families Who Reported Missing Children

 
Spurred by reporting from ProPublica, Newsday and This American Life, Suffolk County police will revisit cases in which parents allege misconduct.

At the behest of county lawmakers, the Suffolk County Police Department said Thursday it will look into what went wrong when Latino families came to the department in 2016 and 2017, desperate for help finding teenage children who had disappeared, only to have their concerns ignored and their children labeled runaways.

It turned out that many of the missing had been murdered by members of the gang MS-13, some of them buried in Suffolk County woods known as the gang’s “killing fields.”

The county executive and the head of the Police Department also have agreed to meet with advocates for immigrant and Latino Long Islanders in the coming days.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ProPublica

SPLC Report: Racial Profiling in Law Enforcement is Widespread Across Louisiana

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has unearthed evidence of widespread racial profiling in Louisiana and found that law enforcement agencies across the state have failed to create policies to prevent it. Louisiana’s incarceration rate is among the highest in the nation, and the targeting of people of color undoubtedly contributes to the disproportionate imprisonment of African Americans in this state.

Click here for the full announcement. 

Source: SPLC 

Senate Judiciary Committee Proceedings on Kavanaugh Confirmation Vote

Mexican Military Takes Over Acapulco Police Force


Source: CBS News

IMF Gives Argentina $57 Billion Emergency Loan


Erdogan in Germany Brings Hope for Better Diplomatic Relations


China Urges US to Stop 'Slander' After Trump's Election Claims


Palestine Says US Can't Mediate Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process


Pakistan FM: 'War is No Option. The Only Solution is Dialogue.'

Harlem Apartment Building Will Remain Affordable Another 40 Years

 
By Kenneth Lovett

ALBANY — A Harlem apartment building will continue to offer affordable housing for another 40 years under a deal announced Thursday.

Lakeview Apartments, which is at the corner of Fifth Ave. and 106th St. in East Harlem and has 446 apartments, is leaving the Mitchell-Lama affordable housing program this year, which could have resulted in market-rate rent hikes as apartments became vacant, aides to Gov. Cuomo said.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The New York Daily News (via Empire Report New York) 

64 Syracuse Area Clergy Abuse Victims Among 981 New Yorkers to Get Paid by Catholic Church

 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Sixty-four Central New Yorkers are among the nearly 1,000 victims of clergy sexual abuse in New York state who plan to take settlements from the Catholic church.

The victim compensation program offered through the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse is nearing its conclusion after about seven months. Victims have started to receive and accept financial offers in Syracuse and across the state.

Program administrator Camille Biros said in five New York dioceses, there were 1,262 claims. From that, 1,133 offers were made. As of Thursday afternoon, 981 signed releases to settle the claims.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: syracuse.com (via Empire Report New York) 

Judge Resigns Amid Probe Into Misconduct Allegations


A veteran New York town judge will resigns amid accusations he denigrated a fellow judge from the bench and made culturally and racially insensitive comments.

Click here for summary. 

Source: Associated Press (via Empire Report New York)

Governor Cuomo: Reopen Background Investigation into Allegations Against Judge Kavanaugh


Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo

"Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony was powerful and persuasive and compels reopening of the FBI background investigation, as is routinely done. Senate Republicans say they believe Dr. Ford was assaulted but claim they aren't sure Judge Kavanaugh is responsible. If they mean what they say, they should ask the FBI to investigate and they should require Judge Kavanaugh to take a polygraph test as Dr. Ford has done. 

"It is shocking that Judge Kavanaugh won't take a polygraph and that the Senate won't subpoena his friends or listen to other accusers. There should be no rush for a vote given these serious allegations. 

"If they won't take these steps, Republicans are telling women how little they value them. A woman's testimony is worth as much as a man's. That shouldn't be a controversial proposition. Dr. Ford came forward at great personal cost, and we owe it to her and to all survivors of abuse to fully investigate prior to a vote for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land." 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo 

Thursday, September 27, 2018

The G-Man: Five Takeaways from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's Testimony



Okay, ready? Here we go.

1. Dr. Blasey Ford came across as consistent, courteous and extremely credible when answering questions and recounting the alleged event. I know people who, like Dr. Blasey Ford, have two Master's degrees and a PhD. Guess what? The majority of them are pretentious snobs, and I had no problem telling them that. However, this woman appeared to be the complete opposite. She came across as kind, real and someone with whom you'd be happy to have tea.

2. The exchange between Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Amy Klobuchar was a pivotal moment during the proceedings. It strongly illustrated the key reason why the hearing was being conducted in the first place: many men attempt to control a narrative or situation through positions of power, the use of physical force or issuing directives. What Senator Grassley said to his female colleague was beyond inappropriate, and I hope people call him out for what he did.

3. Senators Kamala Harris and Corey Booker are, in my view, true leaders and representatives of the Black community. Their statements, as well as their willingness to publicly call out fellow politicians for not holding the FBI accountable for failing to investigate the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, was confirmation that America still has elected officials that put the country and its people first.

4. There are still caring and good people in the legal profession. Dr. Blasey Ford's lawyers are representing her on a pro bono basis.

5. If Robert Mueller isn't chosen, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford should be named TIME Magazine's "Person of the Year".

Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh Testimonies

 
Click here for videos 

 Source: C-SPAN

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

David Glosser: 'Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle'


Source: Democracy Now!

Senate Finance Hearing on Tariffs Impact on Auto Industry


Auto industry executives and labor union leaders testified before the Senate Finance Committee on the potential impact of tariffs on the U.S. auto industry. The Commerce Department has initiated an investigation, authorized by a Trade Expansion Act provision, to determine whether automobile imports pose a risk to national security. Witnesses and committee members agreed that imposing tariffs would negatively impact auto sales, industry workers and consumers. Other topics addressed included, U.S.-China trade relations, NAFTA negotiations and the administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) chaired this committee and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) served as the ranking member. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

House Republican News Conference

 
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), along with his leadership team, held a news conference to discuss the legislative agenda for the week, including a spending bill to fund the Pentagon and a second round of tax cuts. The speaker also answered questions about news of the day, including speculation that President Trump could fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein over a New York Times story and the Supreme Court nomination process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh in light of sexual misconduct allegations. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

First Lady Melania Trump News Conference on Africa Trip

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

House Resolution Directs Trump to End U.S. Support for Yemen War

 

In Congress, frustration with the U.S. role in Yemen is nearing a breaking point. Sen. Bob Menendez — the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — is holding up a $2 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over concerns that the two countries routinely bomb civilian targets. Meanwhile, in the House, U.S. assistance to the Saudi- and UAE-led coalition is about to face another major hurdle.

On Wednesday, California Democrat Ro Khanna introduced a resolution invoking the 1973 War Powers Act, declaring that Congress never authorized U.S. support for the coalition in Yemen and directing President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from “hostilities” against the Houthis, the Iranian-backed rebel group at war with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The resolution would not affect U.S. forces who are on the ground in Yemen fighting Al Qaeda.

The legislation closely resembles a similar measure Khanna introduced last year, but now has 23 other co-sponsors, including Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the minority whip, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Armed Services committee, and Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee. As a “privileged” resolution under House rules, the bill can bypass a committee vote and is overwhelmingly likely to receive a vote on the floor.

“This time around, our coalition to end the war has expanded and the call for withdrawing U.S. involvement is louder,” Khanna said in a statement.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Intercept_

Using the Dark Web to Influence Elections


Source: CBS News

How to Deal with the Northern Ireland Backstop Question?


Source: FRANCE 24 English

One Planet Summit is 'Important as an Impetus' Towards Climate Action


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Third Woman Comes Forward with Kavanaugh Abuse Claims


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Who Was Trump's UN Security Council Address Designed For?


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Melinda Gates: 'Philanthropy Can't Fill in for Government Money'


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani Pictured with White Nationalist Mayoral Candidate


Faith Goldy’s mayoral bid has garnered little support. But it has earned her some controversial photo ops.

By Will Sommer

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani posed for pictures with a right-wing media personality turned mayoral candidate accused of promoting white nationalism and anti-Semitic literature.  

The candidate, Faith Goldy, is a far-right YouTuber who is running to be mayor of Toronto. She posted the photos with President Donald Trump’s lawyer on her Instagram feed Tuesday.

“Just like Giuliani cleaned up the streets of NYC, our tough on crime playbook is going to run illegal guns & gangs right out of Toronto!” Goldy wrote on Twitter. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Daily Beast 

Governor Cuomo Announces First-Ever Biotech Venture Between U.S. and Cuba


Buffalo, NY - Governor Cuomo announced Buffalo-based Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has formed the Innovative Immunotherapy Alliance S.A., the first-ever biotech venture between the U.S. and Cuba.

Source: NYGovCuomo 

Street Renaming Ceremony for Firefighter William Tolley (Full Video)


Source: NYC Mayor's Office

Six Tips for Those Who Received Extensions to File Personal Income Tax Returns

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded New Yorkers who obtained a six-month filing extension that returns must be filed on or before Monday, October 15.

The Tax Department expects nearly 500,000 returns to be filed ahead of the extension deadline. Once the returns are systematically reviewed and finalized, the Tax Department will have processed a total of more than 11.5 million personal income tax returns this year.

Tip #1. Don’t procrastinate. File early.

“Don’t put this off until the last minute,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “Filing in a rush can lead to errors that will delay any refund you may be owed.”

Tip #2. File electronically.

E-filing is safe and more efficient than sending paper returns through the mail. About 92% of all New York State personal income tax returns are electronically prepared and filed. All returns, whether filed electronically or on paper, undergo the same systematic review.

Tip #3. File for free.

Taxpayers with adjusted gross household incomes of $66,000 or less in 2017 may access free, user-friendly software from their computer, smartphone, or tablet at www.tax.ny.gov (search: freefile2017). The tax preparation software helps reduce filing errors that can delay return processing and refunds. It also prevents valuable credits from being overlooked.

Tip #4. Use direct deposit.

Receive any refund due up to a week faster by having it directly deposited into your bank account. Be sure to double check the routing and account numbers for your account.

Tip # 5. File on time.

To avoid penalties and interest, file on time. The penalties are much higher for late filing than for late payment.

Tip #6. Check your refund online.

If you’re eager to find out the status of your claim for an income tax refund, use the Check your Refund app on our website: www.tax.ny.gov. It’s the fastest and most convenient way to know when to expect your refund. You’ll need to enter the refund amount you're claiming, your Social Security number, and which form you filed.

Source: The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

Judge Allows Lawsuit Against City's Property-Tax System to Proceed

 
By Joe Anuta

A lawsuit alleging the city's property tax system is biased against low-income and minority owners can proceed, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled Tuesday, dealing a blow to the Cuomo and de Blasio administrations' efforts to block the case.

A group called Tax Equity Now New York filed the suit in 2017 challenging a key aspect of the tax system: Because a state law limited how quickly property taxes can escalate, owners in areas where property values have since soared, such as Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn, now pay far lower taxes as a percentage of their home's value than owners of properties in neighborhoods of the Bronx and Staten Island. The coalition, which is comprised of odd bedfellows from advocacy and real estate circles, argues that this is unfair to minorities, who predominate in areas with higher property-tax rates.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS (via Empire Report New York) 

Secret Files Suggest Catholic Bishop Shielded Alleged 'Predator Priests' from the Public



Buffalo, New York - In this hardscrabble Rust Belt city with deep Catholic roots, the Catholic Church's top official is facing calls for his resignation over his handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests.
 
Documents obtained by CNN suggest Bishop Richard J. Malone did not sanction priests accused of sexual abuse and concealed the identities of alleged "predator priests" from the public.
 
In a preemptive move in March, Malone released a list of 42 priests in the Buffalo diocese who had left the priesthood after facing accusations of sexually abusing minors. "The diocese of Buffalo is committed to correcting the mistakes and sins of the past," he said at the time.
 
But a trove of secret diocesan records, first reported by CNN affiliate WKBW and obtained by CNN, show the number of accused priests could be up to 200.
 
Click here for video. 
 
Source: CNN (via Empire Report New York)

New York: Competition Would Fix the State's Chaotic Health Care Market


By Alain C. Enthoven and Simeon Schindelman

Throughout New York, competition is fierce. Companies constantly innovate and evolve to attract customers and beat out rivals. This drives prices down and service quality up.

One industry, however, operates largely free from competition: health care. The skyrocketing costs and fragmentation that define the industry in New York, the tristate area and across the nation have come to be accepted as unavoidable.

Although industry experts and top executives at corporations including Amazon and CVS have devoted endless resources to finding a solution, none will succeed until we disrupt the traditional medical network model by intensifying competition among providers and rewarding the best performers on cost and quality.

Click here for the full article.

Source: CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS (via Empire Report New York)

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Marcy Wheeler: Rosenstein’s Ouster Would Not Necessarily Signal End of Mueller Investigation


Source: Democracy Now!

Bill Cosby Sentenced to Three to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Assault


Fact Checking President Trump


Washington Post Fact Checker columnist Glenn Kessler talked about the number of false or misleading claims President Trump has made since taking office.

Click here for video.

Alaska Judge Gives Man Charged with Sexual Assault Zero Jail Time



Source: CBS News

Brett Kavanaugh and His Wife Fire Back in TV Interview


EU and Iran Agree on New Payment System to Skirt US Sanctions


UK’s Labour Party to Vote on Launching Second Brexit Referendum


Surgeon Serving 200,000 in South Sudan Wins UN Refugee Award


Aquarius Denied Right to Dock: 'We Are Urging European Union to Show a Bit of Decency'


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Medical Breakthrough? Researchers Find Way to Tackle Alzheimer's


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Sweden: PM Stefan Lofven Loses Confidence Vote in Parliament


Source: FRANCE 24 English

UN General Assembly: Does the Macron-Trump Relationship Really Pay Off?


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Moscow Sends New Defense System to Damascus After Syrian Missile Mistakenly Shot Down Russian Jet


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Monday, September 24, 2018

Undocumented Immigrant Faces a Choice: Become an Informant for ICE or Be Deported


By Ryan Katz

It was still dark on a crisp morning in March 2017 when Carlos Rueda Cruz clambered into his Toyota Tacoma pickup truck to go to work. He turned the key in the ignition and pulled around the corner to pick up his friend, who worked for the same roofing company in Sacramento, California. Carlos made it three blocks before he saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror. He pulled over near an Arco gas station. “They better just give you a ticket,” the friend joked.

The police approached with guns cocked, Carlos said. They shouted for him to put his hands in the air. As Carlos stepped out of his truck, he noticed five law enforcement vehicles surrounding him. The police started asking questions: Where are you going? Are you carrying any drugs or weapons? Why are you here?

Carlos recalled another time when he’d been pulled over by men with guns, three years earlier, in his home province of Michoacán, Mexico. That time, it was by members of a drug cartel. Carlos and his family had handed out flyers for the leftist Mexican Party of the Democratic Revolution, known by its Spanish-language acronym PRD, during the 2012 and 2014 elections. At the time, local cartels — most notably, Los Zetas and La Familia — frequently intimidated voters into supporting the party they favored. The armed men asked Carlos which party he was voting for. Carlos replied that he hadn’t decided yet. The men threatened to kill him unless he voted for the conservative Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI; ultimately, they let him go. Afterward, Carlos faced a fundamental question: change my political beliefs, or run? He fled with his family to the United States, where he was about to face another life-altering encounter with forces beyond his control.

Soon, according to Carlos, he would be drawn against his will into a deal with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which asked him to snitch on other undocumented immigrants or face deportation. When he refused to comply, he faced retaliation. This account is based on more than 300 pages of documents and interviews with Carlos, his relatives, and his attorney. ICE declined to comment on most aspects of Carlos’s case, though an agency official said an inquiry had determined that some of Carlos’s accusations were unfounded. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Intercept_

Solitary Confinement Units: Architects Designing for Prisons Confront Ethical Questions


Source: PBS NewsHour

White Supremacists Attack Governor Cuomo in 'Free Speech' Flier


Click here for details. 

Source: The New York Daily News

Statement from the Governor

"President Trump and Republicans in Washington have contributed to a toxic social dynamic that is spreading like a cancer across the country and fueling hateful material like the neo-Nazi fliers. These fliers only harden our resolve to take on hate.

"Hate is easy to sell, and there will always be those who try to peddle it. Those who spew hate are afraid. Hate is cowardice and the ultimate weakness. We will not cower in the face of hate. We will not fold in the face of anger. And we will not succumb to intimidation.

"While they spread fear, we spread love. In New York, we have zero tolerance for intolerance, and we know that love will always defeat hate." 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo 

Bipartisan Furor as North Carolina Election Law Shrinks Early Voting Locations by Almost 20 Percent

Nearly half of the state’s counties are shutting down polling places, in part because of a law passed in June. 

by Blake Paterson 

In June, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation mandating that all early voting sites in the state remain open for uniform hours on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., a move supporters argued would reduce confusion and ultimately make early voting easier and more accessible.

But with the start of early voting only weeks away, county election officials across the state — who previously had control over setting polling hours in their jurisdictions — say the new law has hamstrung their ability to best serve voters. Some officials in rural counties say they’ve had to shrink the number of early voting locations to accommodate the law’s longer hour requirements and stay within their budgets.

A ProPublica analysis of polling locations shows that North Carolina’s 2018 midterm election will have nearly 20 percent fewer early voting locations than there were in 2014. Nearly half of North Carolina’s 100 counties are shutting down polling places, in part because of the new law. Poorer rural counties, often strapped for resources to begin with, are having a particularly difficult time adjusting to the new requirement.

The closure of polling locations increases the time it takes for voters to travel to the polls, and it could result in lower turnout, making matters worse for a state already dealing with Hurricane Florence. Early voting in North Carolina begins on Oct. 17.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ProPublica

Trump to Meet with Deputy AG Rosenstein on Thursday


While meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York, President Trump says he is considering a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He also says he plans to meet with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday.

Click here for video. 

Source: C-SPAN 

New York State Adds Pain Management to List of Eligible Conditions for Treatment with Medical Marijuana

 
Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed legislation (S8987A/A 11011-B) that adds acute pain management to the list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be recommended as an alternative to opioid use. The bill will also allow for substance use disorder treatment providers to recommend medical marijuana to help patients manage underlying pain that contributes to the abuse of substances such as opioids.

"In this battle against the opioid epidemic, it is critical that we use every means at our disposal to prevent the unnecessary prescription of these dangerous and addictive painkillers," Governor Cuomo said. "Adding these conditions to the list of those approved for management with medical marijuana will help reduce the risk of addiction and provide suffering New Yorkers the relief they need."

"We know that medical marijuana can be a helpful alternative for a wide range of illnesses and conditions," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "By expanding the approved list, we are providing New Yorkers with new options, and preventing the danger that comes from opioid addiction."

The bill will formalize into law the regulatory change that was implemented by the Department of Health earlier this year that added opioid replacement and opioid use disorder to the existing list of conditions for which a patient can qualify for medical marijuana. In order to recommend medical marijuana for pain management, a registered practitioner must determine that the patient's pain degrades health and functional capability, along with certain other requirements.

Senator George Amedore, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse said, "As the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction travelled the state, this was a big gap that we heard about over and over. When we look at solutions to help us combat the heroin and opioid epidemic, we must ensure prescribers and patients have every resource and option at their disposal. I'm glad the Governor has signed this legislation that will help patients and provide an alternative to highly addictive opioids."

Assembly Health Committee Chair and bill sponsor Richard N. Gottfried said, "Opioid addiction does not discriminate, impacting New Yorkers of all ages, genders, and races. Evidence from across the country shows that access to medical marijuana for pain treatment reduces the use of far more dangerous opioids. Medical marijuana is a safe and effective alternative for treating pain.  I commend the Governor for signing the bill and will continue working to expand access to medical marijuana for patients in need."

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Dallas Police Officer Who Shot Unarmed Neighbor Has Been Fired


Source: CBSDFW

Women Walk Out Across the Country in Support of Kavanaugh’s Accusers

 
By Andy Campbell, Emma Gray, and Laura Bassett

At 1 p.m. on Monday, supporters of the women who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault walked out of their homes and workplaces.

The national walkout was promoted partially in response to the backlash these and other women face when going public with stories of sexual assault and rape. The anti-sexual-harassment organization Times Up tweeted on Sunday that “WOMEN MUST BE HEARD” in a “MOMENT OF SOLIDARITY” with Kavanaugh’s accusers, Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez.

It urged people to wear black and leave wherever they are in protest, using the hashtag #BelieveSurvivors on social media.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Huffington Post

'Survivors Must Be Heard': 1,100 Alumnae of Dr. Blasey Ford’s H.S. Demand FBI Investigate Kavanaugh


Source: Democracy Now!

Ronan Farrow on Breaking Story of 2nd Kavanaugh Accuser


Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, and Nikki Haley Hold Press Conference on Sidelines of UNGA

David Begnaud Answers Questions About 'Puerto Rico: The Exodus After Hurricane Maria'


Source: CBS News

Hong Kong Bans Pro-Independence Party in Unprecedented Move


The Economic Toll of China-US Trade War


Labour Party Conference: 'Lots of Reasons Why Things Might Not Go to Plan'


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Italy Adopts Degree That Makes It Easier to Deport Migrants, Strip Them of Citizenship


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Germany: Where Providing Information on Abortion Remains a Crime


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Iran's Rouhani Accuses US, Saudi Arabia, Israel of Being Behind Military Parade Attack


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Playing Fair and Paying Fair: Copyright Law Gets an Internet-Age Overhaul


Source: FRANCE 24 English

Sunday, September 23, 2018

How to Stop Third-Party Apps From Reading Your Email



Whenever you click that easy “Sign in With Google” button on a company’s website, you’re granting the app or service access to some of your information. While in some cases that might just be access to your name and email address, for others you’re giving that company the ability to read your email as well.

Sure, that sign-on was super simple, but you’re giving something up in return.

The Wall Street Journal did a big story on this a few months ago, which surprised a lot of people. Now, it’s warning users again that there are still third-party apps reading your email. It’s a good reminder, and if you haven’t already, now’s a good time for you to check out what apps and services you’re granting access to your email to.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: lifehacker.com