The Current Events, News, and Politics Thread
05-14-2018, 08:03 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Hollywood, FL
Posts: 807
Total Cats: 163
That is an absolutely terrible and disgusting act of cowardice if that's the case. His life sucks so he takes everyone's life around him. It was difficult reading all the life he took.
That's all I have to say. Politics need not apply.
That's all I have to say. Politics need not apply.
Reply
0
0
05-15-2018, 12:12 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Canberra, sort of
Posts: 1,090
Total Cats: 184
Yes, very sad, like all these situations. Commonly, they involve the father of the children. In this case it was the grandfather (it seems), and may have involved some sedation of the victims if I read the signs correctly.
What this shows (again) is that there are no panaceas out there when it comes to gun crimes (or any other for that matter).
What this shows (again) is that there are no panaceas out there when it comes to gun crimes (or any other for that matter).
Reply
0
0
05-15-2018, 08:55 AM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
if it breathes:
SEATTLE APPROVES TAX ON EMPLOYING PEOPLE
By Kevin Ryan
Seattle has approved a highly controversial ‘head tax’ on large businesses. The measure will tax Seattle companies 14 cents per employee hour, or $275 per employee annually. It applies to all companies with sales of $20 million or more.
...
By Kevin Ryan
Seattle has approved a highly controversial ‘head tax’ on large businesses. The measure will tax Seattle companies 14 cents per employee hour, or $275 per employee annually. It applies to all companies with sales of $20 million or more.
...
The added cost to Seattle businesses comes on top of the city’s recently imposed highest-in-the-nation minimum wage of $15/hr to $15.45/hr, which went into effect on January 1st for companies with more than 500 employees.
The tax is expected to raise roughly $50 million per year. The city says it will be used for outreach efforts for the homeless. The measure was met with near-universal opposition from not just businesses, but also labor unions.
Online retailer Amazon, which employs more than 40,000 workers in Seattle, is “disappointed” with the decision.
“We remain very apprehensive about the future created by the council’s hostile approach and rhetoric toward larger businesses, which forces us to question our growth here,” Amazon vice president and spokesman Drew Herdener said. “City of Seattle revenues have grown dramatically from $2.8B in 2010 to $4.2B in 2017, and they will be even higher in 2018.”
“The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem. We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better,” he said.
Starbucks, Boeing, Costco, and Microsoft also employ large numbers of workers in Seattle, and will be significantly affected by the new tax.
The tax is expected to raise roughly $50 million per year. The city says it will be used for outreach efforts for the homeless. The measure was met with near-universal opposition from not just businesses, but also labor unions.
Online retailer Amazon, which employs more than 40,000 workers in Seattle, is “disappointed” with the decision.
“We remain very apprehensive about the future created by the council’s hostile approach and rhetoric toward larger businesses, which forces us to question our growth here,” Amazon vice president and spokesman Drew Herdener said. “City of Seattle revenues have grown dramatically from $2.8B in 2010 to $4.2B in 2017, and they will be even higher in 2018.”
“The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem. We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better,” he said.
Starbucks, Boeing, Costco, and Microsoft also employ large numbers of workers in Seattle, and will be significantly affected by the new tax.
Reply
0
0
05-15-2018, 09:18 AM
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,035
Total Cats: 6,598
City of Seattle: "We have a bunch of freeloading slackers gobbling up public resources. What should we do about this problem?"
City council: "Let's make it harder for people to operate businesses and generate productivity."
City of Seattle: "Genius."
City council: "Let's make it harder for people to operate businesses and generate productivity."
City of Seattle: "Genius."
Reply
0
0
05-15-2018, 10:54 AM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
City of Sweden: "Genius"
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-welfare-state
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-welfare-state
Sweden’s got a major supply and demand problem.
Its fabled welfare state is forecast to need an extra 208,000 employees by 2025 just to keep up with growing demand. Trouble is, only 207,000 workers are projected to join the country’s entire labor force (comprising both the private and public sector) over the same period.
The mismatch is one of the biggest headaches facing Sweden’s next government. Past precedents don’t bode well. The workforce rose by 488,000 between 2007 and 2017, with less than a third of that increase absorbed by the public sector.
Local authorities recruiting 208,000 workers is “not a credible scenario,” said Annika Wallenskog, chief economist at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. The real risk is that the public and private sectors end up competing for the same workers, she said.
Sweden needs to accelerate the speed of automation, increase employment and reform its welfare state, Wallenskog said. Otherwise “we won’t have enough people to continue working the way we do.”
Financial Hurdles
There are also financial hurdles. So far, a fast-growing economy has come to the rescue, helping Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson run a budget surplus and slash public debt to its lowest level since 1977.
But with the economy now expanding at a more traditional clip, whoever governs after the Sept. 9 general election will not be able to ignore the conundrum. Andersson has so far promised 5 billion kronor ($580 million) a year to local authorities, which run welfare services such as schools, hospitals and care centers for the elderly.
That is far from enough.
. . .
Its fabled welfare state is forecast to need an extra 208,000 employees by 2025 just to keep up with growing demand. Trouble is, only 207,000 workers are projected to join the country’s entire labor force (comprising both the private and public sector) over the same period.
The mismatch is one of the biggest headaches facing Sweden’s next government. Past precedents don’t bode well. The workforce rose by 488,000 between 2007 and 2017, with less than a third of that increase absorbed by the public sector.
Local authorities recruiting 208,000 workers is “not a credible scenario,” said Annika Wallenskog, chief economist at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. The real risk is that the public and private sectors end up competing for the same workers, she said.
The government is going to have to come up with some seriously big ideas on how to make up for future labor shortages. Immigration has also become an especially sensitive topic since the country re-imposed border controls in the wake of the 2015 refugee crisis.
Sweden needs to accelerate the speed of automation, increase employment and reform its welfare state, Wallenskog said. Otherwise “we won’t have enough people to continue working the way we do.”
Financial Hurdles
There are also financial hurdles. So far, a fast-growing economy has come to the rescue, helping Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson run a budget surplus and slash public debt to its lowest level since 1977.
But with the economy now expanding at a more traditional clip, whoever governs after the Sept. 9 general election will not be able to ignore the conundrum. Andersson has so far promised 5 billion kronor ($580 million) a year to local authorities, which run welfare services such as schools, hospitals and care centers for the elderly.
That is far from enough.
. . .
Reply
0
0
05-15-2018, 04:42 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 221
Total Cats: 34
It's all in how you write the headline. New York Times headline:
60% of people don't read beyond the headline (https://www.americanpressinstitute.o...cans-get-news/). NYT chose to publish a headline with the opening words "Israel Kills Dozens," which I would say is purposefully inflammatory.
Why not,
If you rush the border of a sovereign nation with deadly weapons, what response is appropriate, exactly?
Israel Kills Dozens at Gaza Border as U.S. Embassy Opens in Jerusalem
Why not,
Thousands of Palestinians rush border fence with Israel, hurling stones, Molotov cocktails, and explosive devices, as U.S. embassy opens in Jerusalem
Reply
0
0
05-15-2018, 09:58 PM
All-round "Good Guy"
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 993
Total Cats: 245
It's all in how you write the headline. New York Times headline:
60% of people don't read beyond the headline (https://www.americanpressinstitute.o...cans-get-news/). NYT chose to publish a headline with the opening words "Israel Kills Dozens," which I would say is purposefully inflammatory.
Why not,
If you rush the border of a sovereign nation with deadly weapons, what response is appropriate, exactly?
60% of people don't read beyond the headline (https://www.americanpressinstitute.o...cans-get-news/). NYT chose to publish a headline with the opening words "Israel Kills Dozens," which I would say is purposefully inflammatory.
Why not,
If you rush the border of a sovereign nation with deadly weapons, what response is appropriate, exactly?
When I read that type of headline I immediately ask "Why?".
The last thing a country like Israel would do is kill Palestinians for NO reason at all, they already have enough issues with justifiable defensive killings.
Headlines such as these merely stir the fire of hatred and should be prosecuted IMO.
When large mobs of civilians are hurling molotov cocktails, burning tires and rocks at a handful of armed soldiers and fail to disperse after a few warning shots, continuing their attacks, what other outcome can there be?
Reply
0
0
05-16-2018, 09:22 AM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
here's the most shocking thing youll read all week:
stay woke.
Trevor Noah says his fans should not watch Fox News.
“We seldom engage with Fox News. And, that’s been because, as Trevor, I don’t watch Fox News,” “The Daily Show” host said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that was published on Monday.
“I encourage my audience to not watch Fox News,” Noah added. “I don’t think you should put yourself through that.”
stay woke.
Reply
0
0
05-16-2018, 09:36 AM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
Dear Amtrak:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...cid=spartanntp
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...cid=spartanntp
A Japanese railway company has made global headlines after one of its trains left a few seconds earlier than scheduled.
Early Friday morning, a train en route to Nishi-Akashi Station departed Notogawa Station at 7:11:35 a.m. instead of 7:12 a.m. on the dot. The West Japan Railway Company, or JR West, later issued a formal apology via a press release on its website, Sora News reported.
...
"The great inconvenience we placed upon our customers was truly inexcusable," JR West said. "We will be thoroughly evaluating our conduct and striving to keep such an incident from occurring again."
Early Friday morning, a train en route to Nishi-Akashi Station departed Notogawa Station at 7:11:35 a.m. instead of 7:12 a.m. on the dot. The West Japan Railway Company, or JR West, later issued a formal apology via a press release on its website, Sora News reported.
...
"The great inconvenience we placed upon our customers was truly inexcusable," JR West said. "We will be thoroughly evaluating our conduct and striving to keep such an incident from occurring again."
Reply
0
0
05-16-2018, 09:59 AM
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,035
Total Cats: 6,598
To be fair, that's a serious incident by Japanese standards. They take great pride in the trains running exactly on time (de-boarding passengers are given excuse slips by the conductors to take with them to work if a train arrives at the station a minute late), and an early departure means that some boarding passengers missed their train.
Yeah, I thought about this a lot when I was riding the Metro North Hudson Line from Beacon to Grand Central every day in ~ 2014, where 20-30 minute delays are not uncommon.
Yeah, I thought about this a lot when I was riding the Metro North Hudson Line from Beacon to Grand Central every day in ~ 2014, where 20-30 minute delays are not uncommon.
Reply
0
0
05-16-2018, 11:30 AM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
They’re pushing civilians, women, children into the line of fire with the view of getting casualties. We try to minimize casualties. They’re trying to incur casualties in order to put pressure on Israel, which is horrible.
...
CBS NEWS: Did your army go too far?
NETANYAHU: I don’t know if any army would do anything differently if you had to protect your border against people who say, ‘we’re going to destroy you and we’re going to flood into your country. You try other means. You try all sorts of means. You try non-lethal means, and they don’t work, so you’re left with bad choices. It’s a bad deal.
...
CBS NEWS: Do you see yourself under any circumstance talking to Hamas?
NETANYAHU: As long as they seek our destruction, what am I going to talk about? I mean, if somebody said, ‘Could you talk to Al Qaeda, would you have discussions with bin Laden?’ About what?
...
CBS NEWS: Did your army go too far?
NETANYAHU: I don’t know if any army would do anything differently if you had to protect your border against people who say, ‘we’re going to destroy you and we’re going to flood into your country. You try other means. You try all sorts of means. You try non-lethal means, and they don’t work, so you’re left with bad choices. It’s a bad deal.
...
CBS NEWS: Do you see yourself under any circumstance talking to Hamas?
NETANYAHU: As long as they seek our destruction, what am I going to talk about? I mean, if somebody said, ‘Could you talk to Al Qaeda, would you have discussions with bin Laden?’ About what?
Reply
0
0
05-17-2018, 01:25 PM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
meanwhile in the rest of the world, as we wait to hear why Flynn was so important:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-...fying-12551158
and now for the plot twist:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-...fying-12551158
An Austrian man has been locked up for glorifying Nazism after cops found multiple bottles of Hitler-branded wine at his home.
The 31-year-old, from the western state of Vorarlberg, was discovered to own several bottles of the wine and increasingly popular wine.He was jailed for six months after being found guilty of glorifying the activities of the ***** - a crime in countries like Austria and Germany.
The 31-year-old, from the western state of Vorarlberg, was discovered to own several bottles of the wine and increasingly popular wine.He was jailed for six months after being found guilty of glorifying the activities of the ***** - a crime in countries like Austria and Germany.
Austrian investigators found multiple bottles at the home of the man, whose name was not made public due to strict local privacy laws.
Reply
0
0
05-17-2018, 01:49 PM
Boost Czar
Thread Starter
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,499
Total Cats: 4,080
Joe Perez, check your mail and answer it!!!
PURGE: God Emperor Trump Disappeared From Facebook (Press Release)
PURGE: God Emperor Trump Disappeared From Facebook (Press Release)
Good Morning Joe Perez,
Thank you for your work at finding answers regarding the total Facebook purge of God Emperor Trump.
We are 10 days into this purge. At this point God Emperor Trump, God Emperor Trump II: The Emperor Strikes Back, God Emperor Trump’s Inquisition, God Emperor Trump III: Resurrection, God Emperor Trump IV: Return of the Emperor, God Emperor Trump (Official), God Emperor Trump (Official) II: The Emperor Strikes Back, God Emperor Trump (Official) III: Inquisition, and God Emperor Trump (Official) IV: Awakening have all been deleted or unpublished by Facebook, what has been called “The Zuckening” by Big League Politics’ CEO Patrick Howley.
I am still taking calls and emails from journalists and fans who want to know the fate of God Emperor Trump. Our corner of the conservative coalition has been relieved to learn a representative from Facebook has been regularly communicating with us. The general consensus is that this is both encouraging for Department of Memes LLC’s situation, and as a reassurance from Facebook that the communities, friendships, and businesses we build around Facebook pages matter.
It is very hard for us to imagine a scenario in which we are not being targeted for our conservative political views. We have had our page deleted or unpublished many times prior to this. At the end of each of the previous instances, there was always a reasonable explanation from Facebook as to why it happened. Initially it was a bug in the system, the second time an accidental deletion, the third it was Facebook protecting us from hackers. This time we are being given very little information.
At this point, if you are able to help us, we would like to know where we stand with Facebook.
1. What is the fate of God Emperor Trump? – I understand Facebook is confused about how this page was deleted or removed. Can the page be recovered? If not, what happened to it? It seems as if the company that located millions of users and friends of users who took a Facebook quiz and had their personal data sold to Cambridge Analytica should be able to find out what happened to a Facebook page a few days ago.
2. Why were our other pages taken down? – No content was removed from the pages, and none of us were given “Session Expired” notifications or temporary posting restrictions from Facebook. The pages were simply unpublished with no reason, and the only reason we can ascertain is that they have been “mass reported.” We have dozens of screenshots of Facebook users bragging about “mass reporting” our pages.
3. Are we to be permanently banned from Facebook? – Any time we make a new page or group, it is almost immediately taken down. We love Facebook. We focus on this platform because it is the most fun, engaging, and relevant to us. Thus, we persist. However, if we are to be banned from the platform, we will take our business and talents elsewhere.
4. Is conservatism allowed on Facebook?
I know you are working hard on our behalf, but as time continues to pass, this becomes more pressing to us. Our business is at a standstill because we cannot effectively advertise our products. Our community is in disarray, desperately clinging to a Discord server to communicate with friends they made on Facebook.
Meanwhile, journalists continue to learn about alleged plots for Facebook to “purge” conservatives, and are beginning to wonder if the situation with God Emperor Trump may have been the first casualty.
Because I want our fans to know I am actively working on this, and will never give up on the community we created, I intend to publish my email to you on our website, the Department of Memes Facebook pages, and elsewhere on social media.
Thank you for helping us. As I said in a prior email, I realize this is all rather unorthodox, and greatly appreciate that because of your presence we are able to take these sensible steps before escalating the situation unnecessarily.
Sincerely,
Tom Pappert
President
Department of Memes, LLC
Thank you for your work at finding answers regarding the total Facebook purge of God Emperor Trump.
We are 10 days into this purge. At this point God Emperor Trump, God Emperor Trump II: The Emperor Strikes Back, God Emperor Trump’s Inquisition, God Emperor Trump III: Resurrection, God Emperor Trump IV: Return of the Emperor, God Emperor Trump (Official), God Emperor Trump (Official) II: The Emperor Strikes Back, God Emperor Trump (Official) III: Inquisition, and God Emperor Trump (Official) IV: Awakening have all been deleted or unpublished by Facebook, what has been called “The Zuckening” by Big League Politics’ CEO Patrick Howley.
I am still taking calls and emails from journalists and fans who want to know the fate of God Emperor Trump. Our corner of the conservative coalition has been relieved to learn a representative from Facebook has been regularly communicating with us. The general consensus is that this is both encouraging for Department of Memes LLC’s situation, and as a reassurance from Facebook that the communities, friendships, and businesses we build around Facebook pages matter.
It is very hard for us to imagine a scenario in which we are not being targeted for our conservative political views. We have had our page deleted or unpublished many times prior to this. At the end of each of the previous instances, there was always a reasonable explanation from Facebook as to why it happened. Initially it was a bug in the system, the second time an accidental deletion, the third it was Facebook protecting us from hackers. This time we are being given very little information.
At this point, if you are able to help us, we would like to know where we stand with Facebook.
1. What is the fate of God Emperor Trump? – I understand Facebook is confused about how this page was deleted or removed. Can the page be recovered? If not, what happened to it? It seems as if the company that located millions of users and friends of users who took a Facebook quiz and had their personal data sold to Cambridge Analytica should be able to find out what happened to a Facebook page a few days ago.
2. Why were our other pages taken down? – No content was removed from the pages, and none of us were given “Session Expired” notifications or temporary posting restrictions from Facebook. The pages were simply unpublished with no reason, and the only reason we can ascertain is that they have been “mass reported.” We have dozens of screenshots of Facebook users bragging about “mass reporting” our pages.
3. Are we to be permanently banned from Facebook? – Any time we make a new page or group, it is almost immediately taken down. We love Facebook. We focus on this platform because it is the most fun, engaging, and relevant to us. Thus, we persist. However, if we are to be banned from the platform, we will take our business and talents elsewhere.
4. Is conservatism allowed on Facebook?
I know you are working hard on our behalf, but as time continues to pass, this becomes more pressing to us. Our business is at a standstill because we cannot effectively advertise our products. Our community is in disarray, desperately clinging to a Discord server to communicate with friends they made on Facebook.
Meanwhile, journalists continue to learn about alleged plots for Facebook to “purge” conservatives, and are beginning to wonder if the situation with God Emperor Trump may have been the first casualty.
Because I want our fans to know I am actively working on this, and will never give up on the community we created, I intend to publish my email to you on our website, the Department of Memes Facebook pages, and elsewhere on social media.
Thank you for helping us. As I said in a prior email, I realize this is all rather unorthodox, and greatly appreciate that because of your presence we are able to take these sensible steps before escalating the situation unnecessarily.
Sincerely,
Tom Pappert
President
Department of Memes, LLC
Reply
0
0
