Today In One Photo 07-29-15

IN ONE PHOTO

Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer reportedly hunted and killed this 13-year-old Zimbabwean lion named Cecil, a beloved tourist draw at the country’s Hwange National Park. Africa has already lost about 75% of its lion population over the past 50 years, and this latest incident sparked Internet outcry to #BanTrophyHunting before the situation grows more dire.

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 07-29-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

A New York prison worker pleaded guilty to helping two murderers escape. Joyce Mitchell, 51, admitted to helping inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York by smuggling hacksaw blades in frozen meat. She was supposed to be the pair’s getaway driver too, but she bailed. The killers were on the lam for three weeks before Matt was fatally shot and Sweat was recaptured. As Mitchell awaits sentencing, the FBI is investigating possible widespread corruption at the prison.

The NFL made history by hiring their first known female coach. Jen Welter, 37, who already has a very impressive football resume, will train inside linebackers with the Arizona Cardinals.

The NFL made another big announcement Tuesday when Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension with the New England Patriots after receiving intel that Brady destroyed his phone. The NFL Players Association said it would appeal the ruling.

American-born spy Jonathan Pollard was granted parole. The former U.S. intelligence analyst who was arrested for spying for Israel in 1985 will be paroled on Nov. 21. His capture was awkward for Israel as a U.S. ally, and Israeli leaders have been saying sorry for years. Israeli officials stressed this week that their love can’t be bought with Pollard’s release — they’ll still oppose the Iran deal. But Secretary of State John Kerry insists the move has nothing to do with winning over their support for the nuclear agreement.

Anonymous Publishes Video, Documents Implicating Cops In Sandra Bland Death (VIDEO)

Video Created By : @theanonmessages

DOCUMENTS 

– Booking doc: http://bit.ly/1CVh5BW

– Suicide doc: http://bit.ly/1TXnosZ / http://bit.ly/1emrLh6
PHOTOS

– #SandraWasMurdered: http://bit.ly/1VFltuX

– The room: http://bit.ly/1VFlvTv

– The shadows: http://bit.ly/1Ms79mr / http://bit.ly/1HYknku

– Waller County Jail mugshots: http://bit.ly/1IjiDSn (website:http://bit.ly/1IrWN5f)

– Sandra Bland mugshot: http://bit.ly/1LCny7U 

– ORIGINAL: (WARNING GRAPHIC) http://bit.ly/1RYOPFc
ARTICLES 

– Waller County’s History of Racism: http://bit.ly/1JjBUbk

– Sandra Bland Becomes The Latest Victim Of The ‘Marijuana Smear':http://bit.ly/1HYlsJb
TRANSCRIPT

______________
The Anonymous collective is enraged at the failed attempt by Waller County PD and the Texas Trooper Association to mask a blatant act of crime against an innocent woman. And we will not stand as Sandra’s death becomes another hashtag and then a statistic.
We, Anonymous, are calling on the citizens of the United States to commit to a day of rage for Sandra Bland and all who have been murdered at the hands of ruthless law enforcement officials who know no honor. Cities around the United States will rise up in unison and call for Sandra Bland’s justice.
We, not as Anonymous but as citizens of the United States, are tired of the cycle of murders and coverups made by police departments across the nation. We demand that each police chief at each protesting city to come out to the crowds and renew their pledge to protect the people they serve. We also demand the immediate arrest of Brian Encinia and the resignation of both Waller County’s District Attorney and the Waller County’s Sheriff.
If you do not take Brian Encinia into custody, we will come after all of you. All your secrets will be leaked. You will all be vulnerable. We all know where you live.
This is for Sandra Bland. No mercy for murderers.
Operation Rage for Sandra, engaged.
We are Anonymous.

We are legion.

We do not forgive.

We do not forget.

Waller County law enforcement, it’s too late to expect us.

Spread The Word!

Editors Note We neither agree or promote these views just forwarding  them to our readers  

Celebrities Explain Why The Iran Deal Is So Important

Please Sign This Petition To Urge Your Legislators To Pursue Peace With Iran bit.ly/iranpeace 

"Because playing politics with our national security is actually not all that funny."

Researchers identify four skeletons from Jamestown

DONALD E. HURLBERT, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

Two years after archaeologists unearthed the 400-year-old skeletal remains of four leaders of America’s first colony, Jamestown, Virginia, they have figured out their names. All four were found buried around the altar of a Jamestown church that stood for a brief period from 1608 to 1617. The site was reserved exclusively for the most important colony leaders. (An interesting aside—it was the same church in which Pocahontas married John Rolfe.) Using the specific time frame in which the church existed, the team searched through historical records from the Virginia Company (sponsor of the Jamestown adventure) and colonists’ recorded accounts to compile a list of possible identities for the deceased leaders. Then they made the final identifications by investigating a handful of rare and extremely delicate artifacts found with the bones. Two of the men, Captain Gabriel Archer and Reverend Robert Hunt, sailed over as part of the original venture to Jamestown, the team announced today at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Sir Ferdinando Wainman and Captain William West, the other men identified, arrived 3 years later. Alongside their skeletons, each Englishman had specific clues that helped the team decipher who was who. Hunt was Jamestown’s first Anglican minister, and scientists identified him through age and the orientation in which he was buried—traditionally, ministers were buried facing toward their congregation, just as Hunt was. Archaeologists found several fragments of history buried with Archer: a captain’s leading staff, a small silver box, and a journal. Using CT scans, scientists were able to see inside the little box, revealing holy relics that pointed to Archer’s potentially secret Catholic faith, hinting at a possible religious power struggle during this time. Chemical analyses of Wainman’s bones showed high levels of lead exposure, a sign that he was wealthy, as more valuable items during this time, such as pewter and glazed wares, contained more lead. Finally, using CT scans, scientists identified tattered remnants of West’s military sash, the silver bullion fringe and spangle décor still intact. The discovery is timely, as some scientists think Jamestown (on the Virginia coast) could be overtaken by rising sea levels by the end of this century. 

Posted in Archaeology

It Is Time For Full Equal Rights

Attachments: Memo [ ] 178 Kb Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that all of us—straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender—could marry the person they love. This decision brought our nation one step closer to equality. But this journey is not over.  Even in an America where we are free to marry, other basic civil rights are lacking.  Thirty-one states lack fully inclusive non-discrimination protections for LGBT people in critical matters of employment, housing, and access to public places. That means in many states, LGBT Americans are still at risk of being denied services, being fired for getting married and wearing their wedding ring to the office the next day, or simply for being who they are. This injustice has grown increasingly intolerable to an overwhelming majority of Americans.    Today, Democracy Corps, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and the Human Rights Campaign release the results from a new survey of likely 2016 voters.  This survey reinforces voters’ long-held commitment to non-discrimination, as four out five voters believe this is a basic civil right.  This survey also demonstrates voters are willing to oppose candidates for public office who oppose these basic civil rights, including groups critical to the outcome of the 2016 election.  These results are very consistent with a Human Rights Campaign survey of likely voters taken in January showing 43 percent are much less likely to support a candidate who opposes non-discrimination.    Moreover, the issue of “faith” does not change the politics of this issue. Voters do not accept religion as an excuse to discriminate.    This memorandum summarizes the results of a national telephone survey of 950 likely 2016 voters. In order to better reflect the changing habits and demography of the country, 60 percent of those interviewed for this survey responded using cell phones.  The survey was conducted June 13-17, 2015 and carries a margin of error of +/- 4.38.    Key Findings    Voters reject discrimination.  By an impressive 78 percent to 16 percent, voters support protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination in employment.  These results are very consistent with past surveys; in 2011, voters supported this proposal by a 79 to 18 percent margin.    Support for non-discrimination unites the country.  At a time when Democrats and Republicans rarely agree on anything, they agree on this.  A 64 percent majority of Republicans support protecting LGBT people from workplace discrimination, as do 90 percent of Democrats.  Similarly, this legislation draws impressive majorities among college (84 percent) and non-college voters (73 percent), younger (85 percent) and older (75 per-cent), as well as observant Christians (70 percent favor).    Voters will also consider this issue when voting next year.  A 59 percent majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for president who opposes protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the work place.  Just 27 percent are more likely and 9 percent say it would make no difference.  This is not just a progressive base issue.  A 61 percent majority of Independent voters say they are less likely to support a candidate who opposes these protections, as do 58 percent of Catholic voters, 54 percent of blue collar voters and 60 percent of married women.    This could be key issue among white millennial voters.  Arguably, the most interesting group in this debate is white millennial voters (defined here as voters born between 1980 and 1997).  These younger white voters supported Obama in 2008, but voted Republican in 2010, 2012 and 2014, reflecting their frustration with the slow pace of change.  However, they are committed to equality.  A near-unanimous 86 percent majority support em-ployment protections for LGBT people.  Moreover, 65 percent are less likely to support a candidate who opposes this protection.  Religion is not an excuse to discriminate.  Politicians in Indiana, Arkansas and a number of other states have raised the issue of faith in efforts to stop the advance of non-discrimination.  As we found out in Indiana voters are having none of it.  In this survey, a 56 percent majority believe small business owners should not be allowed to refuse service to someone because they are gay or lesbian, even if it violates their religious beliefs. Nearly half (46 percent), strongly oppose giving small businesses the right to discriminate, including 55 percent of white millennials.   Conclusion    This legislation is long overdue.  Non-discrimination legislation was first introduced to Congress in 1974 and has been reintroduced many times since.  As early as 1977, voters believed gay people should have “equal rights” in terms of job opportunities, according to Gallup. Nearly forty years later, this community is still waiting for federal legislation fully protecting their rights. This time, they carry the conviction of an impressive majority of American voters.

 



Source :  Democracy Corps- See more at: http://www.democracycorps.com/National-Surveys/voters-reject-discrimination-and-politicians-who-support-discrimination/#sthash.lKawRhJb.dpuf

John Kerry & Ernest Moniz on the Iranian nuclear deal

John Kerry & Ernest Moniz on the Iranian nuclear deal and why it would be "diplomatic malpractice" not to test whether relations with Iran can improve

Please Sign This Petition To Urge Your Legislators To Pursue Peace With Iran bit.ly/iranpeace 

THE LAST WORD 07-28-15

THE LAST WORD

Recent audits in Oklahoma have shown that law enforcement officials are seizing money and property from people who haven’t been charged with a crime. Even worse, they’re using it to live rent-free or pay off student loans. If this shocks you, it shouldn’t. The practice, called civil asset forfeiture, is actually incredibly common, and it creates an incentive for police to take people’s things without true cause. Its use has steadily increased since Congress approved the use of seized assets to fund police operations in 1984. By 2008, the Justice Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund, which collects and redistributes assets in states where cops can’t keep them, had accumulated $1 billion. New Mexico is one of the only states that requires seized assets to go to the state’s general fund, and it’s high time other states adopt similar methods to crack down on corruption.

Today In One Photo 07-28-15

This stunning cover of New York magazine featuring 35 of Bill Cosby’s accusers was posted Sunday night on Twitter and, despite a few hiccups Monday morning with the magazine’s website that were allegedly caused by a hacker, it's an absolute must-read for the astonishing quotes from the women. That empty chair has more symbolism than you might think. One important thing to note: Even though these women and their stories are finally being recognized after more than several decades, Cosby still probably won't face charges, and here's why.

LINKS TO TEXT YOUR FRIENDS 07-28-15

LINKS TO TEXT YOUR FRIENDS

Your love for Norah Jones and the Beastie Boys says more about you than you know. Mic Have we reached peak vinyl? Stereogum There’s one dating deal-breaker that we’re not supposed to talk about. Mic Why your favorite flavor could be fat. io9 The future of sex could involve spray-on condoms. Mic Where we live could explain our stances on everything from social issues to voting behaviors.  Which of these 11 American nations do you live in? Washington Post Matt McGorry just showed the world what a male feminist’s sex life looks like. Mic Your eyes may be the windows to your soul — but your work emails are too. Mashable Suicide on campus and the constant quest for perfection. New York Times [#Longreads]