Category: Corruption
Syrian state media: Israeli strike damaged Aleppo airport
DAMASCUS (AP) — An Israeli airstrike hit the Aleppo airport early Tuesday and put it out of service, Syrian state media reported. Citing a military source, the state news agency SANA said Israel “carried out an air attack from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport.” SANA said the strike “caused material damage” to the airport. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. There was no comment from Israeli officials. Israel…
Another Norfolk Southern train derails in Ohio
A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Clark County on Saturday, prompting Clark County officials to ask residents to shelter in place out of “an abundance of caution.” “The Clark County Emergency Management Agency is asking residents within 1,000 feet of a train derailment at Ohio 41 near the Prime Ohio Business Park to shelter-in-place out of an abundance of caution,” a post by the county reads on Facebook. “We ask that all residents in need of travel to Ohio 41…
Justin Trudeau faces calls for a public inquiry: Beijing Canada tried to sway election outcomes in favour of the Liberals
Leaked intelligence reports: China provided secret funding to 11 candidates. Liberals were warned one of their candidates might have been compromised by China. Chinese diplomats and proxies made undeclared cash donations and hired international Chinese students to volunteer for candidates full-time.
Brazil orders police probe into Bolsonaro jewellery scandal
A news outlet reported that jewels worth more than $3m were discovered in the backpack of a former aide in October 2021.
Civilians flee embattled Ukrainian town of Bakhmut
Pressure from Russian forces mounted Saturday on Ukrainians hunkered down in Bakhmut, as residents attempted to flee with help from troops who Western analysts say may be preparing…
Israelis rally again to protest government’s judicial overhaul
Tens of thousands rally for the ninth straight week against government plan to overhaul court system.
Russian diplomat lists 11 countries that may become visa-free for Russians
State Secretary – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov said that these are countries such as Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. Russia is preparing intergovernmental agreements on visa-free travel with 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, The Bahamas, Malaysia and Mexico, State Secretary – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told TASS. “We’re preparing draft intergovernmental agreements on visa-free travel for [Russian] citizens with a number…
Ratings Deceit: S&P sued for deceitful CDO ratings
Royal Park Investments (RPI), the so-called “bad bank” of the former Fortis, has filed a billion-dollar claim against rating agency S&P. De Tijd writes this and appears from media reports in the Cayman Islands, the place where the lawsuit was filed.
EU offers Russian banks alternatives to SWIFT – media
According to the report, the alternatives encompass “non-specialized financial messaging services” such as phone, fax, or email. Banks that are not on the EU sanctions list can use these channels to conduct business with European financial institutions if the transactions are also not subject to sanctions, the document states. It specifies payments for imports and exports of non-sanctioned goods as an example. Belgium-based SWIFT is a high-security messaging system that enables financial transactions around the globe. Last year, the EU…
Does TikTok spy on us? Not any more than other social media platforms, experts say
The application’s ban among officials in the EU and US sparks a debate about whether Facebook, which extracts more user data, should face the same restrictions This week, the European Commission banned officials from using TikTok on their work devices. “This measure aims to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited for cyber-attacks against the corporate environment of the Commission,” the Commission said in a memo. The EU is following in the footsteps of the…
Justice Department Sues Jacksonville, North Carolina-based Goines Towing Company For Violating Rights of Servicemembers
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina alleging that Billy Joe Goines, the owner and operator of Goines Towing & Recovery (Goines), auctioned off, sold or otherwise disposed of motor vehicles owned by servicemembers using court judgments obtained without filing proper military affidavits, in violation of federal law.
Florida’s Lakeland Regional Medical Center Agrees to Pay $4 Million to Settle Common Law Allegations for Impermissible Medicaid Donations
Lakeland Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Lakeland, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $4 million to resolve allegations that it made donations to a local unit of government to improperly fund the state’s share of Medicaid payments to LRMC.
doTERRA International LLC: Permanent Injunctions and Civil Penalties against Distributors of Essential Oils and Nutritional Supplements
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced the entry of stipulated orders for permanent injunction and civil penalty judgments against three distributors in relation to their allegedly deceptive COVID-19 claims made when marketing essential oils and nutritional supplements.
New York Taxpayers Foot Bill for Abusive Police
Click to expand Image
New York City police detain a legal observer during a peaceful protest in Mott Haven on June 4, 2020.
© 2020 C.S. Muncy
In an agreement made public yesterday, New York City will pay up to $4-6 million to partially settle a legal case brought by hundreds of people trapped, beaten, and wrongfully arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) in the summer of 2020.
A Human Rights Watch report and video produced with Situ Research documents the incident that is the subject of the lawsuit, which took place on June 4, 2020 in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. The report and video reveal how the NYPD – with no provocation or warning – surrounded, assaulted, and arrested hundreds of protesters in the majority Black and brown neighborhood that has long experienced police brutality and systemic racism.
This settlement, while important, is only partial, as many other related claims are ongoing. It is also no substitute for real accountability.
These are just some of the abuses that organizations like Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Communities United for Police Reform, the Legal Aid Society, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and others have documented for decades.
Just yesterday, the NYPD failed to show up for a city council hearing about the litany of substantiated complaints filed against the Strategic Response Group (SRG), an NYPD unit responsible for many of the abuses Human Rights Watch documented. The NYPD cited ongoing litigation, no excuse for not showing up at an oversight hearing.
The settlement is one of many that the city has made over the years for police abuses, costing taxpayers $121 million in the past five years alone. In 2014 the city paid $18 million to settle police misconduct cases connected to protests during the 2004 Republican National Convention; the actual price tag was even higher because the city spent roughly the same amount defending the cases.
The NYPD has also failed to adequately discipline or charge many of those responsible for this and other incidents connected to NYPD actions during the 2020 protests, according to a Civilian Complaint Review Board report, yet New York Mayor Eric Adams continues to want to boost the NYPD’s $5 billion budget.
Here’s the bottom line: Police misconduct during the Mott Haven protest reveals deep, systemic problems requiring comprehensive reforms. This includes re-imagining community safety, a vision that should include dramatically decreasing the NYPD’s size, the scope of issues police respond to – including peaceful protests – and its funding. Instead, historically underserved communities like Mott Haven need investments that will improve access to education, housing, and health care.
US issues more Iran sanctions, targets oil and petrochemical sales; Meanwhile, Iran accuses U.S. of showing “bad faith” in prisoner swap talks
The United States has imposed a new round of Iran sanctions, targeting the country’s oil and petrochemical sales, as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran continues to stall. The measures announced on Thursday come weeks after US media reports said Washington and Tehran were working on a prisoner exchange deal. Meanwhile, Iran has accused the US of showing “bad faith” in the talks to negotiate a prisoner swap.
US Justice Dept says it wants execs to foot bill for corporate misconduct: Will this actually happen?
It’s less radical than it sounds. The DOJ isn’t looking to REQUIRE such punishment. It proposes giving “discounts on fines for companies that seek to claw back compensation from corporate wrongdoers.” The punishment is likely to hurt about as much as being hit in the head by a balloon.