Link Roundup January 2021

[wepon]

A school played 'The Lion King' at a fundraising event. Now it has to pay a third of what it raised

When an elementary school in Berkeley, California, hosted a "parent's night out" fundraiser, they didn't think playing the 2019 remake of "The Lion King" would do anything besides keep the kids happy. That was until Emerson Elementary School received an email from a licensing company Thursday -- more than two months after the event -- saying they had to pay $250 for illegally screening the movie. "One of the dads bought the movie at Best Buy," PTA president David Rose told CNN. "He owned it. We literally had no idea we were breaking any rules."

Black applicants least likely to be offered PhD places

While at undergraduate level there are more ethnic minority students than ever before, this is not the case for PhD study. At postgraduate research level, the proportion of black and ethnic minority students drops drastically, although this can vary according to the area of study. From the data obtained by BBC Newsnight, one example showed there were 8,088 offers for white candidates, compared to only 386 for those of black ethnicity.

One-Third Of New Drugs Had Safety Problems After FDA Approval

The Food and Drug Administration is under pressure from the Trump administration to approve drugs faster, but researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that nearly a third of those approved from 2001 through 2010 had major safety issues years after the medications were made widely available to patients. Seventy-one of the 222 drugs approved in the first decade of the millennium were withdrawn, required a "black box" warning on side effects or warranted a safety announcement about new risks, Dr. Joseph Ross, an associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues reported in JAMA on Tuesday. The study included safety actions through Feb. 28.

Madness on Capitol Hill

“This is not America,” a woman said to a small group, her voice shaking. She was crying, hysterical. “They’re shooting at us. They’re supposed to shoot BLM, but they’re shooting the patriots.”

Government urged not to cut ‘vital lifeline’ to vulnerable homeless LGBT+ youth during winter lockdown

As another lockdown paralyses England until at least mid-February, the government is yet to confirm if it will provide rough sleepers with shelter as part of its Everyone In scheme, as it did previously. The emergency measures, first introduced in March 2020, saw the government require local councils in England and Wales to provide accommodation in budget hotels to every person living on the streets. It was quickly hailed a success, offering more than 90 per cent of known homeless people a place to stay in just two months, according to government statistics.

In Capital, a G.O.P. Crisis. At the R.N.C. Meeting, a Trump Celebration.

And while the R.N.C. chair, Ronna McDaniel, condemned the attack on the Capitol, neither she nor any other speaker so much as publicly hinted at Mr. Trump’s role in inciting a mob assault on America’s seat of government. Even as the president faces a possible second impeachment proceeding, this collective exercise in gaze aversion was not the most striking part of the meeting. More revealing was the reason for the silence from the stage: Party members, one after another, said in interviews that the president did not bear any blame for the violence at the Capitol and indicated that they wanted him to continue to play a leading role in the party.

Republican senator: White House aides say Trump was “delighted” as Capitol was stormed

This account generally coincides with other reporting, sourced to anonymous White House aides, about how Trump responded to his supporters’ actions, and why he took so long to tell them to “go home.” (Though an adviser who spoke to New York magazine’s Olivia Nuzzi said that Trump disliked the optics of the mob, viewing them as “low class.”) In a separate interview on CBS Friday, Sasse became the first Republican senator to say that he would “consider” voting to remove President Trump from office if House Democrats impeached him — though he didn’t fully commit to doing so.

Twitter is deleting Trump’s attempts to circumvent ban

Later on Friday evening, Trump tested that policy by tweeting the same messages from teamtrump, the Trump campaign’s official account. The messages remained active for a few minutes before the account was suspended.

Think Covid-19 can't harm healthy, young athletes? Think again

In a particularly concerning study, 26 athletes from Ohio State University with confirmed Covid-19 underwent heart testing. Of those tested, 46% were mildly symptomatic for Covid-19 and the other 54% were asymptomatic. All of their labs and electrocardiograms were normal. Yet, using a much more expensive test known as a Cardiac MRI (CMR), 46% showed heart abnormalities, and 15% met the criteria for myocarditis.

Why Is a ‘Christian Crowdfunding Site’ Letting Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Raise Money?

Previously, GiveSendGo attracted intense scrutiny for hosting a crowdfunding campaign for Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide, among other charges, after opening fire at the August Kenosha, Wisconsin protests.

'Lazy,' 'Money-Oriented,' 'Single Mother': How Union-Busting Firms Compile Dossiers on Employees

The new labor union at Google raises IRI's profile in what is expected to become a full-blown drive to organize and welcome its parent company Alphabet’s tens of thousands of workers into a union. Although IRI is highly secretive about its methods and clients, it also appears to work with major hospitals and healthcare companies, auto manufacturers, universities, charter schools, tribal associations, food manufacturers, and retailers in 49 states and boasts online that it has successfully convinced workers at a national healthcare company with 50,000 employees to avoid a union drive despite unions "devoting millions of dollars" to the campaign.

Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Company’s Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups

Internal emails sent to Amazon's Global Security Operations Center obtained by Motherboard reveal that all the division's team members around the world receive updates on labor organizing activities at warehouses that include the exact date, time, location, the source who reported the action, the number of participants at an event (and in some cases a turnout rate of those expected to participate in a labor action), and a description of what happened, such as a "strike" or "the distribution of leaflets." Other documents reveal that Amazon intelligence analysts keep close tabs on how many warehouse workers attend union meetings; specific worker dissatisfactions with warehouse conditions, such as excessive workloads; and cases of warehouse-worker theft, from a bottle of tequila to $15,000 worth of smart watches.

Arizona county's Republican committee votes to censure Cindy McCain

The Maricopa County Republican Committee voted to censure McCain on Saturday, the Arizona Republic reported, citing her support for “leftist causes" like gay marriage, larger government and “others that run counter to Republican values." The committee also said she “failed” to support conservative candidates and has “supported globalist policies and candidates," including Democrats such as President-elect Joe Biden, the newspaper reported.

Google Workers Publicly Launch Union

The new union for Google workers—which is affiliated with CWA Local 1440—will be open to all 120,000 workers at Alphabet companies, including temps, vendors, and contractors, known as ‘TVCs' who make up half of Google's workforce but are not afforded the same benefits and rights as Google employees. Members who sign union cards will pay one percent of their total compensation as dues that will go toward day-to-day union operations and paying organizing staff to expand the union.

Rio Tinto kept loading explosives at Juukan Gorge after promising to stop, traditional owners say

The PKKP said it had hired lawyers with the view to lodge an injunction or an emergency appeal under federal heritage legislation, but decided not to go ahead because Rio said that delaying the blast could cause a safety risk. They learned after the caves had been destroyed that Rio Tinto had only attempted to remove explosives near sites that it did not have legal permission to destroy, and had not sought advice on the feasibility of removing explosives to protect the rockshelters.

Juukan Gorge inquiry: Rio Tinto's decision to blow up Indigenous rock shelters 'inexcusable'

The report recommended a moratorium on the approval of all new section 18 approvals under the Aboriginal Heritage Act until new laws are passed next year – unless it can be “established and verified that there is current free, prior and informed consent obtained from Traditional Owners”. It also called for mining companies to introduce a voluntary moratorium on acting on existing approvals, under section 18 of the Western Australian legislation, to destroy sites.

The FBI and DC police want the public to help identify Capitol rioters

Both the FBI and Washington police are asking Americans to step up and help them identify people who participated in Wednesday's riot and insurrection at the US Capitol.

Hospital Bills For Uninsured COVID-19 Patients Are Covered, But No One Tells Them

TriStar, like most major health systems, participates in a program through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in which uninsured patients with COVID-19 have their bills covered. It was set up through the pandemic relief legislation known as the CARES Act. But TriStar doesn't tell its patients that upfront. Neither do other hospitals or national health systems contacted by WPLN News. There's no requirement to, which is one of the program's shortcomings, says Jennifer Tolbert of the Kaiser Family Foundation who studies uninsured patients. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

The 277 Policies for Which Biden Need Not Ask Permission

While each task force proposed new legislation to achieve its goals, you can also read the document with an eye toward what a Biden administration could accomplish on Day One, without having to go near Congress. To that end, we found 277 policies that are clearly within the executive branch’s power to immediately pursue, at least in part.

Joe Biden Is Unhappy About the Day One Agenda

As for Biden’s example, that he’s been asked to “do away with assault weapons” by executive order, we certainly never published that, and I don’t know of any news outlet or advocacy group that has. However, under the Gun Control Act of 1968, Biden could restrict the importation of most assault weapons from abroad, unless they were deemed “particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.” Two presidents, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, have used this authority. A third has promised to do it, and to enforce the restriction more robustly. His name is Joe Biden.

Playing Good Cop

A technical assistance bulletin published by the Department of Education in 1979 for schools interested in implementing the program made it explicit: “The public image of law enforcement officers—especially as perceived by children—suffers from negative attitudes expressed by parents, siblings, and friends as well as the influence of television police shows.” The 1968 teacher’s handbook instructs teachers to allow students to take their own workbooks home to “share with family and friends, in order to better acquaint the child’s community with the positive efforts and contributions afforded the child as part of his classroom experiences.” Those working on the Officer Friendly program hoped that the kids would defend police officers to the older, more experienced people in their households, operating—all unawares—as junior agents for the public affairs project of Officer Friendly.

U.S. Flag An Act of Defiance for Voting Rights Activists

In the South during the civil rights movement, the American flag was a potent symbol of support for racial integration (and support for federal law). Southerners who believed in racial segregation displayed Confederate flags instead. People were pulled from their cars by policemen and beaten simply for displaying an American flag on their license plates.

Kamala Harris’ brother-in-law is the public face of Uber’s fight with labor. It’s awkward

Harris’ brother-in-law, Tony West, one of her top political advisors since she first ran for San Francisco district attorney in 2003, has become the public face of Uber’s resistance to the bill. West, who is married to Maya Harris, the senator’s sister and campaign chairwoman, is Uber’s chief legal officer. Maya Harris’ daughter, Meena Harris, also works at Uber on its diversity and inclusion team.

Proposition 22 Passes, But Uber and Lyft Are Only Delaying the Inevitable

Outside of the U.S., the global 2019 strike on the day of Uber’s public offering has been followed by successive waves. Over the summer, thousands of delivery workers organized militant strikes and protests in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador targeting Uber Eats and other exploitative food delivery apps. These have been joined by even more strikes and protests in Nigeria, France, and India. At the same time, Uber is losing legal challenges in France, Britain, Canada, Italy, where high courts have either outright ruled Uber drivers are employees or have opened the door to lawsuits reclassifying them as such.

Inside Biden’s Meeting With Civil Rights Leaders

Biden insisted that his commitment to police reform was unwavering but argued that the branding effort had done too much damage. Biden made his comments unprompted, referencing an earlier remark made by NAACP President Derrick Johnson, who had warned that appointing Tom Vilsack to be secretary of agriculture would anger Black farmers in Georgia, as well as Black voters generally in the state, for whom Shirley Sherrod was a hero. Sherrod was fired by Vilsack from her position as Georgia director of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture during Vilsack’s previous tenure as agriculture secretary during the Obama administration.

How a group that began by sharing racist memes, violent fantasies on Facebook became a force in Arizona politics

Among 1,400 individuals The Republic identified as current or former members of the Facebook group are leaders of local Republican groups, an Arizona State University professor, legislative candidates and a school board member. Among the notable names: Shawn Dow, who ran Ward's 2018 U.S. Senate campaign; Dave Giles, a Republican congressional candidate opposing Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton; Forest Moriarty, the founder of Purple for Parents who ran for the Arizona Legislature this year; Alice Lara, who works for prominent Republican strategist Stan Barnes; and Merissa Hamilton, a Phoenix mayoral candidate.

Biden pushes to prevent impeachment from upending his agenda

Biden and his team were initially cold on starting his administration -- which Biden pledged would "turn the page" on Trump -- with a focus on the Republican President. But as more alarming details are learned about the attack, early discussions among Biden advisers of taking an active role in slowing or trying to somehow manage impeachment have been abandoned, aides say, as they've become well aware that trying to do so could divide Democrats even deeper.

Warrant issued for arrest of far-right streamer Tim 'Baked Alaska' Gionet after he violates release conditions, fails to show in court

Gionet already was facing misdemeanor charges of assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass in Scottsdale City Court after police allege he refused to leave a Scottsdale bar and then pepper sprayed an employee. He had been released in that case with the agreement he not leave the state without the court's permission.

Far-right streamer stormed Capitol while Covid positive

One of the rioters who forced his way into the Capitol building on Wednesday along with a sea of President Donald Trump loyalists has been identified as Tim Gionet, a far-right supporter who had recently tested positive for the coronavirus.

Electric eels work together to zap prey

More than 200 years after the electric eel inspired the design of the first battery, it has been discovered that they can co-ordinate their "zaps".

Michigan plans to charge ex-Gov. Snyder in Flint water probe

The AP could not determine the nature of the charges against Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon and others who were in his administration, including Rich Baird, a friend who was the governor’s key troubleshooter while in office.

'Our souls are dead': how I survived a Chinese 're-education' camp for Uighurs

We were ordered to deny who we were. To spit on our own traditions, our beliefs. To criticise our language. To insult our own people. Women like me, who emerged from the camps, are no longer who we once were. We are shadows; our souls are dead. I was made to believe that my loved ones, my husband and my daughter, were terrorists. I was so far away, so alone, so exhausted and alienated, that I almost ended up believing it. My husband, Kerim, my daughters Gulhumar and Gulnigar – I denounced your “crimes”. I begged forgiveness from the Communist party for atrocities that neither you nor I committed. I regret everything I said that dishonoured you. Today I am alive, and I want to proclaim the truth. I don’t know if you will accept me, I don’t know if you’ll forgive me.

Google Workers Speak Out About Why They Formed A Union: 'To Protect Ourselves'

Already, the union is exerting its influence. After Facebook announced it would indefinitely ban Trump, and Twitter temporarily suspended the president's account for several hours, the Google union lambasted their bosses for not doing enough. Google-owned YouTube did remove a video address in which Trump circulates election falsehoods and glorifies the violent rioters who swarmed the Capitol. The actions were "lackluster," the Google union wrote.

Inside Joe Biden’s plan to avoid a midterm ‘shellacking’

In preparation for the 2022 midterms, the president-elect is fusing his political operation with the Democratic National Committee. He is also considering sending a top communications staffer — among those discussed are top campaign spokespeople Andrew Bates and T.J. Ducklo — to the DNC for the next several months as an embed before that person heads to the White House themselves. The idea is to help ensure the DNC is integral to the Biden operation, a source close to the campaign said in an interview.

No We Can’t

Not only did the White House fail to crank up its own campaign machinery on behalf of health care, it also worked to silence other liberal groups. In a little-publicized effort, top administration officials met each week at the Capital Hilton with members of a coalition called the Common Purpose Project, which included leading activist groups like Change to Win, Rock the Vote and MoveOn. In August, when members of the coalition planned to run ads targeting conservative Democrats who opposed health care reform, Rahm Emanuel showed up in person to put a stop to the campaign. According to several participants, Emanuel yelled at the assembled activists, calling them “fucking retards” and telling them he wasn’t going to let them derail his legislative winning streak. “We’re 13-0 going into health care!” he screamed. “We’re not going to be 13-1!” Emanuel also locked down OFA: When liberal activists approached the group about targeting conservative Democrats, they were told, “We won’t give you call lists. We can’t go after Democrats — we’re part of the DNC.” It was exactly the danger that Hildebrand had warned about when Plouffe made OFA part of the party apparatus. In the end, the activists scrapped the organizing effort, leaving the president without a left flank in the health care debate.

Obama’s Lost Army

Obama’s army was eager to be put to work. Of the 550,000 people who responded to the survey, 86 percent said they wanted to help Obama pass legislation through grassroots support; 68 percent wanted to help elect state and local candidates who shared his vision. Most impressive of all, more than 50,000 said they personally wanted to run for elected office. But they never got that chance. In late December, Plouffe and a small group of senior staffers finally made the call, which was endorsed by Obama. The entire campaign machine, renamed Organizing for America, would be folded into the DNC, where it would operate as a fully controlled subsidiary of the Democratic Party.

#NotAllRolePlayers: A History of Rapey Dungeon Masters

Originally created by Gary Gygax, an insurance underwriter, high school dropout, and avid gun collector, D&D is the child of a self-described "biological determinist." Gygax believed that while "it isn't that gaming is designed to exclude women," there's "no question that male and female brains are different" and that "females do not derive the same inner satisfaction from playing games" as men do. This, explained Gygax, was why "everybody who's tried to design a game to interest a large female audience has failed." These opinions, while fairly in line with the overwhelmingly male niche culture of war games that laid the groundwork for D&D in the early 1970s, have helped enshrine a legacy that the game has had difficulty leaving behind.

Some QAnon followers lose hope after inauguration

Logically.AI researcher Nick Backovic said that while it does appear that many QAnon followers are giving up after this last failed prophecy, he has seen white supremacist recruiters "raid" QAnon groups with the explicit goal of recruiting disillusioned and hopeless conspiracy theorists.

Instacart Will Lay Off All of Its Unionized Workers

Instacart did not respond to a question about how many workers would be terminated, but has said that it will help laid off workers transition into new roles at other grocery stores—or into gig worker positions at Instacart, and provide severance packages to all laid off workers depending on their tenure. By laying off in-store shoppers who are employees who are eligible to unionize and transitioning them into non-union eligible gig workers roles, Instacart is also making it more difficult for its workforce to unionize.

'Not Uber Eats' site launches to help hungry Torontonians support local restaurants

Singh took inspiration from "not-amazon.com," which connects Canadians to small businesses, and set about building his site along with help from his friend and colleague at Scotiabank, Gamaliel Obinyan.

Records: Trump allies behind rally that ignited Capitol riot

At least one was working for the Trump campaign this month. Megan Powers was listed as one of two operations managers for the Jan. 6 event, and her LinkedIn profile says she was the Trump campaign’s director of operations into January 2021. She did not respond to a message seeking comment. The AP’s review found at least three of the Trump campaign aides named on the permit rushed to obscure their connections to the demonstration. They deactivated or locked down their social media profiles, removed tweets that referenced the rally and blocked a reporter who asked questions.

Philadelphia police take Det. Jennifer Gugger’s gun amid investigation of her attendance at the D.C. Trump rally

This latest action comes after Gugger’s vitriolic, far-right rhetoric on social media was made public Monday — including a tweet in which she called Vice President Mike Pence a “traitor and a cabal operative and pedophile” after he condemned the Jan. 6 insurrection and publicly lamented the death of a Capitol police officer. In another tweet, sent just hours after the attack, Gugger, whose job included reviewing recruits’ social media activity, told Pence he was filled with “the deadly sin of greed” and had sold his soul to the devil.

A Reporter’s Footage from Inside the Capitol Siege

After Trump’s incendiary speech, Mogelson followed the President’s supporters as they forced their way into the U.S. Capitol, using his phone’s camera as a reporter’s notebook. What follows is a video that includes some of that raw footage. Mogelson harnessed this material while writing his panoramic, definitive report, “Among the Insurrectionists,” which the magazine posted online on Friday. (It appears in print in the January 25th issue.) His prose vividly captures how the raging anger and violence of the initial breach of the Capitol was followed by an eerily quiet and surreal interlude inside the Senate chamber, where Mogelson watched people rummaging through desks and posing for photographs. Although the footage was not originally intended for publication, it documents a historic event and serves as a visceral complement to Mogelson’s probing, illuminating report.

Woman accused of helping steal Pelosi laptop freed from jail

U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson directed that Riley June Williams be released into the custody of her mother, with travel restrictions, and instructed her to appear Monday in federal court in Washington to continue her case.

Martin Luther King Jr. Was More Radical Than We Remember

In his final book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, originally published in 1967, King wrote that “Whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a similar mass effort to reeducate themselves out of their racial ignorance. It is an aspect of their sense of superiority that the white people of America believe they have so little to learn. The reality of substantial investment to assist Negroes into the twentieth century, adjusting to Negro neighbors and genuine school integration, is still a nightmare for all too many white Americans.” He continued: “These are the deepest causes for contemporary abrasions between the races. Loose and easy language about equality, resonant resolutions about brotherhood fall pleasantly on the ear, but for the Negro there is a credibility gap he cannot overlook. He remembers that with each modest advance the white population promptly raises the argument that the Negro has come far enough. Each step forward accents an ever-present tendency to backlash.”

Among the Insurrectionists

There was an eerie sense of inexorability, the throngs of Trump supporters advancing up the long lawn as if pulled by a current. Everyone seemed to understand what was about to happen. The past nine weeks had been steadily building toward this moment. On November 7th, mere hours after Biden’s win was projected, I attended a protest at the Pennsylvania state capitol, in Harrisburg. Hundreds of Trump supporters, including heavily armed militia members, vowed to revolt. When I asked a man with an assault rifle—a “combat-skills instructor” for a militia called the Pennsylvania Three Percent—how likely he considered the prospect of civil conflict, he told me, “It’s coming.” Since then, Trump and his allies had done everything they could to spread and intensify this bitter aggrievement. On December 5th, Trump acknowledged, “I’ve probably worked harder in the last three weeks than I ever have in my life.” (He was not talking about managing the pandemic, which since the election has claimed a hundred and fifty thousand American lives.) Militant pro-Trump outfits like the Proud Boys—a national organization dedicated to “reinstating a spirit of Western chauvinism” in America—had been openly gearing up for major violence. In early January, on Parler, an unfiltered social-media site favored by conservatives, Joe Biggs, a top Proud Boys leader, had written, “Every law makers who breaks their own stupid Fucking laws should be dragged out of office and hung.”

Larry Rendall Brock Jr., Capitol Rioter Seen With Zip Ties, Freed by Judge

"He means to take hostages. He means to kidnap, restrain, perhaps try, perhaps execute members of the U.S. government," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer said of Brock. The prosecutor did not provide further clarification on his comments. Despite these strong accusations, Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton said he would release the former lieutenant colonel, 53, to home confinement. Brock was ordered to surrender any firearms and the judge said he would have limited internet access under his confinement.

Rolling Stone seeks 'thought leaders' willing to pay $2,000 to write for them

Emails seen by the Guardian suggest that those who pass a vetting process – and pay a $1,500 annual fee plus $500 up front – will “have the opportunity to publish original content to the Rolling Stone website”. It suggests that doing so “allows members to position themselves as thought leaders and share their expertise”.

Robinhood Stops Users From Trading GameStop Stocks, Other Reddit YOLO Picks

The result has been chaos for the funds that shorted GameStop, with Melvin Capital needing to call in a multibillion-dollar backstop investment to cover its losses. In response, several large trading platforms temporarily halted trading on the affected stocks. On Wednesday, the New York Stock Exchange halted trading of GameStop and AMC, and Canada's trading regulator halted BlackBerry. TD Ameritrade restricted users from trading GameStop, AMC, and other stocks, but was not specific about the timeline.

Google salvaged Robinhood’s one-star rating by deleting nearly 100,000 negative reviews

Unhappy Robinhood users aren’t just using reviews to show their ire — they’re also calling for a class action lawsuit.

Prosecutor Fights Cop’s ‘Bad Faith’ Bid To Usurp Authority In Confederate Statue Cases

The first batch of defendants have arraignments scheduled for Friday morning. This is normally where the local prosecutor, Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales, would take over the cases ― in this matter, potentially move to dismiss them. But McGee, in a clear attempt to get Morales removed from the cases, named Morales as a witness even though she wasn’t on the scene.

Meet the Customer Service Reps for Disney and Airbnb Who Have to Pay to Talk to You

After paying about $1,500 for home office equipment: a computer, two headsets and a phone line dedicated to Arise; after paying Arise to run a check on her background; after passing Arise’s voice-assessment test and signing Arise’s nondisclosure form; after paying for and passing Arise’s introductory training, to which she devoted three days, unpaid; after paying for and passing a certification course to provide customer service for Arise client AT&T, to which she devoted 44 unpaid days; after then being informed she had to get more training yet — an additional 10 days, for which she was told she would be paid, but wasn’t; and then, after finally getting a chance to sign up for hours and do work for which she would be paid (except for her time spent waiting for technical support, or researching customer issues, or huddling with supervisors), Tami Pendergraft spent three weeks fielding telephone calls from AT&T customers, after which she received a single paycheck.

For $96.12.

Missing Fort Hood soldier was victim in 'abusive sexual contact' investigation, Army says

This year, there have been a series of incidents in which Fort Hood soldiers have vanished and died, perhaps the most high-profile of which was the killing of Spc. Vanessa Guillen. The main suspect in her disappearance -- another Fort Hood soldier -- killed himself when he was confronted by investigators, according to CID.

Body Of Missing Fort Hood Soldier Elder Fernandes Found A Week After Disappearance

Guillen was the third service member from the base to be found dead this summer. And in her statement, Khawam said Fernandes is the thirteenth Fort Hood soldier to have "vanished or been killed" this year.

Fort Hood Sgt. Elder Fernandes 'humiliated' after reporting sexual abuse, says family's lawyer

Fernandes’ aunt Isabel told The Enterprise (part of the USA TODAY Network) on Tuesday that her nephew was harassed in his new unit. “According to his friends, since that happened, they kept harassing him,” she said. “The person he accused was following him. They were hazing him, torturing him, making his life impossible.” On Aug. 17, Fort Hood leaders said Fernandes was dropped off at a residence in Killeen, Texas, after a weeklong stay at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. Isabel Fernandes said her nephew was hospitalized because he felt suicidal, and he promised to call his mother when he was released.

A Hidden Risk for Domestic Violence Victims: Family Phone Plans

The person who controls the account, oftentimes their abuser, can access a survivor’s call records and even the precise location of their device—information that can then be used to harass, intimidate, or carry out violence. And unlike a stalkerware app that can be deleted, survivors can’t always abandon their phone and number, which may be their primary connection to friends, family, and employment.

CBP Drones Conducted Flyovers Near Homes of Indigenous Pipeline Activists, Flight Records Show

But our analysis of drone flights in Minnesota this year, sourced from Tampa-based flight tracking company RadarBox, suggests that CBP is surveilling multiple Indigenous advocates in the region who have fought against pipelines, including the proposed expansion of Enbridge’s Line 3. No one knows for sure what CBP is up to in these parts, and the agency offers very little information to the public. While the U.S. government’s violent suppression of protesters in places like Portland, Oregon, and surveilance of individuals’ social media feeds have drawn the most scrutiny, these drones are yet another powerful tool the government can use to chill free speech. Experts still don’t fully know what technology these drones are outfitted with, which means we can’t know for sure what data they’re gathering beyond video.

The Police Lie. All the Time. Can Anything Stop Them?

The New York Police Department provides a case study in how the criminal justice system rewards lying. One NYPD officer, David Grieco—commonly known as Bullethead—has been sued at least 32 times, costing the city $343,252, for civil rights violations, including excessive force and fabrication of evidence. Yet Grieco was promoted and prosecutors continued to call him to the stand long after a slew of his victims blew the whistle on his violent and lawless behavior. Judges continued to rely on his word to lock up defendants. And Grieco’s name did not appear on Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez’s long-secret list of officers with known credibility problems.

NYPD Defends "Challenge Coins" That Call East Flatbush Precinct "Fort Jah"

The 67th Precinct has among the city’s highest rates of civilian complaints. In 2018, it was the target of a lawsuit by former City Council member Kendall Stewart alleging discrimination against the West Indian community there. The 67th is also home to Sgt. David “Bullethead” Grieco, one of the most-frequently sued officers in the NYPD.

Comments

[wepon]

Hmm, I've mostly seen that brought up in the cases of people using IP directly, like artists drawing fanart and such. I'm not a lawyer, myself, so I don't know the intricacies of copyright and IP.

In any case, Disney is clearly way more concerned about their copyright than their public image.