In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Abduction; terrorism; misogyny; abuse] More than a month after nearly 300 girls were kidnapped from their school, an international military operation has been launched in Nigeria in an attempt to recover the missing girls. "Canada became the latest country to disclose that it has sent special forces to Nigeria, joining teams from the US, UK, France and Israel. ...'The operations are being carried out in conjunction with Nigerian troops,' Mike Omeri, coordinator of the national information centre, told a press conference. 'Surveillance? Yes. Intelligence? Yes. And knowledge and experience sharing will be applied,' he added."

[CN: Disaster; death; injury; violence] After protests erupted following a fire at a coal mine in Soma, Turkey, which killed at least 238 workers and left 120 more trapped or missing, Turkish police used tear gas to disperse protestors, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed accusations of lax safety by calling the fire "part of the nature of the business," and video of an aide to Erdogan kicking a protester surfaced, which sent demonstrators "to the streets of major cities including Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir today as labor unions went on strike."

[CN: Class warfare] Meanwhile, in the States, fast food workers are striking in dozens of cities across the nation in pursuit of a livable wage. "Currently, the median pay for fast-food workers across the country is just over $9 an hour, or about $18,500 a year. That's roughly $4,500 lower than the Census Bureau's poverty threshold level of $23,000 for a family of four. The 'Fight for $15' campaign started in New York in November 2012, with 200 fast-food workers walking off their jobs demanding $15 and the right to form a union without retaliation."

[CN: Fire] Crews continue to battle wildfires in Southern California: "Fire crews in Southern California battled nine wildfires ravaging San Diego County for a second day on Thursday after flames whipped by dry winds and intense heat scorched more than 9,000 acres and forced at least 21,000 people from their homes. ...Officials are still tallying the damage to homes, while schools across San Diego County remain closed for a second day. 'I've never seen anything like this in 20 years,' said Bill Horn, the county supervisor."

[CN: Disaster; death] Fifteen crew members of the South Korean ferry that sank last month, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing, have been indicted in the incident, four of them on homicide charges: "Prosecutors said they brought homicide charges against the ship's captain and three other crew members because they failed to carry out their duties to protect passengers in need, which led to their deaths. ...Eleven others were indicted for alleged negligence and abandoning passengers in need when the ship sank on April 16, according to prosecutors. ...The 15 crew members, all involved in the ship's navigation, were the first group of people rescued when the Sewol was badly listing that day."

[CN: Domestic violence] Jessica Lenahan, who lost her three daughters in a domestic violence incident 15 years ago and has been fighting for justice ever since, was honored with a formal tribute by the Colorado legislature. The ACLU rightly notes: "While the legislature's recognition was certainly earned, what Jessica deserves is truth and justice. That's why the ACLU of Colorado is calling for a renewed commitment from the state to provide the answers it failed to seek in 1999. It is critical for society to have confidence in law enforcement to conduct thorough and proper investigations, each and every time the need arises."

[CN: Misogyny] This is good news: "Beginning Oct. 1 this year, researchers seeking grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must report their plans for balancing male and female cells and animals in preclinical studies, with only 'rigorously defined exceptions,' the NIH announced Wednesday. The NIH also plans to train grant recipients and its own staff in designing studies without sex bias."

[CN: Animal attack; image of injury] And finally! CHECK OUT THIS HERO CAT WHO DON'T TAKE SHIT FROM NO DOG!