In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Police brutality; racism] A couple more bits of recommended reading on Ferguson:

* Michael Brown's Family Asks: What Else Do They Need to 'Arrest the Killer'?

* Protesters, almost all of whom were white, say Darren Wilson is being victimised as they stage protest in St Louis.

* Three More Journalists Detained in Ferguson.

[CN: War] In Israel and Gaza: "The five-day ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip expires at midnight, with no firm indications that Egyptian mediators in Cairo have succeeded in securing a deal to end the five-week conflict. ...A military official told the Guardian on Monday that the Israeli delegation was still pushing for action on the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, a divisive issue as Hamas and Islamic Jihad have repeatedly ruled out giving up their weapons. But he added that the delegation was hoping for an extension to the ceasefire later on Monday, and that Israel would be content for the time being for an 'exchange of quietness for quietness.'"

[CN: Sexual violence; reproductive coercion; self-harm] A woman in Ireland who became pregnant as the result of rape requested an abortion, was denied access to the procedure despite "a panel of three medical experts, including two psychiatrists and an obstetrician," having determined she was suicidal. The woman was so despondent, she went on a hunger strike, and still was denied an abortion, though she was forcibly hydrated. Finally, the woman was forced to deliver prematurely by caesarean section, "and the child will now be taken into the care of the state." I am absolutely without words. Nothing but red-faced rage.

[CN: Rape culture] Welp: "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would 'soon' be leaving the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, where he took refuge more than two years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning for alleged sexual assaults. But in a lengthy statement to reporters, Assange did not give any indication of exactly when he would be departing the embassy. Nor did he explain why he may have changed his mind after repeated vows to defy what he has depicted as an international effort to persecute him for his role in releasing a vast trove of classified U.S. government documents." There are some reports he's having health problems. I suspect even if that is the case, and not just a way of engendering more sympathy, he's calculated that enough time has passed that he won't face charges. And he's probably right.

Twitter continues to tinker with its formula in ways nobody wants. Meanwhile, they still can't find the time to keep women from being viciously harassed.

[CN: Homophobia. Video.] "Matt Baume reports on the Fourth Circuit's refusal to delay its Virginia marriage equality ruling, the Supreme Court's possible intervention in the case, a Tennessee judge upholding the state's marriage ban, Mississippi gay couples successfully registering their marriage licenses, and more."

And finally! Here are just some terrific photos of Tom Hardy holding an adorable dog who definitely looks like an Ewok. You're welcome!