Click here to view this media I was in New York for a week and made a handful of trips to Zucotti Park to talk to people down there and take some photos. Karoli was nice enough to make them all into a snazzy video. It was pretty intense down there. First off, Mayor Bloomberg’s jokes aside – it is a tourist attraction. They come by the double bus load to look at the 9/11 memorial and then make their way to the protest (to look at what’s happened since 9/11). The park is packed to capacity with Occupiers and there’s a steady stream of gawkers with cameras passing through. Who knew it would last this long? No one. The viral nature of this movement is shocking to everyone down there. But they’re still there and everyday more tourists come to look and ask questions.
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On Monday's Morning Edition, NPR's Carrie Kahn followed her network's standard operating procedure by omitting anti-illegal immigration conservatives from a report highlighting Latino Republicans' concern over the apparently ” rough ” language from GOP presidential candidates. Kahn cited one activist who bemoaned that the ” the harsh talk is making it difficult to recruit new Latino voters .” During his introduction for the correspondent's report, fill-in host Ari Shapiro acknowledged that ” Mr. Obama has lost popularity with Latinos recently, mostly due to the economy,” but then added that “Hispanic voters looking for alternatives are not too happy with the Republican slate either .” Kahn continued by playing up how “if you've been listening to the GOP presidential candidates lately, the talk about immigration control is getting rough .” After playing a clip of candidate Herman Cain's controversial remark about placing an electrified fence on the southern border, the journalist continued that “Cain somewhat apologized for the comment, but Michele Bachmann says she'd build two fences, and candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry continue to argue over who's hiring, as they say, the illegals. It's rhetoric that drives Latino Republican activists mad .” For the reminder of her report, Kahn played six sound bites from the Hispanic Republicans “mad” at such rhetoric, including Deedee Garcia Blase of Somos Republicans in Arizona, who, according to the NPR correspondent, stated that ” its hard to get new voters to consider the party when they hear the candidates being so disrespectful ….[She] says the candidates can't wait until after the primaries to moderate their tone on immigration. With social networking and the Internet playing a bigger role than just four years ago…it won't be as easy as to take back past comments.” Back in May 2011, NPR's Mara Liasson did something similar during a report on Morning Edition by also leaving out anti-illegal immigration conservatives, playing only clips from President Obama, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, and Republican consultant Marty Wilson, who claimed that the “hardline approach on immigration…isn't going to work.” Liasson did the same during a March 18, 2011 report on Utah's new and “milder” guest worker law. The transcript of correspondent Carrie Kahn's report from Monday's Morning Edition: ARI SHAPIRO: President Obama is on a campaign swing through the west this week. He's making stops in California, Nevada, and Colorado. Those are all states where Hispanic voters could play a crucial role in next year's election. Mr. Obama has lost popularity with Latinos recently, mostly due to the economy. And as NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, Hispanic voters looking for alternatives are not too happy with the Republican slate either. CARRIE KAHN: If you've been listening to the GOP presidential candidates lately, the talk about immigration control is getting rough. Here's candidate Herman Cain on improvements he'd make to the U.S.-Mexico border fence. HERMAN CAIN: Electrify it- (audience cheers and applauds) with a sign on it on the other side that says it can kill you. KAHN: Cain somewhat apologized for the comment, but Michele Bachmann says she'd build two fences, and candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry continue to argue over who's hiring, as they say, the illegals. It's rhetoric that drives Latino Republican activists mad. ELYSE MONROY: It's divisive rhetoric, and it's off-putting language. KAHN: Elyse Monroy heads a group called Nevada Latinos for Prosperity. She says the harsh talk is making it difficult to recruit new Latino voters. MONROY: It is going to be an uphill battle because we're fighting against the rhetoric, but we're not asking the party to change their policy. We're asking the party to change their tone. KAHN: DeeDee Garcia Blase of the group Somos Republicans is also worried about the rhetoric. DEEDEE GARCIA BLASE: It's hurting us. It's hurting the Republican image. KAHN: Garcia Blase is in Arizona, where the state government has enacted some of the toughest anti-illegal immigration laws in the country. She says its hard to get new voters to consider the party when they hear the candidates being so disrespectful. BLASE: They're ruining it. How in the heck can you overcome that? KAHN: One way is to change the subject to the economy. (clip of Spanish language ad) Republican groups ran this ad predominantly in Western states. In it, the clearly worried woman says she supported Obama because he spoke so eloquently. But since he's been in office, things have gone from bad to worse. Republican strategist Javier Ortiz says the President is vulnerable with Hispanic voters when it comes to the economy. JAVIER ORTIZ: It is, without question, a place where the President has lost the interest and the focus that Hispanics may have had with him in the past. KAHN: Recent polls show that President Obama's once sky-high approval rating has dropped below fifty percent with Hispanic voters, and his record on immigration isn't helping either. His administration has deported record numbers of illegal immigrants, and his promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform never happened. So both parties have their work cut out for them. But Arturo Vargas of NALEO, a non-partisan group of Latino elected officials, says Republicans have a bit more to worry about. If they want to win the presidency, they have to get more than 35 percent of the Hispanic vote. George W. Bush did it in 2004. McCain couldn't in 2008. ARTURO VARGAS: How they are going to secure that 35 to 40 percent of the Hispanic vote if they're going to continue the kind of rhetoric that we're hearing now on immigration? KAHN: DeeDee Garcia Blase of Somos Republicans says the candidates can't wait until after the primaries to moderate their tone on immigration. With social networking and the Internet playing a bigger role than just four years ago, Garcia says it won't be as easy as to take back past comments. BLASE: In the information age that we are in now, it is going to be hard to retract what has already been said. KAHN: Then there's always the fear that Hispanic voters may be turned off by both parties and just sit out the election altogether. Carrie Kahn, NPR News.
Continue reading …On Monday's Morning Edition, NPR's Carrie Kahn followed her network's standard operating procedure by omitting anti-illegal immigration conservatives from a report highlighting Latino Republicans' concern over the apparently ” rough ” language from GOP presidential candidates. Kahn cited one activist who bemoaned that the ” the harsh talk is making it difficult to recruit new Latino voters .” During his introduction for the correspondent's report, fill-in host Ari Shapiro acknowledged that ” Mr. Obama has lost popularity with Latinos recently, mostly due to the economy,” but then added that “Hispanic voters looking for alternatives are not too happy with the Republican slate either .” Kahn continued by playing up how “if you've been listening to the GOP presidential candidates lately, the talk about immigration control is getting rough .” After playing a clip of candidate Herman Cain's controversial remark about placing an electrified fence on the southern border, the journalist continued that “Cain somewhat apologized for the comment, but Michele Bachmann says she'd build two fences, and candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry continue to argue over who's hiring, as they say, the illegals. It's rhetoric that drives Latino Republican activists mad .” For the reminder of her report, Kahn played six sound bites from the Hispanic Republicans “mad” at such rhetoric, including Deedee Garcia Blase of Somos Republicans in Arizona, who, according to the NPR correspondent, stated that ” its hard to get new voters to consider the party when they hear the candidates being so disrespectful ….[She] says the candidates can't wait until after the primaries to moderate their tone on immigration. With social networking and the Internet playing a bigger role than just four years ago…it won't be as easy as to take back past comments.” Back in May 2011, NPR's Mara Liasson did something similar during a report on Morning Edition by also leaving out anti-illegal immigration conservatives, playing only clips from President Obama, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, and Republican consultant Marty Wilson, who claimed that the “hardline approach on immigration…isn't going to work.” Liasson did the same during a March 18, 2011 report on Utah's new and “milder” guest worker law. The transcript of correspondent Carrie Kahn's report from Monday's Morning Edition: ARI SHAPIRO: President Obama is on a campaign swing through the west this week. He's making stops in California, Nevada, and Colorado. Those are all states where Hispanic voters could play a crucial role in next year's election. Mr. Obama has lost popularity with Latinos recently, mostly due to the economy. And as NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, Hispanic voters looking for alternatives are not too happy with the Republican slate either. CARRIE KAHN: If you've been listening to the GOP presidential candidates lately, the talk about immigration control is getting rough. Here's candidate Herman Cain on improvements he'd make to the U.S.-Mexico border fence. HERMAN CAIN: Electrify it- (audience cheers and applauds) with a sign on it on the other side that says it can kill you. KAHN: Cain somewhat apologized for the comment, but Michele Bachmann says she'd build two fences, and candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry continue to argue over who's hiring, as they say, the illegals. It's rhetoric that drives Latino Republican activists mad. ELYSE MONROY: It's divisive rhetoric, and it's off-putting language. KAHN: Elyse Monroy heads a group called Nevada Latinos for Prosperity. She says the harsh talk is making it difficult to recruit new Latino voters. MONROY: It is going to be an uphill battle because we're fighting against the rhetoric, but we're not asking the party to change their policy. We're asking the party to change their tone. KAHN: DeeDee Garcia Blase of the group Somos Republicans is also worried about the rhetoric. DEEDEE GARCIA BLASE: It's hurting us. It's hurting the Republican image. KAHN: Garcia Blase is in Arizona, where the state government has enacted some of the toughest anti-illegal immigration laws in the country. She says its hard to get new voters to consider the party when they hear the candidates being so disrespectful. BLASE: They're ruining it. How in the heck can you overcome that? KAHN: One way is to change the subject to the economy. (clip of Spanish language ad) Republican groups ran this ad predominantly in Western states. In it, the clearly worried woman says she supported Obama because he spoke so eloquently. But since he's been in office, things have gone from bad to worse. Republican strategist Javier Ortiz says the President is vulnerable with Hispanic voters when it comes to the economy. JAVIER ORTIZ: It is, without question, a place where the President has lost the interest and the focus that Hispanics may have had with him in the past. KAHN: Recent polls show that President Obama's once sky-high approval rating has dropped below fifty percent with Hispanic voters, and his record on immigration isn't helping either. His administration has deported record numbers of illegal immigrants, and his promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform never happened. So both parties have their work cut out for them. But Arturo Vargas of NALEO, a non-partisan group of Latino elected officials, says Republicans have a bit more to worry about. If they want to win the presidency, they have to get more than 35 percent of the Hispanic vote. George W. Bush did it in 2004. McCain couldn't in 2008. ARTURO VARGAS: How they are going to secure that 35 to 40 percent of the Hispanic vote if they're going to continue the kind of rhetoric that we're hearing now on immigration? KAHN: DeeDee Garcia Blase of Somos Republicans says the candidates can't wait until after the primaries to moderate their tone on immigration. With social networking and the Internet playing a bigger role than just four years ago, Garcia says it won't be as easy as to take back past comments. BLASE: In the information age that we are in now, it is going to be hard to retract what has already been said. KAHN: Then there's always the fear that Hispanic voters may be turned off by both parties and just sit out the election altogether. Carrie Kahn, NPR News.
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Study by Aviva shows that more than a quarter of dads gave up work or reduced their hours after the birth of their children There are now 10 times as many stay-at-home dads in the UK than a decade ago, with one in seven fathers (14%) now the main childcare provider, according to research from Aviva. It says about 1.4 million men are now the primary carer in their households. The study suggests that a quarter of families with children under 18 share childcare equally, up from 18% in 2010, while more than a quarter of dads (26%) gave up work or reduced their working hours after the birth of their children, and 44% regularly look after the children while their partner works. Close to half of stay-at-home-dads (43%) told Aviva they felt “lucky” to have the opportunity to spend more time with their kids, but 46% of families said their decision allowed the main earner to keep working. The trend for increasing numbers of stay-at-home dads has been driven by growing numbers of women earning more than their partner – a quarter of women said they now earn more than their children’s father, while a further 16% said they earn roughly the same as their partner. But men told Aviva they had had difficulties in assuming primary responsibility for children, with nearly one in five (17%) admitting it makes them feel “less of a man”, 13% claiming they found looking after the children harder than going out to work, and 13% saying they wished they earned more than their partner so they could go back to work. Louise Colley, head of protection marketing for Aviva, said: “It is really interesting to see how the responsibilities of parents are shifting. There is no longer a ‘norm’ for who does what in a family relationship, and it’s great that many mums and dads are enjoying non-traditional roles. “We know from our latest Family Finances report that the cost of childcare means many families feel it’s not worthwhile both parents working – so it’s no surprise to see more men taking up the reins. “However, this also means that many families are relying on one salary, which can leave them financially vulnerable.” Justine Roberts, co-founder of Mumsnet , said the survey failed to highlight the struggles facing many women who choose to return to work. “In our experience, women still pick up the bulk of the domestic duties in the house – even when both parents are working. “It is great that men are getting more involved with the kids, but there’s still a big divide on other activities with women doing more cooking, reading with kids, activity planning, and homework to name a few, which is why we see so many women still struggling to balance a successful career with family life.” Childcare Family finances Children Parents Parents and parenting Family Gender Mark King guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Study by Aviva shows that more than a quarter of dads gave up work or reduced their hours after the birth of their children There are now 10 times as many stay-at-home dads in the UK than a decade ago, with one in seven fathers (14%) now the main childcare provider, according to research from Aviva. It says about 1.4 million men are now the primary carer in their households. The study suggests that a quarter of families with children under 18 share childcare equally, up from 18% in 2010, while more than a quarter of dads (26%) gave up work or reduced their working hours after the birth of their children, and 44% regularly look after the children while their partner works. Close to half of stay-at-home-dads (43%) told Aviva they felt “lucky” to have the opportunity to spend more time with their kids, but 46% of families said their decision allowed the main earner to keep working. The trend for increasing numbers of stay-at-home dads has been driven by growing numbers of women earning more than their partner – a quarter of women said they now earn more than their children’s father, while a further 16% said they earn roughly the same as their partner. But men told Aviva they had had difficulties in assuming primary responsibility for children, with nearly one in five (17%) admitting it makes them feel “less of a man”, 13% claiming they found looking after the children harder than going out to work, and 13% saying they wished they earned more than their partner so they could go back to work. Louise Colley, head of protection marketing for Aviva, said: “It is really interesting to see how the responsibilities of parents are shifting. There is no longer a ‘norm’ for who does what in a family relationship, and it’s great that many mums and dads are enjoying non-traditional roles. “We know from our latest Family Finances report that the cost of childcare means many families feel it’s not worthwhile both parents working – so it’s no surprise to see more men taking up the reins. “However, this also means that many families are relying on one salary, which can leave them financially vulnerable.” Justine Roberts, co-founder of Mumsnet , said the survey failed to highlight the struggles facing many women who choose to return to work. “In our experience, women still pick up the bulk of the domestic duties in the house – even when both parents are working. “It is great that men are getting more involved with the kids, but there’s still a big divide on other activities with women doing more cooking, reading with kids, activity planning, and homework to name a few, which is why we see so many women still struggling to balance a successful career with family life.” Childcare Family finances Children Parents Parents and parenting Family Gender Mark King guardian.co.uk
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Met officer failed to provide a response to calls about domestic abuse, rape, a suicide threat and potential armed break-ins A Metropolitan police officer working in an emergency call centre bungled pleas for help from people reporting rape, domestic abuse and gun crime. The officer has been sacked after an investigation, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said, adding that he had left some callers in “potentially dangerous situations”. The officer, aged 58, was found to have altered the last digit of the phone number provided by callers to the 999 emergency number on seven occasions. The IPCC said the officer, based at the emergency call handling centre in Bow, east London, bungled 141 calls out of 3,000 he handled between 1 May and 26 July 2009. An investigation found that his handling of 19 calls amounted to gross misconduct, and that the officer had failed “to provide a police response to domestic abuse and assaults, rape, a suicide threat, potential armed break-ins and a road traffic collision”. The officer’s misconduct came to light by chance. In a statement the IPCC said: “The investigation began in August 2009 after issues relating to the PC’s performance first came to light when a woman dialled 999 to report a domestic assault on 26 July. “On experiencing difficulties with the police officer through several attempts to get across the correct spelling of her surname, she ended the call in frustration. The officer involved closed the call log and failed to provide a police response. “The woman caller later brought her experience to the attention of a family friend who happened to be a call handler working at Bow command centre. A supervisor was informed, the call identified and reviewed and the police officer removed from answering 999 calls pending a detailed analysis of his previous performance.” The IPCC commissioner for London, Deborah Glass, said: “When the public call 999 for help from the police, they should receive an immediate, professional and sympathetic response. This officer not only did not provide that response, in some cases he deliberately obstructed their attempts to get help, and left some callers in continued danger. It is a matter of luck – and the persistence of those seeking help – that his actions do not appear to have resulted in serious harm to a member of the public. “It beggars belief that a police officer whose job was to help people in distress should have behaved in such an appalling and callous way. He has rightly been dismissed. It is, however, encouraging that other officers responded appropriately to the callers who received such a poor service.” A Met team has attempted to trace the 19 callers to whom the dismissed officer failed to provide a police response. Nine called back or went to a police station, six were provided with help once located, and four did not respond when contacted. Police Emergency services Vikram Dodd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Met officer failed to provide a response to calls about domestic abuse, rape, a suicide threat and potential armed break-ins A Metropolitan police officer working in an emergency call centre bungled pleas for help from people reporting rape, domestic abuse and gun crime. The officer has been sacked after an investigation, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said, adding that he had left some callers in “potentially dangerous situations”. The officer, aged 58, was found to have altered the last digit of the phone number provided by callers to the 999 emergency number on seven occasions. The IPCC said the officer, based at the emergency call handling centre in Bow, east London, bungled 141 calls out of 3,000 he handled between 1 May and 26 July 2009. An investigation found that his handling of 19 calls amounted to gross misconduct, and that the officer had failed “to provide a police response to domestic abuse and assaults, rape, a suicide threat, potential armed break-ins and a road traffic collision”. The officer’s misconduct came to light by chance. In a statement the IPCC said: “The investigation began in August 2009 after issues relating to the PC’s performance first came to light when a woman dialled 999 to report a domestic assault on 26 July. “On experiencing difficulties with the police officer through several attempts to get across the correct spelling of her surname, she ended the call in frustration. The officer involved closed the call log and failed to provide a police response. “The woman caller later brought her experience to the attention of a family friend who happened to be a call handler working at Bow command centre. A supervisor was informed, the call identified and reviewed and the police officer removed from answering 999 calls pending a detailed analysis of his previous performance.” The IPCC commissioner for London, Deborah Glass, said: “When the public call 999 for help from the police, they should receive an immediate, professional and sympathetic response. This officer not only did not provide that response, in some cases he deliberately obstructed their attempts to get help, and left some callers in continued danger. It is a matter of luck – and the persistence of those seeking help – that his actions do not appear to have resulted in serious harm to a member of the public. “It beggars belief that a police officer whose job was to help people in distress should have behaved in such an appalling and callous way. He has rightly been dismissed. It is, however, encouraging that other officers responded appropriately to the callers who received such a poor service.” A Met team has attempted to trace the 19 callers to whom the dismissed officer failed to provide a police response. Nine called back or went to a police station, six were provided with help once located, and four did not respond when contacted. Police Emergency services Vikram Dodd guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media “My name is Mustafa, I’m Egyptian and I support the people of Zucotti Park one hundred percent. I understand what they are saying and actually I like what they are doing. Go for it guys!” I will get this out of the way first: Mustafa is not the best cab driver. First, he got lost trying to find Zucotti Park home of Occupy Wall Street. And second, this video was filmed while he’s stopped at a green light. However, when he picked me up from the East Village and I told him where I wanted to be taken – he was excited to get to see it. Mustafa was in Alexandria during the revolution in Egypt. He feels connected to the movement at the very tip of Manhattan. He loves America – but not the banks. Go for it guys!
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Click here to view this media “My name is Mustafa, I’m Egyptian and I support the people of Zucotti Park one hundred percent. I understand what they are saying and actually I like what they are doing. Go for it guys!” I will get this out of the way first: Mustafa is not the best cab driver. First, he got lost trying to find Zucotti Park home of Occupy Wall Street. And second, this video was filmed while he’s stopped at a green light. However, when he picked me up from the East Village and I told him where I wanted to be taken – he was excited to get to see it. Mustafa was in Alexandria during the revolution in Egypt. He feels connected to the movement at the very tip of Manhattan. He loves America – but not the banks. Go for it guys!
Continue reading …I have this reasonable proposal , one I’ve brought up before and I still think it’s a great idea. Here it is: To own a handgun, you have to own gun insurance. Handguns cause untold damage to other human beings, mostly because that’s what they’re designed to do. And since craven politicians won’t offend the NRA by talking sense, I say it’s time to get the insurance lobby involved. (After all, they’re always looking for a new revenue stream!) If you have a history of violence or other anti-social behavior, your premium will reflect that higher risk. If you keep your guns in a locked gun cabinet, have approved triggers locks and have taken a gun safety class, your premium will reflect responsible gun ownership. Oh, and just like when you buy a car, you can’t walk out of a gun dealer’s without showing proof of insurance. It’s legal, it rewards people who are careful with their handguns — and it makes it a lot more expensive for those who aren’t. What’s not to like? A federal judge this week tossed out a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association challenging the constitutionality of a federal law prohibiting the sale of handguns to people under 21 years of age. The suit is one of two filed by the National Rifle Association challenging state and federal laws regarding the purchase and carry of firearms by young adults. Because, as we all know, young people as a group will certainly exhibit the same self-control and restraint on the use of guns as they display with the use of alcohol, motor vehicles and baseball bats! U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings on Thursday dismissed the suit challenging a federal ban on the sale of handguns to people age 18-20, writing that precedent shows restrictions on the sale of firearms do not violate the U.S. Constitution. The suit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and others was filed by the NRA on behalf of the organization and three young adults, including Lubbock resident Andrew Payne, who claim they are harmed by the ban. The plaintiffs claim the ban violates the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to possess and carry weapons, the high court held that laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of firearms is constitutional. This post is written as part of the Media Matters Gun Facts fellowship. The purpose of the fellowship is to further Media Matters’ mission to comprehensively monitor, analyze, and correct conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Some of the worst misinformation occurs around the issue of guns, gun violence, and extremism, the fellowship program is designed to fight this misinformation with facts.
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