Jilly_in_VA
Jilly_in_VA's JournalTexas mother set for execution - yet evidence suggests she did not kill her child
On the evening of 15 February 2007, a team of five police officers in Cameron county, Texas, began an interrogation of a Mexican American mother whom they suspected of having murdered her two-year-old child.
Melissa Lucio was in a vulnerable condition. She was pregnant with twins and in the grip of shock and grief. Just two hours earlier her youngest child Mariah had been pronounced dead having fallen unconscious.
The officers did not let the suspect’s vulnerabilities get in the way of the inquisition. Over almost six hours, stretching late into the night, they applied to Lucio the notorious “Reid Technique” – a controversial interrogation method that has led to numerous wrongful convictions in the US.
As trained to do under the system, the officers put their faces within inches of Lucio’s, screaming at her that she “had to know” what had happened to her child. They had “lots of evidence” that she was to blame for the death, they said, forcing her to view photographs of the girl’s lifeless body.
Then, as the Reid method dictates, they abruptly switched tone. They gently reassured her that she could “put this to rest” if she would only confess to having caused the toddler’s death.
Lucio insisted over 100 times that night that she was innocent. But after more than five hours of aggressive “maximization” and “minimization”, as the technique is known, she reached break point.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/21/texas-woman-death-row-melissa-lucio
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She does not stand a prayer in Texas. Fcuk Abbott and the chair he rode in on.
13 survivors of abuse by Larry Nassar target the FBI for mishandling the case
Lawyers for 13 girls and women who survived sexual abuse by former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar have notified the FBI they intend to sue over its failure to act on reports of his misconduct.
"They left us at the disposal of a predator," said Grace French, a survivor and advocate who is part of the process.
French and others argue that the FBI was on notice by the summer of 2015 that Nassar had engaged in widespread and ongoing sexual assaults, under the guise of medical treatment. But, they said, the Bureau failed to take steps to halt the abuse or notify other law enforcement agencies that might have had jurisdiction.
"They turned a blind eye," said attorney Antoinette Frazho, which "led to this monster continuing to sexually assault women and children for 16 more months....They were careless, reckless and grossly negligent."
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/1094047967/survivors-of-abuse-by-larry-nassar-target-fbi-for-mishandling-their-case
Taco Bell is bringing back the Mexican pizza -- and South Asians are rejoicing
Taco Bell has announced the return of the Mexican pizza, a favorite for South Asian communities across the country.
Like many children in Indian families, Krish Jagirdar was raised vegetarian, meaning most fast food joints were off the table.
"The one place that we were allowed to go to, that we did often go to, was Taco Bell," he said. "The Mexican pizza was the item that I gravitated towards again and again. Hugely, hugely popular amongst Indian Americans."
Jagirdar said he would swap out meat for vegetarian ingredients. But it wasn't just vegetarian options that drew Jagirdar's family to Taco Bell — he says the flavors and emphasis on spice appealed to Indian Americans because they're similar to food at home.
"They have a heavy emphasis on spice," he said. "So I think in a lot of ways, it's kind of as close as they can get to, like, Indian fast food while still being obviously part of American culture."
Despite the name, the Mexican pizza is a distinctly American concoction. No such thing exists in true Mexican cuisine, and some might argue the snack doesn't really even look like pizza either.
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/1094074835/taco-bell-is-bringing-back-the-mexican-pizza-and-south-asians-are-rejoicing
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They aren't the only ones---I'm there for it!
College pitcher faces expulsion for attacking opponent after home run
A college baseball pitcher from Weatherford College (Texas) is facing possible expulsion for attacking an opponent as he rounded the bases during a home run trot.
"We are shocked and disappointed at what happened in our game today," Weatherford baseball coach and associate athletic director Jeff Lightfoot said in a statement on Wednesday. "This type of behavior cannot be tolerated."
The incident happened during the the top of the sixth inning between Weatherford and North Central Texas College in Weatherford, Texas, when first baseman Josh Phillips hit a go-ahead home run off pitcher Owen Woodward to put NCTC up 3-2.
As Phillips rounded third base, Woodward charged his opponent and tackled him to the ground, knocking Phillips' helmet off his head. The incident was shared on social media.
College baseball pitcher from Weatherford College in Texas faces expulsion for attacking opponent after home run
Cydney Henderson
USA TODAY
A college baseball pitcher from Weatherford College (Texas) is facing possible expulsion for attacking an opponent as he rounded the bases during a home run trot.
"We are shocked and disappointed at what happened in our game today," Weatherford baseball coach and associate athletic director Jeff Lightfoot said in a statement on Wednesday. "This type of behavior cannot be tolerated."
The incident happened during the the top of the sixth inning between Weatherford and North Central Texas College in Weatherford, Texas, when first baseman Josh Phillips hit a go-ahead home run off pitcher Owen Woodward to put NCTC up 3-2.
As Phillips rounded third base, Woodward charged his opponent and tackled him to the ground, knocking Phillips' helmet off his head. The incident was shared on social media.
MORE: Tennessee baseball player Jordan Beck called out after hitting home run with 'illegal' bat
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The viral video shows Phillips' teammates storm out of the dugout and pile on top of Woodward. The two were separated and Woodward's teammates escorted him to their dugout. Despite the hit, Phillips, a freshman, got up and stepped on home plate.
"After the incident umpires suspended the game until further notice," Weatherford College announced in a statement shared on Twitter.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2022/04/20/texas-college-baseball-pitcher-faces-expulsion-attacking-opponent/7388648001/
'A great sense of humour': But what makes the Queen laugh?
There has been much solemnity and seriousness in the Queen's life - but as she reaches her 96th birthday, what has often been overlooked is her sense of humour.
"Laughing things off has been an important survival technique," says royal historian Robert Lacey.
The Queen's well-developed "sense of the absurd" has been a vital private outlet from such a highly choreographed public life, where she often has to remain straight-faced, he says.
"She obviously takes her job seriously - but at the same time, it doesn't stop her having a sense of the ridiculous," Mr Lacey says.
The Duke of Sussex, after last week's flying visit to the UK, singled out his grandmother's "great sense of humour" as her best quality.
Historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon says: "A defining characteristic is that she doesn't take herself too seriously. It's significantly contributed to the success of her reign."
He says the Queen has none of the "self-obsession" that he calls the "disease of the age".
"There is a lack of pomposity, a certain irreverence," he says. "She's able to laugh off misfortune and keep going."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61067187
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She continues to remind me a great deal of my mom, who didn't have as public a profile, but who had to occasionally stifle giggling fits on public occasions, was a good mimic, and had a great sense of humor...and looked like the Queen.
JD Vance paid $55K by colleges he bashes as Senate candidate
Before Republican JD Vance began targeting universities as the enemy of the conservative movement, the Donald Trump-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio leveraged a network of higher education institutions across the country to promote his book — and he made money doing it.
In the two years after the 2016 release of “Hillbilly Elegy,” his bestselling memoir of growing up in Appalachia, Vance visited at least 18 universities to give graduation speeches, lectures or political talks. For those visits, Vance was paid more than $55,000, according to records provided to The Associated Press by the colleges.
At the time, Vance, a graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School, spoke glowingly of education.
During an appearance on CBS’ “Sunday Morning” in 2017, he complimented universities on providing “high-quality talent” and “intellectual property necessary for folks to get their businesses off the ground.” In his book, he recalled watching an episode of “The West Wing” about “education in America, which the majority of people rightfully believe is the key to opportunity.”
https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-ohio-education-186ca3f092a60603891b60e199a3fa02
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Who knew? Phony hillbilly is a hypocrite too. /S
Baby given 1% chance of survival gets lifesaving surgery
A 1-year-old girl is back at home in Nebraska after receiving lifesaving treatment in Colorado, including a surgery with magnets that helped connect a large gap in her esophagus.
Harper and her fraternal twin sister, Gabriella, were born prematurely on Feb. 22, 2021, at 23 weeks. The newborns were delivered by emergency cesarean section at Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, Nebraska, and were immediately flown to HCA Healthcare’s Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, about 250 miles southwest, for treatment.
When Harper arrived at Rocky Mountain, she was diagnosed with long-gap esophageal atresia and pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs.
According to the CDC, esophageal atresia is a birth defect, and there are four types of it: types A through D. Harper had what is referred to as Type A, where her upper and lower esophagus were not connected to each other, all of which made it unable for her to eat, drink and swallow through the mouth.
Dr. Steven Rothenberg, chief of pediatric surgery at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, started consulting on Harper's case shortly after she arrived at the hospital. Looking back, he said he would have given her a 1% to 2% chance of survival.
Rothenberg said Harper had a gap that was about two-thirds the size of her chest, or about 3.5 inches.
"She was missing 80% of her esophagus," he said.
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/baby-born-23-weeks-special-surgery-fix-incomplete/story?id=84168792
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The surgery they did is absolutely fascinating!
Stanford Threatens to Cut Health Care for Nurses Who Go on Strike
Nurses at Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital are ready to exchange thermometers and scrubs for picket signs in a planned strike starting on April 25. To avoid burnout and to continue to offer care during the chaos of the pandemic, the nurses say they need more staff, better mental health resources, better pay, and more paid time-off. More than ninety percent of the 5,000 nurses who belong to the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement (CRONA) union at the two hospitals voted for the strike.
Rather than cave to their demands, Stanford had another message for them: Be prepared to lose your health care. On April 15, right before the Easter weekend and amid Passover and Ramadan, Stanford Health Care announced that in addition to withholding pay, it would also be suspending health insurance benefits for striking nurses and their families beginning on May 1.
Stanford isn’t outside of its rights to withdraw health care from picketing nurses, but it hasn’t been a common practice during recent hospital strikes. Workers at another one of California’s largest medical providers, Cedars-Sinai, are planning an upcoming strike, and the provider has not threatened to revoke their health care. The workers striking at Cedars-Sinai include nursing assistants, transportation workers, surgical technicians, and others. Workers at 15 Sutter Health locations in California also participated in a one day strike on Monday.
Stripping nurses of their health care is a “bullying” intimidation tactic that targets some of the most vulnerable nurses, says Kathy Stormberg, vice president of CRONA. Without pay and health benefits, strikers are left to pay for care completely out of pocket through the federal COBRA program. “Targeting those among us with cancer or who are single moms is a really horrible look for a hospital,” she adds, though she said she didn’t think the intimidation tactic will have a significant effect on the number of nurses who plan to strike.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/04/stanford-nurses-health-care-strike-lose-benefits-covid/
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If anyone out there is or knows of any travel nurses, please do not work for Fastaff. They are known strikebreakers. Thank you.
Russia's Chernobyl seizure seen as nuclear risk 'nightmare'
Here in the dirt of one of the world’s most radioactive places, Russian soldiers dug trenches. Ukrainian officials worry they were, in effect, digging their own graves.
Thousands of tanks and troops rumbled into the forested Chernobyl exclusion zone in the earliest hours of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, churning up highly contaminated soil from the site of the 1986 accident that was the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
For more than a month, some Russian soldiers bunked in the earth within sight of the massive structure built to contain radiation from the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor. A close inspection of their trenches was impossible because even walking on the dirt is discouraged.
As the 36th anniversary of the April 26, 1986, disaster approaches and Russia’s invasion continues, it’s clear that Chernobyl — a relic of the Cold War — was never prepared for this.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-health-europe-accidents-edcd5bc0e6bde3cbf6d7300bebc9343f
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I kind of like what Mr. Shevchuck says in the last paragraph
Civilian Army leader led child porn ring, risked US security
David Frodsham was a top civilian commander at a U.S. air base in Afghanistan when he “jokingly” asked an IT technician for access to YouPorn, the video-sharing pornographic website.
During his time in the war zone, Frodsham told one woman that he hired her because he “wanted to be surrounded by pretty women,” and routinely called others “honey,” “babe,” and “cougar” before he was ordered home after the military verified multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
“I would not recommend placing him back into a position of authority but rather pursuing disciplinary actions at his home station,” wrote one commanding officer when recommending that the Army order Frodsham to leave his post at Bagram Airfield and return to Fort Huachuca, a major Army installation in Arizona, according to a U.S. Army investigative file obtained by The Associated Press.
But when Frodsham returned to his home station in fall 2015, he rejoined the Network Enterprise Technology Command, the Army’s information technology service provider, where he had served as director of personnel for a global command of 15,000 soldiers and civilians, according to his Army resume.
By spring of the following year, he was arrested in Arizona for leading a child sex abuse ring that included an Army sergeant who was posting child pornography to the internet. Among the victims was one of Frodsham’s adopted sons
Frodsham pleaded guilty to sex abuse charges in 2016 and is serving a 17-year sentence. But records reviewed by the AP show that the U.S. Army and the state of Arizona missed or ignored multiple red flags over more than a decade, which allowed Frodsham to allegedly abuse his adopted son and other children for years, all the while putting national security at risk.
https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-business-arizona-army-sierra-vista-2dd2790f0b68117f561a46a47442135
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But wait, there's more! Read the article. It gets worse.
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