June 25, 2021

Tweet of the morning

https://twitter.com/itsJeffTiedrich/status/1408143254525202434?s=19

June 25, 2021

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino dies age 61

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/23/asia/philippines-benigno-noynoy-aquino-dies-intl-hnk/index.html

The former President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III died Thursday at the age of 61 after being hospitalized in Quezon City, state media reported.

Popularly known as "Noynoy," Aquino was the country's 15th president, serving from 2010 to 2016 following the death of his mother, former President and democracy icon Corazon Aquino.
He died at the Capitol Medical Center near the capital Manila, Philippine News Agency reported, adding that his family will release a statement soon.
Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen, who was appointed by Aquino in 2012, confirmed the death in a statement, according to PNA.

June 24, 2021

Scooby Ran Away to Canada. His Escape Saved 14 Dogs

Scooby Ran Away to Canada. His Escape Saved 14 Dogs
Officials returning wandering beagle find more than a dozen others living in unsanitary NY home

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Scooby is said to have made his way into Canada by crossing the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge along the bridge's railroad tracks. On Sunday, he was captured on the Ontario side of the bridge by rescue officials, Amy Lewis, executive director of the Niagara County SPCA, tells WGRZ. Scooby was covered in dozens of ticks but otherwise seemed to be doing fairly well.


On Monday, after the beagle's Canadian "spa treatment" of a bath, plush bed, and relaxing music, Officer David Bower of the Niagara Falls Police Department returned him to his home back in the States—which is when Bower heard many other dogs barking inside, per the Buffalo News.

The owner revealed there were 16 dogs living there but wouldn't grant entrance. A search warrant was obtained, and on Wednesday, police officers and SPCA workers entered the residence to indeed discover 16 canines, mostly beagles. A Sherlock Bones rep says they were in generally good health but covered in fleas and with untrimmed nails. "They loved the dogs, but they were in over their heads," Lewis says of the owners. They were allowed to keep two dogs—Scooby and a German shepherd—while 11 female beagles and three males were taken out of the home (which was condemned), evaluated, and treated. Those suitable for adoption will be offered next week. (Read more uplifting news stories.)

https://www.newser.com/story/307799/14-beagles-rescued-after-one-runs-away-to-canada.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=uol&utm_campaign=rss_world_login


https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/beagle-that-crossed-the-whirlpool-rapids-bridge-leads-to-seizure-of-more-than-a-dozen-other-dogs/71-f86922d6-7b41-4a0b-916b-0b981fe6c226

On Monday, the city's animal control officer followed up with the owners and discovered a total of 15 beagles living in less than sanitary conditions. The DCO managed to get a search warrant which was executed Wednesday morning.

Lewis says the owners did their best to care for the dogs, but apparently became overwhelmed with so many. The couple, who were not charged, surrendered all of the pups to the Niagara SPCA.

She says none of the dogs appear to have any significant medical issues, but will continue to be evaluated over the next several days. After that, Lewis expects that the 11 females and three males will be available to be adopted sometime next week.

June 24, 2021

'The Rabbi Said It Was OK': Hasidic Mother of 10 Becomes Doctor

‘The Rabbi Said It Was OK’: Hasidic Mother of 10 Becomes Doctor
An ultra-Orthodox mother navigated strict cultural norms to become one of the few Hasidic female doctors in the country.


Alexandra Friedman, who graduated from medical school last month, with nine of her 10 children. She did not want their faces shown online for privacy reasons.Credit...Sara Naomi Lewkowicz for The New York Times





It seemed like an impossible goal for a Hasidic woman in Monsey, N.Y., a predominantly Orthodox Jewish enclave some 30 minutes north of the city that is home to some of the strictest Orthodox communities.

Many women marry young, and their lives revolve around caring for children, speaking Yiddish and abiding by inflexible lifestyle and dress guidelines to adhere to Hasidic traditions.

She and her husband, Yosef, have 10 children, ranging in age from an 8-month-old son to a 21-year-old daughter.

But last month, she became an anomaly in Monsey by graduating from medical school and obtaining a residency in pediatrics. Dr. Friedman’s graduation makes her one of the few female Hasidic doctors in the country, said Dr. Miriam A. Knoll, president of the Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association.

“It’s unusual for medical students to have any children, let alone 10 children,” Dr. Knoll said. “So to come from a conservative background and have that many children, you’re fighting an uphill battle, one that just takes extraordinary drive and commitment.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/nyregion/orthodox-jewish-mother-medical-school.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

June 24, 2021

Live Updates: 99 Still Unaccounted for in Building Collapse Near Miami Beach

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/06/24/us/miami-building-collapse

Search teams waged a desperate effort on Thursday afternoon to find and rescue survivors still trapped in the rubble of a high-rise condo building that collapsed in the dark of early morning in the oceanfront town of Surfside, Fla., just north of Miami Beach.

“They’re doing everything they can to save lives,” Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said at a news briefing. “We still have hope to be able to identify additional survivors.”

Officials have accounted for 53 people who lived in the building, but 99 people remained unaccounted for by mid-afternoon, said Rachel Johnson, a spokeswoman for the mayor of Miami-Dade County. Ms. Johnson stressed that the numbers continued to shift as the authorities figure out how many people were actually in the building overnight.

At least one person was killed in the collapse that survivors described as being “hit like a missile,” the authorities said. With so many people unaccounted for on Thursday, many more fatalities were feared.

Governor DeSantis said after touring the wreckage of the 12-story Champlain Towers South that search-and-rescue teams had “made contact” with some people and still hoped to identify survivors caught in the dusty jumble of concrete and steel.

June 24, 2021

Guitarist quits Mumford & Sons to 'speak freely' on politics

LONDON (AP) — Winston Marshall, a founding member of folk-rock group Mumford & Sons, announced Thursday that is leaving the band so that he can “speak freely” about political issues.

Marshall took a break from the band in March after sparking a social media storm by tweeting admiration for “Unmasked,” a book by right-wing writer-activist Andy Ngo that attacked far-left militant groups collectively known as antifa.

Marshall was accused online of endorsing the far right, but said Thursday that “nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left.”

Marshall, who plays guitar and banjo with the group, said his bandmates had “invited me to continue with them,” but he had decided to leave so that he could “speak freely without them suffering the consequences.”

https://apnews.com/article/europe-entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-fd8c24396fb818558a9c95c7724d12bf

June 24, 2021

Viral video alleges Bay Area police officer called mask wearers 'slaves' at popular shopping center

Viral video alleges Bay Area police officer called mask wearers 'slaves' at popular shopping center

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Viral-TikTok-Bay-Area-police-officer-mask-slaves-16271561.php

Santa Rosa police are investigating a now-deleted TikTok in which its original poster said that an officer scolded people for wearing masks at a popular North Bay shopping center.

As first reported by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a 21-year-old woman posted a TikTok on Monday recounting an alleged incident she had just witnessed at the Santa Rosa Marketplace — which houses a Target, Costco, Trader Joe's and other large retailers.


She told the paper that she heard someone say, "Take off your masks, don't be slaves," through a bullhorn while she was grabbing bagels at the shopping center. Other people at the nearby Menchie's Frozen Yogurt shop were shouting similar remarks, she said. (She also noted that the cop was wearing a mask, despite railing against them publicly.)

The original clip doesn't show the incident; it only features her response to the event — and a claim that she reported the video to Santa Rosa police.

“If you’re the cop with the SRPD who was over by Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt using your loudspeaker to tell people to take off their masks because they were acting like slaves, I spoke with your office and they would like to speak with you,” she said in the clip, per the Press Democrat.

June 24, 2021

photos show the extent of damage in Miami building collapse

this first photo shows how the building pancaked.















https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002

June 24, 2021

Hundreds of unmarked graves discovered at a former residential school in Canada, officials say

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/24/americas/canada-unmarked-graves-discovered/index.html

Hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Canada, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said Wednesday.

The Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan will host a news conference Thursday to announce the "horrific and shocking discovery" of the graves, the FSIN said in a statement.


"The number of unmarked graves will be the most significantly substantial to date in Canada," the statement said.
The discovery comes after the remains of 215 children were found in late May buried near the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Canada. Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors in Canada have called on officials to conduct a thorough investigation of every former residential school in the country after the remains of the children were found.

Meanwhile, local leaders in Saskatchewan are contacting survivors and families to inform them of the remains, FSIN said.
"The first priority is the health, healing and wellness of the survivors and their families, as well as the community of Cowessess First Nation," said Larissa Burnouf with FSIN Communications.

Photos and videos of the site are expected to be provided Thursday during the news conference.
The Cowessess Nation is located near the community of Broadview, about 95 miles from the provincial capital of Regina.

June 24, 2021

Mom heartbroken after 22 no-shows at son's 6th birthday party

A mom broke hearts on TikTok when she shared the devastating news that her son was all alone during his own birthday party when “literally zero people showed up.”

In the video on TikTok, user @dawners86 said all 22 kids invited to JJ’s sixth birthday party were no-shows.

She also shared heartbreaking details that her son was left playing in the park by himself with decorations and cupcakes set up for the party.

The mom explained that COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted in her area and that the party was hosted outdoors to ensure safety, but nobody from JJ’s class showed.

“So we’re sitting at the park for JJ’s birthday party, we got everything ready, his party started half an hour ago,” the heartbroken mom said in the voiceover describing the situation. “He had literally zero people show up for his birthday. My poor little man.”

https://nypost.com/2021/06/23/mom-heartbroken-after-no-one-comes-to-sons-birthday-party/