March 19, 2015

States keep concocting ways to restrict the right to abortion

State legislatures across the country continue to concoct new ways to restrict a woman's constitutional right to a legal abortion.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-abortion-20150318-story.html
Already this year, four states, including New York, have introduced legislation that would force women to wait for periods of 24 to 72 hours between receiving state-mandated abortion counseling and undergoing the procedure. Among the 26 states that already have such waiting periods, four have introduced bills to make them longer.


Ohio has introduced a bill that would ban abortions at six weeks — though similar laws have been enjoined from being enforced or have been thrown out altogether since the Supreme Court ruled that a woman has a right to an abortion up to the point of viability of the fetus outside the womb, which is generally at 24 weeks. The West Virginia legislature passed a ban on abortions at 20 weeks and has already overridden the governor's veto of it.

But one of the ugliest of the new restrictions is an amendment tacked on to a North Dakota measure laying out penalties for human trafficking and remedies and services for victims: It expressly forbids any provider of treatment and support services for victims of trafficking from using state funds to offer counseling on abortion or referral to abortion providers. That's not just about prohibiting abortion. That's about keeping information from people who may badly need it — even information about where to find information.

March 19, 2015

SF Catholic Archdiocese was dousing homeless with water for sleeping in the doorways of fancy church

A sprinkler is seen at St. Mary's Cathedral, Wednesday, March 18, 2015, in San Francisco, Calif. The Archdiocese of S.F. said the sprinklers are now turned off after allegations of the water system soaking the homeless sleeping in the stairwells.




Emy, a student visiting from Chicago, walks down the stairwell below a sprinkler that has been soaking sleeping homeless people at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco. Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle

Dousing homeless at church gets S.F. archdiocese in hot water

First the water rained down, and then the condemnation rained down — and on Wednesday, San Francisco’s embarrassed Roman Catholic Archdiocese said it would tear out sprinklers that have been dousing homeless people sleeping in the doorways of its premier church in the city.

The sprinklers have been regularly dousing people camping overnight in four spacious side doorways of St. Mary’s Cathedral for about two years, leaving soggy piles of blankets, clothing, hypodermic needles and other trash nearly every morning. Preventing that type of mess, soggy or not, was the reason the archdiocese installed the sprinklers, church officials said.

Then came Wednesday. A report by KCBS radio quoting homeless people complaining about the nightly dousings led to the archdiocese being swamped by media requests for explanations — and by 2 p.m. the sprinklers had been torn out. The city Building Department issued a violation order saying the sprinklers had been improperly installed without a permit, but that should be dismissed as soon as the church shows proof of the removal, an agency spokesman said.

The sprinklers were actually just pipe holes high up the alcoves that dumped water every half-hour at times simultaneously in all four doorways, soaking the pavement.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-archdiocese-will-stop-dousing-homeless-6143213.php#photo-7677403

March 18, 2015

Lawmaker reads sex-y book during House debate

Rep. Ross Paustian reads a copy of "Sex After Sixty" in the Iowa House chamber Tuesday, March 17, 2015.
The Iowa House settled in for what appeared to be lengthy debate late Tuesday evening over a bill altering collective bargaining rights for teachers.

Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott, apparently passing the time, cracked open a copy of "Sex After Sixty" while House Democrats presented amendments to the bill.
Paustian said the book has made its way around the House today and was handed to him by fellow Rep. Robert Bacon, R-Slater.
"We could all use a laugh around here," he said.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/17/ross-paustian-iowa-house-sex-over-sixty/24934357/

March 18, 2015

11 people bought a massive 9 bedroom home to live together. City says that violates zoning laws

Hartford's 11-person "family" could be forced out


The question of how you define a family is at the center of a dispute in Hartford, Connecticut. Nearly a dozen people, some of whom are not related, live together comfortably in a single-family home. But the city of Hartford says under its zoning code, that kind of living arrangement is not allowed, and they could be forced to split up, reports CBS News correspondent Anna Werner.

Hartford's historic West End neighborhood boasts stately mansions and high-profile homeowners, including the mayor and Connecticut's governor.

Just like like others, the home making headlines was purchased by a "family" who live in apparent domestic harmony -- except they're not. The group of 11 actually includes three couples, with three children and two single people. They're all longtime friends who decided years ago they wanted to live together.

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They purchased the nine-bedroom home and moved in last August. They have a legal partnership agreement and a shared bank account to pay expenses. The group has spent $30,000 so far to repair the home which was built in 1921.

They all say it works well, but some neighbors apparently don't agree.

Someone complained to the city, which determined in October that the living arrangement violates the zoning code for the neighborhood, which specifies that although the houses may be massive, no more than two unrelated people can live in them. It came as a surprise to the group.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hartford-connecticut-11-live-in-single-family-home-could-be-forced-out/

March 18, 2015

Cliff cracks threaten another mansion, same spot where another home was lost last year

Huge cliff crack threatens luxury mansion at same Texas lake spot where another unstable vacation house had to be burnt down last year

There are now concerns that the home could collapse and crumble into Lake Whitney about 60 miles south of Fort Worth, if the crack progresses
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told NBC says it is 'very concerned with public safety' in light of the new crack
Last year charred debris from a luxury cliff-side home fell 75 feet into a lake below after fire crews set the $700,000 retreat ablaze
White Bluff home was built on a fault line and was gradually collapsing with the cliff side into the lake









the pic below is the home that went last year




Last year charred debris from a luxury cliff-side home fell 75 feet into a lake below after fire crews set the $700,000 retreat ablaze rather than wait for it to crumble into the water as the land faltered around it

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2999370/Huge-cliff-crack-threatens-luxury-mansion-Texas-lake-spot-vacation-house-burnt-year.html#ixzz3Uh47YQqJ

March 17, 2015

At the Repair Cafe, the fixes are in

Jessica Ferree brought in a toaster with a lever that no longer held slices down. Sade Musa had a torn skirt with a sagging elastic band. Jean Prinz hoped to get the blades of her scissors honed and have holes drilled into her compost bins.

Anyone with things in need of TLC is welcome to show up at the free monthly event, and volunteers with a range of skills do their best to get the items back in working order. Together, they reduce waste by not just throwing out the old and buying new.

On a recent Saturday in a Pasadena church hall, several seamstresses sat before sewing machines. Half a dozen tinkers were poised to try to solve whatever puzzles came their way. Someone was there to tackle computer problems, someone else to mend jewelry. Haircuts, silver polishing and garden design consultations were available too.

Not that people had to fit neatly into set roles. Give-and-take was very much encouraged. So while she waited for help on her projects, Prinz perched outside, offering passersby some of her red wriggler worms, which were squirming in wet newspaper in a bucket — near seedlings also for the taking.

Quite a few people brought items from home to recycle in the cafe's "really, really free market."




http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-beat-repair-cafe-20150317-story.html

March 17, 2015

woman kills hunter's falcon to save duck. charged with misdemeanor

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Woman-charged-with-killing-hunter-s-falcon-to-6137338.php

Woman charged with killing hunter's falcon to save duck
Updated 3:48 pm, Monday, March 16, 2015


An Idaho woman faces charges after authorities say she saw the hunter's falcon down a duck, then beat the falcon to death with a beaded scarf. Patti MacDonald, 60, of Hauser, is charged with a misdemeanor count of beating or harassing an animal.

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho woman faces charges after authorities say she beat a hunter's falcon to death with a beaded scarf after seeing the bird of prey take down a duck.

Patti MacDonald, 60, of Hauser, was charged with a misdemeanor count of beating or harassing an animal, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported (http://bit.ly/1EVs0LB ).
Authorities say MacDonald fractured the skull of the 8-year-old falcon named Hornet on Jan. 7. The duck also died and was being stored as evidence, Idaho Fish and Game said.

Hornet's owner, Scott Dinger, said MacDonald should be charged with killing a protected species.

He said he was about 500 yards away when Hornet made a successful attack and landed with the duck. He said he was approaching the spot then he saw a red Jeep Wrangler pull up to the side of the road, and Hornet flew away but appeared injured.

March 17, 2015

bus barricades.vehicles laid on ends to protect civilians from snipers

This incredible photograph from war-torn Syria shows a remarkable bus barricade built to protect civilians from government forces' sniper fire.
Three single-decker buses can be seen turned upright to form a wall in the middle of a street in Aleppo, as a lone child walks past the makeshift barrier.
The city has been ravaged by the country's civil war, with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad controlling much of the north of the settlement while the rebels occupy the south.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2997773/The-bus-barricade-Incredible-photo-shows-shells-single-deckers-turned-upright-protect-Syrian-civilians-Government-forces-sniper-fire.html#ixzz3UbpJKy44

March 17, 2015

teen posts father's negative reaction to his coming out

teenager has received support from around the world after he revealed his father had called his coming out as gay 'worse than death'.
Vancouver-born Tyler, 15, posted the Facebook conversation he had had with his dad on his Tumblr account, in which he is told that news of his sexuality is an 'embarrassment'.
He reveals that he first told his news to his sisters, who were extremely supportive, and then came out to his mother, before telling his father.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2997096/I-m-going-puke-Father-reacts-15-year-old-son-comes-gay-Facebook-messages-calling-embarrassing-news-worse-death.html#ixzz3UbmkNgFC

March 15, 2015

states revoke professional licenses/ drivers licenses if borrower falls too behind over student loan

New research from Jobs With Justice has uncovered laws in at least 22 states that punish borrowers who fall too far behind by revoking their professional license; that's particularly grave given that some 30% of workers require professional licensure to do their job. It’s a novel approach to helping people get out of debt by taking away their ability to earn a living.

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From the article:

These state laws target a wide range of professions, including attorneys, physicians and therapists – even barbers make the list. But two professions show up over and over again: nurses and teachers.
…
In Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington, nurses and health-care professionals can all be locked out from their job if they fall into default on their student loans. In Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee, laws prevent K–12 teachers from working until they begin to repay their student loans.

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Debtor’s laws that suspend driver licenses for defaulted borrowers exist in three states: Montana, Iowa and Oklahoma. In addition to the personal inconvenience, the professional and financial problems caused by a lost drivers licenses are well documented. Many people simply drive anyway, choosing to accept the risk of a ticket over losing their job. The result has become a revolving-door system of court costs, warrants and arrests for people caught between the pot and the flame.

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Although the 22 states involved target a wide variety of professions from barbers to doctors, the two most common are teachers and nurses, jobs which sit on the intersection of income and debt.


“They both require advanced degrees,” Hicks said. “While both of those professions are not high paying they require [a high] amount of student debt in order to do the job, which is a crazy idea.”
According to Hicks, a Tennessee hospital even once found itself understaffed when more than 40 nurses got sent home in one day after losing their licenses to practice.

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/falling-behind-on-your-student-loan-debt-can-get-you-fired/page/4