Ukraine proposes to introduce fine for promoting homosexuality
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=15782

Kiev, July 24, Interfax - MPs from the Servant of the People faction George Mazurashu and Elena Lis propose to introduce administrative responsibility for promoting homosexuality and transgenderism in Ukraine.

The authors of the document suggest to fine for promotion of homosexuality and transgenderism, which can negatively affect physical or mental health, moral or spiritual condition and development of a person.

The explanatory note to the bill explains that its purpose is to strengthen protection of family, childhood, motherhood and fatherhood at a legislative level.

That is the whole article not an excerpt.

Note: "Servant of the People" is one of the large political parties, not some fringe outfit. They are by their own account "centrist".

This is not a good sign. That whole region, even when they are fighting each other, have anti-gay as a sort of "backlash".
Of course religion is to blame.

'Staggering' number of Minneapolis cops seeking disability benefits
https://www.startribune.com/staggering-number-of-mpls-cops-are-filing-disability-claims/571809512/

The total now is closer to 200, out of a sworn force of about 850 and amid a wave of violent crime in the city.

The continued surge of Minneapolis police officers seeking disability benefits after the George Floyd unrest is heightening concerns of a police staffing shortage amid a wave of violent crime.

Ron Meuser Jr., the lawyer handling the claims, said his office met with an additional 43 Minneapolis cops this week who have retained him. That’s in addition to the estimated 150 officers who Meuser said at a July 10 news conference had retained him. And it brings the total closer to 200 now, out of a sworn force of about 850.

Meuser said most of the officers starting the disability paperwork leave their jobs fairly quickly on a medical leave. The disability claims process can take up to six months.

He said his office has “dozens and dozens” of more appointments with officers scheduled for next week. “The curve has not flattened,” Meuser said. “We are signing up a staggering number of officers every day right now.”

The increase in officers seeking to file disability claims comes as the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) faces unprecedented public criticism following the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in May. The City Council has advanced a plan that could end the police department and replace it with a broader community safety department that may or may not have licensed peace officers. Voters would have to approve the change.

Meanwhile, the city has been rocked by an explosion of gun violence.

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Trump says Gov. Cuomo must end NYC ‘crime wave’ — or he will step in
https://nypost.com/2020/07/20/trump-says-cuomo-must-end-nyc-crime-wave-or-he-will-step-in/

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Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he was particularly upset by reports that Brooklyn woman Shatavia Walls, 33, was shot to death after complaining about illegal fireworks. He said the NYPD is “afraid to do anything.”

“We can’t let this happen to the cities. New York was up 348 percent, the crime wave. So the governor has to do something about it. And if the governor is not going to do something about it, we’ll do something about it.

“But what’s happening in New York, a place I love — I love New York. Look at what’s going on over there. The woman who was shot because she said, ‘Could you please not light off firecrackers?’ And they turned around and shot her eight times and she died. That’s not our civilization, that’s not about us,” the commander-in-chief told reporters.

“And then the police are afraid to do anything. I know New York very well, I know the police very well, New York’s Finest, and the fact is, they’re restricted from doing anything, they can’t do anything.”

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Homeland Security making plans to deploy some 150 agents in Chicago this week, with scope of duty unknown
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-chicago-police-dhs-deployment-20200720-dftu5ychwbcxtg4ltarh5qnwma-story.html

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is crafting plans to deploy about 150 federal agents to Chicago this week, the Chicago Tribune has learned, a move that would come amid growing controversy nationally about federal force being used in American cities.

The Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI, agents are set to assist other federal law enforcement and Chicago police in crime-fighting efforts, according to sources familiar with the matter, though a specific plan on what the agents will be doing had not been made public.

One city official said the city was aware of the plan but not any specifics. The Chicago Police Department had no immediate comment.

One Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in Chicago, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak on the matter, confirmed the deployment was expected to take place. The official noted that the HSI agents, who are part of ICE, would not be involved in immigration or deportation matters.

It was unclear where all the agents would be coming from, though many were expected to be from agencies operating in the Chicago area. Questions remained about the chain of command they would fall under.

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Saudi Arabia rules in favor of woman living independently without permission
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/15/-Saudi-Arabia-rules-in-favor-of-woman-living-independently-without-permission

A court in Saudi Arabia has ruled in favor of a woman who was on trial for living and traveling on her own to the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, without her father’s permission.

“A historic ruling was issued today, affirming that independence of a sane, adult woman in a separate house is not a crime worthy of punishment,” al-Lahim said in a tweet. “I am very happy with this this ruling that ends tragic stories for women.”

The court ruled that the independence of the defendant in a separate home is not considered a punishable criminal act as the “woman is a sane adult who has the right to decide where she wants to live,” according to the document.

In an interview with Al Arabiya, al-Lahim said that he considers this a historic ruling because it represents a significant change is underway within the Kingdom’s judicial system.

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Yes, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated's Velma Is a Lesbian, Producer Confirms
https://www.cbr.com/scooby-doo-mystery-incorporateds-velma-lesbian-producer-confirms/

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated producer Tony Cervone confirmed Velma Dinkley was written as gay, though they could only show so much 10 years ago.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated producer Tony Cervone confirmed a long-standing theory by explaining that the show's incarnation of classic Scooby-Doo! character Velma Dinkley was, in fact, written as a gay woman.

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It would be a good occasion to change the name while we're at it.

Trump isn't secretly winking at QAnon. He's retweeting its followers.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/12/trump-tweeting-qanon-followers-357238

On July Fourth, before President Donald Trump spoke to the nation from the White House lawn, he spoke indirectly to another community on Twitter: QAnon.

That afternoon, he retweeted 14 tweets from accounts supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory, a sprawling and ever-mutating belief that a mysterious government official who goes by “Q” is leaving online clues about a messianic Trump’s secret plan to dismantle a cadre of Washington elites engaged in everything from pedophilia to child sex trafficking.

It wasn’t the first time Trump has nodded — accidentally or not — to QAnon followers on Twitter. But Trump's QAnon-baiting has gone into overdrive in recent months. According to a Media Matters analysis, ever since the pandemic began, Trump has retweeted at least 90 posts from 49 pro-QAnon accounts, often multiple times in the same day.

Those around Trump have followed suit. Eric Trump, the president’s son, recently posted a giant “Q” on Instagram as well as the hashtag version of the community’s slogan: “Where we go one, we go all.” White House deputy communications director Dan Scavino sparked glee on Facebook when he posted a photo with Q symbology in it back in March. Over on Parler, the niche Twitter alternative and MAGA hub, Rep. Devin Nunes of California, one of Trump’s most strident congressional defenders, directed people to The Dirty Truth, a video producer who has promoted QAnon-related conspiracies in the past.

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Analysis: I don't think he encouraged them in the first place, but now he's playing them for suckers because he can.

Trump: 'Shouldn't be hard' for Kanye West to take away votes from Biden
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/506875-trump-shouldnt-be-hard-for-kanye-west-to-take-away-votes-from-biden

President Trump on Saturday expressed confidence that rapper Kanye West — who recently announced that he plans to launch a late bid for the White House — could steal votes from Trump's presumptive Democratic opponent in November, former Vice President Joe Biden.

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West in the past has been a big Trump supporter, meeting with the president multiple times and often wearing Trump's signature red "Make America Great Again" hat.

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With FEMA aid to rebuild from riots denied, Minnesota looks elsewhere
https://www.startribune.com/with-fema-aid-to-rebuild-from-riots-denied-minnesota-looks-elsewhere/571731112/

Denied federal aid to help rebuild burned-out, vandalized businesses in the wake of riots that followed George Floyd’s killing, Minnesota leaders pondered their next steps Saturday.

But it’s not yet clear what other sources of funds they may tap.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Friday denied Gov. Tim Walz’s request for nearly $16 million in aid to help rebuild and repair structures in Minneapolis and St. Paul, many of them left in ruins by the riots and fires that erupted during protests of Floyd’s May 25 death while in Minneapolis police custody.

On July 2, Walz had asked President Donald Trump to declare a “major disaster” for the state of Minnesota. More than 1,500 buildings were damaged by fires, looting and vandalism, racking up more than $500 million in damages, according to Walz. The $16 million would have been used to reimburse local governments for debris clearing, repair and rebuilding costs.

In a prepared statement, FEMA said Saturday that after “a thorough review,” the agency determined “that the impact to public infrastructure is within the capabilities of the local and state governments to recover from.”

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