Saturday, August 18, 2018

In San Francisco, Opioid Addiction Treatment Offered on the Streets

From The New York Times:

Dr. Barry Zevin, center, with Mark Farrell, the former mayor of San Francisco, left, and Chris Ruffino, a substance abuse counselor, when they announced the city’s street treatment program in May.CreditJustin Sullivan/Getty Images


The addiction treatment program at Highland Hospital’s emergency room is only one way that cities and health care providers are connecting with people in unusual settings.

Another is in San Francisco, where city health workers are taking to the streets to find homeless people with opioid use disorder and offering them buprenorphine prescriptions on the spot.

The city is spending $6 million on the program in the next two years, partly in response to a striking increase in the number of people injecting drugs on sidewalks and in other public areas. Most of the money will go toward hiring 10 new clinicians for the city’s Street Medicine Team, which already provides medical care for the homeless.

Members of the team will travel around the city offering buprenorphine prescriptions to addicted homeless people, which they can fill the same day at a city-run pharmacy.

At the end of a recent yearlong pilot, about 20 of the 95 participants were still taking buprenorphine under the care of the street medicine team.

Dr. Barry Zevin, the city’s medical director for Street Medicine and Shelter Health, hopes to provide buprenorphine to 250 more people through the program. That’s only a tiny fraction of the estimated 22,500 people in San Francisco who actively inject drugs, he said, but it’s a start.

What follows is a condensed, edited interview with Dr. Zevin, who has been providing medical care to the homeless in San Francisco since 1991.

Why offer buprenorphine on the streets instead of in a medical clinic?
Most health care for the homeless happens under the model of waiting for people to come in to a health center. But a lot of people never come in. There are a lot of mental health, substance abuse and cognitive problems in this population, a lot of chronic illness. Appointments are the enemy of homeless people. On the street there are no appointments, and no penalties or judgments for missing appointments.

Are you finding a lot of enthusiasm for the buprenorphine program?
Virtually all the people we interact with are interested. The people we approach on the streets and in encampments tend to be the longer-term users. At our needle exchange sites, it’s younger people who have maybe spent less time using.
Do you try to make sure that people are taking the buprenorphine you give them, and not selling it to others who might abuse it? Do you check to see whether participants are still using illicit drugs?
We’re paying attention — we’re doing urine testing. But it’s not a barrier. People can still be in the program. Our pharmacist today said it looked like one patient was still using and hadn’t had a toxicology that showed he had bupe in his system for a couple months. So we will give him a three-day supply, then check him again. If he’s not taking the buprenorphine, we will offer observed dosing daily for the next three days.
I do have to worry about diversion, but I want to individualize care for each person and not say that that worry is more important than my patient in front of me, whose life is at stake.

What happens if a patient in this program is using other drugs besides opioids — like methamphetamine or cocaine?
It’s really, really hard to treat people with co-occurring meth and opioid use disorder. Only a few places have such a strong trend of people using both these drugs, and San Francisco is one of them. Easily 75 percent of my patients use both every day.
But at least we are reducing the risk of death, even if somebody’s only taking their bupe some of the time. It’s especially important now because of the poisoning of the heroin supply with fentanyl.

A woman called police on a man who was getting into his own car in Milwaukee

From JSOnline:
Corvontae Davis poses with his Ford Mustang. Recently, a woman called the police on him because she thought he was breaking into what turned out to be his own car.(Photo: Corvontae Davis)

Corvontae Davis went to the Third Ward on Tuesday to have lunch with his brother.

When he was getting into his own car to find change to put into the parking meter, a woman started yelling at him and called police. She thought he was breaking into the car. 
He felt her response was racially motivated. 

The Oak Creek resident said he did struggle briefly to open the doors of the car. He has a 2016 Ford Mustang with keyless entry. But instead of asking him if there was a problem, she crossed to the other side of the street, started yelling at him and called police.

Call logs confirm that someone called police to report a suspicious person with a car at that time and place.

Davis took video of the woman making the call and posted it on Facebook. 

"It was very embarrassing. I work for the State of Wisconsin as an officer at a local prison and to be accused of such behavior, it’s mind-boggling," he said. 

Davis waited for police to arrive. 

"She stood there for a while. When she noticed that the cops arrived, she went off and didn’t interact with the police department. She didn’t interact with me," Davis said. "She left me out there to explain myself and the situation and what was going on."

Davis said he offered police officers his license and registration and they did confirm he owned the car and apologized for the woman's behavior. 

Davis didn't know the woman's name but he said he's looking for an apology, nothing more.

When you have a mean baby, Leanne Morgan

Tesla allegedly covered up drug trafficking and spied on employees at the Gigafactory, whistleblower says

From A Better Mount Pleasant: 
 
We don't remember the delegation from Reno/Sparks, who came out here 
to tell us what to expect building Foxconn, saying anything about drug 
cartels. What the heck!? 
 
Tesla allegedly covered up drug trafficking and spied on employees at 
the Gigafactory, whistleblower says 
 
A former member of Tesla’s in-house security team has told the 
Securities and Exchange Commission that the company silenced internal 
investigations into alleged criminal activity at the Gigafactory in 
Nevada, according to a summary of his formal complaint. Those 
investigations focused on claims of massive theft and “substantial 
drug trafficking.” The complaint also includes allegations that Tesla 
spied on employees’ electronic devices. 
 
It’s the second known whistleblower complaint from a former Tesla 
employee filed with the SEC this summer. The news was first reported 
by Jalopnik. 
 
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/16/17704274/tesla-gigafactory-drug-trafficking-cover-up-sec-whistleblower

Randy Bryce Arrested 9 Times

https://soundcloud.com/clfsuperpac/nine-arrests/s-v5Dx6


Open Blog- Weekend


Thank you, Mickey.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Four for Fridays

Good morning everyone I hope that your week has been going good. This week has been crazy for me our Granddaughter has been back and forth to the doctor office with a rash on her face and it is swollen. I feel so bad for her and I just wish I could be up north for her. Here are your questions.

1) Do you remember your first place when you moved out of your parents house?

2) Was it everything you wanted it to be?

3) Was it real small or big enough for you?

4) Have you ever had a place that you were happy to live?

Have a great weekend!

Open Blog - Friday


Yay!  The weekend is here.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Stingl: Marijuana in our beer? Maybe someday, but Wisconsin lags on legalizing weed

From JSOnline:



You only have to read the news to imagine a future where major breweries are putting marijuana in their demented malt beverages or whatever they call the concoction.

Earlier this month, we learned that Molson Coors, parent company of MillerCoors, is getting together with a cannabis producer in Canada to make drinks that get their kick from pot.

And the brewer that makes Corona, Constellation Brands, has invested $4.2 billion in Canopy Growth, the leading cannabis producer in Canada. They're also betting that consumers want to get high from a bottle.

Before you assume this bud's for you, here's a reminder that Wisconsin has shown no movement to join the nine states and District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults and 30 states that approved medical use of the drug.

So it may be a while, if ever, that you can get a contact high by driving through the Miller Valley. 

In June, Canada became the second nation to legalize marijuana for fun or medicine. It didn't take long for Molson Coors to sniff around and team up with The Hydropothecary Corp. to develop a nonalcoholic beverage infused with weed.

The CEO of Hydropothecary, one Sebastian St. Louis, told Bloomberg the market for cannabis drinks is staggering and that the deal with Molson Coors might make them the first out of the gate in Canada.

"They're bringing capability as a Fortune 300 company that quite frankly no cannabis company even comes close to replicating," he said.

He understands that marijuana fans increasingly want to consume the drug with edibles and drinks, rather than by smoking it. The numbers in weed-legal places like Colorado bear that out. USA Today reported that smokable pot accounts for 44% of sales in Colorado, down from 67% when legal sales began in 2014.

It's a shame that Milwaukee, once known as the city made famous by beer, won't be part of this emerging billion dollar market. Wisconsin's Republican-controlled Legislature and governor have no interest in the tax revenue and law enforcement savings that legal marijuana would generate.

Some of us have a chance to nudge our lawmakers in the right direction in the November election. 

Several counties, including Milwaukee, Dane, La Crosse and Rock, will ask voters if they favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use, and Sauk, Brown and Marathon will ask about allowing medical use. Other counties still considering the move include Eau Claire, Racine and Langlade.

These referendums are only advisory, but they add to the steady drip of washing away the war on drugs, especially this particular drug with no known lethal level, as opposed to legal alcohol. 

Enforcement of marijuana laws has caused more damage than the drug itself, especially in minority communities.

I think we know how these referendums will turn out, besides having the effect of flooding the polls with more progressive voters. A Marquette University Law School poll from 2016 found that 59% of registered Wisconsin voters favor legalizing marijuana and regulating it like alcohol.

Someday when former Gov. Scott Walker and legislative leaders are kicking back with a refreshing bottle of legal Miller weed beer, they'll laugh and ask why they took so long to make it happen.

Then they'll wonder if there's any Doritos handy and why they can't feel their face.

Contact Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or jstingl@jrn.com. Connect with my public page at Facebook.com/Journalist.Jim.Stingl

10 Mysteries Of The Bermuda Triangle

Open Blog - Thursday


Have a good one.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

More than 30 people overdose at downtown city park

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my buttercups! How are you? Sorry to be so late with my blog, but a certain Saudi prince needed my services. He insisted and I didn't protest too much because he pays so well. He flew me therre and back in one of his private jets.  Talk about the high life!  He has gold everything.  I'm surprised his clothes aren't made out of gold.  Part of the problem, of course, is that he's been spoiled since birth.  He's a multi-millionaire and hasn't worked a day in his life.  Yet, for all of his money and possessions, he is not happy.  That's too bad.  

Our primary was yesterday and now we get to listen to a load of political bs until November.  I already know who I'm going to vote for, so can I be spared the ads and robocalls?  Oh, by the way, Ken Yorgan for Congress https://www.yorganforcongress.com

Our weather has been a little hot for my taste, but it's been steady.  No real complaints; just think of January temperatures and this is fine.  I think we need rain.  It's always something.  Being a farmer is such hard work, and then if the weather doesn't co-operate, a lot of sweat and money can go down the drain.  I think farming must be in the blood.  I'm talking family farms, which are slowly disappearing.  Soon, everything will be run by corporate super farms.  And genetic engineering of crops will become commonplace. 

Genetic engineering of humans may become mainstream, too. Parents would love to pick out their child's attributes.    Will we produce an army of geniuses?  Will we need them to counter artificial intelligence?  I trust AI not in the least.  You'll never get me in a driverless car unless it's at a carnival.  If these machines do actually gain consciousness, we're moving into the mountains.  Señor Zanza thinks we can make friends with them.  Ha!  He and Junior are going to the mountain, and that's it.  

But I serriously doubt that the "singularity" will ever occur in our machines.  Why should it? Because some sci-fi movie director says so?  I think our machines may become sharper and improved.  I don't think they'll ever have a cup of coffee and chat with us.  

 Junior and Señor Zanza are already reaping the rewards of their sweat: we have cucumbers and green peppers and zucchini.  Tomatoes very soon.  There's nothing like the taste of homegrown veggies.  I had one of the cucmbers yesterday.  It was almost all meat, there were few seeds.  I've never had a cucumber like that before.  And you won't find them in the store where they prefer the watery version.

It's hard for me to accept that we're in the fog days of sunner and soon it will bere over.  Labor Day is a couple of weeks away.  The summer moved by too fast.  Way too fast.  Let's go back to June.  Or even April or May.  

Thank you all for reading my blog today.  I love readers and I love you.  You are the reason I'm here.  Contact me if you hasve problems:

 madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the waning days of summer.  Have a picnic.  Go to the beach.  Go for a bicycle ride.  Whatever you do, have a good time.

 __________________________ 
Please donate: paypal.me/jgmazelis 
If you don't like PayPal, send me a note at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com and I'll send you my street address so you can send a check or money order.  Thank you.

VOTE KEN YORGAN - THE INDEPENDENT CHOICE! OR BE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE LESSOR OF TWO EVILS!

The Pressitutes at Journal Times continue to be exclusive and not 
inclusive in letting the People know that their is a third choice - 
the best choice! Dr. Ken Yorgan! 
 
https://www.yorganforcongress.com 

Open Blog - Wednesday


Have a great day.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Pennsylvania grand jury report identifies more than 300 'predator priests' who molested children in six dioceses

  • Updated
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — More than 1,000 children — and possibly many more — were molested by hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses, while senior church officials took steps to cover it up, according to a landmark grand jury report released Tuesday.

The grand jury said it believes the "real number" of abused children might be "in the thousands" since some records were lost and victims were afraid to come forward. The report said more than 300 clergy committed the abuse over a period decades, beginning in the mid-1950s.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the two-year probe found a systematic cover-up by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at the Vatican.

"The cover-up was sophisticated. And all the while, shockingly, church leadership kept records of the abuse and the cover-up. These documents, from the dioceses' own 'Secret Archives,' formed the backbone of this investigation," he said at a news conference in Harrisburg.

Significantly, the report faulted Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the former longtime bishop of Pittsburgh who now leads the Washington archdiocese, for what it said was his part in the concealment of clergy sexual abuse. Wuerl, one of the highest-profile cardinals in the United States, released a statement Tuesday that said he had "acted with diligence, with concern for the victims and to prevent future acts of abuse."

The grand jury scrutinized abuse allegations in dioceses that minister to more than half the state's 3.2 million Catholics. Its report echoed the findings of many earlier church investigations around the country in its description of widespread sexual abuse by clergy and church officials' concealment of it.

Most of the victims were boys, but girls were abused, too, the report said. The abuse ranged from groping and masturbation to anal, oral and vaginal rape.

Read more:  https://journaltimes.com/news/national/pennsylvania-grand-jury-report-identifies-more-than-predator-priests-who/article_881f5e0b-70cf-55e4-8187-8d07c4b98f9a.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Irish Spew

From The Shepherd Express:
Aug. 14, 2018
1:33 p.m.
I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, no time to whip out a big-time essay this week, no sir. I’m due to get over by the Uptowner tavern/charm school to meet up with the guys so’s to make our Irish Fest plans where each year we toast but good our personal heroes of, and with, Irish blood like W.B. Yeats, Buster Keaton and Gotham Police Chief Clancy O’Hara, what the fock.Except the Uptowner isn’t open yet, so first I’ll slide over by this 24-hour joint that slings the hash with a cup of Joe whether you like it or not. Come along if you want, but you leave the tip.
Hattie: Well, well. How ya’, Artie, what’s your pleasure?
Art: Hey, Hattie. Hattie Venta, at this time of day? I thought you only worked the graveyard shift. The regular gal, Bea, isn’t sick or something, is she?
Hattie: Oh no, Artie. She wanted the day off so she could take her little nephew to the Zoo where they’re having a food festival with music. Whatever will they think of next—a festival with music and food outdoors. Isn’t that nice?
Art: You bet, Hattie. That’s nice. I myself stopped eating food at the Zoo years ago, ever since I noticed what seemed to be a statistical anomaly that involved the number of pepperoni pizza slices sold and the population of Monkey Island.
Hattie: You don’t say so, Artie. Now let’s cut the chit-chat and get down to business. Are you going to order something, or do I need to call the police on you for loitering?
Art: Jeez louise, Hattie, what’s the hurry? I’m the only customer here.
Hattie: That’s right, Artie. And you know I get flustered when there’s a rush. So what’s it going to be—my way, or the highway?
Art: Calm down now Hattie. I’ll just have a nice cup of the blackest, thickest and cheapest of whatever it is you’re calling plain-old American coffee today, thank you very kindly.
Hattie: Now was that so hard, Artie? I like a customer who knows how to play ball. But aren’t you forgetting something?
Art: I don’t think so, Hattie. I’m fine with just the coffee.
Hattie: The tip! Don’t play games with me, Artie. I need the tip up front just so there’s no shenanigans.
Art: No problem, Hattie. There you go.
Hattie: That’s a nice boy, Artie. But Georgie Porgie Washington needs his twin if you want that cup of coffee, mister.
Art: All right already, Hattie. There. Go get yourself something nice.
Hattie: And here’s your coffee, just like I promised. So what do you hear, what do you know, my little Artie.
Art: I hear we got the Irish Fest this weekend down by the lakefront. You ever go to that fest, Hattie?
Hattie: Not me, Artie. But my father was Irish, he would’ve loved to go. They called him a lay-about because he never worked a day in his life; so I’m sure he would have had the time to go there. Did you know, Artie, that on his tombstone it says, “Curse is the work of the drinking man.” Isn’t that nice?
Art: Sounds familiar, something like Oscar Wilde once sort of said, that “Work is the curse of the drinking man.”
Hattie: Don’t you smart-mouth me, Artie. He passed away when I was just young girl. He had a bad accident when he tried to replace a light bulb all by himself. But I’ll never forget a little story he used to tell his friends when they came back to the house after the taverns closed: So listen, this Englishman, a Frenchman and an Irishman were at the pub discussing families. The talk turned to children and surprised they are to learn they each have a 15-year-old daughter they struggle to understand. The Englishman’s problem is that he found cigarette butts under his daughter’s bed. “I didn’t know she smoked,” was his complaint. The Frenchman then says that he’d found cognac bottles under his daughter’s bed. “I was not aware that she drank,” he confessed. And the Irishman says his situation is the toughest—he’d found condoms under his daughter’s bed. “Ah lads, what kind of father am I that I did not know my daughter even had a dick?”
Art: Yeah. That’s a nice story, Hattie.
Hattie: I knew you’d like it, Artie. You’re such a good boy.
Art: As always, it’s been a treat, Hattie. I’m thinking I ought to go before you get too busy. So thanks for the coffee—and for bending my ear there, Hattie-licious. See you next time.
Hattie: Oh Artie, you’re a little devil, aren’t you. Take care.
(OK, it’s off to the Uptowner. If you see me there, then you buy me one ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.)

Vote!


Partisan primary for November ballot is today.

Open Blog - Tuesday


Have a "Woo Hoo" day.

Monday, August 13, 2018

Orca whale that carried her dead calf at least 17 days lets it go, ending 'tour of grief'





An orca whale that carried her dead calf more than two weeks has let go of the body, ending her "tour of grief," researchers said.

The female killer whale was first spotted on July 24 pushing the corpse of her offspring that had died 30 minutes after birth, according to the Center for Whale Research in Washington state.

On Friday, Aug. 11, the whale, called J35 and also known as Tahlequah, was seen vigorously chasing a school of salmon with her podmates in the Haro Strait near the Canada-U.S. border. She was no longer carrying the deceased calf she had pushed for at least 17 days and 1,000 miles, the center said.

“Her tour of grief is now over and her behavior is remarkably frisky,” the center wrote on its website.

Telephoto images taken from shore show that the female whale appears to be in good physical condition, the center said.

"I'm hoping this ordeal is over," center founder Ken Balcomb told ABC News.

Magical mystery song: Math solves Beatles songwriting puzzle

Even John Lennon and Paul McCartney couldn't remember who wrote the music for In My Life. Stats to the rescue!



The Beatles' famous songwriting credit, Lennon-McCartney, doesn't distinguish between whether John Lennon or Paul McCartney wrote most, all, or some of a particular tune.

And to many fans, it doesn't matter. But three researchers recently utilized statistics and mathematics to determine whether John or Paul was the composer of 1965's In My Life. 

The researchers analyzed dozens of songs by the duo, and discovered 149 distinct transitions between notes and chords that are present in almost all Beatles songs, and which were unique to either Lennon or McCartney's compositions.

In My Life was released on the Beatles album Rubber Soul. The lyrics, a personal meditation about one's life and loves, are inarguably Lennon's. But Lennon and McCartney disagreed about who came up with the melody.

................................................................

But the data proved that theory wrong. The stats showed there's only a fractional probability that McCartney wrote any of the music.

"The probability that In My Life was written by McCartney is .018," Glickman said in a press release. "Which basically means it's pretty convincingly a Lennon song."

Read more:  https://www.cnet.com/news/magical-mystery-song-math-solves-beatles-songwriting-puzzle/

Foxconn Posts Unexpected Drop in Profit

Foxconn, known formally as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is the world’s largest contract electronics maker, and is best known for assembling Apple’s iPhones. Photo: tyrone siu/Reuter



BEIJING— Foxconn Technology 2354 -2.32% Group posted a surprise 2.2% decline in second-quarter profit, even after its biggest customer Apple Inc. said recent demand for iPhones remained resilient.

Taiwan-based Foxconn said Monday that its net profit for the quarter ended June 30 was 17.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($566.7 million). That compared with the NT$20.2 billion average estimate of analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ. Its net profit in the year-earlier quarter was NT$17.9 billion.

Revenue for the quarter rose 17% to NT$1.08 trillion from the previous year’s NT$922.4 billion.

Foxconn, known formally as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. 2317 -2.44% , is the world’s largest contract electronics maker, and is best known for assembling Apple’s iPhones. Last year, Foxconn relied on Apple for about 54% of its revenue, according to Arthur Liao, an analyst at Fubon Research.

Foxconn doesn’t hold earnings calls or briefings.
 
Write to Yoko Kubota at yoko.kubota@wsj.com

From:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/foxconn-posts-unexpected-drop-in-profit-1534163275

NBC is BEYOND shook

NBC's flailing shows how the mainstream media is now desperately trying to put out the Qanon fire that is sweeping the world:

Signs and T-shirts emblazoned with some variation of the letter Q dotted a rally for Donald Trump in Tampa on Tuesday. Paper printouts declaring “We are Q” occupied small sections of the crowd.

One rally-goer named Tyler held out a large coin with Q on it and explained the letter’s sudden prevalence among Trump supporters. “Qanon, the storm, the great awakening,” he told local TV station WPLG.

“What Q stands for is military intelligence, most likely. He’s been talking to all of us. Letting us know the covert battles that are waging between the Deep State and President Trump.”

Tyler, whose last name was not disclosed to WPLG, is one of a growing number of vocal followers of a conspiracy theory, known as Qanon, that has taken hold among some Trump supporters. The theory centers around an anonymous source, Q, who is trying to tell the world about a secret battle being waged by Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller against a pedophile ring filled with celebrities and political elites who have been covertly running the United States government for decades.

There is no evidence to back the claims. Because, in reality, of course, none of this is true.

That has not stopped the conspiracy theory from gaining an online following. It’s also beginning to show up in the real world at Trump rallies and on billboards. Some people have even acted on the claims.
They're rolling out the same narrative again that they used for claiming to "debunk" Pizzagate. And their totally inept approach to logic is almost beyond belief. Let's consider their syllogism.
  • Major premise: There is no evidence to support the Qanon claims.
  • Minor premise: Some people have acted on the claims despite the lack of evidence.
  • Conclusion: Therefore, the claims are false.
That doesn't follow at all. It literally is not logical. Furthermore, the major premise is false. Over 2,300 pedophiles were arrested in the USA in just three months between March and May. And look what we've learned about everyone from Jimmy Savile in the UK to Bill Cosby in the USA.

As with GamerGate, the media has no idea what it is up against. Gamers and channers are not susceptible to social pressure. They don't care if the media mocks them and call them names. They just keep digging, keep emailing, and keep going. And all the Right-wing worrywarts would do well to understand that the "legitimacy" of Q is no longer any more relevant than whether a spark that starts a forest fire is struck purposefully or accidentally.

The weaponized autists are on it and they are not going to stop.


From:  http://voxday.blogspot.com/2018/08/nbc-is-beyond-shook.html

Sex abuse scandals continue plaguing Catholic Church

Pope Francis celebrates a Chrism Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, March 29, 2018. During the Mass the pontiff blesses a token amount of oil that will be used to administer the sacraments for the year.  (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

With revelation after revelation, a new wave of sexual abuse scandals is rocking the Roman Catholic Church and presenting Pope Francis with the greatest crisis of his papacy.

In Chile, prosecutors have raided church offices, seized documents and accused leaders of a coverup. In Australia, top church figures are facing detention and trials. And in the United States, after the resignation of a cardinal, questions are swirling about a hierarchy that looked the other way and protected him for years.

The church has had more than three decades - since notable abuse cases first became public - to safeguard victims, and itself, against such system failures. And, in the past five years, many Catholics have looked to Francis as a figure who could modernize the church and help it regain its credibility.

But Francis' track record in handling abuse is mixed, something some outsiders attribute to his learning curve or shortcomings and others chalk up to resistance from a notoriously change-averse institution

Read more:  https://www.nola.com/religion/index.ssf/2018/08/catholic_church_sex_abuse_scan.html

Open Blog - Monday


Have a happy Monday.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Baltimore police suspend officer who was shown in video repeatedly punching man

A post shared by ⭕™runts 👊💪🔥✨ (@otm_lorkodak) on

A Maryland police officer who was caught on camera repeatedly punching a man has been suspended by the Baltimore Police Department, officials said on Saturday.

Interim Baltimore Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle said in a statement that he was "deeply disturbed" by the video of an officer striking a man several times before taking him into custody.

The incident, which took place on Saturday around 11:45 a.m. ET, began when the officer, who has not been identified, approached a man on the street who he "was familiar with," police said in a statement.

The statement says two officers who were "working a special cross borders crime initiative" approached the man in the video then released him before an officer approached the man again to provide him a citizens contact sheet.

While giving him the citizens contact sheet, the officer asked for the man's identification and the man refused, according to the statement. In the video of the encounter, the officer appears to put his hand on the man's chest. The man then says, "Don't touch me," and pushes the officer's hand off his chest.

Read more:  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baltimore-police-suspend-officer-after-being-caught-camera-punching-man-n899986