Outside the Olympic Village, There’s a Bigger Story Happening
While much of news media focuses it’s cameras on the sports being played out inside the stadiums there’s a bigger story happening outside that involves thousands of Brazilians. Many have been displaced by the Olympic games and the World Cup before it and many more complain of the games costs in a country reeling from financial collapse. As with Sochi claims of corruption have been made against the government and the IOC – billions of dollars with little oversight have been funnelled from tax dollars to building hotels and stadiums. Many Brazilians ask why the money could be found for the…
Black Lives Matter Takes to the Streets in NYC
Black Lives Matter protestors took to the streets once again in Manhattan seeing several arrests and some abuse. This time the marchers were in solidarity with the Minneapolis occupiers that were shot, allegedly white supremacists and with the Black Lives Matter protestors in Chicago. They didn’t just take to the streets, they also took to Thanksgiving Day’s Official Sponsor, Macy’s. Employees and tourists stood by taking video with their phones and managers stood by just shaking their head as just for a moment, consumerism stopped. [Click on the links to view the videos] Raw Footage: #BlackLivesMatter March Through Macy's #NYC…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska ADN.com – ‘Nextdoor’ app aims to connect neighbors in Anchorage It started as a quest to protect a reindeer. About two years ago, somebody tried to break into Albert Whitehead’s home on 10th Avenue, near downtown Anchorage. They also tried to break into the pen of Whitehead’s well-known pet reindeer, Star. APRN.org – Special Investigator Planned To Look Into National Guard Allegation Attorney General Craig Richards is in the process of hiring a special investigator to look into the handling of sexual assault complaints within the Alaska National Guard. Grace Jang, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bill Walker, said Richards is…
Black Lives Matter: Across The Brooklyn Bridge
Unlike the usual New York protests that end in violence from police and dozens of arrests, this march happened peacefully. Carrying mock coffins that had the names of those killed by the NYPD, at least a thousand people marched across the Brooklyn Bridge Thursday night. Circled by police helicopters and joined by members of the NYPD, the protesters chanted ‘Black Lives Matter,’ occasionally changing it to ‘Thugs Lives Matter’ – meaning that even those committing minor crimes don’t deserve to be shot or strangled.
Mudflats Reports From Ferguson
After the announcement Monday that no charges were going to be brought against Officer Darren Wilson, we saw fires across Ferguson with many buildings burned to the ground, and stores looted. Tuesday, with some of the initial anger released and an increased police and National Guard presence, the city was quieter, but there were still arrests and tear gas. The protests are centered at the Ferguson Police Department on S. Florissant Road in Ferguson Missouri – from there groups of people split off and take the police and sometimes even the National Guard for a run around the area. After marchers that went…
You Want Fear Mongering? We got your fear mongering right here.
Everyone calm the hell down. I shook hands with with someone from Liberia. Her name is Christine Tolbert Norman – she’s the Mayor of Bentol City, Liberia. Bentol City is just outside of the capital, Monrovia. Mayor Norman is the daughter of former President William Tolbert and like most Liberians and 99.999% of all people from Africa does not have ebola. She likely never will have ebola and neither will I. And neither will you… or anyone you know. Every year FoxNews, CNN and the rest of the news media give you something to be terrified about. Bird flu, swine flu……
CNN: Why Not Use Water Cannons on Ferguson Protestors?
As we drift into another night of likely arrests and police violence against protestors and journalists in Ferguson, MO a CNN anchor has given us this ethical and historical quandary. Rosemary Church: “Talk to us about what police are saying to you. Why they are using this strategy? Why the use of tear gas, stun grenades? Why not perhaps use water cannons?” Watch the video below, but really watch the fantastic understated reaction from her co-host Errol Barnett. For those of you that aren’t history buffs here’s a reminder of why this might be a bit awkward. And maybe we need to have…
Breaking Bad Alaska – Meth Lab Accidents Down
Well done Alaska! We finally did it! Meth lab accidents are down in the state from a whopping 121 in 2004 to a single incident in 2012. We’re not sure if it was something the state and feds did, or just your friendly neighborhood meth dealers being influenced by the safety concerns of Walter White from Breaking Bad… but either way WELL DONE! You all deserve a yellow safety-gloved pat on the back. Let’s keep it up. hat tip to Buzzfeed source: DEA
Good News out of Detroit
Good local news is hard to come by. Well produced local news is nearly impossible to find. We’re lucky here in Anchorage to have some great local journalists at the ADN, KTUU, The Alaska Dispatch, and AlaskaCommons.com. In Detroit they’ve got Pulitzer Prize winning Charlie LeDuff. He’s the classic local TV news investigative reporter – just funnier. I have to admit am completely addicted to Charlie LeDuff’s journalism. It’s sensationalist, it’s absurd – but in a real way it does what top notch local journalism does – speaks truth to power. Please check out this story on police wait times in…