May 8, 2012

Police Brutally Beat Mentally Ill California Man in Released Video

Source: OCWeekly / Raw Story

Police brutally beat mentally ill California man in released video

By Stephen C. Webster
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 10:20 EDT

Video revealing the circumstances of how a mentally ill homeless man in Fullerton, Calif. died last July was finally published Monday, revealing a stunningly brutal police assault that left Kelly Thomas bleeding, broken and near death.

In the video, one of the officers can be heard telling Thomas, who was schizophrenic, “See my fists? They’re getting ready to start fucking you up.” When he doesn’t immediately comply and instead stands up, another officer charges in and hits him with a baton, and a scuffle ensues.

For the next approximately eight minutes, Thomas is pinned by the two officers, then up to as many as four more arrive and pile on. As Thomas pleads for mercy and complains that he cannot breathe, he’s tased and punched repeatedly. The treatment continues until Thomas’s cries morph into inaudible grunts and moans.

He was comatose after the beating, and died five days later after being taken off life support. Needless to say, the video is not for the faint of heart.


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/08/mentally-ill-california-man-brutally-beaten-by-police-in-released-video/

May 8, 2012

Rundle: Pursuit of Assange Product of Fraught Swedish Politics (Alleged Fabricated Evidence)

Friday, 20 April 2012

Rundle: pursuit of Assange a product of fraught Swedish sex crime politics

by Guy Rundle

Within weeks or days, WikiLeaks supremo and now TV host Julian Assange will find out from the UK Supreme Court whether he is to be extradited to Sweden for further questioning on four accusations (no charges have been laid) on sexual matters?—?two misdemeanour “annoyance” accusations, one of sexual coercion and one of third degree sexual assault/rape.

Now, in a case already mired in controversy, new evidence has come to light, which suggests that the testimony of one of the complainants has been fabricated in order to supply sufficient evidence to “fit” a criminal charge.

Comparison between the evidence given by Anna Ardin, the complainant attached to the first three accusations, and the legal wording of the key complaint by her against Assange, show that it is suspiciously similar to a paragraph in a high-profile 2009 Amnesty International Report on sex crimes in the Nordic countries.

The passage in question is significant because it establishes the minimum degree of physical coercion required to make a felony charge of sexual coercion in Sweden.

MORE[p]

May 5, 2012

BREAKING: Human Rights Activist Nabeel Rajab Arrested Ahead of Tuesday Interview with Assange

@wikileaks: BREAKING: Nabeel Rajab, the unofficial leader of the democratic Bahraini movement has been arrested ahead of Tuesday interview with Assange

May 4, 2012

Nurse in Afghanistan Dies in Skype Chat with Wife

Source: Associated Press

Nurse in Afghanistan dies in Skype chat with wife

From Associated Press
May 04, 2012 5:33 PM EDT

HOUSTON (AP) — The wife of an Army officer serving in Afghanistan witnessed her husband's death as the two video chatted via Skype, his family said Friday.

The circumstances of Capt. Bruce Kevin Clark's death were not immediately available. The Pentagon said it was under investigation, and his brother-in-law said he didn't have details.

- snip -

A statement from the family released by Taber-Thomas said Clark died Monday while talking to his wife during one of their regular Skype sessions.

"At the time of the incident, the family was hoping for a rescue and miracle, but later learned that it was not to be," the statement said. "Although the circumstances were unimaginable, Bruce's wife and extended family will be forever thankful that he and his wife were together in his last moments."

Read more: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20120504/4c8c59da-b00e-450d-aaaf-f732bee4417c

May 2, 2012

FUCK YOO

No excuse for no accountability.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014111644

May 2, 2012

Jon Stewart on Repubs Whining About Obama Touting bin Laden Killing: 'Are You on Crack??'

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/02/stewart-asks-republicans-are-you-on-crack

Stewart asks Republicans: ‘Are you on crack?’

By Andrew Jones

Jon Stewart had just one question Monday evening for angry Republicans upset over President Barack Obama using the killing of Osama bin Laden in a campaign ad against Mitt Romney: “Are you on crack?”

The Daily Show host reminded those upset over Obama’s move of what his predecessor George W. Bush did during the 2004 presidential campaign in prematurely celebrating his accomplishments in Iraq.

“Bush landed on a fucking air craft carrier with a football-stuffed codpiece,” Stewart said. “He spiked the football before the game had even started.”

VIDEO AT LINK

POLL QUESTION: Are Republicans on crack?

May 1, 2012

Tasers Pose Risks to Heart, a Study Warns (Taser Shot to the Chest Can Kill)

Source: The New York Times

Tasers Pose Risks to Heart, a Study Warns

By ERICA GOODE
Published: April 30, 2012

The electrical shock delivered to the chest by a Taser can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death, according to a new study, although it is unknown how frequently such deaths occur.

- snip -

The study, which analyzed detailed records from the cases of eight people who went into cardiac arrest after receiving shocks from a Taser X26 fired at a distance, is likely to add to the debate about the safety of the weapons. Seven of the people in the study died; one survived.

Advocacy groups like Amnesty International have argued that Tasers, the most widely used of a class of weapons known as electrical control devices, are potentially lethal and that stricter rules should govern their use.

- snip -

“This is no longer arguable,” said Dr. Byron Lee, a cardiologist and director of the electrophysiology laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco. “This is a scientific fact. The national debate should now center on whether the risk of sudden death with Tasers is low enough to warrant widespread use by law enforcement.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/health/research/taser-shot-to-the-chest-can-kill-a-study-warns.html

May 1, 2012

Study: Atheists More Driven by Compassion than Highly Religious People

Source: Raw Story

Study: Atheists more driven by compassion than highly religious people

By David Edwards
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 16:17 EDT

- snip -

Research from University of California, Berkeley published in the most recent edition of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science found a stronger link between compassion and generosity among non-religious or less religious people.

“Overall, we find that for less religious people, the strength of their emotional connection to another person is critical to whether they will help that person or not,” UC Berkeley social psychologist and study co-author Robb Willer explained. “The more religious, on the other hand, may ground their generosity less in emotion, and more in other factors such as doctrine, a communal identity, or reputational concerns.”

- snip -

“These findings indicate that although compassion is associated with pro-sociality among both less religious and more religious individuals, this relationship is particularly robust for less religious individuals,” the study said.

- snip -

“Overall, this research suggests that although less religious people tend to be less trusted in the U.S., when feeling compassionate, they may actually be more inclined to help their fellow citizens than more religious people,” Willer concluded.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/01/study-atheists-more-compassionate-than-highly-religious-people