aljazeera--2019-02-20--Vaticans first summit on child sex abuse What to expect

Vatican's first summit on child sex abuse: What to expect

Pope Francis has summoned senior bishops from all over the world to Rome for a landmark meeting on sexual abuse.  From Thursday to Sunday, 190 Catholic leaders, including 10 women, will gather in the Italian capital at the pope's request; the event marks the first time in history that a pope has called senior bishops to discuss sexual abuse.  Scandals have struck the Catholic Church for decades, with pressure increasing after journalistic and judicial investigations revealed patterns of sexual abuse and cover-ups.  Further cases in 2018 heightened the crisis - some senior bishops have said the issue puts the very credibility of the Catholic Church at stake.  It's a four-day gathering of about 190 Catholic leaders who will discuss how to resolve the issue of the sexual abuse of minors.  It takes place in the Vatican, in Rome, under the official title of "Protection of Minors in the Church".  The Vatican's press office has described the meeting's goal as making "absolutely clear" to bishops how to act to prevent and deal with sexual abuse.  It focuses on sharing best practices in dealing with abuse, educating bishops on the problem, and on bolstering transparency, responsibility and accountability in the church. It will not, crucially, focus on canon law reform.  The pope has asked those invited to pray for the coming meeting.  The summit is important for at least three reasons.  First, although similar meetings have taken place in the past, it is the first time that a pope has summoned senior bishops for it.  Second, Pope Francis has given more voice to survivors of clerical sexual abuse - he has met some of them and has urged bishops to do the same in their countries before leaving for Rome. Some survivors will also give their testimony at the summit.  Finally, the Vatican has acknowledged that sexual abuse is a global problem in the church, and not only an issue in some specific countries, as it had previously downplayed it.  Not everyone agrees on the summit's importance, but most people welcome it as a positive development.  "For survivors who have been around for 25 years, like me, this is an incredible achievement," says Peter Isely, a survivor, critic of the Vatican and founding member of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) Global. "Years ago, this was inconceivable."  Two cases, in particular, have shaken the Vatican in 2018.  In the United States, the grand jury of the state of Pennsylvania released a report that revealed the sexual abuse and systematic cover-up of more than 1,000 minors over 70 years, implicating some 300 clergymen.  After its release, at least 14 other US states have launched similar investigations, suggesting that more scandals are likely to surface in the next few years.  The other incident took place in Chile, where bishops and high prelates have come under pressure for covering up a sexual abuse crisis centred around Fernando Karadima.  While Karadima was sentenced to a "life of prayer and penance" in 2011, his case came back under the spotlight after Pope Francis spoke in support of one of the bishops involved in the cover-up, in early 2018.  Realising the mistake, the pope has since apologised and called the Chilean bishops to Rome. They offered their resignations en-masse, and five of them have been accepted.  Karadima has since been removed from the priesthood.  "I believe the Chilean case was decisive [for calling the summit]," says Paolo Rodari, Vatican analyst for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "It was a big blow for Pope Francis.  "My impression is that the pope realised that not everyone in the church grasps the seriousness of the problem," he says. "It signals that the pope has understood how serious this is."  Almost entirely, although some are not convinced.  Some victims, for example, don't support the summit because it doesn't promise canon law reform. They have even called it a media bluff.  "For us, this summit is meaningless," says Francesco Zanardi, a survivor who has campaigned on the issue for nine years. He is the president of Rete L'Abuso, an Italian association of survivors. "We are only going to Rome to protest."  Inside the church though, there is little outspoken opposition.  "Everybody in the church is against sexual abuse, that is not the question," says Rev Thomas Reese, a senior analyst with the Religious News Service.  "The question is that there are bishops, predominantly in the Global South, who don't think it is a problem in their countries."  He explains that this happens because scandals haven't struck all countries, so some bishops feel safe. But this often happens because of social stigma on the sexually abused in certain countries, or because survivors are not encouraged to come out - not because abuses haven't happened.  Actually not much, at least for now.  While this might lead to concrete results in the future, it's unlikely to produce ground-breaking new protocols in the short run.  Pope Francis has warned that expectations around the summit must be "deflated", and Vatican sources have called it a step in a 15-year journey.  These words have frustrated survivors and activists demanding an immediate end to clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups.  "Expecting a priest who sexually abuses a child and a bishop who covers it up to be removed from the priesthood is not an 'inflated' expectation," says Peter Isely of ECA Global. "It's a minimum expectation."  On Monday, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's leading investigator of clerical sexual abuse, confirmed that "this is not going to be a three-day wonder" and stressed the importance of follow-ups on the summit.  Survivors demand zero tolerance - that the Vatican remove from the priesthood not only any priest guilty of sexually abusing a child, but also any bishops and cardinals involved in covering him up and shuffling them to other posts.  Other demands include handing over priest offenders to civil authorities and ending alternative punishment such as sentences to a life of "penance and prayer" or retreat in religious institutions instead of jail.  All survivors pledge to carry on their battle. "We've lived with a lot of disappointments," says Peter Isely of ECA Global. "Expectation is not what drives us."  Juan Carlos Cruz, who is among the people abused by Karadima in Chile and has also met Pope Francis to discuss the problem, said: "[Bishops who deny the problem] are on borrowed time. If the summit turns out to be more of the same, survivors will keep fighting. It's a tsunami that no one will stop."  Some interviews were translated from Italian.


breitbart--2019-10-11--Beto O'Rourke: Religious Institutions Will Lose Tax Exemption If They Oppose Same Sex Marriage

During the broadcast of CNN’s town hall on LGBTQ issues on Thursday, 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) said religious institutions that do not agree with same-sex marriage would lose their tax-exempt status under his presidency.  Don Lemon asked, “This is from your LGBTQ plan. This is what you write. Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, but it should not be used to discriminate. Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage?  O’Rourke said, “Yes. There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights, and the full civil rights of every single one of us. And so as president, we’re going to make that a priority, and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon human rights.”

religious institutions and state relations


cnsnews--2019-10-11--Beto O'Rourke Would End Tax-Exempt Status for Churches That Oppose Gay Marriage

(CNSNews.com) - "Yes," Beto O'Rourke told a CNN town hall on LGBTQ equality Thursday night. He would use the government tax code to crimp the free exercise of religion.      CNN's Don Lemon pointed to O'Rourke's LGBTQ plan: "This is what you write. 'Freedom of religion is a fundamental right but it should not be used to discriminate.' Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?"        "Yes," O'Rourke said.      "There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.  "And so as president, we're going to make that a priority, and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans."


cnsnews--2019-10-14--Progressive Base Sees Religious Freedom As Hate Speech

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke expressed the deep, heartfelt desire of many progressives: to punish conservative religious people for their beliefs. At a CNN Town Hall on Thursday, he was asked if he believed that “religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities” should “lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage.”  “Yes,” said O’Rourke, an answer met with raucous applause and loud cheers from the Democratic crowd. “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.”  Although the progressive audience enthusiastically and overwhelmingly supported O’Rourke’s proposal, it was later criticized by legal experts and religious people. Progressive commentators responded by going into damage-control mode. Recognizing that O’Rourke’s proposal might be unpopular with the broader public, commentators aligned with the Democratic Party sought to downplay its significance. They pointed out that O’Rourke is a second-tier presidential candidate with little hope of becoming president.  But O’Rourke’s proposal plainly is popular with the progressive base of the Democratic Party, and other candidates at the CNN Town Hall made no effort to distance themselves from O’Rourke’s position. In response to the same question, Sen. Cory Booker said that religious institutions would face “consequences,” and that he would “press this issue.” Booker avoided “saying” whether he would take away their tax-exemptions, “because … this is a long legal battle.”  Most legal commentators said that O’Rourke’s proposal is unconstitutional under Supreme Court rulings like Speiser v. Randall (1958). Those rulings forbid withholding tax exemptions based on the viewpoint advocated by a person or organization. Such viewpoint discrimination is forbidden by the First Amendment.  But O’Rourke’s unconstitutional proposal plainly appeals to many Democratic voters, judging by their defenses of it on Twitter, and enthusiasm for it at the CNN Town Hall. A Twitter user named Travis Bell defended it by saying:  "Taking away tax-exempt status is not forcing anyone to believe anything. If people wanted to hold outdated, bronze-age beliefs, then that is their right. But we as a society don’t need to subsidize it. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right."  Bell had plenty of company. An Episcopalian feminist wrote that “churches should lose nonprofit status if they are exclusionary.” “They can continue their backwards beliefs if they want, they just won’t get indirect subsidies anymore,” Miguel Chavez said. “I agree” with Beto, said Sallie Hopper. “Absolutely — religion is not to be used as a crutch to” justify bigotry, said a Louisiana Democratic activist.  A self-described member of “The Resistance” praised O’Rourke’s comments, calling him the “one candidate consistently speaking truth to power.” A Democratic dentist in New Jersey praised O’Rourk, for sending the message to churches “that it’s wrong to have prejudicial views and use the Bible & ‘religious beliefs’ as a veneer to justify them.” “Taking away the tax exempt status of ‘politically motivated’ religions is a great start,” raved Peter Swisher. A New York Democrat enthused that opposing same-sex marriage is one of the “excellent reasons for churches to lose tax-exempt status.” “Finally!! The debasement of human beings according to one’s religion is coming to an end,” agreed a liberal psychologist. “I am with Beto on that,” said a progressive YouTuber.  This position by progressives isn’t surprising. Most progressives support forcing churches to marry gay couples, and long have. Even back in 2013, when support for gay marriage was much lower than it is today, Democrats mostly supported coercing churches to perform gay marriages. A poll by the “center-left” think-tank Third Way found that 28% of voters felt that churches should not “be able to refuse to perform” same-sex marriages, while 61% felt that they should have that right. That 28% amounted to most of the Democratic Party, which comprises less than half of America’s population. And that was back in 2013, when public support for same-sex marriage was at least 14% lower than it is today.  Progressives also often view opposition to same-sex marriage as hate speech. Democrats overwhelmingly want to ban hate speech. Fifty-one percent of Democrats supported banning “hate speech,” while only 21% opposed such a ban, in a widely-cited You.Gov poll. Under campus speech codes and social media rules aimed at preventing hate speech and “harassment,” people have been punished just for criticizing “homosexuality, gay marriage, or transgender rights.”  The Supreme Court struck down a hate-speech ordinance as a violation of the First Amendment in R.A.V. v. St. Paul (1992). But progressives are much more hostile to free speech today than they were back then. So a future, more progressive Supreme Court might be willing to reconsider that decision, which many progressive legal scholars passionately condemned.  Some progressives define even single-instances of “hate speech” as a civil-rights violation: New York City recently warned residents that it may fine them up to $250,000 if they use the term illegal alien in the workplace or rental housing, even if they do so only once. New York City views illegal alien as a pejorative term that constitutes illegal discriminatory harassment when it is uttered to offend or demean such immigrants — even though the term is found in federal laws.  Even if the courts wouldn’t let churches be stripped of their tax exemptions based on their beliefs or statements about same-sex marriage, they might let churches be targeted for some of their actions in not facilitating same-sex weddings. Legal commentator Walter Olson persuasively argues that current Supreme Court precedent does not allow churches to lose their tax exemptions based on refusal to marry gay couples.  But the Supreme Court did allow Bob Jones University to be denied tax-exempt status by the IRS for discrimination against interracial couples, even though interracial relationships were against its religious beliefs. LGBT rights groups cite this ruling to argue that churches can be punished for not recognizing gay marriage in religious schools they operate, or for not hosting same-sex marriage ceremonies in public accommodations such as pavilions that they own. CNN quoted “Camilla Taylor, director of constitutional litigation for Lambda Legal, one of the oldest organizations focused on LGBT rights.” She told CNN, “In the past, the Supreme Court upheld the IRS when they issued a revenue ruling that educational institutions that discriminate on race do not qualify as charitable institutions given that they are acting contrary to public policy.”  In the years to come, LGBT groups will argue that religious schools (and perhaps even churches) do not qualify as tax-exempt charitable institutions, if they don’t recognize gay marriages between their students or parishioners (for purposes of decisions like where to house or seat them). They have already sued religious colleges for not allowin gay couples to live in housing specifically reserved for married students. One such lawsuit was successfully brought by an unmarried gay couple in liberal New York City, over a religious college’s refusal to let them stay in housing for married couples. They objected to being in housing for unmarried students.  Similar challenges to churches over their membership practices are likely to fail. That’s because the Supreme Court’s Bob Jones decision suggested in a footnote that churches are different from religious schools in terms of when they can be denied a tax-exemption based on discrimination.     (Hans Bader practices law in Washington, D.C. After studying economics and history at the University of Virginia and law at Harvard, he practiced civil-rights, international-trade, and constitutional law. He also once worked in the Education Department.)


crikey--2019-12-03--Forget religious freedom; the church just wants power

Forget religious freedom; the church just wants power  Religious institutions already have enough freedom — what they want is a bill to help rebuild their dwindling congregation.  The lobbying push on the religious freedom bill -- which the government has booted into next year, perhaps hoping for a death and resurrection -- is gathering pace. How's it going?


fivethirtyeight--2019-09-18--The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

A few weeks ago, the Democratic National Committee formally acknowledged what has been evident for quite some time: Nonreligious voters are a critical part of the party’s base. In a one-page resolution passed at its annual summer meeting, the DNC called on Democratic politicians to recognize and celebrate the contributions of nonreligious Americans, who make up one-third of Democrats. In response, Robert Jeffress, a Dallas pastor with close ties to Trump, appeared on Fox News, saying the Democrats were finally admitting they are a “godless party.”  This was hardly a new argument. Conservative Christian leaders have been repeating some version of this claim for years, and have often called on religious conservatives and Republican politicians to defend the country against a growing wave of liberal secularism. And it’s true that liberals have been leaving organized religion in high numbers over the past few decades. But blaming the Democrats, as Jeffress and others are wont to do, doesn’t capture the profound role that conservative Christian activists have played in transforming the country’s religious landscape, and the role they appear to have played in liberals’ rejection of organized religion.  Researchers haven’t found a comprehensive explanation for why the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has increased over the past few years — the shift is too large and too complex. But a recent swell of social science research suggests that even if politics wasn’t the sole culprit, it was an important contributor. “Politics can drive whether you identify with a faith, how strongly you identify with that faith, and how religious you are,” said Michele Margolis, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity.” “And some people on the left are falling away from religion because they see it as so wrapped up with Republican politics.”  Over the course of a single generation, the country has gotten a lot less religious. As recently as the early 1990s, less than 10 percent of Americans lacked a formal religious affiliation, and liberals weren’t all that much likelier to be nonreligious than the public overall. Today, however, nearly one in four Americans are religiously unaffiliated. That includes almost 40 percent of liberals — up from 12 percent in 1990, according to the 2018 General Social Survey. The share of conservatives and moderates who have no religion, meanwhile, has risen less dramatically.  The result is that today, most people’s political ideology is more tightly tethered to their religious identity. The overlap is far from complete — there are still some secular conservatives and even more religious liberals. In fact, the majority of Democratic voters are religiously affiliated. But the more liberal you are, the less likely you are to belong to a faith; whereas if you’re conservative, you’re more likely to say you’re religious.  To be sure, religious belief and practice can still exist without a label. Many people who are religiously unaffiliated still believe in God, or slip back into the pews a few times a year. But liberals are also cutting ties with religious institutions — since 1990, the share of liberals who never attend religious services has tripled. And they’re less likely to believe in God: The percentage of liberals who say they know God exists fell from 53 percent in 1991 to 36 percent in 2018.  At first, it wasn’t clear why so many Americans were losing their faith — and of the available explanations, politics wasn’t high on the list. After all, there are lots of reasons why any individual person would stop attending church that have nothing to do with politics. A church scandal might spark a crisis of faith. You might begin to view a religion’s hierarchies or rules as antiquated, restrictive or irrelevant to your life. You might not have been that religious to begin with.  Social scientists were initially reluctant to entertain the idea that a political backlash was somehow responsible, because it challenged long-standing assumptions about how flexible our religious identities really are. Even now, the idea that partisanship could shape something as personal and profound as our relationship with God might seem radical, or maybe even a little offensive.  But when two sociologists, Michael Hout and Claude Fischer, began to look at possible explanations for why so many Americans were suddenly becoming secular, those conventional reasons couldn’t explain why religious affiliation started to fall in the mid-1990s. Demographic and generational shifts also couldn’t fully account for why liberals and moderates were leaving in larger numbers than conservatives. In a paper published in 2002, they offered a new theory: Distaste for the Christian right’s involvement with politics was prompting some left-leaning Americans to walk away from religion.  It was a simple but compelling explanation. For one thing, the timing made sense. In the 1990s, white evangelical Protestants were becoming more politically powerful and visible within conservative politics. As white evangelical Protestants became an increasingly important constituency for the GOP, the Christian conservative political agenda — focused primarily on issues of sexual morality, including opposition to gay marriage and abortion — became an integral part of the the party’s pitch to voters, but it was still framed as part of an existential struggle to protect the country’s religious foundation from incursions by the secular left. Hout and Fischer argued that the Christian right hadn’t just roused religious voters from their political slumber — left-leaning people with weaker religious ties also started opting out of religion because they disliked Christian conservatives’ social agenda.  At the time, Hout and Fischer’s argument was mostly just a theory. But within the past few years, Margolis and several other prominent political scientists have concluded that politics is a driving factor behind the rise of the religiously unaffiliated. For one thing, several studies that followed respondents over time showed that it wasn’t that people were generally becoming more secular, and then gravitating toward liberal politics because it fit with their new religious identity. People’s political identities remained constant as their religious affiliation shifted.  Other research showed that the blend of religious activism and Republican politics likely played a significant role in increasing the number of religiously unaffiliated people. One study, for instance, found that something as simple as reading a news story about a Republican who spoke in a church could actually prompt some Democrats to say they were nonreligious. “It’s like an allergic reaction to the mixture of Republican politics and religion,” said David Campbell, a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame and one of the study’s co-authors.  Granted, the people who were leaving weren’t necessarily at the center of their religious community — they didn’t attend religious services often, perhaps dropping in once or twice a year. But the numbers began to add up, opening a rift between conservatives and liberals. According to Margolis’s research, while young people across the political spectrum tend to drift away from religion, liberals are increasingly unlikely to return.  As a result, views about religion and its role in American society have become increasingly polarized. According to surveys by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of liberals who believe that churches and religious organizations positively contribute to society dropped from nearly half (49 percent) in 2010 to only one-third (33 percent) today. And according to 2016 data from the Voter Study Group, only 11 percent of people who are very liberal say that being Christian is at least fairly important to what it means to be American — compared to 69 percent of people who identify as very conservative.  And although the people who have left religion could return, it seems more and more unlikely. For one thing, conservative Christians are still a key part of the Republican coalition, where their agenda on issues like abortion and religious exemptions remains a high political priority within the party. This means liberals’ views of the association between conservative politics and religion could be hard to shake.  These patterns are self-reinforcing in other ways, too. Recent surveys show that secular liberals are more likely than moderates or conservatives to have spouses who aren’t religious. That’s critical because these couples are then often less likely to pray or send their children to Sunday school, and research shows that formative religious experiences as a child play a crucial role in structuring an adult’s religious beliefs and identity. It’s no coincidence then that the youngest liberals — who never lived in a political world before the Christian right — are also the most secular. “It’s very, very unlikely that a kid raised in a nonreligious liberal household would suddenly consider going to church,” Margolis said.  The political implications of this shift are already evident. As more liberals become nonreligious, the Democratic Party’s base is growing more secular, complicating the party’s efforts at reaching more religious voters. But what it means for religion is less clear. Paul Djupe, a political scientist at Denison College, said that the impact might be blunted by the fact that the people who are becoming nonreligious mostly weren’t that involved in religion to begin with.  But Campbell warned that this shift is already reducing churches’ ability to bring a diverse array of people together and break down partisan barriers. That, in his view, threatens to further undermine trust in religious groups and make our politics more and more divisive. “We have very few institutions left in the country where people who have different political views come together,” he said. “Worship was one of those — and without it, the list is smaller and smaller.”


freebeacon--2019-10-11--Beto: Religious Institutions Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for Same-Sex Marriage Opposition

Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas) said he would strip religious institutions of their tax exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage.  "We are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans," the former congressman said during CNN's Equality Town Hall on Thursday.  CNN host Don Lemon pressed O'Rourke on the particulars of his plan for LGBT Americans.  "Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?" Lemon asked.  O'Rourke answered with an unequivocal yes, and stressed that as president, he would make punishing religious organizations a priority.  "There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us," O'Rourke said.  His remarks sparked condemnation from Republican lawmakers. Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) said O'Rourke's approach would criminalize any and all "religious convictions [that] don’t fall in line with his progressive politics."  "This extreme intolerance is un-American," Sasse said in a statement. "This bigoted nonsense would target a lot of sincere Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Leaders from both political parties have a duty to flatly condemn this attack on very basic American freedoms."  Religious liberty groups said O'Rourke's proposal threatens fundamental constitutional rights. Luke Goodrich, an attorney with the nonprofit firm Becket Law, said the government should not target religions based upon their traditional beliefs.  "Stripping the tax-exempt status of religious groups simply because they hold beliefs that the government dislikes is blatantly unconstitutional,"Goodrich said in a statement. "It's also foolish because those groups provide billions of dollars in essential social services to their communities. Churches and ministries should be allowed to hold centuries-old beliefs without fear of government retribution."  O'Rourke has previously expressed his support for abortion up to the day before birth, telling a crowd at the College of Charleston, "this is a decision that neither you, nor I, nor the United States government should be making."  He is struggling to gain traction among Democratic voters, and faces the strong possibility of missing out on the fifth Democratic presidential debate in November due to weak polling.


hitandrun--2019-12-11--An LGBT Discrimination Compromise Bill Is Proposed in an Uncompromising Culture

Several Republican lawmakers have introduced a compromise bill that would provide gay and transgender people federal discrimination protections while still preserving some ability for religious organizations and nonprofits to seek exemptions.  Of course, it doesn't appear that either side of the LGBT/religious conservative divide is willing to accept such a compromise. But the effort itself is worth noting as a sign of the significant cultural shift on LGBT issues.  Rep. Chris Stewart (R–Utah) has introduced the "Fairness for All Act" which attempts to thread the needle between protection and religious freedom. Stewart's bill would add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to federal discrimination laws. This would make it against the law nationwide to fire an employee or refuse to rent an apartment to somebody because they are gay or transgender.  While this sounds almost exactly like the Equality Act proposed by Democrats and LGBT leaders and passed by the House this May, Stewart's bill provides more specific exemptions for religious institutions and religious nonprofits, as well as small businesses. A large chain bakery or grocery store would be expected to make those gay wedding cakes (and they all do already because they like making money), while small businesses like Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado or Arlene's Flowers in Washington state would still be able to decline to provide services for same-sex weddings because of their religious objections to recognizing gay marriage.  The Fairness for All Act prepares the possibility of an expansion of the federal definition of a "public accommodation" by defining some exceptions. Currently, federal civil rights act laws define "public accommodation" more narrowly than most state laws—places like gas stations, movie theaters, restaurants, and hotels are covered, while many other professional services are not. Stewart's act would make it clear that facilities operated by a church or religious organization are exempted from any expansions in the definition of what counts as a public accommodation.  The bill tries to thread a difficult needle in how trans people should be treated for the use of facilities like restrooms and changing rooms. Public schools will be expected to accommodate trans students using the facility that matches their chosen gender, but schools will also need to find a way to "reasonably accommodate" anybody seeking greater privacy. The most relevant concern here is that of a cisgender woman who is uncomfortable sharing bathroom or changing space with a trans woman who still has male sexual organs. But not all women would care. So those who do care would be accommodated with something like a private stall, rather than requiring the trans woman to do so.  All in all, the purpose of the Fairness for All Act is to add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal discrimination laws in such a way that won't result in the Department of Justice targeting churches and religious institutions for punishment. It's a much milder change than the Equality Act, which would significantly expand public accommodation classifications and more tightly prohibit any religious-based exemptions.  Stewart's efforts have gotten him support from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Utah's Governor Gary Herbert, a Republican. The proposal is based on a compromise bill passed in Utah in 2015 that similarly added sexual orientation and gender identity to discrimination protections but also exempted religious organizations.  Clearly, we're not in a political environment where compromise is on the table, and coverage of the act shows it. Over at Vox, Katelyn Burns does a fair job of explaining what the bill does, but a significant amount of her piece is full of quotes from religious conservatives, LGBT activists, and for some reason, an atheist organization, all blasting the bill.  Googling "Fairness for All Act" leads—in its very first match—with a paid link from the religious conservative Alliance Defending Freedom written in 2017 (after the Utah compromise passed and Republican lawmakers began considering a federal version) warning that these types of "proposals surrender essential, constitutionally guaranteed individual and institutional freedoms and empower the government to discriminate against its citizens in exchange for narrow carve-outs for religious freedom and perhaps other protections of uncertain scope."  And then the next two links are to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), both blasting the Fairness for All Act from the other direction. The ACLU says, "The new legislation signals that LGBTQ people are less worthy of protection. It does this by providing religious organizations and service providers with the ability to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity where they are explicitly prohibited under current federal law from discriminating based on other protected characteristics."  The whole point of a compromise bill is that neither side gets everything that they want, but we're not in a cultural spot where the people with the loudest voices are interested in compromise. Each of the Democratic candidates for president have thrown their support behind the Equality Act, and in their various appeals for the LGBT vote, have made it clear they'd rather punish religious objectors than try to figure out a way to work with them.  The Fairness for All Act stands as conscientious objector to the culture wars. But right now, few people are looking for a truce.  Read a draft version of the bill here.


bbc--2019-08-21--Amazon fires Record number burning in Brazil rainforest - space agency

Amazon fires: Record number burning in Brazil rainforest - space agency

Brazil's Amazon rainforest has seen a record number of fires this year, new space agency data suggests.  The National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) said its satellite data showed an 84% increase on the same period in 2018.  It comes weeks after President Jair Bolsonaro sacked the head of the agency amid rows over its deforestation data.  The largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.  It is also home to about three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people.  Conservationists have blamed Mr Bolsonaro for the Amazon's plight, saying he has encouraged loggers and farmers to clear the land, and scientists say the rainforest has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since he took office in January.  Meanwhile, US space agency Nasa said that overall fire activity in the Amazon basin was slightly below average this year.  The agency said that while activity had increased in Amazonas and Rondonia, it had decreased in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará.  It was earlier reported that a blackout on Monday in the city of São Paulo - more than 2,700km (1,700 miles) away - had been caused by smoke from the Amazon fires.  But some meteorologists say the smoke came from major fires burning in Paraguay, which is much closer to the city and not in the Amazon region.  Wildfires often occur in the dry season in Brazil but they are also deliberately started in efforts to illegally deforest land for cattle ranching.  Inpe said it had detected more than 74,000 fires between January and August - the highest number since records began in 2013. It said it had observed more than 9,500 forest fires since Thursday, mostly in the Amazon region.  In comparison, there are slightly more than 40,000 in the same period of 2018, it said. However, the worst recent year was 2016, with more than 68,000 fires in that period.  The satellite images showed Brazil's most northern state, Roraima, covered in dark smoke, while neighbouring Amazonas declared an emergency over the fires.  Mr Bolsonaro brushed off the latest data, saying it was the "season of the queimada", when farmers use fire to clear land. "I used to be called Captain Chainsaw. Now I am Nero, setting the Amazon aflame," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.  Later he appeared to suggest that non-governmental organisations had set fires, as revenge for his government slashing their funding. He presented no evidence and gave no names to support this theory, saying there were "no written records about the suspicions".  "So, there could be..., I'm not affirming it, criminal action by these 'NGOers' to call attention against my person, against the government of Brazil. This is the war that we are facing," he said in a Facebook Live on Wednesday.  Inpe noted that the number of fires was not in line with those normally reported during the dry season.  "There is nothing abnormal about the climate this year or the rainfall in the Amazon region, which is just a little below average," Inpe researcher Alberto Setzer told Reuters.  "The dry season creates the favourable conditions for the use and spread of fire, but starting a fire is the work of humans, either deliberately or by accident."  Ricardo Mello, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Amazon Programme, said the fires were "a consequence of the increase in deforestation seen in recent figures".  The reports of a rise in forest fires come amid criticism over Mr Bolsonaro's environmental policies. Scientists say the Amazon has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since the president took office in January, with policies favouring development over conservation.  Over the past decade, previous governments had managed to reduce deforestation with action by federal agencies and a system of fines. But Mr Bolsonaro and his ministers have criticised the penalties and overseen a fall in confiscations of timber and convictions for environmental crimes.  Last month, the far-right president accused Inpe's director of lying about the scale of deforestation in the Amazon and trying to undermine the government. It came after Inpe published data showing an 88% increase in deforestation there in June compared to the same month a year ago.  The director of the agency later announced that he was being sacked amid the row.  Inpe has previously insisted that its data is 95% accurate. The agency's reliability has also been defended by several scientific institutions, including the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.  Do you have video or pictures of fires in the affected regions? If it is safe to do so email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk  Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:


bbcuk--2019-09-06--Gender equality No room at the top for women scientists

Gender equality: 'No room at the top for women scientists'

The number of women climbing the career ladder in science is "disappointingly low", say researchers.  Women make up half of students in the life sciences, but only one in four professors, according to data from 500 scientific institutions worldwide.  The main problem lies with retaining and promoting women into influential positions, the study concluded.  It found women had fewer chances to serve on committees or speak at scientific meetings.  Other factors included unconscious bias, tensions with work-life balance, poor funding and pay, and a lack of networking opportunities.  The data, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, came from 541 universities and research institutions in 38 countries in the US, Europe and Australia.  Women made up more than half of undergraduate and postgraduate students, 42% of assistant professors and 23% of full professors, although rates varied by institution.  The findings back the view of many women in science that more must be done to address the problem of the "leaky pipeline" - where women leave the profession due to problems such as harassment and issues around promotion and pay.  "There is no point in encouraging more girls into science if the system is set up to exclude them," Dr Jessica Wade of Imperial College London, who champions women in physics but was not connected with this particular study, told the BBC.  "Improving gender balance in science will take institutional commitments to support women in their applications for promotion, act when there are reports of sexual harassment or bullying and make work allocation more transparent."  Women have made important contributions to science throughout history, but have consistently been underrepresented at all levels.  One recent study found that closing the gender gap in physics will take hundreds of years, given the current rate of progress.


prepareforchange--2019-02-19--Geoengineering the Space Fence and the Advent of Transhumanism Part 1

Geoengineering, the Space Fence, and the Advent of Transhumanism Part 1

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.  We’ve arranged a society on science and technology in which nobody understands anything about science and technology, and this combustible mixture of ignorance and power sooner or later is going to blow up in our faces. I mean, who is running the science and technology in a democracy if the people don’t know anything about it?  The American entry into the race to control space began in 1945 when Operation Paperclip brought 10,000 Nazi engineers, technicians, doctors, and scientists to the United States to create technological wonders. For example, aerospace engineer Arthur Rudolph, former colleague of SS aeronautics engineer Wernher von Braun (director of Marshall Space Flight Center), had been Hitler’s director of the Mittelwerk underground rocket factory nicknamed “Dante’s Inferno” where 52,000 prisoners turned out 6,000 V-2 rockets. From 1951 to 1961, Rudolph worked for Martin Marietta in Waterton, Colorado, after which he became project director of the Saturn V rocket program. Rudolph became an American citizen and received the Distinguished Service Award. In 1984, he renounced his U.S. citizenship and returned to Germany, having faithfully served the transfer of the Third Reich secret space program to the United States.  Infiltration and co-optation, compartmentalization, confidentiality agreements, backroom deals, threats, bribes, skewed research, packed peer review committees, embedded international media—one can only marvel at the legerdemain and sheer deception it takes to steer international conferences, committees, publishing houses, news outlets, and university and elementary school curriculi so as to construct a vast global house of cards built on turning carbons—the building blocks of all of life—into the culprit behind global warming. It is quite the con, given that CO2 is just above the minimum needed to sustain plant life, and nations should be increasing their CO2 instead of being penalized for the CO2 they have.  In 2012, climatologist Tim Ball stressed one more time that CO2 is not a greenhouse gas:  The truth is that ionospheric heaters like HAARP are being used to modify the atmosphere (thus heating it), while carbon taxes and emissions trading support the secret space program.  But what of “science” during all of this politicizing of the climate? Control over scientists and the various institutions of the scientific apparat has been tight since the Paperclip Nazi takeover at the beginning of the Cold War. The peer review system has been utterly co-opted by the military-industrial-intelligence complex that controls the purse strings and thus favors some theories and scientists while banishing others to the outer darkness of non-publication and stonewalled careers. Nobel Laureate biologist Sydney Brenner:  Social commentator Charles Eisenstein describes the outer-darkness opposition to cutting-edge scientists like those exploring Electric Universe theory as that of a “powerful orthodoxy against a marginalized heterodoxy”:  If you have faith in the soundness of our scientific institutions, you will assume that the dissidents are marginalized for very good reason: their work is substandard. If you believe that the peer review process is fair and open, then the dearth of peer-reviewed citations for [Electric Universe] research is a damning indictment of their theory. And if you believe that the corpus of mainstream physics is fundamentally correct, and that science is progressing closer and closer to truth, you will be highly skeptical of any major departure from standard theories . . . Can we trust scientific consensus? Can we trust the integrity of our scientific institutions? Perhaps not. Over the last few years, a growing chorus of insider critics have been exposing serious flaws in the ways that scientific research is funded and published, leading some to go so far as to say, “Science is broken.”  In the forty years between 1973 and 2013, decisions as to which scientific papers merited publication and which didn’t fell to only six major publishers— ACS; Reed Elsevier; Sage; Taylor & Francis; Springer; and Wiley-Blackwell)—all in the back pocket of Big Pharma and the medical industry that profit from sickness, not health:  Then there is the omnipresent danger quotient far beyond loss of career for scientists working on classified projects. In the early days of the “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) now culminating in the Space Fence, two dozen scientists and experts working for Marconi and Plessey Defence Systems either disappeared or died under “mysterious circumstances.” Most were microbiologists. The scientist death toll continued into the 1990s and post-9/11. Now, the targets appear to be naturopathic doctors and health-minded MDs peering behind the curtains of Big Pharma vaccinations, autism, and cancer-for-profit.  Science has been broken on a rack of secrets owned by the few and denied the majority.  Disclaimer: We at Prepare for Change (PFC) bring you information that is not offered by the mainstream news, and therefore may seem controversial. The opinions, views, statements, and/or information we present are not necessarily promoted, endorsed, espoused, or agreed to by Prepare for Change, its leadership Council, members, those who work with PFC, or those who read its content. However, they are hopefully provocative. Please use discernment! Use logical thinking, your own intuition and your own connection with Source, Spirit and Natural Laws to help you determine what is true and what is not. By sharing information and seeding dialogue, it is our goal to raise consciousness and awareness of higher truths to free us from enslavement of the matrix in this material realm.


tass--2019-06-20--Free trade zones development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan

Free trade zone's development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan

HAIKOU, June 20./TASS/. The University Of International Business And Economics established a special scientific institution for free trade zone's development studies on Hainan. According to the local administration, the new institution's main goal is aimed at creating scientific and theoretical foundations for the free trade zone's successful functioning on the Island on Hainan.  The new institution will be based on the existing center for professional and technical work and will cooperate with other scientific organizations specializing in market liberalization, regional studies, efficient supply chain. It will become a "platform for nurturing professionals, providing consulting and setting up innovative start-ups".  According to the university representative, "the authorities will do their utmost to ensure the institution's success. Our university <...> has all it takes to help this new center ensure Hainan's social and economic development".  The authorities have not yet announced the project's budget plans for the upcoming year. It has been reported, however, that the best researchers with highest credentials will be working in the center.  In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. The project is aimed at integrating the island into globalization and labor migration, to establish a solid innovative foundation that will enable the province of Hainan to develop. In order to do that, the local authotities intend to ensure preferential conditions for investors. New ideas and programs will be welcome, and the matter of scientific and research infrastructure in this region of China is a priority.  By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan.


tass--2019-08-27--More than 750 scientists take part in International Marine forum on Hainan

SANYA, August 27. /TASS/. Over 750 scientists from all over the world, including twelve Nobel Prize winners, as well as Turing Prizes, Fields Prizes, Lasker Prizes and Wolf Prizes, took part in the Marine Forum held in the city of Sanya (Hainan Province, South China) on the sidelines of the World Forum of Laureates, China Daily reported.  The main topic for the discussion was the intellectual exploitation of marine natural resources and marine economy.  “The tropical island province of Hainan has a unique geographic location and environment that has contributed to its rapid social and economic growth and development,” said Vice Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Li Jun, while speaking at the forum. “We intend to create a favorable social and environmental climate that would contribute and benefit research and innovations."  According to him, Hainan intends to continue being a platform for research and exchanges between leading scientists and international specialists. “We will facilitate the construction of a number of projects, including the National Center for Seed Production, as well as the facilities of the National Deep-Water Technological Base,” Li Jun continued. “The province also plans to build laboratories and attract representatives of leading domestic and foreign educational and scientific institutions to implement projects at a high level."  During the forum, participants made presentations and discussed key issues on the agenda of the event. Four Nobel laureates have been offered positions of international consultants to the University of Hainan. A number of agreements on cooperation in the scientific and technical industry, among which - an agreement between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Sino-Russian innovation platform at Tus-Holdings to create a joint innovation and start-up base in Sanya was signed during the forum.  The World Forum of Laureates in Sanya was held on August 22-23.


therussophileorg--2019-04-11--Greetings to The Age of Archaeology Discoveries Goals Perspectives International Forum

Greetings to The Age of Archaeology: Discoveries, Goals, Perspectives International Forum

This  [post](http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60268)  was originally published on  [this site](http://en.kremlin.ru/)  The message reads, in part:  “A hundred years ago, on April 18, 1919, the Russian Academy for the History of Material Culture was established. The Russian Academy of Sciences’ Archaeology Institute in Moscow and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for the History of Material Culture in St Petersburg carry on this academy’s traditions with dignity.  Since then, these leading centres have accumulated great experience in carrying out basic and field research, and have made an immense contribution to enriching global humanitarian knowledge.  Of course, they have also raised numerous generations of scientists who have applied their talents and skills at scientific institutions, museums, archaeological expeditions and relevant departments of Russian and foreign higher education institutions.  It is gratifying that you treasure the unique creative legacy of your predecessors, contribute significantly to studying the most important sources of information about Russia’s key historic events and the priceless spiritual and cultural heritage of our ancestors, and bring sought-after research, educational and awareness-raising projects to life.”  from http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60268

Presidential Press and Information Office


therussophileorg--2019-05-30--Global Fishery Forum 2019 Focus on Digitalization

Global Fishery Forum 2019: Focus on Digitalization

This  [post](http://tass.com/press-releases/1060912)  was originally published on  [this site](http://tass.com/)  Moscow, May 30. Aspects of further digitalization of the Russian fishing industry and opportunities for its development using modern technologies will be discussed at a roundtable at the Global Fishery Forum 2019 in St. Petersburg on 10 July.  The event will be attended by representatives of Russian fishery associations and companies and scientific institutions, as well as foreign experts from government agencies and the business community.  “Digitalization is an essential element of a modern and competitive industry. Use of digital technologies increases the transparency and clarity of regulation, as well as the efficiency of data processing and, consequently, that of decision-making, which is very important and relevant in the dynamically changing working conditions of fishermen”, – said Ilya Shestakov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries.  The key speaker will be Artyom Vilkin, Head of the Centre of Fishery Monitoring and Communications System. He will talk about the development of the industry’s monitoring system over the 20-year period, its structure and ongoing improvement.  Representatives of the fishing industry will share their experience of using digital technologies to automate and improve production processes, trade in aquatic bioresources, including sales through auction sites. The invited speakers include Dobroflot Group CEO Alexander Yefremov, representatives of Trading Technologies Group Maxim Buzmakov and Vadim Klementyev, as well as experts from Norway.  Digitalization plays a special role for science, which is the main driver of progress. The roundtable will be attended by specialists from the All-Russia Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography: introduction of digital technologies helps improve the accuracy of the forecasting of various natural processes, including climate change, the dynamics of the number of aquatic bioresources, and the efficiency of online control over the catch of hydrobionts and the quality of products from them. In addition, scientists will present the Big Fish Data project for a global information system for the fishing industry including all relevant information about the state of and opportunities for extraction in the world’s oceans, among them the function of operational recommendations for fishing, taking into account analysis of consumer demand on the markets.  The III Global Fishery Forum and International Exhibition of Fish Industry, Seafood and Technology (Seafood Expo Russia) will be held in St. Petersburg from 10 to 12 July 2019. The venue will be the Exproforum Convention and Exhibition Centre. The organizer is the Federal Agency for Fisheries; the Forum’s Operator is the Roscongress Foundation.  The official website of the Global Fishery Forum: fishexpoforum.com  **Organizer:** The Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) regulates extraction, preservation and reproduction of aquatic bioresources. The agency is responsible for organizing fishery and scientific support for fishing, development of aquaculture (fish breeding), supervision over safety of navigation by fishing fleet vessels and performance of rescue operations in fishing areas, as well as fish conservation measures.  Rosrybolovstvo’s tasks include ensuring sustainable development of the fishing industry, which makes a significant contribution to the food security of the country and is a driver of economic growth for coastal regions.  The Russian Federation accounts for more than 5.5 per cent of global fish production, the fourth biggest in the world. In 2018, Russian fishermen achieved a record catch of 5 million tonnes of aquatic bioresources, the highest in the last quarter century and almost 5% above the previous year’s level.      With information support from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.  **Forum operator:** The Roscongress Foundation is a socially orientated non- financial development institution and a major organizer of international, congress, exhibition and public events.  The Roscongress Foundation was established in 2007 to promote development of the economic potential, national interests and image of Russia. The Foundation comprehensively studies, analyzes, forms and covers the issues on the Russian and global economic agenda. It also offers administrative services, provides promotional support for business projects and attracting investment, and helps foster social entrepreneurship and charitable projects.  The Foundation’s events draw more than 80,000 participants each year from 195 countries, with more than 10,000 media representatives working on-site at Roscongress’ various venues. The Foundation benefits from analytical and professional expertise provided by 2,500 people working in Russia and abroad. In addition, it works in close cooperation with economic partners from 75 countries worldwide.  www.roscongress.org  from http://tass.com/press-releases/1060912


therussophileorg--2019-06-20--Free trade zones development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan

This  [post](https://tass.com/economy/1064763)  was originally published on  [this site](http://tass.com/)  HAIKOU, June 20./TASS/. The University Of International Business And Economics established a special scientific institution for free trade zone’s development studies on Hainan. According to the local administration, the new institution’s main goal is aimed at creating scientific and theoretical foundations for the free trade zone’s successful functioning on the Island on Hainan.  The new institution will be based on the existing center for professional and technical work and will cooperate with other scientific organizations specializing in market liberalization, regional studies, efficient supply chain. It will become a “platform for nurturing professionals, providing consulting and setting up innovative start-ups”.  According to the university representative, “the authorities will do their utmost to ensure the institution’s success. Our university <…> has all it takes to help this new center ensure Hainan’s social and economic development”.  The authorities have not yet announced the project’s budget plans for the upcoming year. It has been reported, however, that the best researchers with highest credentials will be working in the center.  In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. The project is aimed at integrating the island into globalization and labor migration, to establish a solid innovative foundation that will enable the province of Hainan to develop. In order to do that, the local authotities intend to ensure preferential conditions for investors. New ideas and programs will be welcome, and the matter of scientific and research infrastructure in this region of China is a priority.  By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan.  from https://tass.com/economy/1064763


therussophileorg--2019-12-09--How US Think Tanks Reshape the World We Live In

This post was originally published on this site  For the longest time the so-called “think tanks” have been an indispensable element of the American political system. These days there’s well over two thousand such “analytical centers” operating in the US, which exceeds the combined total of such major international players as in India, China, Argentina, Germany and the UK.  The first noticeable spike in the number of think tank across America occurred in the post-WWII years, when such “analytical centers” assumed the duty of upholding the emerged unipolar world order with Washington reigning above all other international players. In fact, most of them were created primarily by the military interested in developing a strategy for accumulating large volumes of politically relevant information, which would have been impossible without the employment of civilian specialists possessing diverse skill sets that allowed them to become proficient at geostrategic analysis.  Thus, in 1956, the US Secretary of Defense headed by Charles Erwin Wilson demanded that a total of five largest American universities joined their efforts in establishing a non-profit research organization called the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA). In less than a decade, this entity grew into a massive scientific institution employing well over 600 people.  In the 1960s, there were over 200 think tanks operating simultaneously all across America. The most famous and influential among them were the so-called “government-funded centers”, among them the RAND Corporation, the Institute for Defense Analysis, the Institute for Naval Analysis, the Aerospace Corporation, all of which were directly supported by the US Congress, which would allocate up to 300 million dollars annually to support their operations.  However, in addition to those thinks tanks funded by the state there was a rapidly growing number of privately-owned analytical centers that were funded by those special interests that decided to use those entities to advance their own agenda, thus indirectly influencing American domestic and foreign policies, by launching various campaigns. That where various charitable foundations came in handy, providing gifts and public donations and allowing their analysts to profit from various publications. During the period from 1957 to 1964, when the very term “think tanks” was coined, the total turnout of those entities increased to 15 billion dollars annually. At the peak of the think tank craze in the United States — from 1960 to 1970 — more than 150 billion dollars was spent on their operations. Today, the budget of RAND Corporation alone exceeds the threshold of 12 billion dollars a year.  Initially, the American empire of think tanks was used to overcome crises and develop long-term strategies, with custom-tailored recipes provided to American politicians for approaching various regions of the world. In the 1960s,were tasked with finding solutions to the problems associated with the Vietnam War, the declining role of US dollar in the global financial markets and the internal instability of the United States. That’s when globalist projects were born that were designed in such a way that they would divert the attention of the general public from the most acute social problems at home.  Thus, by the end of the previous century American think tanks turned themselves into an active decision-making tool in the US, as they were not just using “external financing” to advance an agenda of their benefactors, but were also capable of putting forward respected analysts supporting their cause, with the controlled MSM spinning their narrative.  The close inter-connection of the large think tanks and the US government structures is confirmed by American politicians and businessmen changing high-profile positions within the government with positions in those entities. From the point of view of political rotation, those think tanks serve as a training ground for future high-ranking officials of the next administration, where the establishment hand picks and approves those figures who could eventually get elected. And while one party is in power, the other sends its front-liners back to the think tanks.  A vivid example of this phenomenon is the track record of Donald Trump’s former advisor on matters of national security, John Bolton, who at different periods of his political career was a employed by three different think tanks – the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies (IASPS) and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). And besides this, as you must know, he was Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs under George W. Bush, a member of the New American Century (PNAC), and in 2007 joined the American Enterprise Institute (AE), that is also an NGO.  Upon receiving specific tasks from the behind the scenes masterminds, elites and various departments, those think tanks start developing various foreign policy concepts, train experts and representatives, while preparing the public opinion for certain developments through the media, like the advancement of “color revolutions” or reemergence of some “evil powers” that try to compete with Washington.  Aside from the well-publicized example of the RAND Corporation, you can look at at StrategEast, which is described as the strategic center for political and diplomatic decisions. The main stated objective of StrategEast is the development of programs for specific states on the basis of their susceptibility to various Western (American) values. Behind this beautiful concept hides the following: StrategEast analysts collect information on the possibility of creating a pro-American society on the those territories that are of interest to the United States. For instance, from the mid-80s onwards, Washington was interested in the Soviet Union, and its republics, which resulted in the Baltic states, and then Georgia and Ukraine joining the list of the allies of the United State due to the programs developed by StrategEast. Today, they are busy researching the Central Asian states, so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict what happens next.  On the initial stage, StrategEast programs provide a recipe to drive a country away from its traditional cultural values, so that it could be turned into an anti-Russian stronghold (as it was done in the Baltic countries, Georgia, Ukraine) or into their anti-Chinese equivalent (like its happening now with the countries of Central and Southeast Asia). In Central Asian states, for example, American “experts” began to impose on the authorities the idea of translating the national alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin under a very strange pretext that it would then make life easier for local Internet users (while they could never explain why the Japanese and Chinese incredibly complex characters will not impede the ability of users in Japan and China to use the Internet.) In parallel with linguistic and cultural westernization, the local public is being prepared for the possibility of massive protests so that it wouldn’t object to those “color revolutions” that are about to follow.  As we’re witnessing the new Cold War getting into full swing, there must be an objective assessment of the activities of US think tanks, as their “concepts” and “projects” should be approached with a clear understanding of the fact that advance certain interests that do not necessarily correspond with the national interests of other countries.


tass--2019-12-06--Investments in Arctic studies in 2020 estimated at $27 mln

"The State Duma has supported it, the budget has passed three readings," he told TASS. "1.7 billion rubles for 2020 is an unprecedented amount, which will be allocated for science, applied research, which is very important for the Arctic."  ST. PETERSBURG, December 6. /TASS/. The Russian budget allocated 1.7 billion rubles ($27 million) for the program of complex scientific studies in the high-latitude Arctic in 2020, the State Duma’s head of the ecology committee Vladimir Burmatov said on fringes of the Arctic: Present and Future international forum.  The money will be spent for complex scientific studies in the Arctic’s high latitudes, which will feature experts from more than 20 institutes, the Russian Academy of Sciences, RosHydroMet, the Kurchatov Institute, and five universities. The program includes the North Pole 2020 expedition on the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker’s floating station, frozen into ice.  The Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University’s Rector Prof. Elena Kudryashova told TASS the university would participate in the complex studies, and would send its experts to the Kapitan Dranitsyn, which will be a base for scientists from across Russia.  "Artur Chilingarov, the presidential envoy on international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, has insisted on bigger investments in Arctic projects, and his efforts have resulted in the decision to finance the 2020 expedition, where the Kapitan Dranitsyn [vessel] will be frozen into ice, and onboard the vessel major scientific studies will be conducted by prominent scientific institutions: those are the Academy of Sciences’ institutes, RosHydroMet’s main Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic, <…> and also our university," she said.  Onboard the icebreaker the scientists will conduct studies in many directions, related to the climate changes in the Arctic, to the Arctic ecology. They will also study the Arctic flora and fauna, and infrastructures of the Northern Sea Route. "The expedition will be very interesting," she continued. "Scientists will come there for certain terms, will conduct studies and then will process the data onboard."  "It is an unprecedented project, as earlier such expeditions used to be organized right on the ice, but in the changing climate such arrangements are not safe any longer," she said.  Russia’s state policies in the Arctic to 2020 are regulated by a document, which the then President Dmitry Medvedev inked in 2008. On November 30, 2019, the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic reported it had finalized a draft of the Arctic zone’s development strategy to 2035.  The Arctic: Present and Future forum is underway in St. Petersburg until December 7. The event features about 2,500 delegates from Russia and 20 countries.


abcnews--2019-10-18--Charges: Cemetery killer booby-trapped home to target police

A Wisconsin man charged with killing one person and wounding two others at a cemetery where he once worked rigged his apartment and a house next door with explosives that could have killed police and neighbors, prosecutors said Friday.  Henry West, of Schofield, appeared Friday in court, where his cash bond was set at $10 million.  West, 64, is charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide, 11 counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, one count of arson, three counts of attempted arson and resisting or obstructing an officer, the Wausau Daily Herald reported.  Authorities say he opened fire Oct. 3 at Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau. Patty Grimm, the 52-year-old cemetery manager, was killed and two other people were wounded.  Police say West was fired from the cemetery in 2012.  Two days before the shooting and fire, a judge ordered West evicted from his apartment, according to court records.  According to the criminal complaint, when police entered West's apartment after the attack, they found a toaster plugged into a timer sitting next to a container of what appeared to be oil. Another toaster in the apartment was stationed next to a container of gasoline, the complaint said. Police also found two other 1 gallon (3.79 liter) jugs of gasoline and several other containers of incendiary liquids in the home.  According to prosecutors, West also set an explosive trap in a house next to his apartment building that could have killed as many as 100 people if it had detonated.  About 15 minutes before the shootings, a fire broke out in a garage at West's apartment complex, which was less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the cemetery.  While emergency crews were investigating the garage fire, they responded to a gas leak at a vacant home next door. Police said they also found primitive explosive devices there while ventilating the house.  Had it ignited, the gas leak would have been enough to kill up to 100 people, including police, nearby residents and anyone at neighboring businesses, according to the complaint.  West is due back in court Nov. 21. His public defender did not immediately reply to a phone message from The Associated Press on Friday seeking comment on West's behalf.


abcnews--2019-10-18--Jury recommends death sentence for "Boy Next Door Killer" who attacked California women in their hom

Jury recommends death sentence for "Boy Next Door Killer" who attacked California women in their homes.


abcnews--2019-11-19--Prosecutor: Suspect in 1979 killing may be a serial killer

Prosecutors are branding an Arizona man a serial killer in a bid to persuade a Nevada judge to deny him bail until his trial in the killing of a California woman more than 40 years ago.  Defense attorney David Houston says 73-year-old Charles Gary Sullivan will plead not guilty Tuesday and challenge DNA evidence that prosecutors say ties him to the 1979 bludgeoning death of 20-year-old Julia Woodward outside Reno.  Sullivan was arrested in August in Flagstaff, Arizona. He had been convicted of a 2007 sex attack on a woman in Northern California.  A filing this month by prosecutors calls Sullivan a suspect in the slayings of two other Reno-area women: a 23-year-old in 1979 and a 17-year-old in 1978.  He’s not charged in those cases.


activistpost--2019-04-02--Several of Jamal Khashoggis Killers Were Trained In The United States

Several of Jamal Khashoggi’s Killers Were Trained In The United States

In a further blow to US-Saudi ties, reports emerged this weekend on the October murder of Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi kill team. The kill team’s leader, Maher Mutreb, and other members, had apparently been trained by the US government in the past.  It’s a familiar story, heard often enough when the US aligns itself with a country with a flimsy human rights record. The trainees were part of ongoing routine training operations meant to increase the ties of rank-and-file Saudi figures with the US security state.  During his training Mutreb, a colonel in the Saudi spy agency, apparently went so far as to try to befriend Khashoggi, likely gathering more intelligence on him, but likely also making his murder all the more uncomfortable.  While the Trump Administration has time and again shrugged off Khashoggi’s murder as not worth risks to US-Saudi ties, and business relationships, Congress doesn’t feel that way at all. This new revelation is almost certain to add to Congressional calls to further stem ties with the Saudi government, specifically so US training and equipment aren’t involved in routine atrocities such as this.


bigleaguepolitics--2019-12-29--Another Death is Attributed to Illegal Alien Serial Killer in the Dallas Area, Bringing Kill Count t

Another Death is Attributed to Illegal Alien Serial Killer in the Dallas Area, Bringing Kill Count to 20

Another family believed that serial murder and illegal alien Billy Chemirmir killed their mother.  The serial killing suspect is accused of smothering older women before robbing jewelry and other items around the DFW area.  Originally, on December 3, 2017, Diane Delahunt was found dead at Preston Place Senior Living Apartments in Plano. Three rings were missing from her fingers although police informed her family that she died of natural causes.  Trending: Pope Francis Unveils Globalist New World Religion at Summit with United Nations Leader  However, Delahunt’s cause of death changed in July 2019 to “undetermined” and her daughter claims police recently told her that serial murder suspect Billy Chemirmir was responsible for killing her.  take our poll - story continues below  Delahunt’s death is the 20th linked to Chemirmir. Two other women survived Chemirmir’s attacks in Frisco and Plano.  The illegal alien was indicted on 12 counts of capital murder in Dallas and Collin counties and two counts of attempted capital murder. In addition to Delahunty, eight more North Texas families stated that police suspect Chemirmir killed their loved ones.  Chemirmir is maintaining his innocence and is currently in the Dallas County Jail with a $16.2 million bail. In one Dallas County case, he faces the death penalty.  Lori Delahunty stated she found her mother lying dead on the floor of her apartment two years ago. She noticed a large knot on her mother’s head, but Lori Delahunty did not suspect foul play at the time. Originally, police told her the death was allegedly due to natural causes — a heart attack or stroke. Lori Delahunty originally thought that maybe her mother hit her head before falling.  After the attack, Lori Delahunty tried looking for the three rings — an engagement ring, a wedding ring and a 50th anniversary gold band — and then filed an insurance claim after failing to find them.  A few months later, she learned from other residents at Preston Place that police were investigating deaths and thefts there. Additionally, she learned about the case of a woman surviving an attack by a man who tried to suffocate her and stole her jewelry.  Lori Delahunty called Plano police in March 2018 and they informed her that her mother was “on the list”, which surprised her.  At that time, she learned about Chemirmir and the list of people he had been accused of murdering between May 2016 and March 2018.  Chemirmir was arrested back in March 2018 after another woman at Preston Place survived an attack. She provided a description of the assailant to police, who identified Chemirmir and proceeded to wait for him at his Far North Dallas apartment the next day.  After Chemirmir was apprehended, police across North Texas started investigating into reported deaths and looked for more potential victims.  BLP has previously reported on Chemirmir’s killing spree and its general lack of coverage in the mainstream media.


birminghammail--2019-01-11--Smirking killer of Small Heath grandma Riasat Bi jailed for life after own dad went to police

The smirking killer of grandma Riasat Bi has been jailed for life - after his own dad told police his son may have been involved in her murder.  Madni Ahmed, 20, repeatedly knifed the 86-year-old at her home in Aubrey Road, Small Heath, where he had also stabbed her grandson as he slept.  The crazed killer, of Cavendish Road, Stoke on Trent, launched the frenzied and motiveless attack after buying knives online using his brother's ID.  He was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, being in possession of an offensive weapon and affray after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.  Ahmed smirked as was sentenced to life in prison today, where the judge set a minimum term of 36 years.  He stabbed Riasat Bi’s 18-year-old grandson 15 times as he slept in the front room of the family home, before fatally stabbing Mrs Bi and leaving her with more than 25 injuries on the morning of July 12.  He then continued upstairs where he was met by another grandson who ordered him to leave before grabbing a knife in self-defence. Ahmed refused to leave and following a scuffle he received a slash wound to his arm.  The killer fled the house via the attic window, ditching his knife in the roof guttering before jumping into a neighbour’s garden.  Ahmed’s blood was later found on the fence panels as he stumbled through the garden and into a neighbour’s house, grabbing a knife from the kitchen.  He made his way down Coventry Road before ditching his blood soaked clothes on Malmesbury Road. He had called a taxi to collect him from The Akers Trust to take him back to a hostel in Newtown.  However, later that evening, Ahmed was arrested at a hospital in Stoke-on-Trent after detectives traced the phone he had been using throughout the day.  The court heard Ahmed's own father had gone to police to say his son could have been involved after hearing about the murder and seeing Whatsapp footage of the killer leaving the scene.  Speaking after the case, Miss Bi's daughter - who asked not to be named - told how the tragedy had 'devastated' the close-knit family.  She said: "My mom had three children and six grandchildren - the youngest is only four.  "We have tried to stay strong and positive for the children - we want them to know whatever they are going through we will be there for them.  "I was so very close to my mom - I saw her every day.  "She was so gentle and kind and had no enemies - she was loved by everyone.  "She wasn't just our mom - she was a mom to so many other people.  "She didn't have a bad bone, she loved and cared for everyone she met."  Detective Inspector Harry Harrison, from Force CID, said: “This was a pre-meditated attack, with Ahmed intent on killing someone that day by taking a knife to the home of an elderly lady.  “Ahmed claimed that he was looking for someone at the address and when he couldn’t find who he was looking for, he attacked Riasat’s grandson while he was sleeping, leaving him with life changing injuries. He then went on to carry out a horrifying attack on a defenceless elderly lady.  “This was a horrendous and violent attack and although no sentence will ever compensate for what Ahmed has caused this family, I hope they can find some closure in that justice has been served today."


birminghammail--2019-01-11--Watch chilling moment crazed killer Madni Ahmed creeps inside home before attacking family

This is the harrowing moment a smirking killer crept into the home of a 'gentle' grandmother - moments before brutally murdering her.  Madni Ahmed was caught on camera drawing a 'rambo' knife from his trousers before stabbing Riasat Bi to death and knifing her grandson as he slept at her house in Aubery Road, Small Heath on July 12 last year.  The crazed killer, of Cavendish Road, Stoke on Trent, launched the frenzied and motiveless attacks after buying knives online using his brother's ID.  He was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, being in possession of an offensive weapon and affray after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.  Ahmed, 20, was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve a minimum term of 36 years today (January 11).  Now, chilling CCTV footage - capturing the tragic moments before Mrs Bi's death - has been released by West Midlands Police.  It shows as the remorseless killer casually dons a pair of plastic gloves while heading towards Riasat's home.  Ahmed is then shown calmly trying to enter the property using a side entrance, but fails.  He walks back towards the house and instead creeps in through an open front door - pulling the huge 'rambo' knife from his trouser pocket as he steps inside.  There, he stabbed Riasat Bi’s 18-year-old grandson 15 times as he slept in the front room of the family home, before fatally knifing her.  She was left with more than 25 injuries after the horrific attack.  He then continued upstairs where he was met by another grandson who ordered him to leave before grabbing a knife in self-defence.  Ahmed refused to leave and following a scuffle he received a slash wound to his arm.  The killer fled the house via the attic window, ditching his knife in the roof guttering before jumping into a neighbour’s garden.  Ahmed’s blood was later found on the fence panels as he stumbled through the garden and into a neighbour’s house, grabbing a knife from the kitchen.  He made his way down Coventry Road before ditching his blood soaked clothes on Malmesbury Road. He had called a taxi to collect him from The Akers Trust to take him back to a hostel in Newtown.  However, later that evening, Ahmed was arrested at a hospital in Stoke-on-Trent after detectives traced the phone he had been using throughout the day.  The court heard Ahmed's own father had gone to police to say his son could have been involved after hearing about the murder and seeing Whatsapp footage of the killer leaving the scene.  Speaking after the case, Miss Bi's daughter - who asked not to be named - told how the tragedy had 'devastated' the close-knit family.  She said: "My mom had three children and six grandchildren - the youngest is only four.  "We have tried to stay strong and positive for the children - we want them to know whatever they are going through we will be there for them.  "I was so very close to my mom - I saw her every day.  "She was so gentle and kind and had no enemies - she was loved by everyone.  "She wasn't just our mom - she was a mom to so many other people.  "She didn't have a bad bone, she loved and cared for everyone she met."  Detective Inspector Harry Harrison, from Force CID, said: “This was a pre-meditated attack, with Ahmed intent on killing someone that day by taking a knife to the home of an elderly lady.  “Ahmed claimed that he was looking for someone at the address and when he couldn’t find who he was looking for, he attacked Riasat’s grandson while he was sleeping, leaving him with life changing injuries. He then went on to carry out a horrifying attack on a defenceless elderly lady.  “This was a horrendous and violent attack and although no sentence will ever compensate for what Ahmed has caused this family, I hope they can find some closure in that justice has been served today."


birminghammail--2019-01-20--Convicted killer who murdered his wife and baby is son to be proud of

Convicted killer who murdered his wife and baby is 'son to be proud of'

The father of a man sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a US prison for killing his wife and baby said: “He is a son to be proud of.”  Cliff Entwistle and wife Yvonne remain convinced their son is innocent, and have carried out an investigation into the evidence that jailed him.  Former computer programmer Neil Entwistle, 40, lived in Redditch before moving with wife Rachel to Carver, Massachusetts.  He was convicted of the deaths in June 2008, and sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole.  His father, a councillor in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, said: “He is holding up.”  The case against Entwistle seems compelling. He was in the family home at the time of the deaths and flew back to England, with the intention of seeing his parents Cliff and Yvonne, hours after the crime.  He was arrested on the London Underground in February 2006, and voluntarily extradited to America.  His father, however, remains adamant the case against his son is flawed, and the legal process tainted.  He is furious a book on the case, which made legal headlines, was on sale on the very day the trial began, and painted the defendant as a cold-blooded murderer.  Neil’s decision to fly to England was a “normal reaction”, Cliff insists. He was in a state of shock and his first thought was to come home.  Cliff has now written his own book, Neil’s Story: Trial by Media, in a bid to prove his son’s innocence.  Publicity for the work states: “With remarkable objectivity, Cliff Entwistle reveals the inconsistencies in the investigation, the lies told and the key forensic evidence withheld from the medical examiner, and with touchingly personal candour, he shares the pain he felt at the great loss and betrayal his family suffered.”  Entwistle met future wife Rachel Souza, an American studying abroad, while on an electronic engineering course at York University.  They married in 2003, then moved to Redditch, where Rachel taught English, drama and theatre studies at St Augustine’s Catholic High School.  After moving to the States in 2005, they stayed with Rachel’s mother and step-father before getting their own home in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.  The bodies of 27-year-old Rachel and daughter Lillian, aged only nine months, were found in the rented property’s main bedroom on January 22, 2006. The mum had been shot in the head, her daughter in the stomach .  Entwistle became a suspect after his DNA was discovered on the handle of a .22 handgun owned by his father-in-law, and Rachel’s DNA was on the muzzle.  Middlesex County district attorney Martha Coakley told a packed press conference: “With a firearm we believe he had secured at some time before that from father-in-law Joseph Materazzo, he shot Rachel Entwistle in the head and then proceeded to shoot baby Lillian, who was lying on the bed next to her mother.  “We believe possibly this was intended to be a murder-suicide, but we cannot confirm that. Obviously the murder was effected, but the suicide was not.  “We believe Neil Entwistle returned the gun to his father-in-law’s home in Carver, then made preparations to leave the country. As we know, he was observed at Logan International Airport (in Boston).  “He purchased a one-way ticket on British Airways at approximately 5am on Saturday morning, January 22.  "He was on an 8.15am flight to the UK on that day. Based upon forensic information that linked the .22 handgun owned by Joseph Materazzo both to Neil Entwistle and to Rachel, we believed we had probable cause to seek a warrant for Neil Entwistle’s arrest.”  Entwistle was convicted on June 25, 2008 , a local newspaper the Metrowest Daily News describing the verdict as a “foregone conclusion”. The prosecution made much of his interest in swingers’ sites and financial problems.  The court was told that, just four days before the murders, his user-name was used to search the web for the best way to kill someone.  Rachel’s mother Priscilla Mattarazzo said at the sentencing: “Our dreams as a parent and grandparent have been shattered by the shameful, selfish act of one person.  “For him to have to hide behind the accusation of murder-suicide of this beautiful woman and perfect mother is low and despicable.  “We were sentenced without the luxury of a trial by jury and now must go on with the eternity of emptiness.”  The murdered woman’s stepfather, Joe, looked Entwistle in the eye and said, slowly and deliberately: “Neil, you have been judged today by a jury of your peers on Earth, but one day, you will face the ultimate judgment of your horrific deeds and betrayals.”  An immediate appeal by Entwistle was rejected by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.  He still protests his innocence, backed to the hilt by his father, a former miner, despite shifts in the interpretation of events that day.  Entwistle told detectives, during a recorded call Massachusetts detectives made to his parents’ home in Worksop, that he had returned home from an errand at 11am and discovered the two bodies. He covered them with a blanket, but did not contact the police.  He informed cops he was so distraught he intended to commit suicide, but, unable to end it all, flew home.  He rushed upstairs to discover Lillian dead and Rachel ready to shoot herself in the head.  Before the double killing, there had been clear signs Rachel was suffering from post natal depression, he says.  “This gun was never conclusively proved to be the murder weapon,” he says.  “And we all know DNA can be transferred.  “ There are many things wrong with this case, but there is no-one out there who has the guts to say this, apart from ourselves.  “What the media never portrayed, is that we had lost – and Neil had lost – a beautiful granddaughter and daughter.”  Two years ago, Cliff told his local newspaper, the Worksop Guardian: “I just don’t understand why this wasn’t brought up in court at all.  “I remember one occurrence when Yvonne and I were speaking to her on the phone and she asked if we had received photos of Lillian from Christmas that she had posted over.  “When we replied that we hadn’t, she put the phone down and, according to Neil, ran upstairs sobbing.  "She had been having problems since Lillian was born.”  Entwistle, despite initially claiming he was out when the crime took place, used the same defence in a pen-pal letter written behind bars.  He wrote: “The truth is we can never truly know what goes through a person’s mind at such moments.  “When I think back, I still wonder what went through Lilly’s mind, nine months old though she was, as she yelled out in pain.  “Was she calling for her daddy to come and help?  “Even Rachel, as her eyes met mine before she fired that fatal shot, seemed to be saying something, though she uttered not a word.”  Cliff believes a piece of “crucial forensic evidence” underlines the fact a terrible miscarriage of justice has taken place, and proves his son did not commit murder.  At the 2008 trial, Dr William Zane, the man who carried out the post-mortem examination on Rachel, said he did not know gunshot residue had been found on both sides of the woman’s hands.  “This was hard cold evidence according to Neil’s defense attorneys,” Cliff maintains.  “No such evidence has ever been found to prove that Neil committed this crime.  “Withholding this evidence is perverting the course of justice. As soon as the revelation was revealed in trial the judge should have dissolved the case against Neil.  "The medical examiner in the trial admitted on the stand he would have wanted to know of this information if it was available to him.”  Dr Zane, however, did not see the revelation as significant. He said in court: “It only tells me she was in a room where a gun was fired.”  Shortly after his incarceration, he was tricked by white supremacists at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, in Lancaser, Massachusetts, the Boston Herald reported.  Fearing death threats from black gangs, he agreed to shave his head in exchange for protection from the right-wing extremists.  But once he’d taken a Bic-issue razor to his bonce, the Brit was told: “It’s a nice gesture on your part but we’re gonna kill you, too.”  One prison officer told the Globe: “He seems to have been very easily manipulated.“  The non-white inmates were threatening him, calling him a baby-killer. He apparently asked: ‘How do you distinguish who belongs to your group and who doesn’t?’  “The white inmates eventually convinced him the only way he was going to have any safety was if he joined up with them.”  Entwistle was later placed in protective custody, then transferred to a medium security prison in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  “With his wife and baby daughter found dead in their bedroom, Neil was the immediate suspect, and his subsequent conviction seemed inevitable to all who heard and read the sordid coverage.  “However, things are not always what they seem.  “You will be disturbed by the harrowing details he exposes of the justice systems of both the UK and the US, yet you cannot fail to be encouraged as he testifies to the strength and resilience of family bonds in the face of unimaginable heartache and adversity.”