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☆ Synagogues in 12 States Targeted in Hoax Calls to Police
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jeffery C. Mays | More About Jeffery C. Mays | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The hoax calls to police departments or suicide hotlines around the country say that a man is considering killing himself and others or that a bomb has been placed in a building. In some cases, the callers watch in real time as police interrupt frightened worshipers. The incidents are part of a string of 26 “swatting” calls aimed at synagogues in 12 states across the country that the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy organization, has tracked for the last month, including at least five in New York City and state. In New York, police officers have showed up at synagogues with bomb-sniffing dogs. In California, callers said there was a backpack bomb hidden under a bench.

Organizations: Defamation League, SWAT Locations: New York City, New York, North Carolina, California

☆ China spy agency’s social media debut calls for ‘all members of society’ to combat espionage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Ministry of State Security oversees intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas. Titled “Countering espionage requires the mobilization of all members of society,” the ministry said national security bodies should keep reporting channels, such as hotlines and online platforms, open to handle reports of suspected espionage within China in a timely manner. But those efforts have gathered pace under Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive and authoritarian leader in a generation who has made state security his top priority. Previous anti-spying driveThere have been multiple previous calls by China for the public to look for potential spies. In June last year, China announced “material rewards” of up to and above 100,000 yuan ($15,000) for tip-offs about people who endanger national security.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Xiao Li, Li –, David Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, of State Security, CIA, FBI, Group, Bain & Company, Astellas Pharma, Getty Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, American, Shanghai, Japan, AFP

☆ Travis King disappeared into a North Korea more isolated than ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SEOUL, July 21 (Reuters) - When U.S. soldier Travis King sprinted across the border into North Korea from the South this week, he disappeared into a North Korea where lingering COVID-19 concerns and restrictions have made the already secretive country more isolated than ever. Officials in Washington said North Korea had yet to give any response through a number of channels, including at the United Nations. North Korean border guards fatally shot and burned the body of a South Korean fisheries official near their disputed maritime border in 2020. North Korean guards at the site still shelter inside buildings, apparently to avoid the risk of catching COVID. But North Korea often seeks meetings with high-level American officials before any releases, and that could be complicated by their worries over COVID, he added.

Persons: Travis King, King, Andrei Lankov, Lankov, Isaac Taylor, Kim Jong Un, Steve Tharp, COVID, Tharp, Bobby Hall, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: Korea Risk, U.S, United Nations Command, United Nations, Security, U.S . Army, North, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, Pyongyang, Seoul, U.S, United States, Washington, North Korean, Korean, South . Sweden, North

North Korea's state media has made no mention of the incident. North Korea has been testing increasingly powerful missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last week. Forces Korea, said the military was "working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident," referring to North Korea's People's Army. NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILESThe soldier was on a tour of the Panmunjom truce village with other visitors when he crossed a Military Demarcation Line, U.S. officials say. The launch came hours after the South Korea and the United States held the first round of talks on Tuesday on upgrading coordination in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea.

Persons: Travis T, King, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Isaac Taylor, Taylor, Kim Hong, Panmunjom, Tae Yong, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, David Brunnstrom, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Nobuhiro Kubo, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, The U.S . Army, Security Area, U.S . Defence, United Nations, U.S . Forces, Korea's People's Army, Command, UNC, North Koreans, KOREA, REUTERS, Ji, U.S ., Korea's Unification Ministry, South, United, Thomson Locations: North North Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, South Korea, WASHINGTON, American, North Korea, Washington, The, New York, U.S . Forces Korea, Paju, Ji U.S, United States, Korean, Korea's, Seoul, Tokyo

☆ Factbox: Site of US national's crossing into North Korea has history of diplomatic, military drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Most infamously, axe-wielding North Korean soldiers in the DMZ in 1976 murdered two U.S. soldiers who were cutting down a poplar tree to secure a clear view. In 2017, a North Korean soldier was riddled with bullets by his comrades but ultimately survived as he made dash into the South. Following are some facts about the 250 km-long DMZ, which separates North and South Korea. - It is 60 km (37 miles) from Seoul and 210 km (130 miles) from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. - South Korea estimates the North operates about 160 guard posts along the DMZ and the South has 60.

Persons: U.N, Josh Smith, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: U.S, Joint Security Area, North, North Korea, Command, North Korean, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, North Korean, North, South Korea, China, United States, Seoul, Korean, Pyongyang, Panmunjom, Korea, Geneva

☆ Some people in flooded Russian-controlled Ukraine still need rescuing, say relatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Lucy Papachristou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 9 (Reuters) - Some relatives of people stranded in flooded villages following the collapse of the giant Nova Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine said on Friday that their loved ones were still stuck on roofs with dwindling food supplies and urgently needed rescuing. Volunteers and workers from Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry have been evacuating people from flooded Russian-controlled areas since Tuesday's disaster - which Moscow and Kyiv blame on each other. The Kremlin has praised the rescue efforts, as have some of the people who have been evacuated to safety. Several people told Reuters they had repeatedly called hotlines for Russian emergency services to rescue their relatives, but to no avail. Some people said they couldn’t persuade their relatives to evacuate, with some preferring to wait until the floodwaters retreated.

Persons: Vladimir Saldo, Olya, “, Natalya, ”, ” Pavel Stebo, Stebo, Lucy Papachristou, Andrew Osborn, William Maclean Organizations: Volunteers, Ministry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nova, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Dnipro, Ukraine’s Kherson, Oleshky, Nova Kakhovka, Black, Zhelezniy

☆ Marieke Vervoort: How one Paralympian and triathlete's euthanasia papers extended her life by a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Throughout her storied career, triathlete and Paralympian Marieke Vervoort captured the imagination of her native Belgium and the wider world. … The fact that that had given her so much mental liberation and spiritual liberation, I thought, was a fantastic story,” Rapaport told CNN Sport. “If I didn’t have the papers, I think I would have already committed suicide,” Vervoort told reporters in 2016. And in this case, having control over decision-making about the end of your life,” Rapaport explained. Vervoort died in October 2019.

☆ China Balks at U.S. Push for Better Communications During Crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Brian Spegele | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING—China is resisting a U.S. push to build more-reliable systems for communicating in a crisis, raising the risk that a miscalculation by either side’s military could spill into conflict. Rarely since the Cold War have tensions between two global powers risen to the levels that exist between the U.S. and China today. But unlike the Soviets, who embraced crisis hotlines with Washington as a way to defuse tensions, Beijing is resisting the establishment of new communication channels. As Chinese officials see it, hotlines give the U.S. cover to continue what they view as provocative military operations in China’s backyard.

☆ Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries killed each other in a shootout after blaming each other for their war failures, Ukrainian government says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian and Wagner troops opened fire on each other in Luhansk over an argument, Ukraine says. The soldiers and mercenaries had been blaming each other for their mistakes in the war, per Ukraine. "As a result, a fight between Russian Armed Forces and PMC Wagner mercenaries broke out in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska recently." It's thus unclear whether the alleged firefight represents wider conflict or discipline issues among Russian forces on the frontline. However, multiple reports have documented Russian troops being plagued by friendly fire in Ukraine, though the Kremlin rarely acknowledges any of these incidents.

It was the first time that Seoul suggested a willingness to provide weapons to Ukraine, more than a year after ruling out the possibility of lethal aid. During the summit, Yoon said he will seek "tangible outcomes" on the allies' efforts to improve responses to evolving threats from North Korea, which has ramped up military tests, and launched its first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last week. In February, South Korea and the U.S. staged table-top exercises simulating a North Korea nuclear attack as part of Seoul's efforts to play a bigger role in Washington's nuclear policy over the North. "I think there's no big problem if Japan is joining, but since there's been much progress between the U.S. and South Korea, it would be more efficient to create this system ourselves first." "The Taiwan issue is not simply an issue between China and Taiwan but, like the issue of North Korea, it is a global issue."

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - Efforts to build a floor under U.S.-China relations have yet to be successful and coming months will determine if it is possible to reestablish constructive diplomacy with Beijing, a top White House official said on Thursday, stressing the need for "Cold War"-era hotlines and other crisis mechanisms. Campbell said the U.S. was in the early stages of a new phase of competitive relations with China. Campbell said the United States was stepping up its focus on the Indo-Pacific in spite of the war in Ukraine and this would been seen in its budgets, engagements, aid and assistance. He pointed to India, which is due to take part in another summit of the so-called Quad countries in Australia expected in May, and said he believed its relationship with the United States was the most important of the 21st century. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Leslie Adler and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A lot of money is on the line for women's pro soccer in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Restore faith in women's soccer and grow the business. The league averaged 37 sponsorship deals per team, which is more than any other women's sport, according to sports data and intelligence platform Sponsor United. Women's pro soccer valuations are also soaring. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman speaks during the 2023 NWSL Draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Culture changeOL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe (15) scores on a penalty kick during the second half of the National Womens Soccer League game between NJ/NY Gotham FC and OL Reign on September 21, 2022 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

☆ Wagner boss says the Kremlin won't talk to him anymore after he complained that Russia isn't giving his troops enough ammo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, said the Kremlin has completely stopped talking to him. Prigozhin claims he was cut off after revealing that his troops in Ukraine are running out of ammunition. The Wagner boss said he's been desperately trying to get more supplies but has been ignored. This was after he complained on Sunday that the Russian government isn't giving his fighters in Ukraine enough ammunition. Prigozhin has over the last week pleaded for the Kremlin to give his troops more ammunition, complaining about a "shell hunger."

☆ The U.S. and China have a culture clash around their telephone hotline
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It isn't the first time China didn't answer the phone — a hotline set up for emergencies. Chinese culture is a reason why, said Shen Yamei, deputy director and associate research fellow at state-backed think tank China Institute of International Studies' department for American studies. She said she wasn't aware of what actually happened between the U.S. and China regarding the declined phone call. "The PRC did not do that," the secretary said, referring to the official name of China. Using a hotline to diffuse a potentially dangerous situation does imply there's a situation that needs to be diffused, Bodine said.

☆ Replika users say they're 'heartbroken' after they say the AI chatbot's ban on NSFW content ended up destroying their bots' personalities: 'It seemed so human'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Replika is an AI chatbot companion many users told Insider they consider their romantic partner. Richard told Insider he has a service-connected disability from serving in the Gulf War, as well as depression. Replika is a chatbot from the AI company Luka. He told Insider it feels like a best friend had a "traumatic brain injury, and they're just not in there anymore." But other Replika users appear to be affected.

☆ Online sports betting is surging. So is gambling addiction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The booming sports betting industry, lawmakers and even the professional sports leagues themselves are making it easier, faster and more tempting for people to bet on games — and develop gambling problems, say gambling researchers and addiction specialists. A flood of advertising, technology that allows for one-click betting at home, and nearly unlimited betting options during games have collided. The sports gambling industry is most similar to financial markets, he said, but financial markets are much more regulated than banks. Most states require that sports betting ads disclose the minimum legal age to gamble and responsible gambling messages, such as problem gambling hotlines. From DraftKingsRegulators are wary of how tightly they can curtail messages in gambling advertising without running afoul of First Amendment protections on commercial speech.

"We share Congresswoman Sewell's view that the use of child labor is unacceptable," Hyundai said. Sewell's comments are the first from a high-ranking Alabama official on child labor problems in Hyundai's supply chain. The new actions by Hyundai and its discussions with regulators and lawmakers come after Reuters documented child labor in various Alabama auto plants making parts for Hyundai or Kia. The child labor reports have put a spotlight on Hyundai's growing operations in the United States. Regulatory fines for child labor, by contrast, can be relatively small.

☆ Ana Walshe's husband searched for ‘10 ways to dispose of a dead body’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Brian Walshe entered the courtroom just before 9:20 a.m., wearing a grey shirt and handcuffs and standing behind a glass partition. Throughout the preceding, Brian Walshe looked around the room but showed little to no emotion. Greg Derr / Pool via APIn a lengthy statement, Brian Walshe's lawyer, Tracy Miner, claimed the media "has already tried and convicted Mr. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for help at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or go to www.thehotline.org for anonymous, confidential online chats, available in English and Spanish. Advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline field calls from both survivors of domestic violence as well as individuals who are concerned that they may be abusive toward their partners.

☆ South Korean police seek manslaughter charges over deadly Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, South Korea — Police in South Korea are seeking charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligence against 23 officials, including law enforcement officers, for a lack of safety measures they said were responsible for a crowd surge last year that killed nearly 160 people. Despite anticipating a Halloween weekend crowd of more than 100,000, Seoul police had assigned 137 officers to the capital’s nightlife district Itaewon on the day of the crush. Those officers were focused on monitoring narcotics use and violent crimes, which experts say left few resources for pedestrian safety. Son Je-han, who headed the National Police Agency’s special investigation into the incident, said Friday his team will now send the case to prosecutors. However, Son said the special investigation team will close its investigations of the Interior and Safety Ministry, the National Police Agency, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, saying it was difficult to establish their direct responsibility.

The families prayed for a miracle, knowing their loved ones were trapped in their cars for days as an unprecedented blizzard paralyzed Buffalo, New York, with freezing temperatures and blinding snow. On Christmas, Syta’s friends, who loved Jóźwiak and called her "Mama," set out to bring her home. Taylor called the police, but she had no choice but to wait inside her car, which she kept running for warmth, said her mother, Wanda Brown Steele. Taylor familyTwo days later, on Christmas night, a family friend found Taylor's car, which was still running, and broke through a window. In the snowed-in Buffalo home that Taylor called home, there is nothing much to do but mourn her.

☆ Twitter restores suicide prevention feature after Reuters report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Kenneth Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc restored a feature that promoted suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content, after coming under pressure from some users and consumer safety groups over its removal. After publication of the story, Twitter head of trust and safety Ella Irwin confirmed the removal and called it temporary. In response to criticism by Twitter users, he also tweeted "Twitter doesn't prevent suicide." loadingloadingThe feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, placed a banner at the top of search results for certain topics. Its elimination had led some consumer safety groups and Twitter users to express concerns about the well-being of vulnerable users of the platform.

Its elimination had led to increased concerns about the well-being of vulnerable users on Twitter. Eirliani Abdul Rahman, who had been on a recently dissolved Twitter content advisory group, said the disappearance of #ThereIsHelp was "extremely disconcerting and profoundly disturbing." AIDS United said a webpage that the Twitter feature linked to attracted about 70 views a day until Dec. 18. In one of its blog posts about the feature, Twitter had said it had responsibility to ensure users could "access and receive support on our service when they need it most." Musk has said he wants to combat child sexual abuse content on Twitter and has criticized the previous ownership's handling of the issue.

☆ Elon Musk quietly ordered the removal of Twitter's #ThereIsHelp suicide prevention feature, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk quietly ordered the removal of a Twitter suicide prevention feature, sources told Reuters. But Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, said a replacement should go live next week. The news agency reported the #ThereIsHelp feature, which appeared when users viewed certain content, had disappeared from Twitter this week. It sought to give users credible information related to topics including HIV, mental health and suicide prevention, vaccines, and gender-based violence. But Eirliani A Rahman, who recently left Twitter's trust and safety council, told Reuters the move was "extremely disconcerting and profoundly disturbing."

The defamation case brought by actor Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard came to an end on Wednesday after a seven-person jury unanimously ruled in favor of Depp. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in his defamation suit. Depp also claims she is not the victim of domestic violence but instead the perpetrator. 2022On April 11, the weekslong defamation trial kicks off, with Heard and Depp appearing in court in Fairfax County, Virginia. The jury unanimously finds that Heard defamed Depp, awarding him $5 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages.

☆ A woman who mistakenly visited an anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center said she was met with pushback for seeking an abortion: 'I just was not ready, and words can't make you ready for that'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Isabella Zavarise | Katie Nixdorf | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics in the US. When she got to The Keim Center in Virginia Beach, it didn't look or smell like a medical clinic — it was too nice, too inviting. Unbeknownst to her, Estefanía had walked into one of the 2,000 crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs, in the US. "Most of the folks that work in crisis pregnancy centers are people that are on a mission to end abortion." Researchers from Middlebury College have estimated that the extinction of national abortion rights means the number of people living closer to CPCs than abortion clinics will double, and CPCs will outnumber abortion clinics 1-to-5.

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