Texas Legislature Passes Bill Aimed to End Its Forced Child Marriages Problem
By Meagan Flynn
Houston Press
May 22, 2017
When Dr. Nusrat Ameen hears from young women who married as children, it is often at the stage when they are trying to escape.
Ameen works for Daya, an organization in Houston that helps women or families that are dealing with domestic violence, and has been studying and advocating against forced marriages since 1999. She has heard from a 20-year-old college student whose parents had forced her to marry her cousin at age 16, and whose parents threatened to take away her tuition money unless she consummated the marriage. Ameen has heard from a 17-year-old girl forced to marry a 25-year-old man and who wanted to go off to college, not move in with a man she did not love. She's heard from a mother who was concerned that her daughter's friend was being forced into a marriage, who was wondering, what can we do to stop this?
The Texas Legislature may have just answered with a solution: banning child marriages altogether, as the House voted to do on Friday, sending the legislation up to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature.
Texas has long enjoyed the unfortunate honor of having the second-highest rate of child marriages in the United States, with a rate of seven per 1,000 children married between the ages of 15 and 17, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center report. The Lone Star State just barely second to West Virginia. In Texas, there is actually no minimum age for marriage, so Ameen has even seen child brides as young as 12 or 13 marrying men in their 20s or 30s. From 2000 to 2014, more than 40,000 children got married in Texas, according to data published by the Tahirih Justice Center, another organization staunchly supportive of the bill. The problem cuts across cultural, religious and ethnic divides, Ameen said, but is more common with teen girls than boys.
For a child to get married in Texas, if she is 16 or 17, all she needs is a parent's consent — which can at times be more akin to coercion — and if she is 15 or younger, she also needs judicial approval.
"The parents may have good intentions to get the children off in hands of people they trust, and do something good for them in the long run," Ameen said. "But that may lead to a forced marriage because of the fact that the person is a child, not knowing how to protect herself. Forced marriage can give rise to domestic violence, to having reproductive rights refused and to being financially dependent on the person they are marrying."
Once the child is married and possibly faces domestic violence or sexual assault, even though they are still kids, Child Protective Services cant help them, because they are married.
The bill that passed Friday — Senate Bill 1705, authored by Senator Van Taylor (R-Plano) and sponsored by Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) — would change all of that. It makes 18 the legal age to marry, and would only allow people younger than 18 to marry if they have already been emancipated by a court order (i.e., a judge found that they live on their own and are no longer dependent on parents or guardians to support themselves).
"We are very grateful to Senator Taylor for his leadership in taking this critical step to protect children in Texas from being forced to marry," Jeanne Smoot, senior policy counsel at the Tahirih Justice Center, another supporter of the bill, said in a statement. "This bill empowers young people to enter marriage only with their full and free consent."
Two poignant stories that circulated in recent months largely rallied legislators to support the bill. One was that of a Houston Chronicle writer's mother, who was forced into a marriage at age 14 and later escaped the marriage and lived lived out of a car for with an infant for several months at age 17. Another was that of Trevicia Williams, who at 14 was forced into a marriage with a 26-year-old abusive man. She gave birth to her first child while she was still one herself, at 15, and when she turned 18 she filed for divorce.
"I felt a deep sense of being powerless because of my age," she told legislators in written testimony. "Within the first 30 days of the marriage, my now ex-husband hit me. ...I asked my mother if I could return home and she told me no."
Should the bill be signed by Governor Abbott, it will go into effect on September 1.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
STUDY REVEALS TRUMP HAS SUFFERED THE MOST UNFAVORABLE PRESS COVERAGE OF ANY PRESIDENT ON RECORD
A Harvard study found that 80 percent of Trump coverage was negative during his first 100 days in office, with the tone of the coverage being exceptionally antagonistic
By Sally Persons
The Washington Times
May 18, 2017
President Trump has suffered the most unfavorable press coverage of any president on record, according to a report from the Shorenstein Center at Harvard.
Mr. Trump has dominated the news since taking office, with 41 percent of all stories reviewed by the center focusing on the new president. That’s three times more than the average of previous presidents.
But the tone of the coverage was exceptionally antagonistic.
“Negative reports outpaced positive ones by 80 percent to 20 percent. Trump’s coverage was unsparing. In no week did the coverage drop below 70 percent negative and it reached 90 percent negative at its peak,” the analysts said in their new report, released Thursday.
The numbers could be seen to back up Mr. Trump’s claim this week that he’s suffered “unfairly.”
“Look at the way I’ve been treated lately, especially by the media. No politician in history — and I say this with great surety — has been treated worse or more unfairly,” the president said in an address to graduates at the Coast Guard Academy.
The Shorenstein study looked at coverage from ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, CNN and Fox News as well as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. It also included the Financial Times, the BBC and ARD, Germany’s oldest public broadcast.
Since the 1960s, every president has dominated the news cycle, accounting for about an eighth of all news. But on national television, Mr. Trump accounted for 41 percent of coverage and was the main speaker in his news pieces two-thirds of the time. Another 11 percent of coverage was his administration staff, including his press secretary Sean Spicer.
By Sally Persons
The Washington Times
May 18, 2017
President Trump has suffered the most unfavorable press coverage of any president on record, according to a report from the Shorenstein Center at Harvard.
Mr. Trump has dominated the news since taking office, with 41 percent of all stories reviewed by the center focusing on the new president. That’s three times more than the average of previous presidents.
But the tone of the coverage was exceptionally antagonistic.
“Negative reports outpaced positive ones by 80 percent to 20 percent. Trump’s coverage was unsparing. In no week did the coverage drop below 70 percent negative and it reached 90 percent negative at its peak,” the analysts said in their new report, released Thursday.
The numbers could be seen to back up Mr. Trump’s claim this week that he’s suffered “unfairly.”
“Look at the way I’ve been treated lately, especially by the media. No politician in history — and I say this with great surety — has been treated worse or more unfairly,” the president said in an address to graduates at the Coast Guard Academy.
The Shorenstein study looked at coverage from ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, CNN and Fox News as well as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. It also included the Financial Times, the BBC and ARD, Germany’s oldest public broadcast.
Since the 1960s, every president has dominated the news cycle, accounting for about an eighth of all news. But on national television, Mr. Trump accounted for 41 percent of coverage and was the main speaker in his news pieces two-thirds of the time. Another 11 percent of coverage was his administration staff, including his press secretary Sean Spicer.
29 MEXICAN COPS ROBBED WHILE ON BUS
Gunmen rob busload of federal police officers in Mexico
Associated Press
May 19, 2017
MEXICO CITY -- Authorities in Mexico say gunmen have assaulted and robbed a bus full of federal police.
The National Security Commission reports that the bus was carrying 29 unarmed officers dressed in civilian clothes Monday night to Mexico City, where they were to be on leave after 25 straight days on duty in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco.
The commission says the driver pulled over to check a mechanical problem near a toll booth in the state of Morelos. Armed men then boarded the bus, threatened him and the passengers and relieved them of their possessions.
A statement late Thursday says the officers did not resist in order to avoid injuries or loss of life. Authorities are searching for the robbers.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Them that robs now know how it feels to be robbed.
Associated Press
May 19, 2017
MEXICO CITY -- Authorities in Mexico say gunmen have assaulted and robbed a bus full of federal police.
The National Security Commission reports that the bus was carrying 29 unarmed officers dressed in civilian clothes Monday night to Mexico City, where they were to be on leave after 25 straight days on duty in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco.
The commission says the driver pulled over to check a mechanical problem near a toll booth in the state of Morelos. Armed men then boarded the bus, threatened him and the passengers and relieved them of their possessions.
A statement late Thursday says the officers did not resist in order to avoid injuries or loss of life. Authorities are searching for the robbers.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Them that robs now know how it feels to be robbed.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
TRAITORS WITHIN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEM DETERMINED TO DESTROY THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY … AND THY’RE GETTING HELP FROM THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF
The New York Times and the Washington Post continually receive information damaging to Trump from sources within the President’s administration
BarkGrowlBite
May 21, 2017
There are traitors within the Trump Administration that seem determined to bring the President down. They keep leaking information to The New York Times and the Washington Post, two liberal news organizations that would love to see Trump fall. The leaks are damaging to the President and bring into question his competency as leader of our great nation.
The latest leak to The New York Times involved Trump’s meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister and the Russian Ambassador in the Oval Office on May 10. That meeting took place one day after Trump had fired FBI Director James Comey.
Here is what Trump told the Russian officials about the firing of Comey:
“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”
That had to be leaked by someone who was present during the meeting or, more likely, by someone who was not present but had access to the records of that meeting. I have a strong suspicion the leak came from someone in the State Department or from an FBI official.
That leak is very damaging to Trump in two ways. First, the statement carries with it the strong implication that he fired Comey because of the Russian investigation. And by calling Comey “crazy, a real nut job,” he gave the former FBI director every reason to unload on him when he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the coming days.
Of course Trump doesn’t help his own cause any because his mouth is the mouth that keeps on giving and giving. And the same with his tweets. The Daily Beast reports that one White House official told it that “if he would just shut his trap” there would be nothing for his enemies to talk about. Another administration official said, “Every day he looks more and more like a complete moron.”
The leak about the May 10 Oval Office meeting is but one of a string of damaging leaks given The Times and the Post since Trump took office. The persons responsible for those leaks are traitors to the President and his administration. Those traitors need to be identified, fired and punished to the full extent of the law if any crimes were committed with the leakage.
BarkGrowlBite
May 21, 2017
There are traitors within the Trump Administration that seem determined to bring the President down. They keep leaking information to The New York Times and the Washington Post, two liberal news organizations that would love to see Trump fall. The leaks are damaging to the President and bring into question his competency as leader of our great nation.
The latest leak to The New York Times involved Trump’s meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister and the Russian Ambassador in the Oval Office on May 10. That meeting took place one day after Trump had fired FBI Director James Comey.
Here is what Trump told the Russian officials about the firing of Comey:
“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”
That had to be leaked by someone who was present during the meeting or, more likely, by someone who was not present but had access to the records of that meeting. I have a strong suspicion the leak came from someone in the State Department or from an FBI official.
That leak is very damaging to Trump in two ways. First, the statement carries with it the strong implication that he fired Comey because of the Russian investigation. And by calling Comey “crazy, a real nut job,” he gave the former FBI director every reason to unload on him when he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the coming days.
Of course Trump doesn’t help his own cause any because his mouth is the mouth that keeps on giving and giving. And the same with his tweets. The Daily Beast reports that one White House official told it that “if he would just shut his trap” there would be nothing for his enemies to talk about. Another administration official said, “Every day he looks more and more like a complete moron.”
The leak about the May 10 Oval Office meeting is but one of a string of damaging leaks given The Times and the Post since Trump took office. The persons responsible for those leaks are traitors to the President and his administration. Those traitors need to be identified, fired and punished to the full extent of the law if any crimes were committed with the leakage.
CALIFORNIA ABOUT TO DECRIMINALIZE MOST CRIME IN THE STATE
by Bob Walsh
OK, what we are talking about here is traffic violations and not robberies or rapes. However, from a numerical standpoint it is a LOT of crime. About four million criminal acts per year. The formerly great state of California is moving towards making most traffic offenses civil infractions rather than criminal ones.
One of the results of this act is that, if passed, violators could not be jailed for refusing to show up in court or refusing to pay fines. I suspect this will greatly increase the scoff-law effect. It would also prevent the state from suspending the licenses of those who refuse to pay their fines.
It should be noted that this proposal is being pushed by the judiciary and not by the legislature, which may still go for it in any case. Most of the CA legislature loves criminals and will do everything in their power to make their life easier.
OK, what we are talking about here is traffic violations and not robberies or rapes. However, from a numerical standpoint it is a LOT of crime. About four million criminal acts per year. The formerly great state of California is moving towards making most traffic offenses civil infractions rather than criminal ones.
One of the results of this act is that, if passed, violators could not be jailed for refusing to show up in court or refusing to pay fines. I suspect this will greatly increase the scoff-law effect. It would also prevent the state from suspending the licenses of those who refuse to pay their fines.
It should be noted that this proposal is being pushed by the judiciary and not by the legislature, which may still go for it in any case. Most of the CA legislature loves criminals and will do everything in their power to make their life easier.
WHY I LIKE LAKE TAHOE, CASINO GOONS AND ALL
By Harry Dunne
Last week my lovely bride of 41 years accompanied me to Lake Tahoe for our anniversary. I had contacted my Harrah's Casino Host and negotiated comps versus gambling. Let me state that I enjoy Harrah's Casinos because the old crew is still alive and well at their locations. Harrah's had a junket going to Reno, but it was full so I called my host who paid our airfare and comped our suite at Lake Tahoe. We travel to Lake Tahoe every year and have built up relationships with several of the staff members. I know hosts, craps dealers, slot techs, bartenders and restaurant managers. Everyone is friendly unless you want trouble. Let me explain that. Nobody wants trouble but sometimes behavior invites it.
I earlier referred to the "Old Crew". I can spot them immediately. The bent nose, unusual facial scars and slicked down died black hair usually around fifty to sixty years old. They always wear a black suit, white shirt and usually a dark tie. They wear good quality leather tied shoes and never loafers. They are gentlemen who's job is to make paying guests feel comfortable and deal with trouble. The uniformed security can usually handle a drunk or couples disagreement but if a person is dumb enough to cheat or make money spending patrons feel uncomfortable then a member of the crew will visit them. Members of the crew don't visit with guests. They will assist you with directions or get your host, but they aren't going to have a long conversation with you.
One evening, two drunken trashy women settled down to play a slot machine together. Their total bet on each spin was thirty cents. If they lost, they loudly mother-fucked the slot machine. If they won, they yelled, "Fuck Yeah!" They yelled for the waitress to bring two more "Buttery Nipples". My wife didn't care for their behavior and several other money spending over the age of sixty patrons felt the same way. Then their two prison tattooed boyfriends wearing wife beater shirts and smelling of weed and Old Milwaukee beer arrived. They thought they were bad and pointedly tried to stare people down. I told my wife they would all be gone soon. It was as if they had disappeared by magic. There was no fighting or even loud talking. The crew arrived spoke softly and they were last seen boarding the down escalator to the basement floor. The only thing left was a smoldering cigarette in the ash tray. A housekeeping lady arrived cleaned the slot machine and smiled.
We reserved a car rental for our third day to see the sights. I arrived at the car rental counter to pick up the car and no one was there. I asked the concierge about it and he texted the rental agent who hadn't shown up for work that day. I had reserved a Toyota Corolla because they are affordable and dependable. The agent still didn't show. The concierge came up to me and handed me a set of keys and said, "Take the Tahoe". It was waiting for us in the valet lane. It wasn't free, but we got for the Toyota price and it was nice.
People don't appreciate good service anymore. I seek it out. I gamble. I give the house a shot at my money and Harrah's appreciates it. We still do things the old way. Before we leave we buy thank you cards filled with tips for the host, driver and any housekeeping. Even though Harrah's falls under the umbrella of a much larger corporation, they still keep their name and they continue treat their customers like old friends.
I also noticed that every day at lunch time, state and local cops were eating in the café. As they approached the cashier they were waived off. They thanked the cashier and always left a gratuity.
I assume these would be the same cops that may have to take a missing person's report on a casino patron who disappeared and was never seen or heard from again.
Last week my lovely bride of 41 years accompanied me to Lake Tahoe for our anniversary. I had contacted my Harrah's Casino Host and negotiated comps versus gambling. Let me state that I enjoy Harrah's Casinos because the old crew is still alive and well at their locations. Harrah's had a junket going to Reno, but it was full so I called my host who paid our airfare and comped our suite at Lake Tahoe. We travel to Lake Tahoe every year and have built up relationships with several of the staff members. I know hosts, craps dealers, slot techs, bartenders and restaurant managers. Everyone is friendly unless you want trouble. Let me explain that. Nobody wants trouble but sometimes behavior invites it.
I earlier referred to the "Old Crew". I can spot them immediately. The bent nose, unusual facial scars and slicked down died black hair usually around fifty to sixty years old. They always wear a black suit, white shirt and usually a dark tie. They wear good quality leather tied shoes and never loafers. They are gentlemen who's job is to make paying guests feel comfortable and deal with trouble. The uniformed security can usually handle a drunk or couples disagreement but if a person is dumb enough to cheat or make money spending patrons feel uncomfortable then a member of the crew will visit them. Members of the crew don't visit with guests. They will assist you with directions or get your host, but they aren't going to have a long conversation with you.
One evening, two drunken trashy women settled down to play a slot machine together. Their total bet on each spin was thirty cents. If they lost, they loudly mother-fucked the slot machine. If they won, they yelled, "Fuck Yeah!" They yelled for the waitress to bring two more "Buttery Nipples". My wife didn't care for their behavior and several other money spending over the age of sixty patrons felt the same way. Then their two prison tattooed boyfriends wearing wife beater shirts and smelling of weed and Old Milwaukee beer arrived. They thought they were bad and pointedly tried to stare people down. I told my wife they would all be gone soon. It was as if they had disappeared by magic. There was no fighting or even loud talking. The crew arrived spoke softly and they were last seen boarding the down escalator to the basement floor. The only thing left was a smoldering cigarette in the ash tray. A housekeeping lady arrived cleaned the slot machine and smiled.
We reserved a car rental for our third day to see the sights. I arrived at the car rental counter to pick up the car and no one was there. I asked the concierge about it and he texted the rental agent who hadn't shown up for work that day. I had reserved a Toyota Corolla because they are affordable and dependable. The agent still didn't show. The concierge came up to me and handed me a set of keys and said, "Take the Tahoe". It was waiting for us in the valet lane. It wasn't free, but we got for the Toyota price and it was nice.
People don't appreciate good service anymore. I seek it out. I gamble. I give the house a shot at my money and Harrah's appreciates it. We still do things the old way. Before we leave we buy thank you cards filled with tips for the host, driver and any housekeeping. Even though Harrah's falls under the umbrella of a much larger corporation, they still keep their name and they continue treat their customers like old friends.
I also noticed that every day at lunch time, state and local cops were eating in the café. As they approached the cashier they were waived off. They thanked the cashier and always left a gratuity.
I assume these would be the same cops that may have to take a missing person's report on a casino patron who disappeared and was never seen or heard from again.
OHIO POLICE OFFICER ACCIDENTALLY CONTACTS FENTANYL, OVERDOSES
By Cliff Pinckard
Cleveland.com
May 16, 2017
EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio -- A police offer who suffered an accidental overdose last weekend after coming into contact with fentanyl during an arrest is recovering, reports say.
East Liverpool patrolman Chris Green nearly died from contact with the drug, requiring four doses of Narcan, WCPO Channel 9 reports.
According to Channel 9, Green pulled over a car on Friday and arrested two men, Justin Buckle, 25, and Cortez Collins, 24. Green noticed put on gloves and a mask after noticing white powder in the car.
However, once he returned to the police station another officer pointed out that Green had powder on his shirt. Green instinctively brushed at the powder while not wearing gloves.
An hour later, Green passed out at the station after contact with the powder.
"One of the officers had to catch him. He started collapsing," Police Chief John Lane tells CBS Pittsburgh.
Emergency workers gave Green a dose of Narcan at the station and three more doses at the hospital.
"This stuff is very dangerous. It takes just the slightest amount. Just like a little granule. Or it gets airborne, you inhale it. It could kill multiple people if it's in the air," Lane tells CBS Pittsburgh.
Green is now recovering at home and will return to work when he feels better, wfmj.com reports. The two suspects have been charged with tampering with evidence, but more charges are expected, Lane tells wfmj.com.
Cleveland.com
May 16, 2017
EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio -- A police offer who suffered an accidental overdose last weekend after coming into contact with fentanyl during an arrest is recovering, reports say.
East Liverpool patrolman Chris Green nearly died from contact with the drug, requiring four doses of Narcan, WCPO Channel 9 reports.
According to Channel 9, Green pulled over a car on Friday and arrested two men, Justin Buckle, 25, and Cortez Collins, 24. Green noticed put on gloves and a mask after noticing white powder in the car.
However, once he returned to the police station another officer pointed out that Green had powder on his shirt. Green instinctively brushed at the powder while not wearing gloves.
An hour later, Green passed out at the station after contact with the powder.
"One of the officers had to catch him. He started collapsing," Police Chief John Lane tells CBS Pittsburgh.
Emergency workers gave Green a dose of Narcan at the station and three more doses at the hospital.
"This stuff is very dangerous. It takes just the slightest amount. Just like a little granule. Or it gets airborne, you inhale it. It could kill multiple people if it's in the air," Lane tells CBS Pittsburgh.
Green is now recovering at home and will return to work when he feels better, wfmj.com reports. The two suspects have been charged with tampering with evidence, but more charges are expected, Lane tells wfmj.com.
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