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Facebook Becomes Divisive in Bahrain

Wed, 2011-08-17 17:50 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Voice of America - August 17, 2011

      

A Bahrain woman looks at pictures of victims of the February 14 uprising, displayed at an exhibition during a gathering held by the Al Fateh Youth Union in Isa Town, south of Manama, Bahrain, July 28, 2011

It has been six months since anti-government protests inspired by the successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt first erupted in Bahrain. And as in Egypt, many Bahrainis used social media Internet sites such as Facebook to help organize the protests. The Bahraini government is now using Facebook, too - apparently to track down and arrest the protesters.

It is questionable whether the Arab Spring ever would have amounted to much without social media on the Internet. In most cases, as more and more frustrated youths turned to their computers to express their discontent, an increasing number of people left their homes to publicly demand change.

The term “Facebook Revolution” was coined after the successful ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. And in Bahrain, the social networking site also played a role in encouraging people to participate in the nation’s “Day of Rage” protests on February 14, and in the pro-democracy demonstrations that followed.

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Britain Debates ‘Slow-Motion Moral Collapse’

Mon, 2011-08-15 21:09 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by John F. Burns and Alan Cowell - The New York Times - August 15, 2011

               

LONDON — Divided over Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan to bring in a retired American police officer after last week’s riots, politicians staked out competing positions Monday for both the causes of the violence and the cures for what the British leader called his country’s “slow-motion moral collapse.”

The speeches by Mr. Cameron and the Labour opposition leader, Ed Miliband, seemed to signify a further retreat from a cautious consensus as the riots flared and some politicians were forced to return early from vacations after apparently underestimating the fury of the arson and looting.

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NYPD Forms New Social Media Unit to Mine Facebook and Twitter for Mayhem

Sat, 2011-08-13 21:34 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Rocco Parascandola, Daily News Police Bureau Chief - NYDailyNews.com - August 10, 2011

                    

DAILY NEWS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
The New York Police Department has formed Facebook and Twitter units in order to track down and monitor criminals and criminal behavior on social media sites.

The NYPD has formed a new unit to track troublemakers who announce plans or brag about their crimes on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook.

Newly named Assistant Commissioner Kevin O'Connor, one of the department's online and gang gurus, has been put in charge of the new juvenile justice unit. He and his staff will mine social media, looking for info about troublesome house parties, gang showdowns and other potential mayhem, sources said.

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San Francisco Subway System Admits Cutting Cellphone Service to Stop Planned Protest

Sat, 2011-08-13 21:09 — Kathy Gilbeaux

CNN - August 13, 2011

       

Demonstrators shut down a BART station in July to protest the shooting death of 45-year-old Charles Hill.

In a controversial move that has riled up free speech advocates, San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) subway system said it cut off cellphone signals at “select” stations in response to a planned protest this week.

“BART temporarily interrupted service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform,” the transit agency said in a statement on its website Friday.

BART said it took the actions because protesters said they “would use mobile devices to coordinate their disruptive activities and communicate about the location and number of BART Police.”

Demonstrators had planned a rally to bring attention to a number of transit police officer shootings, the latest one resulting in the death of 45-year-old Charles Hill, who was shot last month after a confrontation with officers.

The transit agency said protests during rush hour endangered the safety of commuters and employees.

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Video - Interconnected World at Risk from Global Shocks, OECD Warns

Thu, 2011-08-11 23:32 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Joyce Fedeczko

The interconnectedness of the global economy makes it more vulnerable to major shocks. In the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown, global leaders are acutely aware of the threats another such crisis would pose to economic recovery, social cohesion and political stability. How can governments and business prepare for and respond to such unanticipated events?

The OECD presented the findings of a two-year "Future Global Shocks" project at the OECD on Monday 27 June 2011.

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OECD - Project on Future Global Shocks

Thu, 2011-08-11 23:24 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Joyce Fedeczko

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - January 17, 2011

                                                     

In this project, public and private experts explore how to increase resilience to Future Global Shocks. The Project will generate options for governments to enhance capacity to identify, anticipate, control, contain and/or mitigate large disasters. It recognises that shocks can provide opportunities for progress, not just negative consequences. Amongst the inputs from which the final report will draw are six background papers and case studies on the following themes: Systemic Financial Risk; Pandemics; Cyber Risks; Geomagnetic Storms; Social Unrest and Anticipating Extreme Events.

http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_33707_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

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Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States

Wed, 2011-08-10 00:37 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Joyce Fedeczko

http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/64803

August 5, 2011 17:54
Source: White House
Excerpts:
Our research and consultations with local stakeholders, communities, and foreign partners have underscored that the Federal Government’s most effective role in strengthening community partnerships and preventing violent extremism is as a facilitator, convener, and source of information. The Federal Government will often be ill-suited to intervene in the niches of society where radicalization to violence takes place, but it can foster partnerships to support communities through its connections to local government, law enforcement, Mayor’s offices, the private sector, local service providers, academia, and many others who can help prevent violent extremism.

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U. S. Drought Monitor

Thu, 2011-08-04 14:56 — Kathy Gilbeaux

    

Current U. S. Drought Monitor

NOTE: To view regional drought conditions, click on map. State maps can be accessed from regional maps.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

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As Heat Soars, New Yorkers Warned to Stay Out of Rivers

Sun, 2011-07-24 00:34 — Kathy Gilbeaux

msnbc.com - July 22, 2011

A warning by the Hudson River near West 90th Street on Thursday. Millions of gallons of untreated waste spilled into the river - Monika Graff for The New York Times

New Yorkers have been warned to stay out of the Hudson and Harlem Rivers on one of the hottest weekends of the year after millions of gallons of untreated sewage discharged from Manhattan into the waterways because of a four-alarm fire that shut down one of the city’s largest sewage treatment plants.

The city's drinking water has not been impacted, officials said, but people have been cautioned not to swim or kayak on the waterways through at least Monday.

The New York City health department also declared large parts of the East River and the Kill Van Kull unfit for swimming through the weekend.

Local authorities did not expect any beaches in the area to be closed because of the spill.

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Upper Midwest Braces for Dangerous and Long Heat Wave

Sun, 2011-07-17 23:47 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Reuters - July 15, 2011

(Reuters) - A heat wave hovering in the central and southern states is expanding north to states not accustomed to intense and prolonged heat.

"This is going to be especially bad in the upper Midwest," said Chris Vaccaro, a spokesman for the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will be in the 90's and possibly hit 100 degrees in some places. When humidity is factored in, the heat index could reach 115 degrees.

These soaring mercury levels are unusual for states like North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Vaccaro said, which makes this heat wave particularly dangerous in those places. In Minneapolis alone highs could reach 15 degrees above normal.

The heat was apparently to blame for the death of a 72-year-old man in South Memphis, Tennessee.

The man died Wednesday, according to the Shelby County Health Department.

The air conditioning in his home was malfunctioning and blowing hot air. And while a fan was in use, the windows were closed, the agency reported.

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