onthedarkside

Several posts with emoticon trolling have been removed, along with one ensuing reply.

"Greitens was elected governor of Missouri in 2016, but he resigned less than two years later amid allegations of sexually assaulting and blackmailing a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair. He acknowledged the affair but denied any wrongdoing. Greitens was also accused of misusing a charity donor list to raise campaign funds. Criminal charges against him were ultimately dropped. ... Now, Greitens is one of 21 Republicans running to replace retiring Sen. Roy Blunt." https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1106228594/a-missouri-senate-candidate-holds-a-shotgun-and-calls-for-rino-hunting-in-a-new- Forum topic on the guy's social media post is here:

The news "media" didn't retract their reporting on that. It was a legit news story. But social "media" Facebook did spike the guy's ad. But Twitter, perhaps under Elon Musk's coming reign, not so much.... Facebook removes GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens’ ad about ‘hunting’ ‘Republicans in Name Only’ "Facebook has removed an ad from Republican Senate candidate Eric Greitens that shows the GOP candidate armed with a shotgun to “hunt” political foes he dubbed “Republicans in Name Only” – also known as “RINOs”." https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/facebook-eric-greitens-ad-removed-b2105315.html But Twitter apparently, not so much: "Twitter said Greitens’s post violated its rules on abusive behaviour but was leaving it up because it was in the “public’s interest” for the tweet to be viewable. Twitter’s move prevented the post from being shared any further. Greitens responded by saying “Big Tech” — a term Trump frequently used in reference to large technological companies — were “meddling” in elections and “putting their thumb on the scale”. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/20/trump-allys-campaign-video-blocked-on-social-media-sites

Four women share details of sexual abuse they allegedly faced while working as models, as they appear in a new documentary called Scouting For Girls: Fashion's Darkest Secret ... [Carre] Sutton and three other women share details of sexual abuse they allegedly faced while working as models in a new documentary called Scouting For Girls: Fashion's Darkest Secret. Sutton - who was once married to actor Mickey Rourke - says people within the industry were "totally complicit" to the abuse of models, particularly in Paris. She says she was sent to casting jobs at the homes of photographers who were "known perpetrators", where she was told to strip to show them her body. (more) https://news.sky.com/story/ex-models-tell-of-alleged-rapes-and-sexual-abuse-by-master-manipulators-in-fashion-industry-12622560

‘Russia reserves the right to take action’ says Peskov as EU sanctions squeeze Baltic exclave Russia has warned Lithuania – a Nato member – that it will “take action” unless the movement of goods by rail to the Kaliningrad exclave is restored. Moscow summoned Lithuania’s top diplomat to deliver a protest after the Baltic nation banned the transit of sanctioned goods through its territory. Kaliningrad, formerly the port of Koenigsberg, capital of East Prussia, was captured from Nazi Germany by the Red Army in April 1945 and ceded to the Soviet Union after World War Two. ... Lithuania said it was merely implementing EU sanctions, part of a swathe of measures intended to punish President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. (more) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kaliningrad-rail-lithuania-russia-sanctions-b2105323.html

French president will have to battle for his promised reforms after far-left and far-right rivals log historic gains PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron is set to face a potentially tumultuous five years of deadlock after his centrist alliance fell short of an absolute majority in a parliamentary runoff on Sunday, just weeks after he was reelected to the Elysée. Voters massively came out in support of the far-right National Rally and the left-wing coalition NUPES, depriving Macron of a ruling majority. Macron’s Ensemble coalition has won 245 seats, down from 345 in the outgoing chamber, according to final results. NUPES, led by the far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon got 131 seats, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally walks away with 89 seats. (more) https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-to-lose-parliamentary-majority-in-stunning-upset/

No 10 refuses to say if PM skipped NHS waiting lists for sinus operation and says he may return to work on Tuesday Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital for what No 10 said was a minor and routine operation on his sinuses. The prime minister was put under general anaesthetic and is now resting at home, with Dominic Raab, as deputy prime minister, put in charge of taking any significant decisions while he recovers. Johnson’s spokesperson said whether he would return to work on Tuesday depended on “how he feels” but he was still expected to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Rwanda later this week. ... Johnson had been driven to hospital at around 6am on Monday and was returned home by 10am. (more) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/20/boris-johnson-admitted-hospital-routine-surgery-no-10

Treasury chief secretary Simon Clarke Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, says workers should not expect to see "inflation-busting pay increases" - and Boris Johnson described the strike as an "act of self-harm for rail workers" A Cabinet minister has told Sky News he fears rail strikes will go ahead this week - and warned that workers must make sacrifices as the UK battles inflation. Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said that although the government was not the legal employer of union members due to walk out, they could not expect "inflation-busting pay increases". "I fear it is likely that [the strikes] will go ahead," Mr Clarke said. "Clearly we will continue to support the negotiations until such time is there's no more time to discuss. (more) https://news.sky.com/story/strikes-likely-to-go-ahead-minister-says-as-he-warns-public-to-prepare-for-substantial-disruption-12637170

Trump Campaign Coordinated Fake Elector Scheme Washington Post: “At the time, the gatherings seemed a slapdash, desperate attempt to mimic President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede.” “But internal campaign emails and memos reveal that the convening of the fake electors appeared to be a much more concerted strategy, intended to give Vice President Mike Pence a reason to declare the outcome of the election was somehow in doubt on Jan. 6, 2021, when he was to preside over the congressional counting of the electoral college votes.” “The documents show Trump’s team pushed ahead and urged the electors to meet — then pressured Pence to cite the alternate Trump slates — even as various Trump lawyers acknowledged privately they did not have legal validity and the gatherings had not been in compliance with state laws.” https://politicalwire.com/2022/06/20/trump-campaign-coordinated-fake-elector-scheme/

Attorney General Merrick Garland The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the formation of alternate slates of presidential electors for Donald Trump as part of a plan to undo President Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election, The New York Times reported Thursday. That probe is particularly focused on a team of attorneys who were working for Trump on that effort, The Times reported. The newspaper said that a federal grand jury in Washington earlier this year issued subpoenas to people connected to the plan to put forward alternate electors. They sought information about Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Giuliani’s colleague in the election cases, and another Trump lawyer, John Eastman. (more) https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/16/doj-criminally-investigating-plan-for-alternate-trump-electors-.html

HONG KONG (Reuters) -The world's biggest gambling hub Macau began its second day of mass COVID-19 testing on Monday after dozens of locally transmitted cases were discovered over the weekend, with most businesses shut but casinos remaining open. The testing of Macau's roughly 600,000 residents is expected to end on Tuesday as the Chinese-ruled former Portuguese colony adheres to China's "zero COVID" policy aiming to eradicate all outbreaks at just about any cost. Most residents are asked to stay home, restaurants will be shut for dine-in and border restrictions have been tightened, meaning casino revenue is likely to be close to zero for at least a week and likely the coming weeks, analysts said. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/macau-shuts-most-businesses-amid-covid-outbreak-casinos-stay-open/ar-AAYE8zo

(Bloomberg) -- Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, will disband next week after efforts to stabilize the governing coalition failed, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will become caretaker premier, replacing Naftali Bennett, until a new government is formed after the next elections, as laid out in the terms of the coalition agreement. Israel’s fifth election in 3.5 years could be held as early as Oct. 25, the Jerusalem Post reported. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-headed-for-new-election-as-parliament-to-disband/ar-AAYFKGn

Dmitry Muratov, the Russian editor in chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, on Monday will auction off his Nobel Peace Prize gold medal to benefit children displaced by the war in Ukraine. Muratov won the prize in 2021 alongside journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines, with the committee honoring them "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression." Muratov's paper in March suspended operations in Russia, after Moscow adopted legislation providing for tough jail terms against anyone criticizing the Kremlin's bloody military campaign in Ukraine. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-nobel-laureate-auctioning-medal-to-benefit-ukraine/ar-AAYFyFh

Senate candidate and former Missouri governor Eric Greitens is running an ad that stops just short of calling for violence against fellow Republicans who aren’t part of the “MAGA crew.” In that ad released Monday, the 48-year-old veteran introduces himself while cocking a rifle. “I’m Eric Greitens, Navy SEAL,” he says. “And today, we’re going RINO hunting.” “RINO” is a term used by far right-wing Republicans to describe moderate members of the GOP they accuse of being “Republican In Name Only.” ... The Kansas City Star called its state’s candidate’s ad “ludicrous” and “a new low.” (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-senate-candidate-releases-violent-rino-hunting-ad-aimed-at-other-republicans/ar-AAYFDSp

Pro-choice protesters congregated outside Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s Virginia home on Saturday, dressed in clothing appearing to be soaked with blood and holding baby doll toys. ... The protesters were armed with baby doll props and were wearing pants appearing to be soaked in blood to show a future of forced births if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Protests erupted outside of conservative Supreme Court justices’ homes in recent weeks, following the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion signaling the nation's highest court might overturn Roe v. Wade. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pro-choice-protesters-descend-on-coney-barrett-s-home-with-blood-and-doll-props/ar-AAYDFB5

Numerous posts above have been removed or edited because of trolling, off-topic and diversion comments, unsourced and/or unsubstantiated claims, disallowed social media sources, etc., and the ensuing replies.

Way further down in the OP article, there's an excerpt that at least gives some explanation about what's driving the opposition by some to the city's policy on allowing burkinis: "These women, who both wear the hijab, insist burkinis have nothing to do with Islamist extremism. The mayor agrees. Extremists would never allow their wives to go to a pool, the women explain. But after two major terrorist attacks in France in 2015 and the beheading of a schoolteacher in 2020 — all by self-avowed Islamist extremists — many French people make a connection between religious dress and possible fundamentalism."

With the first full week of hearings for the House select committee's investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol now complete, nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe former President Donald Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the incident, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds. Six in 10 Americans also believe the committee is conducting a fair and impartial investigation, according to the poll. In the poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel, 58% of Americans think Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the riot. That's up slightly from late April, before the hearings began, when an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 52% of Americans thought the former president should be charged. (more) https://www.yahoo.com/gma/6-10-americans-trump-charged-130009380.html Also: "Washington D.C., June 19, 2022 - After several dramatic hearings over the last two weeks, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds that the American public's attitudes about Trump's culpability in the January 6th unrest have remained largely unchanged. This is despite a majority of Americans feeling the committee is doing a fair and impartial job presenting its case and most likely driven by entrenched partisanship and the reality that only a third of the country is following the proceedings closely. Detailed Findings This survey finds only 34% of Americans are following the hearings somewhat or very closely, including only 9% following it very closely. However, 60% believe the committee is conducting a fair and impartial investigation. Similar numbers, 58%, believe that Trump bears a good or great amount of responsibility for the events of Jan 6 and that he should be charged with a crime. https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/americans-think-jan-6-committee-fair-are-not-following-it

British troops must prepare to fight in Europe once again, says Army chief It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned from Ukraine with a warning that ‘we need to steel ourselves for a long war’ The new head of the Army has said British troops must prepare “to fight in Europe once again” as the conflict in Ukraine continues. General Sir Patrick Sanders took over from General Sir Mark Carleton Smith on Monday and wrote to his charges about the challenges they face. “There is now a burning imperative to forge an Army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle,” Sir Patrick said. “We are the generation that must prepare the Army to fight in Europe once again,” he added. (more) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/boris-johnson-ukraine-army-europe-british-b2104418.html

The West must prepare to continue supporting Ukraine in a war lasting for years, Nato's chief has warned. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the costs of war were high, but the price of letting Moscow achieve its military goals was even greater. His comments came as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also warned of the need to brace for a longer-term conflict. Both Mr Stoltenberg and Mr Johnson said sending more weapons would make a victory for Ukraine more likely. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-war-could-last-for-years-warns-nato-chief/ar-AAYD25m

‘Historic’ weather: why a cocktail of natural disasters is battering the U.S. Destruction left behind by a wildfire in New Mexico As the world heats up, weather events will increase and overlap, testing the limits of nation’s resiliency and recovery Summer in the American west is off to an explosive start, with extreme weather events ravaging multiple states in recent weeks. In Montana, historic flooding devastated communities and infrastructure in and around Yellowstone national park and forced a rare closure. Further south, reservoirs sank to new lows, triple-digit heatwaves left millions sweltering, and wildfires ripped through Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and California. These layered disasters offer a glimpse of what’s to come. As temperatures continue to climb, extreme events will not just increase – they’re more likely to overlap, causing more calamity and testing the limits of the nation’s resilience and recovery. “The US has a certain amount of capacity to cope with extreme events,” said Dr Andrew Hoell, a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (Noaa) physical sciences laboratory, adding that capacity is stretched when these events build on one another, either regionally or sequentially. (more) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/17/compound-extremes-natural-disasters-us-west

At least 62 people dead in Bangladesh and India after floods leave millions stranded Dozens of people have died and millions of homes are underwater following huge floods in north-eastern India and Bangladesh. At least 62 people have died. ... Troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by floods which have severed transport links, authorities said on Saturday. While floods in Bangladesh are regular, experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability. (more) https://news.sky.com/story/at-least-59-people-dead-in-bangladesh-and-india-after-floods-leave-millions-stranded-12636586

... In mid-May, the town council approved the wearing of full body-covering bathing suits, commonly known as the burkini, in Grenoble's public municipal pools. Piolle said there was simply no reason to ban them. The backlash was immediate. In a TV interview, far-right leader Marine Le Pen called the full body-covering swimsuit a threat to French secularism and beyond. "It's a sign of separatism and of the submission of women," Le Pen said. "The opposite of our values and our constitution. This is how is Islamist fundamentalists take over. Victories involving food or clothing may seem innocuous, but are very grave." It isn't just the far right. President Emmanuel Macron's interior minister, a hardliner, called the Grenoble ruling a provocation — and immediately filed an injunction to block it in court. The mayor has appealed. (more) https://www.npr.org/2022/06/19/1105962389/france-burkini-swimsuit-islamic-women

Gas, or petrol, prices around the globe highlight how consumers in dozens of countries — particularly in Europe — pay far more than Americans currently are to fill up their cars. Several European countries pay north of $7 or $8 per gallon, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. At the top of the expensive list is Hong Kong, where prices per gallon are higher than $11, followed by Norway at more than $10. "European energy prices of all kinds are higher than what consumers in the U.S. pay," Peter McNally, Global Sector Lead for Industrials, Materials and Energy at Third Bridge told Yahoo Finance. "This was the case before 2022, but it has only become wider since." ... Relief for Americans may be coming: The national average for gasoline now sits a $5/gallon, down 2 pennies from a record high earlier this week, according to AAA. (more) https://news.yahoo.com/gas-prices-us-europe-181512839.html

The biggest national rail shutdown for three decades is now inevitable as talks have failed and it is too late to roster crews to cover services. ... Members of the RMT union working for the infrastructure provider Network Rail and 13 train operators voted 8:1 in favour of striking in a dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. Around 40,000 workers are expected to walk out on 21, 23 and 25 June. They will be joined on the first day of action by colleagues working for London Underground, effectively shutting down the Tube network in the capital. ... Across Great Britain, all but 4,500 of the normal 20,000 daily trains have been axed. More than half of the route network is closed because Network Rail signallers are walking out. (more) https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/trains-strike-tube-rmt-latest-b2104494.html