Kim Dotcom vows to fight order for US extradition

Wellington (AFP) – New Zealand-based tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom lashed out at the US government Friday, as his decade-long effort to avoid extradition on fraud and money laundering charges appeared to have failed.


Issued on: 16/08/2024 - 

Tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has been battling US attempts to extradite him from New Zealand for years 

© MICHAEL BRADLEY / AFP

Local media reported Thursday that New Zealand's justice minister had signed an order to extradite Dotcom, the founder of the Megaupload file-sharing system.

He faces charges including fraud, money laundering and racketeering, punishable with up to 20 years in jail.

Dotcom has long fought extradition while publicly styling himself as a champion of internet freedom and claiming he is being persecuted for political reasons.

He is an outspoken supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and has enthusiastically echoed Kremlin arguments that the war in Ukraine could spark nuclear armageddon.

"I love New Zealand. I'm not leaving," he posted defiantly in a series of posts from Thursday.

"I would do it all over again," he said, while describing the US government as "criminal".

His website -- an early prototype of cloud storage -- was shut down when New Zealand police raided Dotcom's Auckland mansion in January 2012 at the behest of the FBI.

US prosecutors allege the Megaupload service facilitated widespread piracy of films and publications, costing rights holders more than US$500 million.

© 2024 AFP

Internet mogul Kim Dotcom to be extradited from New Zealand to US

Kim Dotcom, the founder of the now-defunct file-sharing site Megaupload, will be extradited from New Zealand to the United States, New Zealand's justice minister said. German-born Dotcom moved to New Zealand in 2010 and has faced potential extradition since his 2012 arrest. The US Justice Department has charged him with criminal copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.


Issued on: 15/08/2024 - 

The founder of Megaupload.com, German Kim Dotcom, during a hearing on his extradition to the United States, December 23, 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand.

 © Michael Bradley, AFP

By:NEWS WIRES


Kim Dotcom, who is facing criminal charges relating to the defunct file-sharing website Megaupload, will be extradited to the United States from New Zealand, the New Zealand justice minister said on Thursday.

German-born Dotcom, who has New Zealand residency, has been fighting extradition to the United States since 2012 following a FBI-ordered raid on his Auckland mansion.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith signed an extradition order for Dotcom, a spokesperson for the Minister of Justice said

“I considered all of the information carefully and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial,” Goldsmith said in a statement.

“As is common practice, I have allowed Mr Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on my decision. I will not, therefore, be commenting further at this stage.”

In a post on social media website X on Tuesday, Dotcom said "the obedient US colony in the South Pacific just decided to extradite me for what users uploaded to Megaupload", in what appears to be a reference to the extradition order

Reuters could not immediately contact Dotcom for a response.

US authorities say Dotcom and three other Megaupload executives cost film studios and record companies more than $500 million by encouraging paying users to store and share copyrighted material, which generated more than $175 million in revenue for the website.

The company's chief marketing officer Finn Batato and chief technical officer and co-founder Mathias Ortmann, both from Germany, along with a third executive Dutch national Bram van der Kolk were arrested with Dotcom in 2012.

Ortmann and van der Kolk entered plea deals that saw them sentenced in 2023 to jail terms in New Zealand but allowed them to avoid extradition. Batato died in 2022 in New Zealand.

(Reuters)

China's growing 'robotaxi' fleet sparks concern, wonder on streets

Wuhan (China) (AFP) – Turning heads as they cruise past office buildings and malls, driverless taxis are slowly spreading through Chinese cities, prompting both wariness and wonder.


Issued on: 16/08/2024 -

A view from the back seat of a driverless taxi as it navigates through Wuhan, now home to more than 500 so called "robotaxis" © Pedro PARDO / AFP

China's tech companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in recent years in an effort to catch industry leaders in the United States.

Now the central city of Wuhan boasts one of the world's largest networks of self-driving cars, home to a fleet of over 500 taxis that can be hailed on an app just like regular rides.

At one intersection in an industrial area of Wuhan, AFP reporters saw at least five robotaxis passing each other as they navigated regular traffic.

"It looks kind of magical, like a sci-fi movie," a local surnamed Yang told AFP.

But not everyone shares Yang's awe.

Debate around safety was sparked in April when a Huawei-backed Aito car was involved in a fatal accident, with the company saying its automatic braking system failed.

A minor collision between a jaywalker and a Wuhan robotaxi last month re-ignited concerns.

Taxi drivers and workers in traditional ride-hailing companies have also raised fears of being replaced by artificial intelligence -- although the technology is far from fully developed.

- Five to 500 -

Wuhan's driverless cabs are part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go project, which first received licences to operate in the city in 2022.

Initially only five robocars ferried passengers around 13 square kilometres (five square miles) of the city of around 14 million.

Baidu says the taxis now operate in a 3,000 square kilometre patch -- more than a third of the total land area of Wuhan, including a small part of the city centre.

In comparison, US leader Waymo says the largest area it covers is 816 square kilometres, in Arizona.

When the driverless car arrives, a phone scans a code on the window to begin the hire

 © Pedro PARDO / AFP

When a car reaches its pickup point, riders scan a QR code with their phones to unlock the vehicle -- with the front seats blocked off over safety concerns.

The fares are currently heavily discounted, with a thirty-minute ride taken by AFP costing just 39 yuan ($5.43) compared with 64 yuan in a normal taxi.

"They are stealing our rice bowls, so of course we don't like them," Wuhan taxi driver Deng Haibing told AFP, using a popular Chinese term for livelihoods.

Deng said he fears robotaxi companies will push traditional drivers out of business with subsidised fares, before raising prices once they achieve domination -- similar to the strategy employed by ride-hailing apps in the 2010s.

"Currently the impact isn't too big because robotaxis aren't fully popularised and can't drive everywhere yet," Deng said.

'Simply not ready'

The robotaxi fleet is a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of taxis and ride-hailing cars in Wuhan.

More and more Chinese cities are rolling out policies to promote self-driving services though, part of a national push for tech supremacy.

Baidu and domestic rival Pony.ai have for years tested models of varying autonomy levels in industrial parks around the country.

Shanghai issued its first batch of provisional permits for fully driverless cars last month, and the capital Beijing has approved fully autonomous robotaxis in suburban areas.

The southwest city of Chongqing and southern tech hub of Shenzhen also have pilot projects underway.

A regular taxi overtakes a driverless one in Wuhan, home to one of the world's largest robotaxi networks © Pedro PARDO / AFP

Technology wise, there's still a long way to go before self-driving taxis become ubiquitous though, according to Tom Nunlist, tech policy analyst at Trivium China.

"Everybody seems to think autonomous driving is inevitable at this point, and frankly, I don't know that it is," he told AFP.

"Presently fully autonomous driving tech is simply not ready for large-scale deployment," he said.

Even in Wuhan's Apollo Go taxis -- which can spot obstacles and wait scrupulously at intersections -- ultimate responsibility for safety still lies with human officers monitoring rides remotely.

During one ride in an Apollo Go car, one manipulated the car's built-in touchscreen to remind AFP reporters to put on their seatbelts.

"Safety personnel provide strong assurances for your ride via remote 5G assistance technology," the Apollo Go app tells users.

Robotaxis are also far from able to replicate the human touch.

"Some customers have disabilities and (driverless cars) definitely wouldn't be able to help them, and some passengers are carrying large items," ride-hailing driver Zhao told AFP.

"Only a human can help."

© 2024 AFP

Kenyan Restaurant Robot Serving Dishes ...

August 16, 2024
In Nairobi, a new restaurant is generating business and buzz – not just because of the food, but because of the staff. Robots serving dishes is the main attraction of diners who flock to the Robot Café. Juma Majanga reports from Nairobi, Kenya.

Thai lawmakers elect Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra as PM

Thailand’s parliament elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as the country’s new prime minister on Friday, just two days after her predecessor and ally Srettha Thavisin was dismissed by the country's Constitutional Court.


AFP
Issued on: 16/08/2024 -

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the youngest daughter of tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's most influential and polarising politician.

 © Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP

Thai lawmakers on Friday elected the 37-year-old daughter of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister, elevating a third member of the influential but divisive clan to the nation's top job.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose father and aunt have served as premier, is the youngest leader in Thailand's history as a constitutional monarchy.

She becomes the kingdom's second female prime minister, after her aunt, in a vote forced after the kingdom's Constitutional Court sacked previous premier Srettha Thavisin for appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction.

Srettha's ouster on Wednesday was the latest round in a long-running battle between the military, pro-royalist establishment and populist parties linked to Paetongtarn's father, a telecoms tycoon and one-time Manchester City owner.

The Pheu Thai party selected Paetongtarn as its replacement candidate Thursday. None of the 10 other parties in the coalition it leads put forward an alternative.

Bhumjaithai – the third-largest party in parliament – said it had "agreed to support a candidate" from Pheu Thai in Friday's vote.

Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the family's business empire before entering politics in late 2022, and she was a near-constant presence on the campaign trail during last year's general election.

That vote saw the upstart progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) win most seats after pledging to review the country's strict lèse-majesté laws and break up powerful business monopolies.

But alarmed senators blocked MFP's attempt to form a government.

Pheu Thai subsequently formed an alliance with pro-military parties once staunchly opposed to Thaksin and his followers, leading to Srettha's ascension.

Less than a year later, he became the third Pheu Thai prime minister to be kicked out by the Constitutional Court.

Srettha was ousted over his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer associated with Thaksin's family who had a criminal conviction.

Last week, the court also voted to dissolve MFP and ban its executive board members from politics for 10 years, though the party swiftly relaunched itself as the People's Party.
Long shadow

The big question will be how much Paetongtarn will be influenced by her father.

Thaksin Shinawatra has cast a remarkable shadow over the kingdom's politics for two decades.

He transformed Thai politics in the early 2000s with populist policies that won him and his party enduring loyalty from the rural masses – and two elections.

But that success came at a cost: he was despised by Thailand's powerful elites and conservative establishment, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilising.


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Ousted as prime minister by the army in 2006, Thaksin took himself into exile two years later but never stopped commenting on national affairs – or meddling in them, according to his critics.

Thaksin returned to the country last year.

Paetongtarn, known in Thailand by her nickname Ung Ing, is Thaksin's youngest child.

She grew up in Bangkok and studied hotel management in Britain, then married a commercial pilot. The couple now have two children.

(AFP)

Video by:Matthew HUNT

02:24

At Tower of London, survival of UK in hands of new Ravenmaster

London (AFP) – As a marine commando, Michael Chandler knew all about daunting missions, but in his new role of Ravenmaster at the Tower of London, legend would have it that the survival of the United Kingdom now rests in his hands.


Issued on: 16/08/2024 

Tower of London's new Ravenmaster Yeoman Warder Barney Chandler is only the sixth person to take on the role 

BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP


King Charles II, who reigned from 1660 to 1685, is thought to have been the first to insist on the protection of the ravens at the legendary 900-year-old Tower.

That followed the monarch learning of an ancient prophecy stating that if the ravens ever left the fortress, it would collapse, dooming the kingdom too.

Since then, members of the Yeomen Warders -- the ceremonial guards responsible for securing the tower, in particular the Crown Jewels -- have taken care of the birds.

The warders, commonly known as Beefeaters and led by a "Ravenmaster" since the late 1960s, must ensure that at least six birds live in the tower at all times, according to the rules laid down by Charles II.

Michael "Barney" Chandler, 57, is only the sixth person to take on this solemn role, starting back in March.

Dressed in his black and red uniform and identifiable by his round flat-brimmed hat, Chandler commands a four-person team responsible for feeding, caring for and monitoring the ravens.
'They're characters'

Chandler, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan when in the Royal Marines, had no particular interest in birds before arriving at the Tower of London 14 years ago.

At the Tower of London, survival of the UK rests in the hands of the Ravenmaster, according to a centuries-old legend 

© BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP

"Initially, the draw was the legend of the ravens and then being here seeing them, working amongst them... it was just natural," Chandler said of his career progression.

"I fell in love with the ravens," he added, praising their intelligence.

"They're individuals, they are characters, just like us," he said.

There are seven ravens currently inhabiting the old prison and royal fortress, one more than the number needed to avert disaster, Chandler explained.

Two of the birds, Edgar and Harris, were in no hurry to eat their breakfast of two dead chicks, which Chandler fed to them through the bars of their enclosure, when AFP visited the tower recently.

There are seven ravens currently inhabiting the old prison and royal fortress © BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP

Their companions -- Poppy, Rex (the latest arrival named in honour of King Charles III), Georgie and Jubilee -- were already outside, wandering among the tourists, which number around three million each year.

And there is Branwen, the seventh, who has refused for several years to sleep with the rest of the flock.

"They're territorial birds. So even if we let them out during the day, they don't go anywhere," he explained.

Even so, several of their feathers are shortened on one wing to prevent them from flying too high.

'Serving His Majesty'

The life expectancy of ravens in the tower is around 20 years, compared with between 10 and 15 in the wild. The oldest raven in the tower lived for 44 years.

The mischievous and sociable birds sometimes scare tourists who do not expect to see them up so close, perched on a staircase or a railing.

The warders, commonly known as Beefeaters, must ensure that at least six birds live in the tower at all times 

© BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP

"I've seen a raven poking his nose through a carrier bag to steal a cheese straw from a school kids packed lunch," recalled Chandler.

"They are serving His Majesty as much as we in the (king's) bodyguard do," he said, assuring that the current King Charles "does check up on them regularly, as did his mother".

Another momentous duty that the former soldier undertook with fellow warders was to protect the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey following her death in September 2022.

"It was the proudest moment of my life," said the father-of-four, "but you shouldn't tell my wife that!"

© 2024 AFP

Indian doctors step up protests after colleague's brutal murder

Kolkata (AFP) – Indian doctors stepped up nationwide protests and strikes Friday after the rape and murder of a colleague, a brutal killing that has focused outrage on the chronic issue of violence against women.

Issued on: 16/08/2024 

The discovery of a 31-year-old doctor's bloodied and brutalised body at a state-run hospital in Kolkata has sparked nationwide protests © DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP

The discovery of the 31-year-old's bloodied body on August 9 at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata sparked nationwide protests.

In Kolkata, hundreds of doctors and other healthcare workers gathered demanding action, with protests also held Friday in the capital New Delhi, and Nangpur in Maharashtra state.

"We want justice", doctors chanted in Kolkata, waving handwritten signs that read: "No safety, no service!"

Multiple medical unions in both government and private systems have backed the strike.

"We are intensifying our protests... to demand justice for our colleague," Suvrankar Datta said Friday, from the government-run All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in New Delhi.

Those in government hospitals across several states on Monday halted elective services "indefinitely" in protest.

An autopsy has confirmed sexual assault, and in a petition to the court, the victim's parents have said that they suspected their daughter was gang-raped © DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP

Thousands marched through the streets of Kolkata overnight Wednesday to condemn the killing, with a candlelight rally at midnight coinciding with the start of India's independence day celebrations.

The Indian Medical Association has called for a "nationwide withdrawal of services" for 24 hours starting Saturday, with suspension of all non-essential and medical procedures at private hospitals.

Indian media reported that the murdered doctor was found in the teaching hospital's seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a rest during a long shift.

An autopsy confirmed sexual assault, according to Indian broadcaster NDTV, and in a petition to the court the victim's parents said they suspected their daughter was gang-raped.

'Atrocities'

Police stand guard outside the the R.G. Kar Medical College after it was vandalised by unidentified individuals in Kolkata on August 15 © Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP

Though police have detained a man who worked at the hospital helping people navigate busy queues, state government officers have been accused of mishandling the case.

The man, his head covered in a white sack, was taken Friday for a health checkup, escorted by dozens of armed police.

Sexual violence against women is a widespread problem in India -- an average of nearly 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people.

For many, the gruesome nature of this attack has invoked comparisons with the horrific 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus.

That woman became a symbol of the socially conservative country's failure to tackle sexual violence against women.

Her death sparked huge, and at times violent, demonstrations in Delhi and elsewhere.

Under pressure, the government introduced harsher penalties for rapists, and the death penalty for repeat offenders.

Several new sexual offences were also introduced -- including for stalking -- and officials who refuse to register rape complaints can now be jailed.

Thousands marched through the streets of Kolkata overnight Wednesday to condemn the killing © DIPTENDU DUTTA / AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday demanded swift punishment for those who commit "monstrous" deeds against women.

"There is anger for atrocities committed against our mothers and sisters," Modi said.

"Monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished," he said.

Doctors have also demanded the implementation of the Central Protection Act, a bill to protect healthcare workers from violence.

© 2024 AFP

AUSTRALIA
Religious organisations feature in abuse study

by Muriel Porter

16 August 2024
CHURCH TIMES


ALMOST 72 per cent of child sexual abuse in Australian religious organisations happened in Roman Catholic churches and organisations, new research has found.

The study, conducted through the Australian Catholic University, did not report specifically on abuse in Anglican organisations. “Anglican” was subsumed in a category with a wide range of denominations, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and Orthodox Churches, together totalling 21.8 per cent of abuse events.

The study, The Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Leaders or Other Adults in Religious Organizations in Australia, surveyed 8503 people aged 16 and over, and found that one in 250 of the respondents reported being sexually abused by an adult in a religious organisation. Men reported significantly higher rates of abuse than women; the abuse was overwhelmingly perpetrated by men.

The study found that child sexual abuse in religious organisations had declined over time: results showed that 2.2 per cent of men aged 65 and older had experienced it as children, compared with just 0.2 per cent of men aged between 16 and 24.

This decline, the study concludes, “indicates progress has been made in preventing sexual abuse of children”. In taking all reasonable measures to prevent child sexual abuse, religious organisations particularly needed “interventions targeting male leaders, and organisational cultures”, it said.

UN chief calls for banning nuclear testing 'for good'


AUGUST 16, 2024

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for banning nuclear testing "for good" in an observance message for the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed annually on Aug. 29.

In the message, Guterres said that across nearly eight decades, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted at more than 60 sites around the world, leaving "a legacy of destruction, rendering lands uninhabitable and creating long-term health problems for people."

The UN chief warned that recent calls for the resumption of nuclear testing demonstrate that the terrible lessons of the past "are being forgotten, or ignored."

"On the International Day against Nuclear Tests, the world must speak with one voice to end this practice once and for all," he stressed.

Noting that the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is the only prohibition on all nuclear testing, and an essential, verifiable security tool, Guterres lamented: "But it is not yet in force."

"In the name of the victims of nuclear tests and future generations, I call on all countries whose ratifications are needed for the Treaty to enter into force to do so -- immediately and without conditions," Guterres said. "Let's pass the test for humanity -- and ban nuclear testing for good."

BEST HEADLINE

Donald Trump blames Kamala Harris while surrounded by sugary breakfast foods

Jessica Kwong

Updated Aug 16, 2024

METRO UK

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday (Picture: Reuters)

Former President Donald Trump blamed his 2024 opponent Kamala Harris for price hikes while surrounded by sugar breakfast foods.

Trump pitched his economic plan while standing next to a table full of pastries, pie, sweet cereals, bacon, instant coffee and other items at his New Jersey golf club on Thursday afternoon .

The breakfast items were meant to illustrate the increasing prices for food and beyond, which Trump attributed to President Joe Biden’s unpopular economic record and his second-in-command, Harris.

‘Kamala Harris is a radical California liberal who broke the economy,’ said Trump, ‘Broke the border and broke the world, frankly.’

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives for a news conference outside the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on Thursday (Picture: Getty Images)

As Trump spoke about the 2020 presidential election which he believes was stolen from him, he digressed to a box of cereal.


‘I haven’t seen Cheerios in a long time,’ he said. ‘I’m going to take them back to my cottage.’

Trump also sought to justify his continuing personal attacks against Harris.

‘As far as the personal attacks, I’m very angry at her because of what she’s done to the country. I’m very angry at her that she would weaponize the justice system against me and other people, very angry at her,’ Trump said.

Ex-President Donald Trump sought to contrast his economic plan to that of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I think I’m entitled to personal attacks.’

Harris is expected to unveil her economic plan promising to try to ban groceries price gouging in a speech in North Carolina on Friday.

The Trump campaign recently made his economic plan a focus as they try to contrast his policies while Americans continue to feel the impact of inflation.

But in a rally in Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Trump veered off the economy topic and launched numerous personal attacks on Harris, saying she has ‘the laugh of a crazy person’ and that she’s ‘not smart’.

People adjust American flags as groceries sit on a table before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a news conference at his New Jersey golf club (Picture: Getty Images)

On Thursday, Trump stuck more to a script in his binder for about a half hour, but that did not stop him from criticizing Harris.

‘I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence and I think she’ll be a terrible president,’ he said.

The Trump campaign on Thursday also announced it was bringing back some of his former advisers to his reelection campaign, including Corey Lewandowski, Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, Alex Bruesewitz and Tim Murtaugh.


Trump has struggled to stave off the ‘Harris honeymoon’ since Biden ended his reelection campaign and made way for her, with polls showing Harris leading in some battleground states.

FACT FOCUS: Trump blends falsehoods and exaggerations at rambling N.J. news conference

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week's Democratic National Convention.

Associated Press
August 15, 2024 

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J. (Julia Nikhinson)


Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week’s Democratic National Convention.


At his New Jersey golf club, the Republican nominee blended falsehoods about the economy with misleading statements and deeply personal attacks about his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.


Here's a closer look at the facts.


Inflation did not take the toll Trump claimed. Growth surged under Biden


TRUMP: ''As a result of Kamala's inflation, price hikes have cost the typical household a total of $28,000. ... When I left office, I left Kamala and crooked Joe Biden a surging economy and no inflation. The mortgage rate was around 2%. Gasoline had reached $1.87 a gallon. ... Harris and Biden blew it all up.''


THE FACTS: Trump made numerous economic claims that were either exaggerated or misleading. Prices did surge during the Biden-Harris administration, though $28,000 is far higher than independent estimates. Moody's Analytics calculated last year that price increases over the previous two years were costing the typical U.S. household $709 a month. That would equal $8,500 a year.


Separately, the U.S. economy was growing quickly as it reopened from COVID in 2020, as Trump's term ended, and it continued to do so after Biden took office. Growth reached 5.8% in 2021, Biden's first year in the White House, as the rebound continued, faster than any year that Trump was in office. Mortgage rates were low when Trump left because of the pandemic, which caused the Federal Reserve to cut its key rate to nearly zero. Gas prices fell as the economy largely shut down and Americans cut back sharply on their driving.

‘Foreign born' is not the same as ‘migrants'

TRUMP: ''Virtually 100% of the net job creation in the last year has gone to migrants.''

THE FACTS: This is a misinterpretation of government jobs data. The figures do show that the number of foreign-born people with jobs has increased in the past year, while the number of native-born Americans with jobs has declined. But foreign-born is not the same as ''migrants'' -- it would include people who arrived in the U.S. years ago and are now naturalized citizens.


In addition, the data is based on Census research that many economists argue is undercounting both foreign- and native-born workers. According to a report by Wendy Edelberg and Tara Watson at the Brookings Institution released this week, native-born employment rose by 740,000 in 2023, while foreign-born rose by 1.7 million. Much of the disparity reflects the fact that the native-born population is older than the foreign-born, and are more likely to be retired. In addition, the unemployment rate for native-born Americans is 4.5%, lower than the 4.7% for foreign-born.



A thief is not allowed to steal up to $950


TRUMP: ''You're allowed to rob a store as long as it's not more than $950. … If it's less than $950 they can rob it and not get charged.''


THE FACTS: Trump was referring to regulations in California that allegedly allow for theft under $950. But his claim is not correct — a 2014 proposition modified, but did not eliminate, sentencing for many nonviolent property and drug crimes.




Proposition 47 raised the minimum dollar amount necessary for theft to be prosecuted as a felony, instead of a misdemeanor, from $400 to $950.


Alex Bastian, then-special adviser to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, who co-authored Prop 47, told The Associated Press in 2021 that the minimum was raised ''to adjust for inflation and cost of living,'' but that most shoplifting cases were already prosecuted as misdemeanors any since they didn't exceed $400.


Prop 47 was enacted to comply with a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court order, which upheld that the state's overcrowded prisons violated incarcerated individuals' Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment. It instructed California to reduce its state prison population by 33,000 individuals within two years.


Harris has not said in this campaign she wants to defund police


TRUMP, on Harris: ''You know, she wants to defund the police.''


THE FACTS: Harris expressed praise for the ''defund the police'' movement after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, questioning whether money was being effectively spent on public safety. However, she has not said during her current campaign that she is in favor of defunding law enforcement.



The Biden administration tried to overhaul policing, but the legislation stalled on Capitol Hill, and Biden ultimately settled for issuing an executive order. It also pumped more money into local departments.


Trump did not win Pennsylvania in 2020


TRUMP: ''I won Pennsylvania and I did much better the second time. I won it in 2016, did much better the second time. I know Pennsylvania very well.''


THE FACTS: False. Trump did win the state in 2016, when he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency. But he lost the state in 2020 to President Joe Biden, a Pennsylvania native. According to the official certified results, Biden and Harris received 3.46 million votes, compared to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with 3.38 million votes, a margin of about 80,000 votes.


Oil production in U.S. hit record under Biden


Trump says he will bring energy prices down by reversing President Joe Biden's policy of encouraging renewable energy at the expense of fossil fuels.



TRUMP: ''We're going to drill baby drill, we're going to get the energy prices down, almost immediately.''


THE FACTS: Oil production in the U.S. hit an all-time high under Biden's administration.


The U.S. Department of Energy reported in October that U.S. oil production hit 13.2 million barrels per day, passing a previous record set in 2020 by 100,000 barrels. Department statistics also show that the U.S. has produced more crude oil per year than any other nation — for the past six years.


Economy has shown recent signs of strength, not evidence of collapse


TRUMP: ''We're going to have a crash like the 1929 crash if she gets in.''


THE FACTS: The economy has shown recent signs of strength — not evidence that America is on the edge of economic collapse.


On Thursday the S&P 500 jumped 1.6%, its sixth gain in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased Thursday, as did the Nasdaq composite.


Recent economic reports show that shoppers increased their retail spending last month and fewer workers sought unemployment benefits.


Fears the economy was slowing emerged last month following a sharp drop in hiring and higher unemployment rates. But those worries were assuaged earlier this month when better-than-expected jobless numbers led to Wall Street's best rally since 2022.


Harris was not named border ‘czar'


TRUMP: ''She was the border czar but she didn't do anything. She's the worst border czar in history. ... She was the person responsible for the border and she never went there.''


THE FACTS: Biden tapped Harris in 2021 to work with Central American countries to address the root causes of migration and the challenges it creates. Illegal crossings are one aspect of those challenges, but Harris was never assigned to the border or put in charge of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees law enforcement at the border.


Black unemployment is lower under Biden


TRUMP: ''The Black population had the best numbers they've ever had on jobs, on income, on everything. The Hispanic population had the best numbers.''


THE FACTS: It's true that Black and Hispanic unemployment fell to then-record lows under Trump, but that was upended by COVID. When Trump left office, Black unemployment had soared to 9.3% and Hispanic unemployment to 8.5%. Under Biden, Black unemployment fell to a new record low of 4.8% in April 2023, while Hispanic unemployment in September 2022 matched the all-time low of 3.9% it had reached under Trump.


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Russian American sentenced with treason for financing Ukraine charity 

Jeffrey Wang | U. Calgary Faculty of Law, CA

AUGUST 15, 2024   THE JURIST

Russian-American dual citizen Ksenia Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony and fined three hundred thousand rubles ($3,400) in a closed session of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court. 

Karelina was arrested on January 27 2024, and detained in a Yekaterinburg jail under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code which covers treason. Specifically, she was charged with rendering assistance to a foreign state or organization in hostile activities to the detriment of the external security of the Russian Federation, committed by a citizen of Russia, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in a penal colony. This comes as the Russo-Ukrainian war enters its second year. 

According to prosecutors, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) uncovered that Karelina had raised funds for a Ukrainian organization that supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine, elements of which, including the far right ‘Azov’ regiment and the nationalist ‘Georgian Legion’ have been designated as a terrorist organization and is banned in Russia. A group of Russian lawyers, Pervy Otdel, also indicated that Karelina had donated over $50 from her US bank account on the day that Russia began its operations in Ukraine. The money was allegedly sent to Razom for Ukraine, which denied that it had provided any support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, Razom’s ‘Razom Heroes’ program states on its website that it aims to provide ‘life-saving aid to the first responders and front-line medics’ and features photos of military-style tactical equipment. On the official website of Ukraine, Razom is recognized for providing ‘tactical medical items.’

Karelina was not included in the recent Russia-US prisoner swap, which was the largest prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow since the Cold Wa