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Friday, May 29, 2015
Alty News: U.S. Forces's Bug Drones; U.N. Accused of Shielding Troops Who Exploited Children
Posted By Eric S. Peterson on May 29, 2015, 10:26 AM
The United Nations is coming under fire for allegations it shielded peacekeeping troops in Africa accused of sexually exploiting children.
Top of the Alty World
"Code Blue: U.N. Accused of Giving Immunity to Peacekeepers Who Commit Sexual Abuse"—Democracy Now!
Feds move to protect birds from oil pits and power lines as many species of migratory birds face steep declines.—High Country News
After seven months of investigation and no charges filed, Cleveland still waits to hear the outcome of an inquiry into the death of a mentally-ill black woman by Cleveland police.—Mother Jones
U.S. Special Forces are looking into using bug-sized drones for reconnaissance missions.—Defense One
Top of Alty Utah
A new poll finds that a majority of Salt Lake County residents feel Ben McAdams should get another term as mayor.—Utah Policy
Research shows school discipline disproportionately targets American Indian students in Utah's public schools.—Salt Lake City Weekly
Granary Row's popup market and street festival returns to Salt Lake City after an unplanned hiatus in 2014.—SL City News
Rantosphere
John Rasmuson in City Weekly challenges the wisdom of bottled-water consumption in a drought-ridden world.
The Long View
ProPublica takes a look at how federal mismanagement is exacerbating the Western drought, with such policies as subsidizing crops like cotton in Arizona's deserts.
Top of the Alty World
"Code Blue: U.N. Accused of Giving Immunity to Peacekeepers Who Commit Sexual Abuse"—Democracy Now!
Feds move to protect birds from oil pits and power lines as many species of migratory birds face steep declines.—High Country News
After seven months of investigation and no charges filed, Cleveland still waits to hear the outcome of an inquiry into the death of a mentally-ill black woman by Cleveland police.—Mother Jones
U.S. Special Forces are looking into using bug-sized drones for reconnaissance missions.—Defense One
Top of Alty Utah
A new poll finds that a majority of Salt Lake County residents feel Ben McAdams should get another term as mayor.—Utah Policy
Research shows school discipline disproportionately targets American Indian students in Utah's public schools.—Salt Lake City Weekly
Granary Row's popup market and street festival returns to Salt Lake City after an unplanned hiatus in 2014.—SL City News
Rantosphere
John Rasmuson in City Weekly challenges the wisdom of bottled-water consumption in a drought-ridden world.
The notion of paying good money for a plastic container of water would have been laughable when I was a kid. Insofar as I'm concerned, it is still laughable. I don't buy bottled water no matter how pretentious the label or modest the price. I never ordered "Perrier with a twist" when it was a hip drink at cocktail parties, and I ridiculed those who carried a water bottle as a fashion accessory. My prejudice against bottled water is shared by environmentalists concerned about the 35 billion plastic bottles discarded by Americans every year. But ours is a tiny tribe. That most people have no qualms about bottled water is evinced by the 170-plus brands on the market.—Salt Lake City Weekly
The Long View
ProPublica takes a look at how federal mismanagement is exacerbating the Western drought, with such policies as subsidizing crops like cotton in Arizona's deserts.
The water shortages that have brought California, Arizona and other Western states to the edge of an environmental cliff have been attributed to a historic climate event — a dry spell that experts worry could be the worst in 1,000 years. But an examination by ProPublica shows that the scarcity of water is as much a man-made crisis as a natural one, the result of decades of missteps and misapprehensions by governments and businesses as they have faced surging demand driven by a booming population.
The federal subsidies that prop up cotton farming in Arizona are just one of myriad ways that policymakers have refused, or been slow to reshape laws to reflect the West’s changing circumstances. Provisions in early–20th-century water-use laws that not only permit but also compel farmers and others to use more water than they need are another. “Use It or Lose It” is the cynical catch phrase for one of those policies.—ProPublica
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