Wanderlust

Tag: Congress

  • Sajjan Kumar: Milestone conviction in fatal Sikh riots

    Sajjan Kumar Symbol copyright Getty Photographs

    An Indian court has despatched a senior Congress birthday celebration politician to jail for life in what is being seen as the most important conviction thus far over the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

    Sajjan Kumar was discovered guilty of inciting crowds to kill Sikhs.

    In a scathing verdict, the Delhi prime court pass judgement on mentioned the accused escaped trial as a result of “political patronage”.

    More than THREE,000 Sikhs died in the riots that adopted the assassination of then top minister Indira Gandhi.

    Mrs Gandhi, who belonged to the Congress birthday celebration, used to be shot lifeless via two of her Sikh bodyguards who have been indignant at her choice to send the military into the Golden Temple – Sikhism’s holiest shrine – to flush out militants.

    The prosecution had accused Kumar of being fascinated with a conspiracy of “terrifying proportion” with the police in the course of the riots.

    On Monday, Nirlep Kaur, whose father was burnt alive by means of mobs ahead of her eyes, wept as she thanked the court for delivering justice after 34 years.

    Congress nonetheless struggling to flee the past Congress leader ‘incited’ 1984 anti-Sikh riots Delhi 1984: Reminiscences of a massacre

    Delhi top court Judges S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel found Kumar responsible of “felony conspiracy, promoting enmity and acts in opposition to communal cohesion” and ordered him not to go away the city and surrender via 31 December.

    Kumar was once convicted after a few eyewitnesses testified against him for inciting mobs in Delhi’s Sultanpuri area.

    One woman witness stated she had noticed him addressing a crowd, telling them that Sikhs had killed “his mother” – a connection with Mrs Gandhi.

  • Amazon chief Jeff Bezos gives $2bn to help the homeless

    Jeff Bezos Image copyright Reuters

    Amazon chief Jeff Bezos is putting $2bn (£1.5bn) into a charitable fund he has established to help the homeless and set up a new network of schools.

    The world’s richest man announced the move in a tweet, saying the charity would be called the Day One Fund.

    Mr Bezos – reportedly worth more than $164bn – has faced criticism for not doing more philanthropic work.

    And US Senator Bernie Sanders has criticised working conditions in Amazon warehouses.

    Mr Bezos asked on Twitter last year for suggestions on how he might use his personal fortune, which this year has soared due to Amazon’s surging share price and US tax cuts.

    He said on Thursday that the “Bezos Day One Fund” will contribute to “existing nonprofits that help homeless families” and also fund “a network of new, nonprofit, tier-one preschools in low-income communities”.

    The fund will be split between Day 1 Families Fund and Day 1 Academies Fund.

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    — Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) September 13, 2018

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    “The Day 1 Families Fund will issue annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families,” Mr Bezos said in a tweet.

    The Day 1 Academies Fund will launch and operate a network of high-quality, full-scholarship, Montessori-inspired pre-schools in low-income and underserved communities, he said. “We will build an organization to directly operate these schools,” he added.

    Despite the huge amount of money being given, it is far less than the philanthropy of other billionaires such as Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who has donated tens of billions to his foundation, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who has pledged to donate 99% of his shares in the social media giant to an organization focused on public good.

    The $2bn also falls short of the “giving pledge” initiative launched by Mr Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who have encouraged wealthy individuals to pledge half their fortunes for philanthropy.

    Mr Bezos, who operates the Blue Origin space rocket project and who owns the Washington Post newspaper, has given donations to a scheme to help the children of immigrants, cancer research, and Princeton University.

  • Twitter: Algorithms weren’t at all times unbiased

    Jack Dorsey Symbol copyright Getty Images

    Twitter leader govt Jack Dorsey has informed US regulation-makers that the company’s algorithms have not at all times been “unbiased”.

    He said the platform “unfairly” diminished the visibility of SIX HUNDRED,000 bills, together with a few contributors of congress.

    But he was once not able to instantly say whether a majority of them had been Republican, Democratic or otherwise.

    Mr Dorsey is being questioned via senators over allegations that Twitter censors conservative voices.

    A Number Of republicans, together with US President Donald Trump, have accused Twitter of bias, which the corporate denies.

    Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Dorsey is giving evidence in Washington

    “It was unfair”, mentioned Mr Dorsey. “We corrected it.”

    A Few senators in the listening to said the research was a waste of time.

    Democrat Paul Sabanes stated the listening to have been trigged by “deep-state conspiracy theories proffered by the president” at the same time as fellow democrat Jerry McNerney mentioned it used to be an attempt by way of republicans to encourage their electorate.

    “President Trump and lots of republicans have peddled conspiracy theories approximately Twitter and other social media systems to whip up their base and fundraise,” stated democrat Frank Pallone.

    Mr Pallone mentioned Twitter could not be accused of anti-conservative bias whilst it allowed President Trump to make use of it for “juvenile tweets and misinformation”.

    What else did Mr Dorsey screen?

    Mr Engel requested why Twitter didn’t require other folks to verify their identification whilst registering an account. Mr Dorsey said the platform had techniques to detect bots and had avoided part one million fake accounts from even getting used Asked why Twitter depended on its customers to report beside the point content, Mr Dorsey stated it was a “subject of scale” however that it answered temporarily to experiences in response to their severity Mr Pallone asked what number of human moderators Twitter had in the US and how so much they were paid. Mr Dorsey used to be unable to reply to Mr Upton requested how Twitter determined whether someone was once trying to manage a talk. Mr Dorsey mentioned the platform used to be taken with “conversation well being”, with components reminiscent of “shared consideration” taken under consideration Asked whether or not Twitter’s rules have been transparent, Mr Dorsey stated he generic they had been tough to know and needed to be “extra approachable” Mr Doyle asked explicitly whether Twitter had taken action to censor conservatives. “No,” responded Mr Dorsey

  • Amazon device flags Congress contributors as suspects

    The facial recognition system Rekognition at work Symbol copyright ACLU Symbol caption Rekognition is being deployed via US law enforcement agencies however its accuracy was once tested by a civil rights body which ran footage of Congress members through a police database of suspects

    An Amazon facial popularity software has wrongly recognized 28 individuals of the united states Congress as police suspects.

    The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in comparison professional pictures of the politicians with a database of public arrest photos.

    Amazon took factor with the findings, announcing the device needed to be set at NINETY FIVE% accuracy no longer the 80% used by ACLU.

    But the civil rights team mentioned it highlighted the inadequacy of facial recognition generation.

    “Our test reinforces that face surveillance isn’t secure for presidency use,” mentioned Jacob Snow, ACLU’s era and civil liberties legal professional.

    “Face surveillance shall be used to energy discriminatory surveillance and policing that objectives communities of colour, immigrants, and activists. Once unleashed, that harm can’t be undone.”

    In reaction to the take a look at, a spokesperson for Amazon Web Products And Services instructed the BBC: “We remain occupied with how image and video analysis may also be a driving force for good in the international, including in the public sector and legislation enforcement.”

    “in regards to this contemporary check of Amazon Rekognition by the ACLU, we predict that the results could most certainly be advanced by way of following perfect practices around setting the arrogance thresholds.”

    Unintentional effects

    Rekognition is touted via Amazon as being helpful for a range of things, from detecting offensive content material to choosing celebrities.

    It is also working with some US native regulation enforcement companies to put in force the system for settling on criminals.

    The EIGHTY% accuracy vary used by ACLU is the machine’s default atmosphere however a spokeswoman for Amazon Internet Services told Reuters that, for picking out individuals, it advisable atmosphere a threshold of NINETY FIVE% or higher.

    According to ACLU, nearly FORTY% of the device’s fake suits were for black Congress participants, although they make up most effective 20% of the legislature.

    Among those being wrongly known was once civil rights chief John Lewis, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

    That team lately wrote to Amazon chief govt Jeff Bezos expressing issues in regards to the “profound terrible unintended consequences” facial recognition techniques can have for black other people.

    “Congress will have to press for a federal moratorium on the use of face surveillance until its harms, particularly to inclined groups, are totally regarded as,” said ACLU’s legislative suggest Neema Singh Guliani.

    “The Public deserves an entire debate approximately how and if face surveillance should be used.”

    within the UK, legal professionals for civil liberties crew Large Brother Watch have introduced a criminal challenge towards the use of automated facial reputation generation by way of police.

  • Trump calls for prison reform, more job training for inmates

    President Trump said Friday that the U.S. can reform prisons and release more inmates without endangering communities

    President Trump said Friday that the U.S. can reform prisons and release more inmates without endangering communities

    Hosting a summit on prison reform at the White House with state and federal officials, faith leaders and others, the president said legislation moving through Congress can help to reduce crime and save tax dollars.

    “Our whole nation benefits if former inmates are able to reenter society as productive, law-abiding citizens,” Mr. Trump said.

    About 620,000 inmates are released from prison annually after completing their sentences. But the president said that more than 33 percent of federal inmates, and more than three-fourths of state inmates, are re-arrested within five years.

    “We want former inmates to find a path to success so they can support their families and support their communities,” the president said. “Crucial to this effort is helping former prisoners find jobs. It is not merely a waste of money, but a waste of human capital … to put former inmates on public assistance instead of placing them into a steady job where they can pay taxes, contribute to their country, gain dignity and pride that comes with a career.”

    The event was moderated by Van Jones, a former Obama administration official and CNN commentator who has frequently criticized Mr. Trump. The president thanked Mr. Jones “primarily because he constantly says such nice things about me.”

    “Not too often … it does feel good,” Mr. Trump joked.

    Among those attending was Freedom Partners Chairman Mark Holden, who said the goal is for Congress to approve prison reform this year.

    “States have proven that preparing prisoners for reentry starting on day one of their sentences will increase public safety, reduce recidivism, bring incarceration rates down and save taxpayers money,” Mr. Holden said.

  • ‘Dreamers’ turn ire on Democrats as DACA deadline passes

    Illegal immigrant Dreamers descended on Democrats’ national headquarters in Washington on Monday, staging a sit-in and vowing to make sure the party gets at least some of the blame as Congress slipped

    Illegal immigrant Dreamers descended on Democrats’ national headquarters in Washington on Monday, staging a sit-in and vowing to make sure the party gets at least some of the blame as Congress slipped past President Trump’s March 5 deadline for action on DACA.

    While the deadline lacked the urgency it once had, thanks to several court decisions keeping the Obama-era tentative deportation amnesty going, it maintains much of its political salience.

    The protesters who blocked the doors to the Democratic National Committee on Monday said there is blame to spread around, but they wanted to make sure Democrats felt much of the pressure, accusing the party’s leaders of a decade of betrayal culminating in this week’s failure.

    SEE ALSO: Judge rules Trump’s DACA phaseout legal

    “This party has shown me nothing but pain,” said Maria Duarte, a DACA recipient dressed in pink Hello Kitty pajamas and clutching a stuffed animal as she blocked the doors. She was choked with emotion as she shouted through a bullhorn, saying she “lost family members” to enforcement under the Obama administration.

    President Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in June 2012 as he was campaigning for re-election. The protesters said the move was designed to stave off potential electoral disaster.

    More than 800,000 people won protection over the years, and some 683,000 people are currently protected. They have renewable two-year stays of deportation and are entitled to work permits, which can earn them driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers and even some taxpayer benefits.

    But the program was legally suspect. Facing threats of a lawsuit, Mr. Trump last year announced a phaseout, giving Congress six months to come up with a more permanent solution.

    Now it’s the phaseout that is legally troubled. Two federal courts have ordered Mr. Trump to keep processing renewal applications, making the March 5 deadline less critical.

    Yet a third federal judge ruled late Monday, upholding Mr. Trump’s phaseout. For now, the decision does not surmount the original two court rulings, but Judge Roger W. Titus’ 30-page opinion does give some legal heft as the Justice Department defends the president’s decisions in higher courts.

    Activists, meanwhile, said March 5 remained the critical political deadline, serving as a milepost with midterm elections looming and both sides looking to avoid blame on an issue where an overwhelming majority of voters believe the Dreamers deserve legal status.

    DNC Chairman Tom Perez said it was Mr. Trump’s “cruel and reckless decision” to phase out DACA that spurred “an unnecessary crisis.”

    “And now his arbitrary deadline has passed without any action from the president or Republicans in Congress,” Mr. Perez said.

    Indeed, most immigrant rights groups, while wishing Democrats had fought more strenuously, do place blame on Mr. Trump and defend a program that they used to decry as a Band-Aid solution.

    But the activists who protested outside DNC headquarters Monday said Democrats missed too many chances to help.

    “You are losing people in this party,” said Roberto Juarez, an organizer with the Seed Project, which staged Monday’s protest. He held up his voter registration card and recounted his days of working to elect Mr. Obama in 2008.

    “I lied to my community because I told them we could pass immigration reform in the first 100 days if we voted him in,” Mr. Juarez said. “What happened? More deportations than any other president.”

    Protesters said Democrats had multiple chances to force the issue over the past few months by holding up government funding until legal status was granted.

    Democrats did force a brief government shutdown in January but quickly relented in exchange for promises of a Senate debate.

    When that debate began, however, it was anticlimactic. Democrats first blocked the freewheeling floor fight all sides had expected, and every plan was defeated when the voting finally began.

    The most promising option, a proposal negotiated by moderates from both parties and embraced as Democrats’ leading option, fell six votes shy of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. That plan would have coupled a generous pathway to citizenship and a tentative deportation amnesty for all 11 million illegal immigrants with border wall funding and small limits on chain migration.

    The House, meanwhile, has shunned a floor debate altogether.

    A group of conservatives, led by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has written a bill that offers a continuation of the DACA program — with critical congressional approval — in exchange for major enforcement enhancements and changes to legal immigration policy.

    But House Republican leaders who tested the bill’s popularity among their ranks say it’s short of the support needed and it’s unclear whether they can bridge the gap.

    Democrats predict that if Republicans relented and brought up one of several bipartisan bills, such as a proposal to extend a generous pathway to citizenship in exchange for promises of future border security, there would be majority support to pass it.

    At a press conference Monday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus said it was “shameful” for Republican leaders not to hold votes. They also predicted that Mr. Trump would take the brunt of the blame.

    “Let’s all be clear that President Trump ended DACA. The responsibility lies on his shoulders,” Rep. Raul Ruiz, California Democrat, told reporters at the press conference.

    The White House said Mr. Trump has done his part, pointing to his middle-ground proposal that coupled citizenship rights for up to 1.8 million illegal immigrants with a plan to build his border wall, limit the chain of family migration and change the law to allow for faster deportations of new illegal immigrants.

    Democrats, though, called the enforcement changes too harsh, while House conservatives said the amnesty was too generous.

    White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was “absolutely terrible that Congress has failed to act.”

    “The president gave Congress six months, and he also gave them a plan,” she said. “They claim to want to fix DACA. The president laid out a pathway and an exact way to do that. They failed to address it, but we’re still hopeful that Congress will actually do their jobs, show up and get something done and fix this problem, not kick it down the road and not continue to ignore it.”