Friday, June 19, 2020

A San Diego man lost his job recently after being accused on social media of making a racist gesture, but he says he was just cracking his knuckles

A man has lost his job with San Diego Gas and Electric last month after a stranger took a photo of him with his arm hanging out the window of his company pickup while he happened to be near a Black Lives Matter rally. The photographer then posted the image to Twitter. The poster accused the man, who is Hispanic, of making a “white power” hand gesture that has been made popular by many white supremacists. The gesture resembles the “OK” sign that includes the thumb and forefinger in a circle and the three other fingers extended. When asked by his boss, he said that he was simply cracking his knuckles. Shortly after the tweet with his image went viral, he was suspended from his job and told that an investigation was underway. A few days later, SDG&E gave him a pink slip and sent him packing. “It’s scary that you can be charged, tried, and convicted on social media without your permission, without no corroborating evidence of any type,” he said. A local news outlet contacted the original Twitter accuser about the incident. Apparently he has since realized that he may have ruined an innocent man’s life. The accuser has not only deleted the original post — he has deleted his entire Twitter account and said that it’s possible he just got “spun up” about the situation and misinterpreted the mans motions. He added that he never intended for the man to get canned. (NBC San Diego)

“BLM but so does yours”

Two black women paid for a white deputy’s meal at a Nashville, Tennessee restaurant, but a message they sent with the payment made it all the more special. The Sumner County Sheriff’s Deputy was eating at a Cracker Barrel when the server told him his meal had been paid for. The two women paid for the breakfast, but he didn’t know their names. He was so moved by the gesture, he posted a picture on social media to thank them. He said, “I want to thank the two sweet black ladies who paid for my breakfast this morning. While waiting for a transport to be completed, I decided to have breakfast at a Cracker Barrel near the Nashville airport. I received this note from them.” The note read, “BLM, but so does yours! Thank you for your service. Breakfast paid.” (WTVR)

Man pushes pastor, knocks churchgoers to ground because service was too loud, police say

A Claremont, Florida man is behind bars after he became violent at an outdoor church service, knocking the pastor and other churchgoers to the ground because he thought the service was too loud, according to the Clermont Police Department. Officers were called for reports of a physical fight happening at a church service. When officers arrived, they found a 34-year-old man resisting the arrest of other officers who had already responded to the scene, authorities said. Police said the man was furiously resisting officers, positioning his hands to avoid handcuffs and swinging his legs so restraints could not be used. A report showed that the man was yelling “rape” and “I can’t breathe” as officers attempted to take him into custody, although records show he was positioned on his side so he could freely breathe and no sexual assault had taken place. He kept insisting he was injured in the process of his arrest so EMS was requested, but when he was examined by a doctor, “no legitimate concerns for injury or sickness” were found, according to a report. A video taken by a witness showed the man approach several people attending the church service, including the pastor, and engage in a verbal argument. A report said the video then showed him becoming aggressive, pushing and shoving churchgoers. Police said that at no point did the video show any attendees instigate the altercation with the man. Another witness told police that he approached the service yelling that the gathering was too loud and to turn the volume down. Witnesses said he pushed the pastor over, causing him to fall and knock over other churchgoers and sound equipment. A third witness told police that he was throwing punches at guests, even swinging at the pastor, according to a report. The man was arrested on multiple charges, including disturbing a religious assembly, resisting officers without violence, battery and possession of drug paraphernalia, among others. He is being held at the Lake County Jail without bond. (Click Orlando)

Florida man arrested on child porn charges after purchasing, eating soiled underwear

A Florida man arrested on allegations of possessing and distributing child pornography is also accused of “ingesting” underwear. Investigators learned a 58-year-old man purchased and ate soiled underwear, according to Polk County Sheriff. The Sheriffs office revealed the allegations during a press conference for “Operation Guardians of Innocence V,” which led to the arrest of 16 other men now facing a total of more than 1,400 felony charges. Police said that the man has been fired as an IT specialist for Lockheed Martin and he holds a master’s degree from Florida International University. Also arrested in the Polk County child pornography operation were a former pair of Disney employees, a local nurse and a local pharmacist. (WFLA)

Officials seek to nab alligator spotted in Kansas creek

Authorities in Kansas have closed a trail around a creek as they try to catch an alligator spotted there. The 5-foot alligator is believed to be one of two stolen from a pet store in the northeastern Kansas city of Manhattan recently. A man called 911 to report seeing an alligator while he was walking along Linear Park Trail. Animal control officers who responded saw the animal lounging on a log in Wildcat Creek. The trail was closed, and officials set traps overnight in hopes of catching the reptile. Authorities said they don’t know how the alligator made it into the creek or whether the other alligator stolen on June 5 from Manhattan Reptile World is also on the loose. Officials have asked anyone who spots either alligator to call police. Manhattan, with a population of more than 53,000 people, is home to Kansas State University. (AP News)

A fight grows in Mississippi over the state flag’s Confederate emblem

Momentum is growing in Mississippi to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the official flag of the state, the last to display the Confederate design within its own ensign. But the proposed replacement is causing friction within the group of activists pushing for change. Last week, a bipartisan group of Mississippi lawmakers quietly began drafting legislation to change the state flag, the first time the issue has been addressed seriously since 2001. That year, constituents voted two to one in a ballot measure to keep the flag as is. (CBS News)

There could be 36 communicating intelligent civilizations in our galaxy, study says

Scientists have calculated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way galaxy, according to a new study. However, due to time and distance, we may never actually know if they exist or ever existed. Previous calculations along these lines have been based on the Drake equation, which was written by astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1961. Based on their calculations using the Astrobiological Copernican Strong limit, they determined that there are likely 36 active and communicating intelligent civilizations across our galaxy. This assumes that life forms the way it does on Earth, which is our only understanding of it at the moment. It also assumes that the metal content of the stars hosting these planets are equal to that of our sun, which is rich in metals. The researchers believed the strong limit is the most likely because “it still allows intelligent life to form within a billion years after it did on Earth, which seems like plenty of time,” they said. Another assumption of these potential civilizations is that they’re making their presence known in some way via signals. Currently, we’ve only been producing signals like radio transmissions from satellites and televisions for a short time. Even though this study only looked at our galaxy, distance is an inhibiting factor. The researchers calculated that the average distance between these potential civilizations would equal about 17,000 light-years. Detecting those signals or sending communications using current technology would take so long that it would be nearly impossible. (The Astrophysical Journal)

AT&T to axe thousands of jobs

AT&T is set to cut thousands of jobs and close 250 stores as it looks to slash $6 billion in costs. The layoffs will affect manager and executive positions as well as 3,400 technical and clerical employees. 1,300 retail jobs will also be impacted by the closing of AT&T and Cricket Wireless stores. The heavily indebted phone giant says the store closures were accelerated by the effects of the pandemic. (Axios)

PG&E pleads guilty in fire deaths

Pacific Gas & Electric has pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed most of a Northern California town. It’s unusual for U.S. corporations to admit to such wrongdoings, and PG&E’s plea marks the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history. The company agreed to pay the maximum penalty of $3.5 million and $500,000 to cover investigation fees. Faulty equipment from California’s largest utility has sparked a series of destructive and deadly wildfires in recent years. (Bloomberg News)

Pandemic takes a bite out of banks

A rough year for banks is starting to take its toll. After putting planned layoffs on hold during the early months of the pandemic, HSBC is going ahead with 35,000 cuts worldwide over three years. The London-based bank initially held off to better support our people during the crisis. Deutsche Bank is also resuming job cuts. Meanwhile, a U.S. banking regulator reported that profits in the sector dropped by roughly 70% in the first quarter from a year earlier, as the coronavirus shook the economy. (Reuters)

Some hotel rooms aren’t coming back

The country’s biggest hotel market will likely see the permanent closure of thousands of rooms. While the reopening of New York City has seen occupancy rise from a low of near 20% in April to nearly 50% in June, a full recovery isn’t expected for years. The hotel industry across the country is reeling from the pandemic and its consequent shutdowns. Some hotels in the city are seeing only 10% to 15% occupancy. Hilton Hotels announced this week that it was cutting over 2000 corporate employees, about 22% of its corporate workforce. (The Wall Street Journal)

The Aunt Jemima brand and logo will be retired

Quaker Oats is retiring the more than 130-year-old Aunt Jemima brand and logo, acknowledging its origins are based on a racial stereotype. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations,” the company said in a statement. Aunt Jemima’s appearance has evolved over time. The brand’s origin and logo is based off the song “Old Aunt Jemima” from a minstrel show performer. The company’s website said the logo started in 1890 and was based on Nancy Green, a “storyteller, cook and missionary worker.” The Aunt Jemima brand was purchased by Quaker Oats in 1926. PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats in 2001. (NBC News)

Suspected burglar signs name at scene of crime

A suspected burglar allegedly signed his name at the scene of the crime and was arrested a few hours later along with his alleged accomplice. Two guys were booked into jail Monday, June 15, 2020. Wichita Falls, Texas police said they were called to investigate a burglary of a garage. The resident stated that several items had been taken, and showed officers that paint had been poured on his 2020 Jeep Wrangler and that the name “Dalton” had been scratched onto the hood. Early that afternoon police said an Iowa Park resident called and reported that two people had brought numerous items to her home, including power tools and lawn equipment that she had suspected were stolen. Authorities said the items matched exactly those that had been stolen from the garage on Cumberland. Officers talked with the two suspects at that home and said they admitted to stealing the items and damaging the jeep. Both suspects had prior arrests. (Texoma Homepage)

Friday Kicks Back With A Tall Order Of:

• Dollars Against Diabetes Day(s) (Always Father’s Day Weekend)
• Flip Flop Day (3rd Friday)
• Free BSD Day
• Garfield the Cat Day
• International Day For The Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
• Juneteenth
• Martini Day
• Take Back The Lunch Break Day (3rd Friday)
• Ugliest Dog Day (Normally Third Friday)
• Watch Day
• Wear Blue Day (Friday of Men’s Health Week)
• Work@Home Father’s Day (Friday Before Father’s Day)
• World Sickle Cell Day
• World Sauntering Day