‘Paw Patrol’ Under Fire for Depiction of Police: Is ‘Paw Patrol’ Being Canceled?
Have the anti-racism protests come for Paw Patrol? According to Amanda Hess of the New York Times Paw Patrol fans have (albeit jokingly) called for the popular Nickelodeon show to be canceled as protests against police brutality continue to sweep the globe and shows like Cops and Live PD are cancelled by networks. While the Paw Patrol protests may not be totally real, Eric Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz seem to think fans are serious: both tweeted that the protests for Paw Patrol are “truly insane,” and they blasted the left for “targeting” cartoons.
As a result of the back and forth — is the Paw Patrol protest real, or do Eric Trump and Ted Cruz just not understand humor? — many viewers have questions about the beloved children’s show. Is Paw Patrol being cancelled? What’s up with the Paw Patrol protests? Here’s everything you need to know!
WHAT STARTED THE PROTESTS AGAINST PAW PATROL?
The complicated brouhaha started last week, when the official Paw Patrol account tweeted a message in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. “In solidarity of #AmplifyMelanatedVoices we will be muting our content until June 7th to give access for Black voices to be heard so we can continue to listen and further our learning,” the account wrote.
Almost immediately, Twitter users began replying with jokey posts about Chase, the show’s German Shepherd police officer. “Chase is not only a class traitor but a species traitor as well,” wrote one user as part of a graphic that claims “police shoot an average of 25 pet dogs a day.” Others urged Paw Patrol to “get rid of the cop” and “defund Chase,” while others said that the show should be canceled altogether.
HOW DOES THE NYT PAW PATROL ARTICLE, “THE PROTESTS COME FOR PAW PATROL,” FIGURE INTO THIS?
This is where things get dicey. On Wednesday, The New York Times‘ Amanda Hess called out the show’s depiction of canine crime helpers and acknowledged that the Paw Patrol protests, while a joke, come from the right place. “The effort to publicize police brutality also means banishing the good-cop archetype, which reigns on both television and in viral videos of the protests themselves,” writes Hess. “Paw Patrol seems harmless enough, and that’s the point: The movement rests on understanding that cops do plenty of harm.”
TED CRUZ AND ERIC TRUMP TWEETED ABOUT THE BAN PAW PATROL MOVEMENT, BUT IS IT LEGIT?
Hess’ piece does not linger long on Paw Patrol; instead, it hinges on the far-ranging consequences of a variety of different cop shows, from Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Law & Order. But the initial focus on Paw Patrol seemed to be enough for prominent Republicans, who eagerly tweeted out the article on Wednesday night.
“Now the left wants to cancel Paw Patrol,” Eric Trump tweeted alongside the NYTPaw Patrol article on Wednesday night. “These people are truly insane…” Sen. Ted Cruise followed suit shortly after, writing, “The absurdity knows no end. #CancelCultureTargetsCartoons.”
Trump and Cruz’s tweets have people very confused. Is Paw Patrol really getting canceled?
IS PAW PATROL BEING CANCELLED?
This is a long story with a short answer: as of now, Paw Patrol is not being cancelled despite the fake “protests” against it. In fact, Nickelodeon just renewed the series for an eighth season in February, and a theatrical film Paw Patrol: The Movie is currently scheduled for an August 2021 release.
Decider has reached out to Nickelodeon to confirm that Paw Patrol will continue to air as scheduled, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Article via Decider
Two Missouri hairstylists who had coronavirus saw 140 clients but no one got infected
Two Missouri hairstylists who worked while they had coronavirus did not infect the 140 clients they served even though they had symptoms at the time, local health officials said.
Both stylists worked at the same Great Clips location in Springfield for more than a week in mid-May.
The clients and the stylists all wore face coverings, and the salon had set up other measures such as social distancing of chairs and staggered appointments, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said this week.
Of the 140 clients and seven co-workers potentially exposed, 46 took tests that came back negative. All the others were quarantined for the duration of the coronavirus incubation period. The 14-day incubation period has now passed with no new infections linked to the salon, county health officials said.
During the quarantine, those who did not get tested got a call twice a day from health officials asking whether they had symptoms related to Covid-19, said Kathryn Wall, a spokeswoman for the Springfield-Green County Health Department.
County health officials called the results encouraging, and said they’re looking into the case for insight on how to stop the spread and help with efforts on future research.
“This is exciting news about the value of masking to prevent Covid-19,” said Clay Goddard, the county’s director of health. “We are studying more closely the details of these exposures, including what types of face coverings were worn and what other precautions were taken to lead to this encouraging result.”
Studies have found that physical distancing and the use of a mask are the two best ways to prevent coronavirus transmission.
This month, a study published in the Lancet medical journal found people should stay six feet apart and wear face coverings. It said the chance of transmission without a face mask was 17.4%, while that fell to 3.1% when a mask was worn. The World Health Organization has urged nations to encourage the general public to wear fabric masks in areas where coronavirus is spreading.
One hairstylist had worked with 56 clients at the salon while the second one had seen 84 customers and seven coworkers. They went to the salon for about eight days ending on May 20.
The salon kept impeccable records that made contact tracing possible, Goddard said. But he cautioned about the risks of overwhelming resources in such incidents.
“We can’t have many more of these,” he said last month. “We can’t make this a regular habit or our capabilities as a community will be strained.”
In a statement, Great Clips said it welcomed the results.
“All customers who were tested for Covid-19 after visiting a franchised Great Clips salon in Springfield have confirmed negative test results. Together with our 1,100 independent franchisees, we care deeply about the well-being of customers, salon staff and the communities we serve, and we are grateful for the health of these individuals,” it said in a statement to CNN affiliate KYTV.
More than 112,000 people have died from coronavirus in the United States, where the number of confirmed cases is more than 2 million, according to Johns Hopkins. In Missouri, the virus has killed more than 850 people and infected over 15,000 others.
Article via MSN
Vanessa Bryant reveals tattoos in honor of Kobe and Gianna
Vanessa Bryant is going to carry words from her late husband and daughter with her forever.
The widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant revealed through Instagram on Wednesday that she got a pair of new tattoos. The ink carries messages from Kobe and their 14-year-old daughter Gianna.
The message from Kobe was placed in a line along her right shoulder and neck.
The message from Gianna was placed on Bryant’s right wrist.
The tattoos are Vanessa Bryant’s latest tribute to her husband and daughter, as she has consistently kept their memory going since their tragic death in a helicopter crash in January. Whether it’s Gianna’s 14th birthday or the anniversary of Kobe’s 60-point sendoff, Bryant has consistently posted tributes to them. She has also used Kobe’s memory to speak out against racial injustice.
For her own birthday, Bryant revealed she had found an unopened love letter from Kobe, but didn’t disclose its message. She is currently working on the release of a young adult novel written by Kobe before his death, called “Geese Are Never Swans.”
Article via YahooNews
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Jussie Smollett cites George Floyd protests, demands police transparency
Embattled actor Jussie Smollett cited ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd while demanding more transparency from cops in his own criminal case, according to new court documents.
The former “Empire” star says he deserves to know why Chicago’s top cop, Eddie Johnson, was fired from the position last year, because it may be linked to flaws in the case against him, according to court docs cited by FOX News.
“As we see millions across the country rise up to protest and expose police misconduct, the city [of Chicago], by its refusal to produce the requested documents, is choosing to actively resist a citizen’s lawful efforts to reveal dishonesty, directly relating to the charges against him,” reads the motion, which was filed Friday to force officials to hand over documents about Johnson’s firing.
It notes the former police supervisor “oversaw and publicly commented on the investigation” that led to Smollett’s arrest.
The 37-year-old actor, who is black and gay, was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police and staging a hate crime in January 2019.
In a stunning reversal, prosecutors dropped all charges in the botched case in March 2019 and Johnson was fired eight months later. But in February, Smollett was hit with six new charges.
Since then, his legal team has pushed to have cops cough up discovery documents detailing the events surrounding Johnson’s firing. Their most recent filing claims, cops “disparaged Mr. Smollett by characterizing his discovery requests as attempting to ‘muddy the waters.’”
They also note that previous documents released by city officials, “conspicuously omit” which specific police officers claimed that Smollett made false statements to cops.
Smollett pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct in February and was released on a $20,000 bond.
Article via PageSix
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Walmart Says It Will No Longer Lock Up African-American Beauty Products
The policy had been the subject of a racial discrimination lawsuit that was dropped last year, but the practice had come under renewed scrutiny.
Walmart will end its practice of locking up African-American beauty care products in glass cases, the retail giant said on Wednesday after a fresh round of criticism that the policy was a form of racial discrimination.
Hair care and beauty products sold predominantly to black people could be accessed at certain stores only by getting a Walmart employee to unlock the cases, some of which featured additional anti-theft measures.
At some stores, the cases were across the aisle from shelves of generic beauty products that were not locked up and that included shampoo and conditioner.
Critics of the practice, which had been the subject of a federal discrimination lawsuit that was dropped last year, said that it implied that black people were more likely to shoplift. Walmart had previously said that certain products were locked up because they were more likely to be stolen.
The change came as a host of major corporations re-evaluated their business practices and social responsibility after the death of George Floyd and widespread protests over police brutality and discrimination. It also followed a recent report by the television station CBS 4 in Denver that drew attention to the different treatment of Walmart customers.
“As a retailer serving millions of customers every day from diverse backgrounds, Walmart does not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” Lorenzo Lopez, a Walmart spokesman, wrote in an email on Wednesday night.
Mr. Lopez said that Walmart, like other retailers, locked up certain items at a limited number of locations to “deter shoplifters from some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics and other personal care products.”
“We’re sensitive to the issue and understand the concerns raised by our customers and members of the community and have made the decision to discontinue placing multicultural hair care and beauty products — a practice in place in about a dozen of our 4,700 stores nationwide — in locked cases,” Mr. Lopez wrote.
In 2018, a California woman sued Walmart in federal court for discrimination over the policy, saying she felt humiliated having to ask a store employee to unlock the beauty products case on three visits to the store, including to buy a comb that cost $0.48.
The woman, Essie Grundy, said she went to a Walmart in Perris, Calif., in Riverside County to buy body lotion by the beauty brand Cantu when she noticed that all of the products “targeted at African-Americans” were locked in a glass case, “from the middle of the aisle to the end.”
Ms. Grundy, who was represented by the lawyer Gloria Allred, dropped the lawsuit in November, court documents show.
Reached on Wednesday night, Ms. Allred would not say if there was a settlement in the case, which was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice — meaning it cannot be brought back before the court. She said that “the matter was resolved.”
Walmart did not comment on the resolution of the lawsuit.
Ms. Grundy declined to comment on the policy change.
CVS and Walgreens have also faced criticism for locking up beauty products sold to black people. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday night.
Article via NYTimes
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FBI warns hackers are targeting mobile banking apps
The FBI on Wednesday warned that malicious cyber actors were targeting mobile banking apps in an attempt to steal money as more Americans have moved to online banking during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a public service announcement, the FBI noted it expects to see hackers “exploit” mobile banking platforms, which have seen a 50 percent surge in use since the beginning of the pandemic.
“With city, state, and local governments urging or mandating social distancing, Americans have become more willing to use mobile banking as an alternative to physically visiting branch locations,” the agency wrote. “The FBI expects cyber actors to attempt to exploit new mobile banking customers using a variety of techniques, including app-based banking trojans and fake banking apps.”
The FBI specifically pointed to threat of banking trojans, which involve a malicious virus hiding on a user’s mobile device until a legitimate banking app is downloaded. Once the real app is on the device, the banking trojan then overlays the app, tricking the user into clicking on it and inputting their banking login credentials.
Fake banking apps were also cited as a threat, with users in danger of being tricked into downloading malicious apps that also steal sensitive banking information.
In order to combat these threats, the FBI recommended that Americans only download banking apps from official app stores or from banking websites and that banking app users enable two-factor authentication on their accounts and use strong passwords.
“If you encounter an app that appears suspicious, exercise caution and contact that financial institution,” the FBI emphasized. “Major financial institutions may ask for a banking PIN number, but will never ask for your username and password over the phone.”
The PSA is not the first warning the FBI has put out during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hackers have stepped up efforts to target individuals working and socializing online.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned last month that Chinese-backed hackers were targeting health care and research groups involved in developing COVID-19 treatments.
A top FBI official said in April that the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center was receiving between 3,000 and 4,000 cybersecurity complaints each day, a major jump from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when about 1,000 complaints were received daily.
Major agencies including the World Health Organization and the Department of Health and Human Services have also been targeted by hackers, and scams tied to efforts to use coronavirus concerns to steal sensitive information have also spiked.
Article via TheHill
Florida cop arrested after video shows him punching man in hospital
A Florida cop resigned from the force and faces criminal charges after video emerged of him slapping and punching a drunk man, according to a new report.
Fort Pierce Police Officer Albert Eckrode, 31 — a K-9 handler who was named Officer of the Month in 2016 — resigned Friday, a day after he was arrested on felony charges of battery and official misconduct, and a misdemeanor count of false report of the commission of a crime, TCPalm.com reported.
His fellow officer, Monica Frederic, 27, turned herself in Friday to face a misdemeanor false police report charge, according to the outlet.
“So that we’re perfectly clear here, this was not a use-of-force situation,” Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney told reporters. “This was a criminal act.”
The three-minute video, captured on Lawnwood Regional Medical Center’s security system on Feb. 20, shows a 38-year-old man sitting in a recliner in the mental health unit with his feet up, wearing only shorts and socks.
The man had been picked up for public intoxication and brought to the hospital. In the clip, he appears to be gesturing and yelling at Frederic, who is seated about 10 feet away, as well as another officer, when Eckrode enters.
Eckrode is shown confronting the man, using his foot to slam down the recliner’s footrest.
The unfolding exchange involves Eckrode slapping and punching him several times.
Though the patient at one point appears to start yelling back at Eckrode and taps his own cheek, as if to challenge him — prompting the officer to tap his own ear — the man never laid hands on Eckrode.
In their police reports, Eckrode and Frederic said the intoxicated man had been yelling racial slurs at Frederic, who is black.
Both Eckrode and the hospitalized man are white.
But Hobley-Burney said the incident was “not racially motivated at all.”
“It takes a lot for us to select someone as our K-9 officer and this was just a regrettable situation, I will say that,” she said. “And I’m not making excuses, but sometimes we are human too. And I think what was happening with [Eckrode] is it’s possible that what was being said, he wanted [the man] to stop, and he did not, and it involved [Eckrode] taking those actions.”
Eckrode is free after posting $4,500 bond and Frederic has been released on $1,000 bond.
Frederic’s attorney, Marty White, called his client “a good young lady, a good officer.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/10/florida-cop-busted-for-allegedly-punching-drunk-man-in-hospital/
Photo Credit: Fort Pierce PD
George Floyd rookie cop used crowdfunding to pay $750K bail
The fired rookie cop who bailed out of jail on serious charges over George Floyd’s death managed to raise his $750,000 bond with the help of donations to a crowdfunding site, according to a report.
Thomas Lane, 37, posted cash bail Wednesday thanks in part to those who responded to an appeal decrying how high the bail was set, the Star Tribune said.
“Lane and his family appreciate your support and prayers during this time,” said the site, which was taken down once he was bailed out, the paper noted.
Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, confirmed to the paper that it had been a legitimate fundraiser. However, he did not reveal exactly how much of the money came from collections, or who was behind it.
Lane is with his wife in an undisclosed location because of safety concerns, Gray said.
“Now we can watch what happens next from outside,” he told the Star Tribune.
“We will bring a motion to dismiss and hopefully it will be granted,” he said of the fired officer’s next court hearing on June 29.
Lane was on his fourth shift with Minneapolis police when he helped in the fatal arrest of Floyd, 46, holding his legs while supervisor Derek Chauvin kept a knee on his neck for almost nine minutes.
Gray previously insisted the ex-cop had been “doing what he thought was right” and tried to get Chauvin to remove his knee.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Lane and two others — Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — are charged with aiding and abetting the alleged murder.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/11/george-floyd-rookie-cop-used-crowdfunding-to-pay-750k-bail/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/Hennepin County Jail/AFP via Getty Images
Man threatened to kill ‘every Arab’ at a St. Louis County gas station
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri man is accused of threatening to kill “every Arab” at a BP gas station in a St. Louis suburb. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports 41-year-old Willie C. Davis of St. Louis County was charged with making a terrorist threat. He allegedly called police dispatch multiple times Monday saying he wanted to kill Arabs working at the BP station in Berkeley, Missouri.
No lawyer is listed for him in court records. Davis told officers who showed up at his home that he was upset about a friend having been shot at the gas station.
via: https://fox2now.com/news/charge-man-threatened-to-kill-every-arab-at-a-st-louis-county-gas-station/
Photo Credit: stltoday.com
Alabama police officer punches black store owner after mistaking him for robber
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — An armed business owner who called to report a robbery in his store in Alabama was punched in the face by a responding police officer who mistook him for a suspect, police said.
After the altercation, Kevin Penn, owner of Star Spirits & Beverages in Decatur, suffered a broken jaw, his teeth were knocked out and he needed to get his mouth wired shut, his lawyer, Carl Cole told AL.com.
Though the incident happened on March 15, police released the body camera video on Monday, June 8. The surveillance video also started circulating on social media this weekend.
Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen held a news conference on Monday to show footage of the altercation and to be “transparent” with the public, news outlets reported.
The bodycam video shows responding officers coming into the store and the suspect, later identified to be a person involved in an alleged shoplifting at Penn’s store, lying on the ground.
An officer walks past the suspect and tells Penn to put down his weapon. Penn refuses saying, “I have a right to have my gun.” Allen said that’s when Penn moved his hand over a gun lying on a counter next to him.
“We do know there was a gun there, we do know that the magazines were there, we do know that he was reloading the magazine,” Allen said at the news conference.
Penn’s lawyer said his client previously told police he was holding the suspect at gunpoint and had showed his gun to let them know he was armed. Penn had also removed the clip and ejected the bullets from the weapon, Cole added. The video shows Penn telling officers he’s going to file a complaint as they came close to him.
The body camera footage doesn’t clearly show what happens next, but surveillance video from the store shows an officer punching Penn and being joined by two other officers to wrestle him to the ground. He was arrested on a charge of obstructing a robbery investigation, according to court records.
The name of the officer who punched Penn has not been released. He has been placed on desk duty while the department investigates the altercation, the police chief said. The identity of the shoplifting suspect was also not released.
Penn filed a complaint with the police department over the altercation but has not been given an update on the status of the investigation, his lawyer said. The police chief also added Monday he doesn’t know when the investigation, which started in March, will conclude.
Photo Credit: kmov.com