May 14th, 2013
Experts Say Prize-Winning Photo Of Gaza Funeral Is Authentic : NPR

The World Press Foundation, which commissioned an independent forensic analysis of the image after signs of a controversy over its authenticity emerged, agrees with Hansen. World Press announced the results of that analysis Tuesday evening. 

World Press announced the results of that analysis Tuesday evening.

6 notes·
May 14th, 2013
Zoom wnyc: The photo above won the 2013 World Press Photo of the Year. Now some are claiming it was photoshopped. the event itself isn’t a fake — there are lots of other photos online that show the children being carried through the streets of Gaza — but the photo itself is almost certainly a composite of three different photos, with various regions spliced together from each of the images, and then further manipulation to illuminate the mourners’ faces. Here’s more, and a response from the photographer. -Jody, BL Show- Can you tell?

wnyc:

The photo above won the 2013 World Press Photo of the Year. Now some are claiming it was photoshopped.

the event itself isn’t a fake — there are lots of other photos online that show the children being carried through the streets of Gaza — but the photo itself is almost certainly a composite of three different photos, with various regions spliced together from each of the images, and then further manipulation to illuminate the mourners’ faces.

Here’s more, and a response from the photographer.

-Jody, BL Show-

Can you tell?

Reblogged from WNYC's Transmitter
129 notes·
May 13th, 2013

latimes:

An end to zero tolerance for willful defiance in L.A. schools?

California schools have long brought about swift punishments for instances of so-called willful defiance, which have disproportionally led to suspensions of many minority students not just in our home state, but nationwide.

Take the case of Damien Valentine, a Manual Arts Senior High School sophomore fighting against the practice, who says that several such punishments earlier in his school accomplished nothing but setting him back.

So just what is “willful defiance?”

That offense is now widely criticized as an arbitrary catchall for any behavior a teacher finds objectionable, such as repeatedly tapping feet on the floor, refusing to remove a hat or failing to wear the school uniform. It accounted for 48% of 710,000 suspensions issued in California in 2011-12, prompting both state and local efforts to restrict its use in disciplinary actions.

A resolution moving through Los Angeles County would make L.A. Unified the first school district in California to ban suspensions for the aforementioned offenses.

Said Tonna Onyendu of the Liberty Hill Foundation, a Los Angeles nonprofit:

“This will be a transformational shift. Instead of punishing students, we’re going to engage them.”

Read more on the matter in Teresa Watanabe’s report.

Photos: Christina House / For The Times

Reblogged from Los Angeles Times
715 notes·
education
california
news
May 13th, 2013
Use our data, share your story: CIR launches VA backlog API Attention data-nerds (and everyone, really): we recently released a widget that tracks the progress of backlog claims at each regional VA office. The dashboard is powered by our API — which is free for your taking! If you’re a journalist or developer, we’d love to see you localize this story your area. If you’re a veteran with experience applying for disability benefits, we want to hear your insights. Our goal is to feature at least one veteran’s story for each of the 58 regional offices in our map of the backlog nationwide. All the details —> here.

Use our data, share your story: CIR launches VA backlog API

Attention data-nerds (and everyone, really): we recently released a widget that tracks the progress of backlog claims at each regional VA office. The dashboard is powered by our API — which is free for your taking!

If you’re a journalist or developer, we’d love to see you localize this story your area. If you’re a veteran with experience applying for disability benefits, we want to hear your insights. Our goal is to feature at least one veteran’s story for each of the 58 regional offices in our map of the backlog nationwide.

All the details —> here.

data
journalism
vabacklog
veterans
Department of Veterans Affairs
API
May 13th, 2013
There is nothing to prevent sex offenders and others with criminal records from becoming alcohol and drug counselors in California, even though such roles give them direct contact with people, including teens, at their most vulnerable.
Hole in California law allows sex offenders to become addiction counselors
1 note·
law
news
california
drugs
May 13th, 2013
Zoom How much do public university presidents make?  A new report from the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals that between 2011-2012, the average compensation package for a public research university president rose by $441,392 — up 4.7 percent from last year. Among the top earners: Penn State, Graham Spanier*: $2,906,721 (most of which was severance pay; Spanier was fired following the Jerry Sandusky child-sex abuse scandal)  Auburn University, Jay Gogue: $2,542,865  University of California, Mark Yudof: $847,149 More 

How much do public university presidents make? 

A new report from the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals that between 2011-2012, the average compensation package for a public research university president rose by $441,392 — up 4.7 percent from last year.

Among the top earners:

More 

26 notes·
higher education
education
data
news
May 12th, 2013
Zoom audiovision: California is home to 2.2 million veterans and Southern California has the largest population of vets in the county. Today hundreds of thousands of vets are looking ahead to the next chapter in their lives and enrolling in higher education. Listen to KPCC’s Off-Ramp to hear more from these vets and the mentors supporting them. See more of Mae Ryan’s photos on KPCC’s AudioVision.

audiovision:

California is home to 2.2 million veterans and Southern California has the largest population of vets in the county.

Today hundreds of thousands of vets are looking ahead to the next chapter in their lives and enrolling in higher education.

Listen to KPCC’s Off-Ramp to hear more from these vets and the mentors supporting them.

See more of Mae Ryan’s photos on KPCC’s AudioVision.

Reblogged from NPR Radio Pictures
17 notes·
veterans
education
May 10th, 2013

theifiles:

Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has just been convicted on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to 80 years in prison.

The 86-year-old is the first former Latin American leader to be found guilty of such charges.

“Granito” is the follow-up to Pamela Yates’ 1983 film, “When the Mountains Tremble,” which became a key piece of evidence against the ex-military leader. Watch an excerpt.

Reblogged from The I Files
13 notes·
news
genocide
guatemala
April 25th, 2013

Imagine you’re a pot reporter. Pot as in weed, marijuana, bud. What could possibly go wrong when you cover a drug that is legally contentious but widely tolerated? Center for Investigative Reporting reporter Michael Montgomery finds out the hard way. Watch our new animated video to find out more …

13 notes·
journalism
animation
video
news
marijuana
pot
April 8th, 2013

In case you missed it, three stories that will get you to rethink the U.S.-Mexico border:

In case you missed it, three stories that will get you to rethink the U.S.-Mexico border:

1. Who is getting caught with drugs at the border? A recent CIR report shows that four of five Border Patrol drug busts — most of it marijuana — involve U.S. citizens.

2. Who is Border Patrol? Would-be Border Patrol agents are confessing to rape, kidnapping and other shocking crimes during the final steps of the application process — the polygraph test. How recent polygraph admissions by border agency applicants are raising questions about previous hires:

3. How effective is Border Patrol? U.S. Border Patrol only caught a fraction of border crossers spotted by a sophisticated radar dubbed VADER, which was originally used to identify roadside bombers in war zones.

63 notes·
drug war
us-mexico border
border
immigration
border patrol
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