“Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and top Justice Department officials moved forward with a “zero tolerance” immigration policy in 2018 aware that it would forcibly split up families and were unprepared for the impact, according to anew report by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General.
Sessions’ office was a ‘driving force’ in pushing for the Department of Homeland Security to begin referring adults who entered the U.S. illegally with children to be prosecuted by the Justice Department, according to the report. The Trump administration policy, which lasted from April to June 2018, resulted in the separation of more than 5,000 families — with hundreds that still have not been reunited.”
— “Jeff Sessions’ DOJ was ‘driving force’ behind family separation policy, IG report finds,” Sabrina Rodríguez, Politico
More:
“Justice Department Knew 2018 Border Policy Would Separate Children From Families,” Dustin Jones, NPR News
“Senior U.S. Justice officials pushed family separations, watchdog finds,” Mimi Dwyer, Reuters
“Justice officials respond to report on family separation by blaming Trump, expressing regret,” Julia Ainsley and Jacob Soboroff, NBC News
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides health coverage to poor children, through both Medicaid and separate CHIP programs. CHIP is administered by states, according to federal requirements. The federal government provides matching funds to help almost 9 million poor children get medical care.
Until now. Congress let CHIP funding lapse over a month ago, and state governments are running out of money. Apparently the GOP is holding the health of millions of poor children hostage in an attempt to weasel out of more ACA requirements.
More:
“States prepare to shut down children’s health programs if Congress doesn’t act,” Colby Itkowitz and Sandhya Somashekhar, Washington Post
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“¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?” written by George Scheck, Rod Parker, and Al Greiner, recorded by 12-year-old Augie Rios and the Mark Jeffrey Orchestra in 1958.
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The Mattel corporation has introduced the Hello Barbie ™ interactive doll that not only talks, it listens. And records your kid’s conversation with her. And connects to Wi-Fi so her recordings can be analyzed by the ToyTalk ™ voice-recognition software, and the information shared with parents or … who knows. What could possibly go wrong?
Plenty, say Matt Jakubowski of LookingGlass Cyber Solutions and Andrew Browne of Lavasoft’s malware lab. Like Wi-Fi baby monitors, the dolls can be hacked by 3rd parties, and we’re not talking about Barbie’s Princess Tea Parties here, but persons of bad intent. ToyTalk says that’s not so, that Barbie’s software cannot be hacked. Frankly, we will reserve judgement until we can ask Hello Barbie ™ about this in person.
Kids have a snow day and want to sled on their neighborhood’s only hill. That’s winter in America, right? Wrong, if you’re one of the 600,000 American citizens who lives in the District of Columbia, and the the hill in question is Capitol Hill.
Until 1993, French law decreed which first names were acceptable for children, but now judges rule against parental choices only if they feel these would subject the child to teasing, disparagement, or ridicule.
More:
“Why France won’t let you name your child ‘Nutella,’” Abby Ohlheiser, Washington Post
Related:
“8 Countries With Fascinating Baby Naming Laws,” David K. Israel, Mental Floss
“The 30 Most Popular Baby Names That Are Also Foods,” Chris Wilson, TIME
Image (“Still Life with Pewter Jug and Nutella, after Cezanne”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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What were all those kids from … other neighborhoods doing, trick-or-treating at your house last night?
“Imagine living in a neighborhood where it’s too dangerous to knock on a door at night, or next to neighbors who are too poor to buy a bag of candy.”
— “Halloween carpetbaggers expose the fault lines between the haves and have-nots,” Petula Dvorak, Washington Post
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Photo of an Anacostia bus bound for Capitol Hill on Halloween 2013, by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
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