November 2016 News

Below are news items from November 2016. For more current and breaking news items, see the main news page.

11-30-2016: The Next St. Louis Mayor Will Have Big Problems and Little Power. What’s the Appeal?

11-30-2016: East St. Louis to commemorate the deadly race riots of 1917

Editorial note: There is an informative eight minute documentary video about the East. St. Louis Race Riot on our "Race Riot" page.

11-30-2016: Judge Richard Teitelman, liberal lion of Missouri Supreme Court, dies at 69

11-30-2016: As Downtown St. Louis Weighs Its Homeless Problem, All Eyes Are on Larry Rice

11-30-2016: Environmental racism in Robertson?

11-30-2016: Aldermen push second phase of Ballpark Village forward

Editorial note: Expect downtown business closures when this project is complete. I don't see how any other sports related venue can compete with Ballpark Village, especially when you factor in tax payer subsidies and the fact that they're adding apartments and office space. Existing downtown buildings will have quite a problem on their hands. How many new occupants of Ballpark Village will be drained from other downtown properties? 

11-30-2016: MLS president: SC STL is the 'only contender' for St. Louis team ownership

Editorial note: If the City pays 40% of the cost, it should own 40% of the team and share the profits.


11-30-2016: The Justice Department just unveiled new prison reforms. But the Trump administration might scrap them

11-30-2016: Charlotte Officer 'Acted Lawfully' in Fatal Shooting of Keith Scott

11-30-2016: Man gets 70-year sentence for robberies, calls judge ‘cowardly b*tch,’ gets more time

Editorial note: I want to be left alive if ever robbed. Extreme sentencing removes the incentive for criminals not to kill their victims. If a person is going to get 70 years anyway, they may reason killing the witness lessens the chance they will be caught. 

11-30-2016: Drug-testing of welfare clients fails to yield any positive drug tests

11-29-2016: Foundry soccer group offers to pay $80 million 'public portion' for stadium

Editorial note: If there is an another group willing to invest as a partner instead of taxpayers forking over $80 million, that seems like a viable solution that needs to be thoroughly investigated. Obviously, the soccer group would rather have the free public money because that would represent pure profit. If that option is rejected, hopefully the City of St. Louis will at least become an investor with an ownership position. That sort of deal would allow the City to share in profits and have a voice about the team leaving St. Louis in the future. 

11-29-2016: A $1 million grant with an ambitious aim: Get 150 homeless people off St. Louis streets

11-29-2016: Overdoses rise among St. Louis' homeless, as dealers keep ahead of the law

Editorial note: See our related post that posed the question, are the homeless being targeted?

11-29-2016: Open letter to President Obama to free Black political prisioners

11-29-2016: Trump: Flag-burners should lose citizenship, or face year in jail

Editorial note: Can you feel free speech slowly slipping away? Burning the flag, although controversial, is protected free speech. I wonder how Trump feels about crosses being burned.

11-29-2016: It will soon be illegal to punish customers who criticize businesses online

11-29-2016: Mother of man shot by Norfolk officer calls $300,000 offer “an insult”

Editorial note: It's hard not to notice how white victims are quickly offered settlements in the millions. We agree, the offer was an insult. There is no way to undo a wrong or bring some back, so the only remedy available to a family is money.

11-29-2016: Evanston police officers on leave after arresting man collecting signatures

11-29-2016: Miami fans jeer Colin Kaepernick amid comments on Castro

Editorial note: The history behind the photographs on Colin Kaepernick’s T-shirt: When Malcolm X Met Fidel Castro. How much of what we know about Cuba is propaganda? The U.S. Government listed Nelson Mandela on the terror watch list until 2008, the year Obama was elected President. 

11-29-2016: Kansas judge rules sperm donor not on hook for child support

11-27-2016: Muni courts: Many reforms in effect but poor still feel pinch

Editorial note: It's just a matter of time before municipalities find new creative methods still allowed under the law to "rob you without a gun". The main protection from their schemes is your understanding of your rights and how to apply them under the law. Continue using this and other sites to learn as much as you can about the law and the court system.

11-27-2016: Can't afford an NYU dorm? School to offer 'Grandma's spare room' instead

11-27-2016: Prosecutor's desire to move Cincinnati police shooting trial is unusual

Editorial note: Cincinnati has a significate black population. Moving the trial most likely will reduce the number of potential of black jurors which would increase the likelyhood of an acquital.

11-27-2016: Record number of car buyers 'upside down' on trade-ins

11-27-2016: With health benefits in jeopardy, coal retirees turn to lame-duck Congress for a lifeline

Editorial note: Because racism has shape welfare policy, many of the people who supported reducing social safety nets are now or will soon be the very people who need them. 

11-26-2016: Six people file complaint after Minneapolis officer shoots into car during downtown brawl

11-25-2016: Dylann Roof competent to stand trial, judge rules

11-23-2016: New overtime rule could cost Missouri taxpayers more than $5 million

11-23-2016: What Next? White Supremacists In Suits And Ties In Washington

11-23-2016: Trump Calls For Unity, Healing In Thanksgiving Address

11-23-2016: Thanksgiving, a day of mourning for Native Americans

Editorial note: See our related post from last year, "Thanksgiving fairy tale and myth".

11-23-2016: Wal-Mart loses minimum wage pay fight as jury awards California truck drivers $54 million

11-22-2016: Woman wrongfully charged for murder she didn't commit speaks out

11-22-2016: Judge blocks Obama administration rule extending overtime pay

11-22-2016: President Obama Commutes Another 79 Inmates' Prison Sentences

11-22-2016: The Alt-Right: White Supremacy By Any Other Name

11-22-2016: Congress could play Grinch this Christmas for homeowners

Editorial note: Three mortgage related tax benefits terminate on December 31st and could force many homeonwers into bankruptcy. See our related Bankruptcy Law page.

11-21-2016: Two St. Louis city schools recommended for closure

Editorial note: If your kids attend public school, you might want to consider supplementing with home schooling. You don't need to be a teacher in order to research educational resources available online to help your child. 

11-21-2016: Literacy Not A Right For Detroit School Kids According To State

Editorial note: Miseducation is an effective weapon. Reading ability is the foundation to learning.  Slave owners understood teaching slaves to read was dangerous and would be in effect teaching others how to take their power away. Prevent someone from learning to read well and you have effectively eliminated that person as a competitor.

11-21-2016: Most Students Don’t Know When News Is Fake, Stanford Study Finds

11-21-2016: Exxon Mobil Accuses the Rockefellers of a Climate Conspiracy

Editorial note: Now this is interesting. Usually, major corporations try to dispel conspiracy theories a myths, but here one of the world's largest corporations is claiming one of the world's richest family is involved in a conspiracy.

11-21-2016: Macomb County Jail death: Woman jailed after not having $500 to pay court

Editorial note: See "Going to jail for the first time", to learn abourt your rights in jail.

11-21-2016: Police defend use water cannons on Dakota Access protesters in freezing weather

11-21-2016: Judge tells new citizens in Texas 'go to another country' if they don't like Donald Trump

11-21-2016: Virginia now allows anyone to buy naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote

11-21-2016: Mike Pence fights public release of Indiana emails

11-21-2016: Homeopathy 'treatments' must be labelled to say they do not work, US government orders

11-20-2016: Affidavit: ABQ police have illegally deleted, altered videos of shootings

11-20-2016: Student removed from Royal Oak Middle School after admitting to hanging noose in bathroom

11-20-2016: Obama says he can’t pardon Snowden

Editorial note: President Obama state, "I can't pardon somebody who hasn't gone before a court and presented themselves, so that's not something that I would comment on at this point." A Presidential pardon doesn't require a court appearance, when President Ford pardoned President Nixon, Nixon was required to make a court appearance.

11-20-2016: Consumers should pay attention to insurance antitrust case

11-20-2016: Tamir Rice's mother remains frustrated 2 years after death

11-19-2016: Along for the Ride: Restrooms on wish lists for three MetroLink stations

11-18-2016: Synthetic pot overdoses continue in St. Louis, 51 so far this week

11-18-2016: Messenger: Family wants answers in shooting death of Tyler Gebhard by off-duty cop

Editorial note: The white grandmother of the bi-racial police shooting victim stated: “I always believed in the system,” … I no longer believe in the system and I might not ever again.”

11-18-2016: MLS group reveals plan for $200 million stadium downtown

11-17-2016: KC police commissioner & former prosecutor say innocent man in prison for life

Editorial note: Both former Kansas City, MO police commissioner and prosecutor say inmate Ricky Kidd is serving life-sentences for a crime he didn't commit but cannot release him due to deadline technicalities.

11-17-2016: MetroLink officer shot on Wellston train platform, attacker wounded by police

Editorial note: A bystander posted a video of the scene on Facebook after the shooting.

11-17-2016: Missouri to pay $9 million to family of man who drowned in trooper's custody

Editorial note: White privilege seems to also be a factor in law enforcement wrongful death settlements. 

11-17-2016: Baltimore teacher fired after allegedly using racial slur on students

Editorial note: Video shows a white Baltimore teacher calling black 8th-graders "punk ass niggers who are 'gonna get shot". 

11-17-2016: 78 People Die a Day From Opioid Overdose, Surgeon General Says in Landmark Report

11-17-2016: Feds: Barrier to Cincinnati Zoo gorilla exhibit entered by boy ineffective

11-17-2016: Beatrice 6 seek to garnish wages, seize property of Gage County officers

Editorial note: Six people wrongly convicted of murder seek to garnish wages, seize property of sheriff’s deputies who helped put them behind bars

11-17-2016: Britain has passed the 'most extreme surveillance law ever passed in a democracy'

Editorial note: Big Brother is Watching! The law forces UK internet providers to store browsing histories — including domains visited — for one year, in case of police investigations. Will the U.S. be next?

11-17-2016: Alabama deputy sentenced to 3 years in prison for lying about brutal traffic stop

11-16-2016: Students walk out of Ladue high school following racist incidents

11-17-2016: Europe at risk of collapse; France, Germany must lead – French PM

11-16-2016: Ladue police investigating claim white student burned black student at high school, black students protest racist incidents

11-16-2016: Downtown property owners sue Rev. Larry Rice, say his homeless shelter is a nuisance

Editorial note: The homeless finding shelter at Larry Rice's New Life Evangelistic Center evidentially don't have a better option, so the city has failed to meet their needs. Next week kicks off the holiday season, I guess there's no peace on Earth or goodwill towards the homeless. Maybe the city could partner with Larry Rice instead of fighting him. The majority of people in the U.S. identify as Christians and the United States has the largest Christian population in the world, with nearly 280 million Christians. Therefore, I'll assume most downtown residents are Christians.  I'm not a very religious person, however, attempting to take away shelter from the homeless seems to miss the point of the season; below is a reminder.

11-16-2016: Harris County Judge Says Arrests of Poor People Good For Job Security

11-15-2016: Missouri Supreme Court to hear arguments over municipal court reform law passed after Ferguson unrest

11-15-2016: Appeals court orders St. Louis' top prosecutor to follow disclosure rule over witnesses, victims

11-15-2016: St. Louis County will ask voters for sales tax increase to fund public safety

11-15-2016: Messenger: Records show St. Louis' ShotSpotter system never had to be turned off

11-15-2016: Divorced St. Louis County couple's frozen embryos are property, not humans, appellate court rules 

11-15-2016: Similar name and appearance land wrong St. Louis woman in jail for a year on murder charge

11-15-2016: ‘I would’ve put a bullet’ in women’s heads, Weiser officer says on video

11-15-2016: '18 f—-ing years gone!'; Man catches wife cheating with drone

Editorial note: You can expect drone evidence to start making its way into courtrooms on a regular basis. In fact, don't be surprised if the "law and order" president elect tries to create a national law enforcement drone surveillance program.

11-15-2016: West Virginia official who called 'Michelle Obama an 'Ape in Heels' fired following outcry

11-15-2016: US army and CIA may be guilty of war crimes in Afghanistan, says ICC

11-14-2016: Missouri’s Democratic Caucus elects blackest leadership ever

11-14-2016: Two Ladue students discliplined after chanting 'Trump,' saying black students belong in back of bus

11-14-2016: Colin Kaepernick: 'It would be hypocritical of me to vote'

Editorial note: As we have stated, we respect Kaepernick's stance against oppression. In the 1971 book, "None Dare Call It Conspiracy", the following is stated near the beginning of the first chapter, "We keep electing new Presidents…Yet despite high hopes and glittering campaign promise these problems continue to worsen no matter who is in office." Although we understand Kaepernick's sentiment, we disagree with his decision not to vote. There are more issues involved in an election than just the President. In St. Louis CIty, there were more than 30 ballot decisions including tax increases and local officials. Additionally, voter rolls are used to compile potential jurors list, so when black folks don't vote, they won't be called for jury duty resulting in white juries deciding cases.

11-14-2016: Passerby shoots, kills suspect fighting deputy on I-75

11-14-2016: Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law Linked to Homicide Increase

11-14-2016: Credit Card Companies Want You to Give Up Your Right to Sue Them. Here’s How to Opt Out

11-14-2016: A Holocaust scholar compared Donald Trump to Hitler, and his California high school put him on leave

Editorial note: The election of Trump brings to mind the 1995, Sister Souljah, "Final Solution: Slavery Back in Effect", which imagines a police state where blacks fight against the re-institution of slavery; the video was banned by MTV. See our related post, "First They Came" and the article, "5 Ways Donald Trump Perfectly Mirrors Hitler's Rise To Power".  

11-14-2016: 3 St. Louis-area districts will stop suspensions for preschoolers through 3rd grade

11-14-2016: Historic photo revives interest in Negro League's St. Louis Stars

11-14-2016: Young mother dies during 30-day sentence in Macomb County Jail

11-13-2016: Trump wants trial delay until after swearing-in

11-13-2016: A White Nationalist Is The New White House Chief Strategist

11-13-2016: North Carolina’s WRAL Censors Parts of Post-Election ‘Saturday Night Live’

11-12-2016: Mistrial declared in Cincinnati police-involved shooting

11-12-2016: How the Trump agenda could change the way St. Louis does business

11-11-2016: Please don't give to panhandlers, St. Patrick Center pleads, in response to overdoses downtown

Editorial note: See our related post.

11-11-2016: Mexican hospitals prepare for influx of American medical tourists

11-11-2016: Video shows Pennsylvania teenagers celebrating, shouting ‘white power’ after Trump win

11-10-2016: Trump University lawsuit heads toward Nov. 28 trial

11-10-2016: The Ku Klux Klan says it will hold a Trump victory parade in North Carolina

11-9-2016: Police Shooting Statistics: Will There Be Any Change With Donald Trump As President?

11-9-2016: Some minorities find 'President-elect Trump' scary prospect

11-9-2016: Increase Your Legal Knowledge Before Trump Takes Oath of Office

11-9-2016: U.S. stocks surge following Trump victory; bond prices tumble

11-9-2016: City orders Rev. Larry Rice to stop operating his downtown shelter, citing lack of occupancy permit

11-9-2016: People 'like zombies' after OD'ing on synthetic drugs near downtown St. Louis homeless shelter

11-9-2016: Russia's Putin pleased as Trump win shocks world

11-9-2016: Donald Trump Clinches The Presidency In Major Upset

11-8-2016: Markets plunge worldwide as Trump shows surprising strength

11-8-2016: St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson withdraws from mayor's race

11-8-2016: Father Of Slain Dallas Cop Is Suing BLM For A Reported $550 Million

11-7-2016: Nato puts 300,000 ground troops on 'high alert' as tensions with Russia mount

11-7-2016: $37M awarded in Mich. police beating caught on camera

11-5-2016: Pope: Bankrupt morals to save banks but not suffering people

11-4-2016: Jury awards $3 million to relatives of man who died after Tasing by Ferguson police

11-4-2016: Downtown St. Louis residents criticize city, say homeless problems worsening

Editorial note: When the city forced New Life Evangelistic Center to limit the services they had provided to the homeless for years, what other outcome could you reasonable expect. Downtown residents complained about New Life, now they're dealing with the consequences. Downtown resident my want to read about the necessity defense recently used to justify a homeless man breaking into private property to protect himself from the elements.

11-4-2016: San Antonio cop fired for attempting to feed fecal sandwich to homeless person

11-4-2016: More US middle school students dying of suicide than car crashes

11-4-2016: 2 former Christie allies convicted in lane-closing scheme

Editorial note: BridgeGate is possibly the most foolish conspiracy I have ever heard of. What did Christie's staffers hope to accomplish? 

11-4-2016: A ‘colossal failure’ by prosecutors: Juror defends verdict in Oregon standoff trial

Editorial note: This represents a shining example of white privilege that we predicted in February, see, "Why the Oregon Terrorist May Go Free". Originally, six separate charges were brought including against these armed terrorist: conspiracy to commit an offense against the US; assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon; use and carry of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; interference with commerce by extortion; obstruction of the administration of justice; and aiding and abetting. Can anyone imagine a group of armed black men taking over any building let alone a federal building and not being convicted and sentenced to years or even decades in jail?

11-4-2016: Ohio officer who shot Sam DuBose wore Confederate flag T-shirt under uniform

11-4-2016: Court blocks FCC attempt to cap prison phone rates

11-4-2016: Husband gets probation for beating wife's heroin dealer with baseball bat

11-3-2016: Questions arise after photo of deceased man with officer surfaces

11-3-2016: St. Louis tops list for highest rate of identity theft complaints

11-3-2016: Messenger: St. Louis police sergeant faces discipline for speaking the truth

11-3-2016: Former Missouri College employee sues over abrupt closure

11-3-2016: Why do we punish Dakota pipeline protesters but exonerate the Bundys?

11-3-2016: A journalist at Standing Rock was shot by police for no reason—and caught the awful moment on video

11-3-2016: Baltimore man ordered to pay $1 million for cutting fire hose in riot

11-3-2016: After release of embarrassing exchange, Baltimore Police make requesting emails more difficult – and expensive

11-2-2016: Homeowner who fatally shot 2 apparent robbers at Bevo Mill home says he's 'devastated over it'

Editorial note: Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, but this case seems a little odd. A truck is parked outside, two armed thieves open a garage door, point a gun at a 73 year-old man, demand his keys, then the elderly man somehow is able to pull out his gun from his pocket quick enough to avoid getting shot and shooting the two armed men dead, however, the men's bodies don't end up in the garage, but instead outside on the concrete area where the truck was parked.

11-2-2016: Facebook blocks insurance company’s plan to base premiums on your posts

11-2-2016: Montana high court rules for jury trials in civil forfeiture cases

11-2-2016: Priests don’t have to report sexual abuse, Louisiana Supreme Court rules

11-1-2016: Cold Weather Rule for Kansas and Missouri begins Tuesday, November 1

11-1-2016: Colin Kaepernick Just Started A Black Panther-Inspired Youth Camp

11-1-2016: Class-action suit says Maplewood's fees violate rights

11-1-2016: Prosecutor: Inmates screamed in pain from beatings in jail

11-1-2016: Missouri Supreme Court to weigh in on utility surcharge in St. Louis County

11-1-2016: 79-year-old man who has spent 63 years in jail turns down offer to be released

11-1-2016: Professor Leaves Racist Note on Student's Paper

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