GRAPHIC: News round up for the first two weeks of November 2018. This image is of the 100 whales in captivity off the shores of eastern Russia. It is drone footage overlayed with a graphic of an orca and a beluga whale. Graphic created by The Signal Reporter Trey Blakely and Online Editor Alyssa Shotwell. — News round up for the first two weeks of November 2018. This image is of the 100 whales in captivity off the shores of eastern Russia. It is drone footage overlayed with a graphic of an orca and a beluga whale. Graphic created by The Signal Reporter Trey Blakely and Online Editor Alyssa Shotwell.

News roundup: Nov. 1 – 16

By Alyssa Shotwell, Online Editor Last updated Dec 6, 2018 210 0

PHOTO: Similarly to Cowboy Streetlight Concealments LCC, Boundless Security also provides covert surveillance technology such as these inside traffic cones. The Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCSOPS) is pushing for a transparency requirement and a public input procedure before the deployment of surveillance technology. Photos courtesy of Boundless Security. — Similar to Cowboy Streetlight Concealments LCC, Boundless Security also provides covert surveillance technology such as these inside traffic cones. The Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCSOPS) is pushing for a transparency requirement and a public input procedure before the deployment of surveillance technology. Photos courtesy of Boundless Security.

Here are some important stories you may have missed between Nov. 1-15 from Texas, the United States and around the world.

Texas:

Houston cameras: Houston based company Cowboy Streetlight Concealments LCC has received about $50,000 between the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for video recording and reproducing equipment. These surveillance cameras are being placed inside traffic barrels and street lights in cities across the U.S. including Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. An investigation by Project on Government Oversight found that Amazon is looking to outfit these cameras with facial recognition as well.

Texas defunds disability education: On Nov. 7, the US 5th Circuit Courts found that Texas wrongfully spent $33.3 million less on students with disabilities in 2012. This violation was to a 1997 law that required appropriate access/funding to public education for students with disabilities. Advocates for these students found Texas violated this same law again in 2017.

Texas voter turnout: Thirty-nine percent of eligible voters in Texas voted early in the 2018 midterms surpassing the 33 percent of total votes for the 2014 midterms. The total turnout was approximately 53 percent, beating out the total turn out for the 2000 presidential election. There were record registrations with the total over 15.7 million registered ahead of the 2018 midterms.

United States:

PHOTO: Jemel Roberson was training to be a police officer while working at the bar where he was shot. In addition to working as security, Roberson worked as an organist at several Chicago-area churches. He had a 9-month old son, Tristan Roberson, and a baby on the way with partner Avontae Boose . Photo credit Jemel Roberson. — Jemel Roberson was training to be a police officer while working at the bar where he was shot. In addition to working as security, Roberson worked as an organist at several Chicago-area churches. He had a 9-month old son, Tristan Roberson, and a baby on the way with partner Avontae Boose. Photo courtesy of Jemel Roberson.

Hot yoga shooting: On Nov. 2, a gunman entered “Hot Yoga Tallahassee” and shot at six people before killing himself. This violence led to the death of Maura Binkley, FSU student, and Dr. Nancy Vessem of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. Later investigations found he was a part of the “Incel” community and uploaded several misogynistic and racist videos to YouTube.

Jemel Roberson: After subduing an armed shooter at the bar he worked as security, Jemel Roberson was killed by multiple shots by the responding officers. Witnesses stated that Roberson was wearing a security hat and that they were telling the Midlothian police that Roberson was security. The officer has been suspended with pay as an internal investigation is conducted.

Hate crimes rise: The FBI reported that for the third year in a row, hate crimes have risen in the US. Sixty percent of these attacks are targeted due to their race or ethnicity and 20 percent are targeted because of their religion. The crimes range from attacks to people like assault and murder to attacks to a property like a robbery and arson. Online, YouTube has been working to remove hate speech from the platform, however, Super Chat is providing a platform for those who tolerate it. Earlier this month, St.Judes returned $26,000 worth of donations from a Super Chat stream that involved members of a far-right community pinning anti-semitic and racist messages.

PHOTO: Google’s Dublin office (above) is one of the 50 cities where a Google Office is located. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichait stated in an internal memo in response to the New York Times story that “[they] are committed to ensuring that Google is a workplace where you can feel safe to do your best work, and where there are serious consequences for anyone who behaves inappropriately.” Photo courtesy of Doug O’Connor. — Google’s Dublin office (above) is one of the 50 cities where a Google Office is located. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichait stated in an internal memo in response to the New York Times story that “[they] are committed to ensuring that Google is a workplace where you can feel safe to do your best work, and where there are serious consequences for anyone who behaves inappropriately.” Photo courtesy of Doug O’Connor.

International:

#GoogleWalkout : On Nov.1, over 20,000 Google employees from across the world participated in a walkout to protest how sexual misconduct allegations were handled. A source reporting Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android, was paid $90 million to leave after allegedly pressuring a subordinate employee for sex was a major catalyst for the walk out. However, the protesters laid out five demands to improve transparency and accountability from all levels of the company.

Living Planet Report 2018: The 2018 World Wildlife Foundation(WWF) “Living Planet Report” found that 60 percent of vertebrate species have disappeared from 1970 to 2014 with the number reaching 89 percent in South and Central America. This report stated that 90 percent of the world’s seabird have fragments of plastic in their stomach and if trends continue, 90 percent of the world’s coral reefs will be gone by 2050. WWF points to pollution, climate change, invasive species (and disease), species overexploitation as well as habitat loss and degradation to be the threats to biodiversity.

Whales in Russia: Over 100 whales have been found off the coast of Russia and are believed to have been held captive as early as July. The nine holding pens are estimated to be about 30×40 feet and 10-20 feet deep. An investigation has launch as whale hunting is illegal and capturing is only allowed for educational and scientific purposes.

On the bright side: Pizza to the Poll sent over 10,000 pizzas, up from 2,368 in 2016, to hungry voters during the 2018 midterms. This non-profit sent pizzas to 568 polling locations across 40 states. Pizza to the Polls is a non-partisan non-profit based out of Oregon that takes donations and requests from voters for to send pizza deliveries to locations with long lines.