The Daily Moth 6-12-2019
June 12 Top News Briefs: US Women’s Team routs Thailand 13-0; Dallas apartment considered unlivable; Hong Kong clashes between police and protesters: College student uses Snapchat gender swap filter to catch alleged sexual predator who is a police officer; Political News Briefs: Jon Stewart gives emotional testimony for 9/11 first responders; Trump uses executive privilege to block Congressional access to 2020 census question; Ebola outbreak spreads from the Congo to Uganda; 92-year-old Deaf man receives honorary diploma from PSD after 75 years; Guest #DeafBing: Summer Multitasking
Hello, welcome to the Daily Moth! It is Wednesday, June 12. Ready for news?
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June 12 Top News Briefs: US Women’s Team routs Thailand 13-0; Dallas apartment considered unlivable; Hong Kong clashes between police and protesters
Here are three top news briefs.
The first — yesterday the U.S. Women’s World Cup team beat Thailand 13-0. Alex Morgan scored 5 goals. When I watched a 90-second clip of the highlights, it was all goals. NBC News said it is the largest margin of victory in FIFA World Cup history for both women and men. USA’s next match is against Chile on Sunday. There was some criticism for the team celebrating goals after the score was already 9-0, but players said they can’t help but to be excited and explained that goal differential is important in the tournament.
The second news — the Dallas apartment that was damaged by a falling crane is considered unlivable in the near future and all residents will have to find other places to live. Leaseholders will get some financial help from the apartment management. The crane was from a construction project across the street and is still inside the building. Some residents were not allowed to go in their apartments to retrieve their things.
The third news — police and protesters clashed in Hong Kong with tear gas, rubber bullets, and bricks thrown at each other. This is about a controversial extradition bill that would allow China to bring a HongKonger accused of a crime to the country to face trial. This has forced Hong Kong’s legislature to delay a debate and request heavy security to protect their building.
Soccer: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/alex-morgan-scores-five-goals-u-s-13-0-blowout-n1016596
Crane: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/534-Residents-Displaced-by-Deadly-Crane-Collapse--511095712.html
Hong Kong: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-extradition.html
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College student uses Snapchat gender swap filter to catch alleged sexual predator who is a police officer
A 20-year-old male college student from California, Ethan, wanted to catch sexual predators online, so he used a Snapchat gender switch filter to change his appearance into a woman and posed on Tinder as “Esther.”
A male user who is a San Mateo police officer, Robert Davies (40), contacted him. They moved their conversation to another app, Kik, then to Snapchat.
Ethan said “she” was 16 years old but it didn’t stop Davies from trying to arrange a meeting with sexual activity.
Ethan reported it to the San Mateo police department, who searched Davies’ devices and home after getting a warrant. He was arrested last week on suspicion of contacting a minor to commit a felony. He is on paid administrative leave with the police department.
Ethan told NBC News that he is motivated to catch predators because a female friend of his was molested as a child.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/male-student-poses-girl-catch-sexual-predators-nabs-police-officer-n1016696
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Political News Briefs: Jon Stewart gives emotional testimony for 9/11 first responders; Trump uses executive privilege to block Congressional access to 2020 census question
Here are two political news briefs.
The first — yesterday former “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart appeared before a House Judiciary Committee and gave an emotional testimony to show his disappointment at lawmakers’ lack of action and support for the 9/11 Compensation Fund to help healthcare costs for 9/11 first responders who became ill, in some cases with cancer, after breathing in toxic fumes. His emotional comments went viral and received a lot of support.
Stewart said lawmakers who did not show up should be ashamed of themselves. The bill, if passed in the U.S. legislature and signed in law by President Trump, would extend the fund to 2090 and end a limit on filing claims in five-year periods. The New York Post said it appears the bill has enough support in both the House and Senate.
The second news — President Trump used executive privilege to block Congressional Democratic leaders from viewing documents on the reasons and motivations behind the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
There has been a battle on the citizenship question for over a year that involves the Supreme Court, who is due to make a decision this month.
The Trump administration said the citizenship question is necessary to protect the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but opponents say it would scare people in areas with a majority of Hispanic populations and affect accuracy in statistics of people who live in certain areas and the amount of state and federal funding they receive, as well as affect the number of House seats representing them.
This use of executive privilege has appeared in yet another battle between Congress and the President on one side’s investigative and oversight powers and the other side’s executive powers.
https://nypost.com/2019/06/12/house-panel-unanimously-passes-9-11-victims-fund-bill-after-jon-stewart-shaming/
https://nyti.ms/2WL62uR
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Ebola outbreak spreads from the Congo to Uganda
There is a severe outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has persisted for almost a year, and now it has spread to neighboring Uganda.
A 5-year-old child who traveled from the DRC to Uganda a few days ago died from Ebola after vomiting blood. His grandmother and younger brother are infected. There are at least five other reported cases in Uganda.
Almost 1,400 people have died in the Congo. The World Health Organization and local government has been struggling to control the outbreak. Axios said three major reasons for difficulties is community distrust, armed rebel groups, and violence against health workers.
Uganda is now making major preparations to defend itself against an outbreak of Ebola.
The disease spreads through contact with bodily fluids. It causes fluid loss from vomiting, diarrhea, internal and external bleeding, and can kill a person within several days or weeks. It is very contagious.
https://www.axios.com/ebola-outbreak-spreads-drc-uganda-2d851ea5-4262-41e4-91e2-f5004e329a76.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48603273
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92-year-old Deaf man receives honorary diploma from PSD after 75 years
Last week during the graduation ceremony at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD), the Head of School Peter Bailey surprised a 92-year-old former PSD student, Harrison Shirk, with an honorary diploma.
He was a part of the class of 1944, but left school in 1943 to help farms and factories that did not have enough men due to World War II.
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PETER BAILEY: This is something that does not happen very often. It’s been 199 years, and it didn’t happen during my time, but this is what’s going to happen.
I feel that it’s my utmost obligation for PSD.
75 years ago, he left PSD and missed his own graduation because his parents called for him to help them during wartime. So, it’s 75 years later now, I could not let him leave without no… special…gift.
So, before we get started, I have this picture of you all from back then.
Do we have that photo ready for the projector?
I didn’t include this in the program book because I didn’t want this information to leak out and get your wife involved. She didn’t know! They had no idea! Thank you all for keeping this a secret. Now before I get started, please stay here and I’d like to ask his two daughters to accept the honor of placing the robe onto Harrison.
It’s my pleasure to share that I, along with the Board Chief, with our formal authority, present you…
This diploma!
Harrison is receiving a honorary diploma from PSD after 75 years of waiting!
His family can join us up here, they can join us here.
He’s has formally graduated.
HARRISON SHIRK: Thank you all!
Thank you very much.
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Alex: Very nice honor. Here are a few remarks from Bailey.
PETER BAILEY: I still have the goosebumps from when Harrison received his diploma. He was stunned, really shocked. In the audience, there were so many emotions and reactions. People in tears and it was a very touching scene. After the ceremony, after Harrison got his diploma, he sat down and realized that, at 92 years old, where he’d done it all but now he has a diploma. He feels that he’s done all he needs to accomplish in his life. Now, he’s been teasing our guest speaker, Dr. Buckley from NTID, the president, who was the graduation speaker, Harrison teased that it was time to apply for the Fall college courses since he has a high school diploma now.
They had their own table with his graduation cake. Each graduating seniors get their own cake and he got one for himself to share with his family. It was a really nice celebration, a really big day for him. He was so happy, shocked, surprised and I feel good about that because sometimes we get so consumed with daily life that we forget that many people miss out on these opportunities.
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Alex: Now, here are a few remarks from Harrison Shirk.
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[Video clip of Harrison Shirk (who is accompanied by his wife of 65 years, Peggy]
HARRISON SHIRK: I left in 1943. I left because during the war, I had to work. World War II. I wanted to go back to school, but what happened was I had bought a car. My car had tires that were smooth. I worked for different farmers in the area. You know how these farmers’ wives had a need for men to work on their farms. I was deaf and many of these farmers and their boys were called into the military at the time. They needed men to run these farms. For about 3-4 years, I worked on these farms. After school, during summertime, I would work on these farms. Then my car’s tires slipped out and needed replacing. So, I wanted new tires.
“No, you can’t get new tires!”
“Because all the tires go to the Army for all their jeeps and their trucks. They’re not going to just give them to people.”
“But if you work for the government, in defense, gun production, tanks or planes then they’ll give you new tires.”
I was blown away and decided I had to stop the farming work. I got a job in the Armstrong Cork Co. I got the job and I told them I needed tires. They asked me if I’ll bring work supplies in the car to work. I said yes and they said they would give me the new tires. They gave me some paperwork to sign. I went into this store with the paperwork and at first, they said they couldn’t use it. I told them I work for the government now, in gun productions, then they gave me these new tires. It felt really good. I liked working there. I was the moving man. These two boys and I work together with 300 women. All of their husbands and sons had gone to war. All of them. They needed men to move around the heavy stuff. When I asked about what I would do then, they said I was the “move man”. I move things. I would be responsible for stocking all the heavy stuff and distributing them to 300 different women. I did the work then in the fall, I wanted to go back to school. The company I worked for said, “We must win the war!”
They told me that many of these boys and their children are in the military. They’ve sacrificed for their country. I felt like I was stuck, and I had to stay instead of going back to school. I agreed to stay until the war was over. That’s why I never graduated.
75 years feels like 10 years ago to me. Time goes by really fast. It’s so short.
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Alex: Thank you Bailey and Shirk for your time and for taking us back to what life was like in 1944.
Bailey said he first learned about this when he sat at the same table as Shirk and had a conversation several months ago. He never forgot about it and recently made secret arrangements with his two daughters for this surprise and honor.
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Guest #DeafBing: Summer Multitasking
Deaf people are talented in multitasking — we are able to blow air in tubes and talk at the same time. See this clip.
[Video clip from Larissa, Cat, and Sabrina.]
Larissa: A Deaf gain is that we can blow up inflatables while signing.
(Camera pans to show Cat M. and Sabrina V. blowing into inflatables while signing)
Larissa: ASL champ!
Alex: Right, ASL champ!
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That is all for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!