Babelicious Intentions

“There is that difference between being kicked in the teeth and reading a description of being kicked in the teeth. Some call it existential.” 

― Gita Mehta, Karma Cola

Ku Klux Klan dreams of rising again 150 years after founding

30 JUNE 2016       ASSOCIATED PRESS       JAY REEVES

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA (AP) — Born in the ashes of the smoldering South after the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan died and was reborn before losing the fight against civil rights in the 1960s. Membership dwindled, a unified group fractured, and one-time members went to prison for a string of murderous attacks against blacks. Many assumed the group was dead, a white-robed ghost of hate and violence.

Yet today, the KKK is still alive and dreams of restoring itself to what it once was: an invisible empire spreading its tentacles throughout society. As it marks 150 years of existence, the Klan is trying to reshape itself for a new era. 

Klan members still gather by the dozens under starry Southern skies to set fire to crosses in the dead of night, and KKK leaflets have shown up in suburban neighborhoods from the Deep South to the Northeast in recent months. Perhaps most unwelcome to opponents, some independent Klan organizations say they are merging with larger groups to build strength. 

In a series of interviews with The Associated Press, Klan leaders said they feel that U.S. politics are going their way, as a nationalist, us-against-them mentality deepens across the nation. Stopping or limiting immigration — a desire of the Klan dating back to the 1920s — is more of a cause than ever. And leaders say membership has gone up at the twilight of President Barack Obama's second term in office, though few would provide numbers. 

Joining the Klan is as easy as filling out an online form — provided you're white and Christian. Members can visit an online store to buy one of the Klan's trademark white cotton robes for $145, though many splurge on the $165 satin version. Read More

London man arrested over extremist postings on social media

30 JUNE 2016       ASSOCIATED PRESS       

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (AP) — British authorities say a London man has been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred by detectives investigating extreme right-wing, anti-Islam and anti-Semitic postings on social media.

Scotland Yard said the 44-year-old was taken into custody Wednesday morning and later bailed. 

Hate crimes and other intolerant acts have gained increasing prominence following Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Read More

Zika sex research begins despite U.S. Congress funding impasse

30 JUNE 2016      REUTERS       BILL BERKROT

It could take years to learn how long men infected with Zika are capable of sexually transmitting the virus, which can cause crippling birth defects and other serious neurological disorders.

In the meantime, health officials have warned couples to refrain from unprotected sex for six months after a male partner is infected. The extraordinary recommendation, based on a single report of Zika surviving 62 days in semen, could affect millions. 

The grave risks associated with Zika, along with its potential reach, are driving U.S. health authorities to pursue research even though funding is mired in Congressional gridlock. A study of sexual transmission risk is one example of science that health officials said can’t wait for politics. 

... In the meantime, the White House has diverted more than $500 million earmarked for other projects for urgent Zika initiatives, including those where scientific opportunities will be lost if not acted upon immediately. 

... "We got very surprised by Ebola that it was hanging around for so long," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. 

"One of the big questions we have to ask is does Zika also cause a similar type of latency?” Read More

Godzilla and fellow kaiju monsters apologise at Japanese press conference for acts of destruction

30 JUNE 2016       ROCKETNEWS24       OONA MCGEE

... These types of formal apologies are commonly seen on television news reports around Japan, in cases where high-profile politicians and celebrities formally atone for scandals and wrongdoings, expressing remorse to the public with deep, heartfelt bows. Only this time, it’s a group of well-known movie monsters making amends for their actions. Read More

(Hedorah, also known as The Smog Monster, is the only one to forgo the formal bow, replacing it instead with a long stare into the crowd with vertical red-and-yellow eyes.)

Godzilla’s archenemy King Ghidorah bows all three heads in regret.