Sept 30, 2014
Toronto Star – Marco Chown Oved
Blitz finds nearly half of companies with interns break law
Here’s a lesson on why there is a growing income gap. A blitz by the provincial labour department in Ontario has revealed that at 42% of those companies using interns are in violation of the labour laws – the Employment Standards Act – in regard to minimum wage and such items as vacation pay. The companies were in advertising, public relations, computer design and consulting. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/09/30/blitz_finds_nearly_half_of_companies_with_interns_break_law.html
CTV News
Government months late with homegrown terrorist tracking tool
The government’s own deadline for a toolkit to prevent Canadians from participating in the terrorist wars of the Middle East is already three months behind the June 30 target date. The government claims to know of 130 persons already involved but has not re-set the deadline for the border tracking system. http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/government-months-late-with-homegrown-terrorist-tracking-tool-1.2030998#ixzz3EoDY26SO Related article: CTV News – Jill Lawless U.K. proposes new power to ban extremists from airwaves, social media http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/u-k-proposes-new-power-to-ban-extremists-from-airwaves-social-media-1.2031168#ixzz3EoF6jLVx
Straight.com – Travis Lupick
Red Cross raised concerns about Vancouver detention centre where Mexican woman died
Lucia Vega Jiménez hanged herself in an Immigration Detention facility at which there were no health services whatever. Arrested for not having a transit ticket, Jiménez was awaiting deportation in a facility that had already had six visits from the Red Cross who are charged with inspection of such facilities and who had issued a report in 2012-2013 drawing attention to the shortcomings. http://www.straight.com/news/738971/red-cross-raised-concerns-about-vancouver-detention-centre-where-mexican-woman-died Related article: Vancouver Province – Susan Lazaruk Lawyer calls for closure of Vancouver airport immigration cells where Mexican woman hanged herself (with video) http://www.theprovince.com/Lawyer+calls+closure+Vancouver+airport+immigration+cells+where+Mexican+woman+hanged+herself+with/10246422/story.html
Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice)
AI Justice Calls for Government to Stop Plans for New Privately-Run Detention Center for Families
Severely criticized for human rights failures around the imprisonment of children the US response is to build a prison in Texas that could house mothers and children. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has just announced, after much controversy, that the contract to build and run the prison has been given to a private prison contractor Corrections Corporation of American. AI wants to end the practice towards people already traumatized by their own governments. http://www.aijustice.org/ai_justice_calls_for_government_to_stop_plans_for_new_privately_run_detention_center_for_families Related article: Huffington Post (US) – Carl Takei Prisons Are Adopting the Walmart Business Model http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-takei/prisons-walmart-business-model_b_5900964.html Related article: Time Magazine Daniel Wagner Meet the Prison Bankers Who Profit from the Inmates http://time.com/3446372/criminal-justice-prisoners-profit
The Telegraph (UK) – David Barrett
Human trafficking victims ‘tattooed by gangs’
Gangs who are trafficking humans in England have reverted to a practice that ended with slavery – branding their property. The National Crime Agency is reporting a significant increase in human trafficking and the sale of persons for as little as £200 but does not know very much about the meaning and uses for the tattooing. The NCA estimates the number over 2700 and an increase rate of 124% for victims of human trafficking, many of whom were children destined to the sex trade. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11128253/Human-trafficking-victims-tattooed-by-gangs.html
The Institute for New Economic Thinking (US)
New Research Shows Pollution Inequality in America is Even Worse Than Income Inequality
This article is an interview between Lynn Stuart Parramore of the Institute and James K. Boyce, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While there has been much discussion around the parameters of the income inequality, this article is suggesting that the impact of air and water pollution across the population. Says Boyce: “One of the real take-home findings is that if you look at how unequally environmental quality is distributed in the U.S., it actually makes inequality of the distribution of income look relatively modest. I wasn’t entirely surprised to find that air quality is distributed even more unequally than income, but I was surprised at the magnitude of the difference. It’s really striking.” http://ineteconomics.org/blog/institute/new-research-shows-pollution-inequality-america-even-worse-income-inequality