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Articles by Emily Tian
Pigs on the Docket: How the Pork Industry’s Supreme Court Case Against Prop 12 May Shape the Future of Farm Animal Welfare
By Emily Tian On October 11, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the pork industry’s case that California’s farm animal confinement law should be ruled unconstitutional. National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) v. Ross is the most significant legal challenge faced by farm animal welfare advocates, for whom the passage of Proposition 12 was a hard-fought victory.
PolitiFact - Proximity monitors at Wash. school are for vaccinated students and staff, too
The start of the school year has been engulfed in controversy around COVID-19 safety measures, such as mask requirements for students and vaccination mandates for staff. At one Washington state high school, safety measures for student athletes have become fodder for viral social media posts. On Aug.
PolitiFact - No, COVID surge can't be pinned on the Black population
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, asked last week to defend the Texas response to surging coronavirus cases, blamed Democrats for the present COVID-19 wave, specifically African Americans, who he said are reliable Democratic voters. "The COVID is spreading, particularly, most of the numbers are with the unvaccinated, and the Democrats like to blame Republicans on that," Patrick told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
Malaysian PM Resigns, Says He Won’t Work With Kleptocrats
Published: 16 August 2021 Written by Emily Tian Only 17 months into office, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced his resignation on Monday after losing majority support in parliament following months of political turmoil and apparent pressure from current and former officials accused of graft. No clear successor has emerged yet, and Muhyiddin will remain in a caretaker position until the next Prime Minister is appointed.
Polish Bill Concerns Advocates of Media Freedom
Published: 16 August 2021 Written by Emily Tian Polish lawmakers voted to pass a contentious bill last week, which has been seen by many to be a step toward suppressing press freedom. Now, it awaits the approval of the Senate and President Andrzej Duda. Polish lawmakers voted to pass a contentious bill last week, which has been seen by many to be a step toward suppressing press freedom.
Hacker Steals US$610 in Cryptocurrency, Then Gives it Back
Published: 13 August 2021 Written by Emily Tian In a bizarre twist, a hacker who stole over half a billion dollars from a cryptocurrency platform, returned almost all of it by Friday. The hack is the largest in the history of decentralized finance. (Source: Piqsels.com)Poly Network platform announced the theft on Tuesday and urged the hacker to return the stolen funds to the people, threatening legal action.
Organized Crime and Corruption: a “Cause and Consequence” of Climate Change
After the U.N. climate panel report called this week for an urgent and drastic cut in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, experts told the OCCRP that organized crime and corruption play a significant role in the state of the climate crisis. Illegal logging on Indigenous lands in the Amazon rainforest.
Report: U.S. Real Estate is No 1 Destination for Laundered Dirty Money
Homes in Beverly Hills purchased with embezzled money by Kuwaiti officials. A skyscraper in the heart of Manhattan controlled by the Iranian government. Real estate investments from a boutique firm that received millions of dollars from Colombian drug cartels.
Mexico's Lawsuit Attempts to Halt Illegal Arms Trafficking from U.S. to Mexican Cartels
In an unprecedented move, Mexican officials have sued Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glock, Ruger, Barrett and Boston-based gun wholesaler Interstate Arms for negligence in an attempt to halt the ‘iron river’ of guns that flow from the United States every year and end up in the hands of criminals and cartels. Around 3.6 million guns were manufactured in the U.S. in 2019, while Mexico, by contrast, has one gun store and issues fewer than 50 gun permits annually.
Criticized Guatemalan Prosecutor Steps in as Anti-Corruption Head
Published: 06 August 2021 Written by Emily Tian A controversial prosecutor is stepping in to fill the post left vacant by Guatemala’s top anti-corruption investigator Juan Francisco Sandoval, who was forced out of office just two weeks ago.
TRAFFIC to Help Africa Fight Against Illegal Wildlife Trade
Published: 05 August 2021 Written by Emily Tian A non governmental organization fighting against illegal wildlife trafficking said it signed an agreement with the African Union (AU) to help the continent combat illegal wildlife trade and support development. Black hippopotamus (By piqsels, public domain)The agreement was developed after several years of back and forth between the two organizations, TRAFFIC’s Head of Communications, Melissa Matthews, told the OCCRP in an email on Wednesday.
Nicaragua Grants Citizenship to Former Salvadoran President Wanted for Corruption
Published: 05 August 2021 Written by Emily Tian Nicaragua granted citizenship to former Salvadoran President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who is wanted back home for money laundering and corruption. Former President Salvador Sánchez Cerén (Presidency of El Salvador)Sánchez Cerén fled El Salvador with his family in December. A judge in El Salvador ordered his arrest two weeks ago.
PolitiFact - COVID-19 shot is mandated at White House, CDC and vaccine makers, contrary to a viral image
Stand up for the facts! Misinformation isn't going away just because it's a new year. Support trusted, factual information with a tax deductible contribution to PolitiFact. More Info I would like to contribute President Joe Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers in the East Room of the White House, July 29, 2021.
Australian Ex Olympic Kayaker Sentenced to 25 Years for Cocaine Smuggling
Published: 29 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Following a two week trial, former Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley and his brother, Dru Baggaley, were formally sentenced on Tuesday to 25 and 28 years in prison respectively. They were found guilty in April by a Brisbane Supreme Court jury for attempting to import more than US$152 million worth of cocaine.
Global Interpol-Led Anti-Trafficking Operation Arrests 286
Published: 28 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian An Interpol operation involving 47 countries worldwide rounded up 286 people suspected of being members of human trafficking and migrant smuggling criminal groups and rescued 430 victims, according to a statement released on Monday. The Tunisian coast guard rescued 69 migrants from 11 different African countries after receiving a distress call from their boat.
Rule of Law Report: Concerns in Several EU States, Progress in Others
Published: 27 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian While some EU countries continue to pursue their reform processes, the EU noted democratic backslides in Poland and Hungary and some concerning trends in other countries, according to a new Rule of Law Report that monitored the state of media freedom, corruption, and judicial systems in the Union’s 27 member states over the past six months.
The U.S. to Consider Naming Kleptocrats and Human Rights Abusers
Published: 26 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian A new bill introduced last week to the Congress could allow the United States to publish the names of human rights abusers and kleptocrats who are banned from entering the country. The bill aims to burst the culture of confidentiality which currently prevents the public from knowing who has been sanctioned this way and for what.
PolitiFact - Coca-Cola’s stock didn’t tank from a race-related boycott
After Coca-Cola’s market value dropped $4 billion in mid-June, one Facebook post claimed that the loss was due to a boycott against the company in response to news that its employee diversity training included a message telling people to "try to be less white." "Coca-Cola has lost $4 bil in market value as people are boycotting Coke for their ‘try to be less White’ statement," the post reads.
PolitiFact - Joe Biden is wrong when he says car prices are back to pre-pandemic levels
Stand up for the facts! Misinformation isn't going away just because it's a new year. Support trusted, factual information with a tax deductible contribution to PolitiFact. More Info I would like to contribute "The cost of an automobile, it's kind of back to what it was before the pandemic." Economy Joe Biden Jessica Pitts sits behind the wheel of a 2019 Lincoln MKC on the lot of Jack Demmer Lincoln in Dearborn, Mich., on July 19, 2021.
UK Fraud Watchdog Digs into Alleged Mine Bribes in DR Congo
Published: 23 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian The U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating alleged corruption in mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where foreign companies purportedly bribed officials up to US$360 million between 2006 and 2011. More than 70% of the world’s cobalt comes from the resource-rich central African country, but more than 73% of its people live below the international poverty line.
Western Powers Denounce Chinese State-Backed Hackers
China denied on Tuesday allegations made by Western powers that Chinese state-backed actors were orchestrating malicious cyber activity, including cyber attacks such as the one against Microsoft that took place in early 2021 and affected a quarter of a million servers worldwide.
US Sanctions Ex Honduran President and First Lady over Alleged Graft
Published: 22 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian The United States has barred former Honduran President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo Sosa and his wife and former First Lady Rosa Elena Bonilla Avila from entering the country due to “their involvement in significant corruption,” the State Department announced on Tuesday.
PolitiFact - V-Safe: How everyday people help the CDC track COVID-19 vaccine safety with their phones
Of the nearly 200 million people who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, more than 9 million have enrolled in a program to share information about their health since getting the shot. The initiative was created for the COVID-19 vaccines as an addition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety monitoring system.
PolitiFact - Ask PolitFact: When will the COVID-19 vaccines get FDA approval?
Question: When will the COVID-19 vaccines get full Food and Drug Administration approval? Answer: That’s a question on a lot of minds as the daily number of COVID-19 cases rise across the U.S., driven by a more contagious mutation of the coronavirus. More public and private institutions are considering or imposing vaccine mandates on their employees.
PolitiFact - An Italian journalist’s comments have been misattributed to French President Emmanuel Macron
Stand up for the facts! Misinformation isn't going away just because it's a new year. Support trusted, factual information with a tax deductible contribution to PolitiFact.
PolitiFact - No, it doesn’t take divine intervention for a brick wall to collapse
A mural of George Floyd — painted on the exterior brick wall of a building in Toledo, Ohio— crumbled on July 13, likely after the building was hit by a bolt of lightning. The mural was designed last summer amid the Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd’s death. The outer layer of brick wall came down, but the rest of the building remains intact.
Dutch Investigative Journalist Dies Nine Days After he was Shot
Published: 16 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Peter R. de Vries, a Dutch journalist famous for his independent crime investigations, died in a hospital on Thursday, just over a week after he was fired on five times in Amsterdam. He was 64. De Vries was shot last Tuesday evening when he was leaving a TV talk show studio where he had appeared as a guest. (Photo: Wikimedia)“Peter fought to the end, but was unable to win the battle,” de Vries’ family wrote in a joint statement, according to local press.
Costa Rican Bill Seeks to Ban Corrupt Construction Companies
Published: 15 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Costa Rica announced a bill on Tuesday that would deny construction companies with a history of corruption from participating in new public work projects. The move comes after a bribery network was uncovered in June and aims to make the government contracting process more transparent.
Anti-Corruption Reformists Win Moldovan Parliamentary Election
Published: 14 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Moldova’s Central Election Commission confirmed on Monday the victory of President Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), which claimed its top priority is to fight corruption through judicial reforms. Moldova, wedged between Romania and Ukraine, has struggled with poverty and corruption for years.
UK Police Probing Money Laundering Seize $250 Million in Cryptocurrency
Published: 14 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian The U.K.'s Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that it seized US$250 million worth of cryptocurrency, breaking a record set just three weeks prior for the largest crypto seizure in the country and most likely in the world. The U.K.'s Metropolitan Police seized US$250 million worth of cryptocurrency.
PolitiFact - No, Boebert didn’t receive a PPP loan
Stand up for the facts! Misinformation isn't going away just because it's a new year. Support trusted, factual information with a tax deductible contribution to PolitiFact. More Info I would like to contribute By Ciara O'Rourke July 12, 2021 No, Boebert didn’t receive a PPP loan If Your Time is short Records show that a restaurant called Shooters Sports Grill in Ohio received a Paycheck Protection Program loan for $233,305, not Shooter’s Grill, Boebert’s restaurant in Rifle, Colo.
PolitiFact - There's no evidence these politicians were killed over their countries’ refusal of COVID-19 vaccines
Days after Haiti President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by a group of gunmen in an ambush at his home, conspiratorial posts spread online that claim his death, along with the deaths of other political leaders, came about because their countries "refused" the COVID-19 vaccines. "Three countries refused the COVID-19 vaccine. Now all three of their presidents have died unexpectedly," a meme, shared on Facebook, reads. "Haiti - Jovenal Moïse was killed yesterday.
PolitiFact - Social media post conflates reports of missing children with pending cases
A social media post criticized the amount of attention paid to COVID-19 around the world, saying too little is paid to hundreds of thousands of missing children. "OMG! Look at these Covid cases," the July 1 Instagram post said, with intended sarcasm.
PolitiFact - No, vaccines do not cause sudden infant death syndrome
A popular Instagram post falsely links vaccines to the deaths of babies, saying "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is ABSOLUTELY a side effect of vaccination." The June 29 post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) The image shows the word "vaccination" crossed out in red.
PolitiFact - Tucker Carlson distorts Texas' smart thermostat energy conservation programs
Summertime temperatures rose into the high 90s last month across Texas. It wasn’t an unusual heat for Texas in mid-June, but it did trigger the state’s grid operator to issue energy conservation alerts. The alerts issued by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas asked residents to set their thermostats at 78 degrees in order to help maintain grid reliability. For some Texans, that adjustment was made automatically by their WiFi-enabled thermostats.
PolitiFact - No evidence of missing absentee ballots in Georgia’s 2020 election
A three-week-old article widely shared on social media on July 8 falsely states that an audit of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia found that more than 100 batches of absentee ballots were missing. The article was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) The article, published by Just the News, referred to the audit in its headline.
PolitiFact - Activated charcoal is unlikely to be effective in countering drugs used in sexual assaults
Activated charcoal — a processed form of carbon — has been touted widely for its purported health benefits, particularly its ability to absorb toxins. It has a spot on the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines, it can be regularly found in emergency rescue service supply kits in some parts of the world, and can be purchased from a local pharmacy — or online — without a doctor’s prescription.
Japan Drops Charges Against 100 People Involved in Vote Buying
Published: 09 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Media in Japan as well as some public figures criticized on Wednesday the decision by Japanese prosecutors not to charge 100 people involved in an electoral fraud scheme that landed former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai in hot water. Japanese former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai.
Ex South African President Jacob Zuma Begins his Jail Sentence
Published: 09 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Forty minutes before midnight on Wednesday, the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, handed himself in to police officers to begin his 15-month sentence for contempt of court. South Africa's former president, Jacob Zuma. (Photo: Wikimedia)Zuma was found guilty in absentia last week by the country’s highest court for refusing court orders to testify in a corruption investigation.
Vatican Charges Ten, Including Former Cardinal, in Financial Probe
A Vatican court has summoned 10 people for trial, including a cardinal, over a controversial London property deal that incurred a loss of more than US$21 million and embroiled the Holy See in a scandal. Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu has been charged with embezzlement, abuse of office and subornation. (Photo: )It’s the first time such a high-ranking Church official will be facing the judge in a criminal case.
PolitiFact - Espaillat’s claim has some truth to it, though average benefits likely lower
Stand up for the facts! Misinformation isn't going away just because it's a new year. Support trusted, factual information with a tax deductible contribution to PolitiFact. More Info I would like to contribute By Jill Terreri Ramos July 3, 2021 Espaillat’s claim has some truth to it, though average benefits likely lower If Your Time is short The average unemployment check is likely lower, according to federal data and an analysis of weighted averages.
Report: COVID-19 Makes Traffickers Harder to Catch, Victims More Vulnerable
The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world has made people poorer and more vulnerable to human trafficking, according to the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report. Many children are forced to work in dangerous and hazardous conditions across India, often alongside family members in a situation of debt bondage where the trafficker’s primary means of control is the manipulation of debt.
Online Sex Trafficking Market Has Evolved Since 2018, GAO Report Reveals
Published: 02 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian The online sex trafficking industry has become more fragmented since passage of a new federal sex trafficking law and the seizure of online sex trafficking marketplace backpage.com in 2018, according to a report released last Monday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Classified ads site Backpage.com, then the largest online marketplace for commercial sex, was seized by federal authorities in April of 2018.
Texas Court: Facebook Can be Liable for Sex Trafficking
Published: 01 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that Facebook can be sued for sex trafficking that occurs via its platforms. The Texas Supreme Court ruled that Facebook can be sued for sex trafficking that occurs via its platforms. (Photo: Wikimedia)The 6-0 decision, handed down by Justice James Blaylock, responds to three separate claims from teenage victims of sex trafficking who became entangled with their abusers through Facebook.
Brazil Pulls Out of US$324 Million Covaxin Contract Amid Cries of Corruption
Published: 01 July 2021 Written by Emily Tian Brazil will suspend its US$324 million contract for India’s Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine upon the recommendation of Brazil’s Comptroller General office (CGU), Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said Tuesday. Brasilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, has defiantly rejected measures to control viral spread and continues to deny calls of graft and corruption.
Judge Extends Bail for Peruvian Presidential Candidate Keiko Fujimori
Published: 29 June 2021 Written by Emily Tian Peruvian presidential election candidate Keiko Fujimori, who is on trial for corruption and money laundering, still remains out of state custody after surviving a prosecutor’s failed attempted to return her to jail. If Fujimori is declared the winner of the election, her corruption trial would be delayed until the end of her presidential term.
PolitiFact - No, Maxine Waters Didn’t Write A Bill To Rename Memorial Day As ‘George Floyd Day’
In the days before Memorial Day, Facebook users took to their feeds to express their outrage that U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters wanted to rename Memorial Day to "George Floyd Day." We found multiple posts on social media claiming that Waters, a Democrat from California, had introduced a bill to Congress proposing that the holiday’s name be changed. "Maxine Waters just introduced a bill to re-name Memorial Day — George Floyd Day. Are you FRICK’N kidding me?" one user posted on May 26.
PolitiFact - Scientists developing mRNA vaccines before outbreak isn’t evidence COVID-19 pandemic was created
Alarmist articles are circulating online claiming that newly revealed "secret documents" show that the U.S. government had coronavirus vaccine candidates from Moderna in development weeks before the COVID-19 outbreak, and thus proves that the pandemic was planned. "DOCUMENTS: U.S. Gov't Sent ‘mRNA Coronavirus Vaccine Candidates’ to University Researchers WEEKS BEFORE ‘COVID’ Outbreak in China! How did they know . . . Unless they caused it?" reads the headline of an article on HalTurnerRadioShow.com.
PolitiFact - Fact-checking a false Instagram post about Eric Trump, St. Jude fundraising
An Instagram post highlighting Eric Trump’s charitable giving claimed that the second son of former President Donald Trump raised nearly $30 million for pediatric cancer treatment and research. The bulk of the post appears to quote Eric Trump as contrasting media coverage of the Trump family with that of Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden.
PolitiFact - Anthony Fauci did not privately back hydroxychloroquine to family while questioning it publicly
Some social media users are seeking to tar Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as a hypocrite for how he handled his high-profile role as a scientific expert during the coronavirus pandemic. A June 21 post claimed to have found a smoking gun in a batch of emails that Fauci sent early in the pandemic that were obtained by BuzzFeed and the Washington Post through a Freedom of Information Act request and published June 1.
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