Senators strike bipartisan gun safety agreement

 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/12/senators-strike-bipartisan-gun-safety-agreement-00039019

A group of 20 senators struck a bipartisan gun safety framework on Sunday, marking a significant breakthrough in Congress’ attempts to address recent back-to-back mass shootings.

In a Sunday morning statement, 10 senators in each party announced support for the deal. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blessed it, vowing to “put this bill on the floor as soon as possible,” and President Joe Biden said it “would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.” The president urged both chambers of Congress to finish the package quickly.

Police officer who used Nazi symbol paid over $1.5m. to resign

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-709180

had the city decided to just fire Kammerzell, he would likely have been able to use arbitration to get his job back, with back pay, as a result of federal and state labor laws, the Seattle Times reported.

France arrests 16 employees of Beit Yosef yeshiva on suspicion of bullying boys

 https://observatorial.com/news/world/42425/france-arrests-16-employees-of-beit-yosef-yeshiva-on-suspicion-of-bullying-boys/

40 underage boys and about twenty young men from Israel and the USA studied at the yeshiva “Beit Yosef”. Prosecutors said the administration took advantage of the fact that the students did not speak French and therefore could not complain. Students were confiscated mobile phones and documents, they were deprived of the opportunity to tell their families about what was happening within the walls of the educational institution or to return home.

Oscar-nominated ‘When We Were Bullies’ looks back in shame on 1965 schoolyard attack

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/oscar-nominated-when-we-were-bullies-looks-back-in-shame-on-1965-schoolyard-attack/

In her on-camera conversation with Rosenblatt, she does comment on the fact that kids seem to be hardwired to pick up on vulnerability in other kids.

“Kids are tuned into that in the oddest way. They can pick up something that the adults can’t see. It’s a sixth sense or something,” Mrs. Bromberg remarks.

Anti-Bullying-Policy-- Darchei Torah

 https://www.darcheitorah.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Anti-Bullying-Policy-February-2019.pdf

The Yeshiva will: · Where bullying is reported to Yeshiva staff it will be investigated and acted on. This also applies to bullying that occurs off the Yeshiva premises, such as on Yeshiva or public transport, trips, or Shabbos meals. · Use the curriculum, assemblies and form time to inform Bochurim on bullying issues · Provide guidelines on what is considered bullying behaviour · Ensure robust systems are in place for recording and following up bullying related incidents · Provide relevant training for key staf

Bullying In Yeshiva

 http://www.5tjt.com/bullying-in-yeshiva/

Bullying is a problem that we are perhaps sweeping under the rug, but it exists in our yeshivos, day schools, Bais Yaakovs, and camps. Even if no one is stealing someone else’s shoes, the ona’as devarim, and often even the physical abuse, exists in our environments as well. Bullying hurts others, can have devastating repercussions for its victims, and is an issur d’Oraisa–a Torah prohibition. Its existence in our institutions is tantamount to having pork or any other treif or tamei food.

Study Shows Widening Gap in Death Rates Between Democratic, Republican U.S. States

 https://www.newsweek.com/study-shows-widening-gap-death-rates-between-democratic-republican-us-states-1714879

Published in the British Medical Journal, the study shows that the difference in death rates between Democratic and Republican counties increased by a factor of more than six times from 2001 to 2019.

This was especially true among white Americans, and was driven by deaths caused by cancer, chronic lung disease, heart disease, suicide, drug overdoses and unintentional injuries.

Lauren Boebert Jokes She Prays for Biden: 'May His Days Be Few'

https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-joe-biden-prays-days-few-charis-christian-center-bible-1714991 

Speaking on Saturday at the Charis Christian Center Family Camp Meeting in Colorado, where she was a guest speaker, the Republican politician referred to bible verse Psalms 109:8 as she spoke about the 79-year-old Biden, much to the delight of the crowd. The video has so far been viewed over 480,000 times on Twitter.

January 6 committee releases new video timeline of Capitol riot | FOX 9 KMSP

COVID might be spreading as fast now as it was during previous surges, testing company says

https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/covid-might-be-spreading-as-fast-right-now-as-it-was-during-previous-surges-testing-company-says/

“We’ve been seeing high positivity since the middle of April, so we really believe there is a lot of people out there with COVID who just aren’t testing with a lab that is reporting to public health,” Isaac Turner with Curative said. He also notes that at-home testing likely plays a big role and that case numbers are underrepresented.

The January 6 hearings showed why it’s reasonable to call Trump a fascist

 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/6/10/23162442/january-6-committee-hearing-june-10-trump-fascist

Throughout Trump’s presidency, there was a raging debate among experts as to whether it was accurate to describe him as a “fascist.” One of the strongest counterarguments, that his political movement did not involve the kind of street violence characteristic of Italian and German fascism, was undermined on January 6 — though some scholars still argued that the term was somewhat imprecise.

HARMONY THROUGH OPPOSITES - what is the message?

https://mishpacha.com/harmony-through-opposites/

I have long thought that Rav Lopiansky’s appreciation of his father, Rabbi Bentzion Lopiansky, which appears in his collection Time Pieces, is the most powerful hesped of a father by a son that I have ever read. The lessons Reb Bentzion taught his son about how to put oneself in the shoes of another are literally unforgettable.

Reb Bentzion once saw Aaron, then nine or ten years old, tagging along after a group of boys in the Bialystoker Shul on the Lower East Side, where he served as the shamash. The boys were teasing a homeless vagrant who slept in the shul’s furnace room, until he chased after them. Reb Bentzion called his son over, and spoke calmly and warmly as always.

“You see that man?” he asked. “He was born a cute little baby whose mother stroked him and nursed him. She cooed to him and delighted when he cooed back and smiled at her. His father fantasized about his infant son achieving all those things he had failed to attain.

“Now look at what has become of him. Is it not a tragedy? Should we not be moved to tears? And you are compounding that tragedy by taking a tzelem Elokim and treating him like dirt.”

Aaron’s tears flowed freely with both compassion for the vagrant and shame at his cruelty, as his father finished speaking even more softly than he had begun.

Suggested inspirational message from this book review

1 Jews are inherently like goyim

2. Even with Torah - basic decency is lacking

3. Without lessons from a sensitive parent it is is impossible to be a mensch

Trump's Actions Were 'Treason Squared,' Kirschner Says After Jan. 6 Hearing

 https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-actions-were-treason-squared-kirschner-says-after-jan-6-hearing-1714938

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner alleged Friday that former President Donald Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, appeared to amount to "treason squared" after the first public hearing of the House select committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot was broadcast on primetime television.

IT SOUNDS COUNTERINTUITIVE

 https://mishpacha.com/it-sounds-counterintuitive/

The term “mainstream media bias” is intended to conjure up the image of a courageous, embattled right-wing media, struggling to attract readers and facing sustained persecution from the all-powerful liberal media. The truth, however, is that all media outlets are “mainstream” within the universe of their target audiences. All exhibit “bias,” too, in the sense that they take editorial positions and feature only the pundits they choose, slanting toward one or another side of the political spectrum. Bias, albeit more subtle, creeps into all news coverage, too. That’s just journalism — and human beings — at work.