LAST WEEK THIS MORNING
JFK’s nephew running for president
JFK’s peculiar nephew Robert F Kennedy is running for president as an independent and has quite the portfolio.
RFK made headlines last week after making a particularly strange omission about his involvement in the dumping of a dead bear in central park 10 years ago.
To contextualise and fully understand the story, I will first provide a little more of his backstory.
In a 2012 deposition given during divorce proceedings with his second wife RFK cited that he could not provide child support because of his reduced earning capacity.
Why does RFK have a reduced earning capacity you ask? Great question!
The independent US presidential candidate suffered memory loss and cognitive problems after a worm ate a portion of his brain.
Concerned that he had a brain tumour, RFK had a brain scan where doctors found a dead worm and a hole in his brain.
On Top of this rather bizarre health problem RFK was also suffering from Mercury poisoning because "[he] loved tuna fish sandwiches … [and] ate them all the time."
Knowing this Joe Rogan has not endorsed RFK but has said he is “the only candidate that makes sense.”
Now you know all this! What happened with the bear?!?
In a video RFK said that he had been on a falconry expedition in the Hudson Valley when he stumbled upon a dead bear on the side of the road.
RFK then admitted that he took the roadkill with the intention of skinning and eating it.
Unfortunately RFK lost track of time at dinner and didn’t have time to take the bear home before catching a flight.
He then decided to take an old bike he had on hand and place it with the carcass in central park staging a collision between the bear and a cyclist.
Obviously confused by the scene, the case was never solved until RFKs confession last week.
Oddly enough this was not RFK’s first headline involving dead animals.
Recently the presidential candidate has had to deny allegations of having eaten a dog in a photo that was shared with Vanity Fair magazine.
But RFK told reports at the Associated Press that he had a freezer full of roadkill and had been “picking up roadkill [his] whole life.”
Bangladesh Prime Minister stepped down and fled the country
Peaceful protests which began in July against Bangladesh’s quota system escalated into an uprising against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The protests which led to 300 deaths ended Hasina’s 15 years in Power.
Hundreds of thousands of student demonstrators comprised the protests rallying against the quota system which allocated 30 percent of government jobs.
The quota reserved these seats for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence against Pakistan.
Protestors said the system was discriminatory and only benefited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s agenda which led to the independence movement.
This quota was in place while quality of jobs was at an all time low for young graduates especially in lucrative and stable government positions.
The protests turned violent on July 15 when a clash prompted authorities to disperse tear gas, fire rubber bullets and turn off internet and mobile data.
The government had reported almost 150 deaths while local media claims that almost 300 died as a result of the violence.
As a result of the protests the Supreme Court dropped the quota to five per cent, reserved two per cent for ethnic minorities, transgender and disabled people with 93 percent allocated on merit.
The government accepted the ruling but the protests grew with new demands for investigation into the deadly government crackdown and calling Hasina to resign.
Hasina suddenly resigned and fled the country by helicopter with her sister.
Opposition leaders and the military together collaborate to appoint an interim government.
UK Riots
A series of riots swept across the UK last week in what has been described as the worst unrest seen in over a decade.
The riots followed the murder of three young girls on the 29th of July at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class.
Two adults and eight other children were injured.
Police arrested a 17-year-old for the attack. The suspect was born in Wales to Rwandan parents.
After the attack, disinformation on social media falsely alleged that the suspect was an asylum seeker who arrived via boat in 2023. Other rumours suggested that he was Muslim.
Shortly after, a local mosque was attacked. Bricks, bottles, and other missiles were hurled at the mosque, and later, the police.
There were similar, violent protests in London, Hartlepool, Manchester, and other areas. Many targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
The Southport riot resulted in a police van being set aflame. By Thursday, it was estimated that over 100 police officers had been injured nationwide.
During one riot in Rotherham, staff at the Holiday Inn recounted barricading the entrance with furniture against a mob.
While the majority of riots took place in England, violent protests also occurred in Belfast, Northern Ireland. No incidents took place in Scotland or Wales.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the “marauding mobs on the streets of Southport”.
BBC’s analysis of social media activity showed a clear pattern of multiple influencers amplifying disinformation about the attacker’s identity and encouraging people to gather for protests.
Influencers included Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League, a disbanded far-right organisation.
The far-reaching impact of social media has meant that those involved in the riots did not just include white nationalists.
The Conversation described the rioters’ demographic as middle-aged men who have failed to learn the skills required to identify mis- and dis-information online.
BBC Home Affair Editor Mark Easton also reported seeing local families cheering on the masked rioters.
Chris Allen, a journalist for The Conversation, placed the blame on conservative politicians whose antagonism towards immigrants encouraged the spread of hatred towards Muslims.
Terrorism expert Elizabeth Pearson highlighted that far-right slogans such as “save our kids” played on manosphere tropes that call on men to defend “their” people.
In various cities, violent rioters clashed with anti-racism protesters.
The peaceful anti-racism protests were lauded as “inspirational” by Mark Barton, former chief constable of Durham Police.
Communities came together in clean-up operations and tradesmen offered to repair damage caused by the riots free of charge.
By 9 August, 600 arrests were made and 150 people have been charged.
Weeks before the Southport attack, a white man killed Daniel Anjorin, a black youth, with a sword.
As pointed out by The Conversation, this murder triggered no riots. While the white man was seen as an exception, the Southport attacker was treated as representative of an entire group.
Countries including Malaysia, Nigeria, and Australia have advised travelling citizens to stay vigilant and avoid protests.
ASIO threat level raised
Australia has raised its terrorism threat level for the first time in a decade.
The raised terrorism threat means that ASIO believed that there was a greater than 50:50 chance of an attack.
Adjusting the National Terrorism Threat Advisory System informs the public of safety precautions for individuals, businesses and authorities, however changes to security settings are often kept hidden.
This immediate decision contrasts with the 2022 move to lower the threat level, in which the government stalled for six months.
“What the story is talking about is lowering the level. I think you appreciate there’s a big difference in terms of the speed you need to communicate that,” ASIO head Mike Burgess said.
Authorities fear various fringe ideologies, including anti-government conspiracy theories, neo-Nazism, and Islamist extremism.
Small-cell and lone-wolf attacks with cheap weapons were likely.
These ideologies have been exacerbated by social media, personal grievances, loneliness and poor mental health.
Intelligence sources provided an outline of the kind of person at risk of becoming radicalised online to ABC News.
They describe a financially insecure man who lives in the suburbs of a main city, has difficulty buying a home, believes that too many migrants live around him, and is influenced by global events.
Burgess reflected this view, saying that “now, individuals are being motivated by a diversity of grievances and personal narratives.”
Burgess stated that the threat level had not been increased by a specific factor, however stated that the Gaza war was a “significant driver”.
He labelled politically motivated violence as a concern, stating that the war has “driven more emotion and heat into society”.
Other key concerns included foreign interference and espionage, ASIO’s principal security concern in 2022.
Prime minister Albanese highlighted that “probable does not mean inevitable” and entreated politicians to use less inflammatory rhetoric regarding the Gaza war.
“Some of [the comments are] designed deliberately to encourage a partisan response in a way that isn’t appropriate. It’s not appropriate for people to encourage some of the actions outside electorate offices and to dismiss them as being just part of the normal political process.”
Greens senator David Shoebridge criticised Albanese, saying that he was ignoring right-wing extremism and “dismissing people’s well-founded concern about Australia’s role in the genocide in Gaza…”.
The government’s concerns have been further exacerbated by eight extremism-related incidents since April that have either occurred or been foiled by ASIO.
Albanese added “Extremist ideologies, conspiracies, misinformation, are flourishing in the online ecosystem and young Australians are particularly vulnerable.”
The threat level was last raised to “probable” in 2014, when numbers of radicalised foreign fighters travelled to Syria and Iraq to aid Islamist terrorist groups.
Olympics Shenanigans: E Coli. Micro-dosing and Australian breakdancers
Australian breakdancing sensation
Many Australian viewers of the Olympics, or anyone on social media for that matter, have likely already seen the kangaroo-hopping, fish-flopping choreography of Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn.
Videos of her performance have made the rounds on social media after she was knocked out at the round-robin stage and failed to receive a single point from judges.
The round-robin required dancers to compete in three judged ‘battles’ which involved two routines each spanning one minute.
Athletes were scored on creativity, personality, technique, variety, musicality and vocabulary, the latter of which refers to the quantity and scope of moves.
Viral sensation aside, who exactly is Dr Rachael Gunn?
The 36-year-old is a lecturer on dance and gender politics at Macquarie university and has been breaking since her twenties.
Gunn’s unique moves and decision to forgo traditional breaking gear in favour of the Australian uniform garnered both criticism and praise at the Olympics’s newest event.
While netizens were unimpressed, Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares condemned Gunn’s critics:
“Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team, she has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit, with great enthusiasm,”
A self-described “underdog”, Gunn knew that she was disadvantaged against her younger rivals.
“Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and I show my artistry.” Gunn stated in regards to her performance,
“Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.”
The possibility of breaking becoming a permanent Olympic sport seems low with Los Angeles not including it in the 2028 program and Brisbane being likely to follow suit.
Micro-dosing E. coli
Inventive breakdancing moves is not the only wacky news to come out of the Paris Olympics.
US triathlete Seth Rider claimed to be microdosing himself with E. coli prior to his swim in the Seine.
Water quality tests in the river showed that E. coli bacteria levels in the river had fallen below standards needed to authorise the triathlon and marathon events.
Previously, Anne Hidalgo, Paris’s Mayor, took a publicised swim in the Seine to assuage fear prior to the Olympic swimming events.
Despite the assurances, some have taken precautions into their own hands.
“In preparation for this race, I knew there was going to be some E. coli exposure. So I’ve been trying to increase my E. coli threshold by exposing myself to a bit of E. coli in day-to-day life.” Rider said.
So…what does this mean?
According to Rider, it includes little things like "not washing your hands after you go to the bathroom and stuff like that”.
Ewww.
For those who do not know, E coli. is a faecal bacteria found in places such as the intestines of people and animals. While most variations are harmless, others can cause serious illness.
Despite these drastic preparations, multiple athletes have become sick after their swims in the Seine.
This includes Belgium’s Clair Michel, who was hospitalised after swimming in the Seine.
Swimming in the Seine has been prohibited for more than a century. Since 2015, Paris has invested $1.5 billion to clean up the Seine in preparation for the Olympics.
If there is anything that you should take away from this article it is this: avoid swimming in the Seine, and under no circumstances should you shake hands with Seth Rider.
References
Moench, M. (12 August, 2024). Thousands of anti-racism protesters rally across UK. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86lwq214v4o
(10 August, 2024). Why are there riots in the UK? BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg55we5n3xo
Hood, L. (10 August, 2024). UK riots: five essential reads on what triggered a week of violence. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/uk-riots-five-essential-reads-on-what-triggered-a-week-of-violence-236536
Greene, A. (11 August, 2024). Labor stalled for months on lowering terror alert level after ASIO recommendation in 2022. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-11/labor-delayed-change-on-national-terrorism-threat-in-2022/104209998
Sakkal, P. (5 August, 2024). ASIO raises terrorism threat level due to emerging ‘twisted’ ideologies. The Age. https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/asio-raises-terror-threat-level-to-probable-20240805-p5jzj7.html
(11 August, 2024). ‘It took great courage’: Australia’s Olympic chief defends ‘Raygun’ against online abuse. SBS News. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/i-love-her-australias-olympic-chief-anna-meares-defends-breaker-raygun-against-wave-of-online-abuse/uuutd9lwl
(10 August, 2024). Australia’s first Olympic breaker ‘Raygun’ vows to keep being herself amid online jibes. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/10/paris-2024-olympics-breakdancing-breaking-australia-breaker-raygun-rachael-gunn-online-hate
Pu, J. (10 August, 2024). Raygun, The Australian Breakdancer In The Olympics: Explained. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonpu/2024/08/10/the-australian-breakdancer-in-the-olympics-explained/
Hjelmgaard, K. (27 July, 2024). Don’t wash your hands, US triathlete Seth Rider says of preparing for dirty Seine. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/07/27/dirty-seine-paris-olympics-triathlon/74569936007/
(7 August, 2024). Multiple Olympic athletes are sick after swimming in the Seine. Is water quality to blame? SBS News. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/multiple-olympic-athletes-are-sick-after-swimming-in-the-seine-is-water-quality-to-blame/gb998nzv2
Alam, J., & Pathi, K. (2024, August 7). Bangladesh’s prime minister quit and fled the country after weeks of protests. What’s next? PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/bangladeshs-prime-minister-quit-and-fled-the-country-after-weeks-of-protests-whats-next
Morris-Grant, B. (2024, May 9). Robert F Kennedy Jr says a worm “ate a portion” of his brain, “then died”. What can a brain parasite really do to a human being? - ABC News. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-10/rfk-jr-brain-worms-election/103824050
Pengelly, M. (2024, August 8). Street food: Robert F Kennedy Jr boasts of “a freezer full of roadkill.” The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/08/rfk-jr-roadkill-freezerRamirez-
Simon, D. (2024, August 5). RFK Jr says he was behind mystery of dead bear dumped in Central Park with bicycle. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/05/rfk-jr-kennedy-bear-story-central-park-new-york
World reacts to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s removal from power. (2024, August 5). Al Jazeera; Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/5/world-reacts-to-bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasinas-removal-from-power
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-10/rfk-jr-brain-worms-election/103824050
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/05/rfk-jr-kennedy-bear-story-central-park-new-york
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/08/rfk-jr-roadkill-freezer
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/bangladeshs-prime-minister-quit-and-fled-the-country-after-weeks-of-protests-whats-next
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/5/world-reacts-to-bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasinas-removal-from-power