Paul Krugman Says Someone Using His IP Address To Download Child Porn

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tweeted on Wednesday that someone is using his IP address - a numerical label assigned to each device on the internet - to download child pornography.

He suggested that while he may be a random target, it "could be an attempt to Qanon me."

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/paul-krugman-suggests-trump-supporters-may-be-setting-him-child-porn

State lawmakers push to protect girls from competing against biological males in sports

Legislation is for ‘every dad who’s got a daughter’

The Democrat-controlled U.S. House wants to force schools to let biologically male students compete in girls’ sports.

State lawmakers in Tennessee and Washington have their own ideas, however, taking preemptive action to keep school sports separated by biological sex.

They introduced bills last month that would require schools to identify students by their original birth certificates for the purpose of deciding eligibility in single-sex sports. Such requirements contradict the federal Equality Act, which would set sports eligibility on the subjective gender identity of student athletes.

The odds for federal legislation are slim. The Equality Act is awaiting action in the Republican-controlled Senate more than seven months after the House passed it, and it’s unlikely President Trump would sign it.

But the Tennessee bill, introduced by Republican Rep. Bruce Griffey Dec. 9, faces its own hurdles as the Legislature prepares to reconvene next week. Transgender sports activist Chris Mosier tweeted about it Saturday, putting a national spotlight on an issue that galvanizes progressives.

Meanwhile, the Washington bill by Republican Rep. Brad Klippert has not technically been introduced. The lawmaker “prefiled” the bill Dec. 4. The legislative session also starts next week.

Lawmakers told The College Fix they were spurred to act by the politicization of sports, biological differences between men and women and personal reasons.

Griffey said he was also concerned about the lack of definition for “transgender.” Students may refer to themselves as transgender regardless of what stage of “transition” they are in, if they have taken any step toward transitioning at all, he said.

Tennessee House Bill 1572 states that all elementary and secondary schools “shall require, for an official or unofficial school-sanctioned athletic or sporting event, that each athlete participating in the athletic or sporting event participates with and competes against other athletes based on the athlete’s biological sex as indicated on the athlete’s original birth certificate issued at the time of birth.”

Schools would not be allowed to accept “revised or amended” birth certificates “with respect to the sex of an athlete.” They would become ineligible to receive public funds from state and local governments if they violate the proposed law.

Additionally, district attorneys general would be required to bring civil actions against state and local officials who either violate or intend to violate the proposed law. They would be treated as criminal defendants, with civil penalties up to $10,000. If found guilty, they would also be removed from public office and hit with five-year bans on serving in public office or as a school administrator, including principal.

Sponsor Griffey explicitly cited the U.S. House passage of the Equality Act as a spur “for states to take a stand,” telling the Tennessee Star the federal legislation would create “a civil right for male athletes to self-identify as females in sports competitions.”

Griffey told The Fix he was also motivated to intervene by reports of transgender domination of girls’ sports across the country, as well as his daughter’s own participation in youth sports. He proposed HB 1572 with “every dad who’s got a daughter” in mind, to “ensure integrity and fairness” in girls’ sports.

Biologically, males have “bigger hearts [and] stronger lungs” among other things, giving them “an unfair advantage” over females in many athletic activities, Griffey said. He added that fairness goes both ways: Females have many attributes that give them certain advantages over males in other areas.

Klippert’s House Bill 2201 states that Washington schools and nonprofit entities “must prohibit male students from competing with and against female students in athletic activities with separate classifications for male and female students.” It defines males as those “whose sex assigned at birth was male.”

Klippert told The Fix his prefiled bill was preemptive and in response to national events. He’s personally interested because “girls have a right to participate in individualized sports and shouldn’t be forced to compete against boys.”

https://www.thecollegefix.com/state-lawmakers-push-to-protect-girls-from-competing-against-biological-males-in-sports/

Two blasts, sirens heard in Iraq’s Baghdad

https://www.rt.com/news/477765-two-blasts-sirens-baghdad/

Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says crisis over, after Trump & Iran speak

Influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has declared the “crisis” between the US and Iran over, following statements from the two countries’ leaders in the wake of Tuesday’s Iranian strikes on US bases in Iraq.

Al-Sadr made his pronouncement on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump gave a relatively subdued speech praising Iran’s restraint. Rather than call for retaliation against Iran over a strike that didn’t kill any Americans, Trump merely vowed to impose even more sanctions on the Islamic Republic “until Iran changes its behavior.”

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in turn vowed to eventually kick all US troops “out of the region” as the “final answer” to the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, killed in a US airstrike last week.

Shia religious leader al-Sadr also called on Iraqi militias to be “patient” and not begin any military actions, claiming that a new “strong” government capable of protecting Iraq’s sovereignty would be formed in 15 days and hold early elections. However, Iraq should still evict the foreign troops inside its borders, he said.

The Iraqi foreign ministry condemned Iran’s missile attack on the coalition bases, declaring it a “violation of Iraqi sovereignty” in a statement on Wednesday and emphasizing Iraq was an “independent state.”

“We will not allow it to become a battlefield,” the ministry added.

Iraqi PM Adel Abdul Mahdi stepped down last month after months of massive protests calling for electoral reforms. He has remained in a “caretaker” role while Iraq’s political leaders attempt to move forward. Another prominent Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, warned last month that “foreign interference” in the process would not be tolerated.

https://www.rt.com/news/477757-sadr-crisis-over-iraq-iran/

Two Rockets Fall in Green Zone in Iraqi Capital of Baghdad

Two loud blasts followed by sirens were heard in the Iraqi capital on Wednesday night, Reuters reported, citing witnesses.

According to Al-Mayadeen, two rockets fell in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, where government buildings and diplomatic facilities are situated.

A Sputnik security source has confirmed that two rockets fell in Baghdad's green zone.

"Two rockets fell in the Green Zone in the centre of Baghdad, there is no information on any damage yet," the source said.

Later, Reuters quoted police sources as saying that three MLRS rockets fell in the Zone and started a fire.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001081077983534-two-blasts-sirens-heard-in-iraqi-capital-of-baghdad-reports/