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07 Nov 2011 15:06

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Politics: “Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone.”

  • Team Cain triples down: “All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone.” That’s the campaign’s official statement on the latest harassment allegations, and it’s a notably firm denial. There’s very little wriggle room; if, say, some sort of evidence were to come out against Cain, he’d have a hard time coming off as anything but a bold-faced liar. This would seem to imply that Cain is confident no hard evidence will surface–a confidence that, in itself, doesn’t imply innocence or guilt. The statement also inexplicably patted Cain on the back for his “clear foreign policy vision,” perhaps in an attempt to divert media attention to another, less salacious Herman Cain controversy. (Picture credit: Gage Skidmore)  source

07 Nov 2011 14:35

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Politics: Herman Cain’s accuser speaks out

  • He pulled my head towards his crotch… I said, ‘I have a boyfriend.’ He said, ‘You want a job, right?
  • Sharon Bialek, on Herman Cain • Bialek is fourth former Restaurant Association Employee to accuse Cain of sexual harassment–and the first to come forward publicly. For now, we’ll treat these accusations as just that–accusations. Also notable: Bialek is being represented by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who’s previously taken on Tiger Woods and Meg Whitman, amongst many others.  source

02 Nov 2011 18:14

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Politics: Rand Paul says you can’t joke with women anymore

  • There are people now who hesitate to tell a joke to a woman in the workplace, any kind of joke, because it could be interpreted incorrectly. I don’t. I’m very cautious.
  • Senator Rand Paul • Giving his two cents on the accusations of sexual harassment made against Herman Cain (another woman joined the chorus today). Obviously Paul is stating a personal opinion about political correctness in the workplace, and he’s entitled to that. The trouble with relating his opinion to Herman Cain’s predicament, though, is that Cain’s accusers have hitherto been bound by non-disclosure agreements, essentially leaving Cain himself as the lone storyteller. So, unless Rand Paul trusts Herman Cain’s word implicitly (which perhaps he does, though trusting politicians about sex often seems like a dubious bet), the implication that Cain’s offenses were merely jokes gone awry is pure speculation at this point. source

02 Nov 2011 17:44

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Politics: A third woman accuses Herman Cain of sexual harassment

  • It’s been a rough week or so for GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain: He’s been hit with two different accusations of sexual harassment dating back to his time as the head of the National Restaurant Association, as well as reports his campaign accepted $40,000 worth of illegal contributions. Now, another woman has accused of sexual harassment, though she remains anonymous, saying she fears retaliation. In the meantime, the lawyer for one of Cain’s two early accusers is lobbying the NRA to waive the non-disclosure agreement the woman signed, arguing it’s unfair to allow Cain to spread his side of the story. Suffice to say, things are probably getting tense on the Cain Train. source

01 Nov 2011 22:06

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Politics: Cain’s accuser received one years’ pay in exchange for silence

  • $35k paid by the NRA to one of Cain’s accusers source
  • » That’s the National Restaurant Association, by the way, not the National Rifle Association. The amount was one years’ worth of pay for the woman in question (who, you’ll recall, is one of two women who received severance agreements from the NRA in exchange for silence regarding sexual harassment claims against Cain).

30 Oct 2011 21:15

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Politics: Politico: Herman Cain accused of inappropriate sexual behavior

  • allegation Today, Herman Cain got grilled by a Politico reporter who asked him about detailed sexual harassment allegations dating back to the 1990s: “Have you ever been accused, sir, in your life of harassment by a woman?”
  • response Cain denied the allegations, then as things got tense and the question was repeated, Cain asked the reporter: “Have you ever been accused of sexual harassment?” Expect this to follow him throughout the week. source

25 Aug 2011 22:44

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U.S.: Rape victim forced to apologize to rapist

  • One nightmare after another: In 2008, a seventh grade special-ed student in Missouri told school administrators that she’d been raped by one of her classmates. Rather than fulfilling its legal obligation to report the incident to authorities, the school accused the girl of lying, made her write and hand-deliver an apology to her accused rapist, expelled her for the rest of the year, and referred her to juvenile authorities for filing a “false report.” When she returned to school in 2010, the same boy raped her again. School administrators once again brushed the girl aside, but a medical examination backed up her allegations, and the boy pled guilty in juvenile court. Now, the Republic School District, along with four specifically-named members of the administration, is being sued. There really are no words for something like this. source
 

23 May 2011 20:13

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World: Strauss-Kahn case may change France’s lassiez-faire views on sex

  • 1980 the year rape was formally outlawed in France — which is fairly late by historic standards
  • 75k number of rapes per year, according to France’s own government studies
  • 10% share of victims that file complaints each year, according to French women’s groups source
  • » The catalyst for changing perceptions? French society has long considered sexual matters private, but the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case — taking place in a society with a more stringent view on women’s’ rights — could help change that. While French legislation slowly turns the screws in favor of protecting victims of harassment and sexual abuse, the trial of a very powerful figure could have a lasting cultural effect, according to Claude Katz, a French attorney who focuses on sexual harassment cases. “It will empower victims of sexual abuse in France because if a maid can speak against a powerful man, others will have a stronger voice,” he explains.

19 Aug 2010 21:35

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U.S.: That Iowa egg company behind the salmonella outbreak is bad news

  • 380 million tainted eggs is a huge problem for Wright County Egg. But by no means is it the first huge problem the firm has faced. In fact, the DeCoster family, which owns Wright County Egg as part of their larger farming conglomerate, has had a number of legal problems in recent years, including these gems on their permanent record:
  • $2.1Mthe amount founder Austin Jackson DeCoster paid in penalties for immigration violations in 2003
  • $1.5M the amount the company was nicked for sexual harassment allegations (including rape!) by the EEOC back in 2002
  • yes the company has also had to pay fines for animal cruelty at another egg operation in Maine – just this year source

11 Mar 2010 21:23

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Culture: The Price is Creepy: Bob Barker was a sexual harassment machine

  • “Tickie, tickie, tickie!” We do not see Drew Carey trying to get away with any of these Showcase Showdown moves. Pretty much across the board, all of these “Price is Right” moments are just a little creepy. We have to imagine over time, Bob Barker mellowed out and avoided saying explicitly sexual stuff on the air, but in these clips, he’s still fairly young and still fairly handsome. And creepy. Oh, man, is he just a massive creepbag. source