The Daily Populous

Wednesday April 12nd, 2017 morning edition

image for Facing calls to resign, Spicer apologizes for 'inappropriate' Hitler-Assad comments

Spicer said that even Hitler "didn't sink to using chemical weapons" during WWII.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday apologized for referring to a suspected sarin gas attack in Syria he said that even Hitler "didn't sink to using chemical weapons" during World War Two.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was among those accusing Spicer of "downplaying the horror of the Holocaust.".

"Sean Spicer must be fired, and the President must immediately disavow his spokesman’s statements," the official said in a statement.

Later on CNN, Spicer said that he "mistakenly used an inappropriate and insensitive reference," offering an unreserved apology.

"You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," Spicer said during a press briefing in response to questions about the implications of the deadly chemical attack last on the rebel-held village of Khan Sheikhun last week.

It was not the first time this week that Spicer has found himself in rhetorical difficulty over Syria. »

Taiwan becomes first country in Asia to ban eating of cat and dog meat

Authored by chinapost.com.tw

The Animal Protection Act amendments approved by the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday punish the sale, purchase or consumption of dog or cat meat with fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$2 million.

The amendment's sponsor, Kuomintang Legislator Wang Yu-min, said that while some localities already had measures banning dog and cat meat consumption, national legislation was needed.

She noted that Taiwan was the first country in Asia to pass such legislation. »

Tiny, family-run Iowa newspaper wins Pulitzer for taking on agriculture companies

Authored by theguardian.com

A small-town Iowa newspaper with a staff of 10 people - most of whom are related to each other – has won a Pulitzer Prize for taking on powerful agricultural companies over farm pollution.

The Cullens lost a few friends and a few advertisers, but never doubted they were doing the right thing.

“We’re here to challenge people’s assumptions and I think that’s what every good newspaper should do,” he said. »

There Are Now 11 States Considering Bills to Protect Your 'Right to Repair' Electronics

Authored by motherboard.vice.com
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The bills would require manufacturers to sell replacement parts to consumers and independent repair companies and would also require them to open source diagnostic manuals.

Correction / clarification: An earlier version of this article repeated some of the states in a list of the states considering right to repair bills.

To be clear, 11 states in total have considered or will consider right to repair legislation this year. »

38% of Teens Watch Netflix Every Day; More Than YouTube and Cable TV

Authored by streamingobserver.com
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Nearly 40% of the 5,500 US teens surveyed said their daily dose of video content comes courtesy of the streaming giant, with Netflix catching a 38% share of the market.

But maybe the most important number was third place: cable TV at just a 23% share – a number that’s down significantly from this time last year.

YouTube has over 1 billion users worldwide, and presently reaches more users in the 18 to 24 demographic than any cable TV network – by a wide margin. »