The Daily Populous

Sunday March 7th, 2021 morning edition

image for India went from ‘free’ to ‘partly free’ in 2020: Freedom House

US-based research institute voices fear the world’s largest democracy is descending into authoritarianism under Modi.

Freedom House has downgraded India from free to partly free, voicing fear that the world’s largest democracy was descending into authoritarianism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The democracy research institute, which is independent but receives funding from the United States, pointed to mob violence against Muslims, intimidation of journalists and rising judicial interference since Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won power in 2014.

Four year decline in India's Freedom House ranking (driven by decline in civil liberties score (42 –> 33). pic.twitter.com/TyVxoIwdaf — Tariq Thachil (@tariqthachil) March 3, 2021.

Political rights and civil liberties have eroded in India since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, causing the country to drop from Free to Partly Free in 2020.

The United States remained classified as free following Donald Trump’s turbulent presidency but Freedom House warned of the “parlous state of US democracy”.

It pointed to Trump’s false allegations of election fraud and the January 6 storming of the Capitol “incited by the president himself”. »

‘Nomadland’ Production Sound Mixer Michael Wolf Snyder Dies at 35

Authored by variety.com
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“Nomadland” production sound mixer Michael Wolf Snyder has died by suicide, according his father, David Snyder.

“Michael Wolf Snyder was the super-cool award-winning sound mixer who recorded on set audio for the latest feature film I directed.

If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. »

‘I’m so confused’: People baffled as Kevin McCarthy reads Green Eggs and Ham in protest at pulling of Seuss books

Authored by independent.co.uk

People were left baffled as House minority leader Kevin McCarthy released a five-minute video of himself reading Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, days after six of the author’s books were pulled from publication.

Captioning the lengthy video on Friday evening, Mr McCarthy wrote: “I still like Dr Seuss, so I decided to read Green Eggs and Ham.

However, as Green Eggs and Ham has not been affected by the decision, people were confused as to why Mr McCarthy had chosen that book for his bizarre reading. »

New body cam video shows man telling officers 'I can't breathe' before he died in 2017

Authored by edition.cnn.com
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(CNN) Newly-released police body camera footage shows a California man telling Fresno police officers, county sheriff's deputies and paramedics that he can't breathe as they restrain him in the moments before he died in 2017.

The body camera footage was posted on the Fresno Police Department's YouTube channel Friday under a federal court order.

According to Hall, the officers thought the man "was possibly on drugs, alcohol or suffering from some sort of mental distress.". »

FBI Uncovers Contact Between Trump White House and Proud Boys Before Capitol Attack

Authored by rollingstone.com
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Federal law enforcement officials have uncovered contact between the Trump White House and a member of the far-right extremist organization, the Proud Boys, just days before the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

According to a New York Times source, the FBI obtained “location, cellular and call record data revealed a call tying a Proud Boys member to the Trump White House.”.

On Thursday, a former Trump State Department aide, Federico Klein was arrested for taking part in the attack of the Capitol. »