The Gist, 26 November

The Gist
Not the news. Just the Gist.
26 November

THE GIST: The Federal Government is cutting $254 million from the ABC's budget over the next five years. ABC Managing Director Mark Scott announced that around 400 people, or 10% of Aunty's staff, could lose their jobs as a result.

THE DAMAGE: The funding cut works out to be about $50 million a year, which is 6% of the ABC's $1.1 billion annual budget. On the chopping block are the state editions of 7:30, TV production in Adelaide and several overseas bureaus. The changes are all necessary as part of, in Tony Abbot's words, an "efficiency dividend".

THE RABBLE: Back in September 2013, during that election campaign we all remember so fondly, Tony Abbott said during a TV interview, "no cuts to the ABC." Was this an election promise? Not according to the PM, who says that exempting ABC from the government's general policy of budget trimming would be giving it "special treatment", or Malcolm Turnbull who said on QandA last week that there was "no reason for the ABC or SBS to be exempt." Basically, the government is saying that a budget cut is only a 'cut' if it's a relative reduction in funding.

THE GIST. A grand jury in St. Louis declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson for shooting and killing African American teenager Michael Brown in August.

CATCH UP. The circumstances surrounding Brown's death are disputed. Security camera footage from a convenience store on the day in question reportedly shows Brown shoplifting some cigars. Responding to the scene, officer Wilson drove up to Brown and a friend as they were walking on a nearby street. A struggle ensued, and eyewitness accounts of what happened next vary widely. Wilson said that Brown started punching him through the window of the police car, while some witnesses testified that Wilson was pulling Brown into the car, and was the aggressor. In any case, Wilson ended up shooting at Brown six times, killing him.

THE FALLOUT. The civil unrest in Ferguson, precipitated by Brown's shooting, has been a dramatic episode in the fractious and racially charged relationship between white police officers and working class African Americans. Following the grand jury's decision, Barack Obama said that "we have to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make...hurting others or destroying property is not the answer". However, some protestors in Ferguson have ignored the President's appeal: crowds of people have set cars and buildings on fire and looted stores. The Police have responded with smoke bombs, pepper spray and tear gas. At least 29 people have been arrested so far.

Winnie-the-Pooh is inappropriate for Polish kids Yes, local councillors in the Polish town of Tuszyn recently rejected a proposal to name Pooh bear as the mascot for a the town's playground, because he is "half-naked" and is a "hermaphrodite".

Rampaging German cows. What do you do if 21 escaped cows and bulls go crazy, attack a woman on a bicycle and start wreaking havoc on nearby farms? If you're the official in charge in the German town of Pinneburg, you call the local sniper team, and let them do what they do best: shoot to kill.

Ancient Indian aeroplanes. They existed 5000 years ago, according to the newly appointed head of the government-backed Indian Council of Historic research. As did stem-cell research and potentially even nuclear weapons. "We have so many proofs that these events happened", says Professor Rao. Bold prediction: crazy Ancient Aliens guy is the next Indian Science Minister.

“Japan should bear in mind that if it continues behaving as now, it will disappear from the world map for good”

— The North Korean National Defence Commission, after a U.N. resolution (introduced by Japan) passed, condemning the country for human rights violations

Home: Easy as ABC

Abroad: Ferguson in flames

Small-talk

“Japan should bear in mind that if it continues behaving as now, it will disappear from the world map for good” — The North Korean National Defence Commission, after a U.N. resolution (introduced by Japan) passed, condemning the country for human rights violations

Home: Easy as ABC

Abroad: Ferguson in flames

Small-talk

“Japan should bear in mind that if it continues behaving as now, it will disappear from the world map for good”

— The North Korean National Defence Commission, after a U.N. resolution (introduced by Japan) passed, condemning the country for human rights violations